Puppy never checks in at dog park or beach

Hi,
I have a 7 month old puppy, a mix of australian shepherd, siberian husky, swiss shepherd, and bichon frise. He's about 50 lbs and getting neutered tomorrow, actually.

Overall, he is well trained. I've had him since 7 weeks and work from home so we are well bonded and I train consistently. He knows the basics (sit stay down), some 'fun' tricks (roll over, play dead), and will come when not too distracted. He did not 'come' at the dog park, so I stopped trying so he wouldn't learn he could just ignore me (was that a good idea?)

He is a overly friendly and loves everybody and everything. Which is great! But, at the dog park and at the dog beach he NEVER checks in. Once he is off the leash, he just says hi to EVERYBODY. Literally going from person to person and dog to dog. He won't ever come check in with me.

At the dog beach today it was very busy, and it was only his 2nd time there, so he was definitely overstimulated. When we let him off the leash, he started making his way down the beach and never looked back at us. Eventually, he got out of sight and I had to go get him and bring him back. He kept doing this every time.

I wanted to let him go to see if he would eventually return, but once he is out of sight I get nervous. Also, it just saddens me that he doesn't want to check in!!

Is this normal for a 7 month puppy? He is ridiculously friend which is great, but I feel like he loves everybody else just as much as he loves me!

Any advice?

sorry for the essay...

I would put him on a long line for the time being just so he doesn't get the opportunity to wander off too far in those situations. Then get some super awesome tasty treats that he only gets at the dog park or the beach (cooked chicken or bits of hot dog usually work well). Any time he decides to check back on you, make it the best thing ever. Tons of praise, awesome treats, and maybe playtime with his favorite toy if he'll work for that.

It's a good idea, since he's so overstimulated in those environments, to practice this in a less stimulating environment first. Then, when he's checking in frequently, try going to the dog park when it's less busy and practice there.

Depending on the dog it can take some time for him to be reliable off the long line. But like you said, you do not want him to self-reward by going and seeing all the exciting people and other dogs!

Hope this helps

Well my 9 month old puppy is exactly the same way. And not only does he not check in, he won't come when called Therefore, no more dog park for him. Which sucks, but he's a very large dog with an intense disposition so I won't risk it.

IME this is pretty typical for adolescent dogs. The answer is probably to go to a long line and practice practice practice recalls. Don't ask for it if you know he won't recall, and build it up in low distraction environments.

My dog went from perfect recall to "See ya later!" at around 9 months old and I still don't trust him off leash at 2.5 years. Some dogs are harder than others.

I would definitely use a long line to your advantage right now, especially if it is just open with no fencing or anything to help corral him. What is his favorite toy or treat? Bring something super high value and start making it really rewarding to be with you. The more engaging the "game" the better. Really solidify a recall outside of the highly stimulating place (dog park, ect) using this and it will begin to transfer. But until you have that, I wouldn't be letting him off.

Control Unleashed would be a good resource for you as well.

Agreed with all of the suggestions for a long line for now. It's honestly pretty typical for his age. Just have to say Control Unleashed helped me a TON with this same situation.