Training Your Best Friend to Walk by Your

Side

By Coby Chambliss

Going for walks with your puppy, who you love so much and care for, is a great way to nurture and build a strong
relationship with each other. What’s better than going on fun walks or runs with your furry best friend on a lovely sunny
day? But we can't forget walking your dog without a leash can be very dangerous for the both of you. If you and your
pup are just getting to know each other, or you are a beginner with teaching commands, you should expect a lot of hard
work being put in on both ends. Your skill level does not have to be advanced, but you must be committed to building a
relationship with your dog, and lots of practice time with them. As you read on, you will learn more about how to train
your best friend to walk by your side without a leash.

Safety
If this is you and your dog's first-time training without a leash, You must I recommend you start off training your dog in
a calmer, less crowded environment, with a lot of space for you and your dog to feel comfortable beginning this training
process. and somewhere where you and your dog feel comfortable to be able to start the training process.

Your dog should already know his/her name. The recall method is a very important step of training your dog without a
leash. If your dog doesn't know its name, then he most likely isn't going to come to you. Especially when there's so many
things around that easily catches their attention.

Why should you choose to unleash your puppy?

Training your dog to walk by your side off leash can keep your dog safe. Suppose you're on a walk with your dog and the
leash breaks. You tell your dog, “Come!” but he refuses to come because he doesn't know the meaning of it. Your dog
could possibly run into the street chasing a squirrel or a cat.

You must know that off leash training isn't only to discipline your dog. Just in case of an emergency, this method might
be the difference between life and death. Off leash training challenges and provides great mental stimulation to your
dog as well working well in increasing the intelligence of your furry best friend.

Building Basic Commands

You need to train several different, distinct behaviors in your pup, preferably starting at a young age before beginning
the stay with me training. Like I said before, dog recall training is by far one of the most important steps of training your
pup. The off-leash training should also include the following behaviors:

 Look: ; a “watch me” command is a great distraction that focuses on your dog's attention on you, rather than
just their physical presence.
 Leave it: ; could mean stop trying to play with something that they shouldn’t be playing with.
 Drop it: ; to put something down that they have in their mouth.
 Emergency recall: ; which is a specific, rarely used command that they are trained to obey immediately and
at all costs.
 Recall: ; as mentioned above.
 Stay: ; to stand or sit in one spot until given another command otherwise.
 Heel: ; (stay at your side, on command) both on-leash and off-leash.
 1. Sit Command:
Begin by holding a treat over your dogs’ head, in order to get them engaged and excited.

Next, ask the dog to “Sit” verbally, while waving the treat around and above their head, keeping them engaged and
showing them the reward for following the command.

Finally, continue repeating these steps until the dog learns and reaffirms the command to sit.

2. Watch Me Command:
Begin by holding a treat near the dogs’ nose or mouth area in order to entice them and show them their possible
reward.

Next, move the treat back and forth in front of their face while instructing them to “Watch Me”, gaining eye contact
from the dog.

Continue to repeat these steps until gaining the full attention of the dog, and reaffirm the command and the skill
learned.
3. 3. Down Command:
Begin this command by placing a strong smelling treat in front of your dog, preferably one that is one of their favorites
to enjoy!

Ensure that your dog catches the scent of the treat.

Move the treat to the ground, while pointing downwards to indicate the direction you want the dog to go in.

Repeat until skill is firm.

Six Steps to off-leash training
STEP 1: Go to an area of your choice to begin your training. Choose an area that has limited distractions to ensure
complete focus from your dog, allowing more chances for not just focus but for trust building and overall bonding.Note,
your living room or kitchen is a good choice, but somewhere enclosed is a good area. Another consideration is choosing
a spot that isn't too interesting for your dog. Minimize distractions. Your pup should have their leash on, at this point.

STEP 2: Hold on to the leash and as soon as your pup looks at you, even if it is for a brief second, say “Yes!” and
unclip his leash. This gives your dog the first idea that paying attention to you earns him the reward of getting to explore
a little when training is done. From this point on, you will always make sure your dog gives you his attention before you
allow him off of the leash.
STEP 3: As your pup explores the confined area, he will eventually make his way back to you. When he does, give
him a happy, “Yes!”, a treat and encourage him to go play. This is his reward for paying attention to you!

STEP 4: Periodically during your training time, clip your dog's leash back on, wait for him to pay attention to you,
then unclip the leash, encourage him with a “Yes!” and tell him to go play. Once your dog starts to get a little bit bored
and spends more time by your side, it is probably a good point to end the training session.

STEP 5: As I said before, after a few training sessions in one area, branch out to one with a little more space, albeit
still fenced or otherwise enclosed.

STEP 6: Keep practicing and repeating these steps daily. Eventually, reward your pup with things other than treats,
like toys or some fun tricks.