in most cases, do not chase as it make them run away from you.

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Mummy to 7 pets: 2 rabbits, 3 rats, 1 dog, 1 cat

Just added a bit onto my last post, see what you make of it

Peace
Akai-Chan

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Follow if necessary, don't chase. Chase is a game puppies love to play!

Do make sure you have enough safe space around you. 2 Miles is extreme and he should never have the patience to chase something that far. Having said that, a lot of this is new to him so there are lots of exciting smells and things to investigate. Keep the recall in check, don't let him wander too far just like you're own babies and a dog's own puppies. Use his command to keep him close, try to spot those distractions before he does. If things do get a bit much like you see a pack of 10 greyhounds entering the park, put the leash on just to be sure. (Happened to me during a client phone call last week Luckily it was them who were badly behaved, mine just investigated and avoided)

Puppies will naturally follow you around, so when they are little, get into the practice of letting them follow you around the garden. Everytime they make eyecontact, reward it with a treat and use your recall command even though they may not have done anything but look at you.

This progresses until you can use the recall command and they associate it with food, however, don't call when they are majorily distracted, or have something better to do, don't set yourself up for failure. Sometimes just have a game with them and let them go off and sniff.

By the time they have had their second jabs and can go out, your puppy should know that being next to you is a good place to be, i.e. it gets treats from you for nothing and when you call you also have a treat, or maybe a play. So take them to a reletively safe area and do exactly what you do at home. (take extra special treats with you).

Whilst your puppy is off the lead, play games, run away so they chase you, kneel down on the floor and have a fuss. Put the lead on for a little bit and take it off again.

If you do these things, you should never have a problem with your dog running off, your dog will want to stay with you.

If however, your dog has never had the freedom of sniffing and running freely off lead, the time you do, they will think all their christmases have come at once and your chances for success are already limited.

If this is the case, practice recall getting an association with a command, or a whistle in the home, then the garden, then enclosed space, then on flexi or long line, until you don't have to use the line to enforce the return. Once this is established you can let your dog off the lead.

Make sure you have extra nice treats, the toy you have focused them in with you and it is better if this is in an area they are not so familiar with, as they are more likely to stay nearer to you.

Let them see the treats before you let them off, let them have a short time off playing before calling, call too soon and they will not have got their sniffs and pees and stuff done with, so will be less likely to come. Don't call if distracted.

When you do call, make yourself so interesting, have your treat or your toy, be enthusiastic, wave your arms if you have to, once they are on their way, use a positive, if they stop or turn away, don't say a word, but as their head moves up or even towards you, use your recall again.

Once your dog has come back, praise with joy and relief!!! Have a play and let them go off again.

A good idea is to take their collar gently when they come back and treat as you are holding the collar, this then makes it easier when you want to clip the lead on as a lot of dogs become wise to their lead going on and jump away from you.

Other things to try if your dog has slow recall is to run away, hide behind trees! (keep an eye on him though), anything that reduces his confidence! Kneel down on the floor, fuss another dog!!!

On a walk you should call your dog back two or three times and let them go again.
Never put them on the lead at the same place everytime.
Never tell your dog off for coming back, however long it has taken.
Don't call when your dog is likely to ignore you.
Don't keep using their name on a walk, or your recall command if you don't want them to come, they will switch off. Too many people keep on at their dogs all the time, save it for when you need it!
If you want to let your dog know where you are going, or for them to see where you are, but don't want them to actually come right back, use another command such as 'this way', which they will look up at and just 'clock' where you are.
Be confident, if you are feeling in control and confident, your dog will follow your lead.

Most dogs will not run away at speed, unless they are truely fearful, or have stong chase. If they are fearful you need to work on what the triggers are.

If they have strong chase, try playing more chase, retreiving games and channelling their need to chase.

At some point you have to try it and see, so get the basics first and you will be fine.

Kate

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Listen to everyone, but use what suits you... and if it works, don't change it!

Remember that until now your puppy has relied on you for everything, his food, his safety, his shelter and when he goes out into the big wide world it is going to be very exciting for him, but he will still want the security of knowing you are near.

Jasper will rarely go anywhere that he cannot see or hear me but yes, he does go chasing off after distractions as will any dog. The trick is to make being near you more appealing to them than whatever the distraction is. This can be done with a treat or a special toy but it has to be something that will instantly grab the dogs attention over the distraction. I have trained Jasper to look to me when I whistle, eg, I went to get him out of the back of the car the other day and he knows he has to wait to have his lead clipped back on or he is made to get back in again but on this occasion there was a GSD puppy walking past the end of the drive who looked like lots of fun, so he made a bolt for it. A short sharp whistle instantly grabed his attention and when he turned to see me pointing into the back of the car he knew what to do.

My point is you can only train your dog so far, he will still get distracted, but you can also distract him yourself.

Good work !
Very cool, looking great so far. Keep going, I wanna see it finished!
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Murphy was let offlead right from having his jabs and being able to go out to walk. Its true what everyone has said a puppy will not got far from your side as they feel secure with you.I used the time before he could go out to practise recall .I got him in summer so most of the first few weeks were spent in the garden and I'd call him over to me when he was at the bottom of the garden .I'm lucky that where I live there are fields in the middle of nowhere so no roads nearby so I've never worried.

The idea is not to let them off while there are distractions - a big open field where there is nothing but you will work.
Also dont let them off regularly until recall in your garden is as near as you can get it

WOW! Thank you everyone for all of your very helpfull comments.

We are off to puppy school again this evening.

One other thing that worries me is if there is a fence that has gaps in it (do you know what i mean? the steel ones that are normally around play areas) he fits through these lol!!

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I find the biggest mistake is not to let them off the lead

I have heard so many people say they scared to let they dog/puppy of the lead and when they do when 4,5,6 months down the line they have problems (not everyone thou)

I let all my dogs off lead as soon as they have had the jabs but always do this in a safe place with not many dogs around to start of with

My summer is 4 months old now and is 100% off lead and loves to meet new and old dogs but alll i have to do is call her and she comes asap

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