Recall -- the dog comes when called, every time, including when it does not want to -- is the one command that keeps a dog alive. It is also much harder to build here, because the environment we train in has loose dogs, traffic, and children who scream at dogs.
The standard advice is to start indoors with a long line, never call the dog for something it dislikes (bath, nail clipping, going home), and never call twice.
But the local questions are different:
- Where do you actually train off-leash? Parks, empty plots, early mornings?
- How do you handle a stray approaching mid-session?
- Has anyone built reliable recall on a dog that was already reactive to other dogs?
If you have a dog you genuinely trust off-leash in this country, please explain how you got there.