Dogs off leads.

[aussiemyf7]

My dogs are walked off leads, I trust them with people, other dogs, traffic and any other obstacles we may come across while exercising. I usually walk to my farm property about 10 minutes away where they can run like mad and do whatever they want, Lady watches the sheep and Roly just pee's on everything. If we ever approach another dog or people I will put them on a lead, I trust mine, but you never know which other pups or people may be nervous around them, totally understandable.
On the forum I used to be joined too, I was told I was rude, ignorant and dangerous for walking my dogs off lead. They said its asking for dog fights and car collisions.
I was just wondering who walks there dogs off lead and if I am infact irresponsible, rude and ignorant.

 

[ddrdogs]

I guess I would just ask you "why"? There really is no reason for it and it seems to me that you are needlessly putting your dogs at risk. Bad things can happen in a flash. Despite how much you trust them; they are dogs and have their own thought process. Even the most well trained dogs will have a moment of weakness. Use the leash and save the "off leash" moments for dog parks.

 

[Lizmo]

I guess I would just ask you "why"? There really is no reason for it and it seems to me that you are needlessly putting your dogs at risk. Bad things can happen in a flash. Despite how much you trust them; they are dogs and have their own thought process. Even the most well trained dogs will have a moment of weakness. Use the leash and save the "off leash" moments for dog parks.

OMG, I couldn't agree *LESS* with this statement!

There is aboslutely NOTHING wrong with walking your dog off lead if they have a good recall and are generally good around new places/dogs/people/etc.

To the OP, I think it's great your dogs have good recalls and get off lead exercise. My Collie has a great recall and we both love walking off leash!

 

[mrose_s]

I don't have a problem with walking dogs offlead. Sophie we usually take offleash (less so now because she's loosing her hearing) because she is slow, she likes to take her time and she has a very stable temperment.

Buster I very rarely let offleash, he has DA and while he is usually has good recall with me, I just don't trust him. Plus if a cat bolts across his path he will be gone.

There are 2 border collies a woman owns near us owns. She walks them twice a day, everyday, offleash. They are fantastically behaved. If I am passing them with Buster I never have to worry. They don't even look twice at him, even when he's straining at the end of his lead wanting to fight. One of them walks far ahead of her, checking back every few seconds and both of them hit the deck immediatley whenever they reach a road.
I would much rather come across offleash dogs that are behaving themselves like these BC's than other dogs like Buster that I have to worry if their owner will loose their grip or their leash/collar breaks etc.

I do let Buster offleash occasioanally, he needs it. He turns into a different dog when I let him off, he relaxes, he is constantly on edge when on leash and letting him off gives him a few minutes to be himself.

 

[ddrdogs]

You can disagree all you want, but just a bit of friendly advice from an Animal Control Officer who HAS seen many wrecks with owners who's dogs are "under voice control". Most of the wrecks I have seen are with the friendly loose dogs who run up to somebody else who's "unfriendly" dog is on a leash. Just had one two weeks ago where an unleashed Labrador went around the corner where there was a leashed Pit Bull who took the loose dog as a threat and attacked causing fairly serious injuries. And the owner of the Pit Bull wanted to sign a complaint for the Labrador being off leash. So the Labrador owner ended up with a double whammy; big vet bill and a ticket. He wasn't a happy camper!!

 

[Zoom]

Overseas there is a very different attitude towards off-leash dogs. I saw this quite a bit when I was over in Scotland. There, it's the norm for dogs to be off-leash. Most owners are aware when their dogs need to be on-lead and do so, but the majority of the time you'll just see a person with their dog trotting happily at their heels or just ahead. They're not darting out into traffic, they're not getting into scraps with other dogs. They tend to be more socialized for that fact, which avoids many problems we have over here. On-leash postures and behaviors are SO different than the natural, loose behaviors, which contributes heavily to many altercations. Then people don't spend the time socializing like they should because their dog is so bad on leash and it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.

 

[aussiemyf7]

Yes Zoom, over here, there are no parks to walk your dog and off-lead walking is very normal. I think I may have been attacked on my previous forum because of the differences between countries.
My dogs both walk well on the lead, but being off the lead allows them to smell and go at there own pace. If I had to stop and wait everytime Roly want to 'mark his territory' it would take all day!
Thanks for the replys guys, much nicer than others..

 

[sillysally]

As long as your dogs are under complete voice command, and you are not breaking any laws then I have no issue. My biggest issue is with people who let their dogs off leash in a public area where there is a leash law/rule. Even if that dog is under voice command, they make it harder for those that use the area with their dogs and follow the rules.

 

[aussiemyf7]

Yes exactly, thats what I had tried to explain, but they didnt want to hear it! Thanks again.

 

[ihartgonzo]

I guess I would just ask you "why"? There really is no reason for it and it seems to me that you are needlessly putting your dogs at risk. Bad things can happen in a flash. Despite how much you trust them; they are dogs and have their own thought process. Even the most well trained dogs will have a moment of weakness. Use the leash and save the "off leash" moments for dog parks.

I have to agree with you, completely.

There IS a time and a place for everything. Walking your dog off-leash in open spaces/fields/parks/trails/etc without cars nearby, and where you have a full view of aproaching people/dogs, that's great. But I am actually disturbed when I'm driving and I see people walking with off-leash dogs by the streets. Like, to the point of slowing down to a coast where the speed limit is 50 mph and honking/yelling at the people. I don't want to hit a dog. I don't think I could even drive again if I did so. Walking a dog off-leash near cars and other people/dogs is absolutely endangering their life, and for a few more feet to explore? That's a very silly reason to risk life and limb. If I'm walking in an area with chances of other dogs coming up or traffic in the area and I want to give my dogs more freedom, they go on long leashes. They don't even test the limit of their long lines, they check in on me constantly and Fozzie even heels half the time hoping for treats, and they both have great recalls. But I cannot trust the world or their instincts or myself to respond at the right time 100% of the time and if they were hurt or killed because I didn't choose to leash them I would have no one to blame but myself. Especially with high drive dogs, like Kelpies, Border Collies, terriers, etc, which have been bred to act on instinct for hundreds of years... a tire rolling by, a wild animal/cat/squirrel dashing across the street, even something blowing in the wind that piques their focus for a second can result in a dead dog.

I have also seen dogs die because of over-confident owners letting them "explore" on the sidewalk alongside cars. A 12 week-old Lab puppy once. I'm sure if those dogs had the consciousness to choose between life and the ability to sniff more bushes, they would have chosen to live. =/

 

[Doberluv]

I might risk it around people or other dogs as long as my dog was well socialized, friendly and safe (as long as I wasn't worried about the other dogs doing something) but not around cars....never ever. My Doberman had a fantastic recall, was very obedient and heeled nicely. Off leash, he was fine around other dogs and definitely gentlemanly around people we might pass. And I'd still not risk it where he might run into a road. There is always that small percentage of a chance when, like it was said, their instincts/prey drive gets the better of them, even in the most stupendously trained dogs. Cars are simply no match for any dog. I use to hike in the woods with my Dobe all the time where he could run to his heart's content and on my 5 acres. But not near a road other than little dirt roads, like the one I live on where hardly any cars go or they go very slowly and I could hear or see them coming ahead of time. I've seen and heard of too many dogs hit by cars, including my son's dog and his girlfriend's dog. And that was a road that was not busy which had a 25 mph speed limit. Some jerk was speeding excessively and took out both dogs.

 

[Tankstar]

I walk my dog offleash 95% of the time. then again I dont normally walk him any where but the dog park. But when I walk him in the neighboorhood I wait until I get to the bike path or school field then let him go. his recall is superb, he has no intrest in running up to people. And offcourse he has a intrest in running up to dogs, but he doesnt. If I see a dog he is on his leash until they are gone.

Now Im not trying to bring things up from other forums. But Im on that one. and even you said you let your dogs run up to other dogs. which is why every one was against why you let your dogs offleash. you didnt care if your dogs got attacked, and would hope they would learn a lesson. You said they dont always listen to you and run up to other dogs. And like I said on the other forum. my dog is not always friendly on his leash. due to dogs running over to him and being over excitied and even attacking him.

 

[DogstarAcademy]

I was actually going to ask about that (I don't know what other forum you're talking about though)- how do you handle other dogs? I don't care if YOUR dogs are friendly, if my dogs are on leash and yours run up to them and get bit (theoretically- none of my current crew are leash reactive but Indy was), it is YOUR fault. And I'm going to be REALLY annoyed about it, because it just makes reactivity even harder to treat.

 

[Phoenixangelwyngs]

I had one dog come running up to my crew that were all on leash and being reasonably well behaved. The other dog was offleash, hackles raised and barking threateningly. The owner began calling frantically for her dog to come back and then told me that she was sorry because her dog is usually never like this. Ransom started jumping and barking and hiding. She said, she's in heat and I immediately :wall: wanted to... i dunno SMACK her or something. WHY ON EARTH would you be walking your dog offleash when the town I live in has leash laws? Secondly, why on earth are you walking her off-leash in heat when she's most likely to behave unpredictably?

 

[elegy]

if you're out hiking in the middle of nowhere, fine. i don't let my dog's offleash, but i can understand that it is appropriate for some dogs to be.

but not near cars. not ever near cars. there are too many possibilities for bad endings there.

and as others have said, it is not acceptable to let your dog run up to other people/dogs no matter how friendly your dog might be. i have a pit bull who is so reactive due to having been attacked by an offleash dog in town that he will absolutely bite first and ask questions later. he loves to play with other dogs and he's well-enough controlled that he can be off-leash in agility class, but he's scared to death of dogs rushing him while he's on leash because bad things have happened repeatedly in the past.

and every time i see an unleashed dog it makes my blood pressure shoot up, because i've had so many bad experiences.

 

[Dekka]

To me it depends where...

I will let my dogs off leash on the farm, on friends farms, and down the trans canada trail near me (hardly EVAR see anyone...)

I would not walk my dog off leash in an urban area, or where other dogs are on leash. It is rude to let your dog run up to other dogs unless it is a place where people expect off leash dogs. I would be sooo pissed if I was walking Dekka in a (non off leash park) on leash and a dog ran up to her off leash. I would never take her to a dog park because she doesn't do well with strange dogs... I have no issue if you can keep your dog from running up to people and other dogs as long as you are away from roads and houses.

 

[sillysally]

Now Im not trying to bring things up from other forums. But Im on that one. and even you said you let your dogs run up to other dogs. which is why every one was against why you let your dogs offleash. you didnt care if your dogs got attacked, and would hope they would learn a lesson. You said they dont always listen to you and run up to other dogs. And like I said on the other forum. my dog is not always friendly on his leash. due to dogs running over to him and being over excitied and even attacking him.

See, THIS I object to. Jack doesn't care who runs up to him--the more the merrier as far as he is concerned. Sally---not so much. I don't want her to be in the position to have to "teach a dog a lesson." That is not her job or mine. It is also not my job to have to fend off untrained off leash dogs because the owner hasn't bothered to proof their recall but insists on having them off leash.

 

[ddrdogs]

ihartgonzo; Well put; that is exactly my point. I respond to SO many complaints of dogs off leash in public parks that we can't even keep up with them all. We have 5 "dog parks" in my area but people still insist on using the public parks, much to the frustration of everyone else at the park who don't want loose dogs (even friendly ones) running up to their dogs or children. I remember one situation in which I was at a park and came across a retired police officer with his two Rottweilers off leash. He told me that his dogs were highly trained and under voice command. He had his dog on a down as I was writing him a warning. Just as I explained to him that all dogs have instincts and high drive dogs will often respond to that drive, a squirell ran across the park and sure enough; just at that precise moment, one of his "voice controlled" Rottweilers bolted after it. He was mortified but it sure nailed the point home to him.

If there is a law, there is a reason for it - keep 'em leashed for everyone's safety!

 

[Dizzy]

I always walk Bodhi off lead.

The times she is on lead are road walking, or particularly dangerous/unusual situations.

Even now I sometimes walk her with no lead up to our usual walk and that is by a road.

Have to add, I live in a quiet country town... I don't walk her off lead in urban areas.. I wouldn't take her into town and let her run amok, where cars come from unpredictable directions, people, children etc....

Only when we're out and about on walks.

 

[Lizmo]

If there is a law, there is a reason for it - keep 'em leashed for everyone's safety!

Of course if there is a law, you leash your dog. It's just common sense and I'm sure pretty much 100% of the people on this forum obey leash laws.