How To Train A Dog Not To Run Away When Off Leash

Losing your dog might be a terrifying experience. It’s even more disturbing to learn that your dog ran away on purpose. If your dog runs away repeatedly, it’s important to know why and how to stop it. If we can answer this issue, we can find out how to meet your dog’s needs without letting him fly the coop! Here’s how to train a dog not to run away when off leash.

Reasons Why Your Dog Runs Away

Of course, we can’t ask your dog why he’s running away, but we can make some educated assumptions based on his actions and his species’ behavioral patterns.

It’s lonely.

This is the number one reason most dogs have fled. They’re left alone in the yard with nothing else to do, and it’s not that hard to get out of here. And they’re taking them out for a little stroll around the neighborhood.

If you don’t give your dog anything to do, there’s a fair chance that he’ll come up with his own ideas. In certain situations, this means he’s going to go on an adventure!

Solve this by keeping the dog underhand, giving him regular exercise, and giving him chew toys to keep him occupied.

Your dog is searching for a mate.

Unaltered or unchanged males are especially guilty of wandering around the neighborhood in search of love. That said, neutering your dog or having a female doesn’t necessarily keep your dog from ever wanting to roam around.

If your boy’s dog smells like a woman nearby, particularly if she’s in heat, he’s going to put a lot of effort into jumping the fence and going to meet her. Females, particularly females in heat, can also escape finding a suitor. The neutering of your male dog and your female dog’s spaying will help mitigate this issue.

Your dog is in the chase.

Many dogs leap through fences or leave the yard to track down a rabbit, squirrel, or another possible prey item. Although this is a bit more common in prey-driven breeds like Huskies, almost all dogs generally enjoy hunting small fluffy creatures.

Leaving your dog unattended to catch squirrels or bunnies can almost certainly result in a dog that loves more and more of this hobby. Even if your dog doesn’t normally jump the fence to track down a squirrel, sometimes hunting is just too fun to avoid.

Supervising your dog, giving him something else to do, and improving your fencing will all help keep your dog from escaping and attacking other animals.

Your dog is scared.

Also, most well-behaved dogs will try to escape if they’re scared enough. This problem is particularly common during summer thunderstorms or fireworks. These loud booms can send even mild-mannered dogs into a fit of fear. In a desperate effort to avoid the alarming noises, dogs will smash through bars, bust through screen doors, or even climb high fences.

Securing your dog through thunderstorms and fireworks can help keep your puppies healthy. Hold your dog inside and do your best to soothe her concerns of loud noises with relaxing treats, white noise, and thunder tops.

Importance Of The Off-leash Dog Training Program

Before you learn how to train a dog not to run away when off leash, you should know its importance.

Taking your dog out of the harness is an efficient way to ensure that they get the right amount of exercise to keep them busy and safe. They can run, jump around, and play easily without any constraints holding them back. 

However, you need to train your dog properly before you leave it without a leash. It also helps to realize that off-leash dog training is a step beyond obedience training. It allows your dog to keep its instincts under control when off-leash. Read on to learn more about the value and benefits of off-leash training systems.

What’s Off-Leash Training?

This means teaching the dog to behave in the way you like and obey the orders while off-leash. In addition to remembering the commands they learned, this allows your dog to remain concentrated and control itself even in the face of distractions.

Training your dog to be free of leash helps you monitor it at home and in public places and handle it in case of any kind of emergency. This kind of preparation also helps to teach them unique skills.

How To Train A Dog Not To Run Away When Off Leash: The Risks

There is no way to protect your dog’s safety from a leash. We would like to think that if we were trained hard enough or long enough, or with the right strategies, we could resolve all the dangers, our dogs could really be absolutely trustworthy and safe. 

But the fact is, when dogs are out of control in an unsecured environment, there will always be a risk that their instincts or impulses will lead them to the path of danger. Moreover, our world is always unpredictable. When dogs are out of control, there is a risk of sudden noise, an unexpected animal, or something else that could scare or hurt our dogs.

Then why do you practice for off-leash skills? Why don’t we keep our animals on a leash or in a protected, secure area at all times? As much as we can try to protect our dogs, the day can come when the gate is left open, and our dogs are suddenly out of control. And, besides, dogs love to race, jump, and explore. 

Time spent on a leash allows our dogs’ physical and mental stimulation, keeping them safe and happy. Although 100% reliability may not be feasible, the risks associated with a dog being out of control can be dramatically reduced by a combination of training and management.

How To Train A Dog Not To Run Away When Off Leash: The Basics

In order for your dog to learn how to act when out of control, start training without control whenever possible. This may seem obvious. Yet several of us spend weeks in obedience lessons learning to lie down, stay down, and come with our dogs on a six-foot leash. When we go to the beach or the woods and take off the leash, our dogs behave as though they’ve never been to the training class. Unfortunately, on-leash training – while useful for on-leash conduct – can’t prepare either of you for off-leash practice challenges.

This is partially due to the fact that people frequently often unconsciously use physical signals, such as a subtle leash strain, to let the dog know what they want. When the dog and the handler lose the signal they inserted, their contact falls apart.

Of course, you can’t just head out to the park’s stimulating area and expect your dog to behave like a leash in a peaceful, supervised atmosphere. Start at home, in your kitchen, or in your living room. If your dog can move quickly and comfortably through a range of off-leash skills in your house, switch your training to the backyard. 

If he’s an expert in the backyard, switch to the front yard, then to the fenced area. As your dog gets more comfortable working off the lead, it will be easier to adapt to you even in new environments.

How To Train A Dog Not To Run Away When Off Leash: The Benefits

Here are the benefits of off-leash training.

Physical health treatment

Roaming through the park, with your dog safely tied up next to you, is one way to do some exercise. But other than repeated runs, have you ever thought about finding new ways to exercise your four-legged friend?

In order to prevent your dog from developing health problems such as arthritis or obesity, physical activity is needed to maintain good health. Doing a few laps may be enough exercise for you, but it may not be the case for your cat, which is more likely to be co-opted at home most of the day.

This is particularly true of breeds that are designed for high-intensity work, such as Border Collies, Labradors, German Shepherds, and more. Off-leash training is a very effective way to get the right amount of exercise your dog requires. They can freely run, jump, and play as much as they want without any constraints holding them back.

Playing catch, swimming, hiking, or even letting your dog play off-leash with other dogs are just some of the many ways your dog can exercise the energy they’ve had all day long. Your pooch is coming home happy and ready to hit the hay.

Mental health treatment

Moving out of our comfort zone and exploring new terrain is important for development and change. Then why are we expected to prevent that on our furry friends? With their little wet noses made to explore their world, their four rugged paws made to withstand every kind of terrain; they are born to be explorers.

However, when we tie our dogs to a leash or lock them in a cage, they are made to be obedient to us.

By limiting their rights, we show our mistrust of them. This does not allow them to develop on an intellectual and emotional level. Metal problems such as aggression, depression, and destructive behavior are the product of such care in some situations.

Leash training helps our four-legged friends to taste independence. Like any human being, it is empowering to have the ability to discover our true potential and limits by making our own choices. In leash training, dogs begin to learn analytical, cognitive, and social skills.

They become very conscious of their surroundings, encouraging them to explore. Learning by this technique will nurture an active, alert, and responsible canine.

Partnership and Confidence

Now that we have learned how crucial physical and mental health is to training a well-balanced dog, we can move on to the most critical advantage of off-leash training: collaboration and trust. If your dog is going to run into the streets or experience an emergency situation, it is absolutely important to develop a good relationship through training.

When you chose to train your dog off-leash, you also make a deliberate decision to spend time teaching your dog the vital commands it needs to keep it safe. Vital commands, such as “come,” “heel,” and “stay,” are great to start by protecting him and those around him from danger.

With intensive and repetitive preparation, you have regular contact to establish a trustworthy relationship.

Of course, letting your dog go off-leash will lead to changes, accidents, toxicity, and other problems. But before you “release the dogs,” follow the tips below to make sure you keep your off-leash dog as safe as possible. 

And remember that it’s not just your dog that is at risk when it’s off of control, that a lot of other dogs (including service dogs), people (including children), and wildlife have been hurt or emotionally scarred by an off-leash dog. So please, be genuinely respectful and always pay attention to and obey the Leash Regulation’s signs and rules.

How To Train A Dog Not To Run Away When Off Leash: What To Do

Here’s a guide on how to train your dog off-leash!

1. Establish good conduct.

Until you go off-leash, you should be confident that your dog will be safely and regularly on call. Gather some treats and a clicker.

Step a few feet away from your dog, crouch down, and keep your hand out. Encourage them to brush the nose of your palm. When they do what you want, instantly click to “mark” the good behavior — to let them know exactly why they get the treatment — then give them a treat and praise.

Repeat before they get to know what you want (probably around 10–20 attempts).

Switch back and forth and repeat. If they understand the action, start using the word marker, such as “come” or “over here,” and continue with clicks, rewards, and praise.

Attach distractions like other people, games, or go out to your yard to test their skills. If you’ve tried to teach your dog “come” with no luck — maybe you feel like your dog is a bit “thick” or ignores you — there might be a few things going on.

They don’t understand, in which case you need to continue your training, take a few steps back, and really focus on the steps involved in “shaping” the action.

They don’t care. 

This can often just be the result of not having a reward (usually a food treat) that is of high enough value or interest to your dog. “Up the ante” a bit by using a higher value procedure for this preparation. Some dogs love small bits of hot dog or sausage, some go for bits of frozen liver or liverwurst, and some will do just about anything for a Cheerio! Try a few different treats to see what’s really attracting your dog’s attention.

They’re anxious or frightened of you, in which case you need to rethink how you’ve been training your dog. 

For example, do you rely on positive reinforcement, or do you prefer to scold undesirable behaviors? Unfortunately, if this is the latter, you’re training your dog to be scared of you. Science is clear: teaching, motivating, and rewarding your dog for good behavior is more efficient than scolding, controlling, or otherwise betting your dog when they do something undesirable. 

2. Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement helps develop and strengthen your dog’s confidence and relationship with you — making each of you a team, encouraging them to want to work for and learn from you. Punishment just leaves them nervous and anxious about being around you — a combination that isn’t very likely to help with their off-leash recall!

To give your dog a feeling of being off-leash without losing control and leash protection, you can take a long lead in this new lifestyle. Think of this as a special, extra-long leash that gives your dog a little more independence, while also giving you peace of mind as you evaluate your dog’s readiness for maximum off-leash privileges.

Be cautious when using a long leash in the park, beach, or some other open or public area, as these leashes can cause issues when other dogs are around. 

They can not only cause other dogs to move or get “clotheslined” as they crash into them, but they can also cause dogs to get entangled and even cause severe injury, such as broken legs. And, while many people use them and think they may be a decent replacement for long training leashes, retractable leashes are better avoided.

3. Train at the Dog Park off-leash.

There’s possibly a fenced-in dog park or a fenced “people park” (or tennis court) near your house. There could be perfect places for your dog to test their off-leash sea legs so that you can see how they behave when obstacles are around.

Before you just release your dog and let it go wild, make this new experience easier. Carry a lot of treats — and your clicker! — On your first outing, your dog would instantly equate open parks with good vibrations.

If it’s your first time at a dog park, it may also be nice to bring a friend and their dog along if they’re already a pro.

4. Know what to do if your dog breaks it up.

It’s always a huge worry: your dog has spotted something (Squirrel!) and takes off. Your instinct is going to be to scream and dig and chase after them, but this instinct is false. Resist it, man. Here’s what you need to do.

If you sound scared or frustrated, your dog would be less likely to come back than if you sound friendly and excited. Think about it, would you like to go to someone who’s yelling at you or someone who sounds like they want to play and treat you?

Show you have the treats.

Give your dog some extra motivation to come back. If they’re a little farther away, the sound of you shaking or rusting a treat bag can help cause their interest.

Use the word of your order.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure your dog genuinely and consistently knows that “come” means they’re going to be loved and rewarded when they come back to you.

Don’t try that.

There’s no chance you’re going to be able to outrun your dog. More often than not, you’re just going to push them to run faster and farther if they believe this is a chase game now. Worst of all, a dog who is trying to outrun, you will pay little attention to potential threats in front of them — like cars!

Turn it away from them.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but if your dog is running away from you, sometimes your best bet is to turn and walk away from them. Act as if you were walking back to your car or going home, and make it look like you’ve had the best time ever in the process. Think of what you would do to get your dog happy and ready to play, then do that. 

You’re not trying to abandon them; you’re trying to make them think there’s something more fascinating about where you are and where you’re going. You have to make yourself where you are and what you’re doing more interesting than what your dog is doing and/or chasing — so be persuasive!

Praise!

No matter how sad, afraid, or upset you are, when your dog comes back to you, thank them and love them. At this point, you’re not thanking them for taking off. You’re thinking and celebrating the fact that they’re back! Don’t worry. You’re not promoting bad behavior—exactly the opposite. 

If you scold, berate, or otherwise threaten your dog when they come back, they’re much less likely to come back next time.

Update ID Tags and Microchip Data.

You should still have up-to-date details on your dog’s Tag. If you let your dog go a little “au naturel” without tags or collars, or if you haven’t checked their microchip records, you really must get this right before you even think about going off-leash. If your dog runs away from you, ID tags and microchips would be your best chance to get back together.

It’s also a good idea to make sure you have a range of pictures on hand to make a missing pet sign if you need one.

5. Learn how to break a dog fight safely.

Aside from the vehicles or the risk of your dog running off, another dog is one of the main risks you’ll face with an off-leash dog. If your dog is going to fight, you need to know how to break it up and do it without hurting yourself.

Build A Secure Callback

Some people would think coming when they’re called should be at the top of the list for building off-leash reliability. Coming when called, or remembering, is also the cornerstone of off-leash abilities. The dog that comes in almost any situation instantly is best from a leash. 

For a dog or a puppy that doesn’t know “come” yet, you can start by encouraging him to step towards you. If your dog is coming to you, click! And handle him. Put it a short distance away instead of feeding the treat from your palm. Tossing the reward takes your dog away from you, so he’s going to have to come back to you for the next click! And to treat. 

Wait for your dog to come back to you. Tap here when he gets to you! And throw down the treat when he’s still coming to you for a release! And treat throw, you should start adding the word “come” to it.

The trick to developing a reliable recall is to teach your dog to come when called in a low disturbance setting (like your living room) and then train him quite gradually to react in the face of increasing distractions. 

More Information

Increase the distractions slowly enough to encourage your dog to handle it. Consistently and repeatedly reward good recalls while avoiding circumstances where your dog may not be called. The biggest mistake most of us make when practicing a recall is to expect our dogs to be able to get away immediately in difficult situations.

Plan regular practice times while teaching the recall. They don’t have to be long or formal – it’s nice to have a few fun repetitions in the middle of playtime – but aim to practice a little on most days.

Plan regular practice times while teaching the recall. They don’t have to be long or formal – it’s nice to have a few fun repetitions in the middle of playtime – but aim to practice a little on most days. Arse the reminders with the following in mind.

Pay attention to what is upsetting your dog. 

This is another time where it could be useful to make a list. Write down what your dog finds annoying and list such distractions from the easiest to handle to the most challenging ones. For example, a young puppy may find everything in his environment disturbing – from a leaf on the ground to a new person coming into the room, to a dog across the street. 

An older dog may be in a position to avoid the leaf, but a new individual or dog can still pose a challenge. To really create a good recall, expect to practice with at least 30 different distractions.

Practice your recall for one diversion at a time, beginning with the simplest diversion on the list and going on to the most difficult. 

Train at the simplest stage before the dog is ready to come any time he’s called in spite of the noise. This may take one or two practice sessions for a few distractions but can take up to a week or more for others.

Practice every level of diversion in a variety of locations – the better. 

For example, for a puppy who’s distracted by a leaf on the field, practice using a leaf as a diversion in your living room. Then practice the leaf as a diversion in the bedroom, the kitchen, and the workshop. First, take the leaf out in the backyard and in the front yard. Then graduate to the local park during a quiet day (like 7 a.m.) where you can practice around a lot of leaves.

Balance the importance of the affection of your dog with the complexity of remembering. 

The more complicated the condition of diversion or preparation, the greater the reward. Continue to improve the dog’s memory with high-value rewards or games until it is regularly and reliably called even in the face of all sorts of distractions. Be careful not to make the mistake of believing that because your dog “knows” to come when he’s called, you should avoid offering great treats every time.

If you have a dog with a lot of experience not coming when you are called, you will have more success beginning with recall training. 

Pretend that you have never practiced a recall before. Choose a new word (for example, instead of “come” you can say “here”) and start training from the beginning. You can find that your dog is going to learn quicker than if you tried to re-teach using the same word.

By consistently training your dog to come when you are called, you can eventually “prove” the action so that it can react effectively in increasingly difficult situations. That sounds like a lot of work, and that’s it. Your practice will pay off a great deal of time when your dog reacts to your recall with great excitement under even the most challenging circumstances.

Plan regular practice times while teaching recall. They don’t have to be long or formal – it’s nice to have a few fun repetitions in the middle of playtime – but aim to practice a little on most days. Arse the reminders with the following in mind:

Pay attention to what is upsetting your dog. 

This is another time where it could be useful to make a list. Write down what your dog finds annoying and list such distractions from the easiest to handle to the most challenging ones. For example, a young puppy may find everything in his environment disturbing – from a leaf on the ground, to a new person coming into the room, to a dog across the street. 

An older dog may be in a position to avoid the leaf, but a new individual or dog can still pose a challenge. To really create a good recall, expect to practice with at least 30 different distractions.

Practice your recall for one diversion at a time, beginning with the simplest diversion on the list and going on to the most difficult. 

Train at the simplest stage before the dog is ready to come any time he’s called in spite of the noise. This may take one or two practice sessions for a few distractions but can take up to a week or more for others.

Practice every level of diversion in a variety of locations – the better the better. 

For example, for a puppy who’s distracted by a leaf on the field, practice using a leaf as a diversion in your living room. Then practice the leaf as a diversion in the bedroom, the kitchen, and the workshop. First, take the leaf out in the backyard and in the front yard. Then graduate to the local park on a quiet day (like 7 a.m.) where you can practice with a lot of leaves.

Balance the importance of the affection of your dog with the complexity of remembering. 

The more complicated the condition of diversion or preparation, the greater the reward. Continue to improve the dog’s memory with high-value rewards or games until it is regularly and reliably called even in the face of all sorts of distractions. Be careful not to make the mistake of believing that because your dog “knows” to come when he’s called, you should avoid offering great treats every time.

If you have a dog with a lot of experience not coming when you are called, you will have more success beginning with recall training. 

Pretend that you have never practiced a recall before. Choose a new word (for example, instead of “come” you can say “here”) and start training from the beginning. You can find that your dog is going to learn quicker than if you tried to re-teach using the same word.

By consistently training your dog to come when you are called, you can eventually “prove” the action so that it can react effectively in increasingly difficult situations. That sounds like a lot of work, and that’s it. Your practice will pay off a great deal of time when your dog reacts to your recall with great excitement under even the most challenging circumstances.

Final Words

It’s going to be hard to teach your dog not to run off at any opportunity. One of the easiest ways to do this is to give your dog a better excuse to stay at home than to run away. You’re never allowed to chase your dog because it’s just going to make him think you’re playing a game, and he’s just going to keep running. 

Also, never punish your dog for what is, in reality, normal action or when things go wrong during training. Training your dog not to run away will help keep him in the yard, keep him in the park next to you, or walk next to you. But most important of all, he could save his life.