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What Is The Least Effective Method To Retrieve A Dog That Has Got Off Leash?

January 7, 2021 by Mary Telesz

three dogs running off leashAfter all your hard work, you thought your dog would behave when you let him go off leash. But as soon as he spotted another dog, your dog made a beeline for it and ignored your calls to come back. Or perhaps your dog escaped from your grasp to chase a squirrel. Regardless of the reason for your dog running off, it is the way dogs get lost, hurt, or worse. Still, it is an issue that all dog owners face eventually. What should you do? What is the least effective method to retrieve a dog that has got off leash?

Least Effective Methods to Retrieve Your Dog Off Leash

When you are not prepared with what to do when your dog takes off and won’t come back, you are likely to do one of the following things, none of which are likely to be effective:

Shouting

Yelling at your dog will only increase the dog’s excitement level, and it will not entice the dog to come to you. Your dog will hear the frustration—possibly anger—in your voice and would prefer to keep running away from you.

Running After Them

If you run after your dog, your dog may construe it as a game of “chase.” Dogs love to play chase with each other. Your dog may be delighted to play along and will keep on running.

Things To Do To Get Your Dog Back While Off Leash

Instead of shouting and chasing after your dog, there are some better ways to handle the situation.

a dog running in dirt off leashIdeally, you will have been working with your dog on off-leash training, so you will have an emergency plan for just this situation. If you have been spending the time working on off leash training, you should have an easier time getting your dog back. You will be prepared because you remembered to bring treats with you and perhaps a squeaky toy or a ball or two. You will have already worked with your dog and taught him a special word that means something really good is about to happen, such as its favorite treat or special toy. All of that hard work will help you when your dog decides to ignore you off leash.

If you have not done much off leash training, or if your dog is not responding to you, here are the things that are more effective:

Stay Calm

Realize that the reason your dog has taken off is because something exciting has attracted its attention. Your job is to lower the dog’s excitement level and redirect the dog’s attention back to you. Staying calm may be difficult if the dog is in a dangerous situation, such as in a high traffic area, or an unfamiliar environment, such as a new public park.

Call Your Dog By Its Name

Call your dog in a pleasant tone of voice but in a voice that is loud enough to get the dog’s attention. Try to avoid conveying a tone of anger or fear. If you have a squeaky toy with you, squeak it. You will be surprised at how quickly your dog changes its focus from its current distraction to the toy.

Entice Them With A Treat Or A Toy…

When your dog hears you calling or hears the squeaky toy, they will look at you. At that moment, entice the dog to you by waving a treat or the toy. Continue this motion until your dog takes a step toward you. Give him praise immediately.

… and Go In The Opposite Direction

Once your dog is moving toward you, keep praising him and enticing him with the treat or toy. Turn and take a step or two in the direction away from the distraction. Your dog will likely now be following you.

Fall On The Floor

Once you have their attention, fall on the floor. While this may seem strange, this is a fun and playful way to get your dog back. They might get very curious as to why you have fallen and walk back toward you.

Reward And Celebrate Your Dog’s Return To You

a dog running next to their owner off leashAs soon as your dog is in reach, give him the treat or toy reward and lots of petting and praise. Resist the impulse to immediately snap the leash on or to scold the dog. Scolding the dog for running off and not returning immediately will be lost on the dog. It will only confuse your dog, or worse, your dog will see it as punishment and be scared, and it will be harder for you to recall the dog next time he misbehaves off leash.

Talk With Paw Pals About What Is The Least Effective Method To Retrieve A Dog That Has Got Off Leash?

Dogs need plenty of exercise, which includes the opportunity to run. If they do not get enough exercise, they cannot burn off mental and physical energy. They can become easily excitable and more difficult to manage. Regular walks will help prevent unruly, excitable dogs. Make sure your dog never misses a nice long walk with the help of the dog walking professionals at Paw Pals. The Paw Pals professionals are available to walk your dog and help with off leash training. Contact them for more information about how their services can help you and your dog.

Filed Under: Dog Walking

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Wednesday
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Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
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4.9
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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