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
Retraining recall when hearing loss has entered the picture is genuinely one of the trickier challenges with an older dog — the commands that worked for years are now unreliable, and you need to essentially rebuild the communication channel from scratch. A vibration collar, used as a gentle attention signal rather than a correction, combined with a visual hand signal is usually the most effective combination for dogs in this situation. To point you toward the right setup: how significant is the hearing loss — completely deaf or still responding to loud sounds occasionally? And has your Poodle had any previous experience with a collar or remote training device?
She's pretty much fully deaf now — the vet confirmed it a few months ago. She's never worn any kind of remote collar before. She does still watch us really closely though, which I think is a good sign.
inparticular.ai
That attentiveness is a genuinely good sign — dogs that lose hearing often lean harder into visual cues, and a Poodle especially will be watching your body language closely. The fact she's never worn a remote collar means you'll want something with very low vibration levels that you can introduce gradually. One important thing: at 12, is she otherwise healthy and mobile? I want to make sure we're not working around any other physical limitations alongside the hearing loss.
She's healthy for her age — a bit slower on walks but no pain issues. The vet gave her a good bill of health apart from the hearing. The recall problem is mainly when she's in the garden or off lead in a quiet field — she just doesn't register that we're calling her back.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — that context really helps. For a fully deaf, older dog being introduced to vibration recall for the first time, I'd recommend the Educator ET-300 Mini remote training collar. It has an exceptionally wide range of vibration intensities (100 levels), which means you can find a setting she notices without startling her — critical for a senior dog with no prior collar experience. The 'tapping' vibration mode is particularly good for recall conditioning: you pair it with a hand signal and a high-value treat the moment she turns toward you, and she quickly learns that the tap means 'come find me, something good happens.' It's well-built, waterproof, and the range covers garden and field use easily. Avoid using it as a correction — purely as a touch signal to get her attention, then the reward does the rest.
That sounds really sensible. What treat would work best for building the association? She can be a bit fussy.
inparticular.ai
For a fussy older Poodle, you want something with a genuinely strong smell since scent is often heightened when hearing goes. Forthglade soft treats — specifically the 90% meat variety in chicken or liver — are small, soft enough for older teeth, and smelly enough to cut through even low food motivation. Alternatively, a small piece of real cooked chicken or cheese works just as well if you're happy prepping it. The key is keeping the treat exclusively for recall sessions so it stays high value — don't use it for anything else during training.
This is really helpful. So the plan would be: vibration tap, she turns to look, hand signal, she comes, treat — and build that chain up gradually?
inparticular.ai
Exactly that. Start in a low-distraction space like indoors or a quiet garden corner, with a long line attached so she can't self-reward by wandering off if she doesn't respond yet. Keep sessions to five minutes maximum — older dogs fatigue cognitively faster than young ones. Once the tap-turn-come chain is solid on a long line, you gradually extend the distance and reduce the line. Most people see a reliable response within two to three weeks of consistent short sessions. The Educator ET-300 Mini is your anchor piece of kit here — everything else builds around that attention signal.
