Sibe owners-what type of leads do you use? Training

on my walk today, i was thinking about sibes, and how one would fit in with this particular walk i did. now on this walk, there is no enclosed space, and also livestock, so said husky would be onlead.. this was then i started to think about what leads i would use.

when walking your sibe do you use just a normal collar and lead?

how many of you use a flexi lead, so that the dog can wander a bit but you have control?

on this particular walk i wouldnt like to use a longline, because there are bits when you end up on the main road, and it would be alot of hassle swapping from harness and longline to collar and lead etc..

when your husky wears a harness do they pull? as ive read alot of sayings like "the minute the harness is on the husky knows what it has to do"

thanks in advance

Why would you not just shorten the longline to walk near the roads, or clip a lead to the harness?

I don't have a sibe but I use a line and a walking belt, my line has a handle built in so I can shorten and use the handle near roads.

because from what ive read i would get a longline for where the dog could have a run about (some people talk about 90ft ones) so i would use it in open spaces like a beach or a field, where the dog couldnt be let off lead. i cant imagine rolling this up and having somewhere to put it all for 10 minute walk down the road, then unravel it, and then ravel it up again 30 minutes later for another 10 minute walk..

i also get the impression that when they are in harness they get that drive to work, and as i thought about rig work and harness, could i then use a harness on a walk and the dog not pull silly?

A longline takes about 5 seconds to roll up, you just wrap it between your palm and around your elbow. I walk my two on longlines a lot and you soon get the knack for it. I have a Halti lead clipped around my body for easy access and can just clip one end onto the harness or collar (and leave the rest of the lead around my body) if I really need to secure them on a short lead quickly.

ahh thanks. see i wouldnt know how long they take, because ive never had to use one

Kind of like this, though you don't have to worry about being too neat so can go a lot faster. To unravel, I just drop it on the floor - by wrapping it up this way it doesn't knot so dropping it releases it without a problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G23G21G49dk

Then just leave a few feet at the end and wrap around your hand a couple of times to hold it at the length of a regular lead.

I have a xxl tape flexi lead (don't get the cord ones they're lethal) for the morning short walk this is fine. 16 ft is plenty to be able to snoofle along the hedges and have a run about in the field but still be able to be quickly controlled and reined in when needed and short lead once we get to the road sections without having to mess about with the long line.

I have a lunge line which I attach to the end of the flexi fir really long line running, but you need to have a bag with you especially on a muddy walk or at the beach as the lunge line gets dragged through everything. It is a pain in the rear to loop up the lunge line and gather her to me, but we manage.. Don't know what I'd do with two at the same time though, which is the only thing that puts me off getting another husky as a companion for her.

She does wear the same harness for pulling the bike and for walking when on her long line and seems to understand the difference between pulling and free running with no issues or confusion.

thanks for that

you have the same thinking of me for the longline thing, i dont want it wrapped round with bits of leaf, sand etc

A bit of dirt won't hurt! If it's wet I tend to be in my thick walking jacket so that keeps my elbow clean, if I'm using the longline then I tend to wear gloves so that keeps my hand clean. A carrierbag shoved in a pocket can be used if it gets really soggy when carrying it home.

I've not braved two dogs on a longline either, just doesn't seem safe enough, if they both bolted off in the same direction then I'd go flying, if they went opposite directions I'd probably have to drop one lead to prevent injuring myself (or ending up with really long arms ). So it's either solo walks in longline areas, dragging someone with me, or going somewhere safe enough to let Kiki off and just have Casper on/dragging the line.

i dont mind a bit of mud we will see yet, thinking long long ahead into the future ;-)

Are you gettin a sibe?!

If I use a long line, I either role it up if its for a very short period of time like passing live stock or roll it up and put her on a short lead which I keep accross my chest.

They do get a bit gross and mucky in the mud and rain. I wash mine in the bath with the dog after a walk! I wrap mine around my hand instead of elbow so I can fit my line in a sandwich bag which I keep in my pocket.

Sometimes for the full monty walking in woods I have a flexi, long line and short lead! You get quick at chaging over with a bit of practise

Prefer my line to the flexi for a smaller dog as I can drop it in safe areas and let her run but remain in more control, and pick it up for full control if I need to.

its just an idea at the moment ;-) looking into how they really would fit in, and trying to find a breed both me and the OH agree on

I wouldn't recommend a sibe. Not for all the usual reasons...

Having two dogs with different exercise needs is a beeatch!

Pharaoh is an elderly lurcher who wants one short walk and a nice offlead run per day. Kismet needs the onlead road walk for discipline, the field walk on long line for getting her snoofles in and then some training run time on the bike or jogging or otherwise pulling. She needs to be constantly entertained and being attached to me means if she needs the exercise then I have to have it too.


Once Pharaoh has gone to the bridge. i will be looking for another dog as a companion for Kismet, I don't want another on lead only dog. I just can't handle two long lines... I want a dog that can come with us on every walk and pull the scooter or bike with her. So a pulling dog, but not a northern breed.

No idea.

But chinese crested is not high on the list

the exercise isnt a huge difference though.. the cresteds will go as long as you want them to, at weekend we do 4 hours+ around new places, they have onlead walks down roads. i can let the cresteds off pretty much anywhere, so even if i couldnt let the sibe off, i could still walk it with the cresteds it would just be onlead.

as for extra exercise biking etc. ive already thought of this, and being a generally fit person it doesnt bother me, i like being out and about. i could quite easily walk dogs for an hour in the morning, sibe onlead or longline, then bike in the afternoon or evening with the sibe and leave the cresteds at home. thats the thing with the cresteds they will give as much or as little as you want.

i know someone who owns both sibes and cresteds, she manages fine ;-)

I'm lazier than you

Also slightly getting the bikejoring bug Want a dog that will add to Kismet's pulling power

im quite active, and would do more now with mine if they could, too scared to have asbo run along a bike in case i squished him plus he couldnt cover as much distance, at a quick speed anyway

When Kiska is on lead we use a flexi lead and never had a problem. On the whole i am not a huge fan of these types of lead but it works ok for her.

We used to use a collar but have had to move to a harness thanks to a cyst on her neck and i do like the harness over the collar.

thanks for that

We use different collars and leads depending upon what we are doing with the dogs.
For normal walking, we use a half-check with a 6 foot lead.
For showing we use a 2 foot lead and a very thin check chain.
For running in harness we use all-material half-checks.
For walking in harness (on our passenger cart) we use the same half-checks we use for walking so that the dogs know that they must walk, not run.



Mick

thanks, its good to know that they know which collar is for what. mind you i should give my dogs more credit, they know instantly when the show leads come out that its work time not play time.