How to train a dog to respect boundaries?

As annoying as it can be, you can train your dog to respect boundaries using a voice command and positive reinforcement training. Keep in mind though that this will require lots of practice, patience, and consistency. The first step in boundary training is to find some tasty treats your dog is particularly fond of. You want treats that make your dog drool such as hot dogs, pieces of cooked skinless and boneless chicken, some slices of juicy leftover steak, or freeze-dried liver. The next step is to temporarily use a long rope to provide your dog with a visual mark for the boundaries you want your dog to respect. If your dog shows an intent to escape or gets too close to the boundary lines, say a firm leave it pulling the dog towards you and luring him with a treat. Repeat often. It may take lots of repetition for your dog to grasp the concept that leave it means stop what you are doing and come get your treat. As the dog starts responding to the leave it command then some challenges may be gradually added. It is part of training dogs to add challenges under the form of distractions to increase reliability. You may have some volunteers walk by the road at a far distance after the boundary lines. Ask the volunteers to ignore the dog, just walk by without talking or looking at the dog. The moment your dog shows an intent to pass the boundaries says leave it so the dog can focus on you giving the treat and you can prevent him from bolting towards them to say hello. As he gets better, allow the passer byer to walk closer to the boundary lines. If your dog ignores your leave it you can always enforce it by pulling your dog back to you and giving a treat. Your goal however should be having him leave it and come voluntarily to you. Other distractions would be having people walk by with a dog, have children walk by, and create other tempting scenarios. As he gets better, you can remove the long line and train him off-leash. You should only do this though when he is very reliable. If he does very well without the long line, you can lower the boundary lines to the ground but still keep them there on the ground for a visual sign, continue the leave it exercises. Finally, you can remove the whole boundary lines if you wish, but it does not hurt to keep them.

Understanding the Basics Before you begin any training like this, whether it’s recall training, retrieval training or boundary training, it’s essential that your dog already understands and responds well to basic commands. Teaching your dog to sit, stay, heel and leave are the usual starting points and all will prove to be great tools for boundary training. Your dog also needs to recognise you as the dominant one – if your dog thinks you’re a pushover, they are much less likely to respond to commands. To begin your training, you need to have complete control over your dog. If you are confident they will respond to voice commands, you can leave them off-lead, if not, put them on their lead to ensure control. Remove your usual barriers to off-limits areas, and tell your dog to ‘heel’. If he stays away from the areas – reward him! Remember, reward-based training is much more effective and kinder for your pet. If the dog goes past the boundary you have set, use a method of correction that has worked for you in the past, so he knows that it is unacceptable to enter that space. Often the commands ‘no’ or ‘leave’ are sufficient, so it is essential that these are taught as part of your initial, basic training. A well timed ‘No!’ as he lifts the paw to go up the stairs, should stop your dog in his tracks. If practiced consistently and regularly, most dogs will recognise your boundaries within a few weeks.