Kate is a former veterinarian's assistant of five years. She maintains a passion for training and caring for dogs of all types. Show
It will take a little training, but you can do it. Photo by Dawid Sobolewski on Unsplash How to Train Your Dog to Walk Beside You Without a LeashWhen we're out walking our pup in our condominium complex, we have to have her leashed—it's just the rules of our association. When it comes to hiking the trails near our home, however, we like to let her have a little freedom to explore unleashed. We also want to keep her safe though, which is why we didn't just one day decide to unleash her collar and say, "Go, run free!" It took a little training to get her to the point where she could walk with us without the leash. Here are the steps we took, which you can try with your curious dog. How We Trained Our Dog to Walk Off-Leash
Part 1: Find an Ideal Space and Establish TrustAre you ready? Let's begin training our dog to walk off-leash. Start in a Confined SpaceTo begin the training, we had our puppy on a long leash. We don't have a fenced yard, but if you do, that would work too. To start, we let her walk several feet away from us and then called out her name. We made sure that, when we called for her and when she got to us, we rewarded her with a mini-milk bone. I think the key here for this step going so smoothly was that we were careful with the tone of our voice when we called for her, using a sing-songy voice as opposed to a training tone. It helped her associate this step with a positive experience. Play Games That Reinforce Off-Leash TrainingThese games work best in a fenced yard, but if you don't have access to one (like us), you can use a large indoor space like a basement or garage. When it was cool enough, we just backed the car out, shut our garage, and used that to work with her in the evenings. Here are some of the games we played during the off-leash training.
Build Trust With Your DogIn order to successfully train your dog off-leash, it's important that you trust each other. Here are some things to avoid when teaching your dog to trust you and build good recall skills.
Keep track of your dog's biggest distractions, like squirrels! Photo by Dan Cook on Unsplash Part 2: Identify and Address DistractionsNow that you've established trust and taught your dog to come when called, we are ready to move on to the next step. Identify DistractionsFind out what distracts your dog the most. Some dogs have a high prey drive so squirrels and rabbits are their main distractions. Other dogs are distracted by other dogs, people or cars. The best way to know is to just observe her on your walks together. What makes her pull at the leash the hardest or what puts her on full alert? Those are her distractions. Deal With DistractionsStart training your dog to ignore her distractions. Start with the ones that aren't as big of a deal for her (our dog sometimes gets distracted by a lawn mower when we're out but she won't go after it) and then work your way up to the more intense ones (she full-throttle hurls herself at seagulls). To do this, you'll need to add the command, "watch me." "Watch me" can be taught in two different ways.
Once your dog has mastered this command, you can start using it on your walks. Practice it with each of her distractions until she's consistent with it. Watch her behavior closely to identify which distractions she still needs to master and focus on those until she gets it right. Part 3: Finally Off-LeashNow it's time to develop your dog's off-leash skills. The best place to start would be a dog-friendly park that doesn't have much street traffic close by. Start by walking your dog on the leash and then when the two of you are relaxed and comfortable, drop the leash. Your dog may look at you in surprise. That's the moment to give the watch me command. Keeping the leash on for the first few training sessions lets you grab it quickly if she loses control. It also helps if an unfriendly dog approaches. Keep the off-leash times short at first. Short means less than five minutes. You can gradually increase the time as you and your dog become more confident. In time we were able to take the leash off altogether with our pup able to walk freely by our side. Keep a Leash HandyI know, I know, you just read all of that to be like, "Ummm, what, I need a leash?" Here's the thing though: for your dog's safety, it's a good idea to keep a leash on you when you two are out, even if you never use it. In situations where an aggressive dog comes around or you come across a cafe or park where dog leashes are required, you'll be happy to have one handy. Have a leash handy for those just-in-case moments. Photo by Josh Kwok on Unsplash This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. © 2018 Kate Stroud |