Recall training
Teaching your dog recall may be the most important training you can undertake, and the most nerve wracking. The first time you let your dog off the lead can be daunting, especially if they’re already an adult. Luckily for you and all other dog owners, recall training can be easy if done consistently and positively, so here we are to offer you the best tips and tricks for a faultless recall. If you are struggling with recall, we recommend consulting a positive, force free behaviourist.
Firstly, the key to great recall is to reward, reward, reward. To put it simply, you can’t force you do to come back if they don’t want to, what we are aiming for is for your dog to choose to come back to you each and every time. Whether this is done with food, toys or attention, you want your dog to think that coming back to you is the most rewarding choice they can make.
Start with the basics
Choose your recall word – and stick to it! It may sound strange, but if you’re in a habit of telling your dog ‘no’ by using his name, they may already have a negative, or indifferent association to it. Think about choosing a different word for recall, such as ‘come’ or ‘heel’. What you want to do is associate the word with reward and so they come sprinting to your side at the sound of it.
Practice
Practice at home – start with simply using your word and giving your dog a treat every time you say it. Increase the distance, or even just call it out every now and then when your dog is distracted. The second your dog gives you attention, reward them straight away!
Avoid
Try not to ask your dog for a second action just now. For example, if you call them and ask them to sit on their arrival, they may confuse the commands and you end up just reinforcing the ‘sit’ command. It’s definitely something you can introduce down the line but try and keep it simple to start with. 
Distance, Distraction, Duration
You might hear these 3 D’s knocking about when researching ways to train your dog. And they are mighty useful when it comes to learning a strong behaviour. Using a longline until you’re confident with their behaviour, start working on the same technique in new ways. This can be with distracting food on the floor, toys being squeaked by a helpful friend, or eventually around other dogs.
Always remember
Remember that a faultless recall can take a long time, with some mishaps on the way. If your dog doesn’t come back instantly, or even at all, telling them off will just make them not want to come back more. If all else fails and your pup is running into the sunset towards something dangerous, chasing them will only turn into a game. 