Letting my dogs off the lead

Shazanne

Hi all,
We are taking out two dogs to Donegal for the weekend (to get them away from all the unplesantness of halloween bangers etc) and there is an isolated beach near there we are going. Could/should I chance letting them off their leads? Millie is almost four, (we have her nearly 2 years) a rescue terrier cross and very stubborn and easily distracted - her recall would be almost zero. Max is a basset cross and we only have him 11 weeks - I think his recall might be a bit better but if he gets on a scent I would not be so sure. The thing is that they would have an absolute ball on the beach if they could run free! They both have good strong extendable leads but they are still restricted on them. I would love to see them tearing around the beach but am totally terrified that something will happen them or they wont come back:eek: These two little fur-babies are my life and I adore both of them.

pokertalk

:D

Shazanne wrote: »

Hi all,
We are taking out two dogs to Donegal for the weekend (to get them away from all the unplesantness of halloween bangers etc) and there is an isolated beach near there we are going. Could/should I chance letting them off their leads? Millie is almost four, (we have her nearly 2 years) a rescue terrier cross and very stubborn and easily distracted - her recall would be almost zero. Max is a basset cross and we only have him 11 weeks - I think his recall might be a bit better but if he gets on a scent I would not be so sure. The thing is that they would have an absolute ball on the beach if they could run free! They both have good strong extendable leads but they are still restricted on them. I would love to see them tearing around the beach but am totally terrified that something will happen them or they wont come back:eek: These two little fur-babies are my life and I adore both of them.

with the zero recall i would be worried. but id its bright out and there was no people or other dogs around i would go for it:D just have your running shoes on

jap gt

if the dog does take off never chase it, they will think its a game, i thought my dog the recall by blowing the whistle and then turning to walk the other way she always ran to be infront of me, if the dog pays no notice of you call the dog then try and hide the dog will come looking for you..

if you a very worried get a long length of light rope, you will surely get close enough to step on it

Whispered

I don't think I'd do it myself OP, just in case. But if you decide to do it, there are a few things you can do to help. If you get working on recall now, you have a week, with consistant training you'd come a long way in that time.

On the day you first go to the beach if both dogs are really hungry and you carry smelly tasty treats, they are probably likely not to stray too far.
If it was me, I'd start with a walk on the extending leads then let one dog off, the one that can be trusted more. They're less likely to run off if everyone else are together. If you alternate for a little while they might get used to freedom then coming back. When they have both returned you can chance the both of them off together.

When harley was younger his recall wasn't great. It would work for us if we ran in the opposite direction!! He'd turn tail and chase us.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on.

pokertalk

yeah they wont go far .my little guy is not great at the recall but when i bring them to the beach he has no problem because he sticks to the other dog who is trained. bit of long rope dragging behind is a good idea

convert

I'd be very worried about letting them loose in an unfamiliar area with very little or zero recall. Also, the fact that one of them would be inclined to pick up a scent and follow it may encourage him to forget about you in pursuit of whatever he's found. Even the most obedient dog can be a little slow to leave a scent when called, so I would be anxious about letting dogs with little recall off. That's just me.

As some of the others have mentioned, you could try working on recall between now and then, and rewarding them when they come back, but I'd still not be willing to run the risk.

pokertalk

did not wanna start a new thread but its kinda related with the bangers and what have ya .can i buy anything to relax the dogs come next week .there is a few fireworks going of now and they are going craazyy.something maybe u guys have used in the past
so op if im jacking

Galway K9

pokertalk wrote: »

did not wanna start a new thread but its kinda related with the bangers and what have ya .can i buy anything to relax the dogs come next week .there is a few fireworks going of now and they are going craazyy.something maybe u guys have used in the past
so op if im jacking

Rescue Remedy in any health store. also dont show affection when dog is nervous

pokertalk

ta/ used it before and it didnt work

Galway K9

Leadership and no affection will I garantee it.

the_syco

OP: bring smelly treats that the dogs like.

Galway K9 wrote: »

Rescue Remedy in any health store. also dont show affection when dog is nervous

Why no affection? Find that my dog usually calms down better if I talk calmly to her when the fireworks start going off.

Galway K9

Calmness is a leadership signal not affection. Dogs love affection but in negative states it enforces their fear and shows lack of leadership, its basic dog psychology that contrary to humans, affection is negative if they get hurt or in fear, but is powerful if theyre in a positive frame of mind or state.

Acting aloof to the sounds and like everything is good in the world is brilliant.

kylith

Regarding the OP: I wouldn't risk it. One of mine has decent recall, but the other will do a road runner impression if there's anything she thinks worth chasing. It's not worth it, imo. Let the trustworthy one off, but keep the other on a flexi lead. It can help to have a long line trailing, but I've found at the beach that it gets waterlogged and very heavy.

Regarding fireworks: Mine react more with territorial barking than with fear to the bangers so we've managed to train them to bark once or twice then run to us for belly rubs. You could also train them to look on the bangs as a good thing by throwing food into their bed whenever you hear a banger. That way they associate loud bangs with the spontaneous appearance of food and they become a good thing.

sophie1234

imo i would not! espically the fact that you are not near where you live! one of my dogs doesnt have good recall and got out of his lead last week! it was interesting to say the least running for everyother dog and owner after about half an hour and me down on my honkers calling him he came running towards me knocking me down luckly i grabed his lead he just wanted to run right over me to the dog behind! if you could try it in an enclosed area first it would be great! that way you would have a better knowldge of how they get on when called to come back? any dog parks in your area?

ppink

I would never chance letting a dog off that does not have recall, purely because I am the type who would never forgive myself if anything happened to the dog or to anyone else if they cause a traffic accident or anything, or chased sheep.
If it is a 'chance' like you say it would be one I would not be taking but maybe you should bring long ropes with you and you will have a better assessment of the location when you are there and also what form the dogs are in. If you can engage them and get them playing and interested then maybe you could.
I would be working like mad on that recall in the meantime though.

tk123

pokertalk wrote: »

ta/ used it before and it didnt work

You can also get DAP plugins/collars/spray. I got one of the plugins for our cat before (the cat verison not the dog one :pac:) and it definitely relaxed him - he used to be terrified of fireworks but he sat beside the thing for the 3 weeks it was plugged in lol. The pup thank god doesn't seem to have noticed them yet - a couple have gone off when we've been out the back playing and he's stopped to look for a reaction from me but I've just carried on with the game to show him it's no big deal and he's come back to the game every time.

Cherry Blossom

convert wrote: »

I'd be very worried about letting them loose in an unfamiliar area with very little or zero recall. Also, the fact that one of them would be inclined to pick up a scent and follow it may encourage him to forget about you in pursuit of whatever he's found. Even the most obedient dog can be a little slow to leave a scent when called, so I would be anxious about letting dogs with little recall off. That's just me.

As some of the others have mentioned, you could try working on recall between now and then, and rewarding them when they come back, but I'd still not be willing to run the risk.

Be very careful of horses as they are a familiar sight on Donegal beaches especially outside the summer season. It depends on which beach it is of course but keep your eyes open as they can appear very quickly, a lot of people take them out for gallops on the beach.

portgirl123

Myself i wouldnt risk it, but if u do decide to let them of the lead, please make sure, esp as ur dogs are in a strange place, and there recall aint the best, please make sure u have them tagged and chipped just in case. Also make sure ur details are up to date on both as lots of people dont update when they move etc and then cant be traced

Galway K9

OP: your answer is in the Marley and Me Movie at the beech scene ;-)

Shazanne

Thanks for all the advice. I don't think I'll chance it to be honest. I am a nervous wreck with things like that and they would probably sense it from me. It has been suggested that when they tire out from walking the beach that I give them some freedom but I'll judge that at the time, and probably chicken out!