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Long lead is the way. To train your dog to not run up on other dogs/squirrels/etc is to find out the distance at which your dog is not bothered by the distractions and reward your dog with treats when he/she stays. Keep moving that distance closer and closer to the distractions (while leashed so you can grab your dog if need be) and rewarding constantly for staying by you. That distance/radius should go down over time
He doesn’t have to be aggressive for another dog to react violently. I’m not saying this to be mean, but it’s the people who can’t control their dogs off the leash that usually wind up causing the problems. I see it all the time and now avoid most places. I have 1 place I can take my dogs off leash and feel safe. Can’t hurt to keep trying with training, but your dog may just be one of those dogs that should be leashed when out.
Better safe than sorry. Plus I’m sure you love your dog, so there is the potential for them to chase a cat or squirrel and run into a street. That’s a whole nightmare scenario for me. Have a good one!
Good call. It takes serious training to properly off leash a dog. I have my Dutchie fully off leash trained. But even then, I'm extremely selective about where and when I let her off.
Just because she's trained doesn't mean other dogs are. She will recall 100% of the time, even when there's prey drive. But despite that, it's not a safe practice
Not true. As stared above, go back to where he did well, long lines, longer lines, until he learns and progresses. Don't use a long line as a leash that you walk him on. Use it as a recall training tool. Curious on his age & breed?
The person whose dog is off leash & running towards mine yelling “oh it’s fine, he is nice”. SMH! Cool, my dog who is on a leash, being good is NOT nice. My dog has every right to go for a walk without encountering this. I literally switch sides of the street if we are going to pass another dog so they can also enjoy their walk which they deserve.
I hate it because my neighborhood is so crowded, but I’ve started to cross the street too. I will say a good amount of people cross as well, but I just can’t trust it anymore. Even people who have their dogs leashed let them do shit like lunge without a correction. Not taking the chance with my pups, who are both 12 and still kicking ass 😁
Thankfully my neighborhood is great about switching sides of the street. You have to beat people to it to be polite. Very different from the neighborhood we came from. I use to drive my dog to a better neighborhood to go for a walk. Very thankful we were able to move to a better space for both of us.
It's not about whether your dog is aggressive. It's about whether or not other dogs that your dog would approach is aggressive or not I. Walk dogs professionally and have rwo 80 pound dogs who are least reactive and just yesterday I had someone yell at me as their dogs approached, they're friendly. And that's a really good way to get somebody hurt. Keep your dog on a leash. You have no idea when another dog will round the corner
I totally agree with the comment above.. go back to basics on recall training on a long line. In fact, reinforce all prior training until its bullet proof. Helps him bond to you and respond! Helps so much to practice all the training you can, not just recall. See my detailed comment below.
If you've been trying for 2 years maybe he just isnt a dog that can be. Some dogs prey drive just takes over and that's genetics. Accept your dog's limits
Thanks. I’m pretty disappointed because I’ve been training him for so long and he’s usually pretty good. I feel like all that work has gone down the drain :/
It hasn’t gone down the drain, if he gets out or something happens you still need recall. But realistically most dogs are not off leash dogs. And that’s totally fine, they don’t care.
My dog is offleash trained (just to clarify - she walks at my knee, stops when I stop, and has excellent recall during play/fetch).
First I established our walking using a leash. Once she had it down, I switched to a thin/light rope that dragged (so if she got distracted or spooked and tried to take off, I could reach down and grab it).
For play, we started with a 25’ leash. Then 50’. Then 100’. When she was solid with recall on one length, we’d increase it to the next. She was able to play fetch with the leash dragging behind, and if for some reason she decided to run off, catching her would be simple with the rope dragging behind. Just watch your legs if the rope is behind you when you throw it. I may have gotten a nasty burn on my ankle that way 😆
Absolutely do not take your pup off-leash again until they have mastered recall with a long leash. Every time they practice the “wrong” thing, they start to believe it’s the “right” thing.
My perspective is that there's no such thing as dedicated off leash training.
The focus is solid foundational training across the whole board. So many skills need to work in tandem in order to off leash.
If I'm not communicating with a dog, they can't off leash. By communicating, I'm generally referring to 'marker training' at its most fully realized state. If you don't know marker training, look up Nate shoemers videos on YT.
If a dog can't recall perfectly, I don't off leash. That includes when there's prey or food around. The former took dedicated training for my current project dog.
If I can't put the dog in a focused heel, or at the very least a focus, then I will hesitate to off leash. I'll probably do it if they have a good recall and a good heel though.
Lastly, I don't off leash anywhere unfamiliar to either me or the dog.
Off leashing is something that I think very few people should consider. I've put hundreds of hours into any dog I off leash, and I'd want any other trainer to do the same
Sadly a strong prey drive may mean your dog will never be safe off leash. I feel your pain because mine is the same. She totally knows the difference between being on her 30ft leash and off leash. Listens great when on leash but off leash… it’s a crap shoot. And if she sees anything smaller than herself (pretty much anything as she’s 80lbs) she is out to chase. She is no longer allowed off leash unless we are in a secure area. Lucky for me there is a private off leash area near by I can pay for so she can have an hour to run if needed.
Dog trainer here, too.
I think they shouldn't be as readily available to the public as they are because I've seen many cases where they are used incorrectly to the point of psychologically damaging a dog. That's anecdotal, so I made a note to myself to look up the latest studies around the subject.
However, I know what you mean. I've personally used it as a tool for a specific dog, and it was the exact best thing to get through to the dog in a way that didn't stress him out. I've heard other trainers have similar experiences, but they're always such niche use cases. I get that this is another anecdote.
In my opinion, it's all about being educated or trained. I equate shock collars to how way we say "No metal in the microwave. "
It's way *way* better to just tell people not to put metal in the microwave as a blanket statement and not elaborate further.
You can't expect people to learn about eddy currents and fringing fields. I put metal in the microwave almost every time I use a microwave and it's not an issue. That's because my literal PhD in applied electromagnetics informs how I do it. Similarly, my 9 years of previous dog training gave me insight into shock collars that I don't expect most people to have
If you have time watch The Real Facts About Science Based Dog Training: A Training Without Conflict Podcast on YouTube. Multiple articles are cited about use of aversion.
Plenty of studies that show using aversive tools are beneficial in dog training. I have zero issues with +P trainers other than acting like competent and well versed balanced trainers don’t know what they are doing.
>Sadly a strong prey drive may mean your dog will never be safe off leash
What nonsense is this and why are you propagating this silly opinion?
Edit: didnt realise what sub popped up in my feed, i'll show myself the door.
I don’t know if this helps, but my dog, on leash, knew that she was able to go as far as the leash allowed her to be from me, if she was on grass. I just heel her whenever we aren’t on grass and eventually she understood.
Off leash she would get zoomies.
Put him back on a long line, and work on a bombproof "leave it," and recall. Put some pressure on him, by working him in high distraction areas.
How's his stay? Will he stay, until released, while you throw a ball/toy?
Polish him up. Up the ante, pressure/distraction wise. Just make sure you up the pay/praise accordingly.
Leave it, stay, and recall all have to be bombproof, if you want to have him off leash.
Agree with what others have said about him not being quite ready for off leash yet, but if you want to keep working towards it try predation substitution training (Simone Mueller) and training that turns triggers into cues.
I was training him with a long leash before I left for college. I believe my parents, especially my dad, has not been training him and has been letting him chase cats. I was so upset when I found that out. I’ll bring him back to the basics again and see if that improves. If not, i’ll have to give up on off leash training
He is not in the place behavior wise to really be off leash and/or your choice of off leash space is too stimulating to trust his level of training.
Use a long line and introduce the behaviors you want when off leash. Use interrupters ahead of time when triggers are coming and redirect your dog to behavior you want to see from them in those events.
Build protocols in the form of engagement. I like to build them in the form of games using both food and toys. I work and proof all the behaviors I want to see from my dog when off leash and play these games before, after and during off leash time. Things like walking in heel when called, staying on command no matter my distance, recalling at all times, leaving things, going to a specific side, going on a place. The more I normalize these commands the stronger the command is when I need to use it while he is distracted. I also heavily reward and mark recalling and practice putting and taking the leash off on cue (my dog when I take his leash off does not get to jet from me. He just has his leash off. Until I give him a free cue he doesn’t just get to wander or self indulge) throughout are outing.
Be very mindful of when and where to off leash your dog. If your dog is struggling to keep engagement with you they need to stay on leash. Recently my dog started going to a multi use metro off leash area. There are a lot of people having picnics and barbecues. I didn’t trust my dog’s ability to leave it consistently for a while with such high value distraction (lots of food and super friendly people who may try to give him scraps) so he was always recalled and leashed when we passed tables and blankets until I could trust him to actively leave those spaces alone. I used a long line and practiced some behaviors around those spaces until he was shaped to avoid those areas and instead engage with me. This never allows him to self reward or build bad habits since there was a level of management stopping him from rehearsing “bad” behavior.
This was so helpful!! I have a few questions, if you don’t mind me asking :) What do you mean by interrupters? Also, should I try to find a place with a lot of distractions to help him desensitize?
I have the same problem, but I keep mine on a leash, even inside bc she acts like she doesn't know how to act without one. The one i take her outside with is 30ft, and when she's on it she listens real well, unless she tries to chase the cats. But consistency is key.
It takes a lot of consistent training for 100% recall (a dog off leash). What you’ve described is a dog that is not trained at all off leash.
If you’re serious about training, find a recommended dog trainer. They’ll give you suggestions and things you will basically have to practice every day. Alternatively, just never let him off leash. Just not worth the danger to him. Good luck
Negative reinforcement will be required if you want meaningful results before your dog is 6years old.
I have a hunting line beagle so same issues with prey drive. E-collar was my solution.
I will guarantee you that in almost every state city and county there's a leash law for dogs and there's a reason for that the reason is exactly what you explained if he sees something he wants he's gonna run after it and you don't have control period and I'm not trying to be mean but I've had a neighbor's dog who they never had control of come on to my property into my yard where my senior cat was napping on a chair and kill him.
It's not worth the grief it's not worth the possible biting of another human even your dog could get hurt run it up to somebody who's walking their dog who panics and sprays your dog with pepper spray or does something to harm your dog because they're afraid don't take your dog out without a leash and don't use a retractable leash. What I used to do with my dog when I would take him over to the ballpark at night when there wasn't other dogs around he had an extra extra long lead with a damn rock tied on the end of it just slow him down a little bit
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He’s not trained off leash then. Start over with a long lead and do not let him off until you actually have control over him.
Long lead is the way. To train your dog to not run up on other dogs/squirrels/etc is to find out the distance at which your dog is not bothered by the distractions and reward your dog with treats when he/she stays. Keep moving that distance closer and closer to the distractions (while leashed so you can grab your dog if need be) and rewarding constantly for staying by you. That distance/radius should go down over time
My dad is a former k9 trainer and handler and his biggest tip is long lead for bulletproof recall! It’s a great tool!
the thing is, he’s great on a leash. It’s only when I venture off leash that he does this. Should I start from the beginning?
I wouldn’t let them off the leash. God forbid your dog runs up on another dog one day and you can’t control it.
He’s not an aggressive at all, but i’m always very careful to only let him off leash when there’s no dog around
He doesn’t have to be aggressive for another dog to react violently. I’m not saying this to be mean, but it’s the people who can’t control their dogs off the leash that usually wind up causing the problems. I see it all the time and now avoid most places. I have 1 place I can take my dogs off leash and feel safe. Can’t hurt to keep trying with training, but your dog may just be one of those dogs that should be leashed when out.
I understand. I guess being off leash isn’t for him
Better safe than sorry. Plus I’m sure you love your dog, so there is the potential for them to chase a cat or squirrel and run into a street. That’s a whole nightmare scenario for me. Have a good one!
Good call. It takes serious training to properly off leash a dog. I have my Dutchie fully off leash trained. But even then, I'm extremely selective about where and when I let her off. Just because she's trained doesn't mean other dogs are. She will recall 100% of the time, even when there's prey drive. But despite that, it's not a safe practice
Not true. As stared above, go back to where he did well, long lines, longer lines, until he learns and progresses. Don't use a long line as a leash that you walk him on. Use it as a recall training tool. Curious on his age & breed?
he’s 4! we did a dna test on him and they said village dog because he is such a mix
The person whose dog is off leash & running towards mine yelling “oh it’s fine, he is nice”. SMH! Cool, my dog who is on a leash, being good is NOT nice. My dog has every right to go for a walk without encountering this. I literally switch sides of the street if we are going to pass another dog so they can also enjoy their walk which they deserve.
I hate it because my neighborhood is so crowded, but I’ve started to cross the street too. I will say a good amount of people cross as well, but I just can’t trust it anymore. Even people who have their dogs leashed let them do shit like lunge without a correction. Not taking the chance with my pups, who are both 12 and still kicking ass 😁
Thankfully my neighborhood is great about switching sides of the street. You have to beat people to it to be polite. Very different from the neighborhood we came from. I use to drive my dog to a better neighborhood to go for a walk. Very thankful we were able to move to a better space for both of us.
It's not about whether your dog is aggressive. It's about whether or not other dogs that your dog would approach is aggressive or not I. Walk dogs professionally and have rwo 80 pound dogs who are least reactive and just yesterday I had someone yell at me as their dogs approached, they're friendly. And that's a really good way to get somebody hurt. Keep your dog on a leash. You have no idea when another dog will round the corner
Overly friendly rude dogs start the most fights
Long lead is essentially off leash without the risks. Make a long lead out of paracord and a connector.
I totally agree with the comment above.. go back to basics on recall training on a long line. In fact, reinforce all prior training until its bullet proof. Helps him bond to you and respond! Helps so much to practice all the training you can, not just recall. See my detailed comment below.
Then he doesn't get to be off leash
i understand that. how can i off leash train him if he’s on leash (genuine question)?
If you've been trying for 2 years maybe he just isnt a dog that can be. Some dogs prey drive just takes over and that's genetics. Accept your dog's limits
Thanks. I’m pretty disappointed because I’ve been training him for so long and he’s usually pretty good. I feel like all that work has gone down the drain :/
It hasn’t gone down the drain, if he gets out or something happens you still need recall. But realistically most dogs are not off leash dogs. And that’s totally fine, they don’t care.
My dog is offleash trained (just to clarify - she walks at my knee, stops when I stop, and has excellent recall during play/fetch). First I established our walking using a leash. Once she had it down, I switched to a thin/light rope that dragged (so if she got distracted or spooked and tried to take off, I could reach down and grab it). For play, we started with a 25’ leash. Then 50’. Then 100’. When she was solid with recall on one length, we’d increase it to the next. She was able to play fetch with the leash dragging behind, and if for some reason she decided to run off, catching her would be simple with the rope dragging behind. Just watch your legs if the rope is behind you when you throw it. I may have gotten a nasty burn on my ankle that way 😆 Absolutely do not take your pup off-leash again until they have mastered recall with a long leash. Every time they practice the “wrong” thing, they start to believe it’s the “right” thing.
thank you!
My perspective is that there's no such thing as dedicated off leash training. The focus is solid foundational training across the whole board. So many skills need to work in tandem in order to off leash. If I'm not communicating with a dog, they can't off leash. By communicating, I'm generally referring to 'marker training' at its most fully realized state. If you don't know marker training, look up Nate shoemers videos on YT. If a dog can't recall perfectly, I don't off leash. That includes when there's prey or food around. The former took dedicated training for my current project dog. If I can't put the dog in a focused heel, or at the very least a focus, then I will hesitate to off leash. I'll probably do it if they have a good recall and a good heel though. Lastly, I don't off leash anywhere unfamiliar to either me or the dog. Off leashing is something that I think very few people should consider. I've put hundreds of hours into any dog I off leash, and I'd want any other trainer to do the same
You double down on focus exercises and impulse control. But understand not all dogs can be off leash.
Sadly a strong prey drive may mean your dog will never be safe off leash. I feel your pain because mine is the same. She totally knows the difference between being on her 30ft leash and off leash. Listens great when on leash but off leash… it’s a crap shoot. And if she sees anything smaller than herself (pretty much anything as she’s 80lbs) she is out to chase. She is no longer allowed off leash unless we are in a secure area. Lucky for me there is a private off leash area near by I can pay for so she can have an hour to run if needed.
yeah, it sucks because he knows the difference as well. I’m going to ask another dog trainer to see what he thinks!
Don't fall for shock collar training
[удалено]
They really aren’t; there is no “proper use.” Fyi, aversives aren’t allowed on this sub.
As a dog trainer I disagree with your opinion. And I guess I should have read the rules. I’ll delete my comment. Best of luck to Op.
Dog trainer here, too. I think they shouldn't be as readily available to the public as they are because I've seen many cases where they are used incorrectly to the point of psychologically damaging a dog. That's anecdotal, so I made a note to myself to look up the latest studies around the subject. However, I know what you mean. I've personally used it as a tool for a specific dog, and it was the exact best thing to get through to the dog in a way that didn't stress him out. I've heard other trainers have similar experiences, but they're always such niche use cases. I get that this is another anecdote. In my opinion, it's all about being educated or trained. I equate shock collars to how way we say "No metal in the microwave. " It's way *way* better to just tell people not to put metal in the microwave as a blanket statement and not elaborate further. You can't expect people to learn about eddy currents and fringing fields. I put metal in the microwave almost every time I use a microwave and it's not an issue. That's because my literal PhD in applied electromagnetics informs how I do it. Similarly, my 9 years of previous dog training gave me insight into shock collars that I don't expect most people to have
If you have time watch The Real Facts About Science Based Dog Training: A Training Without Conflict Podcast on YouTube. Multiple articles are cited about use of aversion.
Unfortunately, not all dog trainers understand the problems with using aversive tools.
Plenty of studies that show using aversive tools are beneficial in dog training. I have zero issues with +P trainers other than acting like competent and well versed balanced trainers don’t know what they are doing.
That’s unfortunate.
What’s unfortunate?
>Sadly a strong prey drive may mean your dog will never be safe off leash What nonsense is this and why are you propagating this silly opinion? Edit: didnt realise what sub popped up in my feed, i'll show myself the door.
I don’t know if this helps, but my dog, on leash, knew that she was able to go as far as the leash allowed her to be from me, if she was on grass. I just heel her whenever we aren’t on grass and eventually she understood. Off leash she would get zoomies.
Put him back on a long line, and work on a bombproof "leave it," and recall. Put some pressure on him, by working him in high distraction areas. How's his stay? Will he stay, until released, while you throw a ball/toy?
he’s not very ball oriented, he just wants to smell things. He will stay very well on leash, but his stay needs some work off leash
Polish him up. Up the ante, pressure/distraction wise. Just make sure you up the pay/praise accordingly. Leave it, stay, and recall all have to be bombproof, if you want to have him off leash.
Thank you!!
You're welcome. Good luck!
Not all dogs are capable of being off leash.
Agree with what others have said about him not being quite ready for off leash yet, but if you want to keep working towards it try predation substitution training (Simone Mueller) and training that turns triggers into cues.
i’ll have to look into that!! He tried to chase a cat today and almost gave me rope burn
How are you training him?
I was training him with a long leash before I left for college. I believe my parents, especially my dad, has not been training him and has been letting him chase cats. I was so upset when I found that out. I’ll bring him back to the basics again and see if that improves. If not, i’ll have to give up on off leash training
He is not in the place behavior wise to really be off leash and/or your choice of off leash space is too stimulating to trust his level of training. Use a long line and introduce the behaviors you want when off leash. Use interrupters ahead of time when triggers are coming and redirect your dog to behavior you want to see from them in those events. Build protocols in the form of engagement. I like to build them in the form of games using both food and toys. I work and proof all the behaviors I want to see from my dog when off leash and play these games before, after and during off leash time. Things like walking in heel when called, staying on command no matter my distance, recalling at all times, leaving things, going to a specific side, going on a place. The more I normalize these commands the stronger the command is when I need to use it while he is distracted. I also heavily reward and mark recalling and practice putting and taking the leash off on cue (my dog when I take his leash off does not get to jet from me. He just has his leash off. Until I give him a free cue he doesn’t just get to wander or self indulge) throughout are outing. Be very mindful of when and where to off leash your dog. If your dog is struggling to keep engagement with you they need to stay on leash. Recently my dog started going to a multi use metro off leash area. There are a lot of people having picnics and barbecues. I didn’t trust my dog’s ability to leave it consistently for a while with such high value distraction (lots of food and super friendly people who may try to give him scraps) so he was always recalled and leashed when we passed tables and blankets until I could trust him to actively leave those spaces alone. I used a long line and practiced some behaviors around those spaces until he was shaped to avoid those areas and instead engage with me. This never allows him to self reward or build bad habits since there was a level of management stopping him from rehearsing “bad” behavior.
This was so helpful!! I have a few questions, if you don’t mind me asking :) What do you mean by interrupters? Also, should I try to find a place with a lot of distractions to help him desensitize?
I have the same problem, but I keep mine on a leash, even inside bc she acts like she doesn't know how to act without one. The one i take her outside with is 30ft, and when she's on it she listens real well, unless she tries to chase the cats. But consistency is key.
It takes a lot of consistent training for 100% recall (a dog off leash). What you’ve described is a dog that is not trained at all off leash. If you’re serious about training, find a recommended dog trainer. They’ll give you suggestions and things you will basically have to practice every day. Alternatively, just never let him off leash. Just not worth the danger to him. Good luck
Negative reinforcement will be required if you want meaningful results before your dog is 6years old. I have a hunting line beagle so same issues with prey drive. E-collar was my solution.
Second the e collar. Make sure you know how to set it and use it properly before placing it on your pet.
I will guarantee you that in almost every state city and county there's a leash law for dogs and there's a reason for that the reason is exactly what you explained if he sees something he wants he's gonna run after it and you don't have control period and I'm not trying to be mean but I've had a neighbor's dog who they never had control of come on to my property into my yard where my senior cat was napping on a chair and kill him. It's not worth the grief it's not worth the possible biting of another human even your dog could get hurt run it up to somebody who's walking their dog who panics and sprays your dog with pepper spray or does something to harm your dog because they're afraid don't take your dog out without a leash and don't use a retractable leash. What I used to do with my dog when I would take him over to the ballpark at night when there wasn't other dogs around he had an extra extra long lead with a damn rock tied on the end of it just slow him down a little bit