If your dog is like Keeda, it loves playing with other dogs. In fact, Keeda loves playing with other dogs so much that she can sometimes kind of get on their nerves – ok, really get on their nerves.

Not all dogs like a bouncing, hyper canine jumping in their face and if your dog is the type to do this, put a leash on your dog when you’re going outside! It may look cute when your dog gets excited and happy to see a fellow canine, but can be both frustrating and dangerous for all involved. Sure, your dog may be friendly, but how do you know that the other dog is friendly, too? This can make it difficult to exercise and play games like fetch, Disc Dog, and others. After all, you don’t want to risk anybody getting hurt or getting into legal trouble with a frustrated dog owner.

But have no fear, because there are still ways to let your dog run and play fairly-freely at the local park. And the bonus is that this method can even help to teach your dog out of bolting at other dogs to play without your permission.

Basically, there is one thing to do: get a really long rope. It’s really up to you to interpret how long “long” is for you. Keeda and I, for example, previously used a 5 meter rope lead. Yesterday I purchased an even longer rope for our park visits – 15 meters long. This provides ample running space for her and control for me.

A 15 meter lead is long enough to throw a Frisbee, play fetch or catch, play chase, practice distance commands like ‘wait’ and ‘stay’, and run around “freely” in general.

Not only does this ensure that Keeda and I are safe when another dog comes along, but I’ve also noticed this having a positive effect on her bolting habits. We got to experience this during yesterday’s walk. A kind old man was walking his terrier Jack around the park as Keeda and I played on the grass in the middle with our long lead and some toys. Keeda was no doubt interested in Jack, but she did not bolt at the dog. After a few minutes, she barely had any interest for him at all! She knew she couldn’t get away – she knew the rope was there. By the end of our walk I could even let the rope fall to the ground and Keeda would still stay within 15 meters of me.

So, if you have a problem with your dog chasing other dogs, people, or vehicles, consider a long lead to use when playing and exercising at the park.