Recall Training Littermate Spaniels

Littermate syndrome makes recall training genuinely harder — these two have learned to take cues from each other rather than from you, so when you call one, the other charges in and the individual response never gets reinforced properly. Reliable recall is the single most important skill a dog can have, and with littermates it almost always has to be built separately before it works together. To point you in the right direction: are they both equally bad at recall, or is one worse than the other? And have you already tried any separate training sessions, or has it all been together so far?

Yes, training together has almost certainly reinforced the bond to each other rather than to you — that's the core of littermate syndrome in a training context. The fix is structured separation: each dog gets solo sessions on a long line in the garden or a quiet field, called individually, rewarded heavily, then you build up to recalling them one at a time with the other present but at a distance. For the treat side, what are they motivated by — are they more food-driven or do they tend to switch off from treats when there's any distraction at all?

Perfect — that makes this straightforward. For high-value recall treats with Spaniels I'd go with Forthglade 100% Natural Chicken Liver Treats. They're soft, small, and genuinely smelly enough to cut through distraction, which matters a lot when you're competing with the littermate bond. Critically, they're low-calorie enough that you can use a lot of them across two dogs in a session without worrying about their diet. For the long lines, get two 10-metre ones — I'd recommend the Julius-K9 10m Long Training Lead. It's lightweight enough that it doesn't drag and discourage movement, and the clip is robust enough for a Springer pulling hard. Run one dog at a time, other dog secured or with someone else, and don't bring them together until each one is hitting recall reliably solo.

There's no fixed number, but a realistic benchmark is when each dog is recalling to you reliably at 10 metres with a mild distraction present — something like a toy on the ground or another person nearby — without hesitation on at least 8 out of 10 attempts across three consecutive sessions. For most Spaniels with no prior solid recall foundation that's usually 3 to 6 weeks of daily solo work. When you do introduce them together, start with one on the long line and one off, and only call the one on the line so you can enforce it. Don't give both a simultaneous recall cue until both are solid individually — that's when it tends to unravel again.

That's exactly the right setup. One practical tip: use a different, distinctive recall word for each dog — not just their name — so each one learns their own cue that the other doesn't respond to. Something like 'here' for one and 'come' for the other. It sounds small but it makes a real difference when you're building independent responses. Good luck with them — Springers who recall reliably are an absolute joy.