Shooting Times & Country Magazine
Achieving total recall
Drive in a gundog is a thing to be admired but all dogs should return to their handler when the command is given, says Ellena Swift
It is common for me to talk about how important the basics are. Heel and sit are two things I cover frequently. However, it is sometimes the case that basic recall gets overlooked. With any young dog, despite wanting a solid recall, it is vital you do not flatten their drive to hunt and either retrieve or flush.
Too much recall and stop whistle will often cause a young or inexperienced dog to become sticky and continually look for commands, inhibiting any natural talent it has for game finding. To avoid this, it is important that when training youngsters they have a guaranteed success each time they are cast.
For example, if you send a young or novice dog for a retrieve, ensure it is achievable. When hunting a young dog, ensure there is something to find. As it grows and advances in its career, it will be so certain that it can find something, it will have a lot more drive to do so.
Slowly increase the difficulty of each task so the dog is working for it but achieving each time. Following this, the only problem that can occur is that the dog has so much confidence that it will find something that its recall can begin to lapse in that situation. Particularly on game.
It is a common thing to hear a picker-up state, “He is so good, he won’t come back until he has found the bird.” Now whilst that is a great attribute to have in terms of drive, it is not so good when said bird is not actually there. In that scenario, whilst we admire the drive, it is not much use if you cannot get the dog back. When in the beating line, it is imperative that when the keeper requests that dogs are pulled back in to heel, they recall. A dog that cannot complete that simple task could easily ruin a drive.
Sensible balance
So how can we achieve a good, solid recall without flattening the dog? It is all about sensible balance. Keepa has come out of lockdown and is
now getting fit. He has been training up north on the amazing terrain there and showed real promise.
He is enjoying the cooler weather, which helps a lot as none of mine particularly enjoy working or training when it is warm. Having placed several memory retrieves out and some blinds, we sent each dog in turn for a retrieve. On one retrieve, we could not recall how many we had picked from that area so we decided to send a dog back to hunt the area.
Keepa had been to that area once already so went out with gusto. He was certain he could find something as he had previously had success there. The true test was to see if he would continue to hold that area or give up and move on to somewhere new. He hunted every inch and it soon became clear we had picked everything. So I recalled him. This is where the wheels could have come off. It occurred to me I had not actually tried to recall him off anything all summer.
He began running back promptly but obviously expected me to stop him at some point and push him to a new area to hunt. So as he was coming back I used my voice to praise him.
As I did he went up a gear and began running back more enthusiastically. As he got back to me I got a ball out and threw it for him as a reward. I will perhaps only repeat this exercise once in each session, if that, as it is
so important I keep his drive up for hunting and he must not pre-empt my commands.
Level up
Sika is obviously at a slightly lower level than Keepa, however, I am working on the same things with her but just slightly differently. To begin with I ensure that she understands what the recall whistle is. I sit her up and walk away. Then using no hand signals I simply put my recall whistle in. If she runs back immediately then she understands. If she remains sitting or begins to hunt, then she is obviously confused.
Either way, I need to go back a step and reaffirm what the recall means if this happens. Then increase the difficulty. I begin by sitting her away from me and throw a dummy over her head so it lands 20 yards or so away from her. I then simply put her recall in. For some the desire to go and find the retrieve may prove too much.
If that is the case, either use a long line to ensure a solid recall or, alternatively, throw the dummy behind you instead of the dog. That way when you recall the dog, it will be more inclined to run in your direction and you can simply intercept it.
Fortunately, enthusiasm is not something Sika lacks, whether it is going out for a retrieve or coming back. However, if she tried to amble back, it is important to rouse them up. Use your voice and actions (arms out, crouched down if necessary), encouraging the whole way. If the dog enjoys a treat or ball, use it as a reward upon its return.
Game on
As both dogs continue improving, you can take these simple exercises and start to test them on game. Start with cold game if necessary and simply repeat the same exercises on dummies. If you wish to go beating, start with some light dogging in.
When you know there are a lot of birds on the floor, practise your recall. If necessary a long line can provide a bit of security, however, by the time you reach that point I would expect the dog to be passed the stage of being out of control. When out picking up, wait until most have moved on and send the dog for a simple retrieve that you know has already been picked. Ask the dog to hunt. It should hunt the area you have given without disappearing off. Put your recall in and as you do, place a dead bird a few feet in front so as the dog returns it is rewarded by finding a retrieve. If it does not recall, walk out and bring the dog in yourself with no retrieve.
A reliable recall is often overlooked but can be vital no matter what job the dog is doing. It is important you continue to practise these simple tasks. Ensure at each stage, whether it is puppy, novice or open level, you have these embedded in your training before moving on to the next level.