The best advice I was given for walking a puppy off the lead for the first time.
Your puppy has had his second set of injections and is now allowed to go for a walk. This is what you have been waiting for, taking him on outings and showing him the big wide world. You want him to have fun off the lead eventually right? But are worried that he may run away and not come back when you first start to walk him. You’re maybe thinking you should keep him on the lead until he is old enough to be let off? Here is some great advice I was given about walking my puppy off the lead.
Have you notice how your puppy follows you round the house, especially in the early days when he wasn’t so confident? Maybe now he is a little older he finds his own way round your home, but he sees you as his pack leader and will naturally be with you as much as possible. The same applies when you are outside the home.
It’s very important to be confident with your dog when he is off the lead and you’re out on a walk and the best way to be feel like this is to start him off the lead as soon as he is allowed to go out on a walk.
The best advice I was given for walking a puppy off the lead for the first time.
This was given to me by my vet, the day my puppy Pippa, had her second jabs. He said to walk her off the lead from the very first walk. I must admit alarm bells rang in my head, I imagined I’d have no control and had visions of running after her calling her and never getting her back, it wasn’t what I wanted to do at all, so I questioned him about it.
The vet explained that she would not be confident going out while she is young and will naturally want to stay close to me in a unfamiliar place. He also explained that walking a dog off the lead right from the beginning, helps to avoid the dog from bolting when let off at an older age.
That afternoon I took Pippa out, heart pounding and feeling nervous that what the vet explained may not work with my dog. As she is a small breed I carried her down the road and into the woods near our home, when I was happy we were away from the road I put her on the ground. She just stood there to begin and had a sniff of the ground then I walked forward and guess what? She followed! Occasionally she would stop to have a sniff but would always look up at where I was and come running after me if I was a few feet away. She would not let me out of her sight and didn’t run ahead.
I could see straight away that the vet was right, she wasn’t confident being in a strange place, she was curious and sniffed around. She did not run off in a “I’m freeeeee!!” style; the way I had played out in my mind! Pippa is now 7 and has never let me down on a walk by bolting off or not coming back, even now she still checks in with where I am.
Over the years I have given this advice to many people and use the same technique with every puppy that has come my way through doggy daycare, walking and home boarding since then and it’s worked every time without fail.
Have confidence in nature, your puppy sees you as his parent and wants to stay close to you in unfamiliar territory.
For more tips on walking a puppy off the lead and how much exercise they should have, click here: Kennel Club