# 22 week puppy has just started running off when off the lead



## Blush2783 (Oct 28, 2011)

Hi everyone, Ive been busy reading all your posts for the past few weeks after we got our gorgeous Hav pup Scamp at the begining of October when he was 9 weeks. Its great to get tips and laugh at what everyone elses puppies get up to!
He went to puppy classes from 12 weeks old for socialisation and to begin his training which were great fun and he has been brilliant. He's now house trained and up until last weekend family walks over the countryside were so enjoyable and he was so obedient and such a show off! This weekend however has been a bit of a disaster! 
Firstly on Saturday we took him to a lovely large area of woodland which is fairly quiet. It was the same area we did a couple of weeks ago and he was off the lead for well over an hour following us and keeping a close eye where we were going when we had gone before. I had got our puppy class trainer to give me a private lesson the first time he was off the lead in a park so that I was doing things right. Saturday was a disaster though as after being off the lead for around half an hour he just took off after a scent. I said to my family ok we shouldnt chase him but should call him and then run the other way. Well that did not work at all! In the end he disappeared out of sight so I ended up charging after him to see where he had gone to. Eventually got to him and he came over and i took him back to where the rest of my family was and we carried on our walk. I decided not to put him on leash as I thought it may put him off coming back and hoped it was just a blip. Well within 10 minutes he did it again, completely ignored our calling and ran off. This time it was back on leash and back to the car! 
Yesterday my husband took him for a walk near our house as we back onto a golf course and we have a footpath running along side - again a walk he has enjoyed lots of times before without any problems. Well Scamp decided to leave the path, charge through the fence, run accross quite a way of the golf course and stole a mans gold ball who was just about to tee off. Husband was mortified as golfer very cross. Again Scamp didnt listen to a word he had said.
Its so out of character for Scamp so is this the start of teenage puppyhood?, is it him looking for a mate already? or is meaning more training? He is still trained by me daily and in the house and garden he's recalls are perfect. Any advice very welcome! We live in England in Surrey.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I have to say, 22 weeks seems awfully young to go off leash to me....
Our pup is nearly 19 months old and she rarely gets off leash, to me it just isn't worth the risk of loosing her! I do know that esablishing a reliable recall can take a very, very long time and maybe your pup just doesn't have that solid yet and needs more reinforcement (treats) to reward his recall in the house and garden where you KNOW he will come?!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I would not have him off leash anytime in the near future. It's definitely not worth the risk of his being led astray by a scent he wants to follow. I would definitely check with your trainer. It's terrifying when they get away.

I must say though, the golf ball story made me lol. They are cute in their impishness.


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

Our two have been off lead ever since they were about 20 weeks,and the only time I have ever had any trouble was when Dizzie was about 10 months old,and although he stayed close by he didn't want to have his lead put back on,this happened twice.
I would get an extending lead and keep Scamp on that for the next few times you take him out,let him run off as far as it can go and then call him back,if he comes then get him to sit and give him a treat, do this several times over,only giving him the treat after he has come back and sat down.If he does not respond when called then gently reel him in and still give him a treat so that he knows every time you call him he will get a reward,make it a really yummy treat.I used to fry up some sausages[always have a sausage in your pocket!]When Dizzie was naughty and didn't want to have his lead put on,I did the thing of walking the other way, and pretending not to watch him,luckily this worked with him,he was just getting too big for his boots,the next time we went out I took him to a different place that he had not been to before so he stayed close.Our other Hav Nellie always stays very close by, right under my feet!It sounds like Scamp is a very secure little pup,which is a good thing,he has just got to see you and the family as his leaders


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

Our dogs are never left off lead away from home, even the best trained. I think better to be safe than sorry. I must correct, at a couple of friends' homes in fenced areas they are off lead.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Have you read this thread? http://www.havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=15439&highlight=recall

I do agree that your puppy needs to be in a controlled situation such as an extened leash as Clare suggested when in an unfenced area until you have a reliable recall established.

As my two are not reliable yet, they are always leashed when out and about.


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## Narwyn (Jan 24, 2010)

William has been off leash since day 1 at my house - 10 weeks. They're ducklings at that point and learn that you walk and aren't waiting up. That's the best way to teach off-leash, IMO, in a safe area of course. He learned how to walk on a leash around 6-8 months, at which point he all ready understood walking with me, the leash just meant he had a shorter area to wander. Same with Clover, back in his day, and he has only ended up back on a leash when his vision and hearing faded and he'd loose track of me, etc.

As noted, Scamp has lost his off-leash privileges. The more you yell and he doesn't have to listen, the more he'll learn he doesn't have to listen. Back on a lead until he has a gorgeous recall again, and start small, like the end of a six-foot leash!


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## tootle (Jun 19, 2007)

I never let mine off lead, especially the boys. Who knows when they might catch a sniff of a girl down the road and be gone. They are not to be trusted unless you do very specific off lead training in a safe area (and I'm not sure then) I have one that I thought would never leave my side but he did. All ended well but I learned my lesson.


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## rokipiki (Oct 15, 2010)

Huh, huh! Your little puppy is becoming adolescent with all problems adolescence brings! And yes, he is male! He is probably starting to lift his foot to pee and he is discovering the universe of other dogs' pee-mails. Roki did the same things during that turbulent stage of his life. He was deaf and disobedient, complete trainig disaster! I bought very long retractable lead so thet he can feel some kind of freedom. He is two now and I can see that he is more serious, always checking where I am, not pulling the leash... he is becoming young adult with good manners. You will have to survive that turbulent stage of his life. Pay attention to his security because at this age they have absolutely no sense of danger.


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

Keep him on leash till he's trained, like the others have said.

you can buy up to a 30 foot lead, to train recall on. If you are using food to reinforce good behavior, give him a treat for every recall.

when I go off leash with my dogs, I see lots of owners trying to train while their dog is offleash, and calling the dog over and over with no success.
it just neutralizes the meaning of the word in that all important context.

once you have the rock solid recall again, only call him when you mean it. and don't repeat the command. if he doesn't listen, go get him.

unfortunately for me, my pup still LOVES chase. meaning that he like to void getting back on leash. little bogger. I usually click him back on leash well before the end of the trail so he doesn't associate the end of the trail with the negativity (possibly) of being back on leash.

Now that he's 2 yrs old, and past the adolescence stage, he stays pretty close to me when ever he's off leash.

good luck, be patient, and don't give up!


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

He is living up to his name, isn't he? Scamp...
I agree it is not worth the heartbreak to allow him off leash...keep us posted..


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Thats to bad sounds like Scamp had it made with nice off leash walks. The gulf ball story is one too remember I hope he gave it backound:
Mine have always walked off leash and have always stayed near or in sight. Although mine are girls so maybe that makes a difference. I have only had about three people act irritated with me having them off leash. I don't like dog parks and the sisters just want to sniff the whole time. I hope he gets back to his old self soon


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