You and your dog may well share a passion for exploring the outdoors. Yet if your best friend doesn’t come back when you say his name, you have a problem. Recall training with a long lead is your solution, and it allows your pup to maintain his feeling of freedom while you remain in control.
Of all the obedience skills you can teach your dog, a solid recall is one of the most important. It can also be one of the hardest to instil! Yet once it clicks in your dog’s mind it’s often a lifesaver, protecting him from traffic, cliffs, predators, unfriendly fellow dogs and other strangers so that the pair of you can enjoy the best of New Zealand’s beautiful outdoors together.
When you shop with Arctic Sammy, it’s easy to find a dog leash that’s easy to use, durable, long-lasting and stylish. Recall training can even become fun for the both of you!
Here’s the Arctic Sammy guide to recall training with a long lead: what it is, how it benefits the both of you, and how to do it.
What is recall training with a long lead?
Recall training is the art of teaching your dog to come back (or “recall”) on command. This is a tougher trick to teach than it sounds due to the type of environment in which you’d usually summon your dog back to you. If you’re out in an off-lead dog park or a dog-friendly national park or campground, there’s a good chance your pup is having the time of his life. If he’s caught up in the excitement and highly stimulated, it can be a real challenge getting his attention when it’s time to go home.
Recall training with a long lead is just regular recall training with a leash that’s long enough to allow your dog freedom of movement and some exercise. A long leash can be anywhere from five to 25 metres long, and the length of these leads simulates off-leash training. Long lead training is perfect for when you’re almost ready to move to leash-free training but find your pup still ignores you sometimes.
How to use a long leash for recall training
A long dog leash is easy to use for recall training. First, unravel the lead so there are no kinks or knots in it and wrap the line loosely in your hand to create a loop.
Attach the leash to your dog’s harness. Make sure you use a harness and not a collar, as sudden jolts with a collar could potentially give your dog neck injuries.
Use two hands to hold the line, using the hand closest to the dog to manage the slack of the line and the other hand to pull the line in if you need to. This two-handed method keeps the line steady in your hand and means if you need to stop your dog, you can slow him down gently.
As your dog becomes more responsive to your commands, you can work on dropping the line completely and letting it trail on the ground. This is the next step in the process to ditching the lead completely as he becomes more responsive to your recall.
Top tips for long lead recall training
Here are some tips to give you the best chance of success when it comes to recall training with a long lead:
- If your dog responds to your recall, reward him with your voice, treats or toys. Make a party! He eventually will learn that all good things are coming from you, rather than the environment
- If your dog isn’t listening, loop up the excess line and shorten the leash until he is back with you. You can work with leash corrections but you have to ensure the leash is not tangled around the legs or tail. Don’t get frustrated, some things can take time. Try to get his focus back on you and have a fun short training/ or play session in close proximity. Once he is tuned back into you, loosen the leash and start over with your recall training.
- Choose leash material wisely. A lead with no grip, for example, will be uncomfortable on your hands and might become slippery when wet.
- To grip the lead safely, loop the excess in the palm of your hand and close your fingers around it. This is safer than wrapping the long line around your hand or wrist.
- Avoid letting your dog play with other dogs while on his longline, as tangles around his neck or body can lead to serious injuries. Avoiding dogs in the beginning helps with recall training as your dog is less distracted. Furthermore, dogs should never meet while on leash.
- Keep the line as slack as possible.
Arctic Sammy’s long dog leashes
Arctic Sammy has dog leads of all kinds including long dog leashes for recall training. Made from durable fabric or climbing rope material, these leashes are gentle on your hands but come with thick enough ropes to make knots easy to untie. The perfect tool for training or long walks on a lead, an Arctic Sammy dog leash fits wonderfully with an Arctic Sammy adventure harness. To find out more about recall training with a long lead and our leash range, get in touch with the Arctic Sammy team.
