New to working cocker's is this right.

[Tree79]

HI all,,

I'm new to the breed, and this site, and this laptop its doing my head in.......( if this post turns up somewhere else I'm sorry just pushed the button and off it went so I'm doing it again)

Right back to my point, i have read somewhere have you should let cockers off the first time you take them out because at this age 13 weeks or what ever they so in love with you and worried about losing you that they will come back...

So my little sweet baby can go out on Monday and she is so small i live in the middle of a field and I'm very worried if i were to let her off i would ever seen her again...

My last dog was a hamilitonstovare (a what i hear you say) so he was a hound and when he jumped the wall and got out he ever came back it would take hours, so I'm a bit worried on whats the best thing to do with Lexi...

Any idea what did you guys do, i looked at some of your post and you seem to have deaf dog too sometime and they adults...

Cheers for reading...

[Aearoniel]

Callie is 5 and a bit months and when we are out she goes on a longline, she feels like she isn't on a lead but we have control to get her back

I love hamiltonstovare, look a bit like giant foxhounds 

[kalami]

I've let Bella off lead since 12ish weeks, we took her training and were told to let her off - have done ever since. She is getting a bit confident now though (20 weeks).

[Michele]

Florence, like my others before her was off lead as soon as she'd had all her vaccinations.

[Aearoniel]

We did have Callie offlead to start off but she was too confident and not being food motivated meant she wouldn't come back at all, it's a good idea to let them off early but keep an eye out just in case. Practice recall in the garden so you can get the lead back on if you need to

[ladylola]

I must admit when I first got sasha, I was frightened to let her off lead. When I eventually did I had a hell of a job getting her back on. She didn't run far away but I couldn't get near her to put her back on, she would dart away everytime I went to grab her. Took me an hour one day    When I got Ellie I let her off straight away and she was brill, just followed us. As long as you are in a safe place away from roads etc, I'd let her off.  If you can't bring yourself to do this use a long line, Then you can always grab it.

[Cazzie]

MIne are very rarely on a lead but I live in the middle of knowhere so I suppose im an exception to the rule. But in saying that if I ever have to go to my mums all dogs have to be walked on the lead as she is in a housing estate and tbh its a pain in the rear as none of my dogs are at there best on a lead but for safety reasons its a must 

[*jean*]

Id say at that age she wouldnt leave your side but try it somewhere safe.. miles from a road! a beach is good.. not so mant distractions. puppy classes will be good too to build your confidence. and long lines are just the job for unsafe areas then you have control.. ie near livestock.

[cazza]

I was petrified to let Fern off lead the first time  I took some friends with me without any other dogs and she was an  don't know why i worried so much 

But when she hit adolesence - that was another story

I would definately let Lexi off lead in a safe area  and i would also start working on her recall NOW even in the house before you start taking her out 

Good luck but I'm sure you won't need it 

[JaspersMum]

Louie has been a very confident outgoing pup since day 1, he's only part worker but nutty as they come. However we let him off lead from first walk and he stayed pretty close until he was a few months older.

Now he is soo ready and like a bullet when we get to the woods, he quivers with excitement and works the woods at the gallop but circles around us to check where we are and the whistle usually tells him if I am changing direction.  His recall is so so but getting better again now he is getting a little bit older.

I am really glad we did it the way we did, a friend has never taken courage to let hers off the lead and consequently when she did on a walk with us, He dissappeared back to the car park on his own - I suppose he just hadn't learnt the skills of knowing where mum was and was just enjoying his freedom (he was about 2 at the time).

Good luck and really envy you living in middle of field, we either have a lead walk to a pretty booring park, or car ride to loads of  lovely walks.

[miche]

I let Mikey off when he was about 12 weeks and he didn't go far at all.  I made sure I was THE most interesting thing around and I have never ever had any probs and have never really had to work hard on his recall because he absolutely dotes on me and for him not having me in his sight would be he worst thing ever.  I don't think I am lucky I think it's because like you I let him off at an early age and made myself really interesting, in fact I always make sure I am more interesting than anything else for my dogs and that is easy for dog lovers like us, just shower them with love, positive training/discipline and being greedy little cockers plenty of treats - good luck.

[LakesUk]

I would suggest that you go out with another person (someone to do the chasing if need be) but i doubt it would lead to this. If there is also another person, you can practise the recall between each other

Andy.

[jakesmum]

I first let Jake off at about 13 weeks. I took him to the beach as I reckoned there'd be fewer distractions/smells than at the park/in the countryside. I also did it on a dreary Friday afternoon when there was hardly anyone about, but to be honest I was still petrified he'd run off. But he was absolutely brilliant, so he's been offlead as much as possible ever since.

The only time he develops selective deafness is if he's chasing birds or finds something edible (the skankier the better, usually)!

It's frightening I know, but I'd bite the bullet. It's wonderful to take them out and watch them scampering about offlead having a fabulous time.

[Nicola]

I'd let her off straight away, pick a safe, quiet area with minimal distractions and no traffic etc. and just go for it (beaches are really good if you are near one). Keep her attention on you, maybe bring one of her favourite toys to play with and run around with her as well. You can also randomly throw treats on the ground around you - cheese is good - so they associate sticking close to you with the possibility of something good happening. I let Alfie off lead from his very first walk and he was good as gold... it was later on that it all went wrong 

[PennyB]

I must admit when I first got sasha, I was frightened to let her off lead. When I eventually did I had a hell of a job getting her back on. She didn't run far away but I couldn't get near her to put her back on, she would dart away everytime I went to grab her.

Play running away games and run off in different directions then stop to wait for her to catch up then praise like mad --- you have to make yourself very exciting as well so act very enthusiastically. If you chase them they think its a game .

To be honest this subject has been done at least once a month so look into the threads of all the ways everyone uses to recall their dog