Saturday, November 11, 2017

Come when called Off Leash



In this video, we are practicing Come when Called off leash with our puppy.  Ahsoka is a lab/ pit mix, currently 5 months old.  We practiced this same activity with a long line leash (for safety) first.  Once she was performing the recall more than 90% of the time.  I started taking her off leash for a few minutes here and there and practicing.

There are many factors to consider when trying to get your dog off leash.  Consider the environment...what's around you, a road, woods, other people, other dogs?  Consider the excitement and mental state of your dog...if your dog is overly excited, it is not a good time to allow them off leash.  Wait until your dog calms down and is paying attention to you.  Reward this state of mind by allowing them off leash at that time.  I chose this particular hike because there are no roads and cars near by, and there are not a lot of people around that can cause distractions.  However, this area is full of smells of other animals, including wild pigs.  If your dog has strong hunting instincts or gets overexcited around these types of smells, this would not be a good place for you to start taking your dog off leash.  Ahsoka enjoys running in the grass but enjoys being with the other dogs above smells.  Therefore this was a good place for us to start her off leash experience.

Related blog articles:

Come when called:  Part 1
Come when called:  Part 2
Come with Distractions




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