Two questions:

1. Up to the last couple of days, my 3 month old GS puppy has been following me around and playing hard off leash. Just the last couple of days, he has decided to play "hard to get" and jumps around to keep just far enough away when he is off leash. I can tell its a game with him, but is 3 months about normal for a pup to start this?

2. He has done well on "come" when on leash - in fact, continues to peek at me when 10 or 15 feet away to check for a "come" (I think.). But off leash, he doesn't hear the word "come". Is this normal at this age? How do I get him to begin listening to me when he is distracted off leash?

Doyle

I will often have this problem with my German Shorthairs. It will some times work to switch to a check cord. You attach the cord to the dog and let them run. If you give them a command and they disobey, it is easier to catch them for discipline if they are dragging a long cord behind them. I would assume that this would work in other breeds. Unfortunately, some dogs will not run with the cord and others simply learn to obey when on the cord and disobey when it is removed. Also, you could use a shock collar but, I must warn you, you can very quickly ruin a dog with a shock collar if it is not used properly. I personally will not use an e-collar on a dog until I have trained them to do what I want without one, then I use it to make them respond quicker. I have never felt the need for one on a dog less than a year old. I have trained most of my dogs without using one ever. Sometimes, you get a dog that is very stubborn and there is no other option.

some pups start testing the waters at 3 months, some pups wait till their older, some pups never try to leave you.
some dogs get leash smart. they know whether or not they are on a leash. on lead they are good as gold. off leash they are deaf monsters.
don't allow this behavior to continue. the more often he gets away with leaving you the harder it is to fix. if you're in an area where he can get away far and fast, don't let him off leash.
if you're in a small enclosed area, you can let him drag a leash and then when he starts to leave, you can just quietly pick up the end and surprise him. or if he's too fast, you can put a long line on him and just hold the end of it. let him think it's dragging.
also if you're in a small enclosed area, turn him loose. when he starts to leave you, get his attention and turn your back and run away from him. running works better than walking, because it gets the dogs prey/play drive going and they try to catch you. when he's catching up, stop and kneel down and play with him.
then run away again.