Do You Totally Trust Your Dog Off Leash?

[Debbieg]

Benny is off leash a lot in areas where this is allowed but I always have the leash with me. I wish I could say he is 100% but he has a lot of prey drive and I don't want to ever take a chance. Just not worth it.

[SpikeZombie]

That is adorable


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[selzer]

Babsy, I can trust off lead anywhere, even with traffic. I was able to do so with her mother as well.

Today I took Hepzibah up to a friend's home on Lake Erie. There were no fences. I turned her loose with their dog, and their friends young bitch. And no problem. Hepsi would not have gone far, she chased the two older dogs so far and then came back to check on me. She would go with them for a little and then get pets from everyone.

While there were no fences, there were woods skirting their lawns. It was a private area. She might have gone over the edge and down into the lake, but she didn't. I wasn't too concerned about it really. She wanted to be near the people.

I wouldn't do that where there was any traffic.

This is a puppy I haven't trained to sit or down or come or anything with. She is 9 months. Very gentle, pleasant, and doing pretty good at remembering to keep four on the floor.

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by gotahaveaGSD

I trust Maya 100% off leash. Ever since day one. All I have to do is a double whistle and she comes running.

I'm rite now visiting mother-in -law in West Virginia and had her off leash in a field near a road and near people's back yards and two of them had 2-3 barking dogs and she looked but ignored them for the most part. ( love seeing her just run full speed, nothing like seeing your dog with ears back just running) when I was ready to go I just whistled and she came running and sat rite in front of me so I could put the leash on her.

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted a dog I can trust off leash. I just can hear my mom and dad yelling " shut the door, don't let the dogs out "

Did you get your dog as a trained adult?

Otherwise that is truly amazing!

[codmaster]

That is truly amazing how many folks trust their dog off lead 100%. It is great!

One question that i wonder about - how much of a dog sticking close to their owners might be due to the dog feeling better when near the owner rather than off by themselves? I.E. a pack thing?

[Carriesue]

I would never trust any of my dogs no matter how well trained off leash near a road, ever. Many years ago I saw a dog get hit by a car right before my eyes, the dogs owner was walking him/her off lead... I saw the poor pup dying in the street with the owner wailing over him/her. It haunts me still to this day and as we've learned all too well recently it only takes just a few moments for a tragic incident to occur and snuff out a precious life.

I do let my dogs off leash up in the mountains for our hikes, they do excellent and won't go more than 15 feet away, that and the dog park along with a few dog beaches is the only place I let them off. Well except for my Chi mix, she doesn't like strangers and will bite if they bend down to pet her which they always do because she's a small dog and people automatically assume she likes being petted. So she only goes off leash in the mountains where we rarely encounter other people.

[selzer]

I don't know. Any of my girls, I can let out of the back yard which is fenced, and they will run to my vehicle, because they want to go with me. It is not common for people to walk down our road, but it happens, and the Amish drive their horses, the dogs don't chase them though. When we come back, I can let them loose at the car and they will run toward the house.

All the adults have excellent recall. All of the babies don't, but they must associate me with the most exciting thing going on.

Because of the freezing temps, my water hose is on vacation. So I cut down and old hose so I can fill the buckets. a two foot hose is unlikely to freeze especially if there is no nozzle. But to get to it, I have to open my back gate and carry the buckets through. Well, yesterday, after filling all the buckets, and feeding everyone, I was just going to let two of the nine month olds out, when one of them needed a little attention. I put the other out the door, and spent a few minutes working on the other's ear. When I came out, the other was on the outside of the gate. Uhg! I put Hannah into the Patio Kennel, and opened the gate and called Hermione, and she came right in. Big sigh of relief.

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted by Gharrissc

This question doesn't apply to people who don't have a solid recall on their dogs,but for the rest of you ,do you totally trust your dogs off leash or do you use precautions depending on the area?

I have a solid recall on two of my dogs but I still do NOT trust them 100% of the time.

They ARE dog and their natural instincts might take over.

[Muskeg]

When I first adopted my GSD she was never on a leash, ever, and didn't need one. Then she discovered the joys of chasing deer and rabbits and she went back on leash. She has a good recall now- but I would simply not allow her loose around traffic.

In the mountains, I'm not real particular. As long as the dogs check in and keep track of me they can wander about quite a bit.

On the local trails, I keep the dogs in sight. I recall my feisty malinois when I see anyone or any dog. The other two are pretty much neutral to those distractions and are even good with horses (took work for that).

I've never had a dog that didn't need some work to get a really good recall. Some take a whole lot of work. I have had dogs (GSD and our family mutt growing up) that just stick around, and generally come when called, and don't bother other people or dogs. That doesn't mean they have built-in, no-training 100% reliable recall. That takes work unless you have an exceptional dog. In my experience, with the four dogs I've cared for personally, there is ALWAYS something more interesting than me that the dogs will chase/go after unless trained. Could be moose, rabbits, deer, bear poop, or all of the above. I've always had dogs with high prey drive- some pretty extreme. Must be something about the kinds of dogs I choose. Anyway, they get off leash in safe areas, but the amount of freedom they get when off leash varies by location and depends on the dog.

[gotahaveaGSD]

Originally Posted by codmaster

Did you get your dog as a trained adult?

Otherwise that is truly amazing!

No, got her at 11 weeks. What my wife and I did was always have treats with us and we would go to a dog park and we would call her over every 5-10 minutes and give her a treat.

I remember when she was like 3 months old, I let her go out in the back yard to relieve her self. I went to answer the phone and when I went to call her back in , I opened the door and did not see her. I freaked out. I called her and she came running back through the slightly opened gate I left open. When she came running I praised her for coming, not yelling at her.

The double whistling thing came from being at the dog park near home. ( I live in a leash law state ) when I would whistle, and she would come. I would touch her collar then give her a treat. So every time I do it she won't leave me till I touch her collar.

Others are saying they don't let there dogs off leash near a road, I agree. Like I said before I'm at my mother-in-laws house in West Virginia and at the field near her home there is a road between her house and the field. I only take the leash off after crossing the street and walking about 500 feet past the road and I put the leash back on 500 feet or so before the road to go back to her house.

As for me I say I trust my dog 100% but I do use common sense and use the leash when needed.