# When do I let my puppy off her lead ?



## JennieJet

Hi..sorry to ask another question but I am new to having a puppy ( never had one before).....My labrador is 14 weeks old and loves going out for her walks but I am very unsure of when to let her off her lead. The breeder has told me not to let her off her lead until she is nearly a year old as she may return the first few times but wont after that. A friend has also said to wait until she much older. I now have my sister who trains dogs telling me I must get out now and let her off and reward her with treats when she comes back . I am scared to death that the second I unclip her she will just run off !!! I dont want to lose her but I do want her to be good off the lead when she is off it. At the moment she is looking at everything and when she sees things such as birds or anything that moves she wants to go after them so surely if she is off the lead she will just bolt !!! Please help as I havent got a clue what to do ?????


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## ad_1980

Welll i would teach her to come back when called first before you let her off the lead anywhere for a start. Take her to the park and put her on a long line or an extendy lead and everytime she goes long call her back and praise her with a treat or toy for coming back. 

if she does this all the time and you are able to trust her 100% you can keep her off lead.


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## LouJ69

Yeah, I would agree. An extendable lead is perfect to give the pup a bit of freedom, but you can be safe in the knowledge that they can't run off on you!:thumbup1:


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## aurora

both my dogs have been off lead since we had them at 8 weeks, in the first few weeks the pup will follow you every where as it is finding it's feet. Keep calling it by name and praizing him when he comes back and give a treat. As ours got a little older, as we went for walks they would love to wander off a little and explore as puppies do, but i use to let them go so far no further than 20 feet away to start with and then call them back treat and good girl etc. Have had no problems with recall by doing this, yes if they see rabbits in the fields then they would run, but i try to see them first and distract them and go a different way, terriers will be terriers after all.

My advice is let him off asap, if you have a good size garden, practice getting him to come to you, then gradually let him go out a bit further.

A dog that is always on a lead, as they get older once you let them off the lead they think hey freedom and do a runner and it takes ages to catch them


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## Guest

I wouldn't use an extending lead myself I would use a tracking lead! Practise the recall first at home! rewarding with a treat, then whilst out increacing the distance! when you feel that she completely usderstands what yo want of her try he off lead in a safe place! Labs are often food orinated so pretty easy to train!
regards
DT


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## sequeena

Have an extenable lead and teach her to come back, then you're good to go


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## lilacbabe

aurora said:


> both my dogs have been off lead since we had them at 8 weeks, in the first few weeks the pup will follow you every where as it is finding it's feet. Keep calling it by name and praizing him when he comes back and give a treat. As ours got a little older, as we went for walks they would love to wander off a little and explore as puppies do, but i use to let them go so far no further than 20 feet away to start with and then call them back treat and good girl etc. Have had no problems with recall by doing this, yes if they see rabbits in the fields then they would run, but i try to see them first and distract them and go a different way, terriers will be terriers after all.
> 
> My advice is let him off asap, if you have a good size garden, practice getting him to come to you, then gradually let him go out a bit further.
> 
> A dog that is always on a lead, as they get older once you let them off the lead they think hey freedom and do a runner and it takes ages to catch them


Totaly agree with this . When my JRT had her pups and were old enough to go out in the garden , a call of Pup Pup Pup and me bending down and perhaps clapping my hands would make them all come running to me, so recall as such can be put in to practice straight away with a new pup. A new pup that has just left its mum and gone to a new home tends to need security and will follow you for that, so act on it by rewarding and hopefully you will have no trouble letting it walk of the lead.:thumbup1:


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## Sleeping_Lion

Hi there, extendable lead  :nonod::nonod: for a Labrador??? Personally I wouldn't, if you think about it, having any large dog on an extending lead, teaches it when it wants to go a bit further that it can and when you then use a normal lead it will expect the same thing to happen and will be an instant puller.

Recall is the most important thing, practise it wherever you can where there aren't too many other distractions (sights and smells). Its important that when you are training with a pup that you achieve the right thing, so don't make any training too difficult so that you both fail. Sometimes give a treat when your pup comes back, and as they get older, gradually reduce the treats until they're not needed. 

Pups do go from being very dependent on you and having a good recall, to a stage where they start pushing boundaries, which is why its important to get the basics in early on, and you will need to train again regularly to keep those basics in place, just a few mins each day is all it takes, I do ten mins each day with my two Lab girls, aged just under 3 and 4.

I've recommended it before and will recommend it again, a book by a chap called John Weller, 'A Simple Approach to Gundog Training' - a very good book to teach the basics, even if you don't want to train your dog to compete or work, its written in a very easy to understand language, I know because even i could understand it :smile5: And even if you aren't planning competition or work for her, its a good idea to follow the training for retrieves, your girl will absolutely love it, and you will never need to use treats for recalls, the possibility of a bit of retrieving, whether with a dummy or tennis ball, will be much more of a reward.


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## Blitz

As others said let the pup off the lead asap. If you wait till she is any older she will be far too independent. If you wait till she is a year she will never have learned to come back and will never be controllable - never heard anything like that before. Go for walks where she cant come to any harm if she wanders off a little way and let her off for short spells then on a flexi lead so you can reinforce the recall. I cant quite see why an extendable lead should teach a dog to pull. Surely you have the dog walking beside you until you release it and allow it the full length, in exactly the same way that it walks beside you until your release it for a free run.


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## haeveymolly

We have always let our off the lead as soon as they ahve been able to go out, somewhere safe, they have a natural instict when they are so young to want to be with you as they are less confident when first taken out. We always called them by name even though they were inches from our feet and rewarded them, walk backwards away if they arnt walking away from you call them again and treat, yes they would want to be with/near you anyway so you are building on this "need" treat/praise all the time they very quickly realise coming to you is good.

This then serves a good grounding when they become more confident and with mine this was only a few days of going out, keep stepping away and repeating the recall always the same command, as soon as they move away shout them back repeat it as often as possible. We always found as well to step up the praise make more of a fuss and change the treat, use a different treat for this than the one you would use at home for the sit and down commands as its very important that recall is established for safety if you are wanting your dog to be off the lead most of the time which we did. 

I think the earlier the better there is less chance for a pup of 3months ish to run away from you than a 6-12month confident dog.


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## Sleeping_Lion

Blitz said:


> ..........I cant quite see why an extendable lead should teach a dog to pull. Surely you have the dog walking beside you until you release it and allow it the full length, in exactly the same way that it walks beside you until your release it for a free run.


Because the lead gets longer as they put pressure on it, which is fine if your dog only weighs a few kgs, even then a strong little dog can be quite a puller. But if you've got a dog weighing between 20-30kgs, that really can pull, I wouldn't use anything that would encourage this. Dogs know when they're on/off lead, which is why I wouldn't use a long line either, even my chocolate Labs can work that one out 

I wouldn't even use a lead to teach heelwork, it's best done early on without a lead, and then the lead (and collar if you use one) is incidental, and not part of the actual heelwork. Obviously if you're walking along a public highway or somewhere it isn't safe for your pup/dog to be off lead then needs must, but if you want to take her out and about, I'd be tempted to take your pup off to a park by car, and let her have a few mins bit of play training, just basically getting her back to you, and walking with her alongside you encouraging her. Keep it short and simple and so that you both achieve what you want. During these little bits of training, try and keep her away from anything that might distract her away from you, there's plenty of time for interaction and play with other dogs when you're not training, that's how I'd go about it anyway.


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## JennieJet

thanks everyone...my husband took her to some fields today and let her off for the first time....he actually had to tell her to go away:smile5: she wouldnt leave his side for ages and when she did she was as good as gold !! When my husband whistled she came running back and she got lots of praise...she loved it !!! Off the lead each time it is :thumbup1:


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## Staceybob

Keep going with sessions like that and you'll do just fine ^__^,

Stacey xxx


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## haeveymolly

JennieJet said:


> thanks everyone...my husband took her to some fields today and let her off for the first time....he actually had to tell her to go away:smile5: she wouldnt leave his side for ages and when she did she was as good as gold !! When my husband whistled she came running back and she got lots of praise...she loved it !!! Off the lead each time it is :thumbup1:


BRILLIANT!! thats what i meant by the natural ability to want to be with you, she will get more confident so dont let down your guard its so easy to think yes shes got it now so no need to carry on the recall until its really needed, when you feel its right put her in the position of having a distraction, even if the distraction is not a threat or danger still recall her with the treat of praise when you start doing this make sure you have something like cheese or chicken that will be much more appealing to her and she will want a stronger need to come to you when theres a distraction.


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## aurora

JennieJet said:


> thanks everyone...my husband took her to some fields today and let her off for the first time....he actually had to tell her to go away:smile5: she wouldnt leave his side for ages and when she did she was as good as gold !! When my husband whistled she came running back and she got lots of praise...she loved it !!! Off the lead each time it is :thumbup1:


well done, keep it up :smile5:


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## LostGirl

we let zeb off right from the word go, as soon as he could go out we went to the local dog walking place let him off had arm fulls of treats and just practiced re-call then


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## corrine3

we have a lab and what we did was lots of recall in the back garden (its big) and we also used a whistle, he caught on very quickly. he now gets off the lead if we are out and it is safe but i have to say if i see another dog he goes back on the lead because he would run over to it without thinking twice, this is his downfall, or probably ours! he's a very friendly dog and still just 6months so wants to play but not all dogs want to play with him! apart from that he will come back when called or whistled. he loves to retrieve and i take a ball everytime we go out.


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## Birdie Wife

My pup is nearly 13 weeks and I've been able to leat her off the lead just in the last couple of days (got last round of jabs nearly 2 weeks ago). She was pretty good, but I read a lot and used this technique with her right from the start (even round th garden): if I keep her guessing about which way we're going to go, it keeps her more focussed on me and less likely to run off because she thinks she knows the way. She a working cocker so I need to be on top of her hunting instinct and make sure I always lead the 'hunt'. So we'll go one way, then it's "Cari, this way" and change direction. Practising recall where there's no distractions is crucial too. I was really pleased with her behaviour, hope it continues!


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## JennieJet

I like that idea of keep changing the directions etc...I am just so frightened to let her off the lead on my own...my husband has done it today with her and I just couldnt bring myself to go with him incase she bolted and we lost her. We are taking her across the fields again tomorrow and I am going this time.... but I dont know when I will have the guts to take her on my own and let her off... I would so panic and fall to bits if she ran off !!!!:nonod:


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## Jacinth

Hi JennieNet. 

I have 13 week old pup, he's a Border collie and my first pup. I too am new to this forum. I've let Flash off the lead 2 weeks ago, and even when a helicopter scared the wits out of him and he disappeared in some bushes he was waiting for me the other side of them! They do come back if they are young as they are dependant on you. I was told not to let him of the lead, but as he had good recall I took the risk. Now I always let him of the lead in fields etc. I was told not to use an extendable lead as it teaches them to pull and for me that advice worked. I now use a short lead for pavement walking and he's fine. Good luck!


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## Becci-in-Hull

Hi ya,

Im new to the forum but I remember being petrified when I 1st ever let harmony off her lead but I remember that being really early on once she would listen to me and come to me confidently in the garden and house.

However, shes nearly 6 now and we have just bought a new pup and I am pertrified because Marley is also my 1st ever pedigree and cost alot of money.. lol. Also the fact that he just sleeps and doesnt respond to anything doesnt help. lol. However he has only been with us a couple of days and was brought up outside as his parents are full working dogs. To be honest he doesnt seem bothered about us, only Harmony.

Im sure I will be asking for training tips soon to because even though Ive had dogs all my life and trained harmony myself, every pup is different and Marley is the most chewy, hide away dog Ive ever had


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## JennieJet

Hi ....I went with them today and we let her off the lead and she is so good...when there is no distractions around and we call her she comes back straight away. The only down side is that when she sees a dog she goes running up to them and does not listen to us when we call her at all  apart from that she is really good...dont know what to do about when we see other dogs......????? as soon as she spots them no matter how far away she bolts after them ????


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## Becci-in-Hull

See Im having a similar problem but when Harmony was a puppy she was great and wasnt bothered, but in the past few weeks, shes eing a nightmare.

On another note, I started the re-call training with my 7 1/2 week old pup today and after the 1st couple of times he got the idea and was great.


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## tabelmabel

@DanWalkersmum - dont know if you noticed but this thread is 10 yrs old


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## DanWalkersmum

tabelmabel said:


> @DanWalkersmum - dont know if you noticed but this thread is 10 yrs old


I hadn't noticed - must start to check dates, feeling a bit silly now - thanks Tabelmabel


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## tabelmabel

It's easy done @DanWalkersmum - a handy tip is to notice if the thread you are responding to is by a newbie. If it is, then check the dates of the preceding posts.

I really dont know where newbies find these ancient threads but they are very good at it!


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