Poisoned cues
Recall fails when “Come!” has been followed by bad things (bath, leaving the park, scolding), when it’s been repeated without follow-through, or when the competition (squirrels, dogs) is more rewarding than you. A cue that predicts bad news is called poisoned.
If your recall word is poisoned, pick a new one (“Here!”, a whistle) and build it fresh. From now on, the cue always predicts something wonderful, and you only say it when you’re confident the dog will respond.
Key takeaways
- Recall fails when coming predicts bad news.
- A poisoned cue should be replaced, not repaired.
- Only call when you’re confident it will work.
Training session: Recall audit
- List the last five times you called your dog.
- Note what happened right after each one.
- Score whether the result was good, neutral or bad for the dog.
- If more than one was bad, choose a new recall word.
Troubleshooting: For unpleasant things (bath, nail trims), go and get your dog instead of calling.