Attention new puppy owners! Let your puppy off the lead.

I have an 11 week old pup and we have been getting her out and about socialising. I have been letting her off the lead in parks and safe areas but when we are crossing paths with another dog I've been putting her back on. I let her meet the other dog (unless owner is holding the other dog away) but feel I need to keep in control incase the other dog goes for her or she is overwhelmed so I can pull her away. Should I get brave and leave her off the lead with other dogs or am I right to put her on for new introductions? How do other people handle puppies off lead. Recall is not a problem at the moment as she sticks to my heels like glue!

 

Hi Snowbunny,
A questions in regard to your video... shes a good wee puppy
How did you train "say hello"? I would really like to get my sweet (chocolate like yours ) nearly 6month old puppy to greet a person without jumping up!
If you don't mind sharing what your process was?

 

I have tagged @snowbunny for you @Me and my dog. She is a little tied up just now.

 

Thanks Kate

@Me and my dog - Luna was never much of a jumper, luckily, so I didn't have to worry too much about that. My "say hello" with her was simply said in a chipper enough voice that she recognised it as a release to do the thing she wanted to do - which was say hello. If you pair the words and the action enough, you create a cue. I just used this yesterday when my dogs were meeting the new foster dog through a baby gate. Willow and Shadow weren't that interested in her, but using "say hello" had them trotting over for a quick sniff of Conchita before coming back for a treat. Even Luna, who was a bouncing lunatic with this amazing new "toy" I had brought home, responded well by going for a sniff then immediately turning back to me.

With a puppy that likes to jump up, you can train her not to with you first. Start in your house and walk a pace away from her. If she doesn't follow, call her to you and click if she comes to you without jumping up. Feed her by dropping a treat on the floor. As she eats the treat, take another couple of paces and repeat. If she jumps up, ignore her and turn your back and walk off a couple of paces. Click as she arrives at you without jumping. If she consistently jumps, you can click the instant before she gets to you, while her feet are still on the floor. Or you can wait out the jumping up and click the instant she stops jumping. Once she has the idea, you can increase the excitement; have someone hold her back while you walk away. Or run those paces rather than walking. Or do jumping jacks. You get the idea. If it falls apart, make it easier and consolidate at the stage she already understands, then slowly build up again. Try to employ family members to go through the same process with her (you can control the clicker if you don't trust their timing) so she generalises it to other people. Once she's good with you in your house, move it to the garden, then the park etc.

When you're out meeting people, you can use the same idea. So, wait for calm before "say hello" will help set her up for success. Learning she doesn't get to meet everyone will help with that, too. Sometimes, have a conversation with someone, but without them petting the puppy. But, where you do choose to let her say hi, use your "say hello" cue and click her before she jumps up. She only gets fuss and treats when she's calm.

I hope that helps

 

Hooray! Hello I am a newbie and owner of a 12 week old puppy (he's a golden retreiver hope that's ok?!). We went to our first "training class" last week and both hated it. 18 very excited pups in one small hot village hall, yikes. Because we live on a farm Freddie has never been on a lead apart from when he went in the car to the vets. His recall is amazing and he's already met our cattle, sheep, hens and horse. He loses concentration when the older dogs are out but I'm working with him on that. Seeing this pinned post has given me confidence to feel better about what I was doing (the trainer said he should be on a lead). He's very lucky as we have lots of different terrain and I can easily avoid the livestock. Now I must find the raw food page.....

 

Welcome to the forum, Liz. We welcome any breeds or mixes here, don't you worry
Looking forward to hearing more about your littel fellow. What's his name?

 

Hi, he's called Freddie, am feeling very happy with him as a friend came this morning with her (very well behaved) 6yr old labrador. They had a lovely time together but best of all Freddie was listening to me. It seemed like the good behaviour of the older dog helped him to focus, is that possible?

 

I have literally just spent the last most frustrating half hour trying to get my pup Penny (22wks) into her harness. I almost give up it's relentless chewing it and jumping about zooming about. I know it's because she is excited but I find it so hard that I want to give up. I try to ignore her and turn my back but the second I try again it it starts again. I know it's me and not her my patience starts to wear thin. Sorry for ranting I expect too much from her she loves off lead and is great but sometimes at night I need to walk her on lead as it's too dark to let her run about

 

@Jacqueline Mckendrick , do you give her anything to distract her or make good associations with the harness? The trainer I bought mine off told me to put some peanut butter on the fridge for Cass to lick off while I popped it over her head and fastened the harness, it did help.

 

This is how I introduced the harness with my puppy: https://thislittledoggy.com/2017/01/08/desensitisation-to-the-harness/

I don't put up with any ridiculousness from my dogs when I'm trying to get them "dressed". Of course they're excited, but collars don't go on until they are sat calmly in their designated spots. I remember as a kid what a nightmare it was with dogs jumping around, barking and going insane when the lead came out, and I was determined not to have that same problem. They soon learn.

 

Yes, I was the same. Certain family members loved to whizz them up.

But Cassie didn't, and still doesn't, like the harness going on, so it helps to take her mind off it.

 

Oh my word, you have brought a memory of my Cavaliers who used to do this even as old men! I had no idea about dog training of any sort when they were with me. I just used to struggle through

With Penny I would put the harness on lots of times during the day, using treats, to make it into a non-event. Then put it on well before a walk so that other cues don’t get her excited about it before a walk.

 

Thanks ..she is a whirling dervish

 

In have to say, this is the best peice of advice ive ever had... let the puppy off the lead. Pooping myself the 1st time, as i pictured£900 just vanashing, about 2 days after getting max we took him to a beach, armed with dried sprats I must add ! and we let him off, had had a great time and now is off lead in parks at beaches anywhere apart from the road, and he sticks to us like glue as if there is an invisible lead attached to him, he greets other dogs and people and comes back for a "good boy" and a piece of fish (not every time ) I never wanted a dog who would only come back when they wanted to, he is a star, and I'm hoping he will always be so good at recall when out, not so great when at home, but we r working in that

 

Bailey is 10 weeks old and I do let her off the lead and she does come when called. However, she does scavenge, so that said how can I trust her off lead when she finds something (usually pretty disgusting) that she wants to eat as she then has selective hearing!! Is it just patience, keep practicing ‘leave’ training...... Until she’s had all her vaccinations it’s tricky to know how much freedom to give her.

 

Hi, Pippa! And THANK YOU for the great insight from your Labrador Handbook!

I would like to ask you/forum members what should I do with my 5-month Ema, regarding off lead. The thing is that I live near a nice and big park in the city, but with lots of distractions (dog lovers, runners, cyclists and DOGS - which she loves and knows almost all of them ). Also, the park is surrounded by several streets, so I am always concerned about the traffic, too. I use a training lead on my walks, alternating from loose to short lead, depending on the distractions, training, etc. My question is, should I really let her off lead, here? She does have great basic obedience, but my recall is completely useless if she sees people and dogs she knows Thank you so much!

 

If there's any danger from traffic, then, no, you absolutely shouldn't let her off the line in that location, especially if you don't have a strong recall. But, recall or not, I still wouldn't have my dog off-lead near traffic.

 

I'm not gonna lie, I feel very conflicted when taking our nearly 5month old pup out for walks. Do I let her off the lead or not.

We have a nice patch of green locally where lots of dog walkers meet. River is starting to know most of them, but she gets overexcited. In all her excitement, she will jump up to everyone and I have no idea how to stop her. It prevents me actually from letting her off the lead at all. Especially now during the winter, the area is not very well lit so I'm not keen on letting her off the lead anyway. It's come to a point now where I'm taking her for her walk at times, when there's no one around. There are times, during the weekend, when I can supervise the area, that she is off the lead and seems to be fine. Having said that I don't think I have ever had her off the lead for more than five minutes all together.

On top of that, we've been using this lead that extents. So when we're on our way to the patch, i keep her close, due to traffic. But once we're away from the traffic, I allow her to stretch her legs. Trouble that I'm having now is that she's really pulling when kept short. She's a healthy 16kg lab now, and I'm starting to struggle keeping her in check.

I feel like I'm in a loose-loose situation at the moment

 

My puppy has been off his lead in the park and at the seaside since his vaccines kicked in. He is now 14 weeks and comes straight back for the whistle. Coming back to me means bacon so well worth it. I find the whistle is so much better as he has ‘selective deafness’ when it comes to shouting his name. On the odd occasion he hasn’t come if I turn my back on him he scoots back at 100 mile an hour !! Will it change though . I hope not

 

It likely will as he grows up and becomes more independent, and as his environment becomes more interesting to him. But setting the basis now is brilliant, it means you've already done the groundwork and just have to work on keeping it topped up as he develops - and maybe going back to basics every now and again. Recall is something most of us need to work on throughout the dog's life - my dogs all have good recall, but I still play recall games most walks to keep it topped up, and often use the whistle at meal times, too. This morning's breakfast was two massive whole raw king prawns each, so using the whistle to let them have it built a pretty good positive association for "free"