Donna Green is an East Devon based, professionally qualified pet behaviour expert. She offers dog training and animal behaviour advice to help owners understand their pets better and tackle behavioural problems.

In her last column, she described how she dealt with a dog that wouldn't stop jumping up at people. Here, she writes about another important factor for owners to consider.

Another problem that is commonly encountered is poor recall. Recall should be taught from an early age if possible but there is no reason if you acquire an older pet that you cannon teach this reliably. As with any 'trick' it must be constantly reinforced, otherwise it is forgotten and not reliably performed. I learnt this lesson the hard way.

Not long after I started learning about animal behaviour and beginning to help clients I moved to Dubai. The rules are different there. Dogs are not allowed on beaches or in the parks and if walked must be on the lead at all times. Due to the lack of opportunity my dog did not receive any reliable recall training and on return to the United Kingdom three years later I was delighted to be living again in the countryside where dogs can be exercised off lead.

One of our first walks across the fields I let my Border Collie, Rosie, off the lead. She had a ball, but I struggled to get her back – we restarted recall training!

How to teach a dog recall

To teach any new behaviour always start small so you and your dog are more likely to attain a positive outcome. When it comes to recall, just move to another room, for example when you go to make a cup of tea, call your dog to you. When they come, reward them. Gradually increase the distractions, for instance, start practising recall in the garden. Then continue when you go out on a walk.

Until you can rely on your dog returning to you every time it is recommended to keep your dog on a long line, so you have control. A long line is just a long lead, usually about 10 metres in length. If your dog chooses not to return to you, you can gently pull on the long line and bring them to you, remember to reward them to reinforce the good behaviour. When using this method, it is important not to allow your dog to lunge full length as when they come to the end they will receive a jolt which can hurt them.

Recall is an important behaviour to master as nobody likes an unruly dog. If you feel that your dog will not safely recall in a busy environment, just put them back on their lead. You may need to do this in communal parks and at this time of year there are lots of young animals on farmland who will see your dog as an aggressor. This is dangerous around any livestock and you should keep all dogs on leads around this time. In addition, not every dog is friendly, not every dog is confident at being approached so respect another dog if it is on the lead. It may be anxious, or it may be recovering from surgery.

Disclaimer: if your pet is experiencing problems contact a qualified behaviour counsellor so they can design a programme suitable for you and your pet and work closely with you.

For more information, visit Donna's website.