Guide Dogs Puppy Development and Advice Leaflet No.6 Recall and Free Running 1
Table of Contents 3 Teaching relief behaviour and routines to guide dog puppies 3 How to introduce recall 6 The free run procedure 7 How to continue to practice and strengthen the recall 8 Common handling errors that can undermine recall responses 2
Teaching relief behaviour and routines to guide dog puppies The aim of teaching recall is to ensure your puppy will return promptly to you either in response to a vocal command or on hearing the whistle. Your puppy should, upon return, make contact with you without jumping up, or at a speed likely to result in injury, and should remain close to you until commanded to carry out another activity. Making appropriate, safe physical contact is an essential requirement for the future owner because if a dog stops short of the handler, a blind and partially sighted person may struggle to know where the dog is. Therefore without contact, praising and controlling a guide dog will become increasingly difficult for its owner. It is important your puppy understands that when it is called it must return as soon as possible, despite the fact that it may be enjoying a good sniff or playing with another puppy or dog! Your puppy should have developed a learned response because returning to their handler is rewarding and they should therefore have a willingness to return to you, even when off the lead. How to introduce recall Between the ages of six and twelve weeks The process of teaching your puppy to come to you when he or she is called should start from the moment you receive your new puppy. It sounds obvious, but many people forget that recall is a learned response and therefore needs to be developed and practised. Initially, it is more important that your puppy learns to respond to you rather than to specific commands. This is developed by first ensuring you have a positive relationship with your puppy through stroking, playing, grooming and the use of an encouraging voice when using its name. If the puppy is frightened or wary of you it is unlikely that it will approach you positively. It should take very little time to develop your puppy s trust and confidence in you (literally two or three days), and once that s done, you can introduce the start of recall training. By positively encouraging your puppy to come to you initially just in and around your house your puppy starts to carry out basic recall. Remember to use a light and positive voice whilst using the puppy s name and the command come, with an open or lowered and friendly body posture, as well as lots of vocal and physical rewards when your puppy makes contact with you. Initially, in order to ensure your puppy does return to you, call it when you have its attention, or looks in your direction, or when it is already returning to you. By timing the recall correctly, you can improve your chances of success. Once this basic response is established, the whistle can be introduced at feeding time to assist with developing future recall responses. Your supervisor will show you how best to use the whistle so that the puppy develops a positive association between it and food. The whistle will be used as a prompt for recall throughout the puppy s training and future working life, so it is essential that once it is introduced it is consistently used. When established (again this should not take long), the whistle can be used to prompt recall in and around the house along with the appropriate voice, body postures and praise when physical contact is achieved.when you are confident that your puppy has a basic response to both vocal recall 3
and the whistle around the home, exercises can be carried out in the garden, where the surroundings may result in additional distractions. Again, you are trying to ensure a positive return when prompted, so time the recalls carefully and use a welcoming positive posture contact and praise are essential. It may even be appropriate to give a food-related treat on contact to promote a good response next time to the recall prompt. If you have any concerns or problems with developing your puppy s initial response to recall, please contact your supervisor for advice. By correctly solving a problem in the initial stages you can prevent behavioural problems emerging during training. Between the ages of six and twelve weeks The process of teaching your puppy to come to you when he or she is called should start from the moment you receive your new puppy. It sounds obvious, but many people forget that recall is a learned response and therefore needs to be developed and practised. Initially, it is more important that your puppy learns to respond to you rather than to specific commands. This is developed by first ensuring you have a positive relationship with your puppy through stroking, playing, grooming and the use of an encouraging voice when using its name. If the puppy is frightened or wary of you it is unlikely that it will approach you positively. It should take very little time to develop your puppy s trust and confidence in you (literally two or three days), and once that s done, you can introduce the start of recall training. By positively encouraging your puppy to come to you initially just in and around your house your puppy starts to carry out basic recall. Remember to use a light and positive voice whilst using the puppy s name and the command come, with an open or lowered and friendly body posture, as well as lots of vocal and physical rewards when your puppy makes contact with you. Initially, in order to ensure your puppy does return to you, call it when you have its attention, or looks in your direction, or when it is already returning to you. By timing the recall correctly, you can improve your chances of success. Once this basic response is established, the whistle can be introduced at feeding time to assist with developing future recall responses. Your supervisor will show you how best to use the whistle so that the puppy develops a positive association between it and food. The whistle will be used as a prompt for recall throughout the puppy s training and future working life, so it is essential that once it is introduced it is consistently used. When established (again this should not take long), the whistle can be used to prompt recall in and around the house along with the appropriate voice, body postures and praise when physical contact is achieved. When you are confident that your puppy has a basic response to both vocal recall and the whistle around the home, exercises can be carried out in the garden, where the surroundings may result in additional distractions. Again, you are trying to ensure a positive return when prompted, so time the recalls carefully and use a welcoming positive posture contact and praise are essential. It may even be appropriate to give a food-related treat on contact to promote a good response next time to the recall prompt. If you have any concerns or problems with developing your puppy s initial response to recall, please contact your supervisor for advice. By correctly solving a problem in the initial stages you can prevent behavioural problems emerging during training. 4
How to introduce recall post vaccination This period provides you with the ideal opportunity to initiate your puppy s first free run in an open environment. The free run provides your puppy not only with exercise but, more importantly, with the opportunity to further develop its response to recall. Although free running is important it must not be given priority over lead work and basic socialisation. The first free run exercise for all puppies must be authorised by your supervisor, and the following must be considered: the health and safety of yourself and your puppy your puppy should have been fully vaccinated a satisfactory response to recall in and around the home environment should be achieved prior to free running in an open environment the environment must be suitable for exercise, free from hazards [including, although not limited to, extreme weather conditions (e.g. flooding, heavy snow), away from roads, litter, glass, livestock, etc.] and, if possible, enclosed and distraction free all necessary equipment must be available to hand e.g. waste bags, lead, standard collar, ID disk, food reward, toys, whistle etc. please read the separately issued Required Outcomes Overview, Recall and Free Running for required outcomes and Dos and Don ts 5
The free run procedure Before setting off for a free run, ensure that your puppy has had an opportunity to relieve itself at home in the designated spending area. By ensuring your puppy spends at home before a free run, you will help to maintain your puppy s spending routine. Also, check that you have all the equipment you may need to carry out this exercise (e.g. whistle, collar with ID disc, treats, poo bags etc.) Once in the free run area, recheck issues relating to safety and walk a distance into the park, away from entrances and exits. Remember it is important not to reward poor lead behaviour when walking to the park with an immediate free run. Carry out practice recalls on the lengthened puppy lead in order to strengthen the response and maintain general obedience. If you are not satisfied with the response on the lead, do not let your puppy off. Once satisfied with your puppy s responses, ensure your puppy sits, and remove the lead while keeping hold of the puppy s collar (ID disc must be attached). When it is safe to do so, quietly release the puppy with the command go free in a calm and quiet voice. Allow your puppy time to go and explore. Initially, ignore the puppy s scavenging or carrying objects unless the item is a health risk. Instead keep on the move, changing direction frequently, so the puppy has to keep watching where you are going to avoid getting lost. Remember to keep your eye on the puppy to ensure that it does not run up and surprise you. Praise your puppy if it returns to you at any time even if you don t call it. When initiating a return, use both your voice and the whistle so the puppy gets used to returning to both. During each free run carry out a formal recall exercise three or four times, so the puppy does not associate returning to you with the end of free running. Make sure that during each return the lead is refitted, or the collar is held, so that control becomes part of the recall. Do not grab at or chase your puppy. Back away using a positive voice and posturing in order to encourage your puppy to approach you. You do not want your puppy learning to run from you, and to avoid the essential contact. Do not command the puppy to sit upon return as this may inhibit the contact with the handler. Never tell your puppy off for returning to you, no matter what it is carrying or how long it has taken for it to decide to come back. Anticipate dangers, especially roads, aggressive dogs, livestock etc. and recall well in advance of these situations. Always finish the free run exercise on a positive note to ensure a good response next time. 6
How to continue to practice and strengthen the recall With the first sixteen weeks behind you, your puppy should be returning to you when required. If not, please contact your supervisor for advice. Recall training is an on-going process and, as your puppy continues to develop and grow, the maintenance of your puppy s recall response remains a priority. Regular free running will give you opportunities to practise recall and you should use the same techniques to encourage recall as previously described. However, there are additional elements to add to your puppy s free running routine. Incorporate changes to the free running routine, such as finding new environments e.g. woodland, and areas with more distractions. Also, change the time and length of walks so that your puppy doesn t get complacent. When free running, play hide-and-seek games to ensure that your puppy keeps track of where you are and does not get over-confident that your support is always available on tap. Try recalling your puppy when it is distracted and test the response in more taxing situations. Be prepared to work hard if you do not get a response straight away and, above all, make sure your puppy comes to you, not the other way around! Try free running with another puppy to test the recall response. Use rewards (particularly food) in a more random way. At this stage, it is not good enough for your puppy to amble back to you. For example, offer a food reword following a prompt return. Ensure that the return speed of the puppy is appropriate. Too fast a speed and too hard a contact can be dangerous for somebody who is blind or partially-sighted. 7
Common handling errors that can undermine recall responses Please contact your supervisor if you have any questions or problems when free running. Advice can usually be given over the phone or a visit can be arranged to give additional training or input. However, common handling errors that can undermine recall responses include: The over-use of the puppy s name or whistle during free running without ensuring return or contact. Chasing the puppy if it won t come back. What a great game that is for the puppy! Running a male when a bitch in season has used the area recently. Remaining in one place so that the puppy knows where to find you or alternatively, always free running in the same environment. This can create an over-confident puppy or a puppy who anticipates when the walk is due to end, and therefore does not return when called. Assuming a puppy will behave in the same way when free running with another puppy or dog as it does on its own. Telling a puppy off if it takes too long to return as the behaviour that is being scolded is the recall, this may develop a cycle of the puppy not returning as it associates the telling off with returning to you. Inappropriate use of voice and body postures (giving the wrong message). These action points must be followed at all times to support the agreed training process within the puppy walking department of Guide Dogs. Copyright 2014 A charity registered in England and Wales (209617) and Scotland (SC038979) 09/14 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. 8