Going back to basics…
Management can prevent practicing unwanted behaviours and help to set your dog up for success
When we train our dogs, we often focus so heavily on our final goal—a single behavior we want them to perform—that we forget to look at the whole picture. By focusing strictly on the end result, we skip necessary steps and overlook fundamental aspects of a dog's well-being, such as their quality of sleep.
We can look at the example of practicing recall to see how this unfolds For instance, we might watch a few quick YouTube videos and happily proceed to training. However, these videos do not always present accurate or ethical methods, and they are usually too short to show the entire process. A few clips about recall might show a dog perfectly returning to its owner, completely skipping the vital "baby steps" required to actually make it work.
If you want to have an off-lead dog, a reliable recall is one of the most critical cues you can teach. It ensures your dog’s safety, protects their life, and allows you to enjoy peaceful walks together. What I often see is owners who have already been practicing; they rightly purchased a long line and they regularly reward their dog for coming toward them, yet the recall still fails. To be truly successful, we need to look past the exercise itself and evaluate multiple underlying factors starting with health and pain.
You might wonder how health could affect something as seemingly simple as recall. However, some dogs bolt or ignore cues due to underlying physical discomfort. For example, a dog experiencing a joint pain flare-up might physically try to run away from the pain itself. Furthermore, pain increases sensitivity to environmental stimuli like sudden sounds. If a dog in pain hears a loud noise while you are practicing, they are more likely to panic and run away, completely overriding their training.
We also have to set realistic expectations based on a dog's developmental stage. With puppies, while it is highly recommended to teach them to respond to their name, we must remember they are still developing basic cognitive skills—I will now quote Turid Rugaas: "They are learning to learn." . Sessions should be short, highly rewarding, and fun. Additionally, if you are practicing at home, you must ensure your puppy isn't running on slippery floors, because their musculoskeletal system is still growing and their joints need protection.
Adolescence is another tricky stage where behavior shifts. In a natural environment, free-ranging dogs at this age often disperse from their group to seek out mates. Because of this instinct, your one-year-old dog might suddenly run off, even if their recall used to be amazing. A long line is a fantastic tool here because it grants your teenager freedom of movement, choice, and enrichment while keeping them safe. Because teens frustrate easily, it is crucial to keep exercises simple and your communication clear. Senior dogs, on the other hand, might simply struggle to see or hear you. In those cases, switching your training cues to tactile or hand signals is worth considering, as they may also be physically slower or experiencing canine cognitive dysfunction. Understanding these age-related shifts allows you to be patient and adjust your environment accordingly.
Sleep deprivation is another massive, overlooked factor in a dog's capacity to learn. In my opinion, the vast majority of companion dogs do not get enough rest. Studies on free-ranging dogs show that they spend the bulk of their day sleeping, not in long, continuous blocks, but through multiple short naps. If your adult dog sleeps less than 14 hours a day, they will struggle to focus, and they may become easily frustrated, nervous, or overaroused during training.
Emotional stress acts as another barrier. A dog who struggles with strangers or other dogs will likely ignore you when those triggers are present. If you take a reactive dog to the park and they spot a trigger, they may rush toward them to bark. The dog might have a stellar recall in the backyard, but at that specific moment, their brain is operating in survival mode—fight or flight. The first step here isn't drilling the recall cue; it is addressing the stress and helping them feel safe and comfortable around their triggers.
Understanding breed traits is just as essential to meeting their needs. Some dogs run off because they have an intensely driven hunting instinct, while others wander simply out of boredom due to a lack of appropriate outlets. By providing breed-specific mental stimulation and opportunities to express natural behaviors, we make it much easier for them to choose to stay close to us. For example, if your dog naturally wants to chase a moving target, we can channel that instinct into chasing us or a toy instead of a neighborhood cat.
Ultimately, we have to set our dogs up for success by building structure from the ground up. Simply buying a long lead and heading straight outside can easily overwhelm a dog if the basic environmental management isn't there. You need to structure training step-by-step, starting with a solid response to their name inside the house before gradually moving to outdoor environments, ensuring your dog doesn't get the opportunity to practice unwanted behaviors.
We often forget these basics, choosing instead to drill the same exercise over and over, using identical treats that the dog no longer finds exciting, all while ignoring how our own body language impacts them. Training any reliable behavior requires a holistic approach. Do not just focus on the end goal. Slowly build the whole picture, safeguard your dog's physical and mental comfort, and allow them to take in information gradually. If you manage the environment carefully, they won't learn unwanted behaviors; but if a dog gets the opportunity to escape and succeeds a few times, she isn't learning recall—she is simply learning how to get better at running away.
