September 4, 2025 • 8 mins
Are teenage dogs really that bad? How do I teach my puppy to respond off-leash to my recall? What about checking in? Get those questions and more answered today. Thanks for listening.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today's episode is a blast from the past.
We are going back 100 episodesago to where I talked about
off-leash recalls and check-ins.
We're revisiting that one today.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
(00:22):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
(00:42):
Do you have a teenage dog?
People tend to fear theadolescent phase of a dog's life
, but I like to tell you itdoesn't have to be scary, it can
be fun, I promise.
Just like having humanteenagers, it can be fun.
The hard part for me isadapting to a new phase, so
going from puppy phase toteenage phase.
But once I do that and itbecomes the new normal, having a
(01:03):
teenager is awesome.
They have longer attentionspans, they know the basics,
they're energetic and love tolearn.
Sure, they test boundaries andthey're more distracted by
things in their environment, buteven with that, take time to
observe them being so curiousand you'll be fascinated at what
you learn about them.
This leads me to today's topicoff-leash recalls and fostering
(01:24):
a good check-in.
This is something that we alldream of, right?
We call our dog a come.
This all stems, you guys, fromhaving a good relationship with
your dog.
Just this past week a client andfriend brought home a new puppy
.
She brought it over to my hometo visit and say hello.
I know I'm super lucky.
I get those kinds of thingsquite often.
It makes my day.
(01:45):
So this sweet puppy was on aleash but didn't really have any
leash skills because they wereso young and the well-meaning
child was helping the puppy walkto my backyard.
Immediately you could see theresistance by this puppy, as she
did not want to be told what todo or forced to walk in a
certain direction.
These are all natural, normal,common behaviors for a new puppy
or new dog who has yet to learnleash walking skills.
(02:07):
So very normal.
But you could see in this puppythe tendency to just want to
resist.
So I said you know what?
Let's try something else.
Let's just try to take thispuppy off leash and let's all
start walking towards mybackyard.
I bet this puppy will follow us.
Now the thing about youngpuppies, if you guys know
(02:28):
already, is that they do notlike to be alone.
That's why, when we teach cratetraining, this can be somewhat
of a challenge and the reasonwhy we keep the crate close to
us in the beginning.
Sure, this puppy may explorefor a second when they're off
leash, but shortly they willwonder where we are and hurry to
catch up.
So we all started walking to mybackyard and, sure enough, this
little eight week old puppycame running along behind us.
(02:48):
No leash, just the desire to beclose.
So if you are getting a puppysoon or have one currently, take
advantage of this stage of life, where they want to be with you
, to practice getting them tofollow you.
Now, obviously, this is mostsafely done in a fenced backyard
, right?
We don't want this puppy towander off into a road or a
street.
So be smart and be safe, buttry to focus on getting your
(03:11):
puppy to willingly follow you ontheir own.
Let them do it on their own.
Don't require them to comealong with you because there's
this leash pressure there.
Just take the leash off.
Practice getting your puppyjust to follow, because that
desire to be close to you isreal.
Now reward them when they catchup to you.
So I like to start walking awayagain as soon as they come to me
.
Right, they come in, they checkin, I pay them a reward and
(03:34):
then I just start walking away.
In my backyard I like to hidebehind a tree or a patio piece
of patio furniture.
Then when the puppy finds me, Ireward them and I go hide again
.
This starts to create thefeeling of hey, don't miss out
on what Amy's doing.
She's unpredictable.
This is super fun for puppies.
They love this game and I loveit because I can't be frustrated
.
I didn't actually ask my dog todo anything.
(03:55):
Therefore, if they don't doanything, guess what, I'm not
upset.
When they do something, Ireward them and they learn doing
something equals good things.
Pretty soon we have this reallybeautiful pattern of Amy hides,
puppy finds, amy puppy getsrewarded.
The puppy is learning to checkin frequently and all on their
own.
Rewards always come for it andthey know that there's a strong
(04:17):
pattern of that there for them.
This evolves to recall practice.
Start putting the recall on cue.
I like to use puppy, puppy come.
I find that multiple syllablesand a happy tone make it more
friendly and inviting.
My puppy will be more likely towant to come to me because it
sounds friendly.
Now remember to reward them forcoming all the way to you.
Sometimes I'll just take acouple steps backward and keep
(04:38):
moving as they come to me tomake sure they make it all the
way to me and they don't stopshort.
Once you reward them, then walkaway.
So that's another key point.
When my puppy recalls to me, Ido not want to immediately leash
them or stop the fun ofexploring, especially outside.
Feed them a reward, hold theircollar as you do so and then
release it and let them go backto sniffing or playing or
(04:59):
whatever it was that they weredoing.
I do this 10 times for everyone time that I do stop the fun.
We want a recall to be a checkin go play, not a time to be
done cue.
Does that make sense Now?
I guarantee your dog will wantto stop playing the time to be
done game right away.
Okay, yes, sometimes we need toget our dogs.
(05:20):
Yes, we want them to answer toevery recall, but training it
this way, where nine times outof 10, they get to go right back
to play, really helps them wantto recall to you.
Also try not to overdo.
A good thing.
I find that two to three repsof any exercise is a good number
.
Then move on to something else.
Mix it up.
Keep your dog guessing what cueyou will say or practice next.
(05:42):
This builds drive in them towant to keep playing or training
with you because you are funand unpredictable.
Notice, I said playing right.
After all, that's what trainingis.
We are having fun with our dogs.
If you turn into a drillsergeant, your dog may start
resisting training exercises.
No one likes to be bossedaround, including your dog.
(06:03):
We want them to enjoy beingwith us.
Listen, yes, but have fun whiledoing it.
They see the benefit and valuein doing things we ask because
we provide things they love andenjoy along the way.
Recall practice is somethingsimple and fast.
You can practice daily.
If you have an adolescent,puppy or older dog you are just
getting to know, then practicerecalls using a long line.
(06:24):
This is a 10 to 30 footlightweight leash that your dog
can drag around when you ask fora recall or a check-in.
If needed, you can step on thatline or hold it to prevent your
dog from running away.
Sometimes you get that look atyou like should I come, should I
not come?
And then they dart away.
This long line will preventthat darting away.
Then I just wait patiently forthem to check in with me instead
.
With that long line they can'tgo far and pretty soon they
(06:47):
realize the best option is tocheck in with me.
After all, nine times out often they get to go right back to
what they were doing in thefirst place and your dog knows
that because you've practiced it.
So be patient.
It takes time to let them knowthat and understand that, but
that's what we're going for Now.
Once your dog recalls regularlyin your yard and once your puppy
is fully vaccinated, that'simportant.
(07:08):
Using the long line at a parkis an excellent way to practice.
At the next level, bring a longline squeaky toy, frisbee or
ball with you to give your dogfun, exciting rewards once they
check in.
Checking in may mean the ballgets tossed or the Frisbee gets
thrown or the toy gets tugged.
You get the idea.
Switch it up if needed.
In all of this it's importantobviously to know your dog.
(07:31):
What do they like, what do theydislike, what excites them,
what motivates them, whatinterests them right.
Use that knowledge to build astrong relationship built on
positivity and trust.
These are key to a good recall.
All right, that's it for today,you guys, baxter has his cousin
Chura over and it's time to goplay.
So have a great week and happytraining.
(07:51):
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency you can
create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
(08:12):
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
Today's episode is a blast from the past.
We are going back 100 episodesago to where I talked about
off-leash recalls and check-ins.
We're revisiting that one today.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
(00:22):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
(00:42):
Do you have a teenage dog?
People tend to fear theadolescent phase of a dog's life
, but I like to tell you itdoesn't have to be scary, it can
be fun, I promise.
Just like having humanteenagers, it can be fun.
The hard part for me isadapting to a new phase, so
going from puppy phase toteenage phase.
But once I do that and itbecomes the new normal, having a
(01:03):
teenager is awesome.
They have longer attentionspans, they know the basics,
they're energetic and love tolearn.
Sure, they test boundaries andthey're more distracted by
things in their environment, buteven with that, take time to
observe them being so curiousand you'll be fascinated at what
you learn about them.
This leads me to today's topicoff-leash recalls and fostering
(01:24):
a good check-in.
This is something that we alldream of, right?
We call our dog a come.
This all stems, you guys, fromhaving a good relationship with
your dog.
Just this past week a client andfriend brought home a new puppy
.
She brought it over to my hometo visit and say hello.
I know I'm super lucky.
I get those kinds of thingsquite often.
It makes my day.
(01:45):
So this sweet puppy was on aleash but didn't really have any
leash skills because they wereso young and the well-meaning
child was helping the puppy walkto my backyard.
Immediately you could see theresistance by this puppy, as she
did not want to be told what todo or forced to walk in a
certain direction.
These are all natural, normal,common behaviors for a new puppy
or new dog who has yet to learnleash walking skills.
(02:07):
So very normal.
But you could see in this puppythe tendency to just want to
resist.
So I said you know what?
Let's try something else.
Let's just try to take thispuppy off leash and let's all
start walking towards mybackyard.
I bet this puppy will follow us.
Now the thing about youngpuppies, if you guys know
(02:28):
already, is that they do notlike to be alone.
That's why, when we teach cratetraining, this can be somewhat
of a challenge and the reasonwhy we keep the crate close to
us in the beginning.
Sure, this puppy may explorefor a second when they're off
leash, but shortly they willwonder where we are and hurry to
catch up.
So we all started walking to mybackyard and, sure enough, this
little eight week old puppycame running along behind us.
(02:48):
No leash, just the desire to beclose.
So if you are getting a puppysoon or have one currently, take
advantage of this stage of life, where they want to be with you
, to practice getting them tofollow you.
Now, obviously, this is mostsafely done in a fenced backyard
, right?
We don't want this puppy towander off into a road or a
street.
So be smart and be safe, buttry to focus on getting your
(03:11):
puppy to willingly follow you ontheir own.
Let them do it on their own.
Don't require them to comealong with you because there's
this leash pressure there.
Just take the leash off.
Practice getting your puppyjust to follow, because that
desire to be close to you isreal.
Now reward them when they catchup to you.
So I like to start walking awayagain as soon as they come to me
.
Right, they come in, they checkin, I pay them a reward and
(03:34):
then I just start walking away.
In my backyard I like to hidebehind a tree or a patio piece
of patio furniture.
Then when the puppy finds me, Ireward them and I go hide again
.
This starts to create thefeeling of hey, don't miss out
on what Amy's doing.
She's unpredictable.
This is super fun for puppies.
They love this game and I loveit because I can't be frustrated
.
I didn't actually ask my dog todo anything.
(03:55):
Therefore, if they don't doanything, guess what, I'm not
upset.
When they do something, Ireward them and they learn doing
something equals good things.
Pretty soon we have this reallybeautiful pattern of Amy hides,
puppy finds, amy puppy getsrewarded.
The puppy is learning to checkin frequently and all on their
own.
Rewards always come for it andthey know that there's a strong
(04:17):
pattern of that there for them.
This evolves to recall practice.
Start putting the recall on cue.
I like to use puppy, puppy come.
I find that multiple syllablesand a happy tone make it more
friendly and inviting.
My puppy will be more likely towant to come to me because it
sounds friendly.
Now remember to reward them forcoming all the way to you.
Sometimes I'll just take acouple steps backward and keep
(04:38):
moving as they come to me tomake sure they make it all the
way to me and they don't stopshort.
Once you reward them, then walkaway.
So that's another key point.
When my puppy recalls to me, Ido not want to immediately leash
them or stop the fun ofexploring, especially outside.
Feed them a reward, hold theircollar as you do so and then
release it and let them go backto sniffing or playing or
(04:59):
whatever it was that they weredoing.
I do this 10 times for everyone time that I do stop the fun.
We want a recall to be a checkin go play, not a time to be
done cue.
Does that make sense Now?
I guarantee your dog will wantto stop playing the time to be
done game right away.
Okay, yes, sometimes we need toget our dogs.
(05:20):
Yes, we want them to answer toevery recall, but training it
this way, where nine times outof 10, they get to go right back
to play, really helps them wantto recall to you.
Also try not to overdo.
A good thing.
I find that two to three repsof any exercise is a good number
.
Then move on to something else.
Mix it up.
Keep your dog guessing what cueyou will say or practice next.
(05:42):
This builds drive in them towant to keep playing or training
with you because you are funand unpredictable.
Notice, I said playing right.
After all, that's what trainingis.
We are having fun with our dogs.
If you turn into a drillsergeant, your dog may start
resisting training exercises.
No one likes to be bossedaround, including your dog.
(06:03):
We want them to enjoy beingwith us.
Listen, yes, but have fun whiledoing it.
They see the benefit and valuein doing things we ask because
we provide things they love andenjoy along the way.
Recall practice is somethingsimple and fast.
You can practice daily.
If you have an adolescent,puppy or older dog you are just
getting to know, then practicerecalls using a long line.
(06:24):
This is a 10 to 30 footlightweight leash that your dog
can drag around when you ask fora recall or a check-in.
If needed, you can step on thatline or hold it to prevent your
dog from running away.
Sometimes you get that look atyou like should I come, should I
not come?
And then they dart away.
This long line will preventthat darting away.
Then I just wait patiently forthem to check in with me instead
.
With that long line they can'tgo far and pretty soon they
(06:47):
realize the best option is tocheck in with me.
After all, nine times out often they get to go right back to
what they were doing in thefirst place and your dog knows
that because you've practiced it.
So be patient.
It takes time to let them knowthat and understand that, but
that's what we're going for Now.
Once your dog recalls regularlyin your yard and once your puppy
is fully vaccinated, that'simportant.
(07:08):
Using the long line at a parkis an excellent way to practice.
At the next level, bring a longline squeaky toy, frisbee or
ball with you to give your dogfun, exciting rewards once they
check in.
Checking in may mean the ballgets tossed or the Frisbee gets
thrown or the toy gets tugged.
You get the idea.
Switch it up if needed.
In all of this it's importantobviously to know your dog.
(07:31):
What do they like, what do theydislike, what excites them,
what motivates them, whatinterests them right.
Use that knowledge to build astrong relationship built on
positivity and trust.
These are key to a good recall.
All right, that's it for today,you guys, baxter has his cousin
Chura over and it's time to goplay.
So have a great week and happytraining.
(07:51):
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency you can
create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
(08:12):
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
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