Responding to Commands on Leash But not Off

[Erica Wiborg]

I recently took my rescue pup Radley, who is 11 months old, to a basic obedience class.  He did excellent and the entire class was on a leash.  He responded well and our trainer instructed me to continue with practicing the training at home but still on the leash.  Now that he has graduated, I have had trouble with him listening to commands when he is not on a leash.  He will only do these commands when we are practicing or sees it more as a game or only when I am giving him treats, not to simply listen and respond to what I am instructing him to do.  

Has anyone else struggled with this?  He is now 55 pounds and is becoming quite stubborn as he ages, so I want to make sure he is listening and responding appropriately.  

[Robin & Josie]

Our trainer talks a lot about "generalizing", meaning that your dog learns commands in one place, under certain conditions, and our job is to take that specific skill and practice it in other environments. For instance, Josie will come when called in class, in the house, and in the yard, but she got away from me the other day in front of our house, and I had a hard (and panicky) time getting her to come. I eventually bribed her sufficiently before a group of kids came running by or another kind of distraction. The trainer suggested that we put her in the front yard with a long leash and practice out there with kids, dogs, cars, etc. It is a way to generalize what she already knows.

We do a lot of distraction work in class. There are a number of small children that she uses to distract the puppies so they don't just learn under one "condition".

Are you still rewarding your pup with tasty treats? You might have to go back to square one and teach him the same stuff but without the leash, in a different space, etc.

In addition, we did a 6 week puppy class at Petco which was marginal, in my opinion. We are now taking our second puppy kindergarten class with a MUCH better trainer. You might consider another class. This trainer is certified by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Maybe look for someone with that designation in your area? She also teaches multiple levels of classes. We're hoping to get our Canine Good Citizen certification with her.

[Erica Wiborg]

Yes, it was treat training.  So I definitely want to do the long lead training in the front yard as well!  I hear that is really helpful for barking/getting distracted/focus training!  I do still reward with treats or trying to reward with praise.  He just likes the treats more sometimes!  He is very motivated by food.  

[BG and Gavin]

As Robin stated, generalization is the key and is very tricky.  What type of training were you doing?  If you were doing treat training it sounds like you were not taught about phasing out.  Without this important step, the dog will only respond when he knows there are treats on the line.  The best training that I did was not treat based, but more a combo of praise and correction.  I think doing treat training properly from start to finish would have been too difficult for me.  I am bad at following recipes too.

[Erica Wiborg]

I see what you mean!  Thank you for those thoughts.  I actually think now that I know more about types of training I would have preferred a combo training as well.  I want him to respond to me based off respect and our connection not just because he is getting a reward!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Aaaahhh - the teen years for a dog.  Puppies are so easy. Then sometime around 12-18 months they decide they don't have to do what you say.....  Just when you think your puppy is nearly perfect......

Practice, practice, practice.  Many times every day in all kinds of situations.  If there is any doubt that you will not be able to enforce your command after one "Radley, sit" or whatever, keep him on a long (10 foot) rope in the house always when you are home.  Keep it on for a long time - until Radley forgets its on him.  Make 3 ropes with snaps out of 50 feet of cheap cotton rope, so you always have a clean one. 

Come in my opinion is an extremely difficult command to get consistently in a lot of dogs.  But if you get a perfect sit, stay or down stay, generally it's as good as come, just a little more exercise for you.

Patience and practice.  Many dog experts believe in giving treats randomly for reinforcement.  So they are always looking and trying for the treat.

[Erica Wiborg]

Yes!  I have seen "come" as being a tough one.  He struggles with it in the backyard because he associates it with me leaving because I sometimes let him out right before I leave for work.  Patience is definitely the most important I have noticed!  Thanks for your suggestions and encouragement.  

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This is pretty interesting because I had a conversation with our trainer this week about the same thing.  He was telling me that he's getting lots of new clients whose dogs went through initial puppy training and learned how to respond to commands in a structured setting....and most often in treat based programs.  Now the dogs are 8 months or older and are figuring out that they'd rather play a "different game".  The owners feel that their dog is regressing, when actually the dog is just getting smarter.  They never learned to respond to what the owner asked from a place of respect...they did it because they really liked the reward at the end.  Now they're deciding there's a better reward....getting to do what they want.  So I think what you're experiencing is pretty "normal".  Now it's time to really step up your training.  At 11 months, I'd have my dog on a "nothing in life is free" program.  He would have to earn his rewards...all of them, including affection.  I've found that even off leash my guys know that they can't "blow me off"....I will "hunt them down" and we'll start all over again until them get it right.  Even my really stubborn guy now knows that I won't back down....he's decided it's just easier to do it the first time.  This was a huge challenge with him on down/stays.  I would give him the command, and 30 seconds later he'd break.  I'd calmly get him and put him right back in the same place....over and over.  It worked.  A couple days ago I put him in a down/stay upstairs and forgot all about him.  Almost an hour later I remembered and there he was...sound asleep in the spot I put him.  It takes calm, patient, repetition and very clear and consistent expectations. 

[Erica Wiborg]

Love this thought!  My mom associates this stubbornness to how my brother was as a child/teen.  She laughed because these were all the things she had to do with him.  I love your encouragement around the fact that this happens often.  I do actually she how since doodles are very smart dogs, that Radley has simply subscribed to his own game/set of rules.  He in essence has figured it out and I would rather him respond out of respect and because of our connection rather than treats.  I definitely will be stepping up my training.  I have been very consistent in not allowing him to blow me off and consistently put him back in sit/down/stay/or go to your place. I think for me I need to set consistent expectations, so for example when I am washing the dishes he should be in a down/stay or when a guest comes over he is in a down/stay on his place, etc.  I have been doing it randomly and not with my consistent behaviors, if that makes sense.  This is wonderful insight! Thank you! 

I also am working on channeling his energy or waiting for energetic spurts to die down before we go somewhere.  For example, when I drop him off at daycare, he sometimes is overly excited and until he calms down we do not leave the car.  We also do not go into the facility until he sits/stays to cross the threshold.  I think I am just waiting for it to click for him!  I need to be more patient with that.  

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think what you're doing at Daycare is perfect....I do the same thing, and my guys know we will never move forward (anywhere) until they're calm.  They still test me at times, but that's happening less and less often.  Good luck...you're on the right track.

[Adina P]

There has to be a temporary 'bridge' of training to take a dog from on leash to off leash obedience.  It has to be worked into your training program.  You can't just whip off the leash and expect the same level of obedience.  They've spent so many weeks, months, years learning things ON leash...they KNOW when the leash is on/off and that you are serious about one vs. the other and/or that you can follow through with one and not the other.

I started off leash training with both of my dogs but never finished.  It involved an entire program from start to finish so I didn't use one training method for on leash and a separate one for off--it was all one program.  But in any case the 'off leash' mindset began from the first lesson (even though there was a leash involved) and it was sprinkled through the course in various exercises that built upon each other to lead to off leash reliability.  At one point, well into good on-leash obedience, we moved to a collar tab and a very light 100 foot line attached to that tab.  There were specific exercises we did to allow that to be a smooth move and not obvious to the dog.  The transition involved leash on collar, leash on light line, no leash, and back and forth working each part meticulously.  And...then...life got busy and we did not finish. 

My point is that you need a trainer or program that is built to take you to off leash work. It doesn't happen automatically just because you did on-leash work. Long leashes are great, but they don't fix the problem entirely.