Walking Off command with underground fence - Page 1

Has anyone successfully trained their dog the "walking off" command after they have learned their electronic boundaries? Any tips would be appreciated. I'm starting my 7 mo. old guy now, but hate having to leave in the truck with him just to go for a walk, or a doggy playdate with his pals the wolfhounds who live across the street. Now that's a site to behold! He has earned the nickname, Little Sh*t, as he laughs and lopes under and around those big dogs' legs!

I've never had a problem with that with either of my shepherds. I just train them to "sit" at the edge of the secured area where I was going to leave the property (in my case the end of the driveway leading to the street). I remove the receiver collar, put on a collar that I know would feel different like a choke or a prong, snap the lead to that collar and heel him out of the area slapping my hip saying "heel Blitz....it's OK". You might also want to try to first take him inside the house to change collars and then use a door that he's not accustomed to passing through to go outside (if possible).

I can't say what this young guy is going to do, and hopefully he'll react matter of fact like yours, but I can't help thinking of my other guy, (the black GSD rescue with the keen prey drives.) We had to bump up the juice, and setback the perimeter, because he bust through a few times. He would actually bite back at the electric fence. (Did the same thing with thunder and lightning storms!) Anyway, after that, there was NO WAY he'd go near the "danger zones" with or with out a collar. And somehow force- dragging him through never seemed like a good idea. He was also somewhat overwhelmed/intimidated by the wolfhounds... but not this guy! (Showlines I am told, to boot!) I like your idea for changing collars as well as using door/(a gate in my case)... hopefully he's clever enough to make this easy. Thanks! One more question: How soon can this be taught so as not to confuse him? I just hate it when they take a zap!!!

How long has he been trained to the fence? If it's been a month or more I'd think you could start teaching him to "walk out" now. I trained Blitz when he was only 4 months old, it only took a week or less and another few days for the walk out. I think changing collars and using the leash are the tickets to getting it done fast and easy. I'll bet he learns it in a few days. My first, Dylan, went through a number of times chasing cats and other dogs. He never went far, would return when I called him; he'd squint his eyes shut and run back through the field knowing he was going to get a correction LOL. We had the Invisible Fence tech come out. He kept bumping it up, installed a more powerful transmitter which should have been done in the first place. Finally he modified his collar with 4 contact points instead of 2 and that did it. He was a coat and I kept the hair on his neck trimmed short too. Blitz rarely challenges the fence. I'm not sure if he's smarter than Dylan was or just more sensitive. He is sure much less aggressive where cats and other animal go. I don't think he'd go anywhere with or without the underground fence, but I never let him outside alone anway. Let me know how it works out.