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    Using A Drop Line And A Short Line In Off-Leash Training

    Begin the work of teaching your dog to be as reliable off leash as he is when he's wearing one. Keep in mind that it will go slowly. Nothing flashy will happen right away. You'll have to be very patient. Do not take your dog off leash in an unprotected area unless both of you can truly handle that responsibility successfully.

    You will need two tools for this stage of training; a drop line and a short line or leash tab. A drop line is a long leash - 10,12, 15 or 20 feet long. The cotton canvas ones are usually cheap and relatively easy to work with. You will train the dog in a protected area just as you did when he was a puppy, first lying the leash across your palm and then dropping it to the ground as you heel along. Since the drop line is so much longer than the regular leash, it may take your dog some time to get used to it dragging behind him. He may walk bowlegged or sideways at first. Let him work it out.

    As you train, alternate between the drop line, the regular leash and the short line or tab. This is a piece of equipment you may have to make yourself. Many dog owners use leather key chains made to be worn on belts and merely eliminated the ring. Others made small leashes from old leashes or broken ones, cutting them down to a comfortable size.

    The tab is a little leash, just big enough for your hand to grasp. It dangles from the collar. Its weight is a small reminder to the dog of your control and presence in his life, even when he is "off leash." It is one of the best training tools ever and your dog should wear his most of the time (at least for now).

    The short line or tab allows you to make a professional feeling of correction even though your dog is not on leash. The feel of the tab hanging from his collar can remind him that even though he is free, you can still make corrections. Therefore, even when he is far away, the tab will remind him to come when called.

    For now, we want to confuse your well-trained dog a little. By alternating leashes and by sometimes using more than one at a lime, we will confound the dog. He will cease to know when he's on leash and when he's off. In addition, he will be unable to know which kind of a correction you can deliver and from what distance. He may just give up and behave.

    Sometimes you will hang the tab on his collar and add his long line. Then after a warm-up, you will remove the long line and carry on with the training. The dog will not remember if the tab is on his collar or if he's totally free. If he makes a mistake and you can make a good correction with the tab, he'll know you are all powerful. Even an assertive dog can be dazzled by the two-leash method.

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