Your dog is your best friend, and you trust your best friend. So, you take a stroll with your fur buddy and trust him or her enough to get off the leash for a moment. But God bless them, now they are running away from you while you are trying to find a way to retrieve them but cannot.
Perhaps the method you are using is wrong. That’s why you need to know the answer to “what is the least effective method to retrieve a dog that has got off leash?”. And I’m here to answer that to you.
Why Does A Dog Dislike Being On A Leash?
Well, would you like to be chained and restrained? No one wants that, and it is the same with animals. They don’t like to be on a leash, especially when they are very young or you are putting them on a leash for the first time.
So, being on a leash may scare them or make them feel captive. As a result, they will want to run away. The best thing you can do is to train them with food and love. And once they get used to wearing leashes, they will not make it difficult for you to hold them off-leash.
The Least Effective Methods To Retrieve A Dog That Has Got Off Leash
Retrieving your dog cannot be that hard unless you try the wrong method. So, what is the least effective method to rescue a dog that has got off leash?
Chasing Your Dog:
This is the worst and the least effective way to retrieve a dog that has gone off-leash. And unfortunately, many dog owners make this silly mistake thinking it will help them get the dog. But, it will only make things worse for you.
Never chase your dog or run after it when it goes off-leash. Because dogs love chasing games. So when you run after them, they think you are trying to play games with them. It only makes them run away even faster.
Shouting:
Even dogs don’t like it when you shout at them or call them angrily. Dogs can easily sense the tension and frustration in your voice, and it will scare them too. So instead of getting back to you, they will run away even further.
Punishing Them:
The worst thing you can do after your dog returns to you is punish them. I understand that after all, the chasing and screaming might have frustrated you and made you annoyed. But remember, punishing your dog will not solve the problem.
The poor animals might think you are punishing them for returning to you. So, good luck trying to get them back the next time they go off-leash.
Keeping The Door Closed:
You may finally give up and return home after failing every worse method you have tried. But your dogs may not give up on you. They tend to return home after walking around and exploring the locality.
However, if they finally come home and find the door locked, it will make them feel abandoned and unwanted. So, keep your doors unlocked if possible or keep your neighbor notified.
The Most Effective Way To Retrieve A Dog That Has Got Off Leash
Now that you know what can make things go wrong, here are some of the most effective ways to retrieve your dog’s when they have got off the leash.
Stay Calm:
Calming yourself in a situation like this is mandatory. You don’t want to scare away your precious pet by revealing your frustration. So keep calm and follow the next methods.
Run To The Opposite Direction:
As chasing your dog makes them run away from you, you can try running in the opposite direction. But do not turn your back on your dog. Just run backwards and let your dog run toward you.
Call It By Its Name:
Keep your tone cheerful and call your dog by its name. If you are carrying a squeaky toy, try to lure them with it. Dogs can be distracted easily if you can do it right.
Drop On The Ground:
This is a funny yet effective way to get your dog to return to you. If they don’t respond to other methods, drop on the ground and lay there. Dogs get curious when their owners do that will try to find out by returning to you.
Reward Them:
Once your dogs return to you, reward them with small treats. It will make them happy and will make them aware of getting rewards for returning. That will lower the possibility of them running away again.
Final Verdict:
So, what is the least effective method to retrieve a dog that has got off leash? I would say it would be chasing after the dog. Dogs are friendly animals, and you can train them well showing friendliness and giving them treats.
Unexpected occurrences with animals are not uncommon. But the best thing you can do is use a good-quality leash that fits your dog well to prevent such problems from happening frequently.
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