How to Train a Whippet Off Leash

Because you own a Whippet and because you want them to be able to enjoy the outdoors off-leash, it's important to know the dos and don'ts of 'The Reliable Recall Method'.

Firstly, when you call for your pet, either by name, or simply calling "Come here!", you should always keep your tone light and happy. Your dog should associate hearing their name with only positive experiences. This means you should never call your dog to come take a bath or call you dog to be locked up in their crate if that's something they hate. Instead, every single time you call them and they come to you, have a treat at the ready to reward them.

Secondly, try not to get frustrated when your Whippet is distracted and not listening. Dogs aren't emotionless robots, they get scared, excited, or distracted just like we do. Try to remind yourself of this if you find yourself getting frustrated, even after they finally, happily run to your side only after being called several times. You want to avoid taking out frustration on your dog as it could cause them to resist coming when called.

Lastly, always keep your off-leash dog with a collar on. This is a preventative measure to them becoming lost. A collar with appropriate and informative tags on it will help them be safely and quickly returned to their loving home.

It sounds simple. And it is: Choose the go-to command you'll use to call your sight-hound to you and then do your best to stick to it. Common commands are: "Come!", "Here!", simply calling their name, or even whistling.

Dogs don't speak our language, but that doesn't mean they aren't intuitive. Recent studies show they have the ability to read facial expressions, concluding that they are clued in on when we're worried, upset, or happy. So if your Whippet runs off - keep your expression and tone of voice happy, even though you may be internally screaming and terrified - and their chances of returning to you are higher.

Adding an exaggerated hand motion will also increase the probability of return in a dog.

If you haven't already begun off-leash training with a Whippet, then you need to realize it could take a good bit of time and patience. Before stepping out on your favorite trail with your baby boy or sweet girl, you need to practice.

Hopefully, you have a backyard. (If you don't have a fenced in yard, ask to use a friend or family member's, or you can try for a fenced-in dog park during off hours.) Contrary to what you may think, it doesn't need to be very spacious. Really all you're trying to accomplish is gaining your pet's attention and introducing them to the concept of coming when called means getting yummy treats.

The environment doesn't have to be completely distraction-less, so don't worry about things you can't control, like the neighbor's cat slinking around, or the occasional loud car driving by. Instead, treat them as teaching moments that challenge you and your four-pawed friend.

This step's goal is to create a bridge between your pet hearing the clicker and what directly occurs afterwards. At home, have your Whippet sit calmly in front of you, click the clicker and then give them a treat.

Repeat this several times. Then allow them to go back to a toy or curling up on their bed, go about your business as well, waiting about ten minutes. Just be sure your activities are a respectable distance apart and then, without calling them, click the clicker again. If they immediately come to you, with the expectation and promise of a treat, then you've successfully taught that that the click sound means a treat will soon follow.

No one can deny the value and guaranteed results of hard work and practice. It's no exception for dog training.

Utilizing your safe space, with treats and a clicker in hand, let your Whippet run and play to let a little energy out. After a few minutes, use your chosen recall command. As soon as they give you any kind of attention, whether it's running up to you, or simply stopping what they're doing and looking at you, click the clicker and give them a treat.

If they don't come to you, right away, don't be discouraged. Keep practicing. Keep practice sessions fun and relatively short, so they don't become bored and you don't become frustrated. If you can practice every day (even just for a little bit), then do. Do this for a few weeks or until you feel your Whippet is reliably coming to you when called.

Your pet isn't ready to be off-leash yet. This step is all about testing their knowledge based on your practice sessions. While out for a short jaunt through your neighborhood, lead your stealthy canine friend while on their leash. Treat it as a regular walk, nothing special.

But once they notice something of interest (another dog, a runner, a cat), use your recall command. They may hesitate, and that's okay, too. Wait for them to make the right decision. Avoid repeating yourself however, as this could just teach your pet to ignore you altogether.

Mark and reward any of these behaviors after calling them: If they look at you, even just slightly or quickly, if they stop in their tracks instead of beginning a chase, if they continue to walk ahead but look back at you, if they come halfway to you but then stop and look back at the distraction, if they come all the way to you, but stare off at the distraction, and, especially, if they stop their gaze or pursuit and come to your side.

Go on walks like these as often as you're able to. They can even be just a walk down to your neighborhood coffee shop or just to check the mail, or they can occur on a hiking trail or dog park. Distance and difficultly don't matter, as long as they're getting practice.

After training on-leash in open environments and off-leash in closed environments, it's time to take your Whippet to a designated off-leash area and test them.

Don't become startled if they bolt as soon as your take off their leash. For the teacher, you, it's final exam day, but to them it's "I'm free! I'm free!". Trust that you've done everything in your power to prepare them for this and trust your dog's ability to listen and obey.

To start out, you may feel more comfortable going to parks or trails that are less frequented or other places that aren't near busy roads.

A quiet place could be in your living room or backyard, anywhere that both you and your pet are familiar with and comfortable in that's relatively distraction-free will work wonderfully.

Studies show that clicker training is more effective than training without one. Inexpensive, easy to carry, and efficient, clickers help your dog understand you better, allowing them to be more easily trained.

Treats can be the biggest motivator for most dogs. We recommend using treats during training that they may not usually get, such as bits of bacon or hot dog. You can even bring with you a variety of types, giving them interchangeably to your learning pet, keeping them on their toes.

This is easy. Click the clicker, then immediately following give your at-attention Whippet a treat. Repeat these 10 to 15 times. The goal is getting them to associate the sound of the clicker with rewards.

During the same training session, immediately following step three, wait for your Whippet to become disinterested in you. This could be as simple as them looking in another direction or as significant as beginning to walk away.

As soon as you witness them becoming distracted or interested in something else, say their name. If and when they acknowledge the name by walking to you, or simply looking at you, click the clicker, and reward them. The goal of this step is to help them make the connection between their name and its significance. To you, saying your dog's name means you want their attention, to your pet it may just mean getting treats and attention.

Believe it or not, this is a form of mental stimulation for your beloved friend. It's a simple game, but they'll love it because it requires them to be fed many, many treats as well as attention from the person they love the most: You. Play this game every day. Keep your clicker and a baggie of treats near you while you lounge on the couch or work at your desk. Occasionally and somewhat randomly, say your Whippet's name and reward them when they come to you. If they don't come to you right away, but simply look in your direction, try to avoid repeating, inside try to say, "Come!" or "Here!". If these don't work, then begin by rewarding a simple head turn and try to work your way up to getting them to come.

Since this method is all about teaching "Come!" in series of fun, doggie-centric games, the first step is to play Hide and Seek with your hound dog. Sounds fun for you too, right? There's one of two ways to initiate this. You can wait until your Whippet leaves the room (perhaps to go check on other members of the household or to get a drink of water from the kitchen) and hide wherever you can find.

You can also enlist the help of a friend, by putting your pet in their crate, running to hide, and calling to your friend to let the dog out.

After waiting a moment or two, call your pet's name. They will follow the sound of your voice, so if you need to switch between calling their name and saying "Here!" or "Come!" do so, do they don't become bored or tune you out.

The fact that Whippets detest being cold and love attention means that when home, it's unlikely they won't want to snuggle up beside or even on your warm lap. This makes them great players in a game of Hide and Seek. Their will to find you will keep this game exciting for the both of you.

When you are found, shower them with affection and treats.

For another fun recall game, wrangle up some volunteers.

It's important that your pet isn't overwhelmed during this exercise, so find a space that's large, open and familiar to them.

Try not to make Puppy in the Middle too hectic or scary by blocking the dog in or shouting. Whether you have just two people or four, spread out in a circle or line shape.

Now that you're all in position, take turns saying "Come!" or the dog's name. Every time they respond correctly to the call (by running up to the person who said it) reward them. Keep the game easy-going, giving a fair amount of a break between each person speaking. If you feel your pet would enjoy a quicker pace, especially with their built-for-speed frame, then work your way up to it.

You can even try tricking the dog by having your friend call them, then yourself calling them before they reach the other person. In a way, this is a distraction training process as well, which will definitely come in handy when your Whippet eventually earns their ability to be off-leash.