When practicing recall with exuberant, high drive dogs, one common issue is overshooting — where the dog skids past you on their return.

To fix this, you can refine the recall using a  a dog training platform like a place board.

Place Board Refresher

The T.A.R.G.E.T method from the Place Board eBook is perfect for refreshing foundational place board training, helping your dog focus and return precisely in front of you.

Your goal is to achieve five successful repetitions in a row, where your dog voluntarily returns to the place board after being released. This shows your dog has built a positive connection with the dog training place board as a reliable target and you will be able to use it as an effective tool to sharpen up your recall training. 

(For guidance on how to introduce a place board for dogs in your training, check out the Place Board eBook here.)

Elastic Recalls

Setup: Position yourself with your back against a barrier, such as a hedge, with the dog place board in front of your feet. Have treats ready in a pouch on your waist.

1. Use the cue “Place” to guide your dog onto the place board. Once seated, reward with a treat.
2. Release the dog by throwing a treat about one meter behind them, saying “OK” as the release cue.
3. After they finish the treat, use the recall cue (e.g., “pip-pip-pip” or “come”), and reward them once they sit back on the place board.
4. Repeat, resetting the exercise with each repetition.

Progression 

As your dog gets better at returning to the gun dog place board, move away from the physical barrier behind your back.

This will help build a consistent recall return without relying on proximity to a wall or hedge to slow your dog down and prevent them from overshooting. 

Advanced Recall Training 

To test your dogs focus, you can add distractions by throwing dummies or toys along their recall path.

1. Throw an article 20 paces from their recall path, recalling once it has landed.
2. Recall, then throw two dummies either side of their recall path. Send them to retrieve one as a reward, pick up the second yourself to reinforce steadiness. 

Finally, phase out the place board, to see if your dog still returns to the same position in front of you without the target.

Following these steps strengthens your recall and ensures your dog returns directly in front of you with or without the dog training place board as a target.

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About the author: Hi 👋 I’m Emma, accredited as a professional dog trainer by the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT). Anglian Dog Works, known as ADW offers dog services helping owners of energetic dogs achieve the dog-owning life they envisioned by providing robust obedience & agility training for dogs across my two venues in Balsham and Barton, near Cambridge.

Disclaimer: The content of this article does not include personalised advice and is for information purposes only. If you need individual advice or other enquiries please click here to get in contact or if you're not local to Anglian Dog Works to tap into ADW dog services, you can find a trainer in your area by going to the IMDT website: https://www.imdt.uk.com/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer