OK, I admit the title may be a little misleading. Perhaps “50% Recall” would be more accurate, just not as catchy. KiKi turned four last week and the past 18 months or so of living with her have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Her recall behaviour remains selective, but it’s perfectly clear that she understands exactly what the sound of the whistle means. Assuming there is nothing immediately under her nose, she comes back like a rocket. In her mind though she seems to feel that a recall is sometimes pointless, or at least less worthwhile than the scent she is following. We have found too that, at longer distances her response to the whistle and hand signals is often more reliable than when we call her name.

When Flash and Leica were of a similar age we found that Leica’s inclination to return when called influenced Flash’s behaviour significantly. KiKi shows the same slightly wilful character that Flash had and does too, at least sometimes follow Leica’s lead. Long range recall is no longer a real issue for Leica since she seldom allows herself to be separated from us by any great distance while for KiKi the call of the horizon is sometimes difficult to resist.