Siberian Husky off lead walking??? Controversial

No Anne, it really doesnt at all, perhaps Border owners just do more to get their dogs back and use that site as a resource? its not everything Doglost, its one site, when you consider the popularity of Borders as you chose, to Huskies, numerically, there isnt one, just look at Lab numbers on there. Border numbers are 10 fold compared to Husky numbers (sadly ) it stands to reason they will figure highly

It does appear you are about the only one on the entire thread that risks your dogs in that manner, whilst you may continue to do that, you will find, as has been said before, by many as expericenced or more so owners of Huskies, they are not prepared to do so. Just because you let your dogs run loose doesnt make you a better owner Anne, just one thats willing to risk their dogs on a daily basis more so than others.
Dawn.

In my experience there's not much difference between the popularity or Huskies and Border terriers

I think you need to read through the thread again, you'll find that I am Not the only person who recommends or exercises their Huskies off lead.

Really?;-)

OK Well maybe the number that do can be counted on less than one hand then, even if they are missing fingers!

Anne - how are you compiling those stats? I had a look at DogLost and found 4 pages relating to Siberian Huskies (around 75 dogs).

Quite a few people who have been involved in the breed for a long time recommend they go OTL in un-enclosed areas? May I ask exactly how many?

I was talking about Huskies that are currently missing which is only 18. Your including those that have been reunited and found. By including found it doesn't give a clear indication as many Huskies are abandoned because the owners can no longer cope with them, handed in as supposed Strays to rescue, who then unknowingly go on to send the details to doglost.
But if you want to include reunited and found there are 9 pages for border terriers (nearly 200 dogs ) also figures for Huskies started Jan 1999, Border Terriers Aug 2002


It does seem that there are more members on this thread that think Huskies can't be safely exercised off lead than those that do. Although looking through the photos section of this forum there seems to be a hell of a lot of members that exercise their Spitz breeds off lead, I wonder why they haven't posted on here? I wonder is it due the judgmental and sometimes rude posts by those that disagree, can't blame them really for not posting.

Well of course I was including those who had been reunited - just because they have been reunited with their families is irrespective of the fact that they ran off/escaped in the first place (also, the re-united section also contains the details of dogs who have been found dead - like that poor Sibe on the train tracks ). With regards to those who are listed as being found - there are only 6 of these (one was a cross) and all bar one (who is mentioned to have been handed in) were either spotted running loose or found wandering around. Still if you want to discount these (as they could have been abandoned), there are still 68 Sibes that have either ran off or escaped.

How many people who have had the breed for a long time advocate letting them OTL in un-enclosed areas. Sorry I assumed it would mulit-quote the post you were referring to as well.

If you want to talk a few figures Anne, given your statement that Huskies are similar in popularity than Borders, last years registrations of Borders were 8,916. They are 10th most popular breed for the 3rd year (I think) given that the labrador is top and has 45,700 dogs registered last year, it then stands to reason that the labrador has 7 pages on doglost dedicated to lost Labradors! considering Huskies are not even in the top 20 breeds, its therefore very logical that this breed will not have so many pages dedicated to them being lost as there are nowhere near as many! In fact Anne, last year there were just 1,993 registered, so you can see the significant difference.
Dawn.

Again, I think this quote is slightly misleading - of the 68 Sibes listed, 66 have been lost since November 2002. If you have a look at other breeds, there are very few listings before 2002. Even Border Collies (who have 19 pages) only have one dog lost between 1999 and 2002.

I would possibly assume that DogLost was not as well known then (or something happened in 2002 to bring it to light) as I severly doubt that only two Sibes and one BC were lost in three years.

Are you talking about Kaya on there? If so she wasn't hit by a train whilst running. It's is thought that she died close by to the tracts, but not hit by a train or electrocuted. She had escaped from her backgarden not run off whilst being exersied off lead. RIP Kaya

I can't find any others on there that have been killed??

Oh no - sorry I didn't mean to imply that she was killed by a train whilst running, just that she had escaped over the garden fence, run off and had died It was just one I remembered in the re-united section

KC registrations doesn't give a true indication of popular breeds now does it, you'll find Collies aren't even on that list and they're one of the post popular breeds in the uk

From what I can see she is the only one.

Poor Kaya :-( her story really got to me as one of my girls is called Kaya, similar looks and almost the same age :-(
So grateful mine have never tried to escape from our garden (not that they could)

As for Doglost, not sure who first mentioned them, your right exclude 1999, have a look at figures from 2002 then

It does as far as Huskies are concerned, and for that matter Border Terriers too! Collies are completely different, with only show ones being registered with the kennel club and included in those figures, you should know that Anne.

No it doesnt sorry Dawn but you can not judge a breeds popularity by figures of breeds registered by the KC. Not every dog is KC registered you know ;-) If you go by the KC's popular breeds (ie those registered) you'll find Pugs, British Bulldogs, Lhasa Apsos and Miniature Schnauzers are more poplar than Huskies, I don't think so :wink:

Yes she's the only Rainbow bridge husky on there. Her owners said she wasn't Hit by a train or electrocuted. She didn't escape whilst being exercised off lead, she escaped from her garden. Poor Kaya and her owners :-(

Sorry have to reply to this one!

Anne - I would be amazed that SHWA UK are now advocating that Huskies should be allowed off lead as I believe going back a few months now on another board they were dead against it and very concerned about certain centres only allowing dogs to go to homes that guarantee off lead exercise. In fact there was talk of how to get dogs out of these possible dangerous situations simply by lying about allowing the exercise to be done OTL.

Do the organisers and committee of SHWA UK let their dogs off lead in unsecure areas?

Yes I realise it was that one, I edited my post after yours was posted, I must of wrote it around the same time.

You are missing the point Anne, grabbing now really, you cant handle that most people who think a lot of their dogs, will not risk them, just accept they think too much of them to want to risk them taking off and ending up like Kaya did, however it happened.

You are describing breeds that are not "desirable" either by thieves or by the very nature of the breed unlikely to run off, Huskies do, and for that matter Borders too if something takes their fancy, when was the last time you saw a Bulldog running at full tilt away from its owner without stopping? Pugs, Lhasas and cavaliers are pet dogs, lap dogs, not the type a husky is, far from it and totally irrelevant comaprison.

I found these interesting, from the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britian website.
http://www.siberianhuskyclub.com/faq/viewsection?sectionID=4&sectionName=Exercise

There are members of the SHWA that do allow their sibes off lead in open spaces. I would rather someone spoke to them rather than SHCGB, who were the ones that tried what you stated above, didn't get very far though did they

Are you sure this wasn't the SHCGB? Absolutely disgraceful, personally I think that says a lot about them

If they really cared about huskies they wouldn't just rescue the ones with KC papers

These are also interesting, again from breed websites, of course they may all be novices! however they all state that it is very very unwise to let a Husky run loose in a public area.
http://scottishshc.org.uk/pages/cope.htm

http://www.dreamcatcher.org.uk/About_Siberians.htm

http://www.lyulf.co.uk/

http://kamiryka.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/page4.html