Help needed for running away from me when he has something he shouldn't

[Deb]

Boomer is a 12 week old ALD. We got him at 8 weeks. He is doing so well. Ringing potty bells to go out, sleeping thru the night, Not jumping up, learning not to bite.SO...everything is great except for one thing. We live in the country...lots of sticks and stones to try to eat. I wish I could puppyproof the yard! Most of the time he is off leash and plays and walks nicely. But occasionally he'll get into something he can't have. I tell him to leave it...go toward him and he takes off running. Too fast for me to catch. Sometimes I try to catch him...sometimes I stay cool to see if he'll drop it. Any tips? Sometimes a treat for coming back works...sometimes diverting his attention to something else. If he strays too far in the yard, he'll come back quickly when he sees us going back into the house.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

The very first sentence, just cracked me up! Truer words never said! ;)
Have a friend, first time puppy owner/ long time dog owner, who was bragging how her little one followed her everywhere with very little training.
The day came where puppy decided, she actually didn't need to be that close to Mom and had a will of her own. Took my every being not to blurt out" I told you so". :)
Enzo had 11 months will occasionally do this. She thinks it's a game. It is usually indoors with a cat toy or something similar ( except the other day it was a pair of reading glasses). Thankfully, she doesn't chew, but just wants to prance around with them. We found a very STERN drop it, usually does the trick. She then knows we are NOT playing.

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Agree totally with the suggestions already made.  My one suggestion is that when/if you get a long line, make sure it's a cotton line.  DO NOT get nylon.  If your pup takes off and you try to stop him, you can get a terrible nylon burn.  If someone else is in the way they could also get a nasty burn on their legs as well.  They make cotton lines for training purposes.  They nice thing about them is they can be thrown in the washing machine if they get icky..

Here is the link to the one I bought for Bailey...  I've had it for 2 years now and use it all summer long at the beach..

http://leerburg.com/longlines.htm

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

All wonderful ideas here.  I would add to teach both "leave it" meaning do not touch it, do not pick it up etc!  Then I would teach a "drop it" meaning if you already picked it up you need to drop it!  I would also find out what his "puppy crack" is.  What is the one stinky, smelly, yummiest treat that he absolutely cannot say no to?  Have that on you when he goes out to play and train.  If he knows it is in your pocket when you go out (show him) then he might be a little more eager to obey.  Note also that the "puppy crack" item may change from time to time.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

I was just going to add the importance of teaching and distinguishing between "leave it" and "drop it." It's key that they know the difference and will obey both commands.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

You have to make sure he cannot get away from you and until he is trained to be 100% reliable which may as in my boys case be never (LOL) you will need to make sure this baby is on a long line so you can reel him in when you call him. As he comes to you heap the praise on.  Even at ages 2 and 3 the long line is my one piece of equipment I wouldn't be without.

[Deb]

Thanks everyone. I did read the puppy stages info before. You're right. I need to nip this in the bud.This site is awesome. I'll let you know how we do!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

And I think you will do just fine  :)

This is a great discussion to bring up from time to time. Not only are these comments for you but it helps us all

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We took the dogs to a Marina yesterday where ground squirrels live in the rocks along the harbor.  All three of mine would have been gone -  totally gone -  chasing those squirrels.  These dogs are prey driven, and when encountering prey, not to be trusted.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

I taught three distinct commands to use when I want my dogs to return to me. One is "here," which is the more casual command, meaning return to me, and is rewarded by a minimal treat some of the time. The other is "come," which is more serious and is always rewarded by a high-value meaty treat. The third is "pizza pie," which means return to me immediately because of danger.  That one I reward with a huge treat - usually meat or fish or even fish skin. I haven't had to use the third command in a real-life situation, thankfully, but I want to have it in my arsenal in case there's ever a true emergency. I practice all three commands; "pizza pie" is practiced monthly. Pick whatever word or phrase you like, but it must be something that Boomer wouldn't hear at any other time. 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

What an interesting method! I like the idea behind that. 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Thanks. I prioritized them with "come" as the second in importance, thinking that if they were ever out and lost, they'd go to a helping stranger who would most probably say the word, come. "Come" is my promise word, and if I use it and don't happen to have a meaty treat with me, they know that they'll get something yummy as soon as we get home. When I call, "pizza pie," they run to me at full rocket force - it never fails!

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I am so impressed! My 7 month old puppy and I are still working on just ONE recall command haha but I may add in at least one other word. I think it definitely makes sense and is something I wouldn't have thought of.