Running Away Off the Leash

Question:
 My partner and I adopted a 2 year old spayed girl dalmation a month ago. She's settled in well and seems to be thouroughly enjoying her new home, and is bonding well to us, especially my partner. We have one big problem though. When we got her she was very overweight, so we've been dieting her and walking or running her three times every day, which she loves. But when we let her off the leash, she runs away and won't come back when called. She doesn't actually want to escape, but stays far enough away that she can't be caught or controlled. She will follow if we change direction or stop too, but won't come right to us. It's very difficult, because whilst on the leash or even a very long rope, and whils poracticing in an enclosed garden or paddock, she'll come immediately when called. But as soon as she's in an open space she won't come back. We've tried everything we can think of, and my partner's a former obedience training champion! Please help!
Answer:
 I take my dog to a dog park that isn't fenced in... it runs along a river and it's miles from the street so training him off leash wasn't very easy either. I started by having something he wanted that I always carried with me, like a ball or treat or stick. I would show it to him while he was on leash and let him have it, then take it back once I let him off leash. He would run around a bit chasing birds and sniffing stuff, after a minute or so (even shorter amounts of time a first), I would call him and show him what I had (the treat or ball) he would come right away to get what I had and I would praise him then either throw the ball or give him the treat. We did this for about 3 months (he's a puppy so it took some time). Now when I call him he comes right away off leash with no treat. I also trained him to sit when he was on and off leash. This really helps when there is something that has his attension, like a new person coming towards us or dog. I knew he would want to take his eyes off whatever he was watching and having him sit while I catch up to him and put his leash on was much eaiser then screaming "RUSTY COME!!" 6 times. To train him to do this I just made 'sit' the best thing in the world he could learn to do. After he knew what it meant, I would be in the living room while he played a few feet away and would just say sit. Once he sat down every time no matter what was going on or how far I was from him, I tried it in the back yard, after he sat I would approch him with the leash and put it on him. Now it's a completly reliable comand that I know will always allow me to control him. Good Luck.
Answer:
 Never assume for a moment that you can train a dog to come under any circumstances at any time - not practical - dogs are dogs and will often have distractions and may forget their training. Having a dog that will come reliably when called is a great asset. However, this does not mean you can let him run loose. Even the best trained dogs may slip up: a cat may cross its path; squirrels are great to chase; kids on skate boards; escaped dog panics and will not return. Just because your dog returns reliably most of the time is not enough. Very few dogs can be trusted off lead. It may take years of consistent training to get a dog this way. Before we begin teaching COME, I want to emphasize NEVER EVER call Puppy to you then punish him REGARDLESS OF WHAT HE DID! In a Puppy’s mind, he is being punished for coming to you and not for eating your $1,000 Gucci bag. Forgetting this fact and punishing after calling him can make Puppy scared to come when called - a very bad thing... I cannot emphasize this enough... NEVER EVER CALL PUPPY AND THEN PUNISH! Now that we have this straight... COME Start with your dog on a six-foot lead. Allow him to get interested in something. Walk to the end of the lead, make sure the lead is loose and HAPPILY call “[Name] COME!" If he ignores you, tap the lead, repeat the command and start praising as soon as he turns to you. You may clap your hands, take a couple running steps back, crouch down, anything to make you more interesting than whatever was on the ground. Do this exercise on various length leads with mild distractions. Remember the more you have to work against to seem like an Ice Cream, the harder it will be to get your dog to come. At first, you need to be the most enticing thing there. As soon as the dog gets to you, BIG praise and reward, make this the BEST thing in the world! Teach your dog that you or family members can also call him away from people. Put the dog on the long lead - you can use a sturdy length of close line. Just make sure your dog is attached to something. Have a helper hold the dog. Go to the end of your lead and crouch down. While holding the lead, spread you arms wide and in your most happy voice say, "[NAME] COME!" Clap your hands make a FUN ruckus make him want to come to you above all else - even Prime Rib could not keep him from you! When he gets to you comes, stop him in front of you and PRAISE. At first, just have the helper hold the lead and NOTHING else. They should be totally ignoring the dog. Gradually move to a hand being on the dog, soft talking, etc. Do "Round Robins" where several people are in a circle. Toss the lead from person to person; each person with the lead calls the dog. Then they hold the dogs while the next person call the dog. Always praise and keep it fun! Play Hide and Seek. Have a helper hold the dog or let the dog get interested in something and then you silently slip around a corner – KEEP IT VERY EASY AT FIRST. Call the dog and get the dog really wanting to come find you. Gradually get harder and play this game both inside and outside. This will help teach that even if you cannot be seen, the dog still has to come and find you. If you start to get frustrated and your voice shows it, STOP, as with any exercise. You do not want to make this unpleasant. Neither do you ever call a dog to you and punish him - no matter what he did. Dog's think differently and will not associate the punishment with the action he did before you called. He will associate the punishment with the action of coming to you. Puppy's life could depend on it. When your dog comes to you, start adding a SIT to the exercise. Have a treat at nose level and as the dog approached and is close, say sit and slowly bring the treat up so the dog sits. When the sit happens, cue correct, reward, PLACE A HAND ON THE DOG, and release. Having the dog sit and hold it before being released is a safety issue. It gives you a moment to grab the dog if there is something that he may give chase after. Ideally, your goal is a dog that will come and sit in front of you until told to do something else. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: A dog that will come to you under ANY circumstances is really desirable. However, a solid recall should NEVER be an excuse for letting your dog loose in an unfenced area. Remember, as with the stay, dogs are dogs and something may come up that has them forgetting their lessons. Some dogs have a strong chase drive and may never have a solid recall if there is something close that they can chase. Lower confidence dogs may panic in a new area and not come when called. A good recall is a hopeful safety net in case the dog ever gets loose and you need to call it back. But a responsible owner tries to make sure that will never happen.