im kinda new around here so if this is the wrong place please feel free to move it <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

im curious about how to teach my dog to stay closer off lead, he is only young 11months or so but we have let him off lead a fair bit which im not sure is right or wrong,

he does recall quite regularily but the main problem is the fact sometimes he goes quite along way away from us. It doesnt help that he doesnt have brakes he literally has flat out, walking or stop. as soon as we let him off he gallops and almost forgets what he is doing if u know what i mean, nose down off he goes etc..

i suppose its not as bad as i make out but its still quite frustrating, i know you will recomend an e-collar but surely there is a simpler way to train him,

id like it so i dont have to worry and have him walk close or beside me, i know this is hard to achieve but surely its possible with hard work and practice <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

also id like to get him to stay in one place while outside such as on a towl or something while i hit golf balls which he has already been exposed to so he isnt afraid or anything he just wants to keep moving <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> he wont sleep or rest if you know what i mean, again i know its a big ask but where theres a will theres a way?

is this unrealistic to expect as there will be other dogs going past occasionally????

he does do "wait" for quite a long time and without major distractions

maybe im crazy <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

but someone can help me out i hope <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

 Quote:

.........im curious about how to teach my dog to stay closer off lead, he is only young 11months or so but we have let him off lead a fair bit which im not sure is right or wrong,........he does recall quite regularily but the main problem is the fact sometimes he goes quite along way away from us. ........... also id like to get him to stay in one place while outside such as on a towel or something while i hit golf balls.......

The first thing, about having him off lead in an unenclosed area, is that you need a 100% recall first. "Regularly" isn't good enough, because if he takes off after a squirrel (or whatever might distract him in a big way, depending on the dog), that's when you need the 100% recall and also when he won't come if it's NOT 100%. This is dangerous (which I'm sure you can imagine), whether it's near streets or not, because of the possibility of his wandering way off, of running into another loose dog -- any number of possibilities.

http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/showf...rue#Post4170654

If you have trained a 100% recall, you can bring him back often enough to be positive of where he is, and you can get him back when he does go off to follow a scent or a distraction.

If you have Leerburg's video #302, Basic Ob, that has training of the recall.

I'd get that video anyway, for any new dog handler.

If you don't have it yet and need solid recall-training instructions, post back. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The recall is (IMO) the primary, most vital command, followed by drop it. Just MHO.

Number 2, about keeping him on a spot while you do something nearby, is "down," I would think. That too is on the video, and is a very good thing to train.

Ob training is fun, and it's a good bonding thing.

QUOTE: i know this is hard to achieve but surely its possible with hard work and practice END

Absolutely 100% true. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

as i say his recall is quite reliable, it will need some work but its hard to find controlable distractions,

the field he often gets walked in is nice and enclosed all the way round but is also not busy with other dogs just birds and squirrels etc..

obviously there is always room for improvement but his recall is good enough to get him back when he goes off, i just wish to curb him going off in the first place and staying more with me so i dont have to constantly keep an eye on him from a distance,

he also knows down
but normally i will say
"down" "wait" and he will stay there
its more id like him to relax when we are at the range,
and just rest and lie there without almost forcing him to
maybe that is unatainable?

as you say OB is fun, its great to see the improvement <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

 Quote:

as i say his recall is quite reliable, it will need some work but its hard to find controlable distractions,

the field he often gets walked in is nice and enclosed all the way round but is also not busy with other dogs just birds and squirrels etc..

obviously there is always room for improvement but his recall is good enough to get him back when he goes off, i just wish to curb him going off in the first place and staying more with me so i dont have to constantly keep an eye on him from a distance,

he also knows down
but normally i will say
"down" "wait" and he will stay there
its more id like him to relax when we are at the range,
and just rest and lie there without almost forcing him to
maybe that is unatainable?

as you say OB is fun, its great to see the improvement <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well, I PMed you with recall directions, and I think I'd either keep him closer by calling him when he starts to get out of range or by keeping him on a long lead on those walks.

For the other thing, how about a "lie down" or some other word (maybe better without "down" in it) that means lie down and relax?

You can train just about anything, IME. (I trained my dogs to step behind me and stay there on command --- for a scary situation; I've needed it only one time, but I like having it.)

Maybe someone else has trained "lie there for a while" ! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

IMO I believe a tired dog is a happy dog. I know everyone has heard that. I have seen dogs that get a good 60 min walk with their pack leader and they will be in a "resting" mode rather than a formal OBED command.

I could be wrong. But I think it makes sense. Give your dog his exercise then expect him to relax.

good luck

 Quote:

IMO I believe a tired dog is a happy dog. I know everyone has heard that. I have seen dogs that get a good 60 min walk with their pack leader and they will be in a "resting" mode rather than a formal OBED command.

I could be wrong. But I think it makes sense. Give your dog his exercise then expect him to relax.

good luck

Oh, good point! Do the long driving-range "stay" after the run-walk.

Anyway, here's a pretty well-written "stay" training writeup.

http://www.bullwrinkle.com/index.html?training/stay.htm~indexmain

(Again, "stay" is also in DVD #302! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

ty for ur replies <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

i try to exercise him before the driving range stuff but he seems to have a never ending amount of energy <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> which i love, but he is quite inquisitive and some ppl at the range might not like also once we setup camp he guards it almost i guess i shall read the link connie has given me but for now i must sleep

as for earlier maybe im not clear i trust my dog off the lead its more i want him to stay closer to me than being further off on his own, which i think is unsafe, id like it so he stays maybe within 5/10 ft of me when were out in the fields and woods so i can keep a better eye on him and look after him, plus its nice to walk your dog and do it together not just watch him running around along way away :P

 Quote:

........i try to exercise him before the driving range stuff but he seems to have a never ending amount of energy <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> which i love, but he is quite inquisitive and some ppl at the range might not like also once we setup camp he guards it almost ......

Here's another site with sit-stay training directions.
http://www.ehow.com/how_67_train-dog-stay.html