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Total Recall: Perfect Response Training for Puppies and Adult Dogs
Focuses on the single most important obedience command, how to build up a reliable recall successfully, using effective and positive training techniques.
Total Recall is a detailed guide and reference to canine behaviour and training that will fascinate dog owners in the UK and abroad.
Total Recall is a detailed guide and reference to canine behaviour and training that will fascinate dog owners in the UK and abroad.
248 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2012
289 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Pippa Mattinson
19 books19 followersPippa has a degree in Zoology and is the founder of the UK's national graded training scheme for gundogs.
She is passionate about helping people enjoy their dogs and a strong supporter of modern, science based dog training methods.
Pippa lives in Hampshire, England with her husband, sons and five dogs
She is passionate about helping people enjoy their dogs and a strong supporter of modern, science based dog training methods.
Pippa lives in Hampshire, England with her husband, sons and five dogs
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 11, 2024
Very good book on probably the most important command to train a dog, the recall. I give it 5 stars on how thorough it is on this one topic, but thought he could have expanded a point or two more. I will include some excerpts from the book after I spend some time waxing about my own dog training experience.
When I got my first dog, a Newfoundland named Lady, I read like a dozen dog training books, and then had the dog so well trained I was ready to take it into the obedience ring, but my family complained I was spending too much time to the dog, so I didn't take it further. Later I had another Newfoundland 'Asher' and also trained him very well.
Then I got a West Highland Terrier named Coco (short for Coconut, like white shaved coconut.) I learned a good lesson, if you have a breed which has an desire to please you, you could probably be a bad trainer and the dog will figure it out and do what you want anyway. Coco wanted to do his own thing, and as it was the wife's dog, and I was busy with a long commute to work at that time, she was not so well trained. (Since then I have read books on training difficult dogs, so I believe I could do it now, but easier to get a breed/dog that is easy to train.)
Which brings me to my current dog Tucker, a cock-a-poo. (2nd easiest dog to train next to a poodle.) I have trained him fairly well, but mostly just want him to be my friend. I have not trained him that much, and have put the most emphasis on 'come'. His recall I would say is 'pretty good.' I will spend the rest of this review sharing some information from the book and will just add comments where pointing out where I have got off track.
The five key components of training:
Establishing the recall behaviour
Associating the recall signal
Obeying the recall signal
Proofing the recall
Maintaining the recall
From reading other books, I know to be consistent with your command, to not call the dog for anything unpleasant, and don't make it the end of fun time. In this book he recommends consistent commands but puts more weight on using a whistle:
l recommend that all dogs be taught to recall to a plastic dog whistle. This is for a number of reasons:
The whistle is consistent
The whistle sound carries well
Other people cannot easily interfere with your training
He also says specifically what is the best whistles to buy:
Before you start training 1 recommend that you buy two Acme Gundog Whistles, either a 210.5 or 211.5 pitch. These whistles are made from strong hard plastic and the pitch never varies. They are ideal for any breed of dog and if you lose your Acme whistle, you can replace it with another of same pitch, which will sound exactly the same.
I looked up the whistles on Amazon and they are about $16. From other sites I found out the 210.5 is probably the best overall, but the 211.5 whistle will give you more distance. 'This whistle can be used at any time of the day or night and can be used up to two miles. The range of this whistle depends on the wind speed and direction. The maximum range is 2.5 miles.
In this book, it seems like he uses a recall signal of 5 short whistles beeps. What bothered me is that he didn't add a paragraph or two on other commands using the whistle! So you need to learn the signals for Sit, Turn, Draw, etc., from other sources.
Getting back to more information from the book. The part I never worked at is proofing.
What is proofing?
Proofing is the bit where you teach the dog that the action he carries out when we give a signal, such as a whistle or command word, must be carried out under all manner of circumstances.
This is the part many books skim over or ignore, and which is impossible to address in the confines of an indoor training class. It is the longest stage in training and the most neglected. Many people don’t even attempt proofing at all and feel incredibly frustrated and confused when their dog refuses to recall in a public place.
Since I have read a fair amount of training books, outside of the well laid out plan to gain a perfect recall, there was not too many tidbits, but I thought this next little training game to be helpful:
'Any walk can be made more interesting with ‘go-back retrieves’ You simply walk along with your dog at heel and drop a ball or dummy to one side of the path where he can clearly see it. Walk on a few paces and then send him back for it. Dogs love this game. You can build up to longer and longer distances as your dog’s memory and skill improves. Retrieving is simply the best way to allow your dog off-leash exercise without losing control.'
Something else I knew, but never did, but would be very good to be if you want to be successful is:
'Keeping a record: Each exercise needs to be completed a minimum number of times before moving on to the next one, and with the inevitable gaps between them you will soon forget how many times you have done each one. I suggest you keep a little notebook, or perhaps a list on your fridge, where you make a mark every time you complete another example of a particular exercise.'
Hopefully most people know about 'jackpot' rewards and along those lines:
'Special rewards: Throughout this training programme, every time we ‘raise the bar’ and ask the dog to do something more difficult, or in a new or more challenging way, we make the initial ‘pay-off’ for the dog much more valuable.'
But proofing is the most important. Loved the checklist:
'lf you keep a checklist of each type of distraction that you are likely to meet, and the level at which it might occur, you will be able to keep track of your dog’s progress and to better judge whether he is ready to cope with a recall in any given situation. You can see an example checklist overleaf. Make five columns and on the left hand side make a list of the different distractions you expect to come across during an average month in your local dog walking locations. In the next column note a couple of locations where you will be able to practise recalling your dog away from this kind of distraction. The remaining three columns can be labelled low medium and high.'
More advice:
'You need to be proactive in ensuring your good recall habit is not broken. Your job is to avoid recalling your dog in situations where the chances of him responding are poor, and to set up situations where you can practise the recall with the same distraction in a diluted form.'
Another area I probably fell down on is not continuing the training through the tough part and beyond more:
'The adolescent phase: I often hear from people who are struggling with a young dog towards his first birthday. Commonly the cracks in a previously effective recall begin to appear as the dog matures and loses his fear of separation from his owner. This is often at around nine to twelve months of age.'
So great stuff in this book. if you are serious about trying to get a perfect recall it would be a perfect book.
When I got my first dog, a Newfoundland named Lady, I read like a dozen dog training books, and then had the dog so well trained I was ready to take it into the obedience ring, but my family complained I was spending too much time to the dog, so I didn't take it further. Later I had another Newfoundland 'Asher' and also trained him very well.
Then I got a West Highland Terrier named Coco (short for Coconut, like white shaved coconut.) I learned a good lesson, if you have a breed which has an desire to please you, you could probably be a bad trainer and the dog will figure it out and do what you want anyway. Coco wanted to do his own thing, and as it was the wife's dog, and I was busy with a long commute to work at that time, she was not so well trained. (Since then I have read books on training difficult dogs, so I believe I could do it now, but easier to get a breed/dog that is easy to train.)
Which brings me to my current dog Tucker, a cock-a-poo. (2nd easiest dog to train next to a poodle.) I have trained him fairly well, but mostly just want him to be my friend. I have not trained him that much, and have put the most emphasis on 'come'. His recall I would say is 'pretty good.' I will spend the rest of this review sharing some information from the book and will just add comments where pointing out where I have got off track.
The five key components of training:
Establishing the recall behaviour
Associating the recall signal
Obeying the recall signal
Proofing the recall
Maintaining the recall
From reading other books, I know to be consistent with your command, to not call the dog for anything unpleasant, and don't make it the end of fun time. In this book he recommends consistent commands but puts more weight on using a whistle:
l recommend that all dogs be taught to recall to a plastic dog whistle. This is for a number of reasons:
The whistle is consistent
The whistle sound carries well
Other people cannot easily interfere with your training
He also says specifically what is the best whistles to buy:
Before you start training 1 recommend that you buy two Acme Gundog Whistles, either a 210.5 or 211.5 pitch. These whistles are made from strong hard plastic and the pitch never varies. They are ideal for any breed of dog and if you lose your Acme whistle, you can replace it with another of same pitch, which will sound exactly the same.
I looked up the whistles on Amazon and they are about $16. From other sites I found out the 210.5 is probably the best overall, but the 211.5 whistle will give you more distance. 'This whistle can be used at any time of the day or night and can be used up to two miles. The range of this whistle depends on the wind speed and direction. The maximum range is 2.5 miles.
In this book, it seems like he uses a recall signal of 5 short whistles beeps. What bothered me is that he didn't add a paragraph or two on other commands using the whistle! So you need to learn the signals for Sit, Turn, Draw, etc., from other sources.
Getting back to more information from the book. The part I never worked at is proofing.
What is proofing?
Proofing is the bit where you teach the dog that the action he carries out when we give a signal, such as a whistle or command word, must be carried out under all manner of circumstances.
This is the part many books skim over or ignore, and which is impossible to address in the confines of an indoor training class. It is the longest stage in training and the most neglected. Many people don’t even attempt proofing at all and feel incredibly frustrated and confused when their dog refuses to recall in a public place.
Since I have read a fair amount of training books, outside of the well laid out plan to gain a perfect recall, there was not too many tidbits, but I thought this next little training game to be helpful:
'Any walk can be made more interesting with ‘go-back retrieves’ You simply walk along with your dog at heel and drop a ball or dummy to one side of the path where he can clearly see it. Walk on a few paces and then send him back for it. Dogs love this game. You can build up to longer and longer distances as your dog’s memory and skill improves. Retrieving is simply the best way to allow your dog off-leash exercise without losing control.'
Something else I knew, but never did, but would be very good to be if you want to be successful is:
'Keeping a record: Each exercise needs to be completed a minimum number of times before moving on to the next one, and with the inevitable gaps between them you will soon forget how many times you have done each one. I suggest you keep a little notebook, or perhaps a list on your fridge, where you make a mark every time you complete another example of a particular exercise.'
Hopefully most people know about 'jackpot' rewards and along those lines:
'Special rewards: Throughout this training programme, every time we ‘raise the bar’ and ask the dog to do something more difficult, or in a new or more challenging way, we make the initial ‘pay-off’ for the dog much more valuable.'
But proofing is the most important. Loved the checklist:
'lf you keep a checklist of each type of distraction that you are likely to meet, and the level at which it might occur, you will be able to keep track of your dog’s progress and to better judge whether he is ready to cope with a recall in any given situation. You can see an example checklist overleaf. Make five columns and on the left hand side make a list of the different distractions you expect to come across during an average month in your local dog walking locations. In the next column note a couple of locations where you will be able to practise recalling your dog away from this kind of distraction. The remaining three columns can be labelled low medium and high.'
More advice:
'You need to be proactive in ensuring your good recall habit is not broken. Your job is to avoid recalling your dog in situations where the chances of him responding are poor, and to set up situations where you can practise the recall with the same distraction in a diluted form.'
Another area I probably fell down on is not continuing the training through the tough part and beyond more:
'The adolescent phase: I often hear from people who are struggling with a young dog towards his first birthday. Commonly the cracks in a previously effective recall begin to appear as the dog matures and loses his fear of separation from his owner. This is often at around nine to twelve months of age.'
So great stuff in this book. if you are serious about trying to get a perfect recall it would be a perfect book.
June 13, 2023
Another informative and thoughtful guide to dog training by Pippa Mattinson, British dog training expert known especially for her experience with retrievers. The training framework is based in conditioning dog behaviors, with a focus on positives, rather than harsh punishment. This book describes step-by-step details for how to get a dog to come when you call, or whistle, or whatever. The author takes it all the way to proofing the behavior even when the dog is interested in other dogs, people, food, etc. There is a section for training young puppies and also a section for training, or retraining, older dogs who never got the knack of it. I tried out the About Turn strategy already, and it worked like a charm. It’s also described at her website, The Labrador Site.
I give it five stars for being so comprehensive on a single behavior, recall — a life saving behavior, to be sure.
I give it five stars for being so comprehensive on a single behavior, recall — a life saving behavior, to be sure.
February 17, 2014
A whole, not particularly slim, volume on training (or retraining) pet (rather than working) dogs to come when you call! What a good idea. It isn't an easy read if you are paying close attention as the guidelines are very detailed (and that is perhaps why it is so distinctive). Perhaps almost by definition only those with a better chance of succeeding at training their dog to do anything in the first place will have the character and determination to read it properly all the way through. I found it hard going as someone who starts at the beginning and works her way through to the back cover - the way the book is structured, you may need to jump around and I found it hard to remember what I still had left to read.
This is a borrowed book and it is a pity it is relatively expensive as I could do with my own copy to follow the programme properly. There are some great principles in the book - some of which should be commonly known to most owners exposed to effective modern empathic dog training methods, others which may be new - but I sense that the promise of the book will not be as fulfilled without the detail as I was quite disappointed to realise how many of the principles I have used from day one and still have challenges with recall enough to compromise my enjoyment. There perhaps lies my one quibble with the book as I feel it makes assumptions about the sort of enclosed outdoor space you have at home for laying the groundwork - but maybe I am making excuses. I'm also not sure it really addresses the complications of using a trailing training lead or long line in all the situations dog owners may have available. I don't mind a wet or muddy lead (well, not too much anyway) but I do mind one covered in what irresponsible dog owners have allowed to remain on the ground.
However, on the whole, it has a good tone compared with many dog training manuals - owners are not treated as though they are reprobate idiots, we are not regaled with anecdotes about the rich and famous, we don't hear what a wonderful way she has with animals, it sticks firmly to the business in hand. I was interested in the detail given about the use of food rewards and how to vary them. Recall training a la Pippa Mattinson is a messy and potentially expensive business - feeding wet cat food from your hand, taking out big chunks of fresh from the oven roast chicken or gammon... (I plan to try this latter although I suspect my own dog wouldn't go anywhere far enough from my leg to be recalled from if that's what I was carrying)
I am sure she is correct about the harm done by using a recall command when your dog is not coming back. However, she doesn't address the cultural expectation that you should be seen to be 'doing something' - people would rather see you chasing around and bellowing ineffectually (as with the famous Fenton's hapless owner) than turning smartly on your heel and walking off in the other direction which is more likely to be effective at least long term as she says.
I liked that she had lots of suggestions and reassurances about your dog's exercise and activity needs whilst you are working on improving recall.
This is a borrowed book and it is a pity it is relatively expensive as I could do with my own copy to follow the programme properly. There are some great principles in the book - some of which should be commonly known to most owners exposed to effective modern empathic dog training methods, others which may be new - but I sense that the promise of the book will not be as fulfilled without the detail as I was quite disappointed to realise how many of the principles I have used from day one and still have challenges with recall enough to compromise my enjoyment. There perhaps lies my one quibble with the book as I feel it makes assumptions about the sort of enclosed outdoor space you have at home for laying the groundwork - but maybe I am making excuses. I'm also not sure it really addresses the complications of using a trailing training lead or long line in all the situations dog owners may have available. I don't mind a wet or muddy lead (well, not too much anyway) but I do mind one covered in what irresponsible dog owners have allowed to remain on the ground.
However, on the whole, it has a good tone compared with many dog training manuals - owners are not treated as though they are reprobate idiots, we are not regaled with anecdotes about the rich and famous, we don't hear what a wonderful way she has with animals, it sticks firmly to the business in hand. I was interested in the detail given about the use of food rewards and how to vary them. Recall training a la Pippa Mattinson is a messy and potentially expensive business - feeding wet cat food from your hand, taking out big chunks of fresh from the oven roast chicken or gammon... (I plan to try this latter although I suspect my own dog wouldn't go anywhere far enough from my leg to be recalled from if that's what I was carrying)
I am sure she is correct about the harm done by using a recall command when your dog is not coming back. However, she doesn't address the cultural expectation that you should be seen to be 'doing something' - people would rather see you chasing around and bellowing ineffectually (as with the famous Fenton's hapless owner) than turning smartly on your heel and walking off in the other direction which is more likely to be effective at least long term as she says.
I liked that she had lots of suggestions and reassurances about your dog's exercise and activity needs whilst you are working on improving recall.
February 7, 2013
Pippa Mattinson brings a new approach to dog training in this book and it is long overdue. She takes basic animal training knowledge and couples it with a warm, positive approach leaving you with a method that is both fun for you and your dog as well as being truly effective.
It's hard to understand why successful authors are still pushing outdated, unpleasant methods successfully when books like this are out there.
If you have a dog you need this book.
Go buy it now.
It's hard to understand why successful authors are still pushing outdated, unpleasant methods successfully when books like this are out there.
If you have a dog you need this book.
Go buy it now.
December 23, 2015
I could never have imagined it was possible to right such a lengthy book about recalling your dog.
The detail this book goes into is amazing, seriously, every aspect is broken down into easy to understand stages. From the most basic steps to proof testing your training and how to make sure that what you teach your dog stays with him, and if by chance things start to slip there's everything you need to know to get things back on track.
You may think that some of the instructions get a bit repetitive, but that is part of the magic, it's teaching you the importance of being consistent, because if you don't train consistently then you can't expect your dog to behave any different.
The detail this book goes into is amazing, seriously, every aspect is broken down into easy to understand stages. From the most basic steps to proof testing your training and how to make sure that what you teach your dog stays with him, and if by chance things start to slip there's everything you need to know to get things back on track.
You may think that some of the instructions get a bit repetitive, but that is part of the magic, it's teaching you the importance of being consistent, because if you don't train consistently then you can't expect your dog to behave any different.
September 10, 2017
Just like the Happy Puppy Handbook, this book is a treasure for those of us who are looking into training our own dogs. Takes you from the very beginning right until creating that recall for life.
I like that it dedicates sections of the book to when problems may arise, or for those whose dogs seem like a lost cause.
I´ve got it all nailed down. Now I just need the puppy :)
I like that it dedicates sections of the book to when problems may arise, or for those whose dogs seem like a lost cause.
I´ve got it all nailed down. Now I just need the puppy :)
July 8, 2021
Clear and intuitive step-by-step guide to getting your dog to recall. Many useful tips. And there were a number of descriptions for how things can go wrong and situations where one might despair which struck a chord!
September 15, 2013
Well written, all instructions are very clear.
June 19, 2015
Helpful, enlightened, well written approach to training a dog to respond to its owner. Lots of great information and clear, step-by-step exercises to develop, reinforce and retain recall.
June 23, 2020
Good book with great advice 👍
November 15, 2020
i found this to be the best books i have ever read on the subject and her methods so far are working ! she describes not only how but WHY so it all makes sense
January 29, 2021
Great for dog guardians looking to improve their dog's recall, and for puppy guardians who really need to get this right from the beginning. Simple, clear, detailed and helpful.
January 15, 2022
Great doable tips for training a dog and recall. Easy read and informative. Highly recommend.
November 6, 2024
An intelligent, comprehensive guide to training a consistent recall. Mattinson’s book came highly recommended, and it’s clear to see why.
’Total Recall combines a clear understanding of canine cognition, ethical training methods, and scientifically-backed practise, with an easy to follow, step-by-step guide for training your dog.
It covers all dogs, from puppyhood, as well as those in the midst of their dog’s more difficult adolescent phase, to adult dogs. Mattinson offers clear instructions, and gives practical advice for dogs that don’t follow the expected reactions, which is something often lacking in other guides to dog training.
I’ve been working through this guide for some time with my high drive, working-line spaniel, and it’s been an excellent tool. We’ve still got the proofing stages of the guide left to finish in practise, but having finished reading the book and experienced the process, I would already highly recommend it to all dog-owners.
I wish I had discovered ’Total Recall before I brought my pup home in the first place.
’Total Recall combines a clear understanding of canine cognition, ethical training methods, and scientifically-backed practise, with an easy to follow, step-by-step guide for training your dog.
It covers all dogs, from puppyhood, as well as those in the midst of their dog’s more difficult adolescent phase, to adult dogs. Mattinson offers clear instructions, and gives practical advice for dogs that don’t follow the expected reactions, which is something often lacking in other guides to dog training.
I’ve been working through this guide for some time with my high drive, working-line spaniel, and it’s been an excellent tool. We’ve still got the proofing stages of the guide left to finish in practise, but having finished reading the book and experienced the process, I would already highly recommend it to all dog-owners.
I wish I had discovered ’Total Recall before I brought my pup home in the first place.
May 22, 2022
Good overview of recall, whilst the book starts by saying you can never fully proof recall there are a lot of exercises you can do to improve the robustness.
November 6, 2022
So glad I bought this, words great. Does what it says on the tin and instructions are very clearly writen.
December 7, 2023
I'm giving this 5 stars because it's a logical and clearly written guide to recall training. Time will tell if the methods work as I em*bark* on another attempt to train my dog.
June 20, 2023
Most books and YouTube videos give you a really basic cue, mark, reward style overview. This gives you detailed step by step exercises to follow at each stage.
June 23, 2016
Pippa writes very well and clearly. Great book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews