Off Leash
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| VERY GOOD QUESTION! Dogs can not ever be off leash unless they are in a safe, securely enclosed area for their own safety. But IF they will come EVERY TIME under EVERY possible circumstance, they can be permitted more freedom. In my opinion, there is a very good DVD focused on creating a super, super trustworthy recall. It is called "Really Reliable Recall" and it is available from http://www.dogwise.com - it's pricey $30 - but to me it is worth it to have that "bomb-proof" 100% recall which will work ALL the time, ESPECIALLY in an emergency situation. I've also done this type of training which suits me well. When the puppies are first let out into the yard I start teaching them the recall. I have yummy treats and when they are all playing and sniffing and having fun, I bend down (to make myself more intriguing) and start calling "HERE puppy, puppy" and offering treats to them when they come over to investigate what I am doing. They have been called to me at each mealtime using "puppy, puppy" from when they first began to eat solid food. so are used to that meaning something good is about to happen. From there I gradually transition to just using the word HERE randomly and treating royally when they do come. In the yard or other safely secure location, they get praise and rewards galore when they DO come running to me. At this young age, if they do not come, they simply get nothing and miss out on a chance for praise and reward. Pretty soon they will be running as fast as they can to get to you when they hear HERE (or any other word you choose - preferably one word that you will only use when you mean COME TO ME RIGHT NOW and GET CLOSE TO ME.) It doesn't have to be that they do a formal obedience sit-in-front-squarely kind of sit, they just have to get within reach so you could, if need be, clasp a leash onto their collar. After much practice (doing it maybe once or twice a day randomly) the puppy will respond to the word HERE instinctively, without it even having to be processed through their brain, as it is now so strongly conditioned for them to RUN TO YOU as fast as possible when they hear that word! I've done this for years and it has worked pretty well for me. You can play with it and see if it works for you. But unless you are SURE the dog will come when called, never expose them to the danger of being off leash unless they are in a totally secure area. It's just not worth the chance. Even highly trained dogs have been known to dart across a street to chase a leaf or squirrel unexpectedly and the price paid could be high. Just my thoughts on the subject. I'm anxious to hear everyone else's thoughts. It is an important issue for us all to consider. Linda Z |
| Our dog is on the leash most of the time, but the many off leash photos we may have are in areas where we won't run into other dogs ..........or will have time to put her back ON a leash if we see someone coming. I'm a firm believer that if your dog won't come after being called once when off leash... you better have your dog on a leash........... so I am VERY aware of those around me. I am not someone who feels people need to just "deal" with my dog. Even in a big neighborhood, we find many opportunities to let her go off leash. I also knew my dog... Yuki would NEVERRRRRRRRRR run off if we were behind her. She has to be right next to us. Mequpak on the otherhand... thought it was always cue to start a game of chase if off leash. I had to keep my keys right AT the door because he wouldn't come back unless he thought he was going on a car ride.  So, he was rarely allowed to run free. If Yuki was there, she was able to HERD him down, tackle him, and allow us to catch him. |
| We are 99.999999% sure Chowder would never run away from us. But she doesn't have perfect recall either. So she is always on a leash unless we are in a fenced in area or an area we have been and set boundaries by using a leash when she was a puppy, such as my parents backyard. We just bought a house with a small yard that is ALMOST completely fenced in. Just a small area in the front so we will let her off if two of us are out there, one of us standing in the open area. Otherwise it is on leash until we get a new fence. |
I have had only 3 dogs, ever, that were trustworthy of leash in any situation. That's 3 out of 8. Oliver is NOT trustworthy off leash. If he isn't in the mood, he won't come when you call him, even in the back yard. At the dog park, he has no clue what his name is. The very few times he has gotten away from me and run, I head out in the car looking and calling for him. He goes pretty much to the same area and if there happens to be people or other dogs he stays with them until I get there. (usually around the block and has been 2-3 minutes). Through gritted teeth I tell him GET IN! and upon arrival at home, he is in no hurry to get out  And NO, I have never hurt him. I think it but haven't.  By keeping him on a leash, it is safer and I'm a happier 'Mom' I want him around as long as possible  |
| I walk everyday with Monty and Buster off leash for 45 mins and on leash for 15 mins. The first portion for Monty is on leash until we get to an area that if he does do a run he won't get hit by a car or lost in houses, then off leash for the majority of the walk, which is on a wild open grassland area with deer and then the last portion is on leash again. From the beginning (4 months) we really instilled the command STOP. We started on leash, stopping many times on a walk and then off leash grabbing his collar or fur to make him stop. This command is good because if you notice the inkling to make a dash this command can stop it before it happens. The other command that works really well for Monty is BEHIND. I find that if I make Monty walk behind me he is less likely to make a dash. I make him stay behind until I give the release word which is GO or ALL DONE. So if he has been naughty and done a run a bit too far out for my liking I make him walk behind me for a while. Doesn't really work on wide paths - there is a lot of crafty weaving to get him to stay behind. He also is good at WALK which is walking next to me off leash. If he pulls ahead I grab his fur and gently pull him so is back by my side and make him walk until I give the release word. He is pretty good at come now which is HERE for us. Unfortunately if he is distracted, HERE doesn't work automatically. If it is a bad day when he is not listening it is back onto the leash. I always recall him if people or other dogs are coming and make him walk next to me or behind me, to make him respectful. We are still working on all these things and he is testing us constantly at 16 months with wanting to dash off, in our case to find deer to chase. I am anticipating 3 years until I am not having to be on him like a hawk. Buster the Newf has been good since 2 years, but Monty is more high spirited so I think it will take longer. My husbands party trick with Buster when he is out hiking with his friends is to tell Buster to stop when he is walking in front of his friends resulting in them tripping over Buster.  |
| I was out walking with the dogs today on Nose Hill, here is some video of the two off leash. Buster likes to stay close eating grass and sniffing. Monty likes to be ahead exploring. I am constantly calling him back - reigning him in for control. |
| The only dog I ever completely trusted off leash is my Golden. He actually listened when I called him. |
| Eevee is slightly trustable off leash outdoors. I'm known to let her walk herself to the car and let her scamper about the yard (always under close supervision of course). She comes back pretty reliably if I call her, if she doesn't come right away to calling she will always come back if you spin in a circle (ah the weird things my dogs have trained me to do... ) Bailey is another story. Bailey outside off leash? Gone. Bailey inside off leash? Perfect little angel (as long as she is separated from other dogs). |
| Trick photography and photo shop |
Linda's advise on training is right on target. You need to start them young. Doesn't mean you can't start now. Your dog is still young. But it is the consistency that is important. Consistant in the use of the same word everytime & consistent in the reward everytime they do it right & NO reward when they don't obey. You have to make yourself more interesting than anything else that is out there. So when I start, I start with the yummiest treat available for them. Eventually you will find the reward they crave the most is that nice smile from you & stroke on the head when they come to you. I use the word "come" because eventually I am going to be training them in competitive obedience & that is the word I use for them to come, front & sit on the recall. One good thing is that with this breed, they generally will come easily when you are training them as they prefer to be right next to their people. They can be stubborn but once they figure out it is worth obeying they are pretty good at it. I guess the main trick is getting them to think it is their idea.  But after all the years I've done this I still never trust mine off leash in an unsecured area. All it takes is 1 bunny rabbit or squirrel or bird flying out of the bushes & you'd be amazed how fast a 12 year old OES can move! |
| panda was completely trust worthy off leash..ANYWHERE!! it took a lot of walks in our quiet neighborhood on and off leash...when we moved on up to the penthouse in the sky, she transitioned really well, still able to be off leash on the busy downtown streets...BUT panda did NOT have a strong herding instinct.. i doubt that i will ever be able to trust lola off leash..her herding instinct is strong..and her willpower to herd is even stronger... |
| Pooh Bear's herding instinct wasn't very strong either. He would never leave my husband's side. On the other hand.........Angus' instinct is very, very strong, too and has dashed off on me a few times. If I call him off leash he looks at me like "I don't think so...keep dreaming " |
| You guys are great! Wendell is okay - sometimes - off leash but we NEVER walk off leash (urban area = cars and dogs and kids to chase). It is also reassuring to me that there are lots of people who also don't have perfect dogs who heel perfectly with amazing call-back. We do work hard on it - but I like the advice above. We will start incorporating that into our everyday training. Thanks so much everyone!! |
| I have an Airdale. They cannot be let off lead in an unsecured area. Period. Zeke is pretty good off lead, especially the older he gets. He wanders a little bit but not too far. And if he gets to far and you really yell for him, he just collapses on the ground. My sister's golden doodle is amazing. That dog will not leave the yard, leave your side, etc. She ALWAYS comes when called. |
| Off lead is an earned privilege. If you have no reliable recall, and in the situation have no means to make them come - it's a recipe for disaster! Having lived my entire life with dogs, training and competing - I will say that in general (by breed) - OES are one of the easiest to get good safe recalls on, and for being a breed you can trust off lead. I have some recall training tips outlined in Bloo's post about the same issues, so I'm not going to repeat that all here.  Bottom line - no off lead until you have a safe and solid recall, or at least are in a safe place where you can and WILL followup on any bad behavior. Anything else is at the least just foolish and counter productive, and at most could be deadly for your dog. |
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