Saturday, November 20, 2010

Teaching the Recall

It simply isn’t possible -- or fair -- not to let Parker off the leash in the backyard at least once during the day. He absolutely must run off he zoomies. However, it’s furking cold here now and standing outside hoping a dog will get tired/bored and come inside with me just isn’t going to happen. We have *got* to get to work on the recall.

The way Shirley teaches the recall isn’t so much teaching a behavior as making a behavior a conditioned reflex. Something the dog doesn’t even have to think about. Imagine Pavlov’s bell. It starts in the most boring room in the house. Go there with the dog, the clicker and the treats. Pick a recall word which you never use for any other purpose. It probably shouldn’t be “Come,” but that’s *my* conditioned reflex. So that’s what we’re using.

In the bathroom, sitting on the throne, it’s, “Parker, Come!”, click, treat. Repeat until the treats are gone. Shirley’s suggestion is 150 times. I didn’t have that many treats. But we did a lot and will do a lot more in that room today.

The process is repeated in every room in the house, from the most boring to the most -- ah -- less boring. Only then do we move outside.

This could take a while.

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