[carlyd]

hi all,

do u let your poo's off their leads? i am worried my gonzo will run off. i let him off over fields on walks if there is no one around and he is whistle trained and comes back especially if i have his fave treat 'cheese'. im just too scared to let him off when there are other people and dogs around.
the only reason i am so weary is in training classes he used to run riot lol. he also was picked on by 3 collies on seperate occasions as they seem to think he is a black sheep.
we also have people issues as he is a scaredy cat we have tried having strangers give him cheese and done many classes, pre puppy training, puppy training and obediance our trainer didnt know what to do with him as thinks its just inbread in him and our vet blamed me as she said i clearly spoil him too much and shouldnt let him sit on my lap lol.
all in all im worried if he did a runner no one would be able to approach him as he would be too scared!
carly x

 

[flounder_1]

yes we let Lolly off her lead from her first walk at 13 weeks. Doing it that young when she was still unsure of the big wide world ensured she didn't stray far from me. We had done lots of work on recall in the garden until she was able to go out for walks. I chose a park that was far away from roads. I did a bit of training with her on her lead so she knew I had really tasty treats and then let her off. I was quite scared doing so but it was the best thing I could do. I then put her on and off her lead a few times so that she didn't associate the lead with the end of the fun and walk so that she would always come back for a treat. I know a dog that won't come back as he knows the lead is going to be put on and he's going to go home!
Not sure what to suggest with an older dog though sorry

Now my favourite part of owning a dog is taking her for a lovely off lead walk! She prefers being off her lead and luckily has very good recall.

And as for your vet - I would be finding a new one! We all spoil our babies but having them sit on our lap/sleep in our beds/make lots of fuss over them won't lead to bad or undesired behaviour. Some dogs are good at some things and others at other things just like humans.

 

[ali-s.j.]

I also let Izzy off from day 1 out.
We go out most days for long off lead walks, or else she gets to run off lead on our beach, very rarely have her on the lead. I would recommend you do lots of recall training using long lead so you feel confident.
One of my favourite things about having dogs is seeing them running around free and happy, and flying towards me when I call them back for a treat

 

[carlyd]

thank u both for your replies. he does do recall ok and will come back to the whistle, its just normally on his terms lol and if there is anything that can catch his attention that will be it, especially squirrels.

 

[flounder_1]

I think it sounds like you need to get your confidence back with him. Why don't you not feed him one morning so that he is really hungry, go somewhere well away from danger/roads and let him off the lead. Take his favourite treats and a toy or two and don't let him get too far from you. Try to enjoy a good play. Even if he's only off the lead for a few minutes you could increase the time slowly as your confidence grows.

 

[MillieDog]

I too let Millie off the lead and thoroughly enjoy it.

Realistically (but rarely), there are times when something is too exciting to ignore and recall doesn't work. In those rare instances, you have to go and collect your dog. Or you could try this out: See if your poo likes to run with you, if yes, then if he won't return and you're worried, get his attention and jog gently in the opposite direction. He'll soon think you're lots of fun and wont want to miss out and will catch up with you.

If you ever do get a bad recall, ie he takes ages to come back, don't punish as this will make him even less likely to return. Give a simple Good Boy, but no tasty treat. Save the treats for good recalls and you could have lots of them on a good walk.

 

[carlyd]

thank u i shall try and give it a go bit by bit and i reckon i should be able do it

 

[Jedicrazy]

Hi Carly,
If you're really unsure why don't you try a long training line? Get a long one and let it go so the dog feels the freedom like being off lead. It's easier to then step on the long line if recall doesn't work.

I let Obi off lead quite early on and he was fine with recall but when he had a recall blip at 5 months I used a training line with great success and within 2 weeks he was recalling perfectly again. He now never strays too far from me.

 

[carlyd]

thank u clare. we have a longish lead but think i will get a longer one to try. i hope obi feels better soon

 

[pixie]

I have been walking with Pixie off lead since her first day out! Was the best piece of advice i have got so far and i think it was one of the lovely ladies above who said go for it She is fantastic with recall unless she has her nose or mouth occupied with something gross! but this isnt that much of a problem.As far as running off and jumping up at people this is getting better the more times we meet other people,bit like desensitising,and i always carry treats and a whistle,only giving her a treat when i have to call her back.I too get so much satisfaction from seeing her running free having fun,you will be just fine,but i know how nervous it can make you feel if that confidence is not there.Build it up bit by bit and enjoy

The long line sounds a good first step x

 

[carlyd]

thank u Becky. i will get there lol i think gonzo is probably fine, its just me. beautiful name choice for your poo its so cute

 

[pixie]

Thankyou Carly its really sweet of you to say so Gonzo is such a cool name i must say too x

 

[Cris]

We had our 2nd 'off lead' moment in some fields nearby last week. I had the family with me so that they could help if Keltie didn't come back. I love her being off lead but am sooooooo anxious it almost ruins the walk for me! Her recall to me was good, but with the children and hubby she ran to them and before they could hold her collar she'd shoot off again, thinking it was a great game. I so wish we'd let her off from 12 wks. If she doesn't come back should I chase her or stay where I am and keep calling her? I'm so scared I'll panic and do the wrong thing to make her run even more. BTW she's like a greyhound off lead, so fast!!

 

[flounder_1]

If she doesn't come back straight away you need to make yourself more interesting than what she is investigating. Make strange noises, lie on the floor waving your legs in the air, have a squeeky toy to help, run away from her calling her in an excited tone, anything to get her interest back to you. I don't think I would run after her initially. Try not to let her get too far away in the first place, using frequent recall and reward to keep her relatively close. Do some training on lead first (sit, lie down etc) so she knows you have her favourite treats and then let her off.
It may be a good idea to practice recall and building your confidence on your own so that your husband and kids don't confuse Keltie.

 

[Rufini]

We're a little like you - as a first time dog owner I am very anxious about letting Vincent off the lead.
We decided on a retractable lead to start with so he can feel like he's off but if we need to get him back (and recall doesn't work...yesterday he saw a squirell and was off after it!) it's easy enough to retract the lead.

We do eventually want to go off lead but I think we're going to be doing it at a steady pace as both I and Vincent gain more confidence!

 

[Dylansmum]

I agree with Clare and would definitely recommend a 10 metre training line for anyone who is nervous about letting their pup off lead. You can hold the end and let the rest drag on the ground and your pup will feel like she's off lead. You can practice recall and see how she behaves and as you feel more confident you can drop the end and just leave the line dragging. This makes it really easy to catch her if you have a problem, as you only have to get within 10 metres and grab the line. Keep some really good treats with you and keep calling her to you, making lots of fuss and treating. If she enjoys playing with a ball, you could also keep one with you and tempt her back with that.

 

[colpa110]

I went cold turkey with Betty and let her off the lead almost from day one.. when theyare that young that don't wander far as they are looking to you to keep them safe... Now she is older ( and braver) it is a little more tricky. Her recall is 100 % if there are no other distractions..as Janet said running in the opposite direction or acting like a complete luny often do the trick when she is just toooo interested in other dogs / people.
I'm glad I did it this way as Betty has no fear and walking her off the lead
is my greatest pleasure ( and hers) !!

 

[MillieDog]

Look at the personality of your cockapoo. They are very people orientated. Yes they are fast at running, but its not usually in one direction away from you. They like to play and keep you in sight. Try and bit of hide and seek, hide behind a tree and call them, they will soon find you.

Try not to chase them if they have something 'naughty', in my Millie's case, dead rabbits, nappies, plastic cups You end up turning it into a game for them (think keystone cops), I've been there and it doesn't work. You either have to be brave and let them keep their prize, until you can sneakily take it off them or wait it out. Work on Leave, No and Give, these will work eventually, but not immediately.

Don't worry if your cockapoo chases a squirrel, unless its somewhere dangerous. The squirrel soon disappears into the trees and the dog gives up, then it should return on Recall.

There are times when you have to go and get them and recall may not be working, ie if they're playing with something static. Playing with another dog. Eating someones picnic. Those sort of things. Recall in not 100% guaranteed, but there is a difference between a dog ignoring you because of something 'naughty' or a lovely distraction and downright wilfully running away from you.

Learn to read you dog and read the environment you're walking in. Sometimes you can pre-empty the dead rabbit ahead of you, lead up and change direction. If you praise and reward when they recall or walk to heal, you may find they join you by choice. Millie does this and licks her lips. I know its her way of saying, hey look I'm being good can I have a treat now !

And the golden rule, as I said before. Don't punish a bad recall, it may make them not want to return next time.. Just praise but don't treat.

 

[Kerry24]

We let Pareto off the lead from day one; I was nervous, but we both want a dog who is under control off the lead and we'd already practiced recall in the garden. We kept practising recall with him while he was off the lead, but generally he kept looking and if we were too far away he came back on his own. He's met loads of dogs too, and I take the lead (excuse the pun) from how the other owner is. Pareto isn't nervous around other dogs, so if they keep their dog off the lead then I do too, if they put their dog on lead (or they're already on the lead) I'll put him back on lead. Also, depends on the breed and the look of the owners... If in doubt I'll re-lead him and then walk away from them. So far, so good.... He had a lovely play with. westie earlier.... The owner was a little worried the Westie would squish Pareto as they were gambolling, but they were having a brilliant time!

I'm really pleased with how things are going, and love seeing him off the lead, running free

Hopefully you'll have the same joy soon.

Kxxxx

 

[carlyd]

Thank you all for your kind comments and thoughts. I will definitely be trying a training lead, Gonzo did have an extender lead from day one however they are his favourite thing to chew when he has one and we got through 3 lol. the slightest chew on one bit and then they become week. Pets at home didnt like me lol.
I will take all your handy tips on board and give it a go bit by bit.