When teaching your dog a reliable recall, it is important to keep it fun. Having a variety of ways to call your dog back to you helps keep it interesting and exciting for your dog.

Calling your dog to the middle position is a great addition to your recall toolkit.

Start off in a quiet location and use a food lure or target to guide your dog into the middle position. Mark and reward them between your legs. As your dog gets really good at this you can fade out any food in your hand. When they are rushing into position every time, you are ready to add your chosen cue word. Simply say the cue and then use your hand signal to prompt your dog into position.

You will want to practice cueing your dog into position from a variety of angles so that it becomes reliable no matter where they are in relation to you.

When they can do this in your home or garden it’s time to take it out on the road to different locations.

Remember to use a longline to keep your dog safe while they’re learning.