There’s nothing like letting a puppy off leash in an open field for the first time. It’s exhilarating to them seeing all of the open space, and wanting to see how fast they can go! But before you even think about doing that, you have to know that you can trust them.
With dogs it’s all about trust, and at 14 weeks old Raya is quickly proving herself to be a very trustworthy dog. Given how promptly and reliably she responds to recall commands with or without treats, inside or out of the house in our fenced in yard, I decided to take her to the large fields at our local neighborhood park over the weekend to see how she’d do with Puffles and some high-value treats at the ready (sliced non-preserved ham).
We’re very blessed to have one of the few properties in our densely packed neighborhood with a fenced in yard that’s just big enough for smaller to mid-sized dogs to get up to speed and run in a bit, but it still doesn’t compare to an open field.
Canon EOS R6 and EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
Lots of photos below. This blog best viewed on a large screen.
February 5, 2023
Although the weather was nicer for the dead of winter and in the mid-50’s, luckily the fields and the park were still virtually empty and distraction free. Raya did not disappoint! Just like Puffles when he was a puppy, she never wanted to stray too far from us. She only got a bit too far away or close to the street once, and immediately recalled with a “come!” command with that high-value reward, and when we needed to re-leash her if other dogs were approaching.
Both she and Puffles had fun blasting around the fields, chasing each other and being chased, and for Raya, exploring more of her area. Puffles hasn’t had much interest in going to this park in recent years, but he’ll be more interested now with a new little adopted sister to chase around, especially as the weather starts warming up.
I can’t tell you what a joy it’s been seeing Puffles and Raya play so much together. They both love their play time and have so much fun together. Letting them loose in a much more wide open field was a sight to behold. They were both super tired after this and slept well that night!
Canon EOS R6 and Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens.
February 8, 2023
Got them out again. I thought the warm weather was just a single day thing. Nope! It will actually be in the 60’s for the next few days, so have been cutting out of work a tad early making sure to get both Raya and Puffles out to the park to play.
Today was even more of a challenge for Raya with TONS of people and other dogs out to distract, but she still did great and was always responsive to recall commands. They’re both really enjoying the weather, wide open spaces, and play time.
(Note: From the photos I did happen to spot the bit of something-or-other sticky bit of gunk that happened to get stuck in her teeth, and managed to remove it after a bit of wrestling.)
