I went for a run with my boy today on our usual route. We run two miles on leash until we get to a creek b/w 2 fields. This creek runs 1 mile towards a busy street, we usually run 1/2 mile up it then back. Since it’s away from traffic and people and since he’s usually really good about coming when called and since he really, really loves running in the creek I let him off lead for the 1/2 mile up and back. He probably gets a good 4 miles in for my one. Well today we got separated. I couldn’t see or find him and spent 45 minutes running up and down calling for him. Then I decided to head home hoping and praying that I’d see him on the way home. Well, the happy ending is that he’s a good and smart boy and came home by himself. Even he was a little rattled. He was crying outside our fence when I got home.
Sooo now what do I do? Some might say the obvious answer is to not let him off lead. I really hate that option. He loves the creek and I really can’t get down to it with the leash. Trust that if we get separated he’ll make his way home? Seems to scary, what if he gets hit by a car?
It occurred to me that hunters have their dogs off lead all the time so I searched tracking units. Garmin has a promising one but it requires an antenna on my guy, it’s pretty bulky and expensive. Hunters also seem to use beepers.
Any experience with this? Any suggestions or advice? You guys really helped out with the on lead running-that’s gotten natural and easy. Now he just pulls me along while I wear a race belt to hold his leash. He doesn’t even use the head lead anymore.
Well, kind of, I called him my puppy but we don’t know how old he is. We got him from animal control. They guessed him @ 2, we think he’s 1. He’s the most energetic, into everything fun guy I’ve ever lived with. We have 4.5 acres that he can run on and was out for 1.5 hours this morning and can’t understand why he can’t go running now. I just hate taking that speed play part of the run away.
P
Yes, he’s much bigger than a coyote-he’s a German Wirehaired pointer so I don’t think they are much of a threat to him. He could certainly have gotten on a scent though.
How old is your puppy? As a general rule you shouldn’t be running with a dog until it is at least a year old - many people say with larger dogs to wait until they are two before you start running with them.
Was he chasing anything or did he just run off?
Glad you found the pup! That must have been so scary!
The first time I ran with him I thought I’d watch him closely, maybe only go twenty minutes. No problem, he went an hour with out any trouble but my arms were sore from hanging on. He really needs the exercise. I think he wants to know when we’re going to go fast or long. He’s done 90 minutes without any trouble. I’m not real fast 9-10 minute miles and that is just nothing for him.
If you can, have him come to you every so often just to check in to keep contact. example, every 5 mins or so do the come command and give him a treat when he comes and then have him go on his way again. works for me and my two dogs when their off lead.
I’m glad you had a happy ending and he was smart enuf to go home.
Another poster said this, but practice your ‘come’ call and give him treats when he comes to you, but don’t just do this on your run, do it in your backyard, and in other places where there are distractions. All dogs have a certain comfort distance from you, and they will usually stay at the very end of that distance (my dog’s comfort distance from me is much further away from me than I want it to be). So if your dog is in front of you, and you keep moving forward, he’ll keep going forward, but if you move backward, he’ll move back toward you. Practice getting him to pay attention to you, not you paying attention to him. Change directions frequently and run the other way (do all of this in a safe place, sounds like your backyard is a perfect place to practice). Everytime you recall him, make sure he comes to you. If he doesn’t come to you, go get him and bring him back to where you were when you called (get him nicely and friendly, make it sound like you’re having a big party and he’s missing out). Make sure he knows that every time you call him, he has to come to you, because if you don’t reinforce it every time, then he learns that he can come sometimes but not all the time. You can practice these things with a training lead (15 feet or longer). Let him roam around, it will kind of be like being off leash, then when he gets distracted, recall him, and reel him in if he doesn’t come immediately, then praise and treat like crazy, because you want him to realize that you’re the best thing around! Keep working on it, sounds like he already has it, just got a little distracted today!
hmm, good advice. He definitely likes coming when he’s called. I carry treats-leftover meat from dinner or liver treats so he knows that coming will be rewarded. But, he doesn’t know it’s necessary so I’ll work on that.
A sqeaky toy works for me when I get separated from my lab pups in the canyon. It seems like they can hear that noise from a mile away. Used it one day at dog beach to get his attention and I had dogs from all over running to me.
kelli
You should develop an emergency recall command. It takes a little time to develop but then is highly effective. If I say “treat party” and my dogs can here it they will break point or whatever esle they are doing and sprint to me (of course they get treats in return). Another option is whistle training. Don’t mistake hunting dogs and other breeeds. Just because a pointer does X doesn’t mean your dog will do it too.
Thing is he does come when he’s called and always gets a delicious reward so he’s very pleased to come. He also likes knowing where I am. I honestly think today we just couldn’t find each other.
That’s why I’m wondering if anyone has experience with tracking systems or beepers. A friend thinks they make a collar that buzzes if the dog gets too far away. Anyone have any thoughts along these lines?
There are alot of little devices to use for your dog but… .my thoughts are if your out with your dog and he is off his lead it is not a good idea to let him out of your site for more than a couple minutes at a time ( if at all ). Dogs love the wild and will do wild dog things if the situation arises. My schnauzer is a natural ratter so he loves chasing chipmunks and squirrels. If he finds somthing to chase he will sometimes turn a deaf ear to any calls ( not often but it will happen ). That being said I’m all for a tracking device to find your dog but i wouldn’t count on a vibrating collar to bring him back to you if he is having too much fun on his own.
You could always train your dog to come to a whistle, like hunting dogs. There are whistles you can buy that are much louder than the human voice could ever be.
You need to train him to come and heel before letting him off the lead - period. Lots and lots of consistent yard work in a controlled situation. Pointers can be headstrong dogs with a huge desire to run, but you have to be headstrong +1. I run with my dog on a lead until we reach a field where he gets to run free. But when I whistle, he knows to come back. It might take some time to train him to the point where you can have a 100% consistent return, but thats the standard before I let my dog off his lead in any area with traffic. If you’re consistent, the dog will learn not to let you out of his sight. Good luck with him, and keep all training fun.
I had English Pointers who would run on me before I really understood training a dog. Luckily I always got them back - they either returned home, or the Police would call me. I went for a run one time and the dog made it home long before I did. At first, my wife thought something had happened to me, but then knowing the dog knew he had simply ditched me. After working with a dog trainer for a while (training me, not the dogs) I could run with three dogs (two pointers and an english springer) without leashes.
Hmmm, so the unanimous response is slow consistent training before preparing for the big event of free running. I’m disappointed in Slowtwitch. PEOPLE THERE IS A 600 DOLLAR TOY out there that could replace consistent boring hard work. It probably even comes with dimples.
Well at least I can still think about a coach and can buy a whistle. Maybe even a dimpled one.
Seriously, thanks for the advice. We went for our run, stayed on lead the whole way and Goose seems quite pleased with the whole experience. We’ll slowly work up to freedom.
SO GLAD YOU FOUND HIM! I freak out if I can’t find Lucy in the house! Of course she is a 13 pound 4 year old Bichon Frise.
There are tons of good suggestions… the practice the come when called in the backyard is really good. Then you could move it to a large fenced in area (football field, baseball field, park, etc)…that worked with Lucy. Now she won’t get more than about 100 feet from us even in the yard, although we are in a new house and she is still exploring the neighbors lot line, etc. It takes a long time for a little one to check every single piece of grass, which she intends on doing!
**Some might say the obvious answer is to not let him off lead. **Yeah, I might say that
**I really hate that option. **how much do you hate the idea of losing your dog or being killed by a speeding car? As someone who has picked up a strange dog and raced it to the vet after being struck and left to die in the street only to have it die in my lap on the way I would say any fun he may have isn’t worth the risk. Hunters leave dogs of the leash in fields, not next to streets.
Take him someplace safe to do off leash runs if you have to let him off the leash but it isn’t worth the risk.
