Do people only ever walk their dogs ON a lead?!

[EquestrianFairy]

Random musing: One of my two collies is nervous agressive- he will attack dogs, mainly if they look like they are coming anywhere near me or him. My other collie isnt so bad but ive always walked them on a lead- we have a good walk up and down hills, into forestrys, through parks, through fields. They have halti's on so i have control if the need arises (although generally i dont take them to known busy places as i feel its just asking for a problem, people round here dont seem to understand that i dont want their 'lead-less' dog coming over and saying hello!)


There are two places they can come off the lead and have a good proper run, one is the field my horses are in as its private and no one goes on there and the second is a small forestry owned by my grandad which again is private land and no one goes there.

Both these places arent walkable and have to be driven to so i try and do this at least once a week where possible.

Do others only walk majority on a lead or am i in the minority? I worry that they arent getting enough exercise as i see other dogs happily running around the parks off the lead etc.

 

[CorvusCorax]

No, I keep mine on most of the time unless we are somewhere isolated or in a fenced field, especially at this time of year when the beach or forest is busy, most people are not comfortable with free roaming GSDs! I have an 8m flexi for the beach and forest (do not use it near roads and dog takes voice commands at a distance).
It doesn't really bother me, he gets swum and biked as well, he is worked as well, he gets more exercise and stimulation than most dogs I know.

 

[posie_honey]

mine never go on a lead
but i'm in an area where we very rarely meet another dog and having them on the lead off the horse may be a bit dangerous
my cocker is also a nervous aggressive (nice description - never heard that one before and fits him perfectly ) but if we meet another dog he knows to heel to HRH's back legs - and i tell the owner to keep their dogs away from the horse as she kicks - and usually we're fine - if a fight does start i generally just run the horse at them - they usually split up then

tbh i say whatever works for you and your dogs - you'll know if they are happy or not (and i am sure they are)

 

[Spudlet]

Henry is almost always off the lead, as long as it's safe. Not all dogs can have this of course, but I do think dogs need to be able to run freely sometimes, and it's down to owners to find a way for this to happen - which obviously you have done.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Mine are mostly off lead,they cover so much ground, I'd need motocross bike to keep up with them if kept on a lead. I do think its important for animals to be able to choose their own speed and direction and also to be able to independently explore by having off lead time whilst out.

As long as the dog is obedient to commands, isn't causing a problem to livestock, people or traffic etc, the instinct to roam can be responsibly allowed some expression.

A plus for healthy muscle development, fitness and mental health.

 

[lexiedhb]

mine never go on a lead
but i'm in an area where we very rarely meet another dog and having them on the lead off the horse may be a bit dangerous
my cocker is also a nervous aggressive (nice description - never heard that one before and fits him perfectly ) but if we meet another dog he knows to heel to HRH's back legs - and i tell the owner to keep their dogs away from the horse as she kicks - and usually we're fine - if a fight does start i generally just run the horse at them - they usually split up then

tbh i say whatever works for you and your dogs - you'll know if they are happy or not (and i am sure they are)

Genius- aggressive dog, off lead, with you on a horse........... so very clever.

Mine is always on a lead except for isolated fields. He gets plenty of exercise, i walk miles, much further than the OH who has a springer and Lab always off lead.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

mine never go on a lead
but i'm in an area where we very rarely meet another dog and having them on the lead off the horse may be a bit dangerous
my cocker is also a nervous aggressive (nice description - never heard that one before and fits him perfectly ) but if we meet another dog he knows to heel to HRH's back legs - and i tell the owner to keep their dogs away from the horse as she kicks - and usually we're fine - if a fight does start i generally just run the horse at them - they usually split up then

tbh i say whatever works for you and your dogs - you'll know if they are happy or not (and i am sure they are)

As obedient as mine is, if a dog gets too close nothing i do would stop him attacking it (If OFF a lead obv- which is why he rarely is) When on a lead i just stand infront of him and tell him to 'leave' to which he will snarl but generally leaves well enough alone until i can shout to the owner of the dog who is NOT on a lead can they please call there dog. I dread to think what would happen if i was on a horse- although i envy the people who can do the 'two birds/one stone' thing

 

[The Original Kao]

With Storm she's on lead near roads but off lead in safer areas. Still chuck her back on the lead if there's people about that I don't know or kids running about as she's rather hyper, silly and in your face and I can't trust her not to knock someone over
Minxy the big dog due to her size and look, I tend to keep her on lead all the time. She's a couch potato type tho and doesn't need a good run to chill her out. Also have a large garden so if she feels the urge, she can hoon about there, but that's not often lol. She's also supposed to be great with other dogs but any passing her garden and she gets very territorial. So I've been extra careful out on walks since seeing that side of her. She did have 1 dog that was off lead that came up right up to her face in a dominate manner and she didn't like that 1 bit, so am very glad I had her on the lead and now don't plan on letting her off TBH.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I think its actually easier when riding because the dogs are occupied and the horse and rider are part of the pack.
One of mine is a nervy rescue terrier who increases in confidence when out with the horses. She is the 'scout' and is pretty useful for getting young horses used to hacking alone. She's a different dog when she has a job to do and far too important to be bothered by any dogs she meets.

If I was walking her on foot and on a lead, she'd be more likely to react. That said, it may not work for some dogs or for owners who tend to be anxious themselves.

 

[clydesdale]

Mine never goes on the lead unless we are next to a road as she is very obiedent. she hates other dogs that keep pestering her so i will shout to the other dog owner and warn them if they cannot control there dog it must be kept on a lead and if it does not leave my dog along she will end up attacking it! really winds me up if a dog is off the lead and not 100% under control

 

[Littlelegs]

Mines only on the lead very rarely, only in places its a rule. He is very obedient & friendly, never approaches a dog or anyone/anything without permission & out runs the odd aggressive dog. He's doberman x maybe a bit of lurcher, & it would be virtually impossible to exercise him on lead. Met the odd person (usually parents & their precious kids or ankle biters) who don't like breeds like him off lead. However as he never ever goes anywhere near others or does anything that even the most stupid person could claim was threatening, I refuse to restrict his freedom. Only time he's close to others off lead without me saying he can approach is if he's at heel on a narrow path. And my other dogs have all been the same. Exception were two as a child, both of whom would start fights with any big dog if they'd had chance. All training would be forgot so they remained on lead in all but the most secluded places with clear views.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

One of my three always has a 50ft line trailing so I can step on it because he is dog aggressive. I normally have him shorter than that. The other two are loose except on roads.

 

[leflynn]

I only ever walk Boots on a lead, mostly because he doesn't like other dogs in his face (then neither do I), he WILL disappear after rabbits and cats and I don't trust him to come to call when asked (we are working on this).

Plus if he nicked off I'd never catch him as he's a speedy greyhound!!

 

[Fools Motto]

On a lead for 'road work' - see that as a way to get to the fields, not because she is naughty, she is dim and if you tell her to do something quickly, she goes the wrong way or stays put - even in front of a car! Also in case there is a C.A.T on the other side...
Off lead for all field walks. She is good with other dogs, and never ventures far. BUT, I do put her on a lead if we meet another dog who is also on lead, just seems fair on everyone 'just in case'!

She also has free range at the farm.

 

[Dobiegirl]

Mine are rarely on the lead but that is because we have our own land, if I walk up the road to another farmers fields they are on leads and I let them off if no other dogs are around. If I see another dog unless its one of their friends I put them on leads, they are fine with other dogs but I realise 2 big Dobes are not what other people want to see bombing over to their dogs.

 

[HeatherAnn]

We keep Dog on the lead until we get to the park, very busy traffic, inconsiderate cyclists ect on the way.
If I'm on my own then I keep him on the lead when we get to the park because I'm a worrier. There are a lot of "lads" with staff + mastiff crosses that seem to have a taste for my doglet.
If we're with my mum then we go round the park then let him hoon on the field.
We also don't take him out unless it's early morning or late at night.
It is annoying how many people allow their dogs to run up to and sometimes over my dog.

 

[blackcob]

Mine are never off lead unless in certain enclosed areas. It's a breed specific thing, they have been bred for generation after generation to run very fast ahead of their handlers and make their own decisions about where to go and what to hunt, as a result their recall is almost non existent and they would quickly be shot for sheep worrying or be run over on the road.

They have a free run (well, with 50ft lines attached just in case I need to stamp on one to stop them disappearing under a hedge ) every single day, often twice a day at this time of year with the long nights, in a spare horse paddock down at the farm, two to three hours of walks per day with one on a giant flexi lead (has voice control) and the stoopid one on a belt and bungee lead. October to April they pull a bike, scooter or rig several times a week over varying distances. Twice a week all year round they go to agility training and have free time in the fenced compounds there.

They get more exercise that almost any dog I know. I don't have a garden either.

Suffering dog, always on a lead...

 

[weaselwords]

I walk my Weimaraner bitch on the lead (with my cross breed dog running loose) unless I am absolutely sure no other dog is around as she is occasionally aggressive and has patchy recall with me. I take her to the smaller park's enclosed grass tennis court and we play fetch for ages, which gives them both a good run.

Husband has no qualms about letting her run and run round the bigger park, as she listens to him and always comes back. Husband clearly doesn't listen to me, however, as I hate it that he lets her run loose, but he never seems to have an issue with her being aggressive and makes me look neurotic. I'm sure there are lots of confused people who can't work out why I instantly slap both dogs on the lead and march off in the opposite direction when they come near us, when she's probably played with their dog before, but it works for me.

 

[MrsElle]

We let ours off in the woods. They have a whale of a time chasing squirrels and don't go far. The tend to totally ignore other dogs when we are in the woods, there are much more interesting things to occupy them

However, down the beach we put them on the lead if we see people or dogs regardless of how good ours our. The 1% of the time they refuse to come when called results in people screaming and clutching children and small dogs to them - a Rottweiler and Staffy running at you at full pelt tends to have that effect, despite the fact they only want to play.

We had an incident at the pub yesterday, Elsie (Rottie), was laid nicely by the table in the garden when a family arrived with a loose dog. They kept calling it to them, and it did go, but while they were all chatting and ignoring the dog it came over to Elsie and snapped at her. People heard growls, saw this big Rottweiler and assumed Elsie had attacked the Collie. *sigh* Luckily the locals and pub owner know Elsie and know she would be fine, but the tourists were all a tut-tutting at us. This collie went on to bite one of the children of the family it was with, drawing blood on her leg, so why it wasn't on a lead I don't know, it was evidently quite aggressive.

Phew, rant over!

 

[Princess P]

My patterdale terrier never goes off the lead. He is a feisty blighter and will chase anything that runs / scrap with any dog that's up for it / has no recall. I'm pretty sure I'd never see him again if I did let him off!

I have never met another patterdale owner who can safely let their dog off in public...

I've lost count of near misses when other people with aggressive dogs with bad recall let them off and then can't call them back so I think it's much better to have a safe happy walk on the lead if that is how it has to be!

 

[ladyt25]

Mine is not nervous aggressive but is more nervous reactive. She is worse on the lead with other dogs than she is off so I try walk her off lead as much as possible. However, near my house there is only one route i can do this and that's only at weekends or when I am not working so have a lie in part of it runs along the back of houses and as my dog has a penchant for barking at squirrels I tend not to take her there early mornings!

I would wlak her off lead round mine more but her desire to chase small furries is too much and the road is too close at one end. Squirrels aren't so bad, they go up! It's those bunnies that tend to run into the road!!!

I will sometimes take a ball with me as well - she is obsessed with balls though so it only comes out post toilet! If she's playing ball though she couldn'tcare less about other dogs or anything - she is VERY focussed on her ball!!

 

[RutlandH2O]

My dogs are never off lead. I have a 10 year old Jack Russell bitch and a 2 1/2 year old Grand Bassett Griffon Vendeen bitch. We have our own land, but there are no end of rabbits, hares, squirrels, ground nesting birds, and sheep. The JR only has to see one of the above and she'd be off. The GBGV is a French scent hound and when she is on a scent recall falls into the realm of selective deafness. We have a very large, walled garden of just grass and that is the only place where they can run free. In public they are alway on lead, without exception. They are a pleasure to walk, never forging ahead or lagging behind. When I was about to purchase the GBGV, my breeder asked me about my feelings regarding dogs off lead. I was quite worried that she would be displeased with my stance on leashed dogs. She was so relieved, because the breed is known for its "nose" and its stubborn streak when on scent.

 

[Shutterbug]

Mine is never off lead but hes a Mal and I know for a fact he would be off like a shot if he saw something he wanted to chase - hes walked on a very long lunge line though in the forest so he gets plenty of running around and investigating. We have a very large garden that he gets to hoon around in with the neighbours dog who frequently sneaks into out garden under the fence - hes a little Staffie and they get on great but hes a sneaky little devil and spends more time in my garden than he does in his own

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Husband has no qualms about letting her run and run round the bigger park, as she listens to him and always comes back. Husband clearly doesn't listen to me, however, as I hate it that he lets her run loose, but he never seems to have an issue with her being aggressive and makes me look neurotic. I'm sure there are lots of confused people who can't work out why I instantly slap both dogs on the lead and march off in the opposite direction when they come near us, when she's probably played with their dog before, but it works for me.

SNAP! My OH can walk my dog (on a lead and off in the selected places) but the odd time hes come across another dog hes never ever had an issue. I took louis to a behaviourst (the dog not my OH ) and apparently its to do with protection over me and thats why when he is with my OH he doesnt tend to get aggressive but with me he feels the need to protect me.. from everything with a pulse it seems!

 

[Copperpot]

My 5 are rarely on the lead. If I see another large dog I will put staffy on and sorry Princess P one is a patterdale and he's always off lead unless there are holes about for him to disappear down!

 

[Twizzel]

Off the farm Rosie is always on a lead, her recall is good but when she is distracted it's somewhat dire.

 

[noodle_]

mine are mostly on lead except for rural fields which i can see for miles around - then they can go off

thats not because mine are aggresive (they are soppy)!! im scared of other peoples dogs more!

 

[springtime13]

Princess, our Patterdale can usually be safe to run off lead. Near roads he will always be on lead because he has no road sense at all. I also put him on a lead if we come across another dog on a lead because he has made a nuisance of himself bothering dogs on leads. Otherwise he's pretty good, especially for a patterdale. His recall is excellent due to carrying treats.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

My whippets are always exercised off lead. They will walk nicely on leads but they quickly grow bored as they need to put their heads down and sprint and even with the best will in the world, I can't move at anything like 'whippet speed'

I have only ever owned affectionate, non-agressive dogs and wouldn't like to take on an agressive dog I'm afraid, even if it was agressive due to fear, as I would be constantly ill at ease wondering if it was going to attack another dog or child etc. My nerves would be frayed and so I will always stick with my soppy whoppet dogs who wouldn't hurt the proverbial fly

 

[CorvusCorax]

Snowy Celandine, hurt a fly no, a rabbit, perhaps my friend's whippet has just passed away. He had three legs, one eye and was an absolute horror, he would have taken your hand off, absolutely one of the most aggressive dogs I have come across!!

Sadly some rescue dogs have issues and some dogs are fine as pups but can end up fear aggressive or out and out aggressive due to a number of factors, including rearing and genetics, which is why I would never advocate breeding from a shy or nervous animal as much as I would never advocate breeding from an aggressive animal, but sadly plenty of people do

I do know a couple of GSD people who kept whippets as their house or lapdogs, apparently it is an excellent way to exercise the whole pack chasing after the whippies!