Recall and Livestock Safety | Sessions at Underhill Farm

The Ultimate measure of Freedom - and the Ultimate measure of Safety.

Recall is not a ‘skill’. Recall is the culmination of your dogs relationship with you, with the world around them, and the other animals they share it with.

When I work with clients on recall, it is essential that they understand from the beginning what true off lead freedom requires as a complete picture. It is not simply a question of whether or not your dog will come to you when called. It’s a question of whether or not you can stop them running off in the first place. Can you stop your dog running after another dog, or a friendly group of strangers? What about a bird in flight? What about the scent of a deer hidden in the trees that you can’t see? And what about a herd of sheep - on another hill, over a mile away? What do you think your dog will do when it gets there? and do you have confidence that you can call your dog back - when your dog just ran over 1600 metres at 35 mph, to get to a prey animal that you didn’t even know was there?

Every dog is different, and the range of issues that my clients face can be extremely variable. When we work with our clients on recall, we want to ensure that we can create absolute off-lead safety whether you’re dealing with the absolute basics, or if you have a dog living in the middle of the moorland with a known history of killing livestock. We also want to ensure that you and your dog are working to the highest ethical standards.

The Four Layers for perfect recall and true off-lead freedom

At The Dog’s Way, we work on a principle of the four layers of learning for recall. These layers help us and our clients to understand exactly what their issues are, and where they need to put their energy to improve. The four layers are as follows:

  • Your dog knows their name, and will come back enthusiastically, willingly and repeatedly in low distraction environments.

  • You can stop your dog chasing another dog with a sound or a command, stop them chasing a toy or a ball, and hold your dogs attention next you, off lead, with distractions.

  • Your dog can be called off a prey scent, and will not ‘free-roam’ out of sight. Your dog will consistently and happily stay within 10 metres of you when off lead.

  • Condition your dog not to want to chase and/or kill prey animals and livestock, even if they have a confirmed history of killing other animals in the past.

Not every client, or every dog - is going to have the same issues. Not every client is going to have the same requirements or goals. But every client I work with starts at the beginning. True off lead recall has no shortcuts - and building a genuine and meaningful relationship with your dog takes time and dedication.

 

Level 1 - Introduction to Recall

Fun and effective training that focuses on motivation and relationship building off lead.

Our introductory recall sessions focus on how to build responsiveness and engagement with your dog at a distance. Our enclosed paddocks offer a safe, controlled environment to work on key skills with your dog, including:

  • Learn how to use food, chase, and play to build a responsive recall with your dog.

  • Understand the right time to mark and praise decisions rather than destinations.

  • Work your dog on a long line with directional change to help follow through and create necessity in your recall

  • Build an enthusiastic, high drive relationship with toy or a ball to channel your dogs retrieving instincts

  • Learn how to capture eye contact and layer in visual communication for increased focus.

Level 2 -Basic Impulse Control

Teaching your dog to come back is only half as important as teaching them not to run off in the first place.

Our impulse control sessions are all about channeling your dogs drive an excitement in a health way, and putting limitations on when they can use it

  • Understand how to block excitement and follow through to a relaxed state in high excitement activities

  • Use redirection to keep your dogs attention and motivation focused towards you instead of their environment.

  • Learn how to strip back stimulus for a calmer and more controlled style of communication.

  • Extend out these skills through your conflict resolution system in the home.

Livestock Avoidance - Modern Remote Collar Training

Combining the highest ethical standards, scientific data & training practices for proven effectiveness in Livestock Avoidance

The remote collar is understandably one of the most hotly debated tools in dog behaviour. Welfare charities claim the tool should be banned in the UK - whilst the professional dog training industry is seeing a resurgence in remote collar use, combined with modern training practices for resolving predatory behaviour and recall issues in dogs. Remote collar training is the only scientifically proven way of stopping predatory behaviour in dogs, even those which have attacked and killed livestock in the past. At The Dog’s Way, we believe its essential that our clients understand how powerful these tools are - either to your dogs detriment and suffering, or to save lives and provide absolute off-lead freedom and safety. We actively encourage all of our clients to do their own research, so that you fully understand the safety potential and risk with these tools.

 

What a Remote Collar should be.

Positive Reinforcement Paired Conditioning

Modern remote collar training uses either a Vibrate Collar or an Electric Stimulus collar overwhelmingly in a non-aversive capacity. By pairing the sensation of the collar at a low level (a subtle vibration or a gentle tingling sensation) with a familiar reward (food, praise and affection), professional trainers can teach dogs to recognise the low level sensation of a remote collar as a form of communication in the same way as a voice command, hand gesture, or a lead - all in a way which is fun, enjoyable and engaging for the dog, and at a level so low that most people cannot feel it.

Freedom and Communication for Deaf and Blind dogs.

Modern remote collar training has opened up the opportunity for deaf and blind dogs to enjoy off lead freedom through positive reinforcement paired conditioning - using touch sensation as a replacement for whistle recall.

What a Remote Collar sometimes needs to be.

Limited Aversive Stimulus when lives are at risk

In situations where a predatory dog may attempt to chase or kill other animals such as birds, deer or sheep - a dog which has already been properly introduced to the remote collar can be taught to avoid these animals using the sensation as a limited aversive.

In these instances, the remote collar - specifically the electric stimulus - is by requirement an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience designed to deter the dog from chasing and killing other animals. Under professional guidance and supervision, the goal should always be the lowest and most limited use possible of aversive stimulus to successfully deter a dog from an attack.

In the majority of cases, a single aversive stimulus from a remote collar is enough to deter a dog from prey attacks for a period of up to 3 years.

What a Remote Collar should NEVER be.

Abuse and Misuse

Remote collars - particularly the electric stimulus collar, have the potential to be misused and abused at very high levels of stimulation, as a way of trying to force obedient behaviour - and often with devastating consequences. This typically takes two forms - using very high level stimulus as an aversive for basic issues such as jumping up at people, or to compel compliance.

Our Position

At the Dog’s Way, we believe that these remote collars should be licensed in the same way as firearms. Given that it is legal for farmers to shoot a dog which is worrying livestock with a licensed weapon - dog owners should have the ability to protect their dogs against these risks, and a responsibility to protect livestock.

If you want to learn more about the remote collar, check out our FAQ Below.

Your Journey with us.

How We Work

For any of our clients who have experienced issues with prey related recall, or have a dog with a known history of livestock attacks and livestock worrying - we have a strict process for helping you to reach a full and lasting resolution with your dog.

Every dog will start with an assessment of your recall skills with your dog, and their prey drive prior to any training with us. In order for your dog to start Level 3 remote collar conditioning work, you must first be able to demonstrate Level 1 and Level 2 recall and impulse control at our secure on site paddocks. Remote collar training is not a short cut to a great relationship and strong obedience with your dog. We do not offer sessions to clients if we do not believe your dog has these fundamentals in place.

  • Basic Skills Assessment - this is an 90 minute One to One session at our site on Underhill Farm, where we can use our secure enclosed paddocks to properly and safely assess your dog. We are looking to see your dogs responsiveness to basic recall, as well as their excitement levels around people and other dogs (and your ability to call your dog away).

  • Follow up Sessions (Level 1 & Level 2 Basic Skills) - for clients who do not have these skills in place, we offer 60 minute One to One sessions to help you build your recall and engagement with your dog.

  • Follow up Sessions (Level 3 Remote collar conditioning for High Prey Drive dogs) -for clients who can demonstrate their Level 1 and Level 2 basic skills, and clients who’s dogs have a history of livestock worrying in any form, we offer 60 minute One to One sessions by invite only to begin remote collar work for your dog. We will always make a full assessment beforehand, and clients are required to book a full training course when committing to remote collar training, so that we can ensure the highest ethical standards are upheld.

  • Follow up Sessions (Level 4 Livestock Avoidance Training) - as a final piece to remote collar conditioning, livestock avoidance training provides real world scenarios under which to proof your dogs safety and avoidance around livestock. These sessions will not taking place during lambing season.

One to One Initial Assessment | 90 minutes | £159.00