How to teach your dog to behave off leash?

Start by standing still and quiet. Allow your dog the full length of their lead. Once you have your dog's attention, you can move off - use your voice and treats to encourage your dog to stay close to you when walking. Always reward your dog when they're walking on a loose lead. If your dog moves too far away from you before the lead goes tight, stop and be still and quiet until they pay attention and move closer to you. Practise this in short and regular sessions. Make the area around you fun and rewarding so that your dog enjoys being closer to you. Lots of encouragement through praise and treats will stop him racing to his destination.

How to train your dog to stay with you off the lead is all about repetition and rewarding. Always bring a handful of treats when out with your dog so that you can reward him every time he returns, but keep them out of sight to make your dog work for his reward. Always reward your dog when he comes back to you. Begin by running through all of the commands that you have taught him, but this time on the lead and in a place with minimal distractions. Once you feel confident with the way your dog is responding to your commands on the lead, it is time to let him off. Choose a quiet place and run through the commands once more. Give your dog the “sit” command, followed by the “stay” command, and then remove his lead. Stay in regular contact with him by calling him back and praising him with treats, verbal praise and touch. Every time your dog comes back reward him with plenty of praise, fuss and a treat so that he wants to return next time.