Tips to Help Your Dog Successfully Go Off-Leash

When your dog behaves well on their leash, you may begin to wonder if it’s possible for them to go off-leash sometimes, such as through a trail or in a field. While it isn’t recommended to introduce this new freedom to them suddenly, there are some tips you can start doing with your dog to help make sure the transition to off-leash goes smoothly.

• Invest in Training – When deciding to start taking your dog off-leash, it is crucial to make sure they know and are able to follow important commands such as sit, stay, and come. This can be accomplished through participating in an obedience training program with your dog. Only when you are positive that your dog will listen to your commands should you consider taking them off-leash.
• Start in A Small, Controlled Area – Once you feel your dog will be able to follow your commands, find a small, contained area to begin your training. This can include a small playground, parking lot, or field. As long as your dog will be safe and has enough room to move around, it will do. Try to limit the number of distractions so that your dog can focus more easily on what you are trying to teach them.
• Get A Long Leash to Practice With – During regular walks, you can simulate an off-leash experience by using a long training leash. This will allow you to see how close your dog naturally tends to walk to you, and also lets you establish where they need to be in case you need to give them a command. Try this often and in different locations so you can get an average in terms of distance away your dog tends to be.
• Join an Off-Leash Group – If you can find a group of other people who also walk their dog off-leash, look into joining up with them. Hopefully, they will have members, both human and canine that have a wide variety of training methods and are comfortable with being off-leash. They may be able to provide tips and assistance, and also have training suggestions or recommendations. As for your dog, they will likely tune in to their pack mentality and want to stay with the other dogs in the group.
• Be Patient – All dogs will learn at a different pace, and you may find yourself repeating the same training methods over again. Remember that off-leash training isn’t always easy, and it could take a number of weeks before you see significant progress. Don’t give up! Continue with what you’re doing, and it will pay off.

Our Off-Leash Training Program Will Help Enhance Your Dog’s Skills

If you prefer the help of a professional for your training, we provide an off-leash program. Once your dog has shown they have mastered the skills offered in a basic obedience program, they are then ready to move on to our off-leash dog training. Along with demonstrating their understanding of these basic skills, we also require dogs be at least 18 to 24 months old.

During off-leash training, we teach your dog to perform all the commands they learned during basic obedience training while having the ability to wander and be at a distance from you. We introduce a variety of scenarios and distractions during training while having your dog learn to keep their focus on you and your instructions.

To enroll your dog in our Off-Leash Board and Train or Drop-Off program, contact the staff at Alpha Paws today at 1-877-868-5248 (PAWS).