Recall

By Spot · Week 5 – Recall: Making My Own Name Sound Irresistible

Dad says this is the big one. The cue that, if I only ever learned one thing, this should be it. So I paid attention. Mostly because there were a lot of treats involved. 🐾

Why Recall Is the One That Matters

The Brain Training for Dogs course puts recall right up there with “leave it” and “drop it” as a potentially lifesaving cue. If I ever bolt out a door, head toward a road, or spot a squirrel worth chasing, a reliable recall is what brings me back.

The whole idea is simple: my name should sound like the best thing in the world. When Dad calls me, I should come running because my name means treats, praise, and good vibes — never anything I’d want to avoid.

How We Trained It (Indoors First)

We started in the hallway. Since I’m small and don’t mind being picked up, Dad had a helper hold me at one end while he knelt at the other.

Then: “Spot, come!”

The helper let go, Dad made ridiculous excited noises, and I sprinted to him. When I arrived, I got several treats in a row, plus enough praise to make me feel like I’d just won the Dog Olympics. 🐾

We repeated this over and over.

On some rounds there was no helper. Dad simply tossed a treat away, let me eat it, and then called me back.

Same cue.

Same excitement.

Same jackpot.

The Collar Touch (Sneaky but Smart)

Here’s a clever little trick the course taught Dad.

Lots of dogs will happily run toward their owner… then dodge away the moment a hand reaches for their collar, turning it into a game of catch-me-if-you-can.

To prevent that, Dad practiced something really simple.

He gently touched my collar…

…then immediately gave me a treat.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Now I actually enjoy having my collar touched because it usually means something good is about to happen.

Then he started calling me, gently holding my collar when I arrived, and rewarding me while keeping hold of it.

The result?

I come all the way in and stay there.

No swerving.

No last-second escape attempts.

Which could make all the difference if there’s ever a real emergency. 🧠

Taking It Outside

Once we felt confident indoors, we moved outside with a long line for safety.

And…

that’s when things became much harder.

Inside, coming back to Dad was easy.

Outside?

There were birds…

new smells…

people…

leaves blowing across the grass…

Basically a thousand things that seemed far more interesting than listening to my own name.

Sometimes I’d come straight away.

Sometimes I’d stop halfway and think:

“Hmm… maybe I’ll just investigate this smell first.”

Dad quickly realised recall isn’t something you teach once and then forget.

Especially not with a curious little dog like me.

Every new place feels like starting over — just with a little more progress each time.

One thing we really appreciated about the course is that it prepares you for exactly this.

It doesn’t expect perfection overnight.

Instead, it encourages adding distractions gradually and celebrating small improvements along the way.

That took a lot of pressure off both of us.

We’re definitely improving…

…but we’re not there yet.

And honestly, that’s okay.

One Rule Dad Takes Seriously

The course is firm on this, and so is Dad.

He never calls me just to do something unpleasant.

No calling me over for nail trimming.

No calling me because it’s time to leave somewhere fun.

If he needs me for something I won’t enjoy, he comes and gets me instead.

That way, hearing my name always predicts something positive.

And if he ever really needs me away from danger?

The course suggests something surprisingly simple.

Run away while making happy, excited noises.

Apparently no dog can resist chasing a human who’s suddenly running away.

I hate to admit it…

…but it works on me almost every time. 😄

Looking Ahead

We’ve spent several days working on recall already, and we’ll keep practicing it for the rest of our lives.

Honestly, this has been one of the hardest parts of my training so far.

Not because Dad isn’t trying…

…but because the world is simply full of exciting things for a little dog like me.

The good news?

Every week we’re making a little more progress.

That’s what this journey is really about.

Not becoming perfect overnight…

…but becoming a little better together every single week.

Next up is Heeling & Attention Heeling — probably the lesson we’ve both been looking forward to the most.

If we can master that one, maybe walks won’t feel quite so overwhelming anymore. 🧠🐾

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Want to follow my full journey?

The course we’re using is Brain Training for Dogs by Adrienne Farricelli. These are honest updates from our real training journey — the successes, the setbacks, and everything in between.

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