{"id":1246,"date":"2023-06-06T13:41:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T12:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelabradorsite.com\/?p=1246"},"modified":"2025-04-19T09:53:05","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T08:53:05","slug":"how-to-correct-a-dog-that-ignores-the-recall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelabradorsite.com\/how-to-correct-a-dog-that-ignores-the-recall\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Correct A Dog That Ignores The Recall?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We have all had that sinking feeling.\u00a0You call your dog, you know he has heard you,\u00a0 and he totally<\/em> ignores you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know you need to act straight away or the habit of ignoring you will get worse. But what should you do? What is the best reaction? How should you correct your dog during recall training?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dog Correction and Consequences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The traditional advice from dog trainers used to be to get out and correct your dog at the point where he was when you gave the recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To literally run him down, grab him and give him a serious telling off.
Unfortunately there are huge practical problems with this approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order for a dog\u2019s behaviour to be modified by any consequences you provide,   those consequences have to follow the behaviour pretty rapidly.   We are talking seconds here, not minutes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You have to get out to the dog before<\/em> he leaves the place where he ignored you, and before<\/em> he forgets what it is he did wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Fast Can You Run?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, if<\/em> you are good sprinter, it may be possible to accurately (and therefore effectively) correct a dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So that he learns from the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But more often than not, by the time you reach him, assuming you can catch him, he hasn\u2019t a clue what he is being corrected for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget that when plunging through undergrowth or up a hill, four legs have the advantage over two! And if you do catch your dog, that’s just the beginning. Because corrections are not what they seem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being The Bad Guy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being the bad guy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Punishing your dog means that in his eyes you become the \u2018bad guy\u2019.  This may be only temporary,  but the effect can be very damaging to the whole recall process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember too that punishment must be pretty unpleasant in order to counter the fun that the dog just had ignoring your boring old pleas for him to \u2018come here\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just how mean are you prepared to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The essence of a good recall lies in creating a situation where the dog feels the urge to be next to you more than anything else in the world when he hears that recall signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have punished him, no matter how moderately,  you will have reduced his desire to get himself next to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is counter productive and there seems little point in shooting yourself in the foot when there is a better alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"ignore\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What to do when your dog ignores you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These days, like most modern trainers, I teach the whole recall process using rewards.\u00a0 But rewards are only part of the process. To be successful without punishment, your behavioral correction program needs to have three components. <\/p>\n\n\n\n