Off leash walking?

[SharkyX]

Off leash is, in my opinion, subjective to alot of things like setting and whether the dog will leave your side.
I know though I do NOT enjoy encountering owners who let there dogs roam off leash when I do take my dogs for walks. (We normally go running in forests instead of walking).
In urban parks for example, or even in fairly well populated rural subdivisions.

Mainly bothers me when the dog is 50 feet ahead of the owner or runs away from it's owner to "say hello" or the owner is not in sight.

Here's an anecdote just for the fun of telling it.
Walking my one of my dogs just around my neighborhood once a dog ran seemly out of nowhere towards the two of us. I don't know what for, but anyways drew my leg back, and I normally wear pretty heavy steel toed shoes and spend my summers roller blading, winters xc skiing and skijoring and all season in the gym so I've got a pretty significant kick. I was ready to wreck this dog until the owner stepped out from his house and yells at me "it's ok the dog is friendly" and came and brought him back inside.
The reason I reacted that way is I still remember from a few years ago when the same thing happened to my grandmother when she was out walking her dog, except no owners came out and her dog ended up with stitches and drainage tubes because the dog that ran out at him was not so friendly.

In country areas like farms and what not I would expect a dog to be off leash, but in the city I don't like it one bit.

 

[BostonBanker]

I think there is a big difference between hiking a well-trained dog off-leash and leaving a dog unsupervised in a neighborhood. I don't know that you can really connect the two.

Years ago, my grandmother was walking our Bedlington down her street (neighborhood in a very poor town) when another dog came tearing out from between houses and knocked her down while trying to attack our dog. My grandmother broke her hip and had seven surgeries on it over the next ten years. I would never advocate leaving a dog loose outside unsupervised. I have no objections to obedient dogs being off-leash under their owner's supervision.

 

[SharkyX]

Well you might not think you can connect the two, but some people who walk there dogs off lead seem to think that because the dog doesn't go anywhere while off his leash he won't go anywhere and they can turn there backs on it for a few minutes while outside because they forgot something and had to run back into the house or some other stupid thing like that.

Some cities have bylaws requiring you to have your dogs leashed while on city property unless specified otherwise. So if you're out for a walk on the sidewalk you have to have em leashed.

 

[Saintgirl]

I don't have a problem with well trained and reliable dogs being off lead, but with that being said I do have a problem with owners who think that their dog is well trained and perfect mannered when in fact it is not. Hutch does not like other male dogs, because of this he is NEVER off lead unless in a fully secure and supervised situation. When he is on his lead he focuses on ME, not other dogs that we pass, and because of this he is well mannered and not a problem. It is the super excitable, bouncing, bounding, tear up to smell your bum kind of dog that does not respond to his recall that bothers me. And why is it that these owners are always following at a distance yelling out 'He's friendly!'? And then I always get the same response while I have Hutch in his sit position paying attention to me, but clearly getting agitated because the other dog is ignoring Hutch's 'leave me alone' body language, "I don't know what got into him, he always listens when I call him back to me".

Luckily Hutch is on lead and focused on me, but occasionally he will let out a roar to warn the other dog when it especially decides it wants to bother him. Have you heard an angry Saint Bernard roar? It is loud and sounds a little frightening, and at this point the carefree owner of the mannerless dog will spring into action trying to get their dog under control. Running about me in circles chasing their dog all the while shooting 'you shouldn't have your dangerous dog in public' glares at me. While Hutch sits at my side waiting for his command to continue on his walk. Funny, MY dog is the untrustworthy one?

Abbey on the other hand, I do let off her lead in certain situations for a good run. However, her recall is wonderful. She does not have an interest to run up to other dogs and bother them and she is fine if another dog does want to come over to meet her. And always when we see another dog or person approaching she is recalled and heals at my side until released.

It wasn't always this way. When Abbey was a pup she ignored her recall and had a nasty introduction with a porcupine that required emergency surgery to have all of the quills removed. This was my fault that she was off her lead without a reliable recall. It was my fault that I put her in a situation where she could find trouble. So for me, there are alot of reasons I believe ONLY well trained dogs should be off their leads, and a friendly but only listens 3/4 of the time does not qualify as a dog that should run off lead.

 

[Dizzy]

I could not imagine never being able to take Bodhi off the lead.

In fact, half the joy of me having her is seeing her run about, get muddy, chase rabbits, meet other dogs, and generally lark about.

I actually would think it almost cruel for a dog to get no free running time.

Even an aggressive dog can be taken somewhere open and remote and free of people once in awhile, and a poorly trained dog can be taken somewhere enclosed.

Bodhi was allowed free running from the age of about 12 weeks. At that age a puppy is going nowhere and allowed me to really drum in recall from a young age.

The only time she is on lead is walking on roads/near roads, or other situations that permit it - livestock, SOME other dogs (not all), or just if I feel like it. But if I am out, and there are fields etc, I will allow her off. If I am concerned by something, she goes back on. It's that easy.

Doesn't feel like a satisfactory walk for me if Bodhi isn't all walked out and panting.

How can you possibly provide enough exercise to a dog that cannot be free to run?

 

[lakotasong]

I hike with Windy, Archie and Arthur off-lead. This is only done in very remote areas, nowhere near a road and where the chances of running into anyone else are slim. Windy is definitely my most reliable off-lead dog. Archie comes in second ('cause he's a momma's boy) and Arthur is right behind Archie (he listens to commands better but isn't as fixated on me).

Here's a photo of what I mean by remote hiking:

That was taken of Archie hiking on Peak 9 of Breckenridge, Colorado ski resort this past summer. We were MILES away from the base of the mountain (we did all-day hikes).

Everyone else hikes on-lead (or in harness). I do let Archie, Arthur and Windy loose in the yard here at home (SUPERVISED), but a lot of our perimeter (probably 80%) is fenced for the livestock. The property is also set back pretty far from the road, and a stream separates the front yard from the road by a good bit.

I think off-lead walks have their time and place. I can't stand seeing people in town, on the sidewalk with off-leash dogs. A) we have a leash law and B) a lot of people won't brake for your dog.

Edited to add: By the way, I love the photos of the mountains that were posted earlier in this thread. It made me miss Colorado so much. Before I left Breckenridge, a friend told me, "You will miss the mountains every day, and dream of them every night." And that has turned out to be pretty true!

 

[BostonBanker]

And why is it that these owners are always following at a distance yelling out 'He's friendly!'?

To which you should always yell back, "Mine's not!". Even if yours is, just because you get funny responses .

 

[MyLittleChowChow]

lol, Boston I love that response! Wouldnt these people just crap if me with my Chow were to yell that back. The people around here all know about them there Chows and Pitbulls....all bad dogs, just ask them, their'l tell ya.
I just hate it when people's dogs run at us. Mine will stop, my Chow plops her butt down or locks her legs up tight refusing to budge (when a Chow decides they dont want to move, there is no moving them) and the other gets excited. Then if the dog comes at us growling and ready for attack, my mix will take a step forward ready to defend herself and us. She is great with all dogs but if one comes off as aggressive she will not back down. I dont need this kind of crap when I'm walking my dogs.
In remote areas or in the country its fine to let your dogs off leash. But not in town.

 

[corsomom]

Mine are never on leash around here, we have 80 acres to romp around, but when I do take them to town to a park there is no way I would let them off leash.

 

[oriondw]

yell back, "Mine's not!".

I do that

 

[lakotasong]

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

yell back, "Mine's not!".
I do that

I do that too when I'm somewhere with Archie on lead and some other moron lets their dog run up to us. 'cause Archie is not friendly unless introduced properly to new dogs.

 

[Maxy24]

the other night i was out with my dog on a leash in our yard and this dog comes running full speed at us and i did not hear him until he was right behind us. If i was alone i would have welcomed him and seen if he was friendly. Since i had Max i was a little scared not so much for Max but for the other dog. Max does not really like other dogs especially ones who come running up to him in his yard. Max growled and barked and jumped on the dog growling the whole time and then the other dog started growling so i dragged Max inside. Then i went back out to see if the dog was still there and had maybe gotten out of his yard or house, but i saw him run up to his family who were all walking through the neighborhood. This is not the first time the dog has come into our yard last time he played with my uncles shih-tzu so nobody was angry. But what if my dog was severely dog aggressive or the other dog was. Somebody would have gotten hurt. What i'm saying is if you don't walk your dog in places with other dogs or in neighborhoods or if you do but your dog would never go in someones yard because you will not let them then it is fine to walk your dog off leash but if your dog is gonna run into someones yard or up to someones dog then you should keep them on leash.