Letting your dog off the lead

K.C

Hi Everyone,

I apologise as I'm sure this has come up before. I have a 18 month old female english cocker spaniel. She is a lovely dog in every way. However, We cannot let her off the lead as she just runs like crazy. The minute she sees a person/dog/cat etc she runs like crazy towards them and barks(which she normally never does) and jumps up on them(btw she is just being friendly,never ever aggresive). She is very obedient normally and well trained but once she sees someone she cant help but run after them. She is probably over friendly. I know its in the breed. I have tried everything, treats,dog whistle etc. with no luck. She is well exercised and taken care of. I would love for her to just walk beside us as we walk but I dont think it'll ever happen. I know they are an energetic dog but she gets 3 walks a day and loads of attention and a free run(no lead) on sat and sun in an enclosed field.

I would love to hear if anybody has any ideas or has the same problem?

Thanks

are you serious

Would recommend a field leash and work on your dogs recall! They work brillian as they are a loose leash, not like the clix leash. I used one with great success with my Rottie.

If you don't know what it is, it's basically a 10m line/leash you leave it loose for the whole time when walking unless you want the dog back then you call, if no response you give a quick correction and call again, when the dog comes lots of praise and a treat. Do this over and over, it took me a couple of months but it worked.

Others here will also give you good info, I will say one thing I am sure you dog is just being friendly but you will eventually meet someone who has a fear of dogs and they will report you for not having control of your dog!!

Best of luck with the recall!!

K.C

garkane wrote: »

Would recommend a field leash and work on your dogs recall! They work brillian as they are a loose leash, not like the clix leash. I used one with great success with my Rottie.

If you don't know what it is, it's basically a 10m line/leash you leave it loose for the whole time when walking unless you want the dog back then you call, if no response you give a quick correction and call again, when the dog comes lots of praise and a treat. Do this over and over, it took me a couple of months but it worked.

Others here will also give you good info, I will say one thing I am sure you dog is just being friendly but you will eventually meet someone who has a fear of dogs and they will report you for not having control of your dog!!

Best of luck with the recall!!

Thanks for the advice,

As you say about everyone not thinking the dog is just being friendly. Thats what we are afraid of. Even though she is a relatively small dog she would easily knock over a child. She means no bad but a lot of people probably dont realise that. But If its an empty field she will return on call every time. Just the slightest distraction and she doesnt listen.
Thanks for your help

tk123

+ 1 for the long line. Start off by practicing at a time when it's quieter than build up to when there's more distractions. I had to retrain my guy last year after he wasn't allowed off for 3 months and again now as he's just come off restricted exercise again! I'm going to do what I did last year - practice sessions in the park on the long line, call him back all the time when he's off the lead or in the house and when he's on the lead let him take up the slack/step away and call him. It worked really well last year so i'm confident it'll work this time - i think lol!! We use the command come here - I always call him back in a happy voice and give him loads of praise when he comes back so he knows coming back is a good thing. I also call him back and let him go again a lot so he doesn't associate me calling him to lead back on and home time. We use a whistle too which is handy eg at the beach where he'll go far out into the water or it's windy and my voice won't carry. I find the whistle good to get his attention straight away - his friend even comes back with him when I use it lol! What worked best for us was to always be happy calling him and always praise him when he comes. It's great when they get it and just having them walk along with you 'me and my dog' lol start off slow and go at her pace OP - stick with it and you'll get there!!

Just to add - the biggest thing for progressing my guys training was learning how to get get him to focus on me and ignore everything else. Once we got this everything else was a lot easier - we use the 'look command for this

maggiepip

Hi there! I just thought Id give my tuppence worth. I have 3 dogs, 2 of which are brilliant off the lead (terrier and a lab) and I can hold my hand on my heart and say 100% that they wont run off after a cat/dog/human etc.

Our 3rd dog is a rescue border collie whom we now have for 1 1/2 years.

Now this girl is also very obedient under normal circumstances, but if she sees anything she if off and goes totally deaf and will not even know you are calling her until she reaches whatever it is she is chasing.

She is "not of this world" (!) until she reaches that dog at the end of the field she wants to say hello to. Then, and only then, will she snap out of it and hear you. This is a hardwired genetic chase/prey drive that unless you can re-direct in some way is virtually impossible to simply train out of a dog.

I no longer let her off the lead as I searched my soul and had to admit that one day she will see something that keeps running and she will get lost, injured or killed.

I got a 50 ft training lead to use permanently, and it works out brilliant. She can still have a trot and it gives her much more freedom than a normal lead. Most of the time she doesnt even know she is wearing it unless she wants to chase something. (Just dont suddenly stop her on it if she is running fast)
Good luck and I hope this helps!:)

maggiepip

Hi there! I just thought Id give my tuppence worth. I have 3 dogs, 2 of which are brilliant off the lead (terrier and a lab) and I can hold my hand on my heart and say 100% that they wont run off after a cat/dog/human etc.

Our 3rd dog is a rescue border collie whom we now have for 1 1/2 years.

Now this girl is also very obedient under normal circumstances, but if she sees anything she if off and goes totally deaf and will not even know you are calling her until she reaches whatever it is she is chasing.

She is "not of this world" (!) until she reaches that dog at the end of the field she wants to say hello to. Then, and only then, will she snap out of it and hear you. This is a hardwired genetic chase/prey drive that unless you can re-direct in some way is virtually impossible to simply train out of a dog.

I no longer let her off the lead as I searched my soul and had to admit that one day she will see something that keeps running and she will get lost, injured or killed.

I got a 50 ft training lead to use permanently, and it works out brilliant. She can still have a trot and it gives her much more freedom than a normal lead. Most of the time she doesnt even know she is wearing it unless she wants to chase something. (Just dont suddenly stop her on it if she is running fast)
Good luck and I hope this helps!:)

Tranceypoo

Maggie where did you get the 50ft training lead? Your dog sounds very similar to my rescue collie x !!

maggiepip

http://www.naturaldogblog.com/natural-dog-training-store/

Hi tranceypoo - Got it from america at the above link and its great. You can just let it trail behind you and, using a glove (or you can get friction burn), let dog amble round and let the lead kind of glide through your hands picking up the slack as she slows down and letting it out as she speeds up. You have proper control with this lead - not like those awful retractable things.

Its important not to leave too much slack though as you dont want her to stop suddenly while in full speed as she could get injured. But once you get the knack of it it works out a treat. If the above link doesnt work just type in neil sattin naturaldogblog training store 50ft leash.

As a side note - arent collies the most cutest intelligent special dogs!:)

Sorry forgot to say it is much better and safer to use with a harness rather than a collar.

are you serious

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Maggie where did you get the 50ft training lead? Your dog sounds very similar to my rescue collie x !!

Most of your local pet shops will actually have the long field leash. Have a browse and you will see them! I had a 10m lead and it is very long. As maggie says when the gets to full speed the last thing your going to want is to be at the end of that line! I learnt the bad way Buddy done a loop around me then straight back past me but the time I got my head around what was about to happen the lead caught my legs and boom on my ar$e I went twice he done it. The glove is a great idea, got a lovely burn down my hand aswel trying to slow him down!!

Zooplus do a field leash, its more like a rope than a strap like the one shown in Maggie's link here it is here - http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_collars_dog_leads/nylon_leads/sinle_colour/146580
I got one more like the one Maggie posted it was black is the only difference! I ended up cutting it up and making 2 short leads out and a coupler out of it to join Izzy and Buddy together!!

K.C

maggiepip wrote: »

Now this girl is also very obedient under normal circumstances, but if she sees anything she if off and goes totally deaf and will not even know you are calling her until she reaches whatever it is she is chasing.

She is "not of this world" (!) until she reaches that dog at the end of the field she wants to say hello to. Then, and only then, will she snap out of it and hear you. This is a hardwired genetic chase/prey drive that unless you can re-direct in some way is virtually impossible to simply train out of a dog.

Sounds exactly like my dog.
Thanks for the tips.