I've been doing long(ish) recalls with Chula when we are on our walks. Probably a max distance of 75 feet. Should I be marking her right when she takes off, somewhere in the middle, or when she reaches me?

Hi Lynne,

I don't. I just mark when the dog gets to me & reward with food, ball tug whatever turns your dog on. I just want the dog thinking one thing...to get back to me as quickly as possible to get their reward.

I often put my dogs out in the middle of a 3 acre field & leave them their for a bit & then recall them. They lay their with all eyes & ears on my waiting for my recall command. If I start messing around with other commands(although I can have then do change of positions while out there) they will not recall fast & clean. Just me & what I want to see.

I think if you start talking to the dog you will distract her & have slowing down anticipating some other command. Dogs basically can only do & think about 1 thing at a time, so you don't want to distract them from the task at hand.

I find on my dogs if I do more then a down on a send out when I have them out running & retreiving balls...they tend to either hesitate going out or then start to slow down when getting close to their ball that I have throw for them to retreive as they are anticipating me giving them a down before they get to their ball.
So I usually only do one once in a while, since I know it is well trained & they will do it. I want the send out fresh & fast & the return to me the same.

Duration is another thing altogether & you can add in a duration command when teaching long downs etc.

Just my experience & JMO of course.

Hi Lynne,

My young Dal and I have just started biking together cross country ...slowly for both of us, since we both need to protect our joints; the dog because she has young joints and I, because I have old joints! We used our latest trip out with my husband to practice our recalls. I was really surprised to see how the new activity, ie biking together, apparently increased her drive in the recall between my husband and myself. This was especially true of her run to my husband since it is me who does almost all the training and walking! Both recalls were rewarded with food. Best Dalmatian Recall from a Bike!

Nice recall, Lisabet!

Anne, I was wondering this also (whether or not to even mark, but just reward when she gets to me). I'll try not marking and just rewarding and see how she responds to that...

You mark it ...you do it just as the dog gets to you & then reward...just like any other command.

The recall (COME/HERE-whatever you use)is the command per se, so when the completetion of the movement (action is dog running to you) into that positiion (to you/in front/by your side-what ever you have taught) is the completed command & therefore what it marked & rewarded.

ie: command -sit...dog drops butt & is now in the position that the command asked for..A SIT (action is dog putting butt on ground) in order to now be in sit position. When in that position of butt on ground that gets marked & dog gets reward.

After the 'teaching' phase is over & absolutely solid..I drop the marker & just reward for a command.

Did I say that so it makes sense....been a long day.