Teaching your dog recall with a long leash: in 5 minutes / day

Apprendre le rappel à son chien avec une longe : en 5 minutes / jour

Recall is arguably the most important command to teach your dog. It can save their life, but also avoid many dangerous everyday situations.

It is also one of the most difficult exercises to master. Even a dog with excellent recall can sometimes be distracted by its environment.

The good news? You don't need to spend an hour a day on it. 5 minutes of daily training are enough, provided you are consistent.

To teach recall effectively, a long training leash is an essential tool.

How to properly work on recall with a long leash?

Before you start, get your equipment:

  • a 15-meter long leash;
  • a harness;
  • some treats or your dog's favorite toy.

Then choose a calm and secure environment, such as your garden or an unfrequented park.

Step 1: The basics

Start simply.

Attach the leash to your dog's harness then move about ten meters away.

Call them with the word you have chosen:

  • "Heel"
  • "Come"
  • or any other command that you will always use in the same way.

Never pull your dog towards you. The leash is only used to remind them that they need to return using gentle tugs.

As soon as they reach you, reward them generously:

  • a treat;
  • a pet;
  • play.

Our advice

Never repeat your command several times.

Give it only once.

If your dog does not return, use the leash to help them. Otherwise, you risk teaching them that they can wait for the third or fourth call before returning.

Do not pull on the leash until they are at your feet, but give gentle tugs to regain their attention.

Discover the mistake to avoid with your long leash.

Step 2: Static distractions

Your dog now associates your command with coming back to you.

It is time to add some difficulty.

Ask someone close to you to hold a treat or a toy (depending on their preferences) in front of your dog without giving it to them.

Then call your dog exactly as you did in the first step.

The goal is for them to voluntarily abandon the distraction to return to you.

Once returned:

  • reward them;
  • then let them go back to the distraction.

Your dog will understand that by returning when called, they do not necessarily lose what interests them.

Step 3: Moving distractions

Let's move to the next level.

This time, use a moving distraction, for example, a ball.

Throw it and immediately recall your dog.

They will have to interrupt their chase to return to you.

As soon as they return, reward them and then allow them to go back and get their ball.

Warning

Do not wait until your dog is running at full speed.

Call them as soon as they start running to avoid any risk of injury, both for them and for you.

Step 4: Going further

Your dog is now starting to understand recall well.

Try a few recalls without the leash, always in a secure environment.

Then observe the situations where they still have difficulties.

For example:

  • when they see another dog;
  • when they smell a very interesting scent;
  • when they see a jogger or a bicycle.

Then go back to working specifically on these distractions with your long leash.

It is by targeting their difficulties that you will achieve reliable recall.

Opt for a flat dog long leash, which is much more wear-resistant.

Mistakes to avoid

To progress faster, avoid these common mistakes:

  • repeating your command several times;
  • using the leash to pull your dog towards you;
  • working in long sessions;
  • scolding your dog when they return (even if it took them a while).

Your dog must always associate recall with something positive.

Conclusion

Your dog will learn at their own pace.

With patience, they can learn anything.

Never get angry, even if you feel they are regressing. Learning is never perfectly linear.

There is no need to work on your recall in long sessions; it is much more effective to do it for only 5 minutes a day.

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