Recall For Your Whippet
Are You Struggling with Recall?
Do you feel jealous watching other owners walking their dogs offlead. Wishing you could have that with your Whippet?
Maybe you have been told its just a breed thing. Whippets can't be trusted to go off the lead, so stop wasting your time.
But you'd much prefer to be enjoying calm walks without the risk of your Whippet disappearing or someone shouting at you after they have run over to them?
Independent Thinkers
Whippets, Lurchers and Sighthounds are bred to be impulsive and react fast to changes in their environment.
This can make recall a big challenge when they can move at speed, running from you when distracted. They may chase other dogs, people, prey or be distracted in general.
Making all that dancing and cheerleading you were taught at puppy classes pointless! They can't even see you as they career off into the distance.
It doesn't need to be this way though; you can train your Whippet recall, and enjoy freedom with your sighthound.
Get Expert Help now
Can you Teach a Whippet Recall?
One of the biggest frustrations that Whippet owners have is they can be fine with that recall as a pup, but once they hit adolesence, that recall can start to fail.
As their Whippet starts to develop a stronger prey drive, or becomes more sociable with other people and dogs they may range further or run to distractions.
Many people may say you can never teach a whippet recall, however that is because traditional approaches rely on lots of dancing, and making yourself the "most exciting thing ever", which sighthounds tend to find very unappealing! And it is often ineffective!
By training with Whippet Wonders options you will learn the keys to:
-Engagement
-A Reflexive Recall (no more dancing!)
-An Emergency Recall
-Teamwork for prey drive
Whippet Expert with over 14 Years Experience
5 Star rated with clients Worldwide
Experienced and Qualified in Dog Training and Behaviour
Rapid Recall Package
Enjoy Your Walks Again
Get your recall back on track or create strong foundations!
Here's what you get:
1 x Hour consult via zoom
1x 45 Min follow Up Session
Online Recall Course (Value £42)
Notes, sheets & videos
Ongoing support between sessions
All Tailored to you and your dog
Zoom sessions to be used within 3 months of booking. Course access for life.
Only £100 One Off Payment
-Intro offer
"I really feel well supported"
"Zara was really helpful, actively listening and giving clear and useful advice." Isabel R
Review - Kerstin
"Very good whippet trainer. I am attending an self paced online course which really works amazing.
I am really surprised how fast we are seeing results in recalling our whippet.
On top the course is really affordable and there is the option of private consulting for special problems/topics.
I was sceptic with the online course at first but I am really glad that I gave it a try. I can highly recommend Zara as Whippet trainer."
Why Whippet Wonders ?
Having lived with Whippets for 14 years all 4 of my Whippets have been offlead enjoying freedom and the world around them!
I realised quickly that dancing and cheerleading wasn't going to succeed in the face of distractions, instead I taught my Whippets I am a valuable team mate.
Working with Whippet Wonders you get breed experience, knowledge and you can get that anywhere in the world, ideal if you are in a location where the breed is less popular currently.
Whippets won't do because you tell them, they want to understand "What is in it for me?"
Arkle The Whippet working on choosing to watch and turn away from prey
This has taken practice and consistency!
Recall Training Options
Recall Package
1 x 60 Min Live Zoom Session
1 x 45 Min Follow up Session
Rapid Recall Online Course
Support between sessions
£100 - Intro Offer
Live Zoom Class
Saturday feb 21st 11am-12.30pm
Live Training with your whippet
Includes follow Up Videos
Learn foundations and how to handle distractions!
£35 One off Payment
Online Course
40+ Video Based Lessons.
Login & learn anytime to suit you
Foundations up to distractions
Includes Emergency Whistle recall and more.
£42 -One Off Payment
Me and my whippet x are taking part in an on line rapid recall course. The info has helped so much as well as the engagement games. We are now starting to get a solid recall. The course was reasonably priced and you can move at your own pace and go back to it at any point. Zara is also on hand for any additional tips you may need help with. Would recommend.
My dog Betty and I attended a Whippet Wonders workshop on Zoom to work on recall. As I live in France and haven’t managed to find an educator for Whippets, this was just what we were looking for! We learnt a multitude of games, in only an hour and a half, it was super well organised and animated by Zara. We received documentation by email shortly after the session explaining everything we’d learnt as well as a cute certificate. I really do feel that this session has had positive effects on Betty and myself and I can already see a massive improvement in her recall and her behaviour in general. Thank you Zara, we’ll be back for more! Highly recommended.
Zara's self paced courses are an invaluable resource for training and for understanding the needs of whippets. Concise and informative content presented in accessible video and ebook format
Enjoying The Sun
Enjoying the sun
Okay so it wasn't particularly sunny here this week, but there were definitely moments of sunshine and less rain, which is always a bonus.
This week started with me meal prepping and packing a hospital bag as I was awaiting news of becoming an inpatient for my Ulcerative Colitis again. I immediately felt frustration as not only had I only just physically rebounded, but Arkle had too.
We have both carefully rebuilt our exercise up and the prospect of another hospital stay ruining that wasn't appealing. Thankfully I have managed to swerve it by sheer chance my body started to respond to meds 12 days later than planned!
It made me really evaluate how I approach life, Arkle and business. I'm sort of in “waiting mode” while we sort meds for my health, it's essentially how Arkle has lived the last 4 years. Trying pain meds or his auto immune meds, seeing how he responds and when he doesn't starting over again. Its a pretty similar approach to my health. Meds take time and in the meantime we have to just avoid anything urgent happening.
It's a constant loop of nothing much being accomplished. So this week we decided to get out there and just try to enjoy what we can , when we can and if health interferes, so be it. ( With lots of naps to recover from everything!)
This week we've been out training round dogs, going on longer freedom walks and fitted in 2 training walks round a local shopping centre ( outdoors) and trip to pets at home ( Arkle highly recommends!)
Throughout it all Arkle has been a star. He's a dog who was incredibly anxious when young, and I always took the approach of playing the long game. Never pushing more than he can handle and keeping the world to what he can handle. It's paid off hugely as he's very much confident overall in the world these days.
Of course the biggest issue is always dog to dog , but even with this his progress has continued to flow. He's disengaging from dogs in a much better fashion and he's able to understand that other dogs are not threat.
It's the perfect time of year for this kind of training to be honest! Before everywhere gets too busy with the “fair weather walkers” who only appear on a sunny spring and summer day.
We don't get particularly far, I'm still quite unwell, but we do enjoy getting out and meeting people.
Well Arkle in particular loves meeting people! ( I'm a little less social than him!)
It's been quite nice letting people say hi and give him some fuss and watching him enjoy it and perform some tricks for them.
There's a whole thing out online about “neutrality” and dogs only being interested in their owners and ignoring everything else going on, but honestly I don't think it's necessary.
Arkle enjoys people, as long as people are sensible, meeting people is a great way for him to enjoy the world outside, so it's not just all about dogs and training.
As a puppy he urinated himself from people stroking him he was that scared! It's actually lovely to see this is no longer an issue in anyway.
I think back to Ollie and Arthur and they both happily met folk when out, they didn't harass anyone or jump up but they both got great joy from it.
So I'll be trying to increase Arkles opportunities to engage with people when out as I think it gives him an awful lot. I don't want him to be ‘nuetral’ he's not a robot. I didn't get him as an extension of my ego to trot around distractions in a heel. He's a companion to enjoy the world with. If he didn't enjoy it, id not let people say hi but he seems to, so why not?
By contrast we got back to one of our favourite walks, a quiet peaceful walk around a nature reserve type area. This is quite a bit longer walk so my legs haven't managed it in a while, but we decided to brave it and give it ago.
This walk is a “freedom walk” for Arkle, it's just nature to sniff around and enjoy being a dog. Arkle remains on a long line because of his dog to dog issues, this just ensures I have control if he sees something he may struggle to handle. It doesn't restrict his quality of enjoyment though. He gets 10m to run around and not have to deal with dogs. It's a particularly quiet walk and the goal is decompression and destressing by letting him “be a dog”.
He particularly enjoyed the scent of deer on this walk as he clacked his teeth , nose wafting in the breeze. As well as some good rolls in questionable things!
These walks are a lot for both of us physically, there's lots of different terrain and hilly bits. So we follows the next day with rest at home and some scentwork.
Just going on peaceful walks makes a massive difference to both of our well-being and it is a huge relationship booster as the world outside is just fine together enjoying exploring.
This walk Arkle has enjoyed helping me out with The Whippet Club, and one of his favourite jobs in the Reactive To Responsive Live Classes. He quite enjoyed showing off this week and showing them his Paws Up Skills!
In other news he met another whippet this week!
He has actually been snapped at and bitten by a few whippets in the past so he's one of the rare whippets who doesn't immediately love his own kind unfortunately:(
But he was utterly in love with this whippet and seeing him play bow and enjoy time with her without any tension brought me great joy!
Hopefully we will have another week of training, slightly sun and no hospital trips!
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
I live in another country, can you work with me?
Whippet Wonders has worked with clients around the world. Everywhere from USA, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Spain, France and more! Zooms can take place from anywhere in the world and you can buy courses from anywhere too.
Don't you need to see my dogs "bad behaviour" In person?
During a zoom I don't need to see your dog doing the wrong behaviour, our goal is to set your dog up for success. This would be the same as if I were in person. If you have any relevant video clips, that is handy, but our focus is on solutions and moving forward!
Do you work with other Breeds?
I work with Whippets, Whippet mixes, Italian Greyhounds, Lurchers, Bedlington Whippets - anything that is a bit "sighthound-y". I can be persuaded to work with other breeds in some circumstances.
Do you charge extra for multi dog households?
There is NO extra charge for households with multiple dogs. We can cover the most pressing issues for your multidog household in each session.
What if my dog is not food motivated?
If your dog is not a super foodie, don't worry! Motivation is a tricky topic, but very often it is about how we use food and we will cover strategies during your 121 zoom session.
Would a course or 121 suit me best?
Self paced courses or the School For Whippets are ideal if you are motivated and able to work on your own. Perfect if you are pressed for time. While 121's can be ideal if you need a plan, structure or help with a specific problem. Get in touch if you are unsure.
