Training off leash

[KeithWood]

Where can I find help in training my 4 month old white Lab to come  

when called while off leash?

[Adrienne]

Hi there!

Welcome to the forums!

Where are you planning to train your puppy? 

Has your puppy finished all the vaccinations and has the vet given you the green light to take him/her outdoors? At this age, we want to make sure your puppy is fully protected from infectious diseases. 

Have you already practiced recalls in the home? We want to start training this well in the home first before moving on off leash in a safely fenced, puppy proofed yard. Here is the section on training recalls:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/

[CherylHampton]

He is ten weeks old and will do sit and down no problem. He needs work on stay and recall, I want to train him on leash before he gets too big for me to handle. We will do this outside as he will be an outside dog. I plan to take him with me often on outings and he hates his leash he does fair when connecting it but bites and gets aggressive when I disconnect it, I will be working with him alone as I live alone and want a well behaved companion. Need to address this issue asap thanks!

 

[Adrienne]

Hi Cheryl,

Welcome to the forums!

It is awesome that your pup has already learned sit and down! Keep those stay exercises brief and easy as he's very young and the attention span  is short. Recalls should be fun games.

If you are starting outdoor walks, please check with your vet to see if you have the green light. Your pup is very young and depending on where you live, your vet may suggest waiting until he has finished all his booster shots considering the risks for viral diseases such as distemper and parvo. 

The biting when you unclip the leash may be because he has associated removing the leash with the end of the fun outing or he may just pay more attention to it because things get a bit boring when you come back from the walk.

For unclipping the leash, I would suggest creating positive associations with this action though desensitization and counterconditioning conducted under the guidance of a dog behavior professional. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/

 https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning

I know you say he fairs well when connecting it, but I suggest also working on clipping it on since the action is the same and since you mention he hates the leash. Here's an example of a behavior modification exercise:

Attaching the  Leash

Start by creating positive associations with the leash. Hide it behind your back and then present it, feeding your puppy treats when he looks at it and sniffs it and then once he's done inspecting it, place it behind your back and no more treats.

Next, start getting your pup used to the sound of the clasp. Keep the leash behind your back, then make the snapping sound of the clasp and feed a treat. Clasp sound/treat, clasp sound/ treat, clasp sound/treat.

Next, proceed to attaching the leash, give a treat as you attach it, then unclip it and at the same time give another treat. Rinse and repeat. The leash snapped/unsnapped to the collar should become a cue that a treat is coming.

Next, further raise criteria. Snap the leash on, feed the treat, walk a few steps ahead and call your dog to you, give treats when he reaches you. Try to avoid pulling your dog harshly on the leash considering that this will create negative associations with its use.

Teach your pup to give into the leash pressure rather than resist it. Sit on the couch and if he moves away, gently put pressure on the leash and show him a treat so that he learns to give in to the pressure. Praise and reward for giving in to pressure.

Start walking your pup on leash. If your pup lags behind or pulls in another direction, coax him to catch up and keep walking by showing a treat. The moment the leash becomes loose when he catches up, praise and reward with the treat.

More on leash training here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/

When you come home from the outing, since the unclipping seems to become more salient, you can try offering him a high-value treat with one hand, have him nibble on it while with your other hand you unclip it and once unclipped praise and let go of the treat so he can have it and perhaps even toss another one his way. 

On top of this, it may also help to engage him in some sort of puzzle game/brain game or other rewarding activity after the walk so that you create a routine so he looks forward to coming back from a walk.

It goes without saying that if you notice aggressive behavior, it would be important consulting with a dog behavior professional for in-person guidance, safety and correct implementation of behavior modification.

I hope this helps,

Best,

Adrienne

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog shows any signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. 

[CherylHampton]

Thanks for all the info I will certainly put it into practice. I live in the country and Shiloh will have 15 acres to have fun in😊 He has "fair" days on leash when he does better, but this morning we were working on holding The treats so he could see them, and I had to make him sit when He started jumping for them. Then he walked well for a minute and decided that was enough he laid down chewed grass and wouldn't move period.  Just a side note I haven't done the "look in my eyes" yet as he will sit and look directly at me for long periods without prompting. Also off leash he will play and come back and immediately sit in front of me and look at me as if awaiting for a command. Would it be possible to train him off leash first without too much confusion?

**we won't be going to parks or highly populated areas, just fishing at the lake and visiting family

Thanks!!!

[Adrienne]

Hi Cheryl, 

You are very welcome, I am glad you saw this, I was worried you missed it. 

Shiloh is lucky to have all that space to be playing in and adventuring!

When training sit, make sure to keep the treat low so he doesn't feel to jump up. You can try practicing at home when you're sitting on the couch and have him nearby. Make sure to not give the treat when he' actively jumping otherwise you'll be reinforcing jumping and not sitting. Here is the section for training sit:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/sit/

Are you asking him to sit prior to putting on the leash or were just working on sitting on its own?

I would work mostly on firstly creating positive associations with this action of clipping/unclipping  and giving in to the leash pressure though desensitization and counterconditioning and then once he does better on that (no more nipping), only then, add the sit. Wear thick garden gloves if he's nipping hard. 

Work on this a lot at home before trying it outdoors. Sometimes when pups feel uncomfortable with being pulled with the leash, they'll freeze and go into a learned helplessness mode. If he stops, I would not pull (pulling makes  them freeze more) but try to get him moving by calling him or tossing a treat. 

In regards to your question: "Would it be possible to train him off leash first without too much confusion?"  What are you trying to train him exactly? For sits, down, recalls, leave it and drops , stay, you don't need a leash if you're practicing indoors initially and then in a safe yard. 

Hand targeting is also a great exercise to train a pup to not nip on hands but interact in another way: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/

And here are some bite inhibition games:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/bite-inhibition-games/

 

 

[CherylHampton]

Thanks again for the info and will put it into practice today, lots of indoor since its raining. I noticed a question regarding the "target"  exercise and will say this regarding what a its good for in addition to the stated info. I worked with Shiloh this morning on it. His second time. He's had a bad habit of snapping at my hand and wanting to play tug of war with it(he's better though) and the target exercise helped. Once he got passed the Mr snapping turtle phase and realised he wouldn't get a treat like that he settled in and repeated the exercise right on cue. Its so nice to see such benefit from such a simple exercise. I will continue to use it and integrate it with his other training. When he gets his leash down pat, we are going to the lake. Oh just a note I saw a suggestion somewhere about swapping the leash to a chain one to prevent chewing. Gotta say my little guy is determined! I think his teeth are bothering him did the cold rag as well as ice cubes which he loved! Thanks for all the support! I admit I was skeptical about that but you consistently come through!

[Adrienne]

I am glad to hear that the targeting exercise is starting to sink in! It may take a few trials with persistent biters. Yes, for dogs determined to biting on the leash, a chain leash can help as dogs do not like to chew on metal.