Am I a bad owner?

FestiveSpirit

FestiveSpirit

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Do you keep your dogs in sight at all times on a walk? Would you worry if they were out of sight?

I took mine out tonight and this time it was Flick's turn to vanish for 10 minutes (usually it is Islay, who is a disobedient little horror) as we walked through the woods. I just waited, and called/whistled, as I knew she would come back, and eventually she did.

But does this make me a terribly irresponsible dog owner? My mother constantly tells me that the greyhounds should be muzzled all the time ("what if they chase a rabbit" :confused:) and that I shouldnt let them out of my sight. But I would rather they had a fulfilling time on a walk, knowing they are not going to do damage to anything/anyone other than perhaps a stray rabbit or small bird, is this wrong?

The alternative would be that they would be on leads all the time, as there is absolutely no way I could keep them within sight at all times otherwise....
 
I aim to keep Henry in sight, but the theory and the practice often diverge, especially in the woods...:D

As long as you know where they are roughly, that they can't get onto the roads, that you can trust them not to harass people etc and you can get them back, no worries IMO:)
 
I don't think it makes you a bad owner. It depends on the dog. Personally I keep mine in sight AT ALL times. Dexter isn't good with other dogs, he feels threatened and goes for them. He comes straight back when called but if I can't see him...well who knows. Sage could wander off and I wouldn't worry too much, her recall is excellent.
Our first rottie, Holly, gave us no choice. She would just take off and come back when she felt like it!! Despite trying everything from pro trainers to yelling and screaming like a banshee nothing worked so she spent her life on a long line. She had freedom on our property though so she didn't do too bad.
 
Mine are always in sight - but I think thats because of their breeds. They are bred and trained to work within sight and quite short distances so it is not in their nature to zoom off like greyhounds and the like. Because I take them riding with me they always have to keep one eye on me in case I change direction or canter off ;)

I would worry in case they got into a field of livestock, they don't actually have to be chasing the sheep to get shot unfortunately (this happened to my friend - it was horrific). But if you are in an area where there are no livestock and you have a good idea where they are, and their recall is good - I guess thats the nature of the breed.

It would be awful to keep them on a lead at all times.
 
If you are then I am too!!

Mine often go out of sight whilst off sniffing in the hedges and woods. I just carry on walking and call them so they know where I am, they soon come trotting back to see where I wandered off to :rolleyes:

I personally think the more you yell and stress about a dog if its gone out of sight the more likely it is to run off as they get all excited and stressed. Some basenji owners seem horrified when I say I walk mine off lead as they keep them on the lead all the time, best not mention to them that Maya also goes trotting out of sight at least once on every walk...!!! :D lol
 
I have thought of the livestock thing Ravenwood, thankfully the fields around the wood where we walk are either arable or have horses in them (from our livery yard!) If there were sheep around it would be a whole different matter, I just wouldnt take the risk, I wouldnt be able to live with myself if one of my dogs was shot through my own stupidity :o:o:o

I do wonder quite what they get up to when they do disapear, they always end up re-appearing from the opposite direction to where I expect them to be, I think today Flick must have got lost, and doubled back all the way to the track then hurtled down the track to catch up :)

Also we never ever meet anyone else in the woods, which I cant understand as they are lovely to walk through, so I dont have to worry about them meeting other dogs. I suppose I shall keep letting them off as long as they keep coming back to call :)
 
CaveCanem said:
Of course not. I just can't trust mine with small furries, or large ones, and you know how people get with loose sheps, so I keep em where I can see em!
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Yes, cos all GSDs are vicious and will attack if they see you!!

(Everyone I have ever met is like a big teddy bear!!lol)

BTW, did you see the gorgeous boy that won BIS at National?





Sorry for going off topic lol
 
LOL, my thread has been taken over by GSD lovers :eek::D:D

Thanks for the reassurance that I am not a terrible owner everyone, I just wondered if I was being very irresponsible today.... and of course for when Cayla finally reappears and reads this thread, St Amy never takes off (after that last time when I couldnt catch her!) and is always the first to come back :D
 
Elmo? Yes, he is superb, just the type that should be doing well, was delighted to see that happening, a judge with good taste :D

No, over here we are still in the dark ages and people still scream (squeak?) and run in the other direction even when mine are on lead *sigh* but it was fun that time Bella ran off and found some ramblers and used them as weaving poles with me chasing her in and out between them :o

(Sorry Gazey, wasn't my fault this time :D)
 
Good lord, that GSD lot get everywhere :p

Gazey, just to bring the topic back to lanky things for you - I nearly stole a SkinnyDog from outside Tesco. :o :o It was very pretty brindle-y thing :o I feel quite dirty, like I've cheated on the Spangle Army :eek: :D
 
As long as you know your dogs, and that they will come back, then no of course you're not a bad owner. Like CC I keep mine in sight because shepherd owners always have to be aware I think, and also since Buffy fell down the land drain thingy I'm a bit neurotic about something like that happening (although with hindsight that was maybe due to her eye problem which I wasn't aware of).

UnaB, loved Elmo who went BIS, got all excited about a possible future hubby for Evie then checked his pedigree and he is by her grandad, drat!
Sorry, GH, will step away from the thread now with GSD talk.:D
 
Yayyyyy NumptyNovice is a skinny dog convert :D :D I would love another brindle, I couldnt even see one without crying for a long time after I lost Jura, but I think I would be OK now... they are so pretty :)
 
Yes sometimes - but we live in the woods which at this time of year are very thick and its a bit hard to keep sight of him all the time. If we're in our own patch of wood (private), I tend to be a bit more relaxed and as long as I know roughly where he is and what distance, I tend to be a bit more relaxed.

However, when we're walking in the main wood, I like to keep him in sight as you do meet other walkers/dogs but there are also lots of deer/squirrels/rabbits etc that he will bolt after given half a chance so prefer him a bit closer then - not that he tends to go that far away tho to be honest.

Must be that collie instinct that has to come and round you up every five minutes :-)
 
Answer to your question'S:rolleyes: yeah u are a bad owner, it's the coats, they are rancid:p the second, if u class going to see Iron man 2 as having a life:rolleyes: then I have one:D
My dogs are sad, they never run far from mine or OH's side, so they never give me chance to shout them back, akita stays on the lead, she would possibly slink off, and although she would cause no harm, if a dog proceeded to pick a fight, she would eat it alive, probably in 2 gob fulls:D, I think flick the whippey would slink off maybe given the opportunity, I am paranoid with the smaller dogs, someone may try and tyse them away and nick them, so I would keep them in sight at all times if they did attempt to run off:p
If your dogs pose no harm, to humans, other dogs or livestock or themselves on their exploration, then I dont see an issue.
 
No, I am quite happy for them to go out of sight so long as I'm in a nice open area like the beach, sand dunes or fields. Being terriers they are decidedly independant anyway and their recall is spot on, so I'm happy for them to wander off within reason.
 
Kitsune said:
No, I am quite happy for them to go out of sight so long as I'm in a nice open area like the beach, sand dunes or fields. Being terriers they are decidedly independant anyway and their recall is spot on, so I'm happy for them to wander off within reason.
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You see that will all change when you have a shepherd :p
 
No, you're just a hound owner. I'm a hound and terrier owner, everytime I take them walkies I age 5 years.:D Actually, make that 10. In theory, I am approximately 3,000 years old, but the botox is working wonders.
 
If you're a terrible dog owner for 10mins disappearance then I'm awful! I let mine go out of my sight until I change direction although they don't usually go far and know where I am any way. However Jim has been known to go hunting in the hedge and I have lost him for an hour before! I just laugh at him :p
 
Mine are always in sight, but two are gundogs so used to wotrking close and Beastie just likes to prove a point that she can be as well behaved as the labs! Lol
 
CaveCanem said:
Elmo? Yes, he is superb, just the type that should be doing well, was delighted to see that happening, a judge with good taste :D
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He most certainly is, it was the same judge who put me and my beautiful basenji through to the Junior Stakes Finals!!!! :D



BTW, I love how all of us who let our dogs out of sight for brief moments suddenly dont love them :rolleyes: What terrible owners we are...
 
I met a spangle owner a few months ago, he had been at the park since seven in the morning and his spaniel had gone a hunting in the woods. I spoke to him at 11.00, still no sign. He kept catching glimpses of the dog, so knew he was still in the woods.:eek:
 
Mine are always within the 200yards of hedge on either side of me :rolleyes: though they do check back every couple of minutes of their own accord and I tend to whislte and call constantly (typical spangle owner!!)

It does mean that I am very careful where I walk them and I am constantly worried but I have yet to find a way to stop their delirious hedge bashing :o
 
I keep mine within sight, but we walk in wooded areas with high coyote populations and it just isn't worth the risk. Sometimes I even keep them on leash entirely if it's a new walk in an unfamiliar area. Once we walked in Vermont in an area populated by mountain lions. I let Stella run all over the place, and I only found out about this after the fact.
 
prosefullstop said:
I keep mine within sight, but we walk in wooded areas with high coyote populations and it just isn't worth the risk. Sometimes I even keep them on leash entirely if it's a new walk in an unfamiliar area. Once we walked in Vermont in an area populated by mountain lions. I let Stella run all over the place, and I only found out about this after the fact.
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Ooer I can see where you're coming from there - all I have to worry about are killer pheasants (don't believe me? Try having one aiming for your head:D) and rancid rabbits! Not lions:eek:
 
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