Best Way To Train A Dog To Be Off-leash?
September 11, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
I am bringing a new dog home tomorrow who is affectionate but is described as an “escape artist”. He is an adult neutered male – possibly a terrier/cockapoo mix. Any advice on how to train a dog to obey off-leash and not run off?
Note: this dog will be joining my current dog which is beautifully behaved off-leash.
Related Cockapoo Training & Care posts:
If you trained your current dog and he’s well-behaved without a leash, you probably should start training your new dog the same way. Bonnie, my last rescue dog, was a virtual Houdini when it came to escaping and would not come when she was called. In fact, it was the reason she was left at the pound. Fortunately, her “trigger” was food. When she’d get out, I’d call and she’d pause and look over her shoulder. The minute she did, I’d throw a dog cookie about three feet behind her. To get it, she’d have to backtrack. I’d praise her the minute she turned around, throw another cookie, and walk away. When she finally got close to me, I’d give her a “high value” treat, usually cooked chicken or freeze dried liver, and lots of praise. Then I’d take her for an off leash walk and play time at the dog park. If I had to leave, I’d play with her for a few minutes then give her a Kong stuffed with peanut butter and dog biscuits. When I got Bonnie, she was six years old and my Golden Retriever was eight months. He was exceptionally well trained, and I think some of my success was due to the fact that she would follow his lead, despite the age difference.
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Your best bet is to start training your new dog on-leash with the basics. When he follows your commands, especially the recall (come), work him off-leash in a fenced area from which he can’t escape. Be sure to use lots of praise and positive incentives, and don’t get mad at him if he doesn’t respond immediately. Also keep in mind that a bored dog is more likely to try and escape. It may take more time and patience than it took to train your first dog, but you already know the many rewards of having a well-trained companion, and it sounds as though you know how to get the results you want. Good luck.
best way is to keep the dog on the leash and walk it around the yard if you want it to stay in the yard. other wise it needs the leash.
Here’s an easy quick method to learn to stay with you at all times. In a yard or at the park, with his leash on, start walking around and when he is going forward, turn on a dime and walk the opposite way. Walk to your left and when he follows, walk the opposite way. He’ll get confused but eventually he will learn to stay with you. Get him used to this so he knows to follow you. I taught my dog this way. After a few repeat lessons, a prong collar will help, he’ll get the idea.
Good luck.
a shock collar with an invisible fence , they work great! and are relatively cheap. once you get it set up you need to walk your dog around and near the perimiter of the fence to show him his boundies. after that he will learn quickly on his own. some people i know even remove the collars once the dog is trained and the dog still stays within the boundries.
taking a dog off of your property without a leash is illegal as most places have a “leash law” so if you walk him he will still have to be leashed.
First off train your dog to be reliable ON leash, especially the recall which is the whole getting them to come thing. After you know that they will come to you EVERY time you need to get a long leash. Go to a farm supply store or just get a rope and tie it to his leash. Again start training him using this leash but give him more run of them leash. Practice the recall by letting him go out longer on the leash say 8ft or 10ft at first then calling him to you, if he doesnt come right away reel him like a fish and try it again this time shortening the leash. Everytime he does it correctly praise the heck out of him and let him have a little more leash. After he will listen to you and reliably perform all commands on the end of the long leash take an old leash and cut it so its only 4 inches long. Hook it to the end of his collar along with the regular leash start off doing some commands with him on the 6ft leash then after a bit stop and take the 6ft leash off, leaving the 4in leash on. He will have the weight and feel that he is still on the leash. Start doing your commands with this short leash if he for once doesnt repsond to your command put him back on the 6ft leash immediately and start over. Keep repeating this and you will have a reliable off leash dog. The time it will take of course will depend on how much previous training he has and how reliable and quick he is learning on the long leash.
Obedience school could help. I would focus on teaching how to heal. If you spend few months religiously training him to heal I imagine it wouldn’t be much more difficult to drop the leash. One thing to keep in mind if he has a tendency to wander it might be best for his safety to keep on a leash.