Dear Pup: Congratulations for sticking to your goals of having a trained dog that eventually will walk obedient by your side off leash. This is a goal most dog owners dream about but don’t take the time to achieve. You tenacity will serve you well.

A few questions: one, is your dog neutered yet? If not, I would start with that as a way to control his urge to “go crazy” or wander off leash. As he matures, that urge will only get stronger, especially if there are intact females in the neighborhood. Besides, unless you are going to breed your dog, it is best for his health and safety to be fixed.

Alternative Methods

Your trainer is right to keep working with him, but perhaps you need to adjust the manner in which you approach your training. To begin with, I would not train him in one long session but rather break it down into several short five minute sessions scattered throughout the day. This way, he will think of training as a fun game rather than a long boring exercise he would rather not do. You didn’t mention if you used food or a toy as his “reward” for a job well done. If he is unmotivated by food, try giving him his favorite toy as a reward.

One type of training you might want to investigate is “attention” class. Your dog is focused on you in the secure classroom but outside he thinks it’s a free for all with so much distraction. In attention class, you spend eight weeks doing nothing but getting your dog’s attention focused on you with a single word command. It works wonder for people in competitive obedience. Look to a local dog club or trainer for such a class. Start taking your dog outside, on leash, and doing some of those five minute sessions outside, in the park, at the mall, wherever there are lots of people. You have to teach him to pay attention and listen to you no matter where he is, not just in the confines of the warm and fuzzy training facility.

Lisa’s Pick of the Litter

 The American Kennel Club (AKC®) Veterinary Outreach Program has launched the AKC Veterinary Network program. The program is intended to provide resources to veterinarians nationwide. The AKC Veterinary Network provides veterinarians and their clients with access to a free, renewable library of AKC educational materials about responsible dog ownership, selecting the appropriate breed for your family, responsible breeding practices, and AKC programs such as the Canine Good Citizen® Program.

“The Veterinary Outreach Program was designed to connect the American Kennel Club more closely with the veterinary community,” said Debra Bonnefond, Director of the AKC Veterinary Outreach Program. “We are pleased to provide veterinary offices with valuable AKC materials that will help vets and their clients improve the well-being of our canine companions.”

The goal of the Veterinary Outreach Program is to assist the veterinary community by providing up-to-date information about purebred dogs and canine health research. AKC achieves this goal in a variety of ways, including awarding over $200,000 annually in scholarships to veterinary and veterinary technician students, hosting and presenting seminars to veterinary students at their schools, attending veterinary conferences with the Veterinary Outreach booth, and sharing information through the Veterinary Outreach Web site.

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Director of Club Communications at the American Kennel Club. Contact her at ask@lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.