Puppy and Dog Basic Beginners Course

REVIEW AND PRACTICE:

THE RECALL (PART TWO): By continued, appropriate practice during this last week, you should have your dog coming to you without too many problems.

The second part of the recall teaches your dog to move from the sitting position in front of you to another sitting position at heel by your left side. This is called The Finish and you can find out what it looks like by attending an AKC or ASCA sanctioned Obedience Trial. Ideally, the well trained dog can do this all on its own, with only a command to heel from you. To begin with, however, the dog owner must physically position the dog in order to demonstrate their wishes on this exercise.

Do not hesitate to bodily move and position your dog while practicing the finish of the recall. You may have to continue to do so for many practice sessions with your dog Do so and allow your dog the best chance to fully understand what you are requiring it to do! As with all the rest of the training, the amount of enforcement you will have to use with your dog during the practice on the finish, will depend upon your dog's age, size, strength, and temperament. Light corrections for most. Encouragement, praise and physical placement for pups and heavy, firm corrections for the more stubborn.

The two parts of the recall can be practiced individually. Should you have trouble with one part, you can repeatedly practice on that part without doing the complete exercise. To keep your dog off guard and to keep it from moving before you give the command, you should practice each part individually... just as often as you practice the whole exercise together!

There are two ways of doing the finish to the recall. Either one is equally correct. It all depends on the dog you have, which way you choose. Some dogs do better finishing to the right... some dogs do better finishing to the left. Try both...see which works better for you and your dog. Generally a smaller dog will finish better to the left and a larger dog to the right.

THE RIGHT-HANDED FINISH:

With your dog sitting directly in front of you; that is, the dog sitting facing the handler (you) and the handler standing toe to toe with the dog:

1. place all of the leash into your right hand...leaving enough leash for jerking (snapping) corrections

2. say your dog's name and command the dog to, "heel"

3. at the same moment you say "heel", step back with your right foot and jerk the leash and collar toward you and to your right side with your right hand

4. leave your left foot in place. Your left foot does not move at all during the right handed finish

5. bring the dog around from your right side circling behind you

6. switch the leash to your left hand as your dog passes around your back and use jerks on the leash with your left hand while at the same time returning your right foot up next to your left and continue the dog into the heel position on you left side. With practice it becomes one fluid movement

7. as your dog comes to the heel position on your left, reach over and position your dog into the heel-sit

8. after your dog is sitting, give lots of praise

Repeat the finish as needed.

THE LEFT-HANDED FINISH:

With your dog sitting directly in front of the handler (you); facing the handler... toe to toe:

1. place all of the leash into your left hand

2. say your dog's name and command the dog to "heel"

3. at the same moment as you say "heel", step back with your left foot and jerk on the leash and collar with your left hand

4. leave your right foot in place. Your right foot does not move at all during the left handed finish

5. while moving your dog toward you direct him to move to your left side and at the same time turning your dog around to face the same direction that you are facing within the space your left foot created when you moved it back

6. bring your dog forward into the heel-sit position as you bring your left foot up even with your right until your dog has moved even with you and sit your dog

7. after your dog is sitting, give lots of praise

Repeat the finish as needed.

Continue your practice, at home, each day with your dog. With the finish-to-the-recall, you have learned all the fundamental novice obedience exercises. Throughout the fifth and sixth lessons we will be practicing for improvement of control, handling and timing of these fundamental exercises.

Now is the time to think about continued training. All dogs can benefit greatly with behavior/obedience training from the on-leash fundamentals of the puppy or basic beginners classes to the off-leash and under control at all times good canine citizen of the Novice II classes.

Refer to the Heeling Patterns for your fourth "class." Don't forget the down-stay, sit-stay, stand-stay, and recall with finish.

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