letting off the lead

[Terri Carpenter]

It took me a while to build up the confidence with Holly but I wish I'd done it sooner. Since then with Pip it was on the first walk.

My main advice is make it fun and give lots of praise and treats when they come back but do not tell them off if they do not come back straight away - enforce the positive but ignore the negative or at least if you want to tell them off do it in a silly voice and they haven't got a clue anyway

[ruby ruby doo]

oh lovely memories flooding back of cocker hide ans seek! We would even climb a tree..hide..whisper and giggle! But "THe nose" found us every time..glad to hear you are making progredd...It is a real having faith moment!! But that grows and grows...and the bond becomes so strong!!Trust is so important!

[mikenlisa]

I let Poppy off around 2 weeks after she was fully vaccinated, the earlier the better.

Lisa, Poppy & Bertie
xxx

[Cazzie]

When I get my new pup he will not be on a lead unless im training him so therefore he will be used to being off the lead. I never ever have any worries with letting the Labs off the lead outside of my enviroment once they know all the basics in training but my terrier and Sweepie my cocker I wouldnt be as comfortable in letting them off the lead in a less secure enviroment. Sweepie would be fine off lead if none of my other dogs were there as she stays very near me but its something I would not feel comfortable with unless they were 100% reliable  Hope this makes sense 

[Cob-Web]

When I get my new pup he will not be on a lead unless im training him so therefore he will be used to being off the lead.

You are so lucky, I'd love to be able to do this - but I have to use a lead to get to and from a safe off-lead exercise area like a park or fields 

[Bev_M]

OH took Hamish up the countryside at the weekend and with the help of the kids he had his first off lead experience. He had a great time. Lots of running around and slept all afternoon

[skyesmum]

I was persuaded by the COL peeps to let Skye off the lead from the very start. 

I was absolutely bricking it!  but she just followed us around and has been fine ever since. 

I'm so glad I took the plunge - she just loves to get out to the fields/park and run riot.  She comes back for a whistle and also loves to play hide and seek.

We got a pine cone on Sunday and I rolled it around in my hands to make sure my scent was on it.  Then I put red pen mark on it and threw it into the trees - she brought the same one back!

Clever sniffy baby!

[harveysmum]

Same here Harvey was let off lead on his first walk and has been really good at recall so far saying that I did notice that he developed selective deafness a couple of weeks ago so I invested in a whistle and now he comes back 100% of the time 

[Cookie Monster]

I know your fears!!! I let Cookie off 2 weeks ago for the first time, but he has been great.  For a while I've 'peeped' his whistle every time I feed him, so when he was on the field when I blew the whistle he came and I rewarded him.  He even came with the distraction of two springers he was playing with.

Wish I had done it earlier now,

Have Fun   

[Shell.B]

well she's been off the lead a few times now and been fine, kept calling her back and giving her treats, she loved it

[cazza]

well she's been off the lead a few times now and been fine, kept calling her back and giving her treats, she loved it

That's great news - keep it up on a regular basis