Siberian Husky off lead walking??? Controversial

Are you serious race a greyhound, go rabbiting with a JRT




Yes of course I do

Anne, my dogs may have taken 2 hours to catch but they were never very far from me just playing around and keeping out of reach when they knew we wanted to put the lead on at no time were they running away from us. This is just the Afghan nature in my time and on my terms.

Jenna is not afraid of fireworks and I would never walk a dog when they were going off. She is frightened of thunder and will try and find somewhere to hide. Unfortunately I am not always in a position to be with her as the boarders must come first. I know she cant' hurt herself in the house and will usually be found under a bed or under a duvet. This fear has only become apparent in the last two years since she was diagnosed as being hypo-t so therefore there is a medical reason for it.

Sue

I aim to please

Anne, I think almost everyone is in agreeance that no Husky can ever be 100 % reliable at recall etc.

The point you argue about being cruel to keep a dog on lead, is very weak, considering it is our job as a society of dog lovers and carers, to care for their welfare. Their mental welfare isn't affected if they are dead. I can see it now :

"My Husky was killed on a road last week, but at least he got to run loose every day. I know that's what killed him, but at least he died happy"

I don't think Huskies the world over, would see it the same way !

I believe they're doing what they think is right. I do not think it is fair to walk a husky only on lead when I know for a fact they can be trained to be safely exercised off lead, it seems your suggesting dogs that can run faster or as fast as a husky should be let off lead, most breeds bar a few can run faster than a human, so what your saying doesn't make sense. Any breed of dog in theory could run off not matter how well trained, they're individual living beings after-all, but I'm sure you would agree that is extremely rare for a dog that has been taught a reliable and trustworthy recall to just suddenly take off, personally I've not come across this or know someone that has.

Your welcome

I'd love to see photos ;-)

But fireworks go off at all times now, day and night too, we had a load go off here last Sunday around 9.00pm, god knows what for! If your Husky had a fair recall, but was frightened of fireworks, and one went off and scared it, is it fair to say you stand little chance of a GOOD recall and that dog could very well end up in serious trouble?
Dawn.

personally I would still see this as too risky and would have the dog on a longline but that's just my opinion. Sorry the post about fireworks wasn't aimed at you I was just answering one of Dawn's (many;-) ) questions.

I have Anne, my own! A young male, reliable recall, in fact Id go so far as to say a near perfect recall, prey drive kicked in when I had stopped him, he took off, couldnt stop himself, after a Fox.

I think you will find many hunting type dogs will do this at some point, its their very nature to do so, and sometimes they cannot stop themselves, and this then is my point. In a breed like a Husky, where it is far more likey to happen, why risk it?

What do you mean, many? Just one or two!

Yes!, all dogs can run fast (well, most of them). the difference with a husky is that not only can he run fast, but also for prolonged periods as a creature of great stamina. I run a team of 3-4 over a distance of 5 miles, averaging speeds of 20mph+. Even after that, they will still do more. Slow that speed to an easy trot, of, say, 10mph, and you have a dog that could be 15 miles away in no time at all.

Oh I do hope you aren't doubting me!

But anyway.. I can do better than photos!

Cruiser On Trampoline

There are others under that that show the dogs in harness or on the trampoline or having their off lead run about

If a dog was so nervous, that fireworks going off out of the blue (not during firework season) made him/her so scared that they wouldn't return to me for reassurance or at least didn't return when called then imo they should be kept on a 100ft longline, however most fearful dogs don't suffer so severly that they would just bolt when hearing the occasional firework go off, but if they did they'd be longlined

No not at all, your post brought a smile to my face thinking of a husky on a trampoline off to have a look...

Excellent nearly peed my pants

Gorgeous Mal :smt049

It's only rare, because people dont like to admit they were wrong in the first place and that they made a mistake, and now its too late.

2 years ago at a fun weekend for Malamutes and Huskies alike, a very experienced owner, who had 4 dogs a the time, told me that all his dogs were trained to an exceptionally high standard and were all 100% reliable on recall. They were in fact, and were allowed off lead every day of their lives without fail. One day one of them caught the smell of something in the air, or sight of something, and took off, the other 3 followed. The owner did everything in his power to retrieve his dogs, 3 of them returning instantly. One however, did not and kept on running.............


......straight onto a dual carriageway, to it's death.

His dogs have never been let off the lead since.

I might be in the minority here, but I doubt it, but, this man is in no way CRUEL to his dogs and gives them everything they need, mentally and physically. To say people like this are cruel is an insult.

There are other ways of stimulating a dog, physically and mentally and I'm sorry for those I offend when I say this, but it's the lazy people that cant be bothered to make the time, to find something more interesting for their dogs to do, other than run free, whilst the owner stands there waiting for the dog to finish excersising themselves !!!

Who's responsibility is it to exercise them ?

Theirs or ours ?

Considering how many dogs we rehome (and other rescues) I think I'd know if it wasn't rare, no dog at one of the post homevisits would be a big clue ;-)

That video is ACE!!!

Anne, you are talking personally about 1 rescue centre, in the whole of the country. I'm talking about the general population. I'm not talking about ONLY the people YOU have personally rehomed to

The RSPCA for instance rarely do a follow up check within the first 3 months of rehoming and almost NEVER beyond a year after rehoming. Are you telling me, that all these dogs that are rehomed, stay forever in these homes ??? You seriously think we are all that niave. Just take a look at the internet and freeads, nationwide, where you will find rehomed dogs for sale !

Have you anyway of proving this, sorry I don't mean to sound rude, I'm just very sceptical of stories. If true this is very rare, but it does happen regardless of breed, but not a reason imo for all dogs to be kept on lead.

My friend had a Border Collie 7 years old fabulous dog, worked test C (top level) in competition obedience ..... one day he didn't come back, just disappeared, found later dead on the motorway.

Freak accident - who could have foreseen it?? No one knows why he went - he wasn't spooked - just not listening

Any breed can suddenly choose not to listen - just wondering if the none letters off of huskies would happily let other breeds off???



(Merely interested)