Recall and loose-leash walking basics
What's going on
Recall and leash skills are the two practical skills that determine whether your daily life with your dog is a joy or a constant negotiation. Both are simple in principle and reward consistent gentle work over months.
What to try
Recall — the rules
- Pay every recall. Every single one, for the first six months. Real food. Cheese, hot dogs, chicken.
- Never call your dog for something they hate. If you need to give a bath, go to them. The recall word stays sacred.
- Reward coming back even after they ignored you. Better late than never. Reward the come, not the wait.
- Practice in easy places before hard ones. Living room → hallway → backyard → quiet park → busier park. In that order, with weeks between.
A great starter recall game
Two people, twenty feet apart, in a hallway. Person A calls the dog, pays high-value treat, hands off the leash. Person B calls the dog, pays, hands off. Five minutes a day. Your dog learns: my name = run to a person = chicken. This is the foundation.
Loose-leash walking — the principle
A loose leash is a behavior, not a default. Teach it: dog at your side, the leash has a J-shape, you mark and reward. Dog pulls? You stop walking. Stand still. The instant the leash loosens — even because the dog turned around to look at you — you reward and move on. Forward motion is the dog's biggest reward. Use it.
A recall is a behavior, not a command. Reinforce it like the priceless thing it is.
Tools that help
Front-clip harness (Balance Harness, Freedom Harness, Perfect Fit) gives gentle directional control. Long line (15–30 ft cotton or biothane) for recall practice in safe open areas. Treat pouch on your hip. Lots of small soft treats. Skip prong, choke, slip leads, and e-collars — they teach the dog that the leash predicts pain, which makes both pulling and reactivity worse.
What to avoid
- Don't call your dog twice. Once. Walk to them if you have to. Don't poison the cue.
- Don't yank on the leash. Stop walking instead. Forward motion is the reward you control.
- Don't expect a 6-month-old dog to walk perfectly through a crowded park. Build up.
- Don't drop the recall reward at six months and assume it's locked in. Pay sporadically forever.
When to ask for help
If your dog blows off recall every time another dog is present, or if leash walking has become a daily battle, a good R+ trainer can usually fix the underlying gap in 2–4 lessons. We can connect you.
Watch & learn
A few curated videos from trainers we trust. Click any thumbnail to play.
