Stage Three: Off-Leash Training

After your dog passes the long-leash test, hold at least three off-leash training sessions. As before, these sessions should last 15 to 20 minutes each.

Make sure training mode is on. Activate a boundary and put SkyShepherd on your dog. Make sure your collar Feedback Mode to Alert 2 in the app. Watch your dog closely as it roams the boundary. When your dog experiences alert zone or out zone feedback, immediately call it back to Safe Zone and praise it when it hears safe tone.

Distraction tests should be used here to see how well your dog is trained. You can throw a favorite toy or ball into out zone, or have someone walk by, maybe with another dog on a leash, just outside the boundary. If your dog stays, that is a good sign that you’ve trained them well.

Once your dog responds appropriately during off-leash training, it is ready to use SkyShepherd without you. You’ll still need to train your dog on each new boundary you create so it knows where the limits are for that boundary.