How Do You Teach Appropriate Off Leash Behaviour

[Roxy Lady]

After reading a few threads in the BSL section regarding off leash parks, i was wondering how do you teach your dog appropriate off leash play behaviour?? As an adult i have never let any of my dogs off leash because then at least i KNOW my dog is under my control....BUT i would like to know how you know your dog is ok to go to an offlead park or anywhere off lead for that matter or how to make sure they are ok to go anywhere off leash.

Roxy is an only dog (bull terrier), she has no aggrssion for anything at all, but i don't allow her off lead with other dogs as i know she gets very excited and jumpy and this can be a turn off for other dogs. She is also very submissive but she does not really know how to back off or calm down. She always just wants to have a good run and play. Her routine would be to lay on her belly while other dog sniffs then when other dog lets her up she would get all excited and jump into the other dog and then want to zoomie and rough house.

I have had her in the backyard with my BIL fat staffy and he just sat in his kennel while Roxy layed right in his doorway with her head halfway in his kennel, she got told off a few times, but it didn't really stop her, she was just more careful.

I would also be scared that she'll get injured with too much rough and tumble play. How do you know what dogs to let your dogs play with and how do you know its all going to go well??

Shes is pretty well behaved on leash and has fairly good recall off leash, but i'm not sure if that really solves the problem?? Is it as easy as supervision and telling your dog off for bad behaviour and then leashing for continuous bad behaviour? How do you teach your dog, doggy manners/etiquette??

[dogdude]

IMO you should look at off-lead dog parks as areas that you can interact with your dog. If you treat them as a free for all dog romp then you will eventually get trouble.

The thing is that you "DONT" know which dogs are safe to approach, that is why it's a gamble every time you do it. Your dog dosn't need it, and you don't need to risk ruining her good temperment with unknown dogs.

To get off lead control you need to train her regulary. Socialisation should be done on lead in a controlled situation IMO.

As an owner of 4 Bull Terriers in the past, I can tell you that it only takes one bad experience to turn your dog into a dog aggressive pain in the but. Nothing more embarrasing and the breed can do without the image.

[vnv]

In ignorance, I took Willow to an offleash park soon after I got her, which was a huge mistake. For the first and only time she showed aggression towards one dog, that nipped her on the back. Before that happened she was having the time of her life with another dog. I then did some research and now avoid off-leash parks. Luckly the house I rent how has a huge backyard she can run full-pelt around and we can play fetch and train as well.

[Roxy Lady]

Can understand what you're saying in a way, but to say that my dog doesn't need the interaction or socialisation is crazy. How am i meant to teach her how to behave around other dogs if she doesn't see them? Keeping her seperated from other dogs would probably only make her worse and more excitable.

I am always aware of her and other dogs reactions around her, (ability to read a dogs body language is a big preventative!) and i know things can escalate very quickly, but i want a dog that is a well behaved social dog, just because shes a bully shouldn't make any difference, just means i need to be aware of whats going on around us, but so should anyone that has a dog off lead. She still needs to be taught manners IMO.

With all this crap going on about off lead parks i'd have thought a thread about how to teach correct social doggie behaviour would be a good ideas for others with dogs wanting to go to off leash parks.

I don't even live in an area with off leash parks but, there are times when i catch up with friends and their dogs and i want to let Roxy off to have a play but i know how excited she gets and don't, shes stuck to socialising on lead. I don't think theres anything wrong with wanting a dog that is well behaved off lead with other dogs.

I plan on getting another pup sometime this year and will be able to do alot more in socialising and teaching them how to behave, when i have 2 of my own dogs. But i still think its very important that your dog knows how to behave off lead and around other dogs, what happens if accidently they slip a collar or are accidently let out of my yard. I'd prefer to know that my dog is half trained than not at all.

[dogdude]

How do you plan to "train" a dog while it is romping around uncontrolled? Its fine if you have great off lead control..............but what about the other dogs??? Will they run back to their owners when you call yours?

How many dogs do you think it takes for yours to meet till its "socialised"??????

Your dog only needs to meet a few friendly dogs for it to remain socialised. No point in making it a numbers game because eventually you will lose.

Its not neccesarilly your dog that you have to worry about at those places. Those places are visited by morons like everywhere else!!!!!!!

I can tell you by experience that nobody wants a BT running up to them uninvited. Being a BT "DOES" make a difference. It sounds like you have never tried to physically break up fight involving a BT? It is not usually a pretty sight.

Please dont take offence to my post...........Just hate seeing people taking the wrong path........particulary when they own my favorite breeds.

ETA: That frequent meetings with many strange dogs (even friendly ones) can actually become obsessive, especially if she is your only dog. Its your job to be more exiting to be with around other dogs. You should aim for a dog that is not all that interested in strange dogs, but has not had a reason to want to kill one upon meeting one. That is what I class as a dog socialised pet.

Putting up with strange dogs is only a small slice of the socialisation pie. There is a whole world of strange sights and sounds out there for her to experience.

Edited April 19, 2008 by dogdude

[JulesP]

I don't do off lead parks either. Sorry Bullyluvr. On rare occasions after training I might let them off lead to play with the other dogs. I do have 3 dogs though so they get to play at home.

I don't want them to go out and think that playing with other dogs is more fun than playing with me. I want them to think I am the most interesting thing going.

I had 1 incident with my first border collie doing the off lead thing and it made him agro with other dogs after that. So unless I know the dogs that I am with 100%, my dogs stay on lead.

I am not actually sure if you can teach a dog to play nicely. They are after all dogs and are just doing what comes naturally and that may include excited playing, fighting etc

What you do need to have is a 110% reliable recall even under high distraction. So maybe work on that.

[Kavik]

I take Diesel to an off lead park, but not Kaos or Zoe. Zoe doesn't like other dogs, and Kaos is OK but does not like dogs in his face or rough play with strange dogs. These things happen at off lead parks. So first is determine whether it is a good idea to take your dog, only you know what your dog is like. I don't let Diesel get too excited or run around like a look chasing other dogs. He is allowed to go say hi. I kept him on lead practicing recalls until his recall improved, now I let the lead drag, and still practice recalls and drops at a distance when things look like getting too exciting.

A lot of people don't pay attention to their dog and have no control. I've had dogs jump on Diesel, bully him and try to hump him. I avoid those dogs, and leave if the owners don't control their dogs. I'm sure other owners think I don't let Diesel have any fun at all as they always see me calling him instead of letting him really run. If he really gets running sometimes he thinks that is more fun than coming back.

It is only because Diesel is pretty tolerant and likes the park (and there are regulars who do have well behaved dogs) that I go. I would never risk it with Kaos - he is not as tolerant.

[Erny]

How am i meant to teach her how to behave around other dogs if she doesn't see them? Keeping her seperated from other dogs would probably only make her worse and more excitable.

Certain training schools offer this advantage because they create a "controlled" environment, not an environment where luck and chance predominantly come into play as they do at some off-lead parks.

But i still think its very important that your dog knows how to behave off lead and around other dogs,

If early socialisation (8-16 weeks) was done well and thoroughly, the mature dog doesn't have to meet all and sundry all the time to remain socialised. Meeting with the occasional dog here and there is generally sufficient. Once again, this is best done in a controlled situation - not one where you might only own half of the control with your dog on the leash. Working with your dog in a controlled environment - surrounded by other dogs equally under control - even if your dog doesn't necessarily meet 'nose-to-nose' (so to speak) is also good. It doesn't always have to be that dogs interact fully with others.

I see you're thinking of getting a puppy at some stage. Remember 'early socialisation' is important. As has been mentioned here, socialisation isn't all or only about meeting other people and other dogs, it's about anything and everything worldly (noises; surfaces; traffic; trains; etc. etc.). Remember that the socialisation experiences MUST be positive ones and need to be broad - IOW, not just to your other dog - for it to have the desired 'broad' impact. You will only ensure positive experiences if you know that the other part of the equation is as equally under control.

This is why training schools, provided the instructors are qualified with the pre-requisite knowledge of pups, dogs, and canine behaviour, is perhaps the better way to go. That way, the dogs are controlled and the handlers of the dogs are under the instruction and supervision of the trainer.

Dogdude has given some good advice to you. And if you focus on training, you'll be able to utilise that to help you with showing your dog how to interact appropriately (Eg. Recall your dog when he's getting OTT in play, etc.)

Edited April 19, 2008 by Erny

[Frodo]

i was wondering how do you teach your dog appropriate off leash play behaviour??

.....

How do you teach your dog, doggy manners/etiquette??

I think it's best to start teaching off-leash behavior on the very first walk outside after the baby shots. When a pup's little he naturally wants to stay close to his owner who's the only safe thing in a big scary world. When he's older and bolder he's more likely to want to run off when he's let off the leash because he's bored having to go so slow with his owner. Bigger dogs are less likely to beat up a baby puppy han a bigger one so he won't have so many bad experiences. Dogs are far better than people at teaching doggy etiquette, and the more dogs a puppy meets the less interesting they become. It's the dog who's kept isolated from others of his species that gets fixated on them because of their novelty value.

Edited April 19, 2008 by Frodo

[Erny]

Bigger dogs are less likely to beat up a baby puppy han a bigger one so he won't have so many bad experiences.

How could you possibly know that without running unnecessary risks that you could be wrong? Much depends on the other dogs - their own experiences (or lack of) as to whether they will appropriately deal/interact with a puppy.

Dogs are far better than people at teaching doggy etiquette ...

I agree - provided the other dogs you chose to do the teaching have been well taught themselves.

... and the more dogs a puppy meets the less interesting they become.

Not necessarily the case - much depends on what occurs during those meetings.

It's the dog who's kept isolated from others of his species that gets fixated on them because of their novelty value.

Agree with this - isolation is not the answer.

Edited April 19, 2008 by Erny

[poodlefan]

This is a tricky one. It's a hell of a lot easier to start with a pup and socialise it in controlled circumstances with known dogs than to start with an adult.

You'll find it virtually impossible to teach an adult (or a pup) good social manners in a public offlead park. I'd not have a pup of any breed in a public dog park - too often they get rolled and rumbled, encouraging them to defend themselves from such rudeness. Its a bit like sending a toddler into a high school rugby match in some parks.

With your dog I'd be starting with larger, non-reactive dogs whose owners have good control and working from there. The key thing is to practice and gain a solid recall so that you can end any interaction and get your dog under control if things aren't going as you planned. Too many people make the mistake of starting an unsocialised dog of with a "very friendly" dog which more often than not will be all over the new dog before it gets a chance to do the meets and greets that are polite canine social behaviour.

As Erny says, this is where belonging to a good dog club with its own grounds and dog savvy owners is invaluable.

[sas]

My 13 month old did the whole puppy pre-school, puppy school routine, all fine and dandy, no worries in the world.

One day at a park we hadn't been to before just before he was 5 months of age (he was on lead), 3 different off lead dogs all wanted to go him, none got the opportunity, we handled the whole situation in a very calm manner, didn't baby him etc, however the scare alone seems to have made him nervious/excited when meeting/seeing other dogs.

Dogs parks are just too risky, I won't take the risk again. Some people think that an attack needs to happen to change the way a dog percieves other dogs but a good scare in my opinion can do just the same.

I'll stick to interacting with dogs I know and trust.

[dee lee]

Bullyluvr, Ive been looking for the answer to your question for the last 6 months.

Last year, after a few months of happy (if not obedient) offleash park play, my once submissive staffy x started playing tug with other dogs necks. We had to turn our back on the offleash park as she cant be trusted. Ive always been sad about that and have wondered if maybe I could teach her to play appropriately.

Reading all this reminds me that the offleash park taught her the bad behaviour and that the only way my dog is guaranteed not to get into a dog fight is to keep her on leash. I figure that while the walks on leash may be nowhere near as fun (and with dogdude's advice about you being tops for enjoyment - offleash parks undermine that) at least they keep her alive. Her life is pretty good all things considered.

[~*Shell*~]

I personally have used the dog park to socialise my Sibe, who came to me with no socialisation skills, having not seen any dogs from the time he went to his abusive former owners till when he was picked up after being on the streets for 8 weeks and put in the pound (about 2.5 years later). I've found that the key to socialising (and to teaching off leash behaviour) is to start the dog slowly and make sure that you're always able to be in control of the situation. With Zero I introduced him to the park by having him on the opposite side of the fence where he was able to sniff and be sniffed but not fully interact. During this time I made him sit and stay and he had to keep paying attention to me. For a few weeks we did this until another owner told me to bring Zero in and introduced us to his BC who was bouncy but very obedient. By spinning Zero around and letting Marble sniff him first, we put Zero in the submissive position and made his first interaction with other dogs a positive one. Now Zero is fine in the park, though I still follow him around and make sure that he recieves a correction everytime he stands in a dominant position, and praise when he plays gently with a smaller dog, or puppies.

A word of warning though - in the time we've been going to the park i've seen some awful things including a fight betweek a staffy and a great dane which resulted in a toy poodle being killed when it got in the way and caught in the mouth of the staffy. Fortunately Zero stayed well away from this fight but you just never know - there are a lot of unbalanced dogs at the park and some owners who don't bother to watch what their dog is doing... If you have foxtel, there is an episode of The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan where he talks about off-leash parks. I suggest trying to track down a copy of the ep - this whole series has helped me more than I can ever tell you!