Izzysdad Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Took Izzy and Tobey to Mill Pond and went to the hay field. I dropped the leash from Tobey to see what would happen, he never really went further than about 20 yards in front of me, and came everytime I called to him except once because he was so intent on smelling a certain patch of grass/weeds/hay. but I was able to take a couple steps forward to get his attention. It was nice to watch him run around and not be tied to a 6' foot lead. We'll do more of it tomorrow. What was your first experience with dropping the lead? Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesqf Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Might want to clarify the title, because it appears that you dropped the leash accidentally. but from what you write I gather that you let him off intentionally. But yes, it's nice when they can run around. When I first got Niki, she had a problem with just taking off and doing her own thing - once (with previous humans) being found by a Forest Service person miles from home. Spent our entire first summer with her hooked to me by a 20 ft retractable leash (clip it to the chest strap of your backpack, and you can have both hands free), then for another 6 months or so we'd only go out with her tennis ball launcher along, and squeaky tennis balls because she always comes running to that sound. Now she seems pretty well able to go off-leash by herself, and can stop & sniff then run to catch up - it's SO nice to be able to go at my own pace for a change :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertranger Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 I always started pups off lead during daily walks and added the lead when they had learned to walk near me without one. A lot of success that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzysdad Posted October 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 ^^^Now that's an interesting approach. No way that would've worked with Tobey as I got him when he was 2. I hope to get a pup in a year or so, I'm going to make a note of that for future reference. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Took my dog to the local baseball field, which is fenced in except for two gates. I had a stick he loved to chase, so I was pretty sure he wouldn't leave me, and he didn't. After that, I moved up the scale to big, open fields (with stick) and eventually to really big open fields with no stick. I remember taking the family pup out when I was fourteen. Let her go in the woods. She disappeared for 5 or 10 minutes. VERY scary time! I was afraid I'd be the one to lose the dog or let it get killed by a car. Big sigh when she came back to me. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 Took Izzy and Tobey to Mill Pond and went to the hay field. I dropped the leash from Tobey to see what would happen, he never really went further than about 20 yards in front of me, and came everytime I called to him except once because he was so intent on smelling a certain patch of grass/weeds/hay. but I was able to take a couple steps forward to get his attention. It was nice to watch him run around and not be tied to a 6' foot lead. We'll do more of it tomorrow. What was your first experience with dropping the lead? Tim I figured I wouldn't have a problem because the pups follow Ladybug's lead for the most part....However, Robin headed straight for the pond without a backward glance -- at least I knew where he was and that he would stay there until I caught up with him. Once I got him under control, I turned Brodie loose and he hightailed it up the hill chasing after some crows....I tried to send Ladybug to bring him back and her expression was, "Why bother?" I spent a half hour rounding up wet and panting dogs. They haven't been off lead since. I take them out one at a time on a long lead and am practicing recalls baiting with treats. We'll get there eventually but I'm still recovering from the first experience. Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border_collie_crazy Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I am paranoid...seriously.. I let my dogs off is more places and situations then most people do, but you have no idea how paranoid I am the first time, my heart pounding everytime they they get more then a few feet from me, calling them back every 30 seconds, if no immediate response its a leashed time out for a few minutes before we try again, my pocket loaded with treats etc.... not to mention I will take away off leash priviladges if they misbehave..a few months ago Electra made the mistake of ignoring a recall to chase a cat, I havent let her off other then the hiking trails since. the rules are simple, they behave, they listen to every recall everytime no matter what, or they dont come off. period. I have found that the herding breeds tend to be quite reliable pretty quickly though, my terrier and retreiver not so much. Ladybug is deaf but even she does fine off lead, she is a copy cat and takes her cues from the dogs around her, so I just group her up wth Happy and Misty, they are totally reliable so she just keeps her eyes peeled for what they are doing. dogs that are not 100% aboslutly CANNOT come off leash around her though, because if she see's them doing something bad, she thinks its ok and copies(I learned that one real quick!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzysdad Posted October 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I did it again with Tobey today, but on a heavily wooded trail, he did great actually. One time he disapered over a hill and around a corner and I thought "uh-oh" but 10 seconds later here he comes charging back towards me! I know it's going to take many more times before I can fully trust him, but thats my issue not his. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agilityrunningdogs Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I also go the unconventional way of off-lead first, then leash is clipped on. It's alot easier to transition from to a heel while walking freely next to me, to a heel next to me with a leash than the other way around. Like Mary though, I also start at the local baseball fields which are 100% fenced in so they have no chance of running off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 We also started at the local baseball field. To have started Fergie off leash in the neighborhood would have been courting disaster. We have several women drivers who think our little curvy roads are a race track. So. once Ferg was good in the ball field, we started letting her off leash in our neighborhood fields. Finally, we started walking her off leash up at our end of the neighborhood. But I keep her on down the hill: we have leash laws in the city, but the folks up here are Ferg's buddies. I will never have her off leash in our state parks. It would be so embarrassing to have our son-in-law ticket us. He's superintendent of the big park near us. And he'd definitely ticket us if he caught us letting Ferg run loose. Our daughter attaches the leash of their dog to her waist when they go swimming in the quarry in the park. He'd ticket her! He's got to treat everyone the same. So we behave ourselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC-Liz Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 We also started training sans leash the first time. But we also had 9 week old puppies that were glued to us. Didn't do it that way with Masi though since she was already 1 when we go her. We started off on leash briefly but then would allow her off leash time if she responded to recalls and put her back on leash if she didn't. She mostly followed the lead of Gunnar and Rhea so it worked out alright. Good luck, don't be too nervous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclare Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 Until every squirrel has been eradicated from the planet, I don't think I will ever be able to let Daisy off-leash in an unfenced area. I suppose if I didn't live in a high traffic urban environment it would be ok, because her recall is pretty decent when she's not insanely aroused, and even then she comes straight back to me as soon as she's done chasing something. But in the heat of the moment she would definitely (and in fact actually has on one or two entirely terrifying occassions) chase a squirrel onto a busy BUSY street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody & Duchess Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I believe that off leash in a safe environment is a goal. The first time I drop the long lead ( which I leave attached) my heart is pumping. I have worked on the recall with a long lead line for a while and I am pretty confident that I know how they will respond. I have learned that I need to project the confidence and expectation that the dog will do as I am bidding. At this time - Cody is the better dog off leash. His leave it, stay and wait commands are great. I have taught him to sit anytime he come to a road. He is not to release until I give him the hand sign. We do this EVERY time we come to a road. Plus he sits when he hears a car( sits and stays seated on the grass at the side of the road- he is not to release until he gets the okay)I can move him around on a hill side by a whistle and hand sign. He is off leash about 90% of the time. Again I stress - we live in a rural environment. Recently we have had a little more of a problem with Ms. Duchess. When she was off leash she came upon a baby deer ( who she then started to run). She chased and would not leave it. The mother came up to help and Duchess chased her. After about 5 minutes of chasing she came back to the whistle. Again - we are not in an environment that she was in danger other than really pissing my husband off for not listening. This incident has gotten her a much more limited off leash time. We watch her like a hawk - when she starts to alert ( nose in air , prancing around) she is immediately put back on leash. I agree with posters who say that their dog's safety is paramount. But the beauty of Cody running as fast as he can around me in big circles with his stick in his mouth is incredible. Also - knowing that I have control and a understanding with the dogs off leash gives me reassurance that if they by accident were off leash in an environment that I would never have them off leash I can still easily retrieve them and not have them panic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzysdad Posted October 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 That's awesome you live in an area that you can really let them go. Granted, by Massachusetts standards, I live in the sticks but it's still quite busy. Lucky our town has the land and resources where I can let Tobey go and know he won't get killed by a car. We're going to do it again tomorrow morning as well. Hopefully I'll get to take some pics. Izzy was looking at me today like, c'mon dad, let me go too!!!!! No chance my dear! It'll be a long while before she's let free to roam the country side Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I live in the city and in this environment, stopping at curbs is essential - on or off leash. One thing I've learned over the years is to use a different word than "OK" as a release command to signal the dog that it's alright to step into the street. "OK" just comes up in human conversation too often, especially at the end of a conversation. The dog hears that "OK!" which was meant that you will meet your friend in an hour for pizza, and off goes the dog into the traffic. Personally I use "free" as a release command, and I never walk my dog off lead except in a large, safe area. I've just seen too many flat "streetwise" dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patty Abel Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 I like the puppy off lead method!!! Will I ever have a another puppy though? All new dogs that come to our house get walkies on a 15 foot leash that they drag around the farm. If they do get into mischief you have a fighting chance of catching them! Our current foster dog seems to have a very good recall and call off. I try to set them up for success. and try to remember to use 'man voice' and not 'scared chicken voice' when getting their attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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