When it comes to an issue that almost all pet parents struggle with at one time or another, recall training is right up there.
There could be many possible reasons why your dog's recall isn't reliable, but distractions in the environment tend to be a big contributing factor.
With so many new sights, sounds, and smells to explore, it can be hard for your dog to pull themselves away from their new found freedom to return to you when you call them.
Thankfully, Adam Spivey, an expert trainer, author, and founder of Southend Dog Training, has a clever little tip that will instantly improve your dog's recall.
Check out his full explanation of this in the Instagram video below or keep reading for a summary of what he had to share...
The first thing Spivey says you want to do is attach your dog to a 30-foot leash and then attach that leash to a harness.
"What you want to do is every time the dog starts to go too far in front, step on that leash," he explains.
"The dog's going to hit the end of it and it's going to turn back to see what's going on.
"At this moment you're going to say 'come' and you're going to move backwards, backwards, backwards and then you're going to reward your dog and then you're going to let the dog go back."
Spivey says you want to repeat this exercise every time your dog gets too far in front of you on the leash.
"What this will actually do is cause the dog to be more spatially aware and more aware of where you are.
"It will check in with you way more which opens the door to doing more frequent recalls, which will improve your recall, and it will also make your dog more boundary aware."
Spivey says that practising this will result in you having a dog that will stick closer to you and come bounding back when you issue their recall command.
And if you've let your pup off leash for the first time and want plenty of tips and tricks up your sleeve to entice them back to you, check out these helpful ways to get your dog to come back to you on off leash walks.
