Don't be “that dog owner” at the park! We all love taking our dogs off leash to parks, lakes, and other places, but don't be a jerk! It is your responsibility as a dog owner to be respectful of others!

In order to trust a dog off leash, like we do in this video, your dog needs consistent training! This is one of the most important steps that many people do not follow. Failure to have a well trained dog off leash can lead to a dog running away, dog fights, bites, and many other issues.

If you think your dog is ready for the challenge, the first thing you need to consider is if your dog has a 100% recall in every environment. We have an awesome video on how to perfect your dogs' come command, you can watch it here!    • STEP By STEP Guide To Training Your D...  

Having perfect recall keeps your dog and everyone else at the park safe! Without a perfect recall command you are taking a massive gamble on your dog's safety and the safety of others.

If you are taking your dog to a park off leash, you should also consider using an e collar. Keep in mind that e collars are more than just a way to correct a dog. Most e-collars have a pager function, either a vibrate or a tone. If your dog gets too far away, you run the risk that they can not hear you. If trained correctly, the pager serves a great way to get their attention.

Right when you get out of the car, you should put your dog in a heel command. Parking lots are busy and dangerous, so having control off the bat is important. Heel also serves as a great way to calm your dog down and set the tone for the day. Some dogs require a warm up, and this is a great way to start.

Meeting people and dogs requires your dog to be social and well trained. If you see another person or dog, call your dog over to you and leash them up. Even if your dog is super friendly, it does not mean that the other dogs are or that the other person loves dogs. Once on a leash, you can heel past or up to the person or dog. Always ask to say hi to a dog, or if you want the dogs to meet. Calmly heeling them up prevents a ton of issues. If the intro goes well, you can either move on, or if your dog is trained and friendly, the dogs can play off leash.

You should practice their come command often. Usually at the beginning of the day at the park to make sure they are locked in, then once every 5-10 minutes to help them remain in training mode.

If your dog knows off leash heel, you should practice this as well. This gives them the freedom of no leash while having something for them to focus on. This step is not 100% required, but is a nice touch especially at busy distracting parks. Please check out our off leash heel video here!    • Teaching Your Dog To Heel Off Leash  

Another thing to remember is be mindful of corners and blind spots for all of the reasons above. If you come up to one, ask your dog to come or heel, leash them up, and walk them around the corner to make sure it is clear of other dogs and people. When heading back to the parking lot, leash your dog back up to end the day calmly and safely!

We hope this video serves as a good reminder of how important your dog being able to listen at parks is. Too many people trust their dogs too much, and a ton of issues tend to follow. Off leash is not for every dog, and we recommend taking the extra time to make sure your dog comes when called perfectly before taking them off leash in public.

Our Dog Boot Camp and our In-Home dog training programs are highly customized and designed to give you and your dog the best life possible. We focus on obedience commands, leash walking, off leash training, in-home behaviors, socializing, and many other training goals.

For more information, please visit our website today!

Quick Price Quote https://suburban-k9.com/instant-quote/

Dog Boot Camp information https://suburban-k9.com/dog-boot-camp/

In Home Dog Training Information https://suburban-k9.com/in-home-dog-t

Follow us on social media!
Facebook:   / suburban.k9  
IG:   / suburban_k9  

Chapters
00:00 Do Not Be A Jerk!
00:36 Recall Needs To Be Perfect!
00:53 Start With Heel!
01:25 Use Of An E Collar
02:16 General Etiquette: Meeting People
03:37 General Etiquette: Meeting Dogs
04:33 Practice Come Often
04:57 Off Leash Heel
05:17 Be Mindful Of Blind Corners
05:54 Closing Thoughts

#dogtraining #dogtrainer #offleashdogtraining