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Re: Recall out the window - what to do?
What do you do with him when he gets back to you? If you look at it from Koda's point of view, do I go chase the rabbits, or do I go back for a treat in my own time because I'll get that anyway?
I practise a recall on walks regularly, but I will mix it in with a bit of fun training occasionally to give them a reason to come back. This morning I had both the chocolate girls out, and there were deer returning to a wood up ahead, which Tau hadn't spotted and I didn't want her chasing them. So I blew the stop whistle, which got her attention, she broke slightly towards me, so I held up my hand for her to reinforce the command, and after she'd stood for a few seconds (which would have been long enough for me to redirect or give her the hunt whistle if I'd planted something for her to retrieve) I blew the recall. Her return back was very fast and enthusiastic, because she'd got the stop bit right she had 'achieved' something. Dogs like winning and getting things right, much more than a bag of cheddar cubes which they know they'll be getting in any case. It doesn't take much to give them that sense of achievement, which mixed in generally with walks/training, gives you a good recall. Usually I'll have a pocket full of tennis balls, which I'll drop or throw to one side, so following a recall, they get the bonus of a retrieve - all informal and fun.
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