How to train recall/off leash walking when I live in a city?

11 month old boy, very prey focused. He goes kinda nuts when the wind picks up a leaf in front of him, for example.

We had ex-racing greys previously which has made us very cautious to have dogs off leash at all, but I'd love to let our boy run on dog-friendly beaches, my parents property, etc.

What's your advice for working on recall and building trust when you can't easily just... go outside? We have a fenced backyard and he's fairly responsive back there unless there are squirrels around. Just keep training it in the backyard with treats/squeaky toys? It's scary going from that to just unclipping the collar. Hopefully we've not waited too long, but he can get so excited if he spots prey that it's not felt responsible to even try.

Any recommendations welcome, I get jealous anytime I see photos of a whippet off leash.

reddit.com
▲ 910 r/SkyLine

Owned it for 10 years, still makes me smile

Got out for a great drive yesterday. Found an awesome new-to-me touge style road, and a nice spot for some photos on the way back into town. My life has changed a lot in the last 10 years, but driving this makes me feel like nothing's really changed. I really need to get the AC fixed and address some lingering issues but I think at this point it's a for-life car.

u/irregularcontributor — 3 months ago