The dogs in our refuge and rehoming program might be flight risks (right, Freedom?!) They may never had normal experiences like being off leash in a yard or walking down a sidewalk when a truck backfires. We consider it an honor to teach them these life skills and many more. However, a dog who has never been off leash or is struggling with fear might bolt when scared so we practice these moments in a methodical way; slowly introducing new and novel experiences such as microwave! cat! cell phone, etc and paring the scary thing with lots of really tasty treats, as well as real life rewards like ear scratches, sniffing and play. In the beginning of our real life immersion training, we often use a harness and long line to gently move the dog without having to grab close enough to get their collar. The long line can also drag to help the dog feel like they are off leash, without leash pressure. One of our basic safety set ups is a Comfort Flex harness (easy to fit and wear) attached to a regular buckle collar by a neck line, which is for skijoring or mushing, a short piece of webbing with a clip attached to each end. You can see in Pips picture on the left, the neckline is attached to the collar and also to his harness- leash is then attached to harness. Once dogs learn new skills this type of double safety method might not be needed, and Lou, on the right, now even enjoys off leash time when hiking in the woods. Here are some more tips, aimed at dogs from puppy mills but the similarity is significant. milldogrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Lost-Dog-Prevention-Strategies.pdf
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 00:37:57 +0000