Top 5 Tips for Teaching Recall in High Prey Drive Dogs
If you’ve got a dog with a high prey drive, you’ll already know one thing…
👉 Recall isn’t easy.
Sighthounds, working breeds, and naturally driven dogs are wired to chase, which means teaching reliable recall takes the right approach.
In this guide, I’m going to walk you through my top 5 tips for building strong, reliable recall, even with high prey drive dogs.
Some of these may challenge what you’ve heard before… but they’re based on real training experience and results.
🥇 1. Start From the Ground Up
Most people make the mistake of jumping straight into recall training in open spaces.
👉 That doesn’t work.
Before you even think about recall, your dog needs to understand:
- Sit
- Down
- Wait
- Loose lead walking
These are your foundations.
If your dog can’t focus on you in basic situations…
👉 They won’t come back when it really matters.
🔗 Related:
👉 Puppy Training Guide
👉 Training Treats
🧠 2. If You’re Unsure, Get Help
This is something a lot of people avoid… but it’s important.
If you:
- Don’t know what you’re doing
- Feel unsure
- Aren’t getting results
👉 Get help from a professional dog trainer.
A good trainer won’t just train your dog - they’ll teach you:
👉 how to train your dog properly
And that skill is invaluable.
🐾 3. Start Early & Be the Most Interesting Thing
If you’ve got a puppy:
👉 Start training immediately.
There’s no waiting period. No “I’ll start next week”.
Daily training is essential.
But here’s the key part:
👉 You need to become the most interesting thing in your dog’s life
That means:
- Rewarding good behaviour
- Using high-value treats
- Engaging with your dog consistently
If the environment is more exciting than you…
👉 You lose.
🔥 Pro Tip:
Use high-value rewards your dog actually cares about:
👀 4. Learn to Read Your Dog (Especially On Lead)
Before recall ever works off-lead…
👉 You need to understand your dog on lead
Pay attention to:
- What they’re looking at
- What they’re sniffing
- Their body language
- Their focus on you
Why this matters:
Your dog behaves differently depending on the environment.
- Quiet street = low distraction
- Woodland = high distraction
👉 You need to understand these differences before expecting reliable recall.
⚠️ 5. Timing Is Everything
This is where most recall training fails.
👉 People call their dog at the wrong time.
If your dog is:
- Locked onto a scent
- Chasing something
- Highly distracted
👉 You’ve already lost.
Instead:
Call your dog when:
- They check back in with you
- Their focus shifts away from distraction
- They’re mentally available
Key takeaway:
👉 “Don’t call your dog when they won’t listen”
Because every time they ignore you:
👉 Your recall command weakens
🚫 Bonus: Why “Gentle Only” Doesn’t Always Work
This may be controversial… but it’s important.
Dogs with high prey drive need:
- Clear communication
- Consistency
- Boundaries
If you say “no”…
👉 It has to mean something.
If your dog learns they can ignore you:
👉 They will.
🛠️ Using Tools (Advanced)
Once you’ve built:
- Foundations
- Timing
- Understanding
You can introduce tools like:
- Long lines
- (Advanced) e-collar training
These should only be used:
👉 With knowledge and proper guidance
🔗 Bringing It All Together
Teaching recall to a high prey drive dog isn’t about luck.
It’s about:
- Strong foundations
- Good timing
- Understanding your dog
- Being more valuable than the environment
🐾 Final Thoughts
If your dog isn’t coming back…
👉 It’s not because they’re “bad”
It’s because:
👉 The training isn’t structured properly yet
Fix that, and everything changes.
👉 Want Help Building Reliable Recall?
If you want a step-by-step system to build reliable recall:
And for better engagement during training: