Before you take your dog off the lead, animal rescue experts over at Battersea recommend setting one subtle challenge
Getting your pooch to stop pulling on the lead is one thing – but trusting them to run free is a much bigger (and daunting) step. We’ve all witnessed that one poor soul standing in the park under pouring rain, trying desperately to catch their dog who refuses to stop chasing birds and diving into the mud.
Start by training your dog to walk on a standard lead, and once they’ve got to grip with the ‘heel’ command, you can start using a long-line rope. These tend to attach to your pooch’s harness and can extend up to 30 metres long, allowing them to have a lot more freedom. You still have an element of control though, and can start to practice your recall training before unclipping them altogether.
Animal rescue experts over at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home suggest holding long line leads with two hands. This allows you to manage the ‘slack of the line’ with one hand, which can be used to slow your dog down when necessary. “Your other hand holds the rest of the line and the handle, if there is one,” they added.
“With your first hand, you can let the line slide through if you are giving your dog more freedom and with your second hand you can pull the line in if you need to shorten the distance or bring your dog towards you. This two-handed method also means you won’t stop your dog too harshly and you have less chance of dropping the line.”
Rather than just pulling the end of the long line when you need to make your dog come to a halt, you can simply grip and release the long line using the hand closest to them. This means they’ll gently slow down and come to a stop without being knocked over or hurt.
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Once your dog’s responsiveness gets better, you can start to drop the long line, letting it ‘trail on the ground’. “This means not holding the lead at all and is the next step, once you are more confident in their recall, before you work up to letting them off the lead completely,” the charity explained. “Doing this allows you to keep practising their recall with the option of having the dog back under control with the lead if needed.”
Remember, the Highway Code says dogs should be kept on a ‘short lead’ along roads and on paths shared with horse riders or cyclists. While there is no blanket law requiring dogs to remain on their leads in all public spaces, some areas will prohibit them from roaming free.
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