The Quintessential Hound, and how she got 100% recall.

 

My most perfect creature of heaven

She was born almost into my hands in 2013. She died in my hands in 2021. Those seven and a half years were among the greatest blessings of my life. It half killed me to lose her, and it was only what I had learned from her that enabled me in the end to pull myself out of a two year funk. I still miss her every day.

Emily (Ch Bhealaich Quintessence) was the gift that keeps on giving, though. She gave so much during her life. She kept me together when I was stressed, and taught me how to control my emotional levels at those times, a gift I still cherish and use often. And she brought so much joy and comfort to the community. Emily visited hospitals, nursing homes, churches, psychiatric facilities, and private homes on request too, in her work as a therapy dog. There were breakthroughs in the psych ward and the dementia ward because of her. There are people walkinig around today, living happy, productive lives, because of my girl. And once, a human baby was named Emily, for her. She appeared on the cover of my book, Where The Heart is, after a professional photo shoot. She was a guest star in a children's book (Astro's Indian Odyssey). And she was a star in the ring, too. She won everything. My precious girl. As I write, I look out my window and see her grave, a carpet of sweet-scented white flowers. No, I'll never really be 'over it'.

And today, Emily is going to help me share the gift of Total Recall.

I hear a great deal of nonsense about sighthounds and recall. You can't recall them once they are in chase after prey, people say. Some people even say you can't really teach them recall at all. What rubbish. There may always be exceptions, of course, but in general a Deerhound is perfectly well able to learn total recall. So, here, I share with you Emily's and my journey to find it.

It all started when I took Baby Emily to the offlead park and she refused to come back to me when it was time to go home. There was a huge crowd of high school children sitting about, and she ran in among them. In and out and around, I chased her. Not one of those evil kids grabbed her collar for me. No, they were all too busy laughing. It was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life. After she'd finally had enough fun and she was ready to go home, we walked home together. This can't go on, I told her. The next day, I stocked up on Schmackos, and started my regime.

STAGE ONE

With a pocket of Schmacko pieces (all her life, Emily adored Schmackos, she loved them more even than liver treats) I started to give her a bit every time she came up to me. I kept this up for days before I started to call her. At first, I called her when we were already in the room together. Once that was really nailed, I started to call her from elsewhere in the house. She caught on very, very quickly. All the same, I kept on at this stage for several weeks, without seeking to extend it.

STAGE TWO

For the next stage, I started the same thing all over again in the offlead park. Whenever she came up to me, a piece of Schmacko. It didn't take long for that to catch on, and then I started to call her to me, give her a bit and off she'd go again. I would do this at least two or three times on every offlead walk. I kept this up for about a month before moving on to the final stage. Note, however, that at this point she was already reliably coming when called. I wasn't satisfied, though, because she didn't want to have the lead attached, and would dance away, most infuriatingly. Getting her back on lead to go home was always a hassle.

STAGE THREE

Stage Three was about getting her on lead. I always used a slip chain with my lead, and rather than unclipping the lead, I remove the whole thing. When I called her this time, I had the slip collar over the wrist of the hand holding the treat. As she took the treat, I slid it over her head. Bingo! Dog on lead. More treats and much praise to follow, of course. This worked perfectly the first time I tried it, and every subsequent time. It never failed.

STAGE FOUR

There, job done. But wait, there's more! Emily, being Emily, took it to the next level; she started to make the chain, and then the lead, a cue. Within a short time, I could slide the chain open, making that chainy sound, and she'd rush over to get it put on. Before long, I could hold up her rainbow lead, without calling her, without even saying a word, and she would run at the full gallop to get it on, even if she was fully engaged in play with other dogs on the other side of the oval. The most I ever had to do was call her name once to make her look over.

Back in the country, her new skill was put to the acid test the first time she started to chase a kangaroo. I didn't really mind her chasing roos in the bush, because Emily wasn't a killer; she had plenty of prey drive, but she never tried to engage with kangaroos. She would chase them until she caught up, and as soon as she got within ten feet or so, she would veer away and circle back to me. It looked as though she'd made her point; she was faster than they, she could catch one any time she wanted, but for her it was all about the running. But then there was Puss-Puss.

Puss-Puss was a kangaroo, solitary for some reason, who had found his way onto my property and stayed. Now I've always had a bit of a thing that animals who find their way onto my land are safe. Except rabbits. It's always Open Season on them. But roos, echidnas, goannas, and the ubiquitous stumpy-tailed lizards, all of which I have except goannas, which are occasional, are and should be safe with me. As are foxes, and the feral cats who also share the property. I don't allow shooting over my land for this reason. So when Emily saw Puss-Puss one day and launched herself into a gallop, I called her back. And she came, immediately and without hesitation. 

I tested this a number of times in the forest, when she was in pursuit of mobs. And it never, ever failed.

So there you are. It might take a little longer for some dogs - not every dog is as intelligent as a deerhound - but as long as your bond is established, I believe you can do this.