How Can I Train My Dog Off the Leash?

Every pet owner wants to be able to take his dog out in public places and know that he has control over its actions. He wants to be sure the dog will obey his commands and that it will not embarrass him or put itself or others in danger by running off. Training your dog to walk at your heel off leash and to come to you on command is the way to achieve this, and it can be done with patience and effort.

Things You'll Need

  • Short leash
  • Long leash - 5 meters
  • Treats or toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Teach your dog to walk beside you on leash, using the "heel" command. Keep the leash short and carry a treat or a favorite toy in your hand, so the dog's attention remains focused on you. Say its name often and each time it responds give it praise or a treat, so that it learns paying attention to you is rewarding.

    • 2

      Train your dog to come to you when called by name. Practice this in your home by holding short "recall" training sessions in which you call the dog to you, and give a treat when it comes. Do this 10 times in a row every few days until the dog comes to you immediately when you call it.

    • 3

      Take the dog out on a long leash for outdoor recall training sessions. At this point, do not let the dog off leash until you are certain it will return to you. Let it walk to the end of the leash and then call it, using the leash to draw it toward you; give a treat for each successful recall and practice this 10 times each time you do it.

    • 4

      Release the dog from its leash in a safe area once it has mastered the long-leash recall. Allow it to get a few meters away from you then call its name, rewarding it with a treat each time it returns. Never punish it for not returning immediately, or it may associate coming to you with punishment and hesitate to obey in future.

    • 5

      Practice the off-leash recall 10 times each time you do it. Each time the dog succeeds it should be rewarded with a treat, and when it fails you should say nothing and simply repeat the exercise.

    • 6

      Practice walking to heel on-leash while you teach the dog the recall, until you are confident that the dog is proficient in it. Then remove the leash and give your dog the "heel" command, walking in the direction you want it to follow. Hold a treat or toy in your hand as you did during on-leash heeling, and reward the dog each time you get its attention on command.

    • 7

      Begin alternating the treats with praise once you are fairly certain the dog knows what to do. This way you can gradually reduce the number of treats it gets and teach it to associate success with your praise instead, which will be useful in future training.