# Off The Leash



## linktrek (Nov 17, 2007)

My golden is about 1 1/2 years old.They say that I have a field golden and she has a lot of energy. She comes but not all the time in the fenced backyard. But if I take her off the leash in front of our house, she takes off over the next street and doesn't respond to any commands. No control at all. I have no idea how to train her not to run away off the leash. Any ideas for me? I tried the come with her rewards but it doesn't work.


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## Joanne & Asia (Jul 23, 2007)

I am no expert but have learned that the best way to teach the come command reliably is a ton of practice! Use a long lead and start out in the yard with treats. If she doesn't come corrrect by reeling her in. Once that is good, start using distractions. I was also taught to use an informal command such as "rught here" alot of the time so that they learn that "come" is an urgent command. Asia is 3 and finally has a reliable come command but it as alot of work but well worth it to trust her off leash even with distractions.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Dogs dont generalize well...your situation is classic....
She doesnt know that come means come no matter what or where....
She believes that Come only means in the house or the backyard...

Whenever you increase the duration, distance or distraction..you take a step backward in one or both of the other "D's".

So if she will recall 40' (or more) off leash in the backyard...then when you train out front of the house (with more Distractions)...you take steps backward with the Distance..

Put the leash back on, go out front and work at 6' distances...then get some clothesline and start working with 15 or 20' distances...reward heavily at first with either and or treats/play/praise...as she gets better ....you start tempering the rewards...but at first you have to be mroe interesting then anything else she sees/hears/smells....

When you have somewhere between 600 and 6000 sucessful recalls...then you try off leash...


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## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

I would be really careful about letting your dog off the lead at the front of your house...I am assuming you live on a street (as you say she runs to the next street) so I am kind of wondering why you want to let her off the lead in a area like this. If she can't really use the area to run in...(as it is by a road/next to houses) then I don't personally see the point...she may as well just be on a lead...it just doesnt seem worth the risk that she runs into a road. The best trained dog in the world could just run off the path and into the road. Do correct me if I am mistaken, you could live in the middle of nowhere for all I know! Don't get me wrong, my dogs are off their leads on their 2hour walks everyday, but only in areas that are not near roads...country lanes around fields, woodland/beaches etc...even though they have good recalls and are very used to their freedom I still wouldn't walk down the street with them off the laed or have them around the front of the house...just isn't worth it. In a safe area I would start her off with some very high value treats and have her on a long line so you can reel her in if need be..and PRACTICE!!! Keep calling her and praise like crazy on her return gradually increasing the distance of the line.


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## linktrek (Nov 17, 2007)

LibertyME said:


> Dogs dont generalize well...your situation is classic....
> She doesnt know that come means come no matter what or where....
> She believes that Come only means in the house or the backyard...
> 
> ...


 Sounds good to me.


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## linktrek (Nov 17, 2007)

Emma&Tilly said:


> I would be really careful about letting your dog off the lead at the front of your house...I am assuming you live on a street (as you say she runs to the next street) so I am kind of wondering why you want to let her off the lead in a area like this. If she can't really use the area to run in...(as it is by a road/next to houses) then I don't personally see the point...she may as well just be on a lead...it just doesnt seem worth the risk that she runs into a road. The best trained dog in the world could just run off the path and into the road. Do correct me if I am mistaken, you could live in the middle of nowhere for all I know! Don't get me wrong, my dogs are off their leads on their 2hour walks everyday, but only in areas that are not near roads...country lanes around fields, woodland/beaches etc...even though they have good recalls and are very used to their freedom I still wouldn't walk down the street with them off the laed or have them around the front of the house...just isn't worth it. In a safe area I would start her off with some very high value treats and have her on a long line so you can reel her in if need be..and PRACTICE!!! Keep calling her and praise like crazy on her return gradually increasing the distance of the line.


 I live in a Court with means the street ends in a circle. All the streets are courts around her which come off a light traffic avenue. It used to be a low traffic ave but the neighborhood got built up. Now instead of having 
1 or 2 cars an hour, its more like 10-15.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Good Luck. Ike had learned the come command but then hit the terrible 2's and forgot everything. We bought a remote collar and used the beeps to instill "come." He knows the beeps mean business because we have a radio fence. He's a new dog. He can be anywhere in the yard and not see us. We beep, he comes to the front door. If we take a walk, I hold the remote and beep him when he gets too far away. I do not shock him, ever, just use the beeps!! On occasion I've forgotten the remote and he still comes when I call. This has worked great for us.


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## linktrek (Nov 17, 2007)

Sounds like you have a normal dog to me. My dog is supercharged. If we let him off the leash outside our house the first thing she thinks is "I'm Free!" and then she's gone. She's also a leash puller if that helps you understand my dogs personality. I'm working on the leash pulling.


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