Calm Canine: Recall

Why Recall Matters: More Freedom, Less Stress

Part of the Calm Canine Series

Welcome to the Calm Canine Series—a collection of bite-sized, practical guides designed to help you build trust, understanding, and confidence with your dog.

This post kicks off one of the most important (and sometimes most frustrating!) topics in dog training: recall.

Let’s be real—teaching your dog to come when called can feel like a total mystery some days. One moment they’re running to you like you’re a superstar, the next they’re ignoring you completely in favour of a leaf.

But here’s the thing: Recall isn’t just a cue—it’s a relationship.

To build a reliable recall, we need to understand:

• What’s your dog’s current skill level?

• How do they feel emotionally in different situations?

• What truly motivates them?

• What kinds of things distract them the most?

Take a second to think about your dog.

What lights them up? What completely hijacks their attention?

Not sure? Feel free to ask me—I love digging into this stuff with fellow dog lovers.

🧰 Managing Expectations: The Gentle Truth

Here’s your friendly reminder: Recall is a skill, not a switch.

Some days it’ll go great. Other days, your dog may stare at you and sprint in the opposite direction. That doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re learning together. That’s what this series is all about.

I’ll help you figure out why your dog might struggle, and what small tweaks you can make to keep things moving forward. And if you’re ever unsure? I’m just a message away.

🐾 What You’ll Learn in This Series

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Throughout this series, I’ll help you:

• Discover what makes your dog tick

• Play fun, simple games that make recall irresistible

• Learn how to build in distractions gradually (instead of avoiding them)

• Read your dog’s emotional state so you can set them up for success

• Build trust, clarity, and confidence together—on and off lead

I’ll include checklists, training tips, and downloadable guides to help you stay on track.

🙋‍♀️ Let’s Make This a Conversation

If anything in this series sparks a question—whether it’s a “What should I do when…” or a “My dog does this and I don’t know why…”—drop it in the comments or shoot me a message. You’re never on this journey alone.