There is probably no greater joy than watching a dog run, romp, and play off leash. But there are some very important and essential steps that need to be taken first.
Before you even consider letting Fido run free, realize that off-leash obedience is an advanced skill. Your dog needs to learn the proper foundations of obedience and loose leash walking, starting in low-distraction environments and gradually progressing to higher-distraction environments.
If your dog doesn’t listen to you inside your home, then you certainly can’t expect him to listen when there are a million other things to pay attention to outside. You know, super fun things – like chasing squirrels and birds and other dogs!
Here are some basic rules to abide by to make sure your off-leash time with your dog is the delightful experience you both want it to be.
- Safety first: You must have 100% reliable recall. There is absolutely no exception to this rule, in my mind. If you do not trust your dog to come back to you every single time you call him, then Fido has no business being off leash…ever (or at least until you train him properly). If your dog is near a street or there is another immediate danger nearby, you must be able to reliably and quickly get him to come back to you. What if your dog does not have reliable recall or his off-leash obedience isn’t the greatest? Lucky you! You can always teach Fido new tricks, and that includes recall training. Recall is a command like any other.
- Don’t assume all dogs are friendly. Your dog may be, but that doesn’t mean he should be allowed to rush up and “greet” another dog that is on-leash. This is a no-no on many levels. The dog that is on leash might be dog aggressive, might be recovering from surgery, sick, in training mode – or subject to a myriad of other things that you don’t know about. Respect the boundary that the dog owner has put up and keep your dog away. If your dog does not have a reliable “heel” off-leash, then leash him back up until you have passed the other dog.
- “Listen” to what your dog is “saying.” Before deciding if Fido should meet a particular dog, pay attention to your dog’s body language and the signals the other dog is sending. If either one appears to be unsure, nervous, or simply uninterested, don’t force any interaction.
- Remember that not everybody likes dogs. As hard as it is to believe, not every person thinks dogs are cute or even tolerates their presence. (Crazy, I know.) Keep your dog under voice control at all times, and don’t let him run up to, jump on, or tackle other people.
- Be responsible. As your dog’s guardian, you have a responsibility to keep him safe and to control his environment. Stay off your phone – no texting or Facebook when you are out with your dog. Be aware of your surroundings and be considerate of other people and dogs. Learn what your dog’s energy and body language mean. You are your dog’s teacher and protector, not just his friend, so please take these roles seriously.
The bottom line with all of these rules is to set your dog up for success. Be sure to take the proper training steps and precautions before ever letting your dog off leash. Don’t put your dog in a situation or environment where he can fail, because the consequences of failure could be dire.
Fortunately, if you moved a little too quickly and let Fido off-leash before he was ready, it’s never too late to go back to the basics and start again!
Bridget Murphy owns Koru K9 Dog Training + Rehabilitation with her husband Ray. They live in the Outer Richmond of San Francisco with their two German Shepherds, Luna and Nero. Bridget can be reached at 415-583-5412.
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Main article photo by: iStock
