the experiment

ok i wanted to try indie off lead today to see how she would cope. So instead of letting her loose, i put her on an 8metre retractable lead and locked it as far as it would go and dropped it on the floor. So if she decided to bolt i at least had 8 metres of lead behind her to try and stand on!!

Anyway, it went quite well, when we called her back she came most of the time. A couple of times she started running off so we ran the other way and jus about persuaded her to follow.

I was really nervous the whole time incase she bolted and that was it, but it was ok. Except for near the end when she saw some dogs and ran off! luckily i caught up to her b4 she got near them tho,lol. not that she wud have done anythin to em.

so next time im gonna bring a toy with us and see if we can keep her attention better?

Well done Jenny, well done indie

I get nervous to, at the moment as I’ve fractured my foot and can't run after Lola I only let her off her lead really earlier in the morning when the common is empty

well done jenny and indie, yep the idea is make yourself much more interesting to indie than other dogs etc are, so yea take some toys, keep going your doing really well!

yeh its really nerve racking, im constantly calling her wondering if she'll come back!
more often than not she will run ahead and not look back, and sometimes if u shout too nervously she wil really go for it cos she knows she shudnt be running off! as far as i can see thats wot shes thinkin ?

but at least with the lead following it gives me a bit of hope of catching her!

deffo toys next time. maybe 2 frisbys, one for her to chase, and one to get her back wen shes running off with the other

Jenny, she can feel your nervousness... And acts upon it.

So yes she will run off.

Yeah just make sure she finds you more eciting. And dont call her all the time. She'll get bored.... and wont come....

Good luck and congrats on the experiment today

Just a thought Jenny (and something I did):
A treat everytime and of course lots of praise when she comes back to you.
Listening should be fun and be rewarded

Sounds like she did very well

If you do use treats, use a high value treat when she returns to you.
When Teagan does something I want, she gets a little biscuit thing, when she returns to me (still training re-call) she gets a gravy bone, because it's a better treat!

She doesn't get one every time though, as then she thinks she gets food every time she comes back, and she's podgy!
I try and alternate between a gravy bone, and lots of happy voices and big cuddles.

The first time is always the worst.

well done jenny!

well i brought some cheesestrings with me, a high value treat for her! but out on walks she doesnt care. So i get her to come close enough so i can touch her collar and praise and let her go again.
when we had her frisby she wud jus watch us all the time , but we lost it, so gonna get another and try with that!


any other tips? i get so nervous, cos the first ever time we let her off lead a few months back she bolted toward a main road! so this time i took her as far into the common as i could away from the road and did it there with little distractions.