How can you train dogs to walk without a leash?

Question

I see people do it everyday @ the park, walking down the street etc. How is this possible? My oldest baby Maggie (4) is the best with walking, she doesn't tug and she can go without a leash sometimes. I didn't train her to do this and it is only within this past year she has been trusted to do so.

Maggie is a basset/beagle, others are a mini dachshund and border collie mixes.

I think it is a bond of trust. Maggie is the best dog I have ever had (in her puppy days I couldn't say the same), although she's more of a human than a dog.

Answer 1

in my experience, it seems to be just the dog's sense of family and the trust bond you have with your dog. i know there are dogs who are just way too high-energy to be trusted to stay with their owner off-leash. but my dog would usually always walk along with us, however therer were a few times when he was feeling independent and would wander off or chase a squirrel or something.

Answer 2

I’ve never heard of anyone training their dog to do this, so it‘ll be interesting if someone answers you with an actual method. Usually, they either willingly hang around the “walker” or they don’t. Some dogs can go off-leash with no problem, but I think others could never be trusted not to run off. However, I think any dog has the potential to be distracted and dash off after something. I really upsets me when I see people walking their dog off-leash right next to a road or something.

My dogs have always been able to walk off-leash (only in safe areas, of course). My last dog, even if she walked far ahead, would always keep checking if we were still behind her, as if she was making sure she didn’t lose us. Sometimes she would even stop and wait for us to catch up before walking ahead again. It was like she figured we weren’t TAKING her for a walk at all, but that she was taking a walk WITH us, and that’s how she treated it.

It's kind of how some young kids just walk next to their parents, but some always have to be held by the hand or they'll wander off. It's just something that is "in" the dog to do or not do, and I'm not sure it can be taught.

Answer 3

Some dogs just like to stick next to their owner, while others get distracted easly and run off after somthing. I guess they like to stick close just in case anything happens and they can protect their owner.