# How to act when dog runs across road?



## Gimpyrks (Mar 11, 2013)

Oh boy what just happened moments ago made my heart stop.

Quick background, my sister has a 11 month old puppy who I have been training (I don't have any background in training but have been doing research). Most of my training has been getting her to be able to go outside without a leash. Things have been going GREAT up until today. My Grandparents live right next door (through the woods not across the road) and every once in a while the other dogs will run over to get a treat from them, but the puppy had never done that on her own before. Well today she ran over to get a treat and I proceeded to follow her and told my grandparents not to give her a treat. Though when she did come when I called I gave her a treat. We were walking back to my house when the puppy RAN ACROSS THE ROAD to the neighbors house.

She has never done this before and my heart stopped. I walked across the road and it took me a few minutes to catch her. When I did I grabbed her by the collar and walked her across the road. By this time I was fuming.

How can I prevent from this happening again? And if she does run across the road how should I react when I catch her? I don't want her to not come when called, but I certainly don't want her running across the road! When we go outside we don't go anywhere near the road (we live in the country) so when she did this I was baffled.

Thank you!


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## Monsteroyd (Sep 18, 2012)

Gimpyrks said:


> Oh boy what just happened moments ago made my heart stop.
> 
> Quick background, my sister has a 11 month old puppy who I have been training (I don't have any background in training but have been doing research). Most of my training has been getting her to be able to go outside without a leash. Things have been going GREAT up until today. My Grandparents live right next door (through the woods not across the road) and every once in a while the other dogs will run over to get a treat from them, but the puppy had never done that on her own before. Well today she ran over to get a treat and I proceeded to follow her and told my grandparents not to give her a treat. Though when she did come when I called I gave her a treat. We were walking back to my house when the puppy RAN ACROSS THE ROAD to the neighbors house.
> 
> ...


Well it sounds like you are not quite ready to go off-leash as you don't have a 100% proofed recall. So you can't prevent her from running across the road without a leash. 

As for how to react, don't loose your cool (or start fuming), use a leash, set the puppy up for success, by giving her things that she can do, instead of things she isn't able to do yet, like walk next to a road and run away and ignore your recall.

Also in many situations you have to weigh the worse possible outcome against what you want to do. In this case, the worse possible outcome would be the dog getting hit by a car. The chance of which is not really worth the trouble of not using a leash. 

]Monty[


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

You were baffled? I have yet to own a dog that doesn't immediately take off running when off leash. (I'm not beating them, I swear.) Kabota thinks that is the bestest game ever. He'll slow down to let me catch up, then run some more. Unfortunately, he's keenly aware of when he's leashed/fenced in, so my training is a bit stymied. His recall is fabulous when on a long leash or in a fenced area, and nonexistent when not. I just can't offer anything higher value than the chance to run towards a busy road during rush hour, apparently.*

So, no off leash until you have a better heel/recall. It's not worth it. When you catch a runner (and they do get out, I know), praise, treats, pets, nothing negative at all. You do not want to teach the dog that you catching him is bad, or he'll work that much harder not to get caught.

*I'm not trying to give the impression this can't be done positively. It absolutely can. I'm just used to keeping a dog contained, I live in an area where off leash is illegal and I'm working on other things right now.


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## Gimpyrks (Mar 11, 2013)

Thank you for the advice! Any suggestions on how to make the recall better?

When I say I was baffled, it was because she had never done that before and was so unlike her


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Recall is kind of My thing (and I STILL had Kylie come tearing out of the river this past week and do zoomies in wild circles around me, ignoring the whole wide world and everything in it in favor of running like a fool; there is a REASON we only let them off far away from roads and people). By which, I mean it's a big deal.

Don't use her name as a formal recall. In fact, don't use anything you've ever used and had to enforce (ie: called her and she didn't come so you had to go get her) and don't use anything you've used to get her to you for an unpleasant reason - the end of playtime, to take a bath, to get her nails clipped, ANYTHING she doesn't love. Pick something new. A whistle, a word, whatever. Don't use IT if you can't enforce it or for anything unpleasant, either.

Start on leash. If she doesn't come (and she won't at first) gently bring her in. Touch her collar, reward the STUFFING out of her, with the highest reward treat you can find, that she ONLY gets for this one command. Let her go back to what she was doing. 

Gradually extend the length of the leash. (Look for a long line - like eventually get it up to 50 or 100 feet). Eventually DROP the leash. Continue with rewards and releases.

Move to a fenced in area. Repeat all those rewards and releases.

Move to an OUT of fence, safe area. Continue to let her drag a long line. Continue to reward and release again and all the praise ever.

If you're successful to THIS point reverse the process and SHORTEN the length of line she is dragging. 

Also: Play recall games. Call her back and forth (at any stage of this once you're on a long line or you have a fence) between you and someone else. High value rewards/treats. That specific one you use only for that command. Play hide and seek with her (in a fenced in area, at first, or even in your house). when she stops paying attention to you _hide_ (DO NOT DO THIS OUTSIDE A FENCE WITH AN ADULT DOG before you are VERY sure). Reward her when she finds you. Practice leash drops while you're walking - in fenced and safe areas once she's reliable. 

Basically, being near and coming to you is the most rewarding thing in her life. 

And straight up, when you have a dog who likes to dash and bolt- sometimes there is nothing more rewarding than the freedom of running. When that's the case, all you can do is the best you can and to keep them in safe, fenced, areas or on that long line.


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## troglodytezzz (Oct 19, 2010)

Some things to work on:

Barrier training (2 videos). This is good for preventing the crossing of the road to begin with.











Stay at a distance. This is handy in case the dog is about to cross so you can stop him. Or this can be used if you dog has crossed the road to prevent him from crossing back.


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