Off-Leash Dog Training: Toby's Walk

What you're seeing

Toby is a sweet, friendly, easygoing Golden Retriever in his third week of board and train. Shawn takes him for a short, off-leash walk and mixes in some basic obedience along the way. Toby stays with him, responds when asked, and then goes back to enjoying the walk. No leash, no treat pouch, no e-collar, and no prong collar, because none of those were used at any stage of his training. Two minutes of a dog simply choosing to stay with the person he trusts.

Why an easy dog still needs this

Toby did not arrive with a problem. He arrived as a good-natured dog whose family wanted the freedom that comes with real off-leash reliability: the beach, the trail, the yard without a fence, the walk without a leash wrapped around a wrist. A good-natured dog is often the one that gets hit by a car, because nobody thought he needed training until the day he saw a squirrel across the road. Reliability is not something a dog has because it is friendly. It is something a dog has because it has been taught who to follow.

How it was trained

Three weeks in, Toby has lived the P.R.I.M.E. basics every day: Shawn controls Proximity, Resources, Interactions, Movement and Elevation, and Toby has learned that staying with the leader is the best deal going. The obedience you see on the walk is a by-product of that relationship, not the goal. We do not use treats or e-collars at any stage, so what you see in the video is exactly what his family gets when he goes home, with nothing to keep buying or charging.

Get this with your dog

Toby's program is our board and train. For many dogs, off-leash training comes naturally. If you want a dog you can trust off the leash, contact Best Buddy Dog Training for a free phone consultation and tell us where you would like to be able to take him.