Bud was a completely untrained, almost wild and abandoned dog when I got him last year, and I have never stopped training him and working with him. That is essential for a full recovery of the awful neglect and mistreatment he encountered.

Today I worked on a long-distance recall, Bud pretty much has the roam of our pastures, but he could easily get through the fences and disappear out in the predator-infested woods.

Some of my basic training rules:

-Never give a command you can’t enforce.

-Commands, once given, must be obeyed.

-If a command doesn’t work, wait four or five minutes and try it again. And again. Until it works.

-Start recalls over small distances and gradually extend them to the point where Red is almost out of sight, as was the case this morning. Bud is very food-oriented so I use treat and voice rewards.

I don’t give him treats every time he obeys a command, just often enough to keep him focused on me.

-Use a few worlds. One word commands are best followed by silence.

-Don’t yell if you can help it. The quieter you are, the more the dog is likely to hear you and listen.

-Be positive. We are all human and prone to losing our temper. It’s okay. But be calm during training, use a lot of praise and “up” voices. When the dog has obeyed, he or she should know you are pleased.

People often speak to their dogs when they are not behaving, forgetting to speak to them when they are behaving. Dogs are eager to please humans.

Give them a chance to succeed.

I won’t have a multiple-choice dog – one who obeys when he feels like it.

I won’t have a “push” dog. I go out the door first and come in the door first. I am the pack leader.

All of these things factored into my successful long-distance recall with Bud who was out in the North pasture chasing frogs and mice (unsuccessfully.) I’ve been working on his recall every day. When he is in pursuit, he’s like a border collie chasing sheep. Sometimes, he doesn’t even hear a command.

Today, he did. Come and check out our training together, which will go on all of his life.