Dog trainers, just like everyone else who lives with a dog, sometimes get a bit lazy.

I noticed that Juno’s recall, while still reliable, had lost its zing. She comes, but not quickly like she used to. So I gave it some thought.

Any sudden change in behavior warrants a visit to a veterinarian. But Juno runs and wrestles and plays regularly (with me and other dogs). And this wasn’t a sudden change at all. It had taken place over many (many!) months.

Juno had what Jean Donaldson calls a “why problem.” She appears to understand “what” was being asked, but was struggling with the why. For behaviors to increase OR MAINTAIN at the same level, they have to be reinforced. Otherwise, we see the behavior start to deteriorate in some way. The behavior might happen a smaller percentage of time. Or it might happen in a less dramatic way (like a casual stroll interrupted by an occasional sniff of something interesting instead of a fast run back to you as requested).

By the way, this is equally true with humans as it is with dogs and other animals. Think about this for a moment. As this short post points out, ““If you went to work tomorrow and your boss told you that you'd no longer be collecting a paycheck, you'd stop going to work.”

I realized I’d made a simple mistake. Juno had caught on to the fact that a request to come usually meant nothing much was going to happen. And it might even mean something disappointing (like having to leave the dog park).

A comment from a friend of mine about chicken livers sparked my memory - I could use these new highly-valued treats to brush up her recall!

So now, I look for opportunities to call Juno when she’s wandered away and I pay her big time with cooked chicken livers (which is less gross to put in a baggy and distribute by hand - and which she prefers over raw liver).

After just a few days, you can see an marked improvement in her desire to run back quickly when requested.

A reliable and speedy recall can literally be a life saver. I hope I’m never faced with such a moment again (we’ve had a few in the past) but it’s good to know that we are ready just in case.

"Why" vs. "What" Problems