Dear Hindy,

We let our dog Buster off the leash the other day, for the first time. He had such a great time running around with the other dogs in the park, but he wouldn’t listen to me when I called him. It took ages for him to come back, and I was scared I was going to lose him. Please help. Thank you, Claire

Dear Claire,

I can imagine how scary that must have been! Teaching a dog to come when called (recall) can, literally, save his life. I recommend you keep Buster leashed until you’re sure his recall is where it should be. That doesn’t mean his fun in the park has to stop, try using a very long leash so he has some freedom.

There are different elements to this training, but let me get you started with the basics.

You need a quiet place with no distractions, so Buster can focus only on you. When he’s headed over to you wait until he’s quite close, maybe a couple of feet, call his name and say “come.” When he does, make a big fuss to show him how exciting it is when he comes to you, and do this every single time. If he’s food motivated, small pieces of his favourite treat are a big help!!

Practice this periodically throughout the day, every day, until you’re satisfied he’s listening then you can start calling him when he’s further and further away. Gradually introduce distractions into this training in the house, and in a fenced in backyard.

Keep sessions to around 5 or 10 minutes so he doesn’t get bored.

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.** 

Dear Hindy,

When my dog Jeffrey gets something in his mouth, I can’t get him to give it to me for love or money. I try pulling it out of his mouth but he holds on tighter, and sometimes he even growls a little. It’s not so bad when it’s one of his toys, but when it’s my expensive wallet or my husband’s golf shoe, I can’t just accept it and walk away. How do I get him to give me what I ask for? Thank you, Charlotte

Dear Charlotte,

If it’s a small puppy you can usually win that tug of war, but a bigger and stronger dog…no. Having said that, having to wrestle something out of your dog’s mouth is not the way to go. You want to be able to ask your dog what you want him to do, and him listen to your request. In this case you want to teach your dog drop it.

We’re going to talk in terms of low value and high value, terms that are pretty self-explanatory. Things your dog likes but has no special love for, and things your dog goes crazy over.

Here are the simple steps to take

Grab two low value toys. One hide behind your back, the other give to Jeffrey. When he takes it say “take it.” Give him a few seconds or a minute to play with it, then show him the one you have behind your back. As soon as he drops the first one say “drop it” and when he takes the second one say “take it.” How simple is that.

Practice that a few times a day in short sessions so he doesn’t get bored. Once he’s doing well, you can start gradually introducing higher value toys. Follow the same process, only be aware it may be challenging to get him to drop something he really loves!!

If he refuses just get up and walk away, keeping within his sight line. You want him to see you playing with a toy, and more than likely he won’t be able to resist coming over to see what you’re doing. When he does, say “drop it” when he drops the toy and “take it” when you give up the one you were playing with. Carry on as before.  

Good luck.

**Ready to schedule a virtual training session with me? Great let’s get started!! Simply fill in the contact form with your time zone and what you need help with, and I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment.**