Off leash

[cloudcandy]

Coco gets to be off leash in our local (unofficial)dog park depending on whats around ,people eating lunch,dogs that are not friendly,children loose-stays on lead otgerwise she is free to wonder.Also in my big local park she gets to spend offleash time if we have a safe spot.
Ive spent alot of time on recall and she comes to me 100% if the time,not always straight away and sometimes i have to repeat my self?

 

[*blackrose]

Rose is always off leash. We live out in the country, and she is outside in the yard (unfenced 10 acres) most of the day unsupervised. If we're only going to be gone short stints we'll even leave her outside with no one home. When we go for walks (also countryside in "her" turf) I take her leash off as soon as soon as we're past the houses with stupid dogs. When she was younger she'd bike with us off leash.

When in public, I have her on leash for safety's sake, although I'm sure she'd be more than fine off leash now in her old age. (When she was younger she had a streak where you'd call her off of something and she'd not come just to spite you.)

Chloe...it depends. I've been off leash hiking with her twice and she did just fine. Her recall is really good in public and she doesn't like to let me out of her site. I think it also helped that she was with my boyfriend's dog whose recall is perfect in all situations, so when he'd whistle for Cynder, Chloe'd come booking it back too.

On our property, I almost never have her off leash unless I'm actively doing something with her, for two reasons. 1.) She eats cat poop and it is really, really gross, and 2.) she likes to play deaf and ignore me. I don't think she'd take off now like she used to do when she was younger (and if she did, she'd come back), but she just has no manners so her leash stays on. When she's in public, she's always on leash. Other people are stupid, other people's dogs are stupid, Chloe has issues with other dogs and can be stupid...so on the leash she stays.

 

[Southpaw]

It's interesting how having a reliable recall means different things to different people too!

To me reliable means my dog comes every time immediately when I first call her.

Some people in my obedience classes are happy if their dog comes most of the time.

IMO highly prey driven dogs can actually have the best most reliable recalls if they are trained in prey drive. The most impressive recalls I've seen have been on dogs with exceptionally high prey drive.

I don't expect any dog to be reliable to the extent that they are 100% perfect 100% of the time.

I'm probably more lenient on recalls than I should be. I've never been in a situation where my dogs NEED to come to me; only situations where it's frustrating and inconvenient if they don't. So because I've never needed it an emergency situation, it's hard for me to place that sort of importance on it. Juno's recall is just as reliable as her sit or down. She doesn't listen 100% of the time and more often than not I have to say it 2 or 3 times... but she does follow through. It's good enough for me and I do consider it a "good" recall because I can call her back to me in distracting situations--again, it may not be impressive or perfect, but she does it.

 

[Sit Stay]

Everyday. Our property is unfenced (large, but unfenced) and most trails we do she is off leash as well. She has had this privilege for awhile, although of course that doesn't mean we don't do on leash (or while dragging a leash) recall work - we do it a lot!

 

[PWCorgi]

If we are in a new place Frodo is more likely to be allowed off-leash as he will stick closer by. If I could be assured that we wouldn't meet other dogs on trails then he would be off-leash on hikes because he doesn't ever leave the trail

 

[misfitz]

That would be my crew.
They see leashes and run me down begging me to put them on - while they're loose in the unfenced front yard. LOL.

LOL, that's Sienna, too. Leash = we're gonna go for a walk!! What's that - you say we're already on a walk? Well now it will be a DOUBLE walk! Yay!!!

She's offleash with me quite often. When she's with anyone else and I'm not there, the rule is always on leash. Period. She's a velcro dog and highly responsive to my verbal cues but she's not like that with anyone else and I don't trust them to pay as close attention to her as I do.

 

[twobadfish]

As soon as I started working on Ronin's hunting instincts, it was game over for being off-leash.

However, in the desert or on long hikes he is pretty much free to do whatever he wants.

 

[Doberluv]

*Raises hand* Regularly. That's been their way of life since moving to Idaho. They're supervised, but off leash on my property or when hiking in the woods. I'm not only in the country, but in the wilderness. That's only going to be for another week though. We're turning into urbanites and will have a small, fenced yard and otherwise, they'll be on leashes unless I find someplace to hike near or in the mountains that is safe enough.

 

[Aleron]

I know this isn't directed at me but I'm more concerned with the law and other people. My dogs all have fantastic (okay, Shamoo doesn't) recalls but legally I am screwed if some dingbat ruins our day and my dogs off leash.

Again.. I need to get out of this city and into the boonies.

I've gotten more like this in recent times too. My dogs are not allowed off leash nearly after often as they used to be because I worry about other people's reaction to them. There is almost no where that I can take the dogs and not have a chance of running into multiple other people.

The last time we had the dogs off leash, we were at a lake under a highway over pass. We had to park off the road and go down a rather steep, rocky incline to get to the water. The only people we saw when we checked the area out were boaters. We weren't there more than 10 minutes when a family with a bunch of little kids showed up and went to the opposite side of the overpass. Which was fine for about 10 minutes when they decided to move over to where we were. RIGHT we were where. The kids starting yelling at our dogs, throwing rocks in the water to tease them (they would swim out thinking it was a ball) and trying to come over and pet them. Of course, the adult who was with them just sat there watching, never told them to stop bothering us or not to tease the dogs. This lake has several public beaches, I have absolutely no idea why these people wanted to hang out on the rocky ledges where we were. Or if they did why they couldn't stay on the other side of the over pass and hang out with each other. It seems like people in this area go out of their way to try to find other people to hang out around, no matter where they are and no matter if the other people seem to want them around or not. It's really kind of weird and it makes me increasingly uncomfortable about off leash play with the dogs, which is really too bad.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Never, ever. It's against the law everywhere here, and there are too many people and too much traffic and too many other dogs to ever feel comfortable with it, even if she had 100% recall.

 

[joce]

Three of ours can go off leash. Our husky tawny is still not reliable with her recall and even when she is on her last day I don't think she will be she is close to thirteen I think? She was missing for a week when she was a couple years old.

We live out in the country and while I am not sure if there is a leash law here there is a you can shoot if it chases livestock law so we need to be careful. Mine are great with out animals but our heeler can be a bit over the top. Same with the corgi.

I do take them to local parks that are not dog parks and let them run and swim. There are leash laws but we just go way in the back off the trail and keep an eye out

It might not be 100% safe but they are dogs and we need to let them be dogs.

I have a kennel for tawny since she can not go of leash. She does not seem to care but I wish I could let her run.

Honestly byron goes months without even having a collar on. Blitz and byron are my shadow in the barn. Gizmo can't be because she eats every horse turd she finds and will then not eat dog food.

 

[Shakou]

Both my dogs are only on a leash when in town to avoid traffic and run ins with other dogs. Other then that, they are never on a leash.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

I just wanted to add I highly highly prefer dogs that are able to go off leash as in I'm a little wary of dogs that are known to wander off like northern breeds and hounds (not to say there aren't that can go offleash). Just my personal interpretation of fun and playing with the dogs almost always require them to be off leash and running around.

 

[sillysally]

Rarely. We live in town and there are leash laws. Our backyard is fenced and our front yard faces a fairly busy road with lots of foot traffic and dog traffic. Sally is never allowed off leash in an unsecured area. She has very high prey drive and is DR, and I just don't feel that it is worth the risk. She gets to run loose in the yard with Jack. We have worked on recall and she has gotten better, but not to where I trust her.

Jack is allowed off leash at my parents house. He would be allowed off more places if we had more places that were off leash. I will occasionally let him off leash at the beach, but leash him if we see anyone. I won't let him off leash at places where there are leash rules even though he has a good recall because it drives me nuts when I have Sally on leash at a leash only park and someone has a loose dog.

I also try to be very mindful of other people. My mom is terrified of loose dogs and it sucks for her to go to a place where the dogs are supposed to he leashed and people just let them run off leash.

 

[smeagle]

I just wanted to add I highly highly prefer dogs that are able to go off leash as in I'm a little wary of dogs that are known to wander off like northern breeds and hounds (not to say there aren't that can go offleash). Just my personal interpretation of fun and playing with the dogs almost always require them to be off leash and running around.

I prefer my dogs can work off leash too (in fact they need to be able to be reliable off leash otherwise I couldn't compete in obedience or agility) but I think that simply comes down to training. Dogs aren't born "able" to work off leash like it's some inherent trait, my scent hound is great off leash, but only because I did the training necessary to make her that way.

 

[sillysally]

I prefer my dogs can work off leash too (in fact they need to be able to be reliable off leash otherwise I couldn't compete in obedience or agility) but I think that simply comes down to training. Dogs aren't born "able" to work off leash like it's some inherent trait, my scent hound is great off leash, but only because I did the training necessary to make her that way.

There are breeds that tend to lend themselves to being offleash better than others though. In general, you are going to have a much easier time safely having a lab offleash than say, a greyhound. Labs tend to be more geared to stay closer to their handlers than greyhounds.

 

[smeagle]

There are breeds that tend to lend themselves to being offleash better than others though. In general, you are going to have a much easier time safely having a lab offleash than say, a greyhound. Labs tend to be more geared to stay closer to their handlers than greyhounds.

Sure, having a dog that is more naturally handler focused than some of the more independent breeds can help but that doesn't mean that they are born with an automatic recall or that other breeds can't be taught to recall. And there is so much variance within each breed, that I don't really take breed into consideration when training a recall, I prefer to consider the drive and temperament of the individual dog I have in front of me.

I personally don't see any reason why 'x' breed or 'x' dog can't be taught to recall or work off leash, it just comes down to knowing how to train it IMO.

I don't know if I look at it different because I have a Siberian Husky and a Beagle and I hear SO often that neither breeds that can ever be taught to recall or be reliable off leash, to the point where it becomes an excuse so the owners don't have to put in effort to train their dogs because "it can't be done". That attitude really gets to me!

 

[Danefied]

Sure, having a dog that is more naturally handler focused than some of the more independent breeds can help but that doesn't mean that they are born with an automatic recall or that other breeds can't be taught to recall. And there is so much variance within each breed, that I don't really take breed into consideration when training a recall, I prefer to consider the drive and temperament of the individual dog I have in front of me.

I personally don't see any reason why 'x' breed or 'x' dog can't be taught to recall or work off leash, it just comes down to knowing how to train it IMO.

I don't know if I look at it different because I have a Siberian Husky and a Beagle and I hear SO often that neither breeds that can ever be taught to recall or be reliable off leash, to the point where it becomes an excuse so the owners don't have to put in effort to train their dogs because "it can't be done". That attitude really gets to me!

I see both sides really. Some INDIVIDUAL dogs (not going to say breeds, because there are too many exceptions among breeds) are better off leash than others. For a while there I thought Lunar was going to be on a long line for the rest of his life. As an adult rescue who had been essentially feral for a long time, with major issues about being "caught", approaching humans was just too much of a conflict of emotions for him.
Bates issue was different, at his previous home, he was called to come before being punished for killing chickens so his default behavior was either to hit the ground and cower at "come" or, if he was a further distance away, he would turn and run away, looking for something to chase (because if someone is calling me it must mean there is prey around).

Now, Lunar and Bates are both perfect gentlemen off leash, and have great recalls - Bates' is way better than Lunar's because I've put way more work in to it.

Which leads me to.... Some owners are better equipped to teach recall than others. We live out in the boonies, so any puppy we bring home learns off leash recall with minimal effort on our part. Its all instinct - stay with mom and the other dogs, we capitalize on that, sometimes I might hide from the puppy and get the other dogs in on that game, and before you know it, I have a velcro dog who is great off leash.
Lunar and Bates got a chance to practice recall multiple times a day because that's where we live. Not everyone lives in the boonies though with the opportunity to practice every day multiple times a day.

I agree about the excuses though - the idea that I have a sibe who's never going to learn recall so don't bother teaching it. No, I don't agree. Teach it. Because you never know when something is going to happen and you find yourself with a dog off leash and you hoping, somehow, that he will come back.

 

[Tankstar]

when I first go solo. I was in my mind set. "oh a beagle cant be offleash, they follow their nose to much" Solo is great offleash, in certain places. the dog park and bike trails we take, he is always offleash, as we are all moving as a group, so he doesnt wander to far, yes he goes far in the woods, but a whistle or a call of his name, and he is running back to wards us.

I dont often let him offleash at the school field like i do with blaze. as its boring to him, and he finds a scent and just wanders off, and takes alot to get him back. I can get him back, but its more of a hassel I dont enjoy lol. and TBH ive gotten lazy in the training department lol

But otherwise, he spends 2-3 hours a day offleash in the woods, free to chase rabbits, chipmunk ect all he wants. he comes back.

 

[Blue_Dog]

We have small trails and woodlots nearby and if no one else is around (some people complain way too much and since it isn't legal...) then I let Sam offleash. He's contained in the woods and he can't go far. He prefers to stick to the trail for the most part anyway. I always leash him up when we near any roads and I am very happy that he is willing to let me do so, lol. With the little bit of freedom I'm surprised he ever wants to come back, he just loves it so much.