Off-Leash Dog Etiquette: A Quick Reference Guide
Being able to let your dog enjoy the freedom of being off leash is a great joy to many dog lovers. However, no one wants to sacrifice safety for those moments of happiness. That’s why it’s crucial that dog owners follow a similar set of principles when their dogs are off-leash.
Helping your dog establish good off-leash behaviors can not only impact his dog park fun, but the enjoyment of other dogs, as well. If you’re wondering how to make your dog an off-leash super star, you’ll want to start with these basics in etiquette.
Pay Attention to Your Dog
You are likely going to have other things to occupy your time at a dog park— talking with other owners, catching up on emails or reading a good book. It’s easy to forget to check in with your dog. Pay attention to your dog so you can help diffuse situations and manage conflict by:
- Knowing his body language. This can help you understand how he is feeling in this environment. If he stops and stares at other dogs or tugs or pulls, he may be nervous or uncomfortable. That can lead to conflict.
- Training your dog to watch you and check in frequently. When your dog is off-leash he should have an eye on you at all times. When you call to him or engage with him, he should respond quickly. This can help you keep control over him during high-energy scenarios.
- Rethinking things if your dog is aggressive. If your dog needs to be socialized or make some substantial behavior change, consider working with a trainer before going off-leash.
Work Your Way Up to Off-Leash
The freedom and wildness of being off-leash may be overwhelming to some dogs without a little practice and preparation. You can help get your dog ready for the responsibility of being off-leash with ideas like:
- Buying a long leash. Work on commands such as “come,” “sit” and leave it while slowly giving them more and more space, but still with levels of control.
- Learning appropriate collar grabs so you can safely and effectively control your dog in an emergency situation.
- Sticking to your tone. You need an off-leash dog to respond to your voice appropriately and right away. As you voice train your dog, be sure to use one call with the same tone. Adding a hand signal helps with comprehension, too. Add treats as necessary during the training process, but do not rely on them.
- Practicing with boundary training. Allow your dog to practice off-leash in a smaller area and work their way up larger as they get more confident.
Be a Good Neighbor
When your dog is off-leash, he isn’t just interacting with other dogs— he is actively impacting humans and other animals in the area around him. Being a good neighbor means respecting people’s spaces and the environment. You can:
- Scoop your poop. Clean up after your dog, whether on leash or off. Dog feces can carry diseases, even the healthy dogs, and it’s unsightly, uncomfortable mess for others.
- Decide not to let your dog greet everyone. Some people are not dog lovers and even those that are may not be in the right mindset. Train your dog to say hello when you give him a command that allows it.
- Try to avoid bringing treats to the dog park, even when you’re working on training. Dogs can smell treats a mile away, and while that means you will be pestered by every dog in the park, the temptation might unintentionally start a conflict.
Teach Your Dog Commands
A voice-trained dog is one that is not only well-behaved, but well-stimulated, too. Learning commands is very entertaining and exciting to a dog. Exercising their mind muscle will help them stay calmer and more relaxed off leash. Some common first commands are:
- Sit: Train your dog to sit so that you can get him to stay still when you need him to. Many trainers pair this command with a hand symbol, such as pointing two fingers or balling a fist.
- Come: Perhaps the most important off-leash commands, “come” is the command that lets your dog know he needs to be by your side.
- Stay: Using this command is helpful when you need to approach something first, like an old bridge or an overgrown path. It’s also a good command for times when your dog has run too far ahead and you need him to stay where he is while you catch up.
- Leave It: When your dog is nosing into something he shouldn’t, the “leave it” command lets him know it’s time to walk away.
Respectfully Manage Conflict
When your dog is off-leash, the chance for conflict is substantially higher. The last thing you want is for your dog to get injured or for your dog to injure another. Manage conflict for your off-leash dog with these tips:
- Blame the behavior, not the animal. Some dog owners can feel really defensive when their dog is aggressive. Try to make them more at-ease by showing you aren’t judging their dog.
- Throw a blanket, towel, jacket or cup of water on dogs that are fighting. Never try to break up a fight by reaching in.
- Ask the owner of the other dog to grab his tail or hind legs and you grab the back end of your dog. This can really be a risky move, so only do it if you are confident neither of you will get hurt.
- Look for the signs of aggression or anger— pinned back ears, growling or “whale eye.” Cheerfully call your dog away if you see any of these signs in your dog or others.
Allowing your dog some time off leash gives them the freedom to be a carefree dog, able to enjoy all the sights and smells. Being unconstrained by a leash lets your dog stretch his legs and his lungs. This kind of freedom can be anxiety provoking, but much less so when you focus on off-leash etiquette. Give your dog a fun, freeing adventure off leash that stills lets you have peace of mind.