My dogs are very good when they are off-leash because they get to spend a lot of time off-leash. I once worked with a German Short Haired Pointer that was next to impossible to teach the recall command to.
You see, this poor dog had been tied up in the owners backyard for seven years. The dog had never been off-leash his entire life. The last thing this dog was thinking about when he got off-leash was coming when called.
Can you blame him?
Anyway, what we need to do is let our dogs develop the sense of freedom. This can be done with a long line. A 20 to 30 foot long line. Bring your dog to a big open area and put the long line on your dog.
Let your dog hang out and just be a dog. Let your dog sniff and run and explore the area without any commands and as little interference from you as possible. When I do this with a dog that I am training I just stay near the long line. I step on it if the dog starts to get to far away.
Most dogs on leash are constantly getting commands from the owner. "Heel", "Leave it", "Sit", "Stay", etc. When you have your dog on a long line just let your dog hang out and do dog stuff.
After a few days of this youll see a change in your dog. Your dog will start to come back to you when you call.
I have always believed that the recall command is one of the most important commands we can teach our dogs. This is a easy and useful step to follow and apply. You and your dog will be happy that you did.
As always I look forward to your comments and suggestions.
All the best,
Eric
