The recall is one of the basic commands for a dog, but it pays to spend the time getting this absolutely right. From the very beginning you must ensure that the dog comes in directly in front and sits square in front with her head raised, in preparation for the later lessons of retrieving.
The Recall
The perfect recall is for the dog to come at a run straight to you, without responding to distractions such as rabbits being flushed, and then to sit square in front of you, head raised and watching you for the 'Finish!' command.
The advantages, besides looking good, is that if a problem arises in the field, you can call the dog away from it straight away. If you are American, and the problem is a bear, you may prefer to practice the send away, so wait for lesson ten!
The head up position is used to present game to you without you needing to bend (too far). When the dog is watching your face, you can give a facial command to finish.
The Finish can be performed in either direction depending upon your preferences. If you are right-handed and use a double barrelled gun, the chances are you will have the gun over your right arm, taking the game in your left hand and with the gun barrels pointing down in front right of your right foot. In this case, to finish properly without knocking the gun, the finish to your left, where the dog moves to your left before turning round to sit at your left. If you are left-handed, the finish is better executed by the dog doing a two-seventy circle starting by heading to your right and finishing again at your left leg.
Problems with the Recall
Sometimes, (often due to previous tensions with a retrieve) a dog does not wish to come straight in. This is why you can never punish a dog when they do approach you, even if you have spent the last three hours chasing the blooming thing from one end of the shoot to the other.
If you have a fairly hard dog, and you are convinced that he is not worried by the recall but is choosing not to come, you can emphasise that he must come by attaching a long lead, giving the whistle and pulling him in. When he is (forced) to come to you, make him sit, and praise him up (strange as it seems, you are trying to positively reinforce the recall.