I need some imaginative help :)
I am planning to try and re-train my dogs recall. Their current recall command is here (but admittedly isn't terribly effective!) So I want to use something different and am struggling to come up with a new word. I already use come, here, back, out, close, drop, down, steady, over, wait and stay for other things so can't be any of them. Any ideas??!!!!
thank you!

What about a whistle?

Yes a whistle would be a good one.  Were you looking for a one word command or a noise?  if you didn't fancy a whistle, I sometimes use 'bob bob bob bob bob bob' in a short high-pitched burst when I don't have my whistle to make my lot recall.

I did try "come" but he seems to answer to "Whistler if you do have time could you come here to make me feel better" or a Whistle.
Jake is "Jake come" and he never misses - but he's a BC after all.

mine lot do come back beautifully to here............but only when there's nothing more interesting around!  I really need a word command I think because I don't think I'd remember to take a whistle with me everywhere I go and if it's shoved in my pocket and they catch sight of someone walking down our lane, or a passing deer/dog when we're out I think they'd long gone before I managed to get it out! I really want to try and create an 'emergency stop' rather than a general, 'I'd quite like your company if you can spare me a minute' that I have at the mo :
that said, do you think whistling normally would be consistent enough? not sure if I can make use the same pitch each time like an actual whistle. I don't tend to whistle for them much at the moment unless they're a long way away so it might work as a new thing.
Thanks all!

I use the name of the dog then in a higher tone 'come' which works very well. I also use a whistle which works to a point but if I want to recall only one of my girls then I use the name and 'come' way.

I've just really cracked down on my youngest one's recall and have used the word 'treats'.  This word basically means get back to me as quick as possible and is only used when I want her next to me.  So far it is working well!

Zuma will return if he feels like it when I shout come but if I wave a fist at him and shout 'sweets' he is back a lot faster :-D
Chris

I just tried 'come' in a thesaurus and got 'advance, approach, appear, arrive, attain, be accessible, be at disposal, be convenient, be handy, be obtainable, be ready, become, blow in, bob up, breeze in, burst, buzz*, check in, clock in, close in, draw near, drop in, enter, fall by, fall in, flare*, get, get in, happen, hit, hit town, make it, make the scene, materialize, move, move toward, near, occur, originate, pop in, pop up, punch in, punch the clock, reach, ring in, roll in, show, show up, sign in, sky in, spring in, turn out, turn up, wind up at'. Some of those might be feasible - ready, move, near perhaps? Of course it could be any word, but I know what you mean, I always like to have something that means the thing I want them to do. I have a similar problem with stand, to Ellie it means the show stand in front of me side on, but I need one for in the heel position and standing up, and possibly even for DC I don't know if I need a third 'stand'!

I usually say the dogs name and a polite "get here" If I need them double quick I add the word "NOW!" as in "or else" lol

Not sure if would be useful, but I've written a "How To Train the Perfect Recall" guide for those who adopt through my rescue - recall probably being the most common issue in rescue dogs. I'm not a behaviourist, but this is a method we've developed and it really works - and it contains some suggestions for different audio cues.

If you'd like a copy, email me at jemATblackretrieverx.co.uk

Jemima

Roscoebabe you sound a bit like me - my trainers at my old club always teased me about my command 'oi!' but it meant 'oi, I've given you the command and you know fine well what it means, stop pratting about and go do it!' And the dogs knew what it meant too!

My dogs are all trained to return to the whistle when out on a walk. I keep losing them though ;-) So I went onto ebay and bought 6 whistles for £2 plus £1.50 for P & P! They are smaller than the normal gundog whitles but have the same pitch. They are brightly coloured too, instead of the usual black. Well worth a look.

my Reggie has an excellent recall but as others have suggested I also have started using a whistle!!! It works really well if its windy and his hearing may be a bit impaired. I also found he took to it immediately so well worth the 50p it cost me!!!!

I use come - I like it because I can make it short and sharp, but am planning to start introducing a whistle.

> "NOW!"

Likewise I start off with the dogs name and then 'come',  it's a good day if they raise their heads, BH's come with an inbuilt delay (two-five mins), then like roscoebabe I yell 'Now', this normally gets them moving in my direction. If all else fails I'm afraid I resort to 'biscuit', I'm often stoped and asked which one is called biscuit.