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Off Lead Dog

CiaranK

I'm just wondering about training a dog off lead. I've a Springer and I'd love to let him off his lead in one of the big field areas in Malahide/St Annes park for a run around/throwing a ball etc. I'm just afraid he will run off out of the area/follow another dog and not come back. Would the best sort of training to entice him back with treats, or start him on a long rope (Maybe 30/40 foot long) maybe? Am I just being over worried with him?

Thanks

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finnegan101

both, the treats and long rope....
after a while try enclosed area like sneaking into a tennis court... by their nature springers will tend to sniff out and explore, so def is worth getting right...

getting the lie down command polished off too can often be over looked, so even when moving away from you, they may not come back, but may lie down...

There is also a collar you can get with a remote, so if they run off you press a button and it sprays infront of their face and stops them....

But as with everything... do try to practice at a time of day when theres not many about... football pitches early in morning are good...

tk123

Start off at home - pick a word/phrase we use 'come here' and get lots of nice treats (hotdog and Aldi sliced chicken are my guys favs lol

). Throw a treat ahead of you and he'll run to get it, just as he turns back to you (he'll want more) say the command, treat and praise when he comes back. Repeat repeat repeat!! Also you want him to be delighted at the thought of coming back so sound happy and excited when you call him - don't worry what people might think because the laugh will be on the other side when your dog charges back to you and there's is gone off lol

You can practice on walks - let him take the slack on the lead and call him back and treat and praise. Once your happy that he's solid enough at home/in the garden/on the lead take it to the park with a long lead/DIY close line lead and let him get some distance..again happily call him back - if he doesn't come back you can rein him in. Again repeat repeat repeat. When you're eventually brave enough to let him off keep calling him back every few mins and praise/treat him then let him go off again - you don't want him to associate you calling him back with sticking the lead back on and bringing him home. The most important thing IMO is that you praise the dog when he comes back and be patient - if he doesn't come back straight away try not to get frustrated and chalk it down to needing more training. Also coming back to you is supposed to be fun - he'll get a treat and lots of praise when he does so try to be cheery when you're calling him back and not fuming that he stopped off to role in poo first etc

I find a whistle brilliant for recall BUT there's going to be times when you forget the whistle so IMO get him used to a command too. For the whistle you have to condition them first for a week or two so you blow the whistle and give a treat until they learn that whistle = treat. Good luck and stick with it - it's brilliant when you see your work paying off with him charging back to you from miles away

Dirk Gently

In my experience the trick is not to let too much distance between you and the dog. Mine will come back if they're close by, even with distractions but if one is a 100 feet ahead of me and he sees another dog then he'll tend to go running to the dog and ignore me. I find a good loud whistle is best for recall as I only use the whistle when I want them to come back as opposed to voice commands which I use for a variety of reasons. The whistle seems to have more urgency for them.

(this is all after you've done the treats and the long lead recall training first of course)

mathepac

finnegan101 wrote: »

both, the treats and long rope....
after a while try enclosed area like sneaking into a tennis court...

But as with everything... do try to practice at a time of day when theres not many about... football pitches early in morning are good...

lads here's a novel idea. Before getting ye're dogs make sure you have access to you own private property big enough to train a dog on. Private tennis courts and football pitches are not for dogs - they're for tennis and football.

How would you feel if the tennis players and footballers turned up to train / play on you garden because their properties were full of dogs or polluted with dog sh1te?

Sneak here, sneak there onto private property with no permission, the nerve of you.

Dunny

I let my dog into a synthetic pitch and throw balls around the cage, she doesnt poo in it only play. Others do it aswell. The nerve of me!:eek:

DBB

Mathepac, I know you don't frequent this forum too often as a poster, but while your point may be valid, there would have been nicer ways of phrasing it.
As it stands, the way you phrased it is provocative. So, as a pre-emptive strike, I am now asking for posters to keep it civil please. Everyone can make their point without jumping down others' throats.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

Edited to add: Nevertheless, as pointed out, trespass is illegal, and as advocating illegal activities is against the forum charter, there is to be no more advising that owners use land on which they have no permission to be.

tk123

Dirk Gently wrote: »

The whistle seems to have more urgency for them.

+1 also say at the beach where it might be windy and your voice mightn't carry well the whistle does the trick!

Hooked

For what it's worth we started with our husky over and back on a long lead with treats (frankfurter) and I remember the first time we let him off. Nervous as hell...

Call (come), treat, and release him (go on so) over and back in short stints. It's important to release them again and tell them to go as we'll as come.

Now it helps that he or she are fairly well trained on lead. Hugo knows 'no' means no and though he's about 90% off lead... A stray cat or other playful dog and we lost his attention a handful of times. It really got me down and angry at first. Then he took off after a horse in a field by the beach and frightened the life out of me. But that's just his nature I guess?

As a husky, known for being independent and energetic and not really an 'off lead' dog... I'm happy with him. The older he gets the more behaved he is getting and better off lead.

I just love to see him taking off in full flight after my OH and vice versa calling him back to me, wait for his treat.. And off again. It's tough going at times but well worth it when he behaves...

Best of luck!

CiaranK

Thanks for all the replies folks, it is appreciated

I'm gonna try get started with it asap.

ISDW

Hooked wrote: »

For what it's worth we started with our husky over and back on a long lead with treats (frankfurter) and I remember the first time we let him off. Nervous as hell...

Call (come), treat, and release him (go on so) over and back in short stints. It's important to release them again and tell them to go as we'll as come.

Now it helps that he or she are fairly well trained on lead. Hugo knows 'no' means no and though he's about 90% off lead... A stray cat or other playful dog and we lost his attention a handful of times. It really got me down and angry at first. Then he took off after a horse in a field by the beach and frightened the life out of me. But that's just his nature I guess?

As a husky, known for being independent and energetic and not really an 'off lead' dog... I'm happy with him. The older he gets the more behaved he is getting and better off lead.

I just love to see him taking off in full flight after my OH and vice versa calling him back to me, wait for his treat.. And off again. It's tough going at times but well worth it when he behaves...

Best of luck!

If anyone else with a husky is thinking of following this posters advice - please don't. Not one single husky breed club or rescue organisation in the world advocates letting them off lead in unenclosed areas. They have a very high prey drive and whilst they may come back for a long time, one day there is a very, very good chance that something else will catch their attention and they won't.

Hooked - I really hope that you don't become one of the many husky owners who thought their dog was different, until the day they discovered they weren't and the dog never came back, usually because it was dead. if you want to see your dog run, then get it a harness and get out working, either running with yourself, on a bike or a scooter. I can't believe that you are willing to take such chances with your dog's life - 90% recall is not good enough, he runs after cats etc, chased a horse on a beach, and yet you think its okay to let him off lead? You can also get very long leads on ebay, attach to a harness, not a collar because of the jerk when the dog gets to the end of the lead, and watch him run on the beach. 100ft leads give a dog a lot of freedom - safely.

Hooked

ISDW wrote: »

If anyone else with a husky is thinking of following this posters advice - please don't. Not one single husky breed club or rescue organisation in the world advocates letting them off lead in unenclosed areas. They have a very high prey drive and whilst they may come back for a long time, one day there is a very, very good chance that something else will catch their attention and they won't.

Hooked - I really hope that you don't become one of the many husky owners who thought their dog was different, until the day they discovered they weren't and the dog never came back, usually because it was dead. if you want to see your dog run, then get it a harness and get out working, either running with yourself, on a bike or a scooter. I can't believe that you are willing to take such chances with your dog's life - 90% recall is not good enough, he runs after cats etc, chased a horse on a beach, and yet you think its okay to let him off lead? You can also get very long leads on ebay, attach to a harness, not a collar because of the jerk when the dog gets to the end of the lead, and watch him run on the beach. 100ft leads give a dog a lot of freedom - safely.

While I appreciate your advice and see from recent pics that you yourself are a (multiple) husky owner, you don't know me or my dog. I'm more than aware of what the breed is. I agonised for months over the decision to get a Husky. Ive two books that document (among other topics) their high prey drive and that they are not to be trusted off lead. One author had a show dog, with many trophies for obedience and was shocked herself to see her dog fail to recall and nearly get killed by passing traffic.

In the 15 months I've had him, he's chased two cats, one dog and a horse. All to play. The cats and dog were not harmed in any way. And all while he was much younger. Ok, the horse was a highly dangerous situation and I should have checked all areas bordering the beach that day and I nearly paid the ultimate price.

My husky is out at 7am and 6pm EVERY day. I'm home a lunch (2pm) when he is fed and trained DAILY. I run two to three nights a week with him so to clarify... He covers a minimum of 70km WEEKLY or min 2 hours daily. He owns two harnesses and a palisades back pack for hiking and hill walks. I only ever let him off lead in open spaces - free of children and other dogs and their owners. (Until one arrives) And mostly at weekends or on holidays.

I'm sick to my back teeth of off lead dogs being left to roam, frighten kids/dogs, eliminate without it being cleaned up afterwards - all while being ignored by their owners. I've had dogs attack, bark and growl at us - and not a peep from their owners.

Don't anyone for one minute confuse me with an irresponsible dog owner who's idea of exercising their dog is taking risks by having their Husky constantly off lead. I take calculated risks, at certain times and in specific areas. Perhaps I should have made this clearer in my original post - for safety as you said above.

And yes, I am one of those dog owners who 'thinks his dog is different'... Because put simply... he is. His temperament, good behaviour and personality are all a result of the training and attention he gets. Right now he's beside me as I'm off work sick. My mum just called and we had tea and cake while Hugo waited patiently at the end of the couch till we were finished. No begging for food, jumping up or misbehaving. Would all dogs behave the same?

And it's because I know him that I'll take the chance to let him off lead. And not for one second do I disagree with your (off lead) trust in relation to the breed. And yes, other husky owners should err on the side of caution and heed your advice above.

But with 'this' particular Husky... I'm willing to take the risk. I just need to pay more attention to my surroundings, admittedly.

ISDW

Hooked wrote: »

While I appreciate your advice and see from recent pics that you yourself are a (multiple) husky owner, you don't know me or my dog. I'm more than aware of what the breed is. I agonised for months over the decision to get a Husky. Ive two books that document (among other topics) their high prey drive and that they are not to be trusted off lead. One author had a show dog, with many trophies for obedience and was shocked herself to see her dog fail to recall and nearly get killed by passing traffic.

In the 15 months I've had him, he's chased two cats, one dog and a horse. All to play. The cats and dog were not harmed in any way. And all while he was much younger. Ok, the horse was a highly dangerous situation and I should have checked all areas bordering the beach that day and I nearly paid the ultimate price.

My husky is out at 7am and 6pm EVERY day. I'm home a lunch (2pm) when he is fed and trained DAILY. I run two to three nights a week with him so to clarify... He covers a minimum of 70km WEEKLY or min 2 hours daily. He owns two harnesses and a palisades back pack for hiking and hill walks. I only ever let him off lead in open spaces - free of children and other dogs and their owners. (Until one arrives) And mostly at weekends or on holidays.

I'm sick to my back teeth of off lead dogs being left to roam, frighten kids/dogs, eliminate without it being cleaned up afterwards - all while being ignored by their owners. I've had dogs attack, bark and growl at us - and not a peep from their owners.

Don't anyone for one minute confuse me with an irresponsible dog owner who's idea of exercising their dog is taking risks by having their Husky constantly off lead. I take calculated risks, at certain times and in specific areas. Perhaps I should have made this clearer in my original post - for safety as you said above.

And yes, I am one of those dog owners who 'thinks his dog is different'... Because put simply... he is. His temperament, good behaviour and personality are all a result of the training and attention he gets. Right now he's beside me as I'm off work sick. My mum just called and we had tea and cake while Hugo waited patiently at the end of the couch till we were finished. No begging for food, jumping up or misbehaving. Would all dogs behave the same?

And it's because I know him that I'll take the chance to let him off lead. And not for one second do I disagree with your (off lead) trust in relation to the breed. And yes, other husky owners should err on the side of caution and heed your advice above.

But with 'this' particular Husky... I'm willing to take the risk. I just need to pay more attention to my surroundings, admittedly.

I too put alot of work into training my dogs, they all live in my house, sleep on my bed, and I can leave my dinner down and they won't touch it. My whole life revolves around my dogs, where I live included. My dogs can turn left and right on command, one of my dogs does agility, and they have great recall in the enclosed field, but they are huskies. Would I ever trust any of them offlead in an unenclosed area? No, because it is not me that will pay the ultimate price, it is the dog. It is not me that will die, they will, a risk that I am most definitely not willling to take. Perhaps something else for you to think about - they can cover miles very quickly, a friend of mine had a husky that escaped, a truck driver knocked him down and killed him, and has to live with that every day. Matt was distraught for the poor man and what he had to go through. How is it fair to put another human being through something like that?

I, and every other husky owner that has read or been told about your post does view you as an irresponsible owner. You have done the research, you know the breed traits, but you ignore them all. Training has absolutely nothing to do with it and nowhere did I say your dog didn't get exercise, you said you loved to see him run, I am pointing out that you can do that safely, without putting his life at risk every time. I wonder what your breeder would think of you taking such risks with one of their pups?

Hooked

ISDW wrote: »

I, and every other husky owner that has read or been told about your post does view you as an irresponsible owner. You have done the research, you know the breed traits, but you ignore them all. Training has absolutely nothing to do with it and nowhere did I say your dog didn't get exercise, you said you loved to see him run, I am pointing out that you can do that safely, without putting his life at risk every time. I wonder what your breeder would think of you taking such risks with one of their pups?

We're getting off topic and obviously not going to see eye to eye. Which is fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and to make their own mistakes. I don't ignore the breed traits, I trust my dog off lead in a particular set of circumstances because of them.

And as for the breeders thoughts on 'their' pup? The day he was sold he became our pup, not theirs.

And I'd like to think they would be quite pleased with the love, attention, exercise and expensive feeding he receives on a daily basis.

fatmammycat

I know you feel slightly irked Hooked, and of course you know your dog, but unless your dog has 100% recall I wouldn't be taking risks with him either. My guy here has terrific recall –until he sees something that utterly fascinates him; the difference is he's on the lead so I can control him if he decides to take off running.

ISDW

Hooked wrote: »

We're getting off topic and obviously not going to see eye to eye. Which is fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and to make their own mistakes. I don't ignore the breed traits, I trust my dog off lead in a particular set of circumstances because of them.

And as for the breeders thoughts on 'their' pup? The day he was sold he became our pup, not theirs.

And I'd like to think they would be quite pleased with the love, attention, exercise and expensive feeding he receives on a daily basis.

I'm sure they would also like him to have a long life, and not one cut short because you think you know better than every sibe club and rescue in the world.

A reputable breeder should have had you sign a puppy contract, so yes, obviously he is your dog, but breeding a litter comes with responsiblity. If ever your circumstances change and you have to rehome your dog, hopefully the breeder will take him back. If I rehome a dog and then find out that the new owners is allowing the dog off lead, that dog comes back to me.

Wicklowandy

My husky is 8 now, and is exercised twice daily off lead. I open the front door, he waits at the car to get in, we drive to the public property where off lead is allowed. He gets out, waits for me and we head for our walk.

Ive had him since 10 weeks and spent a lot of time training him. There hasnt been an issue with recall.

While i dont doubt some posters extensive experience with certain breeds i would think its always important for everyone to respect the informed choices people make with regard to their dogs.

While i respect posts regarding keeping dogs constantly on lead, i choose not to.

And everyone else has the right to make that choice.

Some people have knowledge and opinions which are fabulous when shared, but are of little use when dispensed from a high and condesending place.

Inexile

I used to have a collie x. 90% of the time her recall was perfect. One day on a walk, when she was about 1 she went into a field with sheep for about 5 mins. She just ran around but I know that can be serious too. The dog returned to me but at the end of the walk I met the owner of the sheep. I was mortified, my OH knew him and apologised and the sheep owner accepted the apologise and basically left us to sort it. I took the dog to training classes and her recall improved but my trainer said if you are in an area where there are distractions just dont let her off. From then on until she was about 9 that dog was not let off lead - I just could not trust her 100% and, given her previous history, I would not let her off. We only allowed her off lead in later years as she had slowed down and only one certain walks. I had her litter sister and her recall was good so she was and still is allow off lead.

To me, especially if I had a serious scare with my dog, if I was not supremely confident of recall then the dog stays on lead unless in a secure area.

So to OP practice your recall at home, when its perfect there, take it to the garden, then to another safe area, then another. Once you have built up a record of good recall in new areas then you can let the dog off in an open area but perhaps secure a long lead on it until you are confident with the dogs recall.

axle108

To get back on topic and away from the discussion of huskys. First thing i'd look for is dog training in your area. It offers amongst many other benefits the opportunity of an enclosed area with the temptation of other dogs and a safe way of finding out what your dog is like off lead. What i would look at in the mean time is how much focus you can get out of your dog whilst on the lead, with other dogs around. If you find it difficult on lead, your dog will most likely have no response to you off lead.

CiaranK

axle108 wrote: »

To get back on topic and away from the discussion of huskys. First thing i'd look for is dog training in your area. It offers amongst many other benefits the opportunity of an enclosed area with the temptation of other dogs and a safe way of finding out what your dog is like off lead. What i would look at in the mean time is how much focus you can get out of your dog whilst on the lead, with other dogs around. If you find it difficult on lead, your dog will most likely have no response to you off lead.

On lead at the start of walks he isn't good. I need to run with him to get that first burst of energy out. Then he is not too bad after that pulls a little but not too much. Then he'll walk with some slack on the lead.