Walking a dog can be fun, as well as strengthen the relationship between you and the dog and reduce stress for the dog as a way to deal with a dog that has difficulty eating.

When walking a dog on a leash, the dog tends to pull on the leash in a way that quickly tires you out, makes you uncomfortable, and can even be dangerous if your dog is big and strong. Meanwhile, if walking with a dog without a leash is difficult.

But actually, there are still several ways that can be done to get dogs used to not wearing a leash when walking, such as several ways to train a dog without a leash that we will provide below.

1. Choose the right place to practice

The first step you can take in training your dog to walk off leash is to choose a good training spot.

Make sure the location is away from distractions like children, toys, food, loud noises, and nuisances from other animals.

This should be done to make it easier for the dog to focus on your presence, the command, and the desired behavior. If you live with other people, do not involve them in training so as not to disturb the dog’s concentration.

2. Use the rope first

Before a dog is truly worthy of being off leash trained, the initial training should be done on leash so that the dog can focus only on you, who is very good at taking care of newborn puppies.

Use a short leash of about 1.8 meters so that you can be close to the dog, even in sight. You can stand at a suitable distance so that the dog cannot reach you from a step or two away.

The size of this leash is for small dogs about 60 to 90 cm and for large dogs it can go up to the leash that is 1.8 meters.

3. Say Command and Step

The next step, you can give a command word like here or here as you start to back up quickly. Dogs will usually immediately chase him while he is playing when he starts to run away quickly.

This command only needs to be said once before starting to backtrack. With this, the dog can clearly hear the command and will chase you before his attention is distracted.

Avoid saying the command word too often during training so the dog can remember the command, it can cause stress in the dog and then signs of a sick dog may appear. If your dog doesn’t respond and stays still, you can pull a little on the leash and coax the dog to chase you.

4. Use hand gestures

Hand gestures are an effective addition to training because it will be easier for the dogs to associate the commands with the behavior while helping dogs whose hearing is not good but can still see the hand signals you give them, as well as helping to tame a puppy.

You can move your arms towards your torso or point to the ground at your feet.

While another gesture you can use is to place your hands in front of you with your palms open and facing up and then fold your fingers towards your palms.

5. do back exercise

To do the exercise back up by coming all the way to you, then continue backing up quickly until the dog catches up with you if the leash is short.

If you are using a clicker, be sure to click as soon as the dog moves towards you and as you reach to support the dog’s movement, direction, and behavior.

6. give positive support

When the dog has managed to catch up with you, then praise him repeatedly so that he can understand the commands you are giving him and avoid signs of depression.

This positive support can be in the form of praise or treats depending on your dog’s taste after obeying your commands well.

7. Add distraction and distance

Adding distance and distraction to an off-leash walk should be added gradually so the dog doesn’t get confused.

If he’s doing his initial exercise in a small space with no toys, try adding to the distraction by scattering a few of your dog’s favorite toys.

After that, try turning on the TV or other sounds and move to the backyard while still wearing the harness but with a length of 15 feet.

8. Apply on the go

Also, you can apply this method but this time while walking as usual, which is the next effective way and should be done consistently while walking every day.

This method will also be helpful in getting the dog used to walking when he can walk off-leash again, as well as stopping the barking when he sees something while walking.

9. call off leash

After a few days or weeks of leash training, start building on the exercise by choosing an enclosed area and trying to call your dog off the leash.

If your dog still doesn’t respond, it’s a good idea to repeat the exercise on the leash again. This process takes a lot of time, so you have to be patient and do it continuously, just like how you treat a sick dog.

Don’t be discouraged on the first try if your dog’s off-leash training fails but keep trying.

Also, avoid repeating the command over and over again if it proves ineffective. Every time you repeat a command but the dog doesn’t understand it, the association of the command with the superior behavior will be weakened.

If at the beginning of your training you take a step or two back for the dog to come closer, then reduce the steps and use only short steps while occasionally asking the dog to come at the most unexpected time for your dog, such as when the dog is sniffing. something to test the dog’s attention with a command you gave it.

10. Call with help waiting

When you have added a calling distance, you can ask other people for help. Vary this call with a restraint that involves someone holding your dog so he can walk away without being followed.

When ready, say the command along with a hand signal and the person holding the dog can release the dog.

Also use the clicker as usual during training and provide plenty of positive support when the dog is able to execute the command well.

11. Try the round robin approach

Once the dog has responded well to commands, the round robin approach can add new challenges and difficulties to training.

You can ask for help from two to three people and then make a circle with a distance of 6 meters between them.

Continue saying the command from the opposite side of the dog, which can also be done to tame a ferocious dog.

Add time for each person to reward the dog before saying the next command.

Make sure you use a clicker during practice and that everyone uses hand signals correctly in addition to verbal commands.

12. Develop exercise range

Once you begin to feel comfortable with training your dog, you can change the training environment and increase distractions around your dog.

If your dog gets distracted by distraction during training, you can return to an environment that he is familiar with before moving on to another, much more difficult environment.

Avoid continuing to practice in a completely open area until your dog can actually obey your commands in different places with varying degrees of distraction.

13. Get professional help

If your dog is having trouble transitioning from leash training to leash training, it’s best to seek professional help.

Training with an expert will guide you further in how to train your dog to walk off leash, and you can also ask for more advice from a professional trainer or a dog behaviorist who can teach you how to deal with a depressed dog.

Every dog ​​is certainly different, so not every dog ​​can receive the exact same training.

Advice

In order for the way to train a dog to walk without a leash to be successful, make the training process very pleasant.

While the dog is still learning the call command, do not use the command to tell the dog to come because it may make the dog think the command is something negative.

In addition, it is recommended that you start training your dog from three months and each session should last between 5 and 10 minutes, 3 sessions per day.

For young dogs, training sessions will be shorter because the dog’s attention is still very limited.

If you use this command to stop your dog’s playtime, then the dog will take the command as a punishment and think that it should stop for fun.

Also, always end the exercise in a positive and fun environment and never punish or scold your dog when he responds slowly and slowly to calls even if you feel frustrated to see him.

Because if you scold your dog, the dog will more and more consider the call as a punishment and will eventually refuse to be called and obey while walking without using a leash, which even makes the dog refuse to eat due to depression.