Just a few days ago something happened on my block that made me want to write this article. My neighbor’s beautiful chocolate Lab Clyde, got himself run over when the car he was chasing hit him. Clyde had been a really cool dog and all the dog lovers in the whole neighborhood were saddened by Clyde’s death. It is too bad his owner didn’t take the time to boundary train Clyde-it was obvious he had a problem with chasing cars.

To make sure your dog learns how to stay within the yard and not run off, you can learn how to boundary train your dog. Boundary training your dog is a great idea because you’ll be able to relax much more when he is outside, knowing he is not likely to run off and maybe get in some mischief or even get hurt. A dog that runs out into the street is not only at risk of getting injured  or killed by a passing car, but he could also get into a fight with an aggressive dog or bother some people.

Use these  tips to successfully boundary train your dog. It is much easier to train a puppy or older dog boundary training before any problem exists, so it is a good idea to do this training right away. Of course, boundary training your dog is even more important if you don’t have a fence around your yard to keep him running off.

Use the following tips and soon your dog will also be boundary trained.

• Start the boundary training by marking the perimeter of the desired area with a marker of string or rope-something visible. Put your dog on the leash, and take a walk around the area. Walk within the marker, so that the dog has no chance to cross the marker. If your dog tries to step past the edge of the boundary marker, just lightly tug on his leash, and firmly command “no” before he can cross the line. When he comes back to you, praise him and give him his rewards-affection and a treat. In case he forgets himself and tries to cross the line, don’t yell or punish him-just focus on rewarding the times he does it right. Walk several times around the yard within the boundary for about 15 minutes or so often each day of the training. Your dog should soon pick up on the idea that he gets praise and rewards for staying inside the boundary markers.

• The second step is putting your dog on a longer lead-maybe about 20 feet long, so that he feels less controlled by you. Walk him around the yard, but be ready to tug on the leash and say “no” in case he tries to leave the boundary. Keep repeating this exercise several times a day-being sure to give lots of praise and  treat rewards when he resists the urge to cross the line.

• Once he has learned the earlier steps here’s a good check to see how well he has learned his boundary training. Put something on the other side of the boundary that will surely tempt him to want to cross over. Ask a friend or family member, or even another dog, to wait on the other side of the boundary. Walk near them with your dog on his regular leash and see he tries to cross the boundary- be ready to tug on his leash and say no if he tries to cross the line. Don’t worry if he still crosses the line, it only means you have to keep at it a while longer-be diligent. If that’s the case, you will need to go back a step and keep practicing that one  some more. If he passes the test, try tossing his favorite toy across the boundary. If he resists this temptation, the training is doing very good, and now he’s ready for the last test.

• Now it is time to test him off leash. After taking off his leash, put him in the heel position and begin walking within the perimeter, praising your dog and rewarding him occasionally for staying inside the boundary. Repeat the training exercises for perhaps 15 minutes several times every day. In fact, every time you bring your dog into that area it is a good idea to refresh his memory with some boundary training exercises. If your dog hasn’t been boundary trained properly he’ll  try to cross the line and you’ll need to go back to the last step.~

Make sure to make the effort to properly boundary train your dog especially if your dog likes to run off, and your yard has no fence. The boundary training greatly reduces the odds of your dog getting lost, hurt or killed by running out of the yard.

To learn more about how to boundary train your dog, and more tips about solving any of the other challenges to successfully training you dog using positive reinforcement techniques please visit- www.BehaveDoggy.com.

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