How Do I Get My Dog to Listen Off Leash?
Does your dog dream about running free through a field? Or swimming in a lake without restraint? Or playing fetch without a leash as an anchor? Or exploring creeks and smells and getting way more exercise on your hikes? I bet they do.
Aren’t dogs happier on leash?
A person once told me that dogs are more happy on a leash than off, and this is just not the case. It’s true that dogs thrive when they can trust their owners, and this trust can be accomplished with a leash on, but it can also be achieved without a leash. My dogs have much more fun when they aren’t tethered to me. Additionally, adding a leash takes away a dogs flight mechanism when they are scared. If you haven’t built that trust with your pup to where they feel confident when attached to you, you may find that they are more likely to resort to fighting from the potential fight or flight responses when you’ve taken away the flight. For this reason, often untrained dogs seem more confident without a leash, as this allows them to be braver, knowing they can get out of the situation if they need to.
How to keep my dog from running away
Running away is the primary concern when trusting your dog off leash, especially when distractions are present. Teaching your dog to not run away can certainly be part of the training regimen but it comes much easier when your dog doesn’t want to run away because of how interesting you are. This is accomplished through fulfilling your dog’s genetic needs through play. So play with your dog. Play a lot. Play for long periods. Get them addicted to that interaction with you so that nothing else really seems that important and then you can start to generalize those emotions by playing in more distracting environments. Learn more about play here:
https://www.thetrustedcompanion.com/thetrustedcompanionblog/play-why-its-important-and-how-to-do-it
Before you begin any training without a leash on, you need to do a lot of training with a leash on. The responses need to be habituated for your dog every time you call them and under increasing levels of distraction. Don’t find yourself calling your dog, only to have them ignore you. This waters down the terms and habituates them ignoring you to where you won’t matter to them at all. Instead, you want to set yourself up for success. Only say “come” or “here” or whatever your command may be when you know 100% you’re going to get it. Most likely, this means you’re only saying it with a leash on initially, then rewarding your dog when they make that good decision 100% of the time. Your dog must begin thinking that every time mom or dad calls me, I go to them and get a reward! There can’t be any exceptions in the beginning or it substantially slows down the learning time.
The electronic collar
While the electronic collar initiates some fierce and passionate discussions on the internet, when used properly, there isn’t a better tool to condition an off leash recall. With the tap of a button, you can pair the stimulation with a behavior and increase reliability for your commands with more consistency and reliability than any tugs on a leash or reaching into your pouch for a treat. And the clearer the communication is for your pup, the happier and more confident they are to listen. A lot can go wrong with an electronic collar used improperly so it is always best to hire a professional to introduce your dog to electronic stimulation. Let me know if I can help! Your dog could have a most amazing life filled with freedom, confidence and a recall that works without a leash in any situation!
Recommended Packages
ESSENTIAL $500:
Includes 3 30-60 minute private lessons at a park in Elkton, VA or Penn Laird, VA (appointments subject to weather)
Includes Herm-Sprenger prong collar and long training leash
Teaches how to improve your relationship with your dog through play
Teaches leash manners, “out”, and “place” or “come”
Teaches how to play and set parameters for inappropriate behavior
Can cater to specific issues
For dogs at least 5 months old
COMPLETE $850:
Includes everything in Essential package plus 3 additional 30-60 minute private lessons for a total of 6 lessons and electric collar (appointments subject to weather)
Includes remote electric collar
Teaches fundamentals of play and how to use play to develop your bond and communication with your dog
Teaches leash manners, “out”, “come”, “sit”, “place”, “down”, and “heel”
We will proof commands for distance and duration
Will cater to any specific issues with your dog
For dogs at least 4 months old
ROCKSTAR $1100:
Includes everything in the Complete package plus 2 additional 30-60 minute lessons in Elkton for a total of 8 lessons (appointments subject to weather).
2 additional private lessons can be used for teaching additional advanced commands to really bring out the rockstar in your dog! Advance commands can include your choice from extended distance sit and down, come to the heel position, send aways to place, stand, front, maintain eye contact, or feel free to ask about something else!
For dogs at least 4 months old
ANXIETY & AGGRESSION $1100:
Includes everything in the Complete package plus 2 additional lessons in Elkton for a total of 8 lessons (appointments subject to weather).
2 additional lessons will be used to work specifically around the sources of the anxiety and aggression where applicable.
Focus on building confidence and trust
For dogs at least 5 months old
*Military, First Responder, and Multiple Dog discounts can be applied!!
ESSENTIAL $800:
Includes 3 30-60 minute lessons conveniently in your home
Teaches how to improve your relationship with your dog through play
Teaches leash manners, “out”, and “place” or “come”
Teaches play and how to set parameters for inappropriate behavior
We will proof commands for distance and duration
Includes Herm-Sprenger prong collar and long training leash
Allows us to address specific issues in your environment
For dogs at least 5 months old
Includes everything within an hour of Massanutten, though further distances are able to be accommodated for a small surcharge.
COMPLETE $1550:
Includes everything in Essential package plus 3 additional 30-60 minute in-home lessons for a total of 6 lessons and electric collar
Includes remote electric collar
Teaches fundamentals of play and how to use play to develop the communication and bond with your dog
Teaches “out”, “place”, “come”, “down”, and “heel”
We will proof commands for distance and duration
Will cater to any specific issues with your dog
For dogs at least 4 months old
Includes everything within an hour of Massanutten, though further distances are able to be accommodated for a small surcharge.
ROCKSTAR $1800:
Includes everything in the Complete plus 2 additional 30-60 minute lessons for a total of 8 lessons
2 additional lessons can be used for advanced commands and specific issues anxiety or aggression. Advance commands can include your choice from extended distance sit and down, come to the heel position, send aways to place, stand, front, maintain eye contact, or feel free to ask about something else!
For dogs at least 4 months old
Includes everything within an hour of Massanutten, though further distances are able to be accommodated for a small surcharge.
ANXIETY & AGGRESSION $1800:
Includes everything in the Complete plus 2 additional lessons for a total of 8 lessons
Lessons will be used with an emphasis on building confidence and reliability around the source of the aggression or the anxiety where applicable.
For dogs at least 5 months old
Includes everything within an hour of Massanutten, though further distances are able to be accommodated for a small surcharge
*Military, First Responder, and Multiple Dog discounts can be applied!!
This package is designed for dogs with anxiety in certain situations, reactivity towards people or dogs, some mild to moderate aggression, and adult dogs who need more time developing confidence and practicing good habits around a diversity of distractions. The additional weeks will be used to further guide the genetic and emotional drives to appropriate and fulfilling places as well as develop a stronger and more profound relationship with your pup. Emotions and genetics matter a lot especially in anxiety and aggression. 5 weeks gives us more time to focus on those components of your problem issues. It is possible to teach your dog through stress and coercion, but if we can help build trust and motivation through play, they will be much more excited to learn and maintain what they learn. Motivation is far more important to learning than repetition.
Play is the highest form of social interaction with your pup and the highest form of reinforcement when the dog understands how to play. We will attempt to develop it as the primary positive reinforcer, but also as the means to communicate boundaries and develop a trusting relationship to help guide your pup through their issues. It is impossible to fully suppress behaviors reinforced by your dog’s individual genetics. If they are genetically inclined to bite or chase, we cannot keep them from biting or chasing forever. It will always eventually pop up in the places we don’t want, because it’s who they are, and suppressing who they are creates anxiety. However, if we use our time to develop outlets for those behaviors by biting tugs or chasing balls through play, then we have a significant chance to be successful at telling them they can’t bite people or chase cars, etc for the long term. We will also use our time to create more embedded patterns and habits of the more acceptable behaviors and states of mind so that they translate to your home more readily.
Your dog lives with a trainer at their house for 5 weeks!
Can include electronic collar from E-Collar Technologies and Herm-Sprenger prong collar for off leash and on leash reliability
Can include commands of “out”, “come”, “sit”, “place”, “heel”," “down”, leash manners and door manners
Will develop the fundamentals and rules of fetch and tug within the time allowance
Can proof commands for high distraction, long distances, and long duration holding commands until released
Commands will be proofed off leash where applicable
Can spend additional time proofing for higher distractions
Can spend additional time working around sources of anxiety with a focus on increasing confidence
Can spend additional time working on specific issues like resource guarding
Can spend additional time getting multiple dogs accustomed to working with each other
Slower and easier introduction to the commands
Can cater training to any specific issues with your dog
Updates every single day
2-4 hour in-home turnover (within 2 hours of Massanutten) to make sure you know how to maintain the training and develop your new relationship with your dog!
Lifetime refresher lessons at the park in Massanutten should you need any help transitioning the dog home or even if you let things slip a little
50% discount on a consultation for help getting started before Board and Train start date.
For dogs at least 4 months old
Rushed scheduling is available for a 30% surcharge.
*Military, First Responder, and Multiple Dog discounts can be applied!!
*All Board and Train purchases must be paid and full and have returned signed contracts before scheduling.
This package is best for dogs with more advanced anxiety or aggression issues, but is still a fantastic solution for most dogs! Where no training option is magic and there will be work to do with you and your environment no matter how long they train, this option allows for fuller immersion in training structures, fuller development of play, emotional associations, and communication, and the more normalization of good behavioral and emotional habits make that transition home much easier. You cannot rehabilitate aggression or anxiety issues by just focusing on behavior. This package gives more time to focus on the emotional and genetic contributors to the issues your having to set you up for long-term success and your dog up for success and self-confidence.
You couldn’t rush a relationship with your dog and neither can your trainer. The more time we have to develop our mutual trust and communication, the better learning environment we can create for your pup and the more durable the training will become. You can teach commands through stress and you can bribe with food, but neither of these options develop the mutual trust, respect, and communication that time and play can develop. Play satisfies your dog on a genetic level and gives them purpose in life. How awesome would it be for you to be the provider of that fulfillment? You can certainly use coercion to make yourself relevant to your dog when they are distracted, anxious, or aggressive, but mostly this masks the behavioral in the short term when the genetic and emotional underpinnings aren’t addressed. A large reason why behavioral issues develop is because your dog doesn’t have outlets for the things that make them who they are (chasing, biting, herding, barking, etc.) and don’t know how now to have that fulfilling relationship with you. Your dog is an incredibly social animal. If you aren’t providing the genetic or social fulfillment to your dog, they will look for it elsewhere and live a less confident life. This training option is designed to more fully develop the concepts of play so your dog can find that fulfillment they need, set up a very motivational and successful learning environment ant relationship, and then use that play and that relationship to create the boundaries and communication we need to help them navigate their issues and find long-term success.
Your dog lives with a trainer at their house for 8 weeks!
Immersion into normal life with new and better habits
Will develop the fundamentals and rules of fetch and tug within the time allowance
Healthy dog and human socialization
Fuller integration of commands with normal life
Can include electronic collar from E-Collar Technologies and Herm-Sprenger prong collar for off leash and on leash reliability!
Can include commands of “out”, “come”, “sit”, “place”, “heel”," “down”, leash manners and door manners, proofing for high distraction, long distances, and long duration holding commands until released
Commands will be proofed off leash where applicable
Can address and build confidence regarding any anxiety or aggressive behavior
Can solidify good habits regarding specific issues
Can integrate dogs from the same home together in training as well as normal life
Can spend time developing tracking or detection
Updates every single day
2-4 hour in-home turnover (within 2 hours of Massanutten) to make sure you know how to maintain the training and develop your new relationship with your dog!
Lifetime refresher lessons at the park in Massanutten should you need any help transitioning the dog home or even if you let things slip a little
50% discount on a consultation for help getting started before Board and Train start date.
For dogs at least 4 months old
Rushed scheduling is available for a 30% surcharge.
*Military, First Responder, and Multiple Dog discounts can be applied!!
*All Board and Train purchases must be paid and full and have returned signed contracts before scheduling.