When I get a puppy, I start out giving them a LOT of off-leash time in the back of my lot (woods) and out front. They learn to follow and watch me in the woods. We walk out to the mailbox by the street and I start out warning them "Watch the street!" with caution in my voice. I stop 15' from the road and move forward slowly again cautioning them to 'watch the street'.
We have playtime on the (long) driveway ball-fetching. We go in and out of the house, waiting at the door each time. We train in the front without a leash (what we can). When I do yardwork in front, the puppy keeps me company.
I find this is a very positive experience for the puppy (& dog as s/he grows up) because I can trust them off-leash if there's ever an emergency. Plus when we boondock (camp) in the wilderness, I can hike with the dog free on the path and not worry about controlling him/her.
I personaly would be too nervous to take a puppy near a road off leash. But I do understand what you are saying.
Sometimes I wonder if its better to let the pup drag a line for the first few months before leash training really starts. It is a good time to imprint that following is just what they should be doing.
Kristel Smart Webboard User Reg: 10-03-2006
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I'm more in the "keep-the-pup-on-a-longline" camp. I think puppies are too impulsive and vulnerable not to keep some kind of safety in place, and they really don't know anything. Yes they are naturally inclined to want to follow...but only to a point IME.
I'm all for giving a pup freedom and doing all that you describe, but with the safety of the line.
I save the off-leash stuff for a mature, well-trained dog who knows the "come" command (and for me the whistle too) backwards, forwards and inside out and has for years. Even then I use the electric collar for an off-leash dog.
I never, ever want to be in a position where I ask a dog to come to me but I can't reinforce it if the dog should blow me off. It's far too dangerous for a dog to get away with blowing off a come command.
With the few pups I've had, there was lots of off leash time in safe areas.
The big deal for me, is that it was in a time and manner that I didn't, under any circumstances, have to chase the puppy. Hate that.
If we were gonna have off leash time, there were no time constraints. I could wait all day for the puppy to come to me without fruitless calling and chasing.
All in a manner with no expectations on my part. I don't see a problem so long as off leash time is never an exercise in disobedience on the part of the puppy.
Off leash scares the heck out of me. Our 2 year old dog has a 100% solid recall and will stay whenever I put her in a sit or down and I still wouldn't fully trust her without some kind of control as a backup. In our case, it's an electric fence. I do all the same things you indicated. We go down the driveway and I have her sit about 8 feet from the electric border while I get the paper, we play and do obedience in the driveway and the yard but at least I know there is always that security blanket of an electric border that I know she won't violate. If we're hiking, I give her freedom with a long (25 ft) leash. I don't think I'll ever let her totally off leash outside our property. Too much responsibility if something went wrong.
Anne Jones Webboard User Reg: 04-29-2004
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All my pups start out on draglines from the first day here with me at 8-9 weeks old. I start with a very very thin 10' line on young pups & graduate to 25-30' cotton lines for older dogs. Pups get plenty of free off leash time in a 10-20 kennel or on a in my fenced yard.
No need to take them near the street or woods off leash. Just not a safe thing to do. Too many things can happen in a second.
We have coyots & lots of hawks around my house & they always have an eye out for an easy meal. Only takes a second for a hawk to swoop down & grab a 8-10 week old pup. They are always around & I keep as much of an eye on them as they do my pups.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Quote: Anne Jones
All my pups start out on draglines from the first day here with me at 8-9 weeks old. I start with a very very thin 10' line on young pups & graduate to 25-30' cotton lines for older dogs. Pups get plenty of free off leash time in a 10-20 kennel or on a in my fenced yard.
No need to take them near the street or woods off leash. Just not a safe thing to do. Too many things can happen in a second.
I know someone who did this for 20 years with all of her puppies without incident. Until last year, when her gorgeous 6 month old "keeper" was killed by a car. She'll never forgive herself.
Get some cheap, thin, nylon cord and tie knots in it every 1 or 2 feet....then tie a snap on the end, and you have an easy drag line.
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Thoughts on Off-Leash pups??
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