When Bailey came to live with us, we had an old fence that was on it’s last days. Bailey stayed within its confines on a heavy metal run so he could walk around the yard. Sometimes he was allowed to run in the yard but he was never easy to catch. Eventually the old fence had to come down and Bailey would longingly looked at open space. His lead was super strong so we didn’t worry that there would be an escape….. until the day his collar broke. It took us 1 ½ hours to capture him and let’s say catching a dog that has a mind of his own and is collarless while darting across busy streets isn’t easy. If there was a positive side to this, it was that we met many neighbors! It was such a cold damp day and since we ran coatless, we both got sick but were relieved that Bailey was safe.
The next weekend, I was still sick and was looking forward to a day to recover. With coffee brewing, I went to let the dog into the closed garage area before hooking him on his lead then the unthinkable happened. I looked up and the side door had blown open due to strong winds and Bailey was gone! Again!! This time I had a good idea where he would run and run he did for ½ hour. Thankfully there were lots of dogs that were somehow alerted to a canine on the loose, a network of sorts like the Secret Life of Pets move, and they all were barking at their windows probably saying run for it!! Bailey ran across a busy street then did an about face and ran back towards the barking. He ran up the steps of the home of one barking dog and the lady grabbed his collar. Phew! Back home we went.
The next day I got a quote on a fence and within a few weeks it was in place.
Training Tips for the Backyard/Fenced Area
- Fences keep dogs safe from external harm but dogs won’t necessarily obey within the fenced area (mine doesn’t)
- If your dog does not come, then he is probably not ready yet to handle freedom
- Always use a positive tone and reward generously with treats
- If your dog is struggling to obey, look for a way to bring the moment to a successful end so the training experience is always positive. One way to do this is to ask your dog to do something you know they can do and reward them
- Save off leash play time for your dog to run with other dogs so that he expends a lot of energy
Bailey and his friend Grace
The below link explains how the long leash works. It is that little reminder to your dog that you are still in the area and they need to respond to your call and make sure you have lot’s of treats!
https://www.thelabradorsite.com/using-a-training-lead-on-your-labrador/
