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

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

I would never have thought about that!! How wonderful, it's like an instinct thing to stick to it's mom in case of a danger I suppose as you see cubs etc. doing on wildlife programmes. Terrific I can't wait to try it for the first time.

 

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

We're out and about and off the lead! If I hadn't read this article, I probably wouldn't have been brave enough! Thank you! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

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

Hurrah! Well done!

 

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

Thankfully I read this article before Disel came to us, he is now 7 months and although not perfect in recall (teenager with issues at times) he follows us perfectly when out and about off lead and we credit that to Pippas advice as well as him being way better in recall than the older dog.

 

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

I met a 16week old boxer on our walk today - she was on lead. Got talking to the owner (Harley was doing a blind retrieve at the time), he hadn't let his girl off lead and said he wouldn't ever as was worried she would run away! I suggested he get he total recall book or something similar....he was polite but basically said nothing would change his mind I really felt for the pup :'(

 

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

Well after reading about letting puppies off the lead, our 10week old puppy Rocky is able to go out from Tuesday sort of looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time, but should I let him off the lead first time out or wait a week?

 

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

Tina, I let Maisie off at 11 weeks and it was the best thing I ever did! She stayed very close to me and still does at 14 weeks! Go for it!

 

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

[quote author=Tina eley link=topic=1372.msg87543#msg87543 date=1402597496]
Well after reading about letting puppies off the lead, our 10week old puppy Rocky is able to go out from Tuesday sort of looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time, but should I let him off the lead first time out or wait a week?
[/quote]

i'd say choose a safe place (mine was a football pitch inside a big park) and let him off the lead right away. Lots of treats and work on that puppy recall. Good luck! No need to wait, take full advantage of the period when they want to sty close.

Charlie was off lead the day his vaccination period was over.

 

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

I agree, the sooner the better , Sam was off lead at the woods and river as soon as his second vacs had run their course , far less likely to leave your side when they are tiny , have fun

 

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

Thank you for all your advice I am feeling a bit easier about letting Rocky off the lead ASAP

 

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

Tina it is a scarey feeling,or it was for me for sure but find a safe place and just do it ;D like Julie says ,take,advantage of this short window you have where they want to keep close to you x

 

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

I totally agree with this approach, after learning the lesson the really hard way. A very long time ago, I lost my first dog when my mother accidentally let him out while she was bringing groceries in. He bolted, I'm sure thinking, "Free at last!" and I never saw him again. I had never let him off the leash unless in a fenced yard and he never learned to come when called. After lots of tears and fruitless searching, I decided to make sure my next puppy thought being with me was better than anything else around. I've never had the same problem with any of the dogs I've adopted since, though I won't claim they've all been obedience champs! I've had my younger dogs trailing a lightweight 10-20 foot check cord, which has been plenty for me to grab when I need to instantly stop the dog. I firmly believe in treats as a reward initially, gradually going to only occasional treats but always lots of love and praise. I've never really trained my dogs with a partner, but have always had at least one older dog to "help" with the training. Even Daisy (14 weeks tomorrow) is getting very good at coming when called - even when there is a fresh pile of horse manure to investigate! I think the other two dogs racing back to me certainly has helped get the message across to her. ;D

Speaking of the horse manure... I was tickled when she actually spit out her mouthful when I shouted, "Give!" and she ran back for replacement treat! Good puppy!

 

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

Our new puppy, Kailey, is almost 6 months now and has been off the lead when I know we are in a safe place where there is no chance of traffic. The only problem I am having is she is part woodchuck! Any piece of wood she can find she is chewing and eating. I have been keeping her on leash to just avoid this issue after being woken up at 2 am to a sick dog the other day. I am working on the leave it command but when she is off leash she seems to feel that she can get away with more. If anyone has suggestions that would be great.

biorus

 

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

Hello Biorus! A very, very warm welcome to the forum. Tell us more about your dog?

Ah, sympathies with the wood and stick eating. My boy was like this when he was younger - still is (1.5 now), but only a bit. He sicked up a stick in my bedroom once... :

He is growing out of it...

 

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

Hi Julie T,
Thanks for the welcome. Kailey is our chocolate lab puppy. Our 14 year old chocolate, Hailey, passed away in February and though it was a huge loss, it is fun having an energetic puppy around again. Kailey is super sweet and actually quite talkative for a lab. We have a place in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where she can be off leash and that is where she does most of her stick eating. It is about a five hour ride to get there and boy, just like a little kid asking are we there yet she will start sighing and grunting after a few hours in the car. I guess she is getting used to it because she mostly sleeps in the car now totally stretched out in the back seat.

I am working on clicker training with her and found it to be an amazing tool. I didn't know about clickers with the older dog, but when Kailey gives me the look like are you crazy when I try and call her back, giving a click gets her running back to me with no trouble. It has also done wonders with leash training for walks too. My husband does tease her by squishing soda cans to make a click sound.....

biorus

 

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

Hi biorus and welcome from me and my little black lab, Merla. My sister's husband comes from Michigan - lovely place, gorgeous lakes! They live in Harrogate in the UK now but have a holiday home up Traverse City way.

 

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

so glad I read this! Our two black lab puppies, Jack & Barney will be able to go out next week now they have had their second jabs. We live in a lovely little village with some beautiful fields and woods, and ponds that our other labs used to love. I can't wait to let them off and see them explore on the big field now, but without this post we would probably have waited until they were older. They are quite good at recall so far, especially if we rattle their 'pocket bones' box or shout 'come in for a biscuit', so we will take the biscuits with us

 

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

Great vid

 

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

I worked on recall with Winnie in the garden until she could go out but have let her off on walks from day one. She's 14 weeks now and sticks to us like glue - so far so good. I'm expecting a few hiccups when she gets a bit older and braver though!

We're lucky to live in the countryside though so it's easier to find somewhere safe and traffic free.

 

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

Hi all,

So the last few days have been very tiring. I picked up Rio on Sunday and he has been good so far. He only had a few accidents and now barks or whines when he needs the toilet. So I think he understands that he needs to go outside to go to the toilet. Socialisation has been pretty slow but we are going to a puppy party on Monday so he should be able to meet lots of puppies. As Pippa's suggestion we are letting him be off the lead in the garden (which is quite big), even when he needs to go to the toilet, So far he roams and doesn't venture too far from us and comes back to us if we call him. My question is when do I have to start putting him on the lead or when does this initial "stick to owner like glue" end? Obviously I know we have to perfect his recall, but my garden is only partially fenced so need to know when he will start moving away from us or will it not happen??