FE350 Build Your Bond -- Recalls

Does your dog come when she feels like it? Or at a casual pace? No more!

Course Details

Did you know that a recall is a chain of 4 behaviors? Or that classical conditioning is the foundation of a successful recall? Learn how to take the recall behavior apart, teach each piece, then put it back together like the professionals do. In this class, you'll learn the 9 steps in the process of teaching a fast and reliable recall.

Discover how to prepare your dog for new environments and challenging distractions. Explore how to build speed and enthusiasm for the recall.

We will use many different games to build the pieces, then put them together in a behavior chain, adding distance and distraction in a planned fashion. We'll look at what distractions your dog needs to work on, and what creative reinforcers we can use to have your dog rocketing toward you on the first call! Explore how you can use Premack's Principle in ways you may have never considered!
Find out what to you can do to help your dog choose you over the distractions! Over 80 video clips and text explains the process of building a recall step by step in the form of games.

Special discussions about:

  • reinforcers and using Premack
  • desensitizing to distractions
  • adding distance
  • overuse of recalls
  • what to do if your dog fails
  • dogs that have a history of chasing things: bicycles, people, animals
  • multiple handlers/trainers (different family members)

This class is ideal for puppies, dogs that want to be chased, dogs that come when they feel like it, dogs that chase things, dogs that get distracted easily, independent-minded dogs, dogs that find skunks and porcupines, even dogs with a long history of ignoring recall cues etc. In short, every dog can benefit from this class! It's a fun way to train your dog to have a reliable recall in competition and any other environment and to build a stronger relationship!

I am really excited about this course! Learn how to build value for coming to you in any real life environment. This class is a combination of text and videos and theory with practice. The class is dense with information. It will take you much more than the 6 weeks to get through all the materials especially if your dog has issues like chasing. Each week, you can choose which games and what part of each game you and your dog need to spend time on. A framework for working through high-level distractions is provided.

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Note:
This is a content heavy class. I have tried to organize it as clearly as possible. Realistically, plan to take 12 weeks or more to work through all the material. There is a checklist to keep you on track for weekly games.
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Syllabus

Note: Games are released every 2 weeks so you can play the ones your dog needs.

Introduction to Build the Bond: Recalls
Step 1 Start Young
Step 2 Acclimation to Environments and Using Long Lines
Lecture 1 Reinforcers and Distractions & Premack
Lecture 2 General Training Process
Lecture 3 Starting List of Distractions

Step 4 Distractions
Quick Game Summary by Week
Games 1 to 9
Homework 1

Step 4A Desensitization to High Level Distractions
Lecture 4 Satiation
Lecture 5 Learning from Group Recalls
Homework 2

Games 1-17
Lecture 6 Limited Hold
Lecture 7 Adding Controlled Distractions to Games
Homework 3

Step 5 Start Putting the Pieces Together
Lecture 8 Multiple Handlers Multiple Dogs
Lecture 9 Role of Arousal in Recalls
Homework 4

Step 6 Add Cues for the Whole Behavior (Yes! CueS!)
Lecture 10 Use of a Recall Cue
Lecture 11 Classical vs Operant Conditioning
Lecture 6 Build the Distraction Level Back Up
Step 7 Add Distance
Games 3 to 19
Lecture 12 What to Do if a Dog Fails?
Homework 5

Step 8 Build Distraction Level Back Up
Lecture 14 Dealing with "Sticky" (Overaroused) Dogs
Step 9 Generalization to More New Environments & Recall Summary
Homework 6

Prerequisites & Supplies

a dog that likes food or toysclicker or other precise markera safe fenced areaharness or flat collar6-foot leash15 and/or 30-foot long line (biothane or lightweight nylon webbing recommended with gloves)a variety of medium to very high-value treats (real meat and fat! tripe etc)a variety of different value toys (tug, ball on a rope, flirt pole, fluffy toy)squeaky toya toy that makes a sound (try second-hand stores and garage sales)battery operated toy that bounces, jumps or rolls unpredictably on its ownremote control toys (car, truck, or animal that moves)distractions (human helpers, other friendly dogs, kids, bicycle etc)X-pen, wire crate, ring gates or link chain fenceunbreakable platenylon stockingpaw target cone or other similar objectsamples of real scent (bird, rabbit, deer etc) such as poop or access game trails or bottled game scent from hunting storesother commonly available materials as needed

Instructor

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Donna Hill

Faculty

Donna Hill (she/her) has had a life long love affair with dogs and a fascination with dog behavior. She has broad practical experience in the dog world: volunteering and working in kennels and shelters, dog sitting and walking, fostering rescue dogs, teaching behavior modification privately, and...

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