The Gnomestead Collective

Off-Leash Check-inStructured off-leash play with periodic attention and recall check-ins

At a glance

Category
Outdoor
Difficulty
●●●○○
Time
15 minutes
Environment
Outdoor

Words needed

Your dog should know these words before trying this activity:

Steps

  1. Name Recognition

    Say the dog's name periodically during play and reward the head turn

  2. Attention

    Cue attention for brief eye contact, then release back to play

  3. Come

    Recall fully, reward big, then release back to play. Recall should never end the fun

Tips

  • Recall should predict 'AND you get to go back to playing', not 'fun is over'
  • Do 3-4 check-ins per session. Frequent enough to become habit, not so often it gets annoying
  • Use a long line until the check-ins are reliable

Equipment

  • Long line
  • High-value treats