How do I get my puppy to stay by my side when off her leash?

Question

I have a 4 month old Maltese. She is starting to run off when I take her outside. I have a fenced yrad, but I like to take my dogs in other areas of my yard with me. My lab has always stayed by my side and I would like my puppy to do the same. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could get her to want to stay with me?

Answer 1

Some dogs naturally heel or will do so over time. However, other dogs are runners or need to be trained to heel.

At 4 months old, she is far too young to have learned to naturally stay by your side. She is just a baby and is learning and exploring. She may start staying close to you by 8 months, after she has matured some and bonded more with you. However, this is no guarantee. Some dogs do need more "work".

I recommend obedience training. You have to teach her to heel better, so that she walks properly with you on her leash. You also need her to listen to you so that off-leash she will stay if you tell her to and run if you give her permission. For example, I take my two pups to a dog park. Both are 8 months old. One already tends to follow me around more when I walk through the park, while the other likes to play more. However, I can call them to me, have them sit and even stay until I give them permission to move. This is because they have been obedience trained. You may need classes with a professional to help here.

At 4 months, your dog is just now old enough to start getting obedience classes, so it is the perfect time to start. And remember, this isn't an automatic overnight process. Some dogs respond well to certain commands, others need more work. But once trained, in a few months, you'll have a great pup. She may still like to run off and play, but she'll also bond more with you and tend to always keep you in her vision. For example, even though I just wrote that my pups like to play in the dog park, one more than the other, sometimes they both will stay right by my side and follow me around.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Sometimes you get that one dog that intuitively knows exactly where you want him to be, that's your lab. The Maltese is the other kind. She intuitively knows exactly where she wants to be.
The little one will need training. Go to your local Obedience School and take advantage of the methods that are available to teaching your pet exactly what you want.
Teaching the more inquisitive pup or wanderer can be a challenge and the shortcuts that an experienced trainer knows will make it less frustrating.
In the meantime, put her on a leash and continually call her to your side as you walk her. Praise her lavishly every time she stays with you. It's not a cure-all but it is a method that works. Remember that puppies have a very short attention span, so keep the praise going with only short breaks. In about two months, you should start trying to let go of the leash for short periods and then eventually take it off.
Good Luck.

Answer 3

Puppies are harder to train to do that but it's a good beginning place for training.

What you need to do is to keep her on a leash while taking her for lots of walks. If she tries to go off in a different direction while you have her on a leash then tug on it. Just make sure that if she does something you don't want her to do then tug on it and say "no". Make sure you get it through to her that you don't want her to do something. She'll learn .

Then when she can walk with you on a leash and she won't try to run off after other animals or dogs or she won't go in people's yards or she won't eat things - like dead birds or squirrels - try taking a short walk with her without a leash. But only do this if you feel comfortable about her having her own freedom. But if you think she'll go after stuff - like the mail truck- then keep her on a leash for a little longer. But don't let her get too used to the leash or she'll never learn.

Answer 4

puppies have short attention spans and their minds wander. give her a little more time & make being beside you her time alone with you.

Take her to an obedience class and they will teach you how to train her. You need to know it all before you begin to teach. You need to find something that makes being beside you fun. Get away from other distractions so that you will have her attention.

You can also get a book on training her. She is old enough to start basic obedience but teach her in short bouts and always end on a goo note. Short attention span, remember?

Off leash work doesn't usually start until they have mastered the basic obedience. So you are really expecting too much for right now.

Answer 5

SHe has to be consistant (solid) on leash before you can expect it off leash.