Doing a runner

[boredsolicitor]

My cockapoo puppy is a really good boy at home - a bit excitable and jumpy when guests arrive but calms quite quickly.
He's 8 months old now and the last few weeks has started running off when we let him out into the garden . The garden is v big and mostly secure but he finds and breaks through any weak spots . He is just wandering around neighbours gardens but doesn't come back when called . He's pretty good on walks and comes back when called it's just in the garden where he will eyeball and run off. I'm now letting him out on one of those v long leads but I can tell he's sad at not being able to snuggle around and explore .
He's not been neutered yet and the vet advised waiting til he's a year old so no easy fix there.
Does anyone have any tips ?

Sorry that should say he eyeballs me and runs off - it's deliberate in other words .
Aldo snuggle should have said snuffle!

You need to secure your garden if you want him to have free range out there - neutering won't make any difference unfortunately.

Neutering will not fix or change this behaviour.

You need to secure your garden

Secure the garden. And agree neutering won’t fix behaviour.

OP Mumsnet Doghouse in total agreement so our advice must be right

Don't let him out without a long line attached. You aren't keeping him safe.

Haha yep - that doesn't happen often!

Surely the answer here is to ensure your garden is completely secure. Use chicken wire to plug up any gaps.

Find a secure dog field near you and really work on his recall.

He's a puppy, they're like toddlers. He'll improve, but it requires work from you as well as him.

What recall training have you done? What may be happening is that he is not coming back to in the garden area as he is confident there but when he is out on walks he isn't as confident so stays close by. This will change as he gets older and you may find he stops coming back on walks too if he doesn't have a strong recall.
A top tip we were given for recall was to blow a whistle (or use a command word - come etc) just before giving them their food / treats etc.(and reward with treats when recalling on walks) This has worked on 3 dogs for us now

Agree with PPs - you need to secure your garden asap.

Neutering won't help - but you should anyway as a dog with no recall that isn't castrated wandering around the neighbourhood is going to end up causing problems - and your vet is right that your dog is too young.

This will end badly one of two ways: your dog impregnates a bitch (some dogs have sired puppies when they're as young as seven months) or your dog is killed by a car/bus/lorry because they get out of your neighbours garden and onto a road.

Another one saying neutering won't help and that you need to secure your garden.

Work on recall everywhere - in the house, in the garden, in the park, in the woods, everywhere you go.

Almost all dogs lose their recall at this age and act like belligerent arseholes! Completely normal but needs careful management to avoid it becoming a habit for life

Its tough if he doesn’t like it - he needs a longline on at all times and relentless practise until he grows out of this phase. And yes it IS a phase he will grow out of, but only if he doesn’t get allowed to practise the bad behaviour

Thanks all . We have secured the garden several times . I think the badgers that roam in our neighbourhood get under the. Chicken wire but we will have another go.
It seems he's going into a neighbours garden and she is making a fuss of him so that needs to stop . So far recall on walks in the park , woods etc is very good and very reliable. He's our 3rd dog and first time we've had this issue. Last 2 were bitches so I wondered if this was a male dog ilssue but it seems not. Thanks again for your advice

If he's getting rewarded by the neighbour then that's the issue you need to solve really (alongside securing the garden again).

Slightly different but when mine regressed at the teenage phase and started having accidents in the house, I only ever took her out on a lead until she went to the loo. However, if yours is escaping your garden, it is really up to you to make sure your garden is escape proof.

Chicken wire isn't going to contain a dog OP it's as it says for chickens! It's too flimsy for dogs or badgers for that matter. You have been lucky with previous dogs! Put in a proper fence or use weld mesh but you will need to bury it down well to prevent badgers and dogs digging underneath it.
Bottom line is if a badger can get in under the fence your dog can get out.
Until you have sorted the fence don't let your dog out there unless he is on a lead or long line. It's not fair on your neighbours to be letting the dog run riot everywhere.

Another poster for the ‘secure your garden and work on recall’ vote. I would also have a word with your neighbour and tactfully explain the problem you are having and ask them please not to fuss over your dog.
We had a next door neighbour who fixated on our pup (her own dog died about six months prior to us getting Bill), at first her offers to dog sit were appreciated, although we didn’t take advantage that often. Then she started to dote on Bill and we became uncomfortable with the interest she had in him and the attention. Living next door she could peer over the fence.
We raised the fence, blaming dog agility and started reciprocal dog sitting with a friend of my husband from his work.
Our current dog is an absolute flight risk. Shortly after we got him (he is a rescue, we got Spence at 3yrs, we have no idea about his previous life, except we think he was a lockdown pup and poorly socialised) he was startled at the side of a road by a lorry and a collie (one in front one behind), he slipped his collar and ran into the road. I can still see his face running on the road. He looked terrified. I thought he would wind up dead. We found him trotting up a road near our house, heading home. I strongly agree with the poster who said that this could end badly, for us it almost did.
He has legged it twice at our new house (husband’s fault, he has an history of accidentally letting animals out 🙄)and a few times before we moved. Our vet said that dogs who do, or start doing this repeat it if they aren’t stopped as it is a self satisfying behaviour. The more they succeed, the better they get at the action and the more enjoyment it brings.
We have had to work on Spencer’s fears, socialisation, training and providing a safe, secure environment.
I secured the garden on the sides it isn’t secure by planting, what will be a thorny hedge and a chicken wire fence. Luckily someone at the house down from us secured the hedge from their side before we moved in. We have a large gate, but my husband hasn’t put it up yet. Until the gate is up, it is the 10m or 30m lead from Amazon. I secure him when I go out to do things outside, but for playing and training he runs about with the shorter lead on. He has good enough recall to stop in his tracks and come if he is called. But I wouldn’t say 100% the lead is still there just now as a safety measure.

Thank you @FortunateCatsGlugDaquirisAllEveningBlindly
I take on board your advice and am pleased your boy didn't come a cropper when he ran off . I have spoken to the neighbour and she understands our worries and has agreed not to make a fuss. He's so good in the park and woods that I feel semi confident that we'll crack it at home but for now we will keep him on the long lead and investigate the fencing - it's about 200 metres long so not a quick fix . Thanks everyone for your comments and advice

@boredsolicitor I feel your pain about the fencing. The perimeter of our garden is about the same as yours. I planted a LOT of trees and we both put up a lot of fencing. It isn’t pretty just now, but it works.