The big recall training mistake a dog expert wants you to stop doing
If you've been trying to train your dog to come when called without much success it could be because you're making a common training mistake.
Dog trainer Katie Eaton revealed in an Instagram reel the two things she wants owners to stop doing when recall training their dogs.
"STOP practicing recall off leash when your dog has known to blow you off in the past. If what you're doing isn't making your recall exponentially better, then you need to change it up," she said in the caption.
Watch the video above.
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If off leashe recall training isn't working then try on-leash recall training. Instagram/@thegoddogyorktown
In the video Eaton showed what she means by training with your dog on a leash if they keep ignoring your calls while off leash.
"You have to give them 0 per cent chance to ignore you when you call them. You must start practicing on leash to stop them from ignoring your command," she explained.
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Dog trainer Katie Eaton says this is just bribing your dog to come. Instagram/@thegoddogyorktown
Another mistake Eaton wants owners to stop making is enticing dogs to come by shaking a bag of treats to get their attention.
"'COME' is the command, present the reward AFTER they come – don't use it beforehand to bribe them," she said, adding that giving dogs no praise or reward after they do come is just as bad.
"'Come' should be so exciting for your dog that they drop everything they're doing to FLY to you, and then when they get to you BAM, bring out the jackpots (an amazing treat that they only get for 'come', a game of chasing treats on the ground or chasing you, a game of tug or flirt pole chasing, etc etc)."
Anticipating the reward and then getting it for following the command is what is most rewarding for dogs, Eaton says, and it's less rewarding if they know they're going to get a treat because you've already shown it to them.
Based on the comments of Eaton's Instagram video, recall training seems to be something that owners struggle with.
"What about a dog doing this 100% on leash and 0% off leash?! She totally knows when she has to listen and I'm stuck!" one said.
"My struggle also, i always have to grab a treat to get her to come to me. She just drops to floor and waits for me to go get treat, then the stinker gets up," a woman admitted.
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Dogs need to anticipate being rewarded as that gives them the most satisfaction. Instagram/@thegoddogyorktown
"Why do you have to call me out like that? We are working on it, but the temptation to bribe is hard," another said.
Meanwhile, the training video worked for one owner but not quite in the intended way.
"My dog came to me because he heard you calling your dog," an owner said after watching the reel.
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