Does your dog dream about running free through a field? Or swimming in a lake without restraint? Or playing fetch without a leash as an anchor? Or exploring creeks and smells and getting way more exercise on your hikes? I bet they do.

Aren’t dogs happier on leash?

A person once told me that dogs are more happy on a leash than off, and this is just not the case. It’s true that dogs thrive when they can trust their owners, and this trust can be accomplished with a leash on, but it can also be achieved without a leash. My dogs have much more fun when they aren’t tethered to me. Additionally, adding a leash takes away a dogs flight mechanism when they are scared. If you haven’t built that trust with your pup to where they feel confident when attached to you, you may find that they are more likely to resort to fighting from the potential fight or flight responses when you’ve taken away the flight. For this reason, often untrained dogs seem more confident without a leash, as this allows them to be braver, knowing they can get out of the situation if they need to.

How to keep my dog from running away

Running away is the primary concern when trusting your dog off leash, especially when distractions are present. Teaching your dog to not run away can certainly be part of the training regimen but it comes much easier when your dog doesn’t want to run away because of how interesting you are. This is accomplished through fulfilling your dog’s genetic needs through play. So play with your dog. Play a lot. Play for long periods. Get them addicted to that interaction with you so that nothing else really seems that important and then you can start to generalize those emotions by playing in more distracting environments. Learn more about play here:

https://www.thetrustedcompanion.com/thetrustedcompanionblog/play-why-its-important-and-how-to-do-it

Before you begin any training without a leash on, you need to do a lot of training with a leash on. The responses need to be habituated for your dog every time you call them and under increasing levels of distraction. Don’t find yourself calling your dog, only to have them ignore you. This waters down the terms and habituates them ignoring you to where you won’t matter to them at all. Instead, you want to set yourself up for success. Only say “come” or “here” or whatever your command may be when you know 100% you’re going to get it. Most likely, this means you’re only saying it with a leash on initially, then rewarding your dog when they make that good decision 100% of the time. Your dog must begin thinking that every time mom or dad calls me, I go to them and get a reward! There can’t be any exceptions in the beginning or it substantially slows down the learning time.

The electronic collar

How Do I Get My Dog To Listen off Leash?

While the electronic collar initiates some fierce and passionate discussions on the internet, when used properly, there isn’t a better tool to condition an off leash recall. With the tap of a button, you can pair the stimulation with a behavior and increase reliability for your commands with more consistency and reliability than any tugs on a leash or reaching into your pouch for a treat. And the clearer the communication is for your pup, the happier and more confident they are to listen. A lot can go wrong with an electronic collar used improperly so it is always best to hire a professional to introduce your dog to electronic stimulation. Let me know if I can help! Your dog could have a most amazing life filled with freedom, confidence and a recall that works without a leash in any situation!