Recall Tip: Avoiding Catch Me If You Can!
The majority of my clients want to work on recall (recall = come when called) with their dogs. We are a community of adventurers. We Hike. We Ski. We Trail Run. And when we are out adventuring, we want our dogs to come with us! Most of these activities are a lot easier if our pups can be off leash, so recall is important to keep everyone safe.
When teaching recall, one of the first things I have my clients do is teach their dogs how to be grabbed. We grab collars. We grab harnesses. We grab scruffs. And with the little dogs out there, we also add in picking them up!
Why is this so important?
Because for many of us, we use our recall for safety. Its not something we just use at the fenced in park or in our yard. We use our recalls because we see some coyotes on a trail run. We use our recalls because our bike trail unexpectedly crosses an OHV trail and we can hear the revving engines of dirt bikes speeding our way.
When you are truly using your recall for safety reasons, suddenly, its not as cute when your dog initiates a game of catch me if you can. And many of you have probably been there.
You call your dog.
They come running.
...and then they stop just out of your reach, and bounce all around you!
Remember, your dog is not “being stubborn”. They are having fun! Most likely your recall training needs some work to clarify to the dog that they should come to you, and allow you to grab them.
To prevent this, we teach our dogs that being grabbed is fun! Being held on by the scruff is awesome! Nothing is better than someone reaching over and grabbing your harness! An even better game to teach the dog is to PUSH their neck/harness into your hands!
When teaching this to client-dog pairs, we start easy and fun. We do not want the dog backing away or acting nervous. Always start with the smallest increment you can with your dog, and make sure they are not showing any signs of being nervous or not wanting you to grab them. If the dog seems nervous, we back up and break down our grab into even smaller pieces! These signs of nervousness include:
Backing away
Leaning away from you
Turning their head away
Yawning or licking their lips
Stiff body posture
...and more
Sometimes people have a hard time breaking the grab into small increments, so some places to start are:
Reaching towards the dog but not touching the dog
Gently touching the dogs collar, but not grabbing it
Petting or resting your hand on the scruff
Putting your hands under a small dog but not lifting them up
When you put your mind to it, you will find you can always break down your movement into something smaller and easier for your dog to handle.
Does your dog play “catch me if you can” when you recall them?