How Do You Teach Your Dog Off Leash Manners?

[ruthless]

When we go to the off leash park, the first thing the dogs do is run up to other dogs. I know this is bad manners to the extreme. If they're bigger dogs I don't mind so much, there's never a problem, but when there's small dogs they play a bit rough. They're staffies and I really don't want my dogs to be responsible for people thinking all SBTs are aggressive dogs. As soon as they misbehave I put them back on the leash and playtime's over. The other dog owners always tell me it's fine, they're not bothered, no harm done. Maybe I'm over-reacting, but I really don't want a dogfight on my hands. What else should I be doing? They aren't interested in toys. They just want to run around.

[poodlefan]

The simplist method of dealing with this is to train an reliable off lead recall. Call your dogs to you while you establish whether the owner of the other dogs is happy for them to play.

You should mind.... you know your dogs are OK but one day they might approach a dog who isn't. If you think people with dog aggressive dogs can't be found in off leash parks, think again.

[ruthless]

The simplist method of dealing with this is to train an reliable off lead recall. Call your dogs to you while you establish whether the owner of the other dogs is happy for them to play.

They're fine when there's no other dogs around, but as soon as they get distracted they're gone, like a bullet from a gun. It's going to take a lot of work, but we'll get there.

You should mind.... you know your dogs are OK but one day they might approach a dog who isn't. If you think people with dog aggressive dogs can't be found in off leash parks, think again.

I didn't think of that. Sometimes I think I'm the only one in the park with misbehaved dogs. You're right though, food for thought...

[poodlefan]

Ruthless:

They're fine when there's no other dogs around, but as soon as they get distracted they're gone, like a bullet from a gun. It's going to take a lot of work, but we'll get there.

A long line is really handy for this... make the reward for coming a really big one and remember ... you can only effectively train one dog at a time. Start somewhere more neutral than an offlead park and work up to higher levels of distraction. A good trainer could really speed you along with this.

[shoemonster]

We only let our dogs off lead if there aren't other dogs there, if another dog turns up they go back on lead, unless I have a discussion with the other dog owner and intro them first

Otherwise we have long lines so they can exercise and be "free" with control

I know that they will more than likely be fine, but I don't want another dog having a go at them

[ruthless]

i got a 12m line for chopper, but he kept running to the end and then getting quite a bad jerk. i'll try again though. on his own.

wow, shoey, i can't imagine ever finding a dog park around here with no dogs in it, you're lucky! how long a line do you use?

[Sonic]

Poodlefan, how do you train for a reliable off lead recall?

[poodlefan]

Sonic:

Poodlefan, how do you train for a reliable off lead recall?

In a nutshell, by training it firstly in an environment free of distractions (eg. at home) and by rewarding the dog with something positive every time it comes. The long line is used to "encourage" the dog to you if it wont' come (although running backwards carrying on like a pork chop can also be very effective).

Then, when the dog is coming reliably, you firstly increase the distance of the recall OR start to add distractions. Then, you move to intermittant rewards.

Seriously, the fastest most reliable way to teach a recall is to find yourself a good dog trainer and have them show you. No amount of describing how it can be done will beat being shown it.

[Sonic]

Thanks Poodlefan, I appreciate your reply.

If you have been through all of this training but your dog still finds the distraction of another dog greater than any aversive you can legally use or nowhere near as great as any incentive you can provide, what would your next move be?

[poodlefan]

Sonic:

If you have been through all of this training but your dog still finds the distraction of another dog greater than any aversive you can legally use or nowhere near as great as any incentive you can provide, what would your next move be?

Seriously? I'd be on the phone to K9Force and off for a little road trip. In your shoes, I'd be looking for a damn good dog trainer to help me.

A very common problem I notice at our club is the TIMING of the recall. Its a hell of a lot easier to get the dog's attention on you when it's by your side looking at other dogs as opposed to 20 feet away and hurtling towards them. Is that part of the problem - the dog is gone before you notice what's happening.

You should be able to teach your dogs (with the owner's permission) that play time comes AFTER focus and control, not at will. Keeping your dog onlead, insisting on some basic obedience like heel, sit etc and then release to play after that control would help. I would move from doing this onlead to off. Your dog can learn to look to you for permission to play.

If the dog isn't obeying the "come" I'd say it either doesn't understand that "come" means come right now at the rush OR, it believes it has a choice about whether or not to obey. Until I had that sorted, I'd be keeping it onlead.

[shoemonster]

One is 6 m and the other 10 m

When they're on it i use the time to do sun fun recall training, so they never really get far enough away to jerk at the end, and you'll find eventually they'll get used to it anyway

Molly still runs to the end alot, but she'll learn eventually, she's a bit of a bimbo

When they are off lead, I constantly call them back to me, so they do little semi circles and find this works well, though it's taken time to get there

[Nuggetbowl]

We have problems with this too. He is fine at home without distraction or in parks without distraction. The minute he sees something interesting at the dog park though, off, and he chooses when he comes back.

[Erny]

When we go to the off leash park, the first thing the dogs do is run up to other dogs.

That's because they've learnt they can.

The only way you can teach them NOT to is to assume some control and the only way to do that is to put yourself in a position where you HAVE that control. IE A lead (in this case, I'd recommend a long-line as others here have also done). That way, you are in a position firstly to (a) SHOW them the rules have changed and (b) ENFORCE the rules so you can maintain consistency and build on reliability.

[Erny]

We have problems with this too. He is fine at home without distraction or in parks without distraction.

Most dogs are. In fact, I could almost guarantee a successful recall to a dog who hasn't even ever been taught one, when there are no distractions around.

The minute he sees something interesting at the dog park though, off, and he chooses when he comes back.

As I mentioned in my post above, that's because you've taught him that he CAN, before you built up reliability in your recall.

[Nuggetbowl]

SO back to square 1. Training at home without distractions and getting a long line for the park?

[Erny]

SO back to square 1. Training at home without distractions and getting a long line for the park?

Train at home without distractions. Get it totally reliable and REALLY motivated.

THEN go to an area with minimal distractions. Get it reliable and REALLY motivated.

THEN go to an area with higher distractions. Get it reliable and REALLY motivated.

etc. etc. IE Build up on the distractions incrementally.

Know that the faster/stronger your dog's recalls are, the less likely he is to take note of the distractions around him on his way back to you.

[Nuggetbowl]

Thanks I guess we have already been doing this over the last few months. He is regressing at the higher distractions point but is always reliable at home and in areas with minimal distractions. Other dogs are his total distraction and always seem to win over treats.

Everytime we are at the dog park off leash, I call him over every now and again, when he comes, I treat and praise, I put him on leash occassionally not when I call him to come but just when he is nearby and release him so he doesn't think that putting on the leash is the end to good times. I try not to go to him and always make him come to me. Sometimes this doesn't always work! He will follow me usually when I am running away from him. All this is good 85% of the time. The other 25%, he is running around with other dogs usually new to the dog park and will not come to me on the first call.

Edited December 10, 2006 by Nuggetbowl

[Erny]

Thanks I guess we have already been doing this over the last few months. He is regressing at the higher distractions point but is always reliable at home and in areas with minimal distractions. Other dogs are his total distraction and always seem to win over treats.

Then it is highly possible and likely that the "higher distractions" need to be introduced more gradually. Incremental training. Start with another (one) dog in the area, at a distance where your dog can orientate but not be distracted to the point of detraction from the exercise at hand (ie threshold distance).

Build from there.

Also, make sure your leadership (not as you perceive it, but as your dog perceives it) is in place. Give your dog adequate attention necessary for care and wellbeing, but avoid being over attentive. Make your "attention" part of your dog's reward for working for you.

[Nuggetbowl]

Thanks Erny.

I guess it is hard to find just one dog in an area especially on a regular basis. Good idea on the attention.

We have used NILIF techniques to establish leadership so we are the alpha leaders. He has to perform a command before he gets anything - food, attention, walks. I've also started doing the TOT with giving him dinner. I'm not sure how he perceives his place in the house but I hope it is in balance. How can you tell?

We take him on 2 walks a day. Both can involve socialising with other dogs. We do training in the house before we leave, we do heeling and sitting on command on lead on the way to the park. We go to the off lead park and he socializes with other dogs there. In general he comes on command, but when new dogs are there, he HAS to go say hello and hardly ever comes back on the first recall. This can involve me going over to collect him especially if the other owners are not happy. He also ran away under the park fence the other day - so I am really reluctant now to take him off lead. Yet he loves the dog park and gets lots of exercise playing with the other dogs....

[Erny]

I guess it is hard to find just one dog in an area especially on a regular basis. Good idea on the attention.

This is where training in an uncontrolled environment - especially off-lead areas, is less than good. Try visiting a park perhaps where "on-lead" rules apply. Or even better, work with a friend who can help you by having their own dog on-lead and under control. Or join an obedience club where the "doggy" environment is at least controlled.