@MontanaKai You said that you wanted to allow Orry to be off leash as much as possible in order to get him used to that. I was wondering if you continued to allow him that freedom when appropriate throughout his puppyhood and how that worked out for you?
@tmd Yes, I've continued to allow him off leash, but it depends on the situation. Really, Orry is great off leash when there are not a lot of dogs on a trail. He'll stay with me without any problem when it's a lightly traveled trail or when we pass people. However, he still gets distracted by other dogs in passing. He's so social, that he wants to play and will often follow them. This can become an issue, especially if they're going in the opposite direction.
I'm still thinking that this is somewhat of a puppy thing, and will taper off eventually. Some days he's really good about it, but on others he still struggles a bit. Also, I'm sure that I could be better about training and correcting it, which could make a huge difference. When I know we're coming to a busy area, I'll often put the leash on, but otherwise I'll allow him the freedom.
So in general, he's good. He's not aggressive, he's not shy, and he doesn't bolt, it's simply more of a recall issue around other dogs. I love having him off leash though. He has so much more fun and gets a lot more exercise.
Holy cow, Orry grew up super handsome! Such an awesome tail too! Sometimes, for a split second, I'm jealous of his and other 'Bushi Kai's awesome brindling
That's so great to hear that he's a good boy off leash and that he's so social too! I'm sure he'll get the recall + other dogs with time and practice. Thanks for sharing your experiences with him and keep the pic spam coming!
I haven't posted Orry pics for a while, so I thought I'd send out a few that were taken over the past few days. He's pretty much all grown up now. He's doing awesome, and especially loves the winter and all the snow here in Montana.
Unfortunately, the hiking pics are a little out of focus...it's tough to shoot a Kai on a cell phone when it's dumping out!
Here is his, "I'm about to chase something" look...
@WrylyBrindle Right, his eyes are not blue. The light in the car pictures was crazy. The snow reflection was extremely bright coming through the windows. It actually made him look slightly lighter than he really is, although pretty close to how he appears in direct sunlight.
Wow, just looked at the date of the last post and can't believe it's been so long since I've done an update. I've been stalking the forum still from time to time, but haven't had much time to write.
Orry has really settled into an amazing dog. He's way more "velcro" than I would've ever guessed, and is a great companion whether out on a trail or hanging around the house. He's added a few things in the past year, like a love for riding in the car with his head out the window and swimming.
He's now a country dog too. We moved up into a canyon, and he's experiencing wildlife like never before. We've seen two black bears, coyotes, elk, deer, lots of bunnies, and he was even sprayed by a skunk. Despite that unfortunate situation, I think he's happy:
A Kai and Whiskey...two of my favorite things. (Orry hunting mice)
Orry looks great! He's got beautiful country to explore and a terrific yard, huh? He sounds like his brother, also pretty sticky, which was a feature Brad expected in this litter via Nio (who also lives in Montana, someplace...).
I love seeing pictures of him- thanks for giving us more Orry!
@MontanaKai, I wish I could hang out and bring some whiskey to sip while Kona runs around with her big bro (she loves boys, and BIG open spaces haha)... she's very sticky as well, but not great with small doggies and there are virtually no trails that don't have little off-leash dogs on them very very cool to see though. I go for breweries after hikes (but I do enjoy good bourbon)..here's lil sis with me at a local one
Orry must be in HEAVEN, i know lil sis would be! (to be honest, she'd be happiest if she could just have her people and her kimber and space to run and chase animals haha).
Such a great pic! That's awesome! I've yet to bring Orry to a brewery but I'm sure he could hold his own.
I'm sure Kona would love it here. We were nervous because we currently don't have dog fencing (lots of horse fencing), but to our surprise, Orry stays around incredibly well. We obviously manage it carefully, but he's been sticky so far. I think he and Kona could probably find some trouble to cause though.
Yes, lots of bourbon/brew evenings just hanging out watching him have fun pestering all the bunnies/mice/birds. He could definitely use another four-legged friend here!
I like to tie my pups to an older reliable velcro dog to learn recalls and to teach to stay close ... we do a lot of leash recalls with treats at an early age. Most of mine stick real close. You can also use paracute cord and do a daily exercise that teaches them to stay close. Had a rescue Akita that was previously a runner who learned to stay within 20 feet of me at all times. In fact he took off after a bird one time and just inside the 20 ft mark he stopped dead and turned to see where I was... That was a great day... it really works.
Comments
I'm still thinking that this is somewhat of a puppy thing, and will taper off eventually. Some days he's really good about it, but on others he still struggles a bit. Also, I'm sure that I could be better about training and correcting it, which could make a huge difference. When I know we're coming to a busy area, I'll often put the leash on, but otherwise I'll allow him the freedom.
So in general, he's good. He's not aggressive, he's not shy, and he doesn't bolt, it's simply more of a recall issue around other dogs. I love having him off leash though. He has so much more fun and gets a lot more exercise.
Unfortunately, the hiking pics are a little out of focus...it's tough to shoot a Kai on a cell phone when it's dumping out!
Here is his, "I'm about to chase something" look...
Did I mention he loves snow!
@WrylyBrindle Right, his eyes are not blue. The light in the car pictures was crazy. The snow reflection was extremely bright coming through the windows. It actually made him look slightly lighter than he really is, although pretty close to how he appears in direct sunlight.
ADORABLE PUPPY!!!
Hope all is well! Looks like you two are having fun!
Orry has really settled into an amazing dog. He's way more "velcro" than I would've ever guessed, and is a great companion whether out on a trail or hanging around the house. He's added a few things in the past year, like a love for riding in the car with his head out the window and swimming.
He's now a country dog too. We moved up into a canyon, and he's experiencing wildlife like never before. We've seen two black bears, coyotes, elk, deer, lots of bunnies, and he was even sprayed by a skunk. Despite that unfortunate situation, I think he's happy:
A Kai and Whiskey...two of my favorite things. (Orry hunting mice)
I think he needs a friend...
Hiking. (I think he's saying hurry up!)
I think he found his inner peace...
I love seeing pictures of him- thanks for giving us more Orry!
Orry must be in HEAVEN, i know lil sis would be! (to be honest, she'd be happiest if she could just have her people and her kimber and space to run and chase animals haha).
I'm sure Kona would love it here. We were nervous because we currently don't have dog fencing (lots of horse fencing), but to our surprise, Orry stays around incredibly well. We obviously manage it carefully, but he's been sticky so far. I think he and Kona could probably find some trouble to cause though.
Yes, lots of bourbon/brew evenings just hanging out watching him have fun pestering all the bunnies/mice/birds. He could definitely use another four-legged friend here!