25 Dog and Puppy Training Tips: For each month of the year, I will release 2 training tips that will be accessible for free at dogmantics.com. Begin by running through all of the commands that you have taught him (sit, stay, come), but this time on the lead and in a place with minimal distractions. Puppies steal off counters, destroy anything expensive, chase cats, take forever to house train, and must never be allowed off lead! For example, if you have not trained your six month old Labrador puppy to recall away from other dogs, he won’t respond to your shouts when he is playing with, or running towards, a dog he has met out on a walk. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Find out everything you need to know about your new dog or puppy in our advice centre. They are fine and listen to their owners until its time to go back on the lead. It is important to keep him occupied so that he doesn’t wonder off. Before you let him go, remind him of the commands, walk on a short distance, and then allow him to go and explore. Let your dog work out how to get their reward - make it easy for them by showing them what you have to entice them to you! When your puppy is ready and in a safe environment you can let the long line drag behind him or take him off leash. Let me explain why. While they are off the lead in this enclosed space, practice calling your dog’s name and getting them to come back to you. How to train your dog to stay with you off the lead is all about repetition and rewarding. This enables us to personalise our content for you and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region). ?Yes I know I'm being overprotective! Over the next day or two, occasionally toss treats into the crate to encourage your pup to continue finding surprises there. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. This is a difficult, but important step, as your dog needs to learn that they can play freely with other dogs off the lead, but when you call them they need to come back. 8 If you'd like to take your dog on playdates or incourage him/her to be friendly with other dogs you may also want to learn how to introduce two dogs . When he starts to sniff it or pick it up, say “Find it!” After a few times, he will start to go to the item on his own. Always bring a handful of treats when out with your dog so that you can reward him every time he returns, but keep them out of sight to make your dog work for his reward. This is not your dog’s disobedience. Especially before 4 months, puppies will have a special attatchment to their owners and therefore will stay close if you start training him/her off the lead from this early age. Your garden is usually the best place to start. There are many instances of dog training facilities having secure areas for dogs to play in, or you could even let your dog off with friends’ dogs in your own back garden. Letting your puppy off the lead to go and explore the smells and sights on a walk is an exciting experience for both of you. HTH, please do it. At first, let your dog see where you put it, … He is now 13 months. For more advice, head over to our Simpsons Premium Advice Centre, including behaviour, training and health advice for dogs. Remember to give him a treat and lots of verbal praise immediately after he responds correctly to a command. If your dog moves too far away from you, before the lead goes tight, stop and be still and quiet until he pays you attention and moves closer to you. If you're not sure if the garden is escape proof, only take them out on their lead. At the dog park, the rules are to have them meet off-leash, but I think that's wrong. Here are some steps to follow. Introducing your puppy to a nice soft collar or body harness will also help lead training. )I'm really worried in case he runs off-any advice??? A lady I've seen a couple of times asked me today why didn't I let my dog off the lead. Once again, the dog should be on a lead with a Jingler attached. It seems counterintuitive, but it is better for dogs to meet off-leash. Take the age of your puppy in months and add one, and that is the maximum number of hours that your puppy should be able to comfortably hold it between potty breaks. I walk my pup everyday in a big park in a city, I can barely get 20m before someone stops to chat about the puppy! Try using treats to coax them back to you. Stay in regular contact with him by calling him back and praising him with treats, verbal praise and touch. Reward and move off again. 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