[nagdu] Missing guide dog found struck by car

[Meghan Whalen]

One of the first things I teach my dogs when they come home is offleash 
recall.  You never know when your dog will slip out the door, you'll drop 
the leash/harness or who knows what else.  I trust my dogs offleash in my 
back yard.  No my yard is not fenced.  I stay out there with them, and they 
know their boundaries.  I have a 20 ft training lead, and we start with 
that.  When they willingly recall on that in one area, then we progress to 
offleash.  All dogs from the school I attend come home knowing come, but 
they really are only taught on leash.  I don't find come on leash to be a 
terribly impressive skill, honestly.  You can get any dog that is onleash to 
come.  After the two weeks of onleash time are up when we first return home, 
I keep treats with me and call my dog at random throughout the day.  At 
first, whenever she comes, she gets a treat.  As time progresses, she gets 
that treat less and less often, and in time, she reliably comes to me.

This is how I do it, and I don't want any lectures.  There is a common 
saying among dog trainers, and I think it carries over to dog handlers.

About the only thing that four dog trainers will agree on is that the fifth 
one is doing it wrong.

Take care,
Meghan