First time off leash advice needed

HallesDad · Post by **HallesDad** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:11 pm

We live in a townhouse with no fence and anytime we let our new 9 week old vizsla outside she is kept on a 6' leash.

We have access to plenty of safe places , golf courses, driving ranges, fields, etc to be off leash but I'm curious at what point I should let her off the leash, and when she is off is there anything I should be doing with her?

Is 9 weeks too soon to let her off? How far should I let her go before recalling her? Should I make her wear a long check cord? Should I wait to let her off until she is better trained on the recall? Should I duct tape my mouth "bleep" and just let her go til she comes back on her own?

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:03 pm

Some people like to make them drag a cord when off leash and it isn't a bad idea. I never considered a pup to be too young to be off but rather it was determined by where we were. Out in a safe area I want them off and I DO NOT even speak to them normally. They are there to explore and learn and that doesn't include me telling them what or where. One of the things the pup will learn is to keep track of you. If you feel the pup is getting too far away hide and it will look for you. Your puppy will normally start walking behind you and as it get more comfortable it will get in front and gradually build up its confidence and start ranging. It will take a few weeks before it will get very far away but in time they will go about as far as the country will allow them and still feel in contact with you.

Of course when in town or anyplace that would present danger keep them on a leash.

Ezzy

HallesDad · Post by **HallesDad** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:20 pm

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1373944806.303696.jpg

Here she is

roaniecowpony · Post by **roaniecowpony** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:44 pm

HD
sounds like you're in the burbs. I'd look for a schoolyard with a fence to turn the pup out. That fence will give you some confidence and allow you to let the dog be a dog. You should have been working on "here" by now and a fenced schoolyard will let you see how you are doing with that. That's what I did with my pointer when I got her.

uthunter · Post by **uthunter** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:44 pm

Agree with what Ezzy said. At this age you will have. Harder time getting them to go away than keeping them close. Like what was also said before just keep working on recall but when out in a safe area, let them explore and build self dependence.

big_fish · Post by **big_fish** » Tue Jul 16, 2013 3:17 am

At that age it seems at times they don't have ears but as long as its a safe place. I always leave a CC on them as an insurance policy. Keep working on your recall and have fun they don't stay little forever.

reba · Post by **reba** » Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:45 am

25 foot check cord.

Let dog wander.

Whoa dog.

Recall dog.

Praise dog.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.........................................

When whoa and recall are solid in front of tweety birds, squirrels, cats etc; dog is ready to be off leash. A dog can run into harms way, traffic, really fast!

Be sure to take a poop bag.

cmc274 · Post by **cmc274** » Tue Jul 16, 2013 9:30 am

The pup is 9 weeks, it doesn't need to know anything about recall, whoa, or any such thing. More than likely it wont leave a 10' circle.

To the OP: Find a good size open place, take the leash off, all will be fine. Just walk, watch the pup explore, dont say anything and you'll start creating the bond that makes the pup wnat to go with you.

pointer · Post by **pointer** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:51 am

Take the pup out now. Go for a walk and recall the pup when you turn directions. You need to build a bond in the field with the pup when it is little. I get a ton of dogs in for training that have never been off the cord or leash and once they are six or seven months, they are much to big to catch and getting them to recall takes far more work. You cut them loose and they take off running because they have never been off the leash and the could care less where anyone is at because they have never been in the field with someone. Take the pup out and walk it as much as possible so that you build the bond with the pup that a field walk is about the two of you and not just the pup out exploring by itself. You should have no major need for a checkcord at this point as the pup is little and you should be able to catch it if you need too and particularly if you are in a safe area. The cord will also likely get caught in the grass or weeds or if it is too big the pup will simply not be able to pull it.

Put in the work when the pup is small and easier to catch and you will build a bond in the field between you and the pup. The pup will always look for you and you will have no worries of losing the pup when it is grown because you have always be a part of its field experience.

Double Shot Banks · Post by **Double Shot Banks** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 4:17 pm

My grandpa always told me, when you want to teach a young dog to stick around you let it go (maybe with a long check cord for insurance) and then when he isnt looking hide behind a tree, or a building. You will see that the pup will realise your gone, and come running looking for you.

Whenever you trust the dog enough i would let him off with him dragging a leash, but also a good idea to teach him to come during or before you do that.
At this age he isnt going to bolt away because he want to, probably just explore
Isaac and Banks

roaniecowpony · Post by **roaniecowpony** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:03 pm

In a year you're gonna want that dog to go away from you, probably a good distance away. That'll probably be difficult to get the dog to do if you teach it to stay near you now. Let it free in a large fenced area or in a mowed field. A full 25 ft standard checkcord might be a bit much for a 9 week old to drag around. A short "tag" or straight rope about 3 ft long will get the dog used to pulling a checkcord.

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:45 pm

Pups I raise are off leash in a field by the time they are 4 weeks old or younger. If I buy a pup at 8 weeks it will be pff leash the first day I have it and will be in a field off leash with in the first week. Your problem will not be recall but how to get them out from under your feet.

Ezzy

SpringerDude · Post by **SpringerDude** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:27 pm

I have my pups off leash early on. In my opinion, the sooner you can get a pup off leash and listening to you, the better. If you can't get pup to listen to you and work with you at a young age, then you are going to have a heck of a time when pup gets older and bolder.

Sooner the better in safe places.

natel24 · Post by **natel24** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:17 pm

My only advice is just because a your dog will recall in your apartment or on a check cord that doesn't mean the pup will come when let go for the first time. This might not be as big of an issue at 9 weeks when you can keep up with him but as he gets older it could, especially if you are in a city.

RoostersMom · Post by **RoostersMom** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:30 pm

IMO, it's not when do you let him off leash, but when do you put a checkcord or leash on him. We do a ton of off leash work early on, because you are less likely to loose them when they're little. When they start to show the real rangy-ness, then I get a Permatack checkcord and just attach that to them anytime they're out in the fields. You'll really want to get your V into some fields with some amount of cover and not just the mowed areas though. Try to find those places now so that the dog doesn't think mowed paths and 2 inch grass is all they need to know.

Your pup is really cute - you'll have a ball with her. Check out www.perfectionkennel.com and their Perfect Start DVD. The clinics are great too, and they are doing a lot of work with Vizslas now - they have the Rocky Mt. Vizsla club that does 2 seminars per year. They also work with GSP clubs. Join a local Vizsla club if there is one - we red dog people have a lot of fun together.

808allday · Post by **808allday** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:41 pm

I used to take my pup to the city baseball/softball parks. Fenced in and plenty of space to explore. Not too young to be off leash per say but too young to be expected to follow every command you might make. If you're standing there yelling come come come and the dog is ignoring you thats not going to help training either, probably best to drag a lead. I hate the dog dragging normal leads though what I did was make my own leads from hollowbraid polypropelene rope (available at home depot or lowes usually by the marine rope section). you can buy a couple hundred feet for less than $5.00 Buy that and some metal slide snaps you can make a light weight floating lead that your dog will more than likely not even feel. I find this helps because my dog wasn't "leash smart". It was so light she didn't even notice unless it got caught on something.

HallesDad · Post by **HallesDad** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:05 am

808 that's a great idea and we have plenty of fenced sports fields around us!

Gun Dog Forum