This is a specific conversation about Dog recall training — tools and treats that help — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Switching from kibble treats to real meat rewards is one of the best moves you can make for recall training — the jump in motivation is significant, especially with a breed as smart and food-driven as a German Shepherd. Reliable recall is genuinely the most important skill your dog can have, and high-value treats are the engine that makes it work. Before I point you to something specific: how is the recall actually performing right now — does he or she come back most of the time but with reluctance, or is it genuinely unreliable? And are you training on or off lead at the moment?
She's two years old, pretty strong-willed. She'll come back maybe half the time in the garden but ignores me completely if there's a distraction — another dog, a scent trail, anything really. We've been using those dry kibble training treats and I think she's just not that bothered by them. We're still on a long line outside.
inparticular.ai
That's a really clear picture — and you're right, she's telling you exactly what the problem is. Kibble-level treats aren't worth interrupting a scent trail for a two-year-old Shepherd. The long line is the right call at this stage, keep using it. What you need is something she'll work hard for — small, soft, genuinely meaty, and easy to deliver fast as a reward. What are you feeding her as her main diet? I just want to make sure whatever I suggest doesn't overlap with something she already gets daily, because novelty is part of what makes a treat high value.
She's on a raw complete diet, so she gets meat every day already. Will that be a problem?
inparticular.ai
It can slightly reduce novelty, but the key is finding something with a different texture, smell, or intensity than what she gets in her bowl. Liver-based treats tend to cut through even for raw-fed dogs — the smell is strong enough to register even mid-distraction. My specific recommendation is Forthglade 100% Natural Chicken Liver treats. They're soft, tiny, low-calorie so you can use a lot of them in a session without upsetting her stomach, and the liver smell is genuinely hard to ignore. They're made with a single protein source, no fillers, and they break apart easily so you can vary the reward size. For a dog like yours — raw-fed, smart, easily bored — the liver intensity is usually the thing that finally gets their attention when everything else fails.
That sounds good. How many should I be using per session and how do I actually structure the recall practice?
inparticular.ai
Keep sessions short — five to ten minutes maximum, three or four times a day beats one long session. Start in the garden with low distraction and call her name once, clearly, then immediately turn and run in the opposite direction. Most dogs can't resist chasing. The moment she reaches you, make a big fuss and deliver three or four treats in quick succession rather than one — that jackpot effect is what makes recall feel worth it to her. As she gets more consistent at home, start adding controlled distractions before you move to open spaces on the long line. For treat quantity, around 20 to 30 tiny pieces per short session is normal at this stage — Forthglade's treats are small enough that this won't push her calories over.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll grab the Forthglade liver treats and try the jackpot method.
inparticular.ai
Good plan. Give it a consistent two weeks before you judge the results — recall improvement is cumulative. One practical tip: keep the liver treats exclusively for recall practice, don't use them for sit or loose lead work. Scarcity keeps the value high. You'll likely see a real difference within the first few sessions once she connects that specific smell with the recall cue.
