Author Topic: letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!  (Read 14674 times)

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Offline saffy1

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« on: April 03, 2003, 11:13:28 PM »
our saffy is 8 mnths old and after reading lots of stories on this site about letting your dog off lead when they are young we are a bit worried that it may be too late!!! Any times we have tried to trust her(walking small distances ie from the car into our gate) she has just gone her own way...and when we try to call her back..or catch her she just runs off..........any advice would be appreciated!!!!!!!!! thanx......                    

Offline *Jay*

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2003, 07:23:27 AM »
You can start practising the recall in your house. Just call her to you and when she comes praise her and give her a treat. I've found it easier using a treat that is only used for recall eg liver, cheese. If you have a garden, you can then try outside where she will not be able to run off. Play a game with her and periodically call her back to you. When she returns, praise and treat and then send back to play. This way she won't associate returning to you witht he end of her fun. Once she is reliable at this, you can take her to the park but either try it when there are not too many distractions or get a training line for her so that you still ultimately have control over her. I bought a training line for one of my dogs to try at the park, but never had to use it as he knew he would get a bit of liver treat when he came back.                    
Dallas ( 10) & Disney ( 9 )

Playing at the Bridge: Brook (13/06/04), Jackson (23/12/05) & Vegas (14/07/10)

Offline Pammy

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2003, 07:23:38 AM »
It's not too late - but you do need to start. if you are not confident of her returning, then use a long line on her. One that gives her enough length to run around but that you can hold and "guide" her to you when you do recall. Only give her length when there are no distractions and she sees you have something good for her - a real tasty treat like sausage or liver often works well. Also only let her off in a secure spot.

The idea with the line is that you have something to grab if she does run, and that you are able to show her by guiding her with it what "come" or "here" means.

hth                    
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Offline Jen

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2003, 09:38:27 AM »
letting your dog off the lead for the first time is so nerve racking..... and I think that's why people are reluctant to try it.......but thankfully, Monty is quite good about coming back to me.  In the beginning I used chopped up hot dog sausages (you could smell me coming a mile off ::)) - now I don't always take a treat.....sometimes I do - if I don't he just gets lots of fuss, which he loves as he's a right cuddle bum! - either way, he has learned that it's ALWAYS positive when he gets to me.
An interesting suggestion made to me when Monts went to puppy classes, was that if the dog ignores you when you call - just walk the other way.  The theory being that as dogs are pack animals....they will follow their leader - ie:YOU! - I must admit I did try it not thinking it would work....but it did! - obviously, sometimes a good sniff or another dog is too much of a distraction - which is why, in my experience - practicing recall is best done when other 4 legged friends are not around. ;D                    
Jen & Monty xx

Offline Anita

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2003, 11:06:43 AM »
The walking off from them does work. We don't have to do it very often but it comes in handy. I'm now working on the down at disctance - if my voice lasts!!!

I think I'd need special treats for getting her to walk to heel though - little blighter ::)                    
Anita

Lee

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2003, 01:38:38 PM »
We find that Oscar is generally good at returning - unless there are birds about when he just chases them regardless >:(

We always take his favourite ball with us and he spends most of the time retrieving it as we walk along.

The theory of walking or even running in the opposite direction does work but takes confidence to try as naturally you want to chase after the dog if it is running away from you.

Lee                    

Offline Mary

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2003, 04:52:46 PM »
When I've tried running away if Lottie is sniffing and choosing totally to ignore me, then it has worked.  But it didn't work on the 2 occasions when she was frightened by some barking and a cockeral crowing.  She just turned for home and wouldn't even look back...totally focused on one thing...to get home/back to the car asap ::).                    
Mary & Lottie x

Offline saffy1

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2003, 11:46:02 AM »
thanx so much for ur advice....................its time to bite the bullet and try it............shes so cute.i will let you all no how i get on....and post some pics of our little munchkin...thanx again........p s this is a great site!!!!!!!!                    

Offline Shirley

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2003, 09:46:29 PM »
I read this post the other day and was quite interested in the advice from Jen and Mary.  Morgan has had walks off the lead ever since he was 14 weeks (5 minutes to start with and now he gets 1/2 hour) and he has always been good at coming back...........except when there's another dog about.  If we meet another dog he always follows them.  I let him play for a minute but I always end up having to go get him and put him on lead till the coast is clear.  It gets a bit wearing so I decided to try walking off.  

It worked!!  I walked off but was still in sight and he only let me go about 50 metres before he realised I was going and followed.

He got a bit of a fright later in the walk though.  We came to a river with a bridge over it.  The normal routine is for me to cross the bridge to get to the other side and he insists on going straight through the river ::).  Today I was on my way down the bank at the other side of the river but Morgan went back up to the top of the bridgeand when I wasn't there, he went tearing off in the direction we had come from   :o- he thought I had left him  :'(.  It took a bit of shouting and whistling to get hime to realise I was still there.  I could actually see the relief on his face  :).  He was stuck to me like glue for the rest of the walk! He definately wants to be one of the pack!  ;D

Thanks Mary and Jen,  it's great to be able to pick up tips from people who've actually tried and tested the theory :)                    
Shirley, Morgan and Cooper
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Offline Colin

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2003, 11:30:24 PM »
Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to. ;D

Only do it if the dog knows you've moved there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.                    

Offline Gilly

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2003, 11:44:04 PM »
Quote
Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.

Only do it if the dog knows you've hidden there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.

Colin....did I miss something :- whats the point in calling it hiding if your not actually hiding at all ::)

If anyone sees a packet of Monster Munch hiding behind a tree you know who it is ;) ;D                    

Offline *Jay*

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2003, 07:26:41 AM »
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.

I used to do this a lot with Brook but don't do it quite so much now cos when I'm behind the tree and he realises I'm  gone, you can see the panic on his face. He tends to backtrack though, and the relief when he finds you is immense. Only do it now when I'm feeling mischievous ;D Tried it once with Vegas and he just ran over to the nearest human and said "I've lost my mummy, but you can just be my new one" So laid back he's almost horizontal ::)I could almost swear he was disappointed to see me ;)                    
Dallas ( 10) & Disney ( 9 )

Playing at the Bridge: Brook (13/06/04), Jackson (23/12/05) & Vegas (14/07/10)

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2003, 07:47:38 AM »
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Tried it once with Vegas and he just ran over to the nearest human and said "I've lost my mummy, but you can just be my new one" So laid back he's almost horizontal I could almost swear he was disappointed to see me  

lololol bless I laughed at this...I could just picture it..lol

Jessie was alwasy good at comin back when of the lead, thats something her previous owner DID teach her   ;)  shes such a scaredy though and if a largish person ie a tall man for instance approaches her towering above her she gets scared and runs behind my legs almost trippin me up  ;D  kids love her and she loves them, they never want us to leave the park  ;D  

she loves to try to climb trees with my boys, although she hasn't mastered the art quite yet  ;D and she barks at them to get down and play with her  ;D  cuuuute  :D

I only ever let her off in large open areas though and then straight back on lead as she could not be trusted not to see a cat and go 'play' with it ...                    

Offline Jen

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2003, 08:21:34 AM »
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.

Only do it if the dog knows you've hidden there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.

Colin....did I miss something :- whats the point in calling it hiding if your not actually hiding at all ::)


lol lol lol lol - "Jimmy - I'm going to HIDE behind that tree over there now....so you can't find me even though you know where I am.... :-" ::) -
He's mad isn't he Gilly! ;D                    
Jen & Monty xx

Offline Jo W

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letting dog off lead!!!!!!!!
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2003, 09:29:57 AM »
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Standing behind a tree is another one that works.......they can't stand it if they don't know what your up to.

Only do it if the dog knows you've hidden there though......I did it once when Jimmy wasn't watching and he ran off looking for me in the opposite direction.

Colin....did I miss something :- whats the point in calling it hiding if your not actually hiding at all ::)


lol lol lol lol - "Jimmy - I'm going to HIDE behind that tree over there now....so you can't find me even though you know where I am.... :-" ::) -
He's mad isn't he Gilly! ;D


Crying with laughter at the mo!