• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Tailster Blog

Tailster

  • Dogs
  • Cats
  • Walkers & Sitters
Tailster / Dogs / Breeds / Pastoral / Collie / Border Collie / Border Collie Training / Border Collies Recall training – Letting Your Collie Off Lead

Border Collies Recall training – Letting Your Collie Off Lead

As a border collie owner, one of the most important things you can do is train your dog to come back when called – this is known as recall training. Recall training is essential for keeping your dog safe, as it means they will always come back to you when called, no matter what’s going on around them. In This article, we will give you some tips on Recall training your border collie.

Contents hide
1 Why Does Your Border Collie Not Listen To You?
2 Why Does Your Border Collie Not Come To You?
2.1 Active Disobedience
2.2 Passive disobedience
3 Training Your Border Collie To Come
4 The Do’s Of Building Recall For Your Border Collie
4.1 Offer Them Rewards And Treats
4.2 Create Lots Of Excitement
4.3 Keep Your Distance From Your Dog
4.4 The Hide And Seek Method
4.5 The Guide And Play Method
4.6 Use Clear Commands To Call Your Border Collie Back
5 The Don’ts Of Building Recall For Your Border Collie
5.1 Don’t Offer Poor Treats
5.2 Don’t Shout At Your Dog
5.3 Don’t Chase Your Dog
6 Conclusion:

Why Does Your Border Collie Not Listen To You?

Before you start training your border collie recall, it is important to understand why they may not be responding to you when called. There are a number of reasons why your dog may not come back to you when called, including:

  • They think you are not worth their attention
  • They are distracted by something else
  • They think they will get in trouble if they come back to you
  • They don’t understand what you’re asking them to do

Why Does Your Border Collie Not Come To You?

There can be two factors, active and passive disobedience.

See also  How To Introduce Your Border Collie To Another Dog

Active Disobedience

With active disobedience, your dog is choosing to ignore you because it would rather do something else. This could be because they’ve found something more interesting or they think what you’re asking them to do is not worth their time and effort.

Passive disobedience

Passive disobedience is when your dog wants to come to you but is afraid or doesn’t understand what you’re asking them. This could be because they’re scared of coming back to you or they don’t know what ‘come’ means, or they could simply be laying down and not moving because they’re tired.

Training Your Border Collie To Come

If your Border Collie isn’t coming when you call them, there are a few things you can do to train them.

  • Start by teaching your dog the basic commands such as sit, stay, come, and down. Once your dog knows these commands, you can start working on recall.
  • Use food or treats to lure your dog to you. Start with short distances and gradually increase the distance as your dog gets better at coming to you.
  • Make sure to praise and reward your dog when they come to you so they know they’re doing something right.
  • Never punish or yell at your dog if they don’t come to you right away. This will only make them scared of coming to you and make recall training more difficult.
  • If you’re having trouble getting your dog to come to you, try using a long line or leash so they can’t run away from you. This will help them get used to coming to you while still giving them some freedom.
  • With patience and consistency, your dog will eventually learn that coming when called is always rewarding and fun. Then you’ll be able to let them off the lead and enjoy all the benefits that come with it!
See also  How To Train A Shy Border Collie

The Do’s Of Building Recall For Your Border Collie

When it comes to Recall training your Border Collie there are a few key things you need to do in order for it to be successful.

Offer Them Rewards And Treats

One of the most important things you need to do is offer your Border Collie rewards and treats when they come back to you. This could be in the form of food, fuss, or even a toy. It is important that whatever you use as a reward is something that your dog really wants.

Create Lots Of Excitement

Another important thing to do is to create lots of excitement when your Border Collie comes back to you. This could be in the form of clapping your hands, jumping up and down, or even running around. The key is to make sure that your dog associates coming back to you with something positive.

Keep Your Distance From Your Dog

When you are first training your Border Collie, it is important to keep your distance from them. This means not standing too close to them or trying to touch them. You need to give them the space to come back to you on their own.

The Hide And Seek Method

One of the best methods for Recall training is the hide and seek method. This is where you start by hiding behind a door or piece of furniture. When your Border Collie comes to find you, make sure to give them lots of praise and excitement.

See also  Managing Sibling Rivalry Between Your Border Collies: A Guide

The Guide And Play Method

You can use the guide and play method to help your Border Collie understand what you want from them. In this method, you need to teach your Border Collie to come when called by using a toy or treat.

Use Clear Commands To Call Your Border Collie Back

When you are calling your Border Collie back, make sure to use clear commands. This means using their name and saying “come” in a firm but not angry voice.

The Don’ts Of Building Recall For Your Border Collie

There are a few things you should avoid doing when you are trying to build recall with your Border Collie.

Don’t Offer Poor Treats

One of the things you should avoid doing is offering poor treats. This means don’t offer your Border Collie something they don’t like or are not interested in.

Don’t Shout At Your Dog

Another thing to avoid doing is shouting at your Border Collie. This will only make them scared of you and less likely to come when you call them.

Don’t Chase Your Dog

Finally, don’t chase your Border Collie when they don’t come to you. This will only make them think that it is a game and they will be less likely to come when you call them.

Conclusion:

We would like to conclude by saying that the best way to train your Border Collie to come when you call them is by using positive reinforcement. This means offering them something they love, such as their favorite toy or treat, when they come to you. If you use these three tips, we are sure that your Border Collie will be coming to you in no time!

30th April 2023

Footer

  • Book a carer
  • Become a carer
  • About
  • Contact

Affiliate Disclosure

We believe in being as transparent as possible when it comes to this site. With this in mind, please be aware that we may receive remuneration for some of the products we review on this site.

Tailster is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com (and other Amazon programs).

We will also list ads from time to time. You should be able to see these as text links or blocks of ads which have a small notation indicating “Ads by Google” or “AdChoices”.

Our mission is to help our visitors, but this is also very clearly a for-profit site and you should realize as much. We include only those products that we believe could benefit you, some of which we may get a commission if you purchase them. However, we also provide links on the site to information resources for which we receive no compensation.

If you have any questions whatsoever, please contact us using the "contact" option on the site menu and we will be happy to answer any questions.

Trademark Dislosure

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

In addition, any other trademarks and logos we mention on this site are also the property of their respective owners.

Copyright © 2025 Tailster