After walk gets crazy

    • Gold Top Dog

    After walk gets crazy

    So, Freida is 6+ months old now. (she looks like a horse, long legs). I take her for a walk everyday when I get home from work. She does pretty good on the leash, once we are on our way back up the driveway almost when I get back to the yard, I let her off the leash and just walk back free.  Then she gets wild, takes off running like the wind, through the woods, the yard around the house, comes charging at me, rough housing growling and I have a hard time to calm her down , after calling her to sit by me several times, she will finally sit and then I put the leash back on and take in the house.

    She is never tied up, and she does not run off.  But after a walk she really gets crazy, is there something I can do to prevent this, I diffenently don't want to bring this behavoir out in her.  (is she acting out because she was on a leash) ?  or is this just puppy play!

    • Gold Top Dog

     I'm not sure you SHOULD prevent this!

     

    She is very young, 6 months.  She is FULL of PUPPY ENERGY.  She has been home while you are at work, then she has walked on leash with you, now it is time to BLITZ!!  She has to burn off energy somehow, and being in a safe area with you is much better than other options.  She is not destroying the house while she is home, she is not taking off playing in traffic.

     Let her burn off energy and slow down on her own, THEN use this time to train some recalls.  Call her to you, treat, AND LET HER GO OFF again.  Remember, you don't want every recall to end in a leash, or a walk in the house, that's no fun and she will, in time, not answer the recall.

    Maybe you can just watch and laugh and enjoy?  She won't be a puppy forever, you know!

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Freedom
    Call her to you, treat, AND LET HER GO OFF again

     

    This is what I'd advise too.  You've inadvertently taught her that the end of the fun is when you call her to you.  It's a pretty classic case of teaching something accidentally and happens to many dog owners. 

    If you don't want to have her running around ignoring you when the walk is over don't let her off leash.  You could play a fun inside game after the walk like "find it" or tug.  Lets her know that though the walk is over there's still something fun and interactive inside.

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    • Gold Top Dog

    JackieG

    Freedom
    Call her to you, treat, AND LET HER GO OFF again

     

    This is what I'd advise too.  You've inadvertently taught her that the end of the fun is when you call her to you.  It's a pretty classic case of teaching something accidentally and happens to many dog owners. 

     

    I agree with Sandy & Jackie

    My guess is that its all her puppy mind can do to be good on leash for her walk and when you release her she gets to zoooooooooooooom!

    I have a dog that has done this all his life - he needs to burn off that steam and be wild or just is expressing his joy to be alive. I love it and encourage it. We have a cue now to end the zoomies, I ask him if he's ready to go in (seriously) and he will either head straight to the door or do one more lap of insanity and then go in.

    I am much happier that the tank is empty before he goes in for the morning. Typically he will go inside and flop on the kitchen floor with a huge grin on his face

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Rupert gets the post-walk zoomies, too. He loves walks but they're almost like a teaser for him because he'd rather RUN! I've always figured letting him run like a crazy goof is like a reward for being nice on the leash.

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    • Gold Top Dog

    janobonano
    I've always figured letting him run like a crazy goof is like a reward for being nice on the leash.

     

    exactly!! (or in B's case for being reasonable on leash!)

    • Gold Top Dog

    I echo everything posted already ---- Ruby is the same way as Bugsy and Rupert.  Having to control herself (not all that successfully!) to walk on a leash in the neighborhood is very hard for her, so zooming around like a madwoman when we get home is how she truly burns of the energy stored up from being in her crate when we're at work. 

    The same thing happens when we take her to an obedience or training class.  Having to follow instructions and pay attention and be well behaved while surrounded by the sounds and smells of a bunch of other people and dogs is VERY hard for her.  When we get home from class, you'd think she'd be tired from the class and the ride in the car (that stresses her out, too), but like Janice said, it's like a tease or an appetizer.  She immediately starts doing zoomies -- you can almost hear her saying, "Woo hoo!  Finally -- I can cut loose!!"

    I think the tip about calling her to you and rewarding with a treat and letting her run around again is a good idea.  We do this with Ruby, but we still have the occasional problem of her jumping on us when she comes over.  She's in full zoom mode, and she tries to come to a screetching halt in front of us, but sometimes overshoots her mark!

    • Gold Top Dog

    Letting them run around after a leash walk as a reward is fine as long as it's what the owner wants to do. :)  The OP made it sound like the dog is blowing her off when she calls it to her during it's post walk zoomies.  Then when the dog does finally come to her she leashes the dog and goes inside.  Most dogs love to run around leash free, and if there's a safe place to do that with a dog who has a good recall, it's all good.  For a six month old pup, I'd rather work on a solid recall rather than reward the dog for disobeying.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Thank you guys, it all makes sense.  And I always tell her good girl on leash or off.

    Now, if you can all reply to my new issue I posted today under General Chat, I need help z(I am in tears about this - missing my 13 yr old Pella big time. so easy with her, always)