Walking off lead

[Cassie]

All of you guys are so brave, I would never attempt it outside of a fenced yard. After my dog is outside on a tie-out stake she will drag the leash back to the house when I tell her "Go Home"...

[ruthc86]

Oh yea Millie is also best friends with every other dog/cat/human I would be worried she would take off to make friends with them and never come back to me lol

[wizardeyes]

I recently invested in a drop-leash for Jayne. It's about 50 ft long and allows her to run around and gives me the security of being able to step on or grab hold of the leash if I have to. Best decision I ever made, makes walks in the woods extra fun!

[ruthc86]

Does she not get tangled around trees and stuff? I had the fright of my life with Millie on an extendable lead by the beach, she ran and jumped of the edge of what I thought was a massive drop because I couldn't see and my heart nearly stopped when I thought she hung herself, turn out there was a ledge she landed on. I didn't have time to react and stop her because she's got some speed when she wants it!

[jenhardy]

I'm glad I'm not the only terrified owner to let the dog loose.

The other day, I had Jesse in our back yard while my husband and I tried to jump a car with a dead battery in the driveway. Jesse cried for me from behind the fence and I was so touched, that I opened the gate and let him stand with me, off leash. He was sniffing around the bushes near by and I was keeping an eye on him. Then, a neighbor called to me and I responded-just for a moment. When I looked around, Jesse was gone. I assumed that he was close by, but even calling and whistling-I couldn't find him. I began walking up and down our block calling him, gradually getting more and more upset as I tried not to scream. No one offered to help me, adding to my sense of panic.

I finally forced myself to calm down and I thought back to the only other time we had lost the dog since we've had him. He had run down the block. On this morning, we had had a light snow and I forced myself to be calm enough to notice paw prints. I saw some tracks going in the direction Jesse had gone before and I followed them. I called and called, and in front on one house, I heard the jingling of his tags.

He came towards me but there was a locked chain link gate between us. I forced the gate open as far as the chain would allow, and somehow Jesse slipped through to me. I don't know how he got back there. I burst into tears of joy to have him back-I really thought he was gone. I imagined calling the microchip company and having to explain that I had allowed him off the leash for a few minutes and lost him.

I think we'll be using a leash until the recall is completely secure...

[Cassie]

Several years ago my daughter and her husband went on a vacation and left their LARGE puppy coonhound with me. My husband opened the door and she ran like the wind down the block...through the bushes, back and forth across the street with me running after her!! I kept thinking, oh my God, I'm responsible for this "rescued" dog either getting lost, stolen, or hit by a car.

I ran back to the house for the container of doggie treats....Now picture this...me running back down the street shaking the container yelling...COOKIE, COOKIE..!

I was completely exhausted but she did come back for the cookie! That coonhound and I have a special bond...no kidding.

[wizardeyes]

Not usually. It's a braided leash so it doesn't get caught on burrs and if it gets wrapped around I just let it go until it's free. (I'm usually not holding it most of the time anyway, so it doesn't get stuck.)

[ruthc86]

Yea think I'm going to stick with the lead for a while yet, I'm still not fully confident yet and if I lost her it would just break my heart too much.

[JaakeTod]

Last 3 days I've allowed Brynn off his lead and he's been fantastic. It's great to see him running free in the field. I've walked him twice a day since the day I got him and for 3 months nearly I've been working on his recall. He will also stand and wait for me if I use the "wait" command but I think his show training has helped me with this.
I was really worried about letting him off the first time but it seems there was nothing to worry about


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[wizardeyes]

I wouldn't let her off leash unless she has a near perfect recall percentage. My Jayne is a year and a half and comes for the most part, but I don't think I'd be able to catch her off leash if she caught scent of a rabbit. I had her on the 50 ft drop leash in the woods the other day and, while she normally stays within a few feet of me, she started going down a hill and couldn't seem to stop running. I nearly had an asthma attack trying to catch up with her!

Edit: Didn't realize this post was older and the response was just an update post, my bad.