Can I let my dog ​​go for a walk?

Laisser son chien en liberté en balade : Comment lui apprendre à marcher sans laisse et maîtriser le rappel ?

A walk in freedom is so much more pleasant for the dog as for the human. Fido doesn't have the stress of the leash, he can sniff loads of smells without making you wait around, run all he wants, you have your hands free and the satisfaction of a happy dog! So how do you safely detach the leash?

Establish a relationship of trust

Have you ever seen a human yell at his dog asking him to come back, but how often have you seen the dog come back? Inevitably very little… Who wants to go to someone who yells at them?! The dog and his human must have a healthy and complicit relationship to understand each other and that starts with trust. Your dog needs to trust you. Reward him when he comes back, he won't be afraid to come back and be scolded, on the contrary he will be happy to come to you. Indeed, complicity is good, with treats, it's better. Your dog must understand that by staying close to you, he will have a reward. When he is in the middle of a chase after a rabbit and you call him he will then say 3 things to himself: "my goal in life is to please my human", "he has great treats", "this it's easier for him to give me a candy than to chase this rabbit that I never manage to catch anyway".

First use the lanyard

Hold your dog on a lead, you give him semi-freedom and can work the recall in peace. Don't forget that to be associated with an action, the reward must be given immediately > if your dog comes back, pull out the little piece of dried chicken right away! Also give it to him when he walks quietly beside you. Alternate the type of reward as you go along: treats and caresses associated with the voice.

Freedom in a safe place

Once the recall is well assimilated, you can try to remove the lanyard. Attention ! Choose a place conducive to this exercise: avoid high cornfields in which you will quickly lose track of him, places crowded with small animals to hunt, near a road or even a place completely unknown to your dog.

Never relax your vigilance

Even if your dog now obeys you very well and your relationship is peaceful, you should never forget to keep an eye! If you see danger or temptation, retie your dog gently. Prevention is better than cure, right?!

work out regularly

Frequently, go out with a packet of treats in your pocket and don't hesitate to remind your dog, even if nothing in particular is happening, just so that he remembers that it's always good to come back ! Of course, always with the same associated watchword: "here", "come back"... That's as you wish!

For each walk, of course, make sure that it is allowed to detach the leash!