Hi Guys,

For the recall I use the command "aqui!" (Portuguese for "here!"). I use it until now only while training a recall, never when they are offline in the yard.

For the Restrained Recall I put a harness on the dog - as described in Mark's course. For the other Recall the dog is on a long line.

But now my husband uses now the command "aqui!" too, whenever he wants a dog come to him. I told him that like this he was abusing this command, he will make it meaningless for the dog, because he has the chance to decide if he wants to go on doing what is is doing at the moment or not.And running after the dog of cause makes no sense. On the long line he hasn't got that chance.

I have trained it first on a shorter line, so they can not go away very far. And then of course with the Restrained recall. Like this the learned to understand the meaning of "Aqui" as a friendly invitation to have fun together.

I have already had quite hot confrontations with my husband about this. His opinion: I'm taking these things much too seriously and that the dogs will anyway never come on command, when they have more important things to do!

Of course, when there is some too high an attraction competing with me, they will prefer this. That's why we are training. They do come to me quite reliably in a training session. They are still in a learning phase and I can add distractions only gradually.IMO, this coming, when called must through 100'000 reps become a pattern.

But when the "Aqui" looses its meaning, this will never happen. They will think: "Ok, she is near, I can still do what I want now and join her afterwards". In this way I will never be able to reach consistency and an engagement, which is stronger than the competing motivators I am working against corresponding to the dog's momentary level of tolerance.

I know, no one (except perhaps I myself) can solve this husband problem. Probably I should apply a marker training for him too. Though 4 dogs are already enough work.

But - without joke - am I so wrong with my opinion?

Any tips, tricks, advices, rat runs, opinions will be very welcome!

Lol! It seems Lol, but really, this doesn't work. A dog will rapidly learn, that "aqui" is without importance. This is not a question between two people beeing of different opinions. What counts here is, that a dog gets clear commandos and not a confusion of all possible sounds, once friendly, once annoyed, once a som of almost threatening. In this manner they will catch nothing at all, they will not understand nothing.

Unless he would use his personal sounds connsistently with them. Dogs are intelligent enough to associiate this with each person. but then they would have to do this consistently, not as exception, out of momentary emotion, not as a personal momentary wish. This absolutey confuses the dogs, doesn't work in the least.

He shouts in all possible sounds and I cannot do anything against it. This cannot be the way which makes sense, make undertand them how to react.