Off leash
Off leash dog training. The last step, not the first one.
Recall and control without a line, built in stages and proofed against real distraction. For dogs that are already reliable on a leash and ready for more.
How it is built
Five stages, and no skipping
Every off leash failure we have seen started with someone taking the line off too early. So the line comes off last.
- 01
Reliable on the line first
Recall and loose leash walking that actually work, in a quiet place, every time. Nothing here is off leash yet.
- 02
Distance
The same behaviours at a range where you cannot simply reach out and fix it, still on a long line so nothing fails badly.
- 03
Distraction
Another dog nearby. Then a ball. Then people. Added one at a time, because stacking them is how a dog learns that recall is optional.
- 04
Somewhere new
A different field, a trail, somewhere with smells your dog has never met. A behaviour that only holds at home has not generalised.
- 05
Off the line
Only once the previous four are boring. Off leash is what it looks like when the work is finished, not the way you get there.
Why it takes a while
The teaching is quick. The proofing is not.
Most dogs understand what recall means fairly fast. What takes time is a dog choosing it while a squirrel is available, and that is bought in repetitions rather than insight.
Which is also why this works well as part of a boarding stay. A dog here gets sessions daily rather than once a week, in a place with real distraction built into it.
“She now comes when we call and is able to play with other dogs!”
Questions
About off leash work
- Is my dog ready for off leash work?
- If it is not reliable on a leash yet, no. Off leash is the step after solid recall and loose leash walking, not a shortcut past them.
- How long does it take?
- Longer than most owners expect, because the work is in the proofing rather than the teaching. A dog can learn recall in a fortnight and still need months before it holds near a deer.
- Do you use an e-collar?
- Talk to Michael about the tools he uses and why. He will explain his approach and you can decide whether it is what you want for your dog.
- What does proofing mean?
- Making the behaviour hold when something more interesting is happening. Quiet field, then a field with another dog in it, then a field with another dog and a ball. In that order, never skipping.
- Can a reactive dog do off leash work?
- Not as a starting point. Reactivity comes first, and that is behaviour rehabilitation rather than this.
Not sure whether your dog is at this stage yet? The evaluation will tell you.
Start with the evaluation.
An hour with your dog, in your home or at the farm. You will know what it needs and whether we are the right people to do it.
$125 at your home, $50 at the farm. If you start any program, the full evaluation payment is credited toward your first program payment.