Leads

[dreamcometrue]

Our current Springer and previous Springer were hardly ever walked on a lead. Maybe a couple of times a year if we go somewhere very busy. They both just stay near us and mind their own business. They hear cars before we do and go and sit in the verge.

Are you going to tell me off or are there others like this?

 

[CorvusCorax]

I don't mind as long as they stick to you and respect traffic - I have no issue.

I met a couple on the beach once with an OES, they had no lead with them, it was back when B was at his worst, it bounced over to us despite me calling to them and waving my arm to ask them to call him away and he came back twice, they had to drag him up the beach by the scruff of the neck, nice.

He's much better now, still the odd grumble at some dogs who get in his space unbidden but at the time the OES was lucky to get away unscathed. My dog was on a lead and under control, he had every right to be there, but this other dog kept coming up and facing him, which some dogs see as a red rag.

I think, if people don't have recall, then going out without a lead is lunacy. I do keep a spare in my car in case I come across a loose dog etc. It's a flexi lead

 

[Ravenwood]

We live in a very remote place on the moors and everyone round here, like me, very, very rarely use a lead - there is no need.

I take my dogs riding with me and if I do go up the lane, they are trained (by whistle or voice) or sit on the verge or at the very edge if we hear a car - and like you, they always hear it before me anyway

I did this simply by walking them along the road and shouting car and making them sit but they are whistle trained to recall and stop.

However, all the dogs are trained to walk at heel on the lead - I can't bear to see a dog pulling on the lead - so unecessary! And when we are out shooting I have the dogs on a slip lead between drives - I don't want to be pulled over in the mud by over exuberant dogs!

Non of my dogs wear a collar either - working dogs don't its too dangerous and I completely understand that a lot of people on here would be horrified at that - you just have to be here to understand!

 

[CorvusCorax]

My dogs also sit on the verge when a car comes along (on loose leads ) and pop up themselves seconds before I have even heard the car coming.

TBH my dogs don't wear collars as such either, they are walked on a dead chain. They're licensed, tattooed, microchipped and DNA tested, never off lead in public places and no one would want to nick them

 

[MurphysMinder]

The roads round here are not safe to walk dogs off lead, but have no problems as long as dogs are properly under control. It is part of the highway code I am sure that dogs do have to be under control on a public highway. They also are supposed to wear a collar with a disc when in public, mine never wear a collar, other than with a lead when walking, and then they don't have a disc but are tattooed, but according to our dog warden I am technically breaking the law when I take them out.