How can I train my Great Dane to not run away when unleashed?

Question

I have a 2-year-old male Great Dane that is not neutered and we don't want that done to him. He is obedient in every way and yet when we unleash him on our property, he goes ballistic running and jumping and circling several times then heads for the next hole in the bushes that lead to the road we live on and takes off as fast as he can run and will explore the neighborhood and sometimes go a half mile before we coax him to lie down exhausted so we can put his leash back on.

Is there anything that can be done short of fencing our 4 acres or spending thousands $$ for an invisible fence, etc? How do you train a dog or break him of that?

Thanks,

Sue

Answer 1

If you love your dog, don't "unleash" him anywhere ... UNTIL he is obedience trained.

You need to find a good class, and they are not all created equal. You want one that teachs ON AND OFF LEASH CONTORL. Anyone can get their dog to behave decently on a leash. The rubber meets the road when that leash comes off; as you have found out the hard way.

Rush out and buy The Koehler Method of Dog Training by William R. Koehler. If you can't find it at your book store, check Amazon or even Ebay. They have a web site: www.koehlerdogtraining.com
Check it out, they may be able to recommend a Koehler trainer in your area.

Practice safe management until you get him trained...keep him leashed. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

Answer 2

Teach him to come when called. Here are the steps:

1. Say your cue (usually "come," but if you have already been saying that use something else as he now knows that "come" means run away), then immediately give him five or six yummy treats (chicken, steak, cheese, etc.) and praise. Do this a dozen times over a few days.

2. Say your cue when your dog is involved with something fairly boring indoors. Reward as above when he comes to you. If he doesn't, go to him and let him sniff the treats, then back up to where you were when you called him, having him follow you. Reward. Again, do a bunch of times.

3. Do step two from a few feet farther away. Continue to gradually increase the distance from which you call him.

4. When he immediately comes to you from at least across the room, practice in the yard. The dog should be on leash. Repeat all steps. Get a long leash (at least 20 feet) for practice at greater distances.

5. Once he will eagerly come to you when called from the end of the long leash, try off-leash in the yard. I would suggest having a "look-out" at the hole in the bushes who can prevent him from escaping.

ALWAYS reward him when he comes to you. ONLY give the cue one time - giving him the opportunity to ignore you gives him the opportunity to run away. ALWAYS sound fun and inviting when you call him - dogs don't come to people who appear to be angry.

Answer 3

First of all, neutering a dog is the best thing for him, both for his own physical well being as well as to ensure the safety of the local female dogs. Since you have a known runner, if there is a female anywhere in the neighborhood, he will find her. Also, neutering will help calm the desire to run.

But to get to your original question, teach the dog a consistent, reliable recall (come on command). With the dog on leash, let the dog get distracted by something or someone. Then, give the dog's name and command "come", and literally pull him into you. when he is close enough that you can touch him, make him sit.

As the dog is coming consistently on a 6 foot leash, put him on a flexi lead or long line, something where he can get 12-12 feet away from you. Again, let him get distracted and then call him in.

Gradually increase the amount of the time and the distance he is allowed to get away from you. When you call him, give him only a second to react. If he does not start to come to you within the first second or 2, pull him in. Do not let him think about it. He needs to respond immediately to your command.

Also, take him for long walks around the neighborhood - let him see the area, while under a controlled situation, i.e., on a leash.

Think about a local basic obedience class as well. This will help settle him in, while working through basic commands and a good, reliable recall.

Answer 4

Your dog needs exercise. Before unleashing your dog try to take him for a run, tire out your dog.
Don’t unleash your dog while the dog is still excited; wait until your dog calms down before unleashing him.

To stop the dog from running away, I would train the dog to come when called. The quickest most reliable method for recall is with the use of an e-collar.

Try this site:
http://www.loucastle.com/recall.htm

You can also use the e-collar to teach the dog the boundaries of the property.

Answer 5

No neutering is an unkindness to your dog. You are putting him at high risk of testicular cancer, prostrate cancers & infections, anal fistulas. Your dog will live a longer healthier life if neutered.
You take your dog out on a long line until he has learned recall. You make it a party every time he comes no matter how long it takes for him to come to you.You never call the dog to you when you are going to punish him or do something unpleasant. Always making coming positive.Always give lots of praise & reward.
Sign up for obedience classes.

Answer 6

At 13 weeks she's still a BABY folks and you can't expect one that young to really consistantly "get it." It's the equivilant of a 9 month old human baby, short attention span and even shorter memory. Start her and you in obedience training as soon as you can Hon so as she's getting older you both know exactly what you should be doing at what stage. *hug*

Answer 7

As a professional dog trainer for over 16 years, I have to tell you my strong opinion that you need these group classes for obedience training. http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?WKqp

Other pet warehouses are there to get you to buy their products and hang around their strore. And their trainers are their employees...never forget they have an agenda. Most of the trainers have very little education--if they had actual training and skills they wouldn't be there making just over minimum wage--trust me on this. But even if they did have experience and talent...a group setting is a terrible place for learning to take place. It's distraction training and it is the LAST phase of training not the first. You wouldn't have your child try to do their homework in a toy store, would you? Of course not...the level of distraction would be too high! It's the same with dogs. Having said that, these classes can be an excellent way to socialize dogs...but not to train them. And while they appear to be cheaper than a professional trainer...you have to attend many more sessions to get the same results because of the poor learning environment--so you wind up spending MORE money for less training than you would with a professional. Save your money and go to someone who actually knows how to train dogs. OR, read books and try to train your dog yourself. There is nothing they train at a Petsmart or Petco that you can't do yourself with a couple of hours of reading.