Of lead walking

At the moment we have only been waking at night on pavements, well hubby's shifts are back to normal so today we went to the forest ( round the back of the house we are very lucky) anyway I took the extendable lead so he could roam and well he didn't he walked beautifully either just in front or behind, I got to an open field and decided to free him he didn't even care stuck to me like glue I ran backwards and forwards to which he got very excited but followed my every move, now I was very aware of what was around me and spotted the other dog before he did, am I doing it right I'd love for him to walk off lead but I'd hate for him to get himself in a pickle, is he to young? Should I be doing other things before letting him off?

What do I need to know

I have extendable leads for both Mali & Tasha with Tasha she is very happy to walk off the lead but Mali would be off like a rocket,although to be fair she will sit quickly if I say Mali quite sharply. This is my feeling that unless you are absolutely sure there is going to be anything else around. I would keep him on the lead while he is young, but then I am not good with big dogs anyway I don't know. I was walking Mali on a big grassy area near a car park the other week when a Rottweiler jumped out of a car and made for Mali, I was so glad she was on her lead because the owner was not really bothered, so I pulled her in picked her up and the dog ran off. Tasha is a much calmer dog than Mali and will stay by our side, although Mali can stand her own ground anyway she just barked madly at the Rottweiler it was scary but funny in a way. Those leads have a good length for a small dog so I don't think it absolutely necessary to be off the lead. That is me, others on here may think differently. Another time were talking to a lady on a beach and she told us she always used to have her dog off lead until another bigger dog chased her Westie into the sea and although the dog was ok the lady said it was very frightening experience.

Wispa has never been off lead as she is a very nervous dog and even though she was taken to puppy classes she will run for home if another dog approaches her if she is off her lead, Poppy was fine off lead until last summer when she was just over two and decided one day that as we started for home on our usual walk she would run home on her own, luckily we live on a quiet estate with very little traffic and she was waiting at the garden gate for me, I thought perhaps it was a one off and that something had frightened her but she did again to me and once to my husband and so she stays on her lead now, and yet if we are away for the day or on holiday I can have her off lead and she stays right by my side as she doesnt know where she is and stays close x

I do wonder If your onto something wispa and he did stay close because it was new etc he didn't know where he was hum........ Will see how he reacts tomorrow poor lad got a road walk today lol

Bless him for staying near you even when he was let free! I like extendable leads as well, I always kept Peekie on his Flexi lead as if he saw another dog he would run up to it regardless. I had a nasty scare once when one of my greyhounds I had years ago was badly attacked by a loose dalmation, if I had Peekie close I always felt I could pick him up in an emergency, but it depends where you are and what works best for you.

I have a flexi lead for Javarai but I have him off the lead as well. He stays close enough anyway and always keeps an eye on me. We have a big wood and heather field close by where dogs are allowed off the lead and he loves it! I feel it has a lot to do with trust and the confidence that he'll listen when needed. ( and a very tasty snack to reward him hels as well, I always carry small pieces of dried chicken. I do general recalls and then he gets a tatsy snack. They learn quick enough!)

I let my dogs off lead but you do NEED to train them for RECALL before you take them out and do it - oh and learning an emergency STOP is good too. Have a look at my whistle training exercises - they really do work

http://www.shihtzuwhispers.org.uk/t679-whistle-recall-training?highlight=whistleI

I live in a very stict subdivision and even the county law says all dogs must be on a leash at all times unless they are on your property and under your control. An example would be if your dog is in your front yard and you have voice control you're fine....unless he leaves your yard and goes into the street; at that point the law is broken.

I personally like the law as I'm afraid of big dogs. There's a big push on here for "socialization" but some people don't understand what it means. I've run into people on my walks and they have a big dog/dogs on leash, yet the dog pulls towards you and sticks its nose in your (well, you get the idea) and they do nothing to correct the dog. It just seems to me some people have very poor boundaries and that extends to their dogs!

We do have three dog parks in the area, one of which is for small dogs only. I'd never let mine off leash because of the law and well, I just have horrible luck! Anything that can go wrong does with me generally, so I just would not take the chance. So much can go wrong....cars, other dogs, an irrestible squirrel, etc.

I wish they had laws like that here. People just let their dogs run around with no concern for others. It can be really scary when a dog comes bounding up to you and you don't know the dog.

Yes, it can be very scary, I've had it happen to me as not everyone follows the law, though most do....fines are stiff. I know there are big dogs my dogs would probably be safe with, but so many big dog owners are careless. Of course, they don't have the same concern.... my dogs can't hurt their dog. But I think the law is mainly for people, especially children out playing.

Teddy is still not being let off the lead and I'm not sure he ever will at the minute he has no sense of danger from other dogs and I'm afraid he will go and say hello to someone who will eat him as there are ALOT of big dogs round here

That's a shih tzu for you... but sometimes you have to let them off your apron strings. Good recall training and going somewhere that is not well used (like a very large country park) and being completely alert helps to avoidn problems. And don't think I am not ever scared when my boy is off lead and sometimes I have had to quickly swallow my fear as he has picked up on it and gone into defense mode (once when we rounded the corner of a woodland track into the face of two oncoming bull mastiffs). If you walk in specific places you tend to make friends with the people and dogs you meet and that helps a lot too.

Well I let him off, he's a super star, when he's on his own he comes when called he doesnt go to other dogs I call him and put a lead on and we walk past, he's not a fan of being sniffed, he's a sucker for people if they go to fuss him he won't come back I have to fetch him, but if I say no he won't approach which is good, I'm advert aware always looking ahead and behind for danger,

He's not always as quick as I'd like but he's getting there

I recalled trained mags but would get distracted sometimes or would take her time think that is stubborn shih tzu the best thing I did was whistle train both dogs there is no need to buy expensive dog whistle either cause I found I lost them lol. People over complicate the training I started off in the house very much a game. Call there name blow whistle ( no super loud I scare them) wave ya arms make ya self interesting to come to. Repeat move around house and garden slowly lose the crazy arms then name. Also do it when they do expect it just randomly in the day. The key is reward high prize treat that is only given when they come back and always treat if they do.
This training has got us out of pickles loads also a very good name recall is important but the sound of whistle seemed to engage the brain faster in emergencies.

Very tempted with whistle training, we walk with my neighbour and her disobedient collie, ted doesn't always hear me over the excitement of bailey running off (his behaviour is a whole other story) once teds clicked I'm calling he comes running and I do my I'm a loony excited mummy impression which he enjoys lol But if he's in the "moment" Im stuffed he does come back when bailey does tho, ( toddles off to research whistle training)

Read Lesley's link to whistle training and It sounds perfect I love the fact she doesn't use it every time just when he's getting a bit distracted, I've ordered a cheap dog whistle on eBay

It's the best thing I have done I don't use it all the time it's more for emergencies and I there r out of sight or things r getting a little to much etc I also may do one whistle blow per long walk just as a reminder. In my experience it's on the high prize treat Maggie will run to me cause whistle sound equals something she does not get apart from when the whistle is blown we use boiled chicken or a little sliced sausage or even if u r not keen on food treat r other dog Henry goes mad for a practical ball that is only given on a whistle blow.
It's easy to teach to just don't make it complicated start with a game and then do it when they r distracted e.g playing in the home key is not to push it the game must never get boring so I limited it to 10-15 mins a day till thy got it and always end the training with them coming back to u treat and then outside to loo cause mags used to get excited with it all and also to finish the game as she will follow me around expecting a treat lol good luck !

Thank you for this feed back and I am so glad it has worked for you too

I was told about this when I had Josh as a puppy and after over 20 years at that time I thought I could not learn anything else but it is a godsend and even after months of maybe never using the whistle if I pull it out and blow his special signal he comes back with a grin on his face and NOW at long last I have managed to get Isabella to react to it too!

My sister did it with her GSD when I told her and one day she had walked him with her firned and her Rottie and when they got back they turned the dogs out into the garden while they had a cup of tea. When they looked out of the window the gate was wide open and the dogs gone. They both ran out and did not know which way to go and while my sisters friend ran hysterically down the road my sister went back in for the whistle and gave a blast on it, By the time she reached the road her dog was coming back with the rottie in tow - so two lives probably saved there!!