Off-Leash Sense
As you may know, I walk my dogs off leash sometimes. Mainly at the dog runs (out-of-town "wildernessy" areas, no fence), and sometimes other places as well. A little over a year ago, I lived in the country with no fenced-in yard on the 160 acres we lived on, so the exercise was off-leash right outside our house.
I was recently thinking of dogs having "off-leash sense", that is that dogs who are used to being off-leash know how to act off-leash. I have a theory that dogs who have been on leash their whole lives and then suddenly get loose don't know what to do with themselves because they have no internal, mental barriers as they've never had to control themselves.
My personal methods of developing this are, for puppies, to just take them off leash in a safe place. They're small enough that you can still outrun them, and it doesn't seem like it occurs to them to run away until they hit adolescence, so they get used to it without any real danger. For older dogs, it's a bit more complicated, but what I did with Rakka was take her out on a long-line and just gradually give her more freedom until I felt I trusted her. This was out on our property, and I'd say I kept her on a long-line, or at least dragging the long-line, for several months before I felt I could take her off leash. She learned not to leave the property, and to stick close by. She checks in whenever I call. She will wander off if I don't call her for regular check-ins, but she doesn't get lost, but if I don't call her, she may so five minutes or longer out of sight.
I know many on this forum aren't comfortable with exercising their NK off-leash, and I only do under circumstances where I deem the risk to be acceptable (not near traffic) and not where I feel off-leash dogs will be a nuisance. I stick to areas where it's expected there will be off-leash dogs, or where there aren't any other people. When in doubt, a long-line is a happy medium. I've never taken any dogs off-leash in any extremely isolated or wild areas where I think there might be dangerous wildlife, either, or where I think they could get lost, but I don't think those situations are out of the question either, if you know what you're doing and take precautions. Over all, I feel that it's important to understand the risks, know your dog really well and have a really strong connection with your dog. Personally, I feel in many scenarios, the pros outweigh the cons.
So, I was just curious to hear the thoughts of other forum members who take their dogs off leash, or members who don't, and their reasoning or feelings. Obviously, those who hunt with their dogs will take them off leash, and I've seen photos of dogs exercising off leash. Just curious what people think of off-leash dogs in general, and off-leash training and so on.
I was recently thinking of dogs having "off-leash sense", that is that dogs who are used to being off-leash know how to act off-leash. I have a theory that dogs who have been on leash their whole lives and then suddenly get loose don't know what to do with themselves because they have no internal, mental barriers as they've never had to control themselves.
My personal methods of developing this are, for puppies, to just take them off leash in a safe place. They're small enough that you can still outrun them, and it doesn't seem like it occurs to them to run away until they hit adolescence, so they get used to it without any real danger. For older dogs, it's a bit more complicated, but what I did with Rakka was take her out on a long-line and just gradually give her more freedom until I felt I trusted her. This was out on our property, and I'd say I kept her on a long-line, or at least dragging the long-line, for several months before I felt I could take her off leash. She learned not to leave the property, and to stick close by. She checks in whenever I call. She will wander off if I don't call her for regular check-ins, but she doesn't get lost, but if I don't call her, she may so five minutes or longer out of sight.
I know many on this forum aren't comfortable with exercising their NK off-leash, and I only do under circumstances where I deem the risk to be acceptable (not near traffic) and not where I feel off-leash dogs will be a nuisance. I stick to areas where it's expected there will be off-leash dogs, or where there aren't any other people. When in doubt, a long-line is a happy medium. I've never taken any dogs off-leash in any extremely isolated or wild areas where I think there might be dangerous wildlife, either, or where I think they could get lost, but I don't think those situations are out of the question either, if you know what you're doing and take precautions. Over all, I feel that it's important to understand the risks, know your dog really well and have a really strong connection with your dog. Personally, I feel in many scenarios, the pros outweigh the cons.
So, I was just curious to hear the thoughts of other forum members who take their dogs off leash, or members who don't, and their reasoning or feelings. Obviously, those who hunt with their dogs will take them off leash, and I've seen photos of dogs exercising off leash. Just curious what people think of off-leash dogs in general, and off-leash training and so on.
Comments
He doesn't rush to greet other dogs either. He prefers to sit back and watch them come in then greet once they decide to approach him. He's never rushed to meet another dog before.
I haven't tested his off-leash recall anywhere but the dog park, intentionally anyways, but he doesn't like it when he can't see me and will always try to find me if I go missing. I'm fairly confident he would do well, but I'm not confident enough to give it a shot yet. Maybe in a couple years.
If I had access to a large area with few people or other dogs then I'd do long or drag line walks with him but for the time being, it's only off-leash at the dog park.
I wanted to do lots of off-leash training when I first got Conker but I lived in an apartment and didn't have reliable access to any safe place I could do it. When I get another puppy I'm going to do what you said above. No leash (unless around traffic or other dangerous things) while I can still outrun them so they learn from an early age how to act when off-leash, or with a shorter drag-lead until they are older.
Older dogs I end up with would get the long-lead then drag-lead training, and only off-leash if they turn out to be incredibly reliable.
I personally love off-leash dogs who act properly. I don't like it when people just let their dogs off-leash when they've had no off-leash training. If I'm out on a walk and a dog approaches me (or Conker) and is under voice control and is a very nice dog, I don't mind. But if they come barreling up to me, ignoring their owners, even if they are friendly, I get real defensive and pissed about it. Conker doesn't like dogs charging up to him like that unless he knows them already and neither do I.
One of the better things I see with training your dog for off-leash is if they do get loose they don't get super excited and want to run around and do everything OMG it's so fun. Conker isn't like that if he gets loose since I regularly do long-lead training in many places and off-leash at the dog park.
Nuuk is great in off leash. He has good recall and he likes to keep contact all the time. I can't wait that I can keep him free in our summer cottage with our Schipps.
We can keep our Schipperkes free in our own yard all the time (we live in urban area). They don't leave the yard if we don't and they don't get disturbed if someone pass by our house. And I keep one of the females off-leash also in the walks even we walk in the "city".
I think having a long line (lead) is a great idea. That way they could still have the freedom to run and play ... as a standard lead restricts them for doing to much. I should try that out on day at the river bottom. (Don't think I would ever let the lead go though!
I loved watching Sosuke and Rakka off leash. I was really impressed on how closed they stayed. I think my Shiba was jealous as he was so interested in watching them, he wanted to play too!
But other than that, I completely trust them. Koda started at a very early age, first at off leash hiking areas, and then when he got past 11 mos. old in my complex and around the neighborhood late at night when no cars were around. Around 4-5 months, he would go a bit ferrill on me, and then at 9 mos. he became an ass who barked at people for a couple of weeks. I had to wait until those two phases were outgrown.
I think it's about teaching them safe boundaries/areas where they are allowed and not allowed. Koda's great at just kind've knowing what I would deem as ok and not ok. He's pretty easy to teach. When we walk together, in busy areas he knows he has to stay right next to me. On hills and such, he can venture off, but he needs to be within eyeshot of me. He's also really good about looking back at me to make sure he can see me.
Mei, well, I totally lucked out with her. I think she's been through a lot in life and she is so happy to be with people that don't hurt her that she doesn't want to lose us. Her recall is 100% no matter what's going on. She's very grateful for the home she has now.
One thing I notice is since Hana is off leash most of the time, and when she goes on leash she's is a pain to control. Kinda weird. I try not to make Taro and Koyuki stay with me since I want them to range out during our hunts. I wish I was in a place where I can off lead walk the dogs alot more.
Even now, the only time my dogs are on leashes is when we're on our short walks through the neighborhood or on a city trip. London (my mal) was never actually walked ON a lead as a puppy. I don't really demand too much of him while walking off lead though, so when I do speak, he listens. His recall is typical of a malamute in that when I say "LONDON, -come-," he will always at least STOP... but it's usually just to look at me and sit down like "pffft, you ruin all the fun things".
I was nervous to let Russell off leash since I had adopted him and he was/is very drive-y, but our "dog park" (public farmland) isn't fenced in... so I had to take the plunge eventually. Russell is probably the best dog I've ever had, reaction-wise. He'll run and play and dart off after animals and do what he wants, but he's constantly checking up on me and if I even -LOOK- like I want him to do something, he can read me pretty well. I worry less about him now than I do about London.
I really dislike walking my dogs ON the lead, so I'll go out of my way to find a place they can run around and do their thing.
Actually, in doing this, I have found that our dogs who are trained off-lead early on will pull less on-lead than our dogs trained to walk on-lead as pups.
Having written that, obviously, dogs need to be trained to walk on lead so that they can be safely walked in busy public areas.
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When Bowdu was younger, the most exciting aspect about being off-leash was the chance to just RUN unbridled. Occasionally he would lose his head about it and run so far away that he lost sight of us, but once he caught up with us, he was always SO RELIEVED to be reunited with his humans, he'd stick fairly close for the rest of the time (hence, why it was important to let him off in only these "safe" places). As he matured, it seemed that he took more interest in the act of exploring, but not at the expense of losing sight of us. So as long as we kept moving, as long as we kept giving him new areas to explore, he was fine with staying within sight.
Strangely, neither seem prone to losing their head over prey. Bowdu has tried to chase ducks (but he won't swim out to them), Bowpi has darted after squirrels, moles that burrow... Once, a big ol' jackrabbit came bounding through the 17-acre park and Bowdu and Bowpi both joined in pursuit, along with these three other hound-y dogs. I watched them all chase the rabbit for a while. It was quite an adrenaline rush. But once the rabbit started to run too far away, whose dogs actually responded to their recall command? Yeah, mine, the primitive, not-safe-off-leash pair.
Anyway, I never actually trained either dog to walk off-leash in any systematic way. Bowdu started walking off-leash when we moved into this area, when he was about 1.5 years old. I didn't really feel safe letting him off-leash in woodsy, wilder areas until he was about 4 years old or so. And now we do it all the time. We were more careful about easing the Basenji into off-leash activities, because we didn't know her background and didn't have a good idea of how she would react. But we do know that she's very attached to people. I think it helped that Bowdu was such a good model. Bowpi's recall is much better and much more consistent than his. I did discover that if she was caught outdoors in a sudden rainshower, she panics and she will RUN towards the parking lot several lengths ahead of me. The one time this happened, I got her to stop running by refusing to chase her, standing back, waiting until she noticed that I wasn't behind her, then calling her to me... getting soaked in the process. But I do not like them anywhere near cars if I can see or hear them and there are no barriers. Which means they do not walk off-leash in the neighborhood or anything like that.
Both dogs have spoiled me when it comes to off-leash walking with dogs not reputed to do well with off-leash walking. I'd like to think it has something to do with the way I "read" them and interact with them during these hikes, though. I'm not intent on controlling them when they're off leash. They don't have to be right by my side, and they get some freedom to do their own thing. But when it's time to get back on leash, they just know, and there's no fight. They know they'll get to go off leash again some other day soon.
I still keep in contact with his breeder and he was very upset when he heard I was doing off leash training. He told me how Shibas ALWAYS get ran over and are unreliable to stick by you. My philosophy is that its better to equip the dog with knowledge of what to do, rather than to leave it to chance just in case they do escape or chase a small animal.
during our walks in the field Saya would be off leash as a pup with Bella who was good off leash, but sadly bella got yelled at really bad by my dad so her confidence sunk so she now does not so well off leash. =(
I've been repairing the damage he's done by letting her out on the 100foot leash on a tie out and she gets to roam with it while I did chores.
I do walks with her on a 30 foot leash in the field so she has more freedom.
Her recall has improved again, but I don't think I'll trust her like I used to for a long time.
Saya is pretty treat and toy motivated she loves kibble, caned fish, fish based dog treats, cooked meats, dehydrated meats and string cheese. I use a rotation of those treats and her favorite toy to keep her focus.
Today we went on a walk on our neighborhood on of my neighbor has a very tall yard Saya got to walk in it and explore the field. I dropped her leash and she dragged it.
Today I did another walk by the field and Saya did good I got it on video too.
Bella is also doing much better with her recall too, but I don't think I'd trust her off leash for a long time.
Here's saya she's dragging her 4 or 6foot leash I forgot..
Treats she got was wellness core ocean and ToTW lamb kibble she loves both.
video 3 she went a bit further and was sniffing stuff too a bit to get her to come
Saya now on the other side of the road sniffing stuff
Saya staying and then coming.