# Safe/Appropriate age to start walking puppy out around town?



## Lady Lulu (Sep 6, 2011)

When I was 12 or 13 we had a pup come down with Parvo. This terrible illness just happened to coincide with a massive blizzard. By the time my parents were able to dig us out of the house and dig the car out of the driveway, my Lucy was too far gone to save. She died at the Vet's office. 

With every dog my family's had since her, they've always been extremely cautious about letting them go out of the yard or even taking them for walks until they've had all their puppy shots. Our puppies have always been on a lockdown in the backyard. 

My new puppy Lulu is a very smart but slightly stubborn girl. I know from experience if I can just get her out of the house and just wear her out, she'll be too tired to resist me when I work with her. She's 12 weeks old today and due to get her next round of puppy shots in the next week. She already walks pretty well on the leash but it's always been just laps around the backyard. I live in a very small country town with less than 1,000 people in it. There are fields and forests all around me, and not only are there a lot of useless owners who let their dogs run, but there are stray dogs that run the area, on top of coyotes. 

Having lost a pup to parvo and being unable to get them the medical care they needed was heart breaking. My biggest fear is Lulu catching something if I take her out too young. I just wanted to know how many rounds of puppy shots she needed before I could safely take her out for walks. We're an old river port town, everything is downhill, so there are lots of steep streets I could have her go up and down with me as part of our walk. I know it'd be beneficial to her and I know it would definitely help me to work some of her energy off. I just don't want to take her out before the puppy shots have built up an immunity for her.


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## Alexandria610 (Dec 2, 2010)

I wasn't comfortable taking my dogs out until they had all of their puppy shots. But that's just my take on it - I'm sure others with more puppy experience will know best and will hopefully chime in!

As for socializing and such, if you know people that are friendly and have friendly animals that are all vaccinated and healthy, then start having the puppy exposed to those dogs and people. Also, maybe have a bunch of different people come over to your house and have a people-puppy party. It's generally advised to get all ages, genders, races/ethnicities, builds, etc. of people exposed to your dog (so long as they're gentle with the puppy and friendly) to better socialize the pup to be a more stable adult. If you're REALLY worried about them bringing in diseases, ask that they leave their shoes at the outside of the door, just to help prevent tracking in anything unwanted.

Again, I don't have much knowledge on puppies from a YOUNG age (I usually end up with mine once they're on the last bit of puppy shots, so they're already able to go out and about without being sick - around 4 months) but others will better be able to tell you when the pup should be allowed around town  Sorry if that didn't help any!


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## MissChristina (Oct 21, 2011)

I suggest reading the book 'How to Raise the Perfect Dog' by Cesar Milan. In there he tells you ways to safely get your dog/puppy out before all shots are done and how to properly socialize them when they are still at risk with low immune systems  Other than that I don't know. AnnaBelle is my first puppy and I've always taken her places. She now has all her shots too.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

Lady Lulu said:


> She's 12 weeks old today and due to get her next round of puppy shots in the next week. She already walks pretty well on the leash but it's always been just laps around the backyard. I live in a very small country town with less than 1,000 people in it. There are fields and forests all around me, and not only are there a lot of useless owners who let their dogs run, but there are stray dogs that run the area, on top of coyotes... .


Ok,,, think,,,, do you have a fenced baseball diamond/soccer field anywhere close by? Most small towns do within 30'ish miles. Anything like that? How about a school playground? Do you have any walking trails? 

Walking on leash around the yard just won't begin to tap her energy. I am a huge proponent of off-leash work when they're little, like your pup. It creates a bond that you'll keep forever if you start it NOW. The odds of your dog becoming ill are not high if you're not going to places where you'll encounter dogs that may not be vaccinated, dog feces, etc. To me, it is something of a quality of life issue. Many people have differing views, but doing the offleash work at a young age is so important to me, that I've taken the risks associated with it. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean go to a dog park at that young age - but open fields, enclosed baseball fields, walking trails, heck YES!!!!!!!!! GO!!!!! 

I have lived through Parvo. It was frikkin' horrible. She came from the breeder with it. (Thought I'd chosen a great breeder, ugh.) She lived. 

You're at a really important time of puppy life. They need exposure, but with caution. Take mace or other deterrent with you if you're really worried about coyotes or strays. But, by all means, try to get off that leash and go play.


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## Lady Lulu (Sep 6, 2011)

I appreciate the input everyone. I do have relatives that have vaccinated dogs and we do regularly go and have little play dates. I've also been having company whenever I could, (like I said I'm sort of out in the middle of nowhere), but anytime anyone comes to the door, anytime any utility person or any other service tech needs to come by, she always goes with me and I let them greet her. So far she's yet to meet a person she didn't like and I'm really hoping to keep all of her experiences as positive as possible. 

I do have two places I can go that are totally fenced where she can run. I don't let her go outside them for the reasons I listed in my original post. I figured I'd get my vet's opinion when I take her in for her next shots. Out of paranoia I wanted to wait til her puppy shots were over but I worry that by doing so I might be robbing her of some vital socialization. I do have to admit, on a few occasions I have dared to venture down the sidewalk to the bus stop to get my son with her. It's important that she not be spooked by large vehicles and farm equipment, let alone feel the need to go after it. 

Again, thanks everyone for your input. I appreciate it.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i was out and about with my pup after
his 2nd round of shots. we waited a week
after the shots were given to be out and about.
my pup was in a puppy class after his 2nd round of shots.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

how do you control and train a pup when it's off leash???

how does being off leash create a bond???

i don't think a pup has to be near an infected dog
to get parvo.

i think a pup can get parvo from a school yard, walking trails
and tennis courts. i don't think there's a controlled area
when you're out where the pup can't get parvo.



chelle said:


> Ok,,, think,,,, do you have a fenced baseball diamond/soccer field anywhere close by? Most small towns do within 30'ish miles. Anything like that? How about a school playground? Do you have any walking trails?
> 
> Walking on leash around the yard just won't begin to tap her energy.
> 
> ...


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

doggiedad said:


> how do you control and train a pup when it's off leash???
> 
> how does being off leash create a bond???


If you start when you first get a puppy, it works on their natural instinct to stay close and with their 'pack'. Makes it a habit when you are still the focus of their world and you can build on the 'we' are going for a walk. Around 6 months old, normal independence starts coming into play, which is also when stepping it up with dog classes to teach we humans how to continue to train really helps. It's easy before 6 months 

I can walk for HOURS with a young pup (at their pace and with rests) and never even get close to losing them. If you watch the pup in these videos you aren't seeming me constantly calling and correcting (or losing them at all...)


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

doggiedad said:


> how do you control and train a pup when it's off leash???
> 
> how does being off leash create a bond???
> 
> ...


Well, doggiedad, that was always the beauty of when they are little - they *want* to be right there with you. At least all three of mine did. They also get far better exercise. The other great benefit was that if they've become used to being offleash and it's "no big deal" then they won't grow up and bolt when they've been on a leash their whole lives. You may not believe it is a bonding experience to walk trails or fields with an offleash pup, but it is a strong one.

True, you can pick parvo up on a tennis court. It was a quality of life issue for me and I wasn't going to wait until 16 weeks, til the last round of shots, to let my pups offleash. I brought two of mine home at 10 weeks, the last guy at 11 weeks and we were off doing offleash stuff within days of them coming home. 

Watch some of MRL's videos about offleash walking with pups. She explains it best. (OOPS, haha, she beat me to posting)


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I too am a big believer in off leash walks/hikes with little puppies. I've never lost one.  I teach them at that age to pay attention to where I am at. If they start getting too smart for their own good, I hide from them. They learn to use their noses to find you, AND they start checking/looking back to make sure they aren't too far ahead.


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

My golden walks better off leash than on leash (she's known in town as "the dog that walks herself"). We are training Knuckles the same way. I always have a leash with me, but for the most part they are off leash. Knuckles is quickly learning that going onto people's yard/off the sidewalk is a no-no and he is also quickly learning that at intersections he is to stop & sit (Saki WILL NOT cross a road until I give the ok. I've forgotten to say "ok" only to look back and see her still sitting there waiting.). Even in a large field or empty parking lot (school parking lot on weekends/after school sports) both of them never go further than about 20 feet away from me. On sidewalks or our walking trails they are within a few feet and I am always aware of other dogs/cars that could come by.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Wanted to add that when I am walking with ANY dog off leash, it is not "around town". WAY too many things, that I have no control over, can happen in an "around town" situation.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I also do the off leash woods walks with my puppy. Grim is an added bonus because the puppy is a little bit bolder to explore with Grim and Grim has a bombproof recall...he has to because he works offlead for SAR and he has even had fawns jump up from underneath him and not take chase (they nest up during while mom is out and about and freeze unless you almost step on them)

Sometimes it is just me and Beau and Beau stays in closer. With me and Grim he is usuallysomewhere between the two of us.

So the puppy is naturally learning the limits of his distance from me, is getting confidence in dealing with barbed wire, exploring gullies and creeks, learning to ingore various creatures of the woods. If he gets absorbed in something, sometimes I keep walking and he gets this "oh my" expression and comes barelling after me....I also do a lot of recalls with high value food treats while we are out. Grim running towards me is a great guarantee that Beau will also.

I learned from doing SAR how tuned in they are. Used to be worried about how far Grim would range out and then someone told me to just walk the other way. Sure enough-- it was like an invisible least on him--even though he was way out in front he KNEW when I changed direction. I think that comes from them having foundation genetics in herding. Do that with some other breeds and they will be in the next county.

Our woods are great because it is about 60 acres between two subdivsions so while there are some deer and other wildlife, I have never seen a coyote or thankfully, stray dogs (though he will have to learn about those too)....Tell you what after that walk is the one time Beau sleeps during the dya for a few hours (walk, lunch, sleep)...

Had a friend in college who trained her dog NEVER to cross the street without her. She could walk anywhere with that dog. My dogs are on lead around cars though unless we are working in a small urban area but then I have spotters and am on high alert (and have good verbla control with Grim, once again)


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Off leash strengthens a bond because the puppy/dog gets in the habit of checking on where you are. Dogs are routine/habit oriented. When they develop the habit and it gets frequently reinforced it becomes part of them. Even in the woods, mine get a little farther away but I see them repeatedly checking on me and ready to come if called. This all came from starting them young.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

Here was today's walk. Sorry it's sideways. Youtube says it takes awhile for my edit to take effect so maybe it'll be the right direction soon?. I'm just amazed I have finally inserted a youtube vid that isn't a link! Woohoo!


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## Alexandria610 (Dec 2, 2010)

chelle said:


> Well, doggiedad, that was always the beauty of when they are little - they *want* to be right there with you. At least all three of mine did. They also get far better exercise. The other great benefit was that if they've become used to being offleash and it's "no big deal" then they won't grow up and bolt when they've been on a leash their whole lives. You may not believe it is a bonding experience to walk trails or fields with an offleash pup, but it is a strong one.


I wish I was lucky enough to have gotten a dog that was young enough to still be in that bonding/intense learning stage. I rescued my baby at 18 weeks, and she'd already gone through the most vital socialization/bonding time in her life, and it had of course been a BAD one. It's been an uphill climb just getting her to be a normal dog, let alone a dog that can be bonded to me perfectly and not worry about her bolting or wandering away from me.

Do you have any tips for someone like me who didn't get the chance to take advantage of the bonding period? She loves me well enough, and one time that I was over at my cousin's cow pasture (even though it was fenced in, it would be easy for a dog to get between the fencing wires) the fencing was far away from where we were, and when I let her off leash she stayed pretty much with me.

I don't really have many places near me that are great hiking trails or anything of the like. I live in a rural area, but most open spaces are cow pastures that are fenced off from the public. Where would you suggest I practice this off-leash listening? I was thinking I could try, at the very least, on fenced-in tennis courts. Do you recommend this as a starting point?

By the way, MRL, LOVE Bretta's 'stick' in the first video. Too cute


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my pup was off leash when we were in the woods
but i didn't think i was creating any kind of bond.
my pup would wonder away from me. almost
anything would grab his attention. my pup was off leash
in the woods as long as i could catch him if he decided
to take off. once i couldn't catch him he was leashed
untill he had recall. in the woods we would encounter
deer, flocks of birds, wild turkey, rabbits, chipmonks,
people, horse back riders, dogs, bear, wolves, ok,
no bears or wolves. my pup was interested in all of the things.
i don't think we had a strong/good bond when we encountered
the before mentioned. i use to hide from my pup when we were
in the woods and lots of times he couldn't find me.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

Alexandria610 said:


> I wish I was lucky enough to have gotten a dog that was young enough to still be in that bonding/intense learning stage. I rescued my baby at 18 weeks, and she'd already gone through the most vital socialization/bonding time in her life, and it had of course been a BAD one. It's been an uphill climb just getting her to be a normal dog, let alone a dog that can be bonded to me perfectly and not worry about her bolting or wandering away from me.
> 
> Do you have any tips for someone like me who didn't get the chance to take advantage of the bonding period? She loves me well enough, and one time that I was over at my cousin's cow pasture (even though it was fenced in, it would be easy for a dog to get between the fencing wires) the fencing was far away from where we were, and when I let her off leash she stayed pretty much with me.
> 
> ...


I'm sorry, I really don't have advice, especially without knowing your dog. A tennis court wouldn't really be big enough for you to tell how well she's going to "stick" with you. 

I mean, this thing goes deeper. For example, my bf is scared to death to have a dog off-leash. If they get out of his sight on a woods walk, he gets anxious and starts calling them with a panicky sound in his voice. They might only be 25 feet or less around the next bend, but he's panicking. (Needless to say, he doesn't go on our walks with us anymore. He's more of a detriment and he can't "not" panic.) I don't panic. Really never have. The three dogs I have have always been great with this but even when they have done things (gone too far away, etc), I still don't panic. (Now, I do have one dog that was once wonderful offleash for these walks, but as she has gotten older, has gotten quite unpredictable, so the leash is usually back on her. It's the little snot who is leashed in my vid from today. ) 

So I guess I'm trying to say, but not spitting it out that well, that YES forming this foundation young IS critical, but it is also about your attitude in some part. You have to have the confidence and the dogs have to know it, too. Know that you'll keep walking and won't panic, freak out, chase them, etc and so on. It has to also be kept fun! Walking trails is FUN! We sniff, we go on, we throw a ball maybe, we just.. have... fun. 

If you're tense, worried, scared.. the dog picks that up most certainly. 

I'm blessed that I have an AWESOME backwoods trail less than a mile from home. It's inside a county park, so it is completely fenced. Better yet, it is hardly marked at all, so no one even knows it's there, other than a few locals. It is rare to ever find anyone back there. There is a "back" way into it, which is where we always go and even though the park closes at sunset, we're often still in there.. and we have the entire county park to ourselves. It's better than wonderful. This park is where I've started the offleash stuff with each of the three and eventually we graduated to other places. 

Have I ever had problems? Sure. I'll never forget going to the huge, fenced soccer park with the older two one day. (Years before Bailey.) We ran, played, had a heyday. It was time to go. My naughty one found an open gate and RAN like a banshee. I'm like WTHeck??? I chased her (mistake), I tried to bribe her in close enough to grab her, (mistake.) I sat there thinking oh wow, I cannot get my dog! Eventually I got so frustrated I went to the car and told my older dog, "car" and opened the door. Here comes naughty dog -- runs right to the car and jumps in. All I had to do was tell her "car"! My panic, my bribery, my attempting to catch her -- FAIL. Sure learned a lot that day.

There are certainly risks involved anytime you let a dog offleash. To me, it is worth it. If you don't have a good place, if you don't have the confidence, then maybe it isn't worth it. I'd bet MRL could provide some really good info that I just don't have. Sorry for the loooong post!



doggiedad said:


> my pup was off leash when we were in the woods
> but i didn't think i was creating any kind of bond.
> my pup would wonder away from me. almost
> anything would grab his attention. my pup was off leash
> ...


Well sorry it didn't work out for you. It's been terrific for us. I don't necessarily "hide" from Bailey, but I do randomly stop, especially if he goes around a bend and is out of sight. So far it rarely takes more than a matter of seconds until he's running back to get eyes on me. I also have been using this to work on recall. I call him back and treat him. The squirrels have become our big distraction. I'm glad that, so far, the squirrels are much faster than Bailey is.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

If your pup couldn't find you when you hid, it is likely because he never learned how to use his NOSE. None of mine have ever had any trouble finding me. But I also play games with them so they learn to use their sniffer! It's amazing the number of dogs that don't use their noses, but rely on their eyes instead. (Meaning if they can't SEE you they can't FIND you.)


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

This is one of our walks - a bit shaky off trail and with a cell phone-it is about 2.5 minutes of our normal lunch walk. Now I got Grim (the older dog) when he was 2 and had him offlead at a friends farm within a few weeks. I knew as long as I had a ball I was in control  -- He bonded very quickly though.

When I started I was very tense about it all; it is a paradigm shift and you DO have a lot of prep work. I already knew Grim's former owner had him offlead a lot in the backwoods of Wisconsin and before that he had spent time on a farm. So it all carried over. 

A few minutes of our lunch walk - YouTube


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I wanna know why I always sound like an ELEPHANT when I'm walking in the woods!???? but no one else does in their videos!~


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Ok how did you get my video to show up on the screen? LOL all I can do is a link.
Yes, crunch crunch crunch crunch very noisy ........but having sat in a lot of woods even teh squirrels can be pretty darned noisy

One thing you can see in my clip is that Grim *does* get ahead then he turns around like "hello, you guys coming or not?" he does that twice...


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

jocoyn said:


> Ok how did you get my video to show up on the screen? LOL all I can do is a link.
> Yes, crunch crunch crunch crunch very noisy ........but having sat in a lot of woods even teh squirrels can be pretty darned noisy
> 
> One thing you can see in my clip is that Grim *does* get ahead then he turns around like "hello, you guys coming or not?" he does that twice...


Ok, I had to figure that out too, there are different links you can get thru youtube. When on youtube I can be looking at the exact same video, but up top the LINK is different.

Generally the 'simple' link works best so I try to find that. I tend to put the NAME of our videos in the youtube search box, and then click on that link when the search finds it... so I put in 'A few minutes of our lunch walk' and got the following (only I'm adding some spaces or all you'd see is the video)

ht tp://www. youtube.com/watch?v=W_-xx4ygaRE

It looks like the link you posted (I also am adding weird spaces so you can see it)

ht tp://www. youtube.com/watch?v=W_-xs4ygaRE&feature=youtu.be


See how they are different? And sometimes the links are even longer.... I'm sure there's a better way but I muddle thru...


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Ya got me totally confused. ...... I may have to play in testing area now that I have a phone that can do video (but it is better if I am standing still  )


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I was actually thinking about this thread while out on todays walk. Since there is no trail we are everywhere and I started dropping some food in the tall grass then sneaking off to hide. Good game. Found me every time quickly (but then I have been throwing his toys in the weeds and brush since I got him and he was bred for hunt drive)...after this walk is the one time I can count on him to relax in his crate.


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## Lady Lulu (Sep 6, 2011)

Oh wow, this thread got a lot more informative for me than I ever expected it to. My girl is 14 weeks old at this point and I've basically been doing a lot of walking with her around the neighborhood. I've done quite well about avoiding other dogs but she's had a lot of time to meet and greet the locals doing all kinds of things. Loud children, cars, lawn mowers, chainsaws, nothing really seems to phase her. As of so far she's yet to meet anyone she didn't like. She even hung out on the porch with me on Halloween and greeted everyone that came up to the candy bowl. She does great on the leash and so far she seems to do pretty well off the leash. All of her experiences have been in fenced in enclosures though. After a man was found murdered on one of our "local" (I use that term lightly lol) walking trails in the woods, I've been a bit leery of going back out. It was a rare incident but it sticks with me.  

When I do have her off the leash, she is good about staying with me. She might stray fifteen feet or so, but she is almost always close by. Even when she's not though, I can see her keeping an eye on me as I'm moving about. Anytime I go the opposite way, she's on me. I've even tried to quietly slip off behind a tree and it doesn't ever seem to go unnoticed. Right now it almost feels as if it's a game to her. While I don't know how she'd do in the woods, I know in fenced off areas she gets really excited whenever I slip off and she finds me.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Puppies can get parvo anywhere..even their own home, because it can be tracked in on shoes. SO....IMHO, you can still carry a pup many places, and I still walked him in the safest areas I could think of. After two rounds of shots--because I think socialization and exposure is so very important. 

Off leash IS bonding, totally, again IMHO. I started Rocket at probably 12-13 weeks, because of the parvo thing. I live in the mountains and it is highly unlikely parvo is where we hike. It's literally out my front door and across the road. The first day I hid quickly from Rocket when he got just a little too far ahead. He came ROCKETING, lol, back, literally. I acted like he was the greatest thing ever to find me. I did the same when he stopped to sniff something. We go about every other day, and have gone on some long ones in Montana and he is awesome now. Especially if the trail is new, he is often content to let me lead. He never gets more than 5-6 ft in front, and I swear, every 3-4 feet he just does a head check quick, and I say "YES!" and he continues. There is only one exit trail, and there is a little stream we have to cross that he always drinks out of. Usually he gets within so many feet and streaks to it to drink, but yesterday he stopped and sat and politely waited while I fixed my boot. I was proud of him. He also scared up some wild turkeys and he started after them but came right back with a LEAVE IT. I honestly think he's just really learning to hike. And it's a great bond...his attention is so good. DH watches his ears and pointed that out to me once. We stopped (didn't hide, just stopped moving) as he was infront and his ears were sideways, and 2 secs after we stopped he turned around because he didn't hear us moving behind him. :wub:

Definitely play the "game" of FIND ME with her. Make her think she's the smartest dog EVER IN THE WORLD when she does. She will soon stay close close close.


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## Lady Lulu (Sep 6, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice. On top of going out and strolling around town I think we'll definitely be trying some more off leash stuff, (now that I realize it has a purpose). We'll also be playing some more "find me" games. I don't know what I love more, seeing her using her sniffer or watching her ears stand up sky high when she's pinpointed where I'm at. lol


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Lady Lulu said:


> When I do have her off the leash, she is good about staying with me. She might stray fifteen feet or so, but she is almost always close by. Even when she's not though, I can see her keeping an eye on me as I'm moving about. Anytime I go the opposite way, she's on me.* I've even tried to quietly slip off behind a tree and it doesn't ever seem to go unnoticed. Right now it almost feels as if it's a game to her. While I don't know how she'd do in the woods, I know in fenced off areas she gets really excited whenever I slip off and she finds me*.


You have already discovered why this works and how to make it work even better. Our pups naturally WANT to be with us and will panic if they feel they lost you. So they tend to keep an eye on us. 

Add to this the 'game' of us hiding and sneaking around and having treats/toys when they return, or RUN away with them when they see we've changed direction...... Making it FUN to be on an offleash walk, watching us, finding us. Learning to keep tabs on us from the very start.

My hikes are a 'we' operation  . I keep an eye on them, but they need to also keep an eye/ear on ME. So WE keep tabs on each other. If there is a hill/curve in the trail they pretty much slow/stop and wait for me cause when they go around/over that's when I run off an hide. So they are ready for the game and I can't hardly disappear anymore cause they are watching for it (which means they do NOT go over the hill/around the bend).

Can't stress enough, the *EARLIER THE BETTER* for the offleash walks like this! You have to work on their 'puppy' bonding needs. They really will not run off unless something horrific terrifying happens (elephant coming!!). It's much more important for the light of their life/center of their world (that's YOU :wub: ) to be near and reassuring in this NEW place.

There are rules for the walks, there is teaching going on. I'm not wandering around on my cell phone or with an ipod going. 

As far as Parvo goes, if you have friends with healthy and vetted dogs you can meet up with them. And I've found that people that take the time and effort to pay for an attend puppy classes also tend to be the RESPONSIBLE ones that care for their dogs.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I take my puppies out and about day ONE. Waiting until all shots are done? That's six months! No way. If we go to a "pet" place like a pet store I do tend to carry them until their second shot but from day one I plan a lot places I think are safe from parvo. For example I take my puppies to my Grandpa's apartment. No dogs live their (or have ever, it was new construction) and no one else in my family has dogs so I feel it's a good place to take the pup and let him loose among new people. I take them to work and let them run around the office while they are still little and cute and I can get away with breaking the rule  I take my puppies away from my house every day for the first two months.

We also do a lot of offleash stuff and I don't use leashes on our property. A baby puppy *wants* to be with you so it's easy to imprint that early on. I feel like too heavily relying on a leash sort of creates a self-fulfilling prophecy and the dog becomes unreliable off leash. Now of course I use a leash when we are in public places that require it.


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## Lady Lulu (Sep 6, 2011)

I appreciate all the responses. Unfortunately I haven't really taken Lady out for walks in the past two months now. We don't really play many "find me" games that involve running and hiding. She developed dysplasia in her left legs and any exertion really got her limping pretty bad. I ended up just focusing on putting her in the car and visiting people's houses while we waited for her surgery appointment. Now that she's on the mend, I can dream again of taking her out and walking and playing with her again.


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