Off Leash Walks

I am a huge fan of dog parks.  Not because of the interaction my dogs can have with other dogs, but because it gives them a chance to really stretch their legs and run full speed.  We have a decent sized back yard, but it is too small for them to really get their motors going.  I'm not sure what we would have done if we didn't run our oldest dog (a border collie, golden retriever cross) off leash.  As a pup, she needed quite a bit of exercise (and still does) and leashed walks around the block just didn't cut it.

I know lots of people are afraid to let their dog off leash and usually their biggest concern is "What if they don't come back when called?"  My dogs do not come back to me EVERY single time I call them.  And they never will.  There will always be something in the world that is more exciting than me (hard to believe I know).  But they come back most of the time and when they do, I make sure I have something to reward them. Their reward can be a ball or treat or just a pat on the head.  How I reward them depends on the dog and the circumstances. If there are other dogs and people around, I tend to reward with yummy treats, but if I just called them to get them to stop sniffing and catch up, I tend to reward with praise and pets.

The nice thing about dog parks is that there doesn't tend to be a lot of wildlife to distract your dog.  Most dog parks are used enough, that most of the wildlife prefers to go elsewhere.

If you are worried about cars, Popson Park (on the west side) has very little traffic (basically the only people there are people using the dog park).

And generally, the dogs at the dog park are well socialized dogs, so if your dog ignores you yelling "Come!" to go visit with a dog, it isn't the end of the world.  That being said, there is ALWAYS a risk of a dog fight. When I see a dog up ahead, I try and keep calling my girls back to me (and I reward them heavily for doing so) until we are close enough to the other dog that I know that I can get in the middle of things quickly if I need to.  It would be a great idea to learn about dog body language too so you can know when you can relax and when you want to be on your toes. In the 6 years I've been going to the dog park, I have had very, very few issues.

So how do you work up the courage to take your dog off leash?  There are a few things you can do to make your first off leash walk less stressful.

1. Go with other "experienced" people and their dogs.  The dogs will generally stick together so when your friends' dogs come running back, your dog will follow.  
2. Attach a long line to your dog.  You don't need to be holding on to the end of it, but they can drag it along behind them so you just need to get within 10 feet of your dog to "catch" them.  This works great for those dogs that tend to dart away from you at the last minute.
3. Pick a day and time when the park won't be very busy. For example, these last few days the park has been empty when I've gone because the weather is so horrible. It isn't as fun for me, but the dogs don't mind and I didn't need to worry about encountering any people or dogs.

Lola is by no means perfect at coming at called.  She even has a tendency to dart away when you reach for her. But I've taken her several times off leash to run with my girls and each time the long leash has just been a precaution as she really hasn't gone far.

If you haven't tried off leash walks but have a high energy dog, you will be amazed at the difference one can make and giving your dog enough exercise can go a long way in helping behavior problems.