# Recall Training



## kburrow11 (Jan 31, 2014)

So, just wanted to share this information with others. Brilliant Recalls with Susan Garrett is offering their Recallers course that's starting June 29th for free. Here's the link to sign up for free:
Reserve your free guest pass for the Critical Core of Recallers NOW!


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## MamaofLEO (Aug 8, 2014)

Awesome!!! Thank you for posting!! 

:toasting:


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

Thanks so much!! I'm really excited!


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Thanks for this, have made my reservation.


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## cranster (Jan 14, 2015)

Perfect timing!
Thanks for sharing this with us!


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

Bumping this thread since the course is running now!  The chat on there is RIDICULOUSLY busy, so I thought it might be neat if anyone here were taking it to talk about it with our dogs. I really love it so far! Has anyone here already gone through all this before? Looks like people like to repeat the course a lot.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Wow thanks for info!!!!!


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## Ruby'sMom (May 25, 2014)

I'm in the class as well. How is everyone doing with 'it's yer choice' game? Have you expanded the concept to other impulse control items, like a toy?


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

I'm in the class too, but haven't actually started any of the games yet... Read the collar grabbing one yesterday but was too busy last night. We'll start tonight! Nox and I played a "it's yer choice" game when he was a puppy. Wonder if it's the same? I'd also like to hear how anyone has expanded it to impulse control items.


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## Ryankappel (Jun 19, 2015)

I also signed up for the course, I still gotta get past day one lol I read the part about "list each one of your dogs distractions" and thought....Ok I know what distracts him haha I didn't bother with the second day because I didn't think It would be worth my time. But if all of you are enjoying it I think I will give it another go!


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## KootenayMutt (Jun 4, 2015)

It's definitely worth going and taking another stab at it! 

It's Yer Choice is pretty powerful stuff, and with my dog, it transferred relatively easily to toys and life rewards.


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

KootenayMutt said:


> It's Yer Choice is pretty powerful stuff, and with my dog, it transferred relatively easily to toys and life rewards.


You're coming out tomorrow, right? Help me remember to ask you about that!


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## KootenayMutt (Jun 4, 2015)

McWeagle said:


> You're coming out tomorrow, right? Help me remember to ask you about that!


Yes, I'll be there tomorrow 
I'll do my best to remember!


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

Ryankappel said:


> I also signed up for the course, I still gotta get past day one lol I read the part about "list each one of your dogs distractions" and thought....Ok I know what distracts him haha I didn't bother with the second day because I didn't think It would be worth my time. But if all of you are enjoying it I think I will give it another go!


I thought the same thing!! "Oh man, HOMEWORK!!" I'm not a fan! Haha But the actual game days/lessons aren't like that. The distractions thing is just an exercise for YOU to get you in the frame of mind of being creative where you expand your progress.



McWeagle said:


> Nox and I played a "it's yer choice" game when he was a puppy. Wonder if it's the same? I'd also like to hear how anyone has expanded it to impulse control items.


I've played the game a bunch, too, but it's been super helpful getting this particular explanation of what you're doing and hearing all the feedback from other people. I never realized how much I've been putting a damper on my dogs by having ME talk too much and cue them too much. So I'm learning to shut up, and that's really helping, haha!

I haven't really expanded to toys yet, but I've been working with kibble in all different sorts of situations. Table inside, floor inside, table outside, ground outside, step outside... I really want to work on the outside stuff more because that's where I have the most issue with distractions. I've created my own little monster out on walks because I use kibble for rewards, and I have a hard time making sure everything I give her lands completely in Spec's mouth, haha! So she's gotten in the habit of sniffing around after she's rewarded, which is taking her focus off of me. Since her main thing is the kibble, that's what I'm mostly going to use. We've always had "Wait"s for doors, gates, kennel, food, etc, but now I'm learning to not actually CUE her to wait, just hold out until she figures it out. Such a minor little thing, but it's getting her own gears moving, I can tell!


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## Ruby'sMom (May 25, 2014)

Wolfenstein- I was doing the same thing.... Cueing Ruby for everything. Now that I'm not saying anything, I have to fight the urge to hand signal.The only drawback, is now she sits for everything. I didn't realize I was reinforcing that behavour until my husband pointed it out. I'm not sure if that is a bad thing, tho. I'm going to try walking by bowl of treats to mix it up. I've also dropped food to test her, and she will look up at me and then sit. 

Have you guys started the restraint recalls? Do you have a partner or are you working by yourself?


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

It's Yer Choice was the same game we played. And I've been doing the same as the rest of you - talking too much. I'll work on keeping quiet and making him figure out the "waits" on his own. Lately I've been making him give me eye contact before he's allowed whatever it is he wants. I started doing that a couple weeks ago, on my own. Hope that doesn't backfire somehow!


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## Ruby'sMom (May 25, 2014)

OMG! So we played the 'restraint recall.' I played 10 times with hotdog reward, and she was pretty stoked about the game after the first reward. For the last 5 games I brought out her tug rope and hid it in the back of my shorts. She broke my lead. She wasn't barking like a banshee, but barking, like she was saying 'you better run fasssttttt!' I thought she was going to knock me down. I can't wait to try this game with my husband restraining her! Too cool! Also, I had to change my recall word..... I guess if your dog has blown you off on a recall, you have to start fresh. My new word is "HURRY," which I don't think will be a problem. Please share your game experiences.


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## KootenayMutt (Jun 4, 2015)

Sitting to get what she wants certainly isn't a bad thing. In my house, Rexy learned relatively quickly that offering sits got her what she wanted. 

I've done the restrained recalls in the past with a partner, as well as by myself (wrapping the leash around a soccer goal post or fence post). Downside to the solo work was that Rexy had already figured out how to unwrap a leash so I had to be quick on my feet!


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

We haven't done the restrained recalls yet since yesterday was super busy. I'm a little bummed because this is the game that I'm TOTALLY most excited about, but I need my husband for! I'm hoping that when we get to doing it he'll see how much fun it is, but I tend to like to be able to go out and train whenever I feel like it and not have to wait. My favorite training time is when I'm out of work, but he's still gone for a few hours. I know I can figure out something on my own, but nothing really great is popping out at me. The only thing I can think of would be to slip a long line through our chain link fence, but that doesn't seem safe at all. Plus, technically the fence on either side is our neighbors'! Haha! I'm not about to go damaging it!

Has anyone already gone through the course before? I'd love to keep going after the free period, but I'm worried it's going to be super expensive.


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## Ruby'sMom (May 25, 2014)

Susan shows you how to do restrained recall on your own at the end of her video. She has a suggestion on how to make your own easy slip pole. I used a fence pole a couple times, then when my husband came home, he helped. I would like to continue as well, but I'm sure it's costly. I think this 'free' period is more like 'wheel you in like a fish' period.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Finished game day 1. She makes it all sound so simple. It is same concept as what they use on kids at school- rewarding system for good behavior promotes motivation and confidence.


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## KootenayMutt (Jun 4, 2015)

I haven't taken the full course but have friends who have. 
They said that it's around $500 (CDN) for the first level and then it goes up in price from there, and that there's a lot of material and support and that you have access to it for a year. It's generally offered once a year.

I've considered taking it in the past and may at some point in the future (not anytime soon), but it's pricey, and I find the lack of information on the website really grating.

Offering up the first part of the course for free is quite brilliant -- get people hooked and looking for more, when they may not have otherwise even considered this course...


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

KootenayMutt said:


> I've considered taking it in the past and may at some point in the future (not anytime soon), but it's pricey, and I find the lack of information on the website really grating.


YES!!! I've done/thought the same thing!! I have no interest in joining some secret society of trainers, I want to know what the program is going to be like, I want to know how the lessons are going to be structured, I want to know how MUCH it's going to cost...

Unfortunately, if that IS the price, there's absolutely no way I can continue. It really IS great marketing to offer it up for free at first, because if we DID have the money, I'd be all over it. But if you break it down monthly/weekly, I'd rather be spending the money on training with someone that's actually going to physically be there with me and my dog, and I'm going to be working towards an actual sport as opposed to just having a general class. But that's not going to stop me from suggesting the free portion to others if it comes up again next year! I feel like a lot of things are explained REALLY well, and it would work well for some people who are stuck in a training rut. H*ll, I know it's helped me with some things!

For example, we did get a chance to work on the restrained recalls, and HOLY CRAP! Spectre is suddenly CRAZY for her tug!! Between doing the recalls and going back to watch some other tugging videos I'd forgotten about, she's really having at it, and really excited about playing with ME. I totally realize how I've been inadvertently teaching her to be possessive of it, even though I THOUGHT I was doing well, haha! At some point I needed to switch from building her confidence to building her excitement to play with ME, so that's what we're working on right now.

In case anyone's curious, here's the best of the videos I went back to watch where I had my light bulb moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWnL4VWZNg

If anyone has any other engagement video suggestions, I'm all ears! Has anyone bought/seen that entire tug DVD? That's another thing that I'm wondering if it's worth the money. I've loved all the Michael Ellis videos I've seen on the subject, though.


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## Ruby'sMom (May 25, 2014)

$500 is way too much..... and maybe it's worth it in the end, but I definitely rather have a trainer and group of dogs to work with as well. I have posted a few questions in the chat section and no response. If they want big bucks for a program they need a better interaction feedback set-up. I think we got the main premise of the program and tweet it to own liking. Our forum has so much valuable info, and it's free!

Vicky- thanks for posting the leerburg tug video. I learned that my tug is too big, Ruby has possession too long, and she doesn't release quickly. I definitely have more energy and enthusiasm after playing restrained recalls, but the tug is not as structured as Michael Ellis. I'm also working on that. 

Side note- in my Saturday training class we practice recalls, and Ruby's recall is impressively fast and enthusiastic. The restrained recalls add an extra punch.


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## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

I'm thinking of giving it another shot, I tried it 2 years ago, my problem was, a new game every day, I was OK for a week, then I got the Flu and I fell so far behind the program I never really got thru the whole thing. My understanding is it will be more spread out over a longer period of time.


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## KootenayMutt (Jun 4, 2015)

Depending on the time of year and my motivation levels, online training courses sometimes just aren't worth it for me, so I'll have to see next year whether I'm willing (and able!) to spend the cash and whether I'm in the right head space for it.

(In case anyone here isn't aware) a cheaper, but very good option for online training is the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. I've taken a number of courses there and am considering the Engagement class in August. 
The way this school is set-up and the amount of information jives with my type A brain lol! I like that the options range from $65 on up.


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

I took the engagement class last fall with Nox. It was a good class and I learned a lot. He was by far the youngest dog in the class (4 mos) but we got a lot out of it.


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

KootenayMutt said:


> (In case anyone here isn't aware) a cheaper, but very good option for online training is the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. I've taken a number of courses there and am considering the Engagement class in August.
> The way this school is set-up and the amount of information jives with my type A brain lol! I like that the options range from $65 on up.


That's so funny, I have another browser window open with a few of their classes that I'm considering in the future.  I swear, I would spend all of my money on training if i didn't have pesky little things like my family and bills and responsibility!


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## KootenayMutt (Jun 4, 2015)

Wolfenstein said:


> I swear, I would spend all of my money on training if i didn't have pesky little things like my family and bills and responsibility!


I know what you mean! Never quite enough cash in the dog training budget...

If anyone is considering upgrading to the full Recallers membership, registration is open until midnight tonight (EST). Cost is $499 USD. (I was really disappointed to discover that it's in USD as that makes it more unlikely that I'll be able to do this in the future -- unless the dollar comes up significantly.)


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