Teach your dog to walk off leash
Q:Hey Dog Whisperer! How do you get them all to behave so well off leash AND have a coffee??? My two act like wild animals even with no pull harnesses!
A:It takes work and patience to teach your dog to walk off leash, for sure. And not all the puppies make it easy.
The beginning
At first I have them on a very long training leash and practice their recall over and over and over (with treats). I run around in the different directions and ask them to come to me, then treat and praise every time they do.
If you make your calls high-pitched and exciting and ask them to chase you, then crouch down to welcome them, there is very little chance they won’t follow. Most dogs love that stuff!
Then when I’m confident in their “stickiness,” I drop the training leash but let it drag behind them so I can step on it if needed. Worst case scenario, if they get away from me too fast DESPITE my vigilance, I can yell at someone else in the park to step on it, which is easy because it’s so long.
Then, one day, comes a time when you know each other’s every move and can communicate with confidence, and then the leash comes off.
But I’m never without treats, a high-pitched recall ready, and at least one or two contingency plans.
The off leash relationship
The “secret” to teach your dog to walk off leash is actually practicing constant vigilance even after they are “perfect” at it.
Eyes and ears at 360 at all times. It becomes a subconscious reflex to scan the environment and guide the pack.
It may look like I’m relaxed, but in fact I’m on active alert mode.
Be a parent
I think it’s very similar to teaching small children to be safe outside and listen to you. It’s about building a strong relationship and controlling their environment while giving them the freedom to make their own decisions and have fun.
Kids can be just as unpredictable and quick to dash in random directions, but we don’t have them on leashes (usually, lol) for fear they might get hurt.
Instead, we take the time to get to know all their moves and tricks, work long and hard to make them understand that they need to listen to us, and once we are confident enough in their decision making abilities, we let them go and practice the eye of the hawk.
It’s no different when you want to teach your dog to walk off leash, especially in a big city like Montreal. Are there risks? Yes, of course. Do you need to be a true parent to let your dog off leash in the city? BIG YES!
The coffee comes much later, lol 😀
