Who doesn't/can't walk their dog off the lead

Who doesn't/can't walk their dog off the lead

Author
Discussion

Escort3500

11,830 posts

144 months

Friday 23rd January 2015
quotequote all
AdiT said:
There seems, whenever I talk to someone who can't let their dog off lead, to be a lot of assumptions...
a) that their dog should have instantly known how to behave when they let them off. Then when they don't, they're not trusted again.
b) That that breed can't be trusted offlead.
c) Both of the above.

YOU have to TEACH your dog how to behave off lead. YOU have to TEACH it to pay attention to you, even when it's doing something else. YOU have to TEACH it to recall off lead. That takes time and patience from YOU. Being off the lead in a big open space is not the same thing to a dog, as in the garden or on a long lead... So just because he's OK in the garden don't expect him to be in a field; Give him time... and just shouting it's name isn't a recall command. OK, so there's a risk he might get lost or hurt while you're spending a few weeks teaching. But he might do that any time for the rest of his life should he slip the lead and not know how to behave.

As for b) I've yet to hear it said of any breed that I don't actually know of at least one that is off the lead regularly. If you do it early enough it's easier. Sure some might take more teaching than others and there may be some that will never get it but I think they all deserve a chance.

It really can't be that difficult; I'm a first time dog owner and managed it with a Weim FFS.
You're quite the expert for a first time owner aren't you?

We've had 9 dogs over many years and one thing is clear, the breed has a great influence on how they behave, how obedient they are and how they interact with other breeds. Sight hounds, for example, have a strong prey drive, and of the 4 we've had (a Lurcher, 2 Greyhounds and an Irish Wolfhound), only the Wolfhound could be trusted off the lead. I suspect in part it was because the other three were rescue dogs that probably hadn't been trained off the lead properly, whereas we had the Wolfhound from a puppy. But nevertheless, when a sight hound sees prey very little will deter it from giving chase except a lead. The whippet we presently have is just as untrustworthy so stays on the lead, whereas the collie/retriever cross is fine, though she won't always come back when she sees another dog.



pikeyboy

2,349 posts

213 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
quotequote all
Jamesgt said:
Are these whistles any good? My dog (beagle) will only recall consistently with a loud whistle using fingers. Just wondering if the dog whistle may help?

Anyway. I think its a bit sad when I see some dogs don't ever get to stretch their legs. My in-laws neighbour had a GSD. It never once got walked off a lead.
The whistle is good because it sounds the same all the time, read even when you're frustrated with them, although constantly trying to recall teaches them they can ignore you. You'd need to put a lot if work into the basic recall, they aren't a one way ticket to a perfect recall.

Working dogs are trained to them to avoid human voices disturbing the quarry.

dai1983

2,902 posts

148 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
quotequote all
PaulG40 said:
Our husky 8yr old Shadow (had from a pup) goes off lead whenever we get to a park/woods. She was about 2 when we started off lead, initially in confined spaces, then ventured further a field. We've put ALOT of training into her and we trust her. We know her personality too. She can have a deaf ear on occasion, but you tend to know when she'll be like it and keep her close or on lead. She'll be a cowbag chasing squirrels, dead or injured birds (phesants and pigeons) and rabbits though.

We had another Husky, Maverick (RIP). He could not ever ever be let off. Even a wiff of an unclipped or loose walking belt or lead and he would be off. I recall doing a 6mile trek trying to get him back on the beach once!

All other rescue Huskys that we've fostered have never been allowed off lead as again, first wiff of freedom and they're off!
Husky owner here too! We had Loki from a pup and let him off most walks down a deserted railway line. He was really good until he hit 8 months old. He then decided not to listen, would walk further ahead, explore the nearby fields and once I chased him for 45 minutes while he chased and licked some sheep!

We moved to an area that had a few closed off fields where I let him off or would take him running. As you say he still has a big prey drive and goes after small animals. We found that 75% of the time he would recall but when he didnt he would misbehave in a big way. One of his favourites is saying hello to and taunting the leaded dogs that belong to the old people who walk down there. You know the small terriers that are never socialised with other dogs and go mental when Loki strolls elegantly by "yeah look at me! I am off the lead! I AM AWESOME!!!!!"

Soon after moving we bought a cockerpoo who is amazingly obedient and comes back whoever you want. We found that the huskies recall is loads better and we have introduced ball games into the dogs walks, something Loki wasn't interested in before. He will still bound over to other dogs and say hello but we have learned who he should avoid so a blast of his favourite squeaky ball brings him back and on the lead.

I guess it's a mixture of hard training and letting the dog mature then you may get there in the end. If he had been aggressive to other dogs, people and livestock I would have found it harder to let him off. As it was I think we socialised him too much as a puppy and now he just wants to play with any other dog.

WildCards

4,061 posts

216 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
quotequote all
I think the breed determines the level of effort required to attain decent recall in a dog. I have two pups for instance, both gundogs, an English Pointer and a German Shorthaired Pointer and at 5 months old, their recall is 90% perfect. I accept that as they get older i'll need to reinforce this as they'll go through a faze where they're rebelling, but it certainly seems to me that gundogs are easier to train for this than other dog types. Rehomed dogs will always need a watchful eye, especially if you don't know what they've been through in their life.

I feel sorry for the folks on here who don't have dogs they can fully trust off the lead, for me it's part of having a dog, to see him/her stomping across a field at full tilt is fantastic, but I understand not all people want the same things. Well done to those of you who take on a rehomed dog or a challenging breed, if we all had the same dogs it would make for boring conversation on the park.

riosyd

611 posts

200 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Thanks to Oddman for this recommendation, will let you know how I/we get on.

Of the 3 retrievers here only Enzo can be trusted to walk to heel on the pavement, Lusso has the attention span of a flea and Monza the puppy is too young.

Apparently Monza is disappointed that the "Total Recall" I'd been talking about is a book on training and not an Arnold Schwarzenegger film biggrin




moorx

3,482 posts

113 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
WildCards said:
I feel sorry for the folks on here who don't have dogs they can fully trust off the lead, for me it's part of having a dog, to see him/her stomping across a field at full tilt is fantastic, but I understand not all people want the same things. Well done to those of you who take on a rehomed dog or a challenging breed, if we all had the same dogs it would make for boring conversation on the park.
Absolutely smile

Although just to show that mine sometimes do have off-lead time:












Tyre Tread

10,525 posts

215 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Is that beach Barafundle?


moorx

3,482 posts

113 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Tyre Tread said:
Is that beach Barafundle?
Close, but no - it's Broadhaven South (Bosherston). My favourite beach smile We have been to Barafundle too.

CaptainMorgan

1,454 posts

158 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
moorx said:
Floating dog? laugh

moorx

3,482 posts

113 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
CaptainMorgan said:
moorx said:
Floating dog? laugh
laugh Hudson - give him any water source and he would lie down in it - bless him laugh Think it was the labrador genes!

bernhund

3,767 posts

192 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
This was the last time ever my late English Bull Terrier,Bernard, was let off his lead.
He was about a year old I think & we were walking in the park. Some distance away was a boy of about 8-10 years old with a baseball bat and cap. His dad was throwing a ball for him. Bernard suddenly stopped, looked towards them, and took off. I legged it too, shouting for Bernard, but typical Bully, it fell on deaf ears. He ran at the kid, the kid started to run away, but Bernard caught up and jumped at him. This sent the boy crashing to the ground. Next thing I see Bernards huge mouth closing onto the boy's head, but instead of clamping down, he just nicked his cap & started doing that head down arse in the air, bobbing & weaving left & right thing! The boy was clearly st scared, as was his dad and so was I, but Bernard wanted to play 'see if you can get your hat back'. I saw that as a valuable lesson on how quickly something nasty could really happen and, heart racing, decided right there & then he was not coming off the lead again except at home. And I stuck to it & applied the same to the next Bully I got a few years later.