Ready for Recall?

Two photos placed side by side: on the left a baby guide dog puppy looks up to its handler, and on the right, the pup - now grown - in the same pose.

During their time in puppy raising, our guide dog puppies learn good habits and foundational skills to support their future work as a guide dog and life companion to a partner who is blind or visually impaired. This page covers the skills you will focus on to prepare a guide dog puppy for formal guide dog training, and what challenges might suggest a pup is not quite ready.

Focus areas covered on this page include:

Confidence and Socialization

A guide dog puppy raiser and puppy explore a candy store full of colorful and overflowing barrels and bins of sweets.

Through thoughtful socialization, we develop confident puppies who can comfortably accept all types of encounters common to our culture.

Ready
Dog generally looks comfortable and relaxed around everyday environmental activity and disruptions. Dog recovers quickly from any concerns and remains responsive to cues:

Traffic: may occasionally startle or be apprehensive for short periods in response to heavy or close traffic.
Noises: may momentarily startle or become animated in response to loud, unusual or sudden noises.
Moving and Stationary Objects: may show minor concern.
Surfaces: may show slight hesitation or choose to step over or around some surfaces but does not avoid negotiating the surface when other options are not readily available.
People: may show mild concern but quickly disregards the person as a threat. Most emotional inclinations are sociable.
Odors: may show minor concern.

Not Yet
Dog is fearful or concerned around everyday environmental activity. They may attempt to flee, hide, or rush past something scary, tremble, pant, pace, drool, try to avoid the scary thing, freeze, refuse food rewards, vocalize, hackle, key, mouth at the leash (or at you!), jump, lunge, or roughly snatch food rewards.

Manageability - In Public

A puppy raiser and guide dog puppy walking past a curious dog and person.

Leash Walking Behavior Around Distractions

Ready
Dog walks willingly beside you and is responsive to directional collar cues to adjust position. Accustomed to a variety of everyday distractions including people, other dogs, small animals, moving and stationary objects, food/other debris, odors, and noises.

May pull slightly forward on leash.
Any interest in more challenging distractions can be redirected with handler input (leash cue, verbal engagement, or luring/high rate of reward to pass).
A head collar may be required in novel and/or distracting situations, or where handler cannot fully focus on the dog.

Not Yet
Dog persistently pulls with notable tension (forward, to the side, or backwards), freezes/tenses body, or attempts to escape collar pressure. Dog whines, barks, or otherwise vocalizes at the handler or distractions. Dog excessively engages with distractions (keying, lunging, jumping, etc.) despite handler input and is unable to sustain attention to handler cues, luring, or high rate of reward.

A guide dog puppy settled beneath an outdoor cafe table where three people are seated.

Public Settling Around Distractions

Ready
Dog is easily lured or cued to settle (sit or down) in place out of foot traffic and remains generally stationary with minimal input or attention from handler when on leash in a public space. Accustomed to settling around a variety of everyday distractions including people, other dogs, small animals, moving and stationary objects, food/other debris, odors, and noises. Can be easily lured or cued to get up and move or reposition.

Any interest in more challenging distractions can be redirected with handler input (leash cue, verbal engagement, or high rate of reward until a distraction passes).
May shift around a bit or require occasional reminders to remain settled.
Any occasional whining stops with minor handler input.
May need an occasional food reward to remain settled in a quiet environment.
A head collar may be required for settling in distracting situations, or where handler cannot fully focus on the dog.

Not Yet
Dog requires continuous handler input or food rewards to remain in place or is resistant to sitting, lying down, remaining in place, or being repositioned. Dog excessively engages with distractions (vocalizing, keying, lunging, jumping, etc.) or requires continuous management to prevent disruptively seeking debris, odors, or other distractions in the environment, or disruptively soliciting attention from handler or others.

Manageability - In the Home

A puppy snoozing on his back on a dog bed with a couple of chew toys nearby.

Home Settling

Ready
While loose in a familiar and calm home environment, dog generally settles, occasionally playing with their toys or gently seeking attention. They can be left alone for 30 minutes loose unsupervised in one room with temptations removed.

May, on rare occasion pick up (but not destroy) a household item.
May infrequently show higher energy in the house but settles with handler redirection.
May occasionally seek interaction with other household pets but can be easily redirected and does not require constant interference.
May become animated or briefly vocalize in response to environmental changes (e.g. when guests come over, when household energy level rises, etc.) but is responsive to handler redirection or accepting of confinement or other environmental management.

A puppy relaxing while having its nails trimmed with a dremel.

Husbandry (Body Handling, Grooming, Nails/Ears, Teeth, Bathing)

Ready
Dog can be lured or placed into various positions (including laying on their side) as needed to allow all body parts to be examined, handled, and groomed.

May move around or make mild attempts to avoid a procedure but can be cared for by a single handler.
May need to be tethered.

Not Yet
Dog requires continuous handler input or food rewards to remain in place. Dog is resistant to being cued to Sit or Down, remaining in place, or being repositioned. Dog whines, barks, or otherwise vocalizes at the handler or distractions. Dog requires extraordinary management techniques to prevent disruptively seeking debris, odors, or other distractions in the environment, or attention from handler or others. Dog resists or avoids being touched, positioned, or having body parts handled. Dog actively avoids the procedure or attempts to escape by flailing, mouthing, vocalizing, or pulling away. Dog is tense or uncomfortable (hiding, trembling, panting, refusing food rewards, etc.) and unable to recover.

A puppy relaxing on a dog bed with a chew tie while on tie-down.

Confinement (Crate, Tie-Down)

Ready
Dog will willingly enter and remain in a confined, appropriately comfortable, space (dog crate, kennel run, etc.) using the verbal cue “kennel”, being cued by the collar, or following a food lure. They are relaxed when confined or tethered. Dog is comfortable remaining confined home alone and/or out of sight for up to four hours at a time in a familiar environment.

May occasionally whine or need toys to maintain calm, non-destructive behavior.
May need up to 10 minutes to settle in a relatively quiet novel environment.

Not Yet
Dog is resistant to entering a confined space. Dog whines, paces, or is otherwise unable to relax and settle within 10 minutes or less in a familiar environment. Dog shows any destructive chewing, disruptive vocalization, self-mutilation (pulling out hair or creating sores) or attempts to escape in a familiar or relatively quiet novel environment or requires extraordinary management techniques to prevent these behaviors.

Manageability - General

“Wait” and “OK”

Ready
Dog holds still briefly when asked (“wait”), until given a release cue (“OK”).

May need reminders to “wait”.
May need to be sitting or lying down to hold their position.

Not Yet
Dog is unresponsive to the verbal cue (“wait”) and any reminders or becomes unmanageable upon release (“OK”); rushing through doorways, launching out of vehicle, pushing out of crate, etc.

A guide dog puppy walking on a loose leash next to a person.

Training Equipment Acceptance

Ready
Dog accepts the handler putting familiar equipment on their body (collar, head collar, puppy jacket). Responsive to handler cues while wearing equipment.

May demonstrate minor dislike of equipment (e.g. occasional scratching or rubbing, subdued demeanor when equipment is initially placed).

Not Yet
Dog attempts to escape in response to having familiar equipment put on. Dog attempts to evade the handler, mouth or paw at equipment, is unable to respond to handler cues, or remains frozen/unresponsive when wearing equipment.

Vehicle Riding (car, bus, train, etc.)

Ready
Dog willingly enters and exits any type of vehicle with encouragement.

May take a few minutes to settle in the vehicle.
When riding in a personal vehicle, may occasionally whine or need toys to maintain calm, non-destructive behavior.
On public transportation, may occasionally whine but ceases with minor handler input. May sporadically need a food reward to remain settled.

Not Yet
Dog demonstrates fear behaviors (e.g. attempts to flee, hide, trembles, pants, paces, drools, freezes, etc.) when asked to enter vehicle, exit vehicle, or while inside. Dog is unresponsive to handler cues, refuses food rewards, or experiences carsickness. Dog is vocal (constant whining or barking) or unable to settle (pacing, jumping around, destructive digging/chewing, etc.).

Recall: “Come” When Called

Ready
While off-leash or wearing a long line, dog responds to “Come” by approaching the handler and allowing the handler to take hold of the collar, even with mild distractions present (people, other dogs, small animals, food/other debris, odors, noises).

May need additional verbal encouragement or minor guidance with the long line in more distracting environments.

Not Yet
Dog consistently lacks response of approaching the handler or shows avoidance of hands reaching for and holding the collar (e.g. ducking head/body, jumping up, moving excessively, running away).

Behavior Around Desired Resources

Ready
Dog is generally comfortable eating and playing with toys in the same room as other pets and people. They are comfortable releasing items when asked.

May demonstrate minor discomfort (e.g. eating faster, moving away with a toy).

Not Yet
Dog exhibits threatening behavior (e.g. growls, hackles, or shows other defensive/aggressive behavior) towards people or pets to guard food or other resources.

Relieving

Our pups are not just reliable indoors! We teach pups to relieve on cue, on any surface, to prevent unwelcomed surprises while working in public.

House Breaking

Ready
Dog does not relieve indiscriminately in the house or require extraordinary management techniques (e.g. confinement) to prevent accidents indoors.

Not Yet
Dog has a pattern of accidents or requires strict procedures to prevent relieving accidents in the home.

Leash Relieving

Ready
Dog will relieve on leash in multiple locations on cue on cement and other surfaces within 10 minutes of being offered a regularly scheduled opportunity. Extraordinary management techniques are not required to prevent indiscriminate relieving on public outings wearing the puppy jacket.

May need a relieving opportunity immediately prior to an outing. They should be able to go without another relieving opportunity for up to one mile/2 hours (including down-time at a destination).
May require handler redirection to prevent attempts to eat their own stool while being leash relieved.

Not Yet
Dog refuses to relieve on leash in appropriate relieving areas despite needing to relieve. Dog has a pattern of accidents, or requires relieving opportunities off-leash, on a preferred substrate/location, or other strict procedures to prevent relieving accidents out in public. Dog persistently attempts to eat their own stool while being leash relieved despite active management.

Ready for Recall Activity Worksheet (Optional)

Review and/or download the Ready for Recall Activity Worksheet for your reference.

Ready for Recall Worksheet (DOCX)

Ready for Recall Worksheet (PDF)