Something I've been wondering- how to get dogs to stay, off lead?

[ToBeEvergreen]

I'm always admiring pictures of dogs at the beach, on a hike, at the park- without a leash. I have owned mostly greyhounds, and you can't let them off lead or they're end up hit by a car- they chase anything that moves, as sighthounds.

SO, How on EARTH do you people get pups to STAY with you like that? Do some of them stay naturally with regular training? How do you decide when it's time to take the leash off?

I'm very curious :D.

[Karen]

Some dogs will never "get it" - like the greyhounds you mention! Other dogs seem to know their boundaries, and stick to them. Our Saint Bernard, Freckles, knew where "her" yard was, even if it didn't exactly match the property boundaries on the deed! And if we were outside, she'd never be far from us. But Gracie, our Great Dane, had no such notions, and if she managed to sneak past us without us snagging a collar to put her on her chain, she'd fly off, and pause once at the crest of the hill in the neighbor's yard to say "Ha!" and off she'd go! Thankfully, she stuck to the woods, not the roads, and always came back safely. It really varies dog to dog.

[Taz_Zoee]

My dogs are NOT trained off leash. But when we go to the dog park or the beach they run around, but always come back to check in with me. I could never walk a trail or on the sidewalk without a leash, I'd be too afraid of them running off or getting a scent of something and not realize they have wandered too far.

I think some dogs can be trained to stay near off leash and some dogs can't. I think some dogs have the natural instinct to stay close while others (mine) don't. :) I can't even let Zoee out the front door anymore without a leash. She has become a darter and will run around the block. Luckily she runs the opposite direction of the busy street we live near. But this is the only direction I ever take them out of the court....thank goodness.

[MonicanHonda]

Just barrier training. Do a lot of recalls, but allow them to be released once you've called them back to you (giving a treat is reinforcement, but the really good reinforcement is letting them go back to what they are doing) I do a lot of this at dog parks. Jackpot reinforcements for whenever they voluntarily come up to you. Being able to call your dog off anything they chase is also what helps. My dogs tend to check in with me if they get about 20-30 feet away.

It also helps to begin letting your dog have freedom, a long line can help. A very thin one so it feels like they are off leash but you are still able to have control over them. Being off leash can't be a novelty to them or they will take advantage of it every time. My two have been off leash a lot since I got them as puppies. You should also graduate to letting them drag the long line so you can at least step on it if you see them begin to get too far away.

Some breeds will definitely have a harder time with it, but my good friend has ibizan hounds (sighthounds) and they do amazingly well off leash. Some of the best dogs I've seen. She is able to recall them off anything they begin to chase. It takes a LOT of dedication and a LOT of training. But she has it and she did it.

Just googled it quickly and found this article. I generally like her advice in it. :)

http://dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com/premack-principle-nonfood-rewards.aspx

[Freedom]

Sight hounds are probably amongst the toughest to train on this - just my opinion, lol.

My Lacey will stay by me, and I can take her just about anywhere off leash. Do I walk her around the neighborhood off leash? No way, the risks, with cars etc are much too high. But in a bank, in Home Depot, she is fine. No chance of a passing squirrel, either! LOL

So on the beach? I could leave her off leash, she would stay close by and always be sure she knows where I am. Again, safety wise, that would be a nice place for her to be off leash.

Growing up, our third dog, Sammy, was a shepherd / collie rescue, and she was much as Karen's dane, off to the next county with a quick glance over the shoulder! LOL

So a lot of it is the dog; some of it is the breed; and you always always need to consider safety.

[ToBeEvergreen]

But Gracie, our Great Dane, had no such notions, and if she managed to sneak past us without us snagging a collar to put her on her chain, she'd fly off, and pause once at the crest of the hill in the neighbor's yard to say "Ha!" and off she'd go! Thankfully, she stuck to the woods, not the roads, and always came back safely. It really varies dog to dog.

HAHAHA! Oh Karen I can just picture that. :D




Sight hounds are probably amongst the toughest to train on this - just my opinion, lol.

My Lacey will stay by me, and I can take her just about anywhere off leash. Do I walk her around the neighborhood off leash? No way, the risks, with cars etc are much too high. But in a bank, in Home Depot, she is fine. No chance of a passing squirrel, either! LOL

So on the beach? I could leave her off leash, she would stay close by and always be sure she knows where I am. Again, safety wise, that would be a nice place for her to be off leash.

Growing up, our third dog, Sammy, was a shepherd / collie rescue, and she was much as Karen's dane, off to the next county with a quick glance over the shoulder! LOL

So a lot of it is the dog; some of it is the breed; and you always always need to consider safety.

You take her in Home Depot? THAT'S AWESOME!

My greyhound Taffy? She managed to have me so relaxed at the lead once, since she walks so nice on it, that it dropped out of my hand- AND SHE WAS OFF! She thought it would be fun to scare the living daylights out of me by running ahead and PLAYBOWING, wagging her tail all the while as I grabbed for her leash!



Just barrier training. Do a lot of recalls, but allow them to be released once you've called them back to you (giving a treat is reinforcement, but the really good reinforcement is letting them go back to what they are doing) I do a lot of this at dog parks. My two have been off leash a lot since I got them as puppies.

Some breeds will definitely have a harder time with it, but my good friend has ibizan hounds (sighthounds) and they do amazingly well off leash. Some of the best dogs I've seen. She is able to recall them off anything they begin to chase. It takes a LOT of dedication and a LOT of training. But she has it and she did it.

Just googled it quickly and found this article. I generally like her advice in it. :)

http://dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com/premack-principle-nonfood-rewards.aspx

Reinforcement all the way! Oh Ibizans are gorgeous creatures, that's cool that she's able to do that! For a lot of the greys, they have lure training on the track for years. There are some owners who have gotten theirs off lead though! I like that article you provided a lot, thanks for sharing!


I can't even let Zoee out the front door anymore without a leash. She has become a darter and will run around the block. Luckily she runs the opposite direction of the busy street we live near. But this is the only direction I ever take them out of the court....thank goodness.

That's enough to give you a heart attack! Mine are also darters.

[Roxyluvsme13]

Well, Lily just kind of naturally does her own thing and doesn't stray too far from my mom and I. We used to take her to an empty baseball field that was fenced in and I would tell her to "stay" and she would until I called her :D.

On the other hand, my RB Roxy was definitely not capable of being off leash. The moment she escaped, she'd run from me and think I was playing with her. She was very difficult to catch. As she got a little older though, she was a bit easier to deal with when she slipped out of her collar.

[SWHouston]

I wouldn't DARE to let either of my Yorkies off the leash...ANYWHERE save for in the confines of the yard or house.

My Male Sneakers has a wanderlust which is as strong as any animal I've ever owned, and My Female Becca, would follow him into the Flames of Hades if he decided to enter. :eek:

[lizbud]

Neither Smokey nor Maggie can be trusted off leash outside in an unfenced
area. I do practice "stays" inside a lot. Have them do stay in one room while
I go into another. It's good practice to obey the "stay" command, especially
in the car, It allows me to get out first without them both jumping out before
I'm ready.

[Lady's Human]

Even at her now rather advanced age I can't trust Lady off leash. We haven't been able to do anything of the sort from the time she adopted us. She'd get a scent and be gone until she got hungry or tired.

Karen's mention of Gracie made me laugh. That dog was 3/4 of my cross country training. She'd get out and be gone, and she'd just stop long enough to tease me.

[Karen]

Even at her now rather advanced age I can't trust Lady off leash. We haven't been able to do anything of the sort from the time she adopted us. She'd get a scent and be gone until she got hungry or tired.

Karen's mention of Gracie made me laugh. That dog was 3/4 of my cross country training. She'd get out and be gone, and she'd just stop long enough to tease me.

And she was so darned sleek if you didn't snag her collar, as hard as you tried to grab hold of any other part, she's just slide right through our grip!

How fast was Gracie? She was once spotted running next to a wild rabbit, which was so scared, it was running straight, didn't have the time to even do the traditional bunny zig-zag! The poor rabbit had no idea Gracie thought bunnies were her friends, and had no concept of eating it!

[Lady's Human]

Gracie's feelings were hurt when she CAUGHT da bunny (ran right over one) and it didn't want to play anymore. (as opposed to Freckles, who caught a squirrel, flipped it up about 10' in the air, and looked at it like her toy was broken)

[IRescue452]

Obedience training for Wallace and Autumn. Naylee has little training because she was old and traumatized when we took her in and she just doesn't speak human. She really never learned how to live with people. I got her to stay within sight at the dog park by disappearing when she's get too far ahead an let her freak out until she finds us. It may have seemed mean at first but now she stays much closer to her family pack and keeps an eye on us to be sure she doesn't go too far.

[luvofallhorses]

Even with obdience classes I could never get my Rottweiler mix Jenny (RIP) to stay off-leash.. she always had to be on leash. Some dogs just won't stay around off-leash and honestly with the 3 dogs I have now, I wouldn't trust them off-leash.

[Cataholic]

I walk Jasper off leash, with safety in mind. If there is a lot of traffic, I tend to leash him. for pottying, he is never leashed, and walks along with me on the sidewalk, up and down the street. I get comments all the time, and questions as to where he and I trained. We didnt, and I didnt. Its just his nature, I suppose. He comes, stays, sits, downs...all with next to no training. If only I could train him, "no lick". Lol.