Lead walks for sight hounds

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Baileybones

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I know this isn't really breed specific but these are the types I have hence my interest.
I have a Saluki x Whippet and a Saluki x Afghan who both have an intense prey drive and obviously outstanding vision.
Both will recall but not if something catches their attention so basically no trustworthy recall.
Because of this I pay to take them to an enclosed secure field a couple of times a week where they can run off lead safely but that means that at least 4 times a week they stay on lead.
Anyone else manage their dogs in this way?
 
Yes, my sibes don't go off-lead on a normal walk due to high prey drive and lack of recall. I rent a couple of acres for my horses that's dog proof so they have off lead time several times a week, plus they work in harness.

Plenty will come along and say they'd rather a death sentence than keeping their dog on a lead though... *eyeroll*
 
Nope my greyhounds get off lead walks every day - but I know plenty that don't, and I think the way you manage your hounds is absolutely fine :) I've only ever had one greyhound who I couldn't let off the lead, she had zero recall & managed to kill 2 cats after I'd had to rehome her due to my divorce - something she would never have had the chance to do while living with me, always better to be safe than sorry!
 
we have a lovely lady in our area who organises `sighthound playgroups` and hires an indoor school.(1 hour for littles and 1 hour for the bigger ones) they have a great time. there is a FB group :)
 
My new foster is managed exactly the same way as I am still working on stock-proofing her, plus she has a well developed prey drive and her recall is still erratic. On lead walks on open ground I also put her on a long training lead fastened to a harness as I am just strong enough to stay upright if she makes a dash for something. This is a great help in instilling better manners but can be dangerous if the dog is stronger than you are (as I found out!). For me, the priority is keeping the dogs I am looking after safe, then to teach them to adjust to a possible pet home.

Quite a few sighthound charities hold sighthound walks all over the country. There are probably some near you.
 
Thank you :-)

I think I feel worse as my other two (pointer and whippet) are able to go off lead everyday but they're entirely different dogs.
I love being able to let the Saluki's off lead but it just isn't safe to do it everyday - for them and anything else they encounter.
They do run twice a week with two greyhounds at the secure field and we do the sight hound meets so I don't think they have a bad life - just not the same kind of life as my other dogs have had.
 
I have a whippet x saluki longdog too who has great recall if there's no little fluffy dogs to jump on and torment them in to playing with her.I walk round an old WW2 fighter airfield mostly so I can see a long way ahead and spot the likely "victims" and get her on a long lead before she goes in to warp factor 9 after her target and bounces on it.
If I am over the Downs woods then she is usually so pre occupied chasing and sniffing about for fox,squirrels,rabbits and deer in the bushes she tends to over look the fluffy dogs and prefers to hunt. Her recall can be good on these Downs/woods days but if she sees prey before I do, forget the recall and I usually let her get on with it, she comes back when she's ready.
I've learnt to trust her that she will come back and I can see the warning signs of when she's about to launch, which gives me a several seconds to get her on the lead.
 
I know lots of skinny dogs who only get off lead time when their owners can take them to a secure field. I'm lucky Fizz has good recall but I don't see it as an issue as long as they get plenty of other stimulation.
 
Yes, with my husky I could never be absolutely certain of recall so I only let him off lead in dog parks or out in the mountains when we hiked or rode together. Otherwise he was on a leash. Nothing wrong with that.

For more exercise, because we couldn't do those hikes often, I taught him to rollerblade on a lead! A friend with a husky bikes with his, and I've seen a lot of people do that.
 
I walk my high prey drive lurcher off lead everyday and I have lost her quite a few times for a couple of hours,she does eventually come back but I must admit I am very stressed when she goes. I am now very careful where I walk and pick my times. early morning and dusk are the worst times and as I am retired (lucky me) I can be selective when I walk...she has been ok for about 6 months and hope I am not tempting fate .....fingers crossed I can keep managing her ok as I do like her to have as much freedom as poss.....
 
we don't have many roe deer but do have LOADS of muntjac....luckily I have managed to avoid them for a while...I have to watch my lurcher all the time and as soon as I see that certain stance/look I get hold of her and put her on the lead till we are away from the temptation....its not exactly relaxing but I really don't like having my dogs on leads so I have to put up with it...
 
My lurcher is being strangely well behaved ATM so he's loose on runs (with loud jingly bells) but he does go through phases of disappearing after prey. If we're running somewhere there could be deer then he wears a canicross harness and line, and somehow that actually tires him out faster than when he's free to zoom about at will.

I don't take him on walks because it gives him too much time to go off hunting. Instead I take him running with me, about 25 miles a week at the moment, and he stays with me much better than when I used to walk.

I'm not sure that just walking on the lead would be enough exercise for him. If we don't run for a few days then he self exercises in huge circles and figures of eight round our fields.
 
splashgirl45 said:
we don't have many roe deer but do have LOADS of muntjac....luckily I have managed to avoid them for a while...I have to watch my lurcher all the time and as soon as I see that certain stance/look I get hold of her and put her on the lead till we are away from the temptation....its not exactly relaxing but I really don't like having my dogs on leads so I have to put up with it...
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LOL isnt that a permanent state for anyone walking a sighthound off the lead? :) I know it is for me, you need eyes in the back of your head and a great attention to body language - sadly my OH doesn't yet have that, and keeps losing the small white greyhound :)

I always thought we had mostly muntjac around our way but there are a small herd of roe deer we see very regularly now - dogs haven't chased them yet fortunately!
 
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