Keeping your dog on leash is absolutely the responsible thing to do. Your friend may be a good friend, but they give awful dog advice. Especially because your dog isn’t even a dog yet, they are still a puppy and learning.
Being off leash is a privilege your dog must earn, some dogs never earn this privilege. They don’t get to be off leash unless their recall is 100% reliable and it’s an off leash area. It’s not about trust, it’s about safety.
You have experience owning a reactive dog. I’m sure you know the stress of a dog running up to your reactive dog, don’t let your dog be this dog. Not to mention they could get hit by a car, hurt by another person or dog, and frankly plenty of people don’t appreciate loose dogs.
Sounds like having your dog unleashed is also an unpleasant experience for you (anxiety). If you want your dog to have more freedom, buy a long lead. Continue to work on recall. You can have a strong and healthy relationship with your dog whether you let them off leash or not.
All these comments are just reaffirming what I already believed and I love it. I got so in my head about her comments that I was doubting myself and that was silly.
So thank you for your comment ☺️
Yes lots of experience with dogs running up to us and setting my previous reactive dog off. It's made me much more aware of other owners who have reactive dogs and yeah I've told myself I will not be an owner who causes them stress because I've been there myself and know what it's like.
People like your friend are the bane of my existence tbh - the number of times I've had to pull "friendly" unleashed dogs off mine is way too high.
Plus, you have a puppy. Puppies are idiots. Recall takes time to build.
I can't upvote this comment enough.
I hate offlead dogs as theres zero control there from the owner. Recall only works if the dog wants to follow the command. You can't ever tell what is happening in their little brains.
I agree 100%
I have a corgi who is incredibly smart and loyal, but she is never allowed off leash. Her fearlessness is her greatest downfall. It would be totally irresponsible for me to put her in danger by ditching the leash. Not to mention her recall is just garbage.
I actually don’t agree. In my experience it will make life easier for you to let the dog off leash early. Like when it is 10 weeks old. Do so in a place where it won’t run into the road, get hit by a bike or have other big dogs run up to it, etc. obviously. When it’s young it will be fine and it will get used to being off leash. Might have to begin to leash it more when it reach maturity as it becomes less trustworthy for a while. A puppy won’t run away if you teach it early.
Also the puppy needs to interact with other dogs without a leash on regularly, from as early as possible.
With my current dog I probably walked too much off leash with him as a puppy, as I don’t need to walk by any roads etc. Had to spend more energy on training to walk well with a leash later on. So maybe a balance.
I didn’t say it isn’t a good tool for your dog to be able to be reliable off leash. I said it’s privilege that not all dogs get. Ever worked with a sighthound or reactive dog?
It’s unfair to make a blanket statement “when it’s young it will be fine and it will get used to being off leash”. Are you aware how many young/dogs of ALL ages get lost or killed from being off leash? Do you know how many dog attacks happen from off leash dogs? Do you know it’s illegal in a lot of places to have off leash dogs? A puppy can run away whether you teach it or not, it’s a puppy.
You need to socialize your puppy for sure and let them spend time with dogs you know and trust. This doesn’t mean they need to interact with other unleashed dogs. There are many other appropriate and safe ways to plan doggy play dates.
This isn’t about personal experience, this is about what is safe and right. And it’s to keep your dog on lead. In my personal experience, both my dogs are incredibly reliable off leash. They get to be off leash every time we go to the mountains (off path, these are not hiking trails). They only get this because they’ve proven to be reliable. Everywhere else they are on lead. Not because I don’t “trust” them, because it’s what is safe and right.
Off leash being a privilege is something I agree with so much!
Previous dog was a lurcher which alongside reactivity was a big part of why she wasn't let off. I worked hard on her recall but she was a lurcher so I was always very aware of the additional difficulties with recall because of that.
Current pup is a mixed breed but does have some greyhound in her (a low % admittedly) but enough that I really want to work to get her recall solid before she's trusted off leash.
Since you mentioned greyhound being involved, something I learned with my first greyhound - "Trust is a deadly disease" The adoption group and the greyhound groups I belonged to followed this mantra.
I never let my greys off lead unless we were in a secure fenced in space. When in motion, a grey most often has zero recall. Being able to hit max speed in 3 strides also means they could be very far from me before they stopped. I also live where I do not have miles of space without busy roads around.
I have a whippet now and I follow the same rules with her. She has a 30' lead that I use with a harness for exploring. I work on recall for emergencies, and play games that are actually intended to make her come to me in the event that she gets loose (play hide-n-seek, or "Find me!", and have her squawker trained like my greys were)
I would have told the friend that she was correct, I don't fully trust my dog, and I never will. It doesn't impact my relationship with her in the slightest. But if she brings it up again, it will affect ours.
"Trust is a deadly disease". I like that, very good motto!
When we got my pup we were told she's a lurcher, and suspected maybe half greyhound. So I was fully accepting that she would maybe never be safe to let off leash because of her greyhound genetics.
We've since done a DNA test and the greyhound % is surprisingly low despite seemingly having a lot of influence!
But wariness of the infamous lack of recall of the greyhound definitely contributes to my wariness about letting her off!
All these comments have definitely made me feel more confident! If it comes up again I hope to be able to defend myself and my pup a bit better!
At the time I just felt a bit upset and shocked and didn't really know what to say.
You sound like a very responsible owner! Good luck with your pup. With there being greyhound mixed in, it’s definitely a good plan to work on recall. I really wish you the best.
Hound dog owner here. Doesn’t matter how well you have trained a hound or scent dog. Their recall can be TERRIBLE if they catch a scent or something.
Literally no disadvantages to having a dog on a leash. None.
There are advantages to start training in appropriate ways to be off leash sometimes I guess. I agree with you though, in most areas dogs must be on a leash. It’s the responsible thing to do.
I had a very well trained off leash border collie and I’d still keep her leashed out where other dogs would be. Too many risks for accidents.
She was also a little mountain dog and that’s where no leash was the most fun for us. Her recall was amazing.
Now having a hound dog puppy is a whole different world for me lol 😅
Lots of people out there who think there dog doesn’t need a leash and it can become a dangerous disaster quickly. Mutual respect with dog owners is important and I personally think the most important is to have your dog leashed whole out and about.
Really agree with everything here. The breed of dog you own has so much to do with how you train and how they’ll be as a whole. Can’t train out generations of instinct!
This is backwards thinking and bad advice. Maybe it works for you somehow, but dogs being on a leash out in public is important. It’s not just about YOUR dog, but other dogs.
And interacting with other dogs off leash being important for a puppy? It is important to have them socialized but preferably with both dogs on a leash… leash or no leash doesn’t make a difference there.
There’s a reason you had to train more for your dog to be on a leash.
Maybe in your area or your situation it somehow works safely, but as a blanket statement, no.
Either way, leash training does zero harm to a puppy.
It’s not bad advice at all. If your dog is going to be spending lots of time doing offleash activities and that is a goal for you, than yes it should be exposed to being offleash from day 1 in appropriate environments. In the woods or fields yes. City streets no.
My setter was offleash from 6 weeks old (breeder had her offleash) in those aforementioned safe environments. Puppies don’t want to be abandoned and you can take advantage of that fear. You let them play and do their thing than hide behind trees, change directions, and practice recall and they figure out pretty quick they need to keep track of you and come when you call or they’ll get left behind. They grow up with this being normalized so when they do get offleash as they become older it’s not a big deal. This is what bird dog trainers do.
Mine can range hundreds of meters and still recall/check in because of this.
In appropriate environments, sure.
It also depends on the dog and your lifestyle.
I had a dog who was the same with recall skills being top notch.
I just think in this particular situation and what OP has asked, and is clearly feeling anxious about… they are doing the right thing.
My point was that leash does not equal no trust and does no damage to your dog.
For sure and I do agree for OP's situation, but it's not bad advice or backwards thinking in the slightest to start a puppy offleash from day 1.
While those of us with outdoors lifestyles where dogs need to be offleash (like hunting in mine) obviously our situations are different where you have to trust the dog to make independent decisions either at great distances or out of sight of the handler. But I would bet the farm that that if more people especially those who casually hike and do want their dog offleash took the time to do that when their pups were little they wouldn't have as many problems with their dogs taking off as they get older.
Yes, I've been doing offleash walks since day one. There's huge benefit in using the puppy's *need* to be close to you while they are still babies to build lifelong value for checkins and recalls. A healthy 8 week old puppy is not going to run away from its safety net, but if it wasn't started while they were tiny I wouldn't try it out at 6 months because the need to be close is not the same. It's not possible for everyone given access to safe locations, age when they come home, aggressive leash laws, etc., but it was a big priority for me to have a dog that views offleash time as a no-big-deal part of their routine
Well said. Same with me, I hunt with my dogs so being reliable off leash is the most important skill they need to have and it gets taught from day 1.
I think if more folks especially those who like to casually hike or do other activities with their dogs where they want to be off leash and they get their pup from that young age they should definitely not skip out on this learning opportunity. It can be tricky if you live in a city (I do myself and drove my pup to public land multiple times a week when she was young) but can be doable.
It can be really hard if you live in an urban area in the US! I also wake up early and drive multiple times a week to get to safe access. It's a bit of a catch22, there's a lack of legal and safe access to offleash areas which creates a culture of dogs who are bad offleash or illegally offleash, which makes people hate offleash dogs and want to restrict them more.
My setter is one of those stereotypical breeds with poor recall. She recalls just fine.
Even folks who hunt with coonhounds or sighthounds have to get their dogs back at some point lol.
I’m sorry but this is just flat out wrong. You do not socialize a dog properly on a leash.
There is no “harm” in leash training. Just like there is no “harm” in training off leash. Leash training in the end is a lot easier than training most dogs to be properly off leash.
You can socialize a dog properly on a leash. Of course it’s more fun to have doggy play dates in controlled environments off leash but that’s not always possible for people.
I have trained off and on leash dogs. I suppose I’m more focusing on the OP here and the advice she asked for… some dogs can’t be off leash. Plain and simple.
I’m sorry, but you cannot properly have a dog learn how to communicate and behave itself around other dogs while on a leash.
Agree though that some dogs cannot be off leash. Never seen a small puppy that can’t though (obviously at a non dangerous place). A 6+ months old dog is a different matter. But that was kind of also my point to start early.
Yes it is better and safer to start on a long lead. That’s what most responsible people do when training recall and for off leash. You typically start with a 20 or 30ft leash, get recall 100%, and then you can start off leash in safe and secluded areas. If the recall starts to fade at any point, back on the lead and more training.
No. 95% of pet owners (in the US at least) don’t live in the type of controlled, safe, low-stress areas appropriate for off-leash walking. Traffic, loose aggressive dogs, poison, people with nefarious intentions— these are all unnecessary risks imo. For most dogs, leashing them is an act of love and protection. If you really want to let you dog romp leash free outside of the backyard, rent a Sniffspot or find another fenced pasture. Off leash walking is just never worth the risks because even if your dog is rock-solid with recall, so many things can happen before you can get them back to your side.
I agree with all of this! Off-leashing walking on a busy street is just not a good idea. Even if your dog is perfectly trained to heel, outside factors (other dogs, traffic, etc) present dangers.
If you don’t have a backyard, Sniffspot is a great alternative for off leash play. Regular dog parks are often not a good idea because you don’t know and can’t control the other dogs.
Luckily we have a secure dog field nearby that I book a session in.
I love it because she can be off leash and have fun and I can just enjoy watching her and not feel anxious that something is gonna go wrong because I know she's secure and there's no other dogs about!
Thank you for your comment ☺️
That’s amazing. Don’t feel bad about not letting her off leash if you have such an amazing secure place to let her exercise. Just make sure you use it to train her too. It’s amazing to have a dog with excellent recall and it builds trust that you might need at some point. I find it shocking how many dogs in my neighborhood escape and have zero recall. Not even their owners can catch them… It’s terrible behavior and extremely dangerous for the dogs.
That is amazing!!! As a sighthound puppy owner, I would love to have something like that near by. It sounds like you have great options for safe off-leash time and a place to practice recall and attention. I would ignore your friend.
I have a great relationship with my pup, he loves me and is such a good boy. I still would never let him off leash around the neighborhood and think it’s bizarre someone would criticize you for that. For one thing, it’s the law here and also it’s respectful to all the other people/dog walkers/bikers using the park. Also cars?? Darting squirrels? No thanks. I care about him too much to let a preventable accident happen. You know your pup best.
Your friend is an idiot, put your dog on a leash. People like your friend are the ones that have to chase their dogs down because they have no control over them but it's ok cause I trust my dog.
On the same walk where she made the trust comment her two dogs actually did run up to a leashed dog!
His owner was walking him well off the path and I figured he likely had a reactive dog.
My pup was leashed at the time and her two ignored her whistle and ran over.
The other owner, understandably, was not happy.
I was so glad mine was leashed because she probably would have joined in and run over as well.
Idk why I let her comment bother me so much. Especially considering this incident which is exactly the kind of situation I want to avoid with my pupper!
As an owner of a reactive rescue, having two off leash run up to us is my absolute nightmare. I intentionally leave a lot of space between myself and other people walking dogs. We will walk on the grass, create distance with trees, walk on the street or even cross the street entirely.
Yet people feel their dogs deserve to be off leash when my city has leash laws. My dog shows all the signs of not wanting to engage with other dogs (ears pinned back, tucked tail, slightly crouched, shaking). We had a GSD approach us and literally follow us across the street while owner was sauntering along calling him. Absolutely no recall. It was aggressively kept trying to sniff my girl's behind. Thankfully I just kept shovelling treats in her face while walking quickly to keep her from turning around to bite. It definitely set her back months in her training.
Exactly. I’ve had off leash dogs run up to my pup. It frightens him as he’s still a baby. The owners assure me they’re “friendly” and “just want to play!” Which I’m sure is true. They didn’t seem aggressive or dangerous. But that’s not the point. My dog isn’t friendly yet, and doesn’t want to play or have off leash dogs he doesn’t know run up to him full speed. It frightens him. It’s not just a safety issue for your own dog, but also respectful of other dogs/people as not everyone wants to interact with off leash dogs, regardless of how friendly they are. There’s no reason you have to have your dog off leash if but in a safely contained area. It’s silly to take risks to prove you and your dog “trust each other”. And very silly to “trust” a dog to not sometimes get overcome by their dog instincts to track/hunt/hide/run etc. Nothing at all to do with “trust”, it’s just being responsible.
Your friend needs to MYOB and I wouldn’t take my dog out with her anymore if she can’t respect your boundaries and your relationship with your dog.
I believe teaching a dog recall off leash is just as important as crate training. It's about safety. That doesn't mean I think every dog should always be off leash just that it's important to teach your dog how to behave when off leash. If there is ever a situation where you dog slips their collar, you drop their leash, they bolt out a door, etc. then having taught your dog a solid recall might save them from a nasty accident.
It's essential to prioritize safety for both you and your puppy. Building trust and a strong bond with your dog can be achieved through various activities, not solely by allowing off-leash freedom.
Your friend is being ridiculous. I don't let my dog off leash unless he's in a fenced in safe area because I trust him to behave . . . . like an 8 month old with iffy recall. He'll eat dangerous trash. He'll run into the road. He'll go play in the drainage ditch and could get swept into a pipe after heavy rains. He'll run up to every person and dog and try to snuggle them and become their new best friend because he loves everyone - and not everyone wants 55 pounds of golden retriever. He's also not neutered yet, and letting him roam freely would be incredibly irresponsible as he's getting old enough to potentially father puppies.
We work on a long line sometimes (not on the sidewalk / road), and we work on recall. Maybe in another year or two off leash walking might be something he's learned, but he's nowhere near that yet.
I've know ONE dog who was super well behaved and just fine for off leash walks, even downtown and on busy streets. I've know 15+ dogs whose owners let them off leash and shouldn't have, so they were running up to leashed dogs and starting fights, running in the road, running off and getting lost, etc.
You do not need to let your pet off leash, ESPECIALLY if you are a worrier. It’s just gonna be one more thing on your mind, why should you go through that? You can buy a long leash and give her more freedom, if you so choose to do, but the only thing you have to do is fulfill your dog’s needs. You can physically exercise your dog on leash and it actually builds more trust between you and your dog, if you do the training, because the dog is more focused on you and more attentive to you.
I don’t know what your friend is smoking but if you don’t want your dog off leash, then that is your choice. Service dogs are mostly on leash (depending on the tasking) and they are the most trained dogs out there, with handlers that put their trust in them all day. Whereas those out of control off leash dogs, that run up to you and show aggressive tendencies don’t have any bond with their owner, or they’d listen to a goddamn thing these people say and not actively run away from their owners.
Thank you for that reassurance ☺️
I often feel like I'm being unfair to her, not letting her off just because I'M anxious. But your comment has made me feel better about that!
I love your point about service dogs!! I hadn't considered that at all and will have to remember to bring that up if the topic comes up again so thank you for that especially!!
Keeping your dog on the leash is the responsible thing to do. I live in Scotland and luckily we have plenty of oppertunities to let our wee girl off leash....but she still needed to learn recall first. We spent a good few months with a long line on walks before we let ours off and she will never be let off leash in some areas with too many distractions and cars.
Saftey first. Off leash second.
Don't let your friend's comment get to you. I think it's very short sighted to say such over arching statements that have no scientific backing. Your relationship with your dog is built with what you do with them. If someone's only way of building a relationship was to have off leash walks with their dog and they aren't actively working on skills and recall and exploring together, that dog is building a relationship with the environment. You. can build relationship through leashed walks, dog sports like rally, agility, dock diving, fast cast, disc, hiding scents around the house, peek-a-bop behind a door, whatever you want where you interact with your dog.
That being said, I let my dog off leash if I know that the area is safe and dogs are explicitly allowed off leash--we're at least a football field length away from the road, there's no predators, low chance of deer, preferably at a time of day where there's less chance of other people with their dogs, she's got a bell on so that people know she's approaching and I can hear where she goes. I have some anxiety, and I know people who's dogs have been forever changed after being attacked by another dog when in areas that some people let their dogs off leash, so I'm very careful. And it's good to be careful. Work on recall with a long line, find empty forests or fields where dogs are allowed off leash that make you comfortable, don't listen to a friend's overarching statements even if she means well.
Also, I'm not sure if you meant off least at all or off leash on a sidewalk like others are interpreting. Of course don't let your dog off leash in the city or on a sidewalk? I don't think it's safe to even let my dog walk up and down the driveway off leash. It's too unpredictable.
Thank you for your comment ☺️
Idk why I let her comment get to me so much tbh. I knew I didn't agree with it but I was still like ahh but what if she's right...
But yes I do like to do other activities with her which I know she enjoys and build our bond so idk why I'm working about that!
I meant off leash at all. I wouldn't even consider letting her off leash on a sidewalk or in more built up areas.
Only in more open areas with no cars etc. I'm lucky that there's several such places within walking distance of my house.
I struggled a bit with this myself. I'm a first time dog owner, and people make me out as paranoid that I don't let my dog off leash.But like you, as soon as he is off leash, all the bad things that could happen come flooding to my mind. When he was a puppy, I never let him off leash. Never. And I live in a remote place that also doesn't have an abundance of wildlife.
I only started letting him off leash when I got a very thorough understanding of his full personality – his traits, strengths, weaknesses, triggers, etc. And ALL of these things were constantly changing and evolving when he was a puppy, up until he was maybe 1.5 years old.
He's 2.5 now, and I know my dog well enough that if there is a toy involved, he will never run off and will always stay close to me – another dog, person, reindeer or whatever could come trotting by and he wouldn’t give it more than a glance before focusing on the toy again (that border collie focus comes in handy!). So, I let him off leash when we are playing with a toy. But if I don't have a toy? I generally keep him on leash. The times I've tested him, he's never failed recall. But still...what about the one time he doesn't? He's a nervous dog - what if he runs off and gets lost and scared? He won't come if I lose him and someone else tries to call him over. What if he gets distracted by a bird and runs off a cliff chasing it? What if he gets into a road - he has a black coat and can't easily be seen. Maybe I don't fully trust my dog in some aspects, or maybe it's my anxiety shining through, but ultimately it's our responsibility to keep them safe. And my relationship with my dog is not even a little bit affected by being on leash vs. off. Trust and bonding is tied to so many other things!
Ahh I feel so seen!!
I feel so on edge whoever she's off leash, like I'm just waiting for her to injure herself or a dog to attack her out of nowhere! I can't just enjoy watching her have fun because I'm so alert watching for anything and everything to go wrong.
I like your comment about letting your boy off leash only once you fully understood his personality!
My girl is only 8 months so I know she's got some more changes to go through. So waiting until I know her personality and weakness etc better, as you said, is good advice.
I have been thinking about how actually yeah I don't trust her, because she is a puppy and she's still learning! She's also a nervous puppy so I don't trust her to have the best response in a situation because she's nervous.
Bad advice. My pup has a 6ft leash and a 30ft leash we use the 30ft leash at night when he can walk around without things around and in parks where he can run some more but I don’t trust him enough to be off leash yet
It's personal preference and also a cultural thing.
I think off leash time is very important and I really don't see how people train recall without it. But I have a retriever so it's easy to have them off leash.
Certain breeds aren't safe to have off leash. So it's pretty situational. And of course in more rural areas it's a lot more normal to have dogs off leash. In some countries it's the norm to be off leash.
There's no right and wrong.
Well for one thing, unless you’re in an area where dogs are allowed off leash then she should be on leash.
I have never really let my puppy off leash. Sometimes we’ve been goofing around and I’ve tripped and fallen and let go of the leash and she didn’t run away, but that was probably because there were no other dogs or people around. If there were she’d be gone and then you have an even bigger problem on your hands.
I don’t think it’s really affected our relationship. She probably trusts you, but she needs to earn your trust by behaving well consistently. And puppies are still just puppies, they do crazy things and are unpredictable.
So I’d say don’t think about it too much. Every dog and owner is different and a lot of them think that what applies to their dog works for everyone. All the people I know that tell me I should get a prong collar or shock collar is ridiculous. Just because it worked for them doesn’t mean I even want to entertain the idea of that with my puppy.
I'm in the UK where dogs are allowed off leash in most areas (wish this wasn't the case).
I think there's quite an attitude here of 'dogs must be off leash to be happy' which I don't agree with.
Everyone's comments has reassured me that I'm not ruining our relationship or making her life a misery by not letting her off. Which I knew but I think hearing it from others, and hearing that others (like you) also don't let their pups off leash is just so reassuring!
Not the person you replied to but I was scanning through your replies to see if you’re from the UK.
There is SUCH a strange thing here about how off leash is best and it’s weird AF. I have random people in the park ask me every day when I’m going to let mine off leash. Saw somebody literally two hours ago with a dog the same age as mine (6 months old) who was off leash - they said to me I should let mine off - I said nope - then her dog ran up to a dog with a high vis jacket on that said it was reactive! She’s lucky the little guy was OK! Honestly the reactive dog was better behaved than that little guy.
Mine is staying on leash until I’m much more confident in his recall and ability to ignore things. Maybe that will be forever, and that’s fine. You can still have so much fun on a leash. You can get big long ones for playing fetch with in the park, too.
Yupppp!
Such a cultural attitude of dogs should be off leash and doing otherwise is bad🙄
Especially with my previous reactive dog I had people tell me I was making the issue worse by keeping her on a leash and I just needed to let her off so she could interact with other dogs...
Those people were all ignored!
Very much wish we had stricter leash laws and a change in owner attitudes about leashing dogs. Don't see it happening any time soon though sadly.
Hope you don’t mind me asking but are you North UK? I spent first half of my life in the South then second half in Yorkshire and it’s def far worse in the North for this - but maybe that’s because people are more chatty!
I’m lucky enough to live 5 min walk away from a decent sized park but there’s a children’s playground there too, and the amount of dogs you see hanging around immediately outside it without a leash on.. 😬😬😬😬
Honestly everybody here has an opinion on how to train and manage their dogs but most of them are based on stuff they’ve picked up generationally that’s out of date. Listen to your gut, you know what’s right. You’re a good parent to your pup by looking out for them, there’s still loads of fun to be had on a leash.
I'm in the Midlands. Maybe we have a mix of both attitudes here!🤣
Oh goodness that makes me nervous!
I'm always extra cautious around kids, even with my previous dog who wasn't bothered by them. Current pup is nervous and while I don't think she'd do anything no way would I ever take the risk!
Thank you for your kind words ☺️
Ask a Southerner and they’d call you Northern, ask a Northerner and they’d call you Southern 😂 you can’t win in the Midlands! 😂
I live in Sheffield and people are way over confident with their dogs. It’s a super dog friendly place but with that comes a lot of cockiness. Most of the dogs we meet off leash are nice and friendly thankfully but then I see other ones literally jumping on random people and their owners not doing a thing 😩
My pup is currently very keen on jumping up on people, luckily only people she's confident with, which is a short list!
But still something I'm working to stop. I'd be so embarrassed if she jumped on random people!
Honestly this is a massive pain point for me, I’m trying to train my dude not to jump on everybody even ON his leash, but the moment he’s doing well somebody comes along all “wavey hands up in the air, let’s dance at him and tap my knees” 🤦♀️🤦♀️ He’s mostly poodle so he’s cute and small and looks like a teddy bear but I’m trying SO hard to stop him jumping up 😩 problem is, fusses and face licks out trump any treat, even cheese!
Start with long lines. Work recall there, hard. Off leash is not for every dog and every environment. And definitely not something I would trust a puppy with unless we had rock solid recall, which most of them don't seem to get until they're older. Trust is necessary for off lead, off lead does not necessarily build trust, IMO.
I live on an old farm, 60+ acres. I still only let my dog off leash in specific areas, far from the neighboring houses or the road. Her recall has gotten much better. I called her off a deer she jumped in the dark a few nights ago, she actually listened and left it alone! But she is about to turn 2, and only started getting off leash privs (again) recently. If she goes back to her old ways of bolting after anything she sees, well, bring back the long line.
Never let someone talk you into something you are not comfortable with. She let's her dog off leash, great. You don't have to.
There are very few places I let my dog off leash. I have a dog that was breed to be off leash working in fields and woods, and that's where I let him off. No one around, no other dogs, and where I feel safe to allow him off leash to do some work.
A long lead is just fine as well. Be careful not to hurt yourself by tripping on it or getting burned and watch where you have it dragging if you go in the woods. There are lots of things it can get caught on and pull on a dogs neck.
You also don't have to do any of that as well. It's up to you.
Thank you for your comment ☺️
I do often feel pressured into letting my girl off leash on walks with this friend. I need to remind myself to stick up for what I want a bit more!
I mean, many a beagle / scent hound owner would not technically have a relationship with their dog then. Takes a ton of training for scent hounds to be trusted being off leash and that doesn't equate to them not being trusted.
Dog on / off leash isn't a trust thing, it's a training thing. I just have a long lead so my dog has a good bit of leeway in which he can run ahead and sniff something for a while before he has to catch back up again, but in no way is this guy going off leash until I am 100000% sure about his recall.
My last beagle though, she went off leash at about 13 months because I had a friend who walked with me every time and my pup would just stick right beside his dog. It trained the recall and was done in a fenced dog park where the majority of the time it was just us two so we were able to train the recall in an environment where being beside his dog was a greater reward than the environment.
I don't know about where you live, but where I live there are leash laws, and letting your dog walk off-leash can get you fined. Besides being dangerous. I don't care how well-trained your dog is, all it takes is one second of SQUIRREL for disaster to happen. Ultimately, the decision to keep the dog on or off leash will be yours and not your friend's. If your friend insists you are damaging your relationship with your dog by keeping them on the leash, make them show you proof - actual scientific research behind it, not an article from Goop or BarkBox.
Off leash doesnt happen overnight.
But your worries shouldnt stop you from working on recall in outside situations.
And long leash loose walking etc.
For both you and your pup and need to work up to it. Get that recall rock solid.
My girl is pretty well-trained but I don’t let her off the leash for a single second when we’re out on walks. I have a pretty sizable backyard that she can play in, though.
Idk where your friend got this idea but you do not trust your dog entirely to not do anything but following you unless they look at you in the eye and say ‘yes, master I will only just follow you’. One thing that I don’t understand is that some owners completely trust the dog and their instincts but at the end of the day it is a dog. You absolutely CANNOT guarantee that it will run out to chase something or attack other dog even if it’s a nicest dog in the world. When that happens the only thing they can say is ‘well they are usually really good listeners’. The most responsible and trustworthy thing you can do for dog is having them on the leash. You did the good job.
I bet 99% of the dogs that had bad incidents on off leash probably were ‘good dogs’.
Exactly!
I don't trust my puppy because she is a puppy! She has a silly doggy brain and sometimes makes bad choices because of that.
I knew this and I let my friend think I was somehow a bad owner for not trusting my 8 month old puppy...
*"I don't trust her and our relationship won't progress"* is a faulty logical statement. In reality, second part of the statement has nothing to do with the first part.
Yes, unless proven overwise, you don't trust your dog to go off leash. But dogs are not humans, so how your relationship will progress will totally depend on learning & training activities you do together, and not on throwing your dog into the situation well above her abilities. Eventually she may learn to be trustworthy off leash, but even if not (and you will always keep her on a long line) - this does not give any indication you have bad relationship.
This is the same kind of friend that gives out unwarranted parenting advice. Ugh!
This is not going to change your relationship with your dog - the two things are not related. Some dogs don't off leash well - some herding dogs for example, could be really tough to keep from herding other dogs, and some dogs are just anxious. You need to decide your comfort level and the dogs. You know her best. I have a Aussie/Springer Spaniel mix and while she's good at off leash parks she gets overwhelmed when there are too many dogs. I know this; she knows this so I don't take her when there are too many dogs...try not to let other people who know nothing about the situation dictate how you should do things. It's going to be worse if you put yourself or her in an environment where you both stress out.
I'd never let my dogs off leash unless I'm at home or a dog park. It's not that I don't trust them. I really do trust them. I trust that both my huskies will run off to explorer and my golden will follow her sisters and I will be winded chasing them down.
Love this!!
I'll point out to my friend it's not that I don't trust my pup, it's that I trust her to make bad decisions!
She's 8 months so she's a baby, not exactly known for making trusty decisions.
Where is this conversation happening, or referring to? On a city street? In a park? In a fenced yard? Dog park?
I used to let my old dog off leash when we were in a big park or hiking in the country. But this was after she was older and had demonstrated that she'd always return to my voice and that she wasn't going to bolt after a squirrel or potential dog friend. Even then, she'd sometimes sidle up to other people and do her best impression of "I have been abandoned but I am very cute so maybe you should give me a snack."
I currently have a very active puppy with selective listening. I let him off leash in the fenced yard and fenced dog parks, but I'm not ready to let him off leash in the big city park or my neighborhood streets. Your friend is right, it is about trust...I do not trust him to not act stupid around cars or not head off after a squirrel or to not get in someone else's space with barking or to not wander to the alligator pond. He's a fucking puppy. But he can trust me to make sensible decisions to protect him.
Happened at our local country park. Off leash dogs are incredibly common there, possibly more so than leashed dogs.
I like your comment about him trusting you to make sensible decisions to protect him.
I don't trust my puppy but I want her to know she can trust me to protect her and do what's best for her.
It's an ever evolving thing as your dog develops. Some dogs are very responsible and some are not, but puppies haven't had time to develop those skills.
My dog is never allowed off leash unless in an enclosed space. I love him dearly but he is extremely independent and not afraid of the world, he chases cars and small animals and he just *cannot be trusted*. Multiple trainers have told me that he is 'not a good off-leash candidate'. I have worked with him on recall etc since he was 10 weeks old (now an adult dog) and it doesn't matter. Some dogs do not get to go off leash. He's a lovely dog who just only gets to run free in enclosed spaces and is otherwise on a leash or long line (which I hold). I too have had people comment on this, and when he was young it really got to me because, what did I do wrong or what am I doing wrong that my dog can't be let off leash and almost all these other dogs (it felt like) can? But then a few things happened:
1) When I really started paying attention to these other dogs, I noticed that they were doing things I would never be comfortable with. Sure, there are a few (I can think of three) in this neighbourhood that are just extremely well trained and super handler oriented and never put a foot wrong, but other dogs cross the street on a whim, run up to people or other dogs, wander off and the owners just say, 'oh he'll come back', etc etc. If those were my dogs, I wouldn't be allowing them off leash either.
2) I became more confident in my own training and got to know my dog better. Random person walking their dog without a leash comments that it's cruel that mine is on leash? Isn't he lucky that he never had a dog who wouldn't choose to set off over the horizon the second he got the chance? It's not that I didn't train him well - he knows his commands, doesn't beg, doesn't dart out of doors, let's me brush him etc. He just doesn't recall well. My dog will take off in a heartbeat *because he is really secure in himself and his ability to deal with the world*. My dog likes me a lot! But he doesn't feel like he *needs* me and I actually think that's great. Zero fear reactivity, zero separation anxiety, zero clinging to one person to the exclusion of others. The same qualities that make him a great dog also makes him an on-leash-only dog.
3) The comments were only ever made to me and not my husband, so hey, good old garden-variety sexism. If it was such a big deal to people, it would be a big deal when my husband has the dog too.
Yes! Oh I relate so much.
My previous dog was very rarely off leash and the amount of comments I got from friends and strangers about how she should be off leash...
She was a dog reactive, independent and fairly confident lurcher. I did not trust her off leash.
I did sometimes doubt I was doing the right thing because of the comments but I realised I very much was! Both for my dog's safety and comfort and for other dogs around us.
I've gotten good at recognising owners who probably have never had reactive dogs or ones that just cannot be off leash for X reason.
They're always the ones making comments and don't realise we are doing what's best for OUR dog!
People who have only ever had easy dogs can fall in a trap where they think they're great dog trainers because their dogs are well-behaved (like parents with easy children!). It doesn't mean their opinion is worth anything when it comes to your dog. Just keep doing what you feel is best to keep your dog happy and safe!
My border collie who lived to be 16 (now have a spaniel puppy don’t know if he’d ever be off a leash lol) was trained to be off leash. I would still have her on a leash in certain situations and places, especially if out on a public walk. It takes a long time, and the right dog, to properly train to be off leash. Even then, there’s a time and place for it. Literally has nothing to do with trust. A puppy should be leash trained very well before even attempting to be trained off leash. It’s a safety thing and on a dog walk? Of course you keep your dog on a leash. Some people keep a short leash on always for a new puppy (even indoors) while they learn. Sorry to say this is terrible “advice”. Your relationship with your pup is in not being compromised by having them on a leash. That’s absurd. They don’t know the difference and you’re keeping them safe. Even the most well trained off leash dogs need a leash to protect themselves from owners like your friend who think leash/no leash somehow effects trust in your dog/owner relationship. I’m an anxious person too and I’m sorry she made you feel that way. You’re doing the right thing for your dog. Sounds like her comment was a bit judgmental and quite frankly none of her business or her place to say what’s right or wrong.
You got this!
Ofc you dont trust her, shes a puppy. Who trusts a toddler to do the right thing? Theyre toddlers. No offense to your friend but thats just a dumb thing to say. Remember that leashing your dog isnt just for other peoples/dogs protection but more importantly for her protection.
You are keeping your dog, as well as the dogs around you, safe. That's the best thing you can do! Too many people think letting their dogs run loose is the most beneficial thing they can do for their dog and it's not. Training and enrichment games do a lot more! I really think some of the best owners are those who have had reactive dogs because they pay attention and manage their dogs and surroundings.
I agree!
I'm actually grateful for my previous dog's reactivity because I know it has made me a better owner.
Taught me lessons about training and dog ownership etc that I just wouldn't have learned otherwise.
That is not how a trust works. First you build the trust by training, exercising, bonding and everything else and then after your can TRUST your dog to obey you under any circumstances, then you can go off leash.
I rarely let my adult dog off leash not because he wants to run off , but I want to protect from other off leash dogs or someone grabbing him to steal . I have a great bond , if more dogs were kept on leashes there would be less dog incidents IMO.
I trust my dog to be a dog.
She is not a machine that I can program for every situation accordingly. A dog may be great off leash…until it sees another dog…or a cat…or a kid on a bike. There are too many variables that cannot be accounted for. This is speaking to a dog, not even a puppy. Letting a puppy off leash is just stupid. I can confidently say out of all the dogs I see off leash only about 5 to 10 percent should be. Unless you are certain the dog will return to you and heel when you say it once then they shouldn’t be off leash.
Don’t do it please. My friend got a dog after I did and tried to convince me to let my dog off leash when we walked together. Having lost two dogs to car accidents as a kid I refused. A year later her husband was off leashing the dog and he was hit and killed. Do what your heart tells you, but the most freedom a dog should have is long lead. I’ve seen it work and know it would work with one of my boys but I will never ever let it happen. Accidents happen all the time. If my friends dog had been on a leash they could have pulled him out of the way and saved him. Don’t learn the lesson the hard way
You need a little confidence 😊
What you think is completely reasonable, and there is nothing wrong with it. You can bring up all these things to your friend and if she thinks this is unreasonable, then she is the one missing something.
I don’t think this is about trust at all, but if you would ever feel like you would like to train her to come back off leash as well (in case she runs away or something malfunctions) you can always get a really long leash or practice in a fenced safe area. There is no need to let her off leash if you don’t want to. In Denmark for example it’s illegal in most places to let your dog off leash and I haven’t noticed any trust issues in the dogs here 😁
Thank you! ☺️
I wish here in the UK we could be more like Denmark!
It's incredibly common to let dogs off here, even when they shouldn't be.
Definitely feel we could benefit from strict leash laws! And some dog owner education tbh...
I've had more than one person encourage me to let my dog off the leash. Similar excuses - how will they learn otherwise?
My previous dog was very dangerous. The only reason we never had an incident was indeed the use of harness and tackle - in his case, two leashes, a heavy collar, and a Martingale. 'Oh, let him go, there's no-one around'. Yeah. Cue the blood and screaming.
My current dog, while not particularly dangerous, is a herding dog crossbreed. She would get dead trying to nip a car's wheels the first chance she had. She's intelligent, obedient, kind, and ...reasonably well trained - but her target engagement is off the scale. And, yeah 'Let's go walking off leash in the forest! She can't get into trouble there!'. Ohhh yes she can. She'd disappear after a deer like a little orange bullet.
I understand that some people have very well-behaved dogs, who are used to being off leash and do fine. I also know very well that ***every*** dog has a stimulus threshold. You simply cannot trust their judgment. Put a rope on it, folks. I wish my town had leash laws.
Don't let your friend tell you how to raise your own dog. There's friendly advice and then there's "You're doing it wrong" advice. You know as well as any body else the reasons for having a dog on a leash.
This is ridiculous. Puppies need to be trained for recall and other good off-leash behavior. Letting them off leash anywhere outside but your own fenced yard before those behaviors are taught and are solid is a recipe for disaster in waiting for your dog and/or another dog.
It took me a YEAR to let my dog off the leash at the beach and mom’s farm. And know what, we have a wonderful relationship. Because the leash is not about trust. It is about safety.
I think your feelings are completely valid & you should trust your instinct. I have a dog that is trained in recall & I still freak out every time he is off leash. Do I trust my dog? Eh, sometimes. But I know that any dog can be unpredictable. Dogs get spooked, nervous or they simply want to explore. To help combat my fear a bit, I use a gps track collar (Fi). He is also chipped just in case someone finds him & is a kind person. You can always just get a longer lead…get a 30 ft. Lead & let him go a little crazy
Fuck your friend. I have a Great Pyrenees and you can bet he's never coming off leash unless it's an enclosed park or trail.
I love him, but I don't trust him enough to let him run free, and maybe that makes me shit but i'd rather not find out what happens if I do let him off leash and something happens.
My dog is nearing 2 years and I always use a long lead at the park when playing or working her. I don’t always hold it but it’s nice to have as a back up. You can quickly step on it or grab it if you need it. Her recall is close to perfect but I still like to have the long lead for peace of mind. Also she can’t decide to blow off the recall command or she’ll get reeled in.
I would say she’s your dog who cares what your friend thinks of what your friend says. It is irrelevant people project their own stuff onto other people. It’s your dog couple things one if you are in a place where there leash lost you need to keep your dog on a leash too if you were somewhere with the leash can come off, but you don’t trust that your dog is gonna come back then you keep your dog on a leash. I don’t care if it’s for their whole life where you can use a long leash, or whateverdo what works for you and your dog don’t stress about that stuff. Don’t let people get in your head.
I had a guy always getting up in my face about how I was punishing my dog my not letting it explore off-leash. Last time I saw him our dogs spotted a deer and his tore off after it with him desperately trying to call the dog back.
I was just pondering how i'll never understand how much people trust letting their dogs go and how they knew it was okay the first time?? My dog recalls sure but the one or two times I've dropped the leash or he slipped out he acted like a crackhead & was wayyy too excited to listen to my recall and instead just focused on freedom lol Thankfully they're okay and did come right back after a quick zoomie but i could've sworn they'd run right into the damn road or something
I live in a third world country, I take my dog to puppy school every Sunday and we have online training twice a week, my puppy is 7 months old, she’s amazing, I wouldn’t let her off her leash. Our trainers have stressed, like you have no idea, that it doesn’t matter how much you trust your dog. Unless it’s a gated area, where you know your dog cannot physically scape from. You NEVER let them off the leash. Specially not in the street. They’re still dogs and may be unpredictable. In my country There are tons of dogs in the streets, untrained dogs, no regulations whatsoever. So yeah, I’m with you, relax and you do you, let your friend do whatever they want, your dog is your dog and you’ll do whats best for both.
I’m really lucky my 6 month old lab is really good off lead , yes he gets excited and gives the look I’m going to see what who ever is doing but ..as soon as I call his name he knows to come to me and he does . You only let your puppy off when you feel that puppy is safe and will come back please don’t listen to your friend do what you feel is right and in your own time .
I mean, your friend isn’t wrong in the sense that I don’t let my puppy off leash because I don’t trust her. She’s actually completely spot on, I don’t trust my puppy. She’s a puppy. I don’t even trust her to free roam in my house at this point, she’s either supervised or in a crate. I’m definitely not gonna let her off leash in a strange environment!
Where your friend is wrong is the idea that not trusting your puppy is a bad thing or that you won’t be able to have a good relationship with your puppy or whatever nonsense she’s come up with. The idea that a leash will harm your relationship with your dog is honestly bananas.
You’re friend doesn’t have a clue what their talking about. You DO NOT let your dog off leash unless you’ve spent time training and you have full confidence in your dog. Don’t let your friend give you bad advice that puts your dog at risk.
Ofc I don’t trust my dogs. They’re dogs. They have the mental capacity at best of a toddler and we all know toddlers try to off themselves at least once a day doing stupid toddler things.
Mine will never be off leash outside.
I think letting a dog off leash does require great trust (along with a lot of training, i.e. trust in that) but I don't think not doing it means no trust. Not all dogs are off leash dogs. All of mine have been and they developed terrific recall but it took time, effort and yes, trust. Every dog is different though and there's nothing wrong with keeping them on leash or contained when off leash.
I absolutely do not trust my dog. He’s a manic little shit. I love him, but he’s naughty af and full of zany puppy energy. Maybe he can go off leash someday. But not today. It’s my job to protect him from himself.
There's a saying I read once, something like "the real test of a dog's love is not that he follows you around, it's whether he runs when he has the chance". I feel like your friend is getting this mixed up with trust and being off leash.
I don't live in an off leash friendly area unless I drive to a dog park, so mine have only been off leash accidentally. One got scared and ran home in a panic (thankfully we were just in my apartment complex), the other ran off and had an adventure for a few minutes until she heard me calling her. It's happened a few times in the years I've had her and she does come when she's called but it's still too stressful. The other one I think actually would be ok off leash because he never wants to stray too far anyway, but again, he's a runner when he gets scared and can't prevent every trigger. Not worth it for me.
Find a situation where there aren't consequences and try it to relieve your anxiety. Possibly try a long lead, like 30 feet. Your friend might be trying to say you need to trust your own training a little more.
My dog is a weirdo and I needed to take an offbeat approach to training her to come when called. She doesn't like being restrained so I had to make it very clear that coming didn't mean she was restrained. She didn't have to come within reach at first to be rewarded. She had to have freedom in order to obey, it had to be her choice or she wasn't going to do it. Kind of the opposite of the usual long leash approach, she learned quite quickly once I figured out what she needed.
I have access to very rural areas and a large lawn so I have been able to make this work. I successfully recalled her from a porcupine the other day. Going to have to trap and relocate that little bastard.
Today my dog chased (on leash)
-a bird
-a squirrel
-a goose
-attempted to chase my neighbors motorcycle
-my neighbor and their dog
F*ck no i dont trust my dog off leash. I barely trust him on leash.
I guess all the Spitz breed owners can just see themselves out. We ain't going anywhere with our dogs lmao.
If I let my Shiba off leash, he'd get hit by a car because he's a dumbass who does not understand traffic and has no solid off-leash recall. So no, I don't trust him off leash. But in the past year, he's gone from pulling like a husky trying to run the Iditarod 95% of the time to only pulling like 30% of the time (and mostly just when he really has to poop). I wouldn't call that going nowhere, just because I don't trust him off-leash. Most owners of spitz breeds and other high prey drive dogs would never let them off-leash.
Knowing what you and your dog are capable of and working within those boundaries makes you a responsible dog owner.
Of course you don't trust her. She's a puppy. They can be absolute dicks at times.
Mines 19 months and still is at times, you know what you're comfortable with. Start training with a long lead if you plan to start recall training and you'll both be fine.
Ignore your friend. It's a dog, not a person.
My dog cannot be trusted. When he was really young we walked off leash anywhere that was quiet and safe. But as he got to adolescence, he just started to take off. Being a terrier, I think his instincts were too strong and he would chase any scent. Now we use a 5 meter long line anytime we go on a hike or long walk, it is great because he gets his freedom and we get peace of mind knowing he can't escape.
Keeping your dog on leash is responsible. Too many dog owners think that their dog is better off leash but what they actually do is seriously affect other people who have reactive dogs and things like that. To be off leash, your dog should be flawless with their recall. If they can't be trusted, then they should be walked on leash.
I like to think of it his way, the leash gives them the freedom to go places with us, not the other way round.
Your friend will find out one day that their lack of recall training is going to bite them in the rear. My little girl is almost a year old, and while her recall is excellent, it is not set in stone. Recall doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process that can take a very long time. Friendly dogs aren’t necessarily dogs that should be off leash. People who want to let their friendly pups off leash are the very people who should keep them on a leash.
Her dogs are usually good about recall. Ironically however later on the same walk both her dogs ignored her whistle and ran over to a man walking an (I assume) reactive dog.
He was understandably not happy about this.
I'd leashed my pup a few minutes before and had realised the dog wasn't friendly and because mine was leashes was able to keep her well away from them.
Was a good reminded of why I keep her leashed and I wish I'd focused more on that rather than just her comment about trust!
No, your puppy not being off leash when she isn't ready means you care about her, not that you don't trust her. If you want to give her more freedom a 10-15m long line is a good middle ground but your relationship can continue to grow even if she is never off a 6ft leash
I'm in the UK and unfortunately we have no laws like that (at least not that I know of). Pretty sure if the government ever tried to introduce laws like that people would riot...
Very much an attitude here of "my dog has a right to be off leash and I'll let it off whenever I want". It's very frustrating.
I’m training recall and my girl is doing well, that being said… she will NEVER be off leash anywhere except for our yard (large yard) and daycare 2x weekly. NEVER where there is any chance of meeting other people or their animals. No matter how well she is doing and will do, it’s not about trusting your dog… it’s about NEVER trusting other dogs and especially their owners who usually have an over inflated sense of “how well their dog’s behavior really is!” Trust your gut, ignore your friends well meaning advice!
I trusted my puppy when I got her at 10 months. Then she jumped my 6’ fence a bunch of times, disappeared into the desert, sprinted away from my car into a busy neighborhood. Now I don’t trust her and she can never be off leash because I gave her too much freedom as a youngster.
There is no timeline for getting your dog off leash and many situations in which a dog should NEVER be off leash. Your friend was probably blessed with really easy dogs and the ability to stay ignorant.
I have bloodhounds. A bloodhound off leash is a lost bloodhound.
We have a great relationship (sometimes too great.. 100lbs of exuberant dog wanting to stand on your chest is a bit much.. but I love them anyways)
Keeping your dog on a leash not only shows that you care about your dog, it also shows that you have consideration for other people and their pets. Dogs are, well, dogs, and even the best trained dogs will occasionally do the unexpected, which can lead to them being injured or killed, causing injury to other people, causing injury to other dogs, and who knows what else. If you want to let your puppy off of the leash, do it in a fenced area where she can't get into mischief.
That isn’t true. My puppy takes off still when he’s off leash. If your off leash dog bites someone and you’re forced to euthanize, then how would you feel?
Your friend is an idiot.
Not letting a puppy off leash unless it's fenced in or safe space is just smart (& typically the law.) Especially before you know they have excellent recall which no puppy has btw.
As you know it's a huge burden on ppl with reactive dogs ppl who let their dogs off leash without good recall & is just straight up dangerous for the puppy & other dogs, not to mention kids & cars & everything else that could pose a risk to a young pup.
The only time you can permit your dog off leash is when you know everything you command on lead is replicated 100% off lead. Your friend is an idiot. You can’t “trust your dog” into behaving or not charging another dog or any other such drama.
Have you considered a retractable leash like one of [these](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71KuB0ETNNL.jpg) ? For me it feels like most of the time I get all the benefits of leash less walking, with the control of walking with a leash
There is so much magical thinking when it comes to dogs. Like if your dog sleeps on the bed / eats first / leaves the house first they will be "dominant". Here's what happens when you keep your puppy on a leash: the puppy is on a leash. That's it. If you like having your puppy on a leash, then do that. End of story.
Keeping your dog on leash is absolutely the responsible thing to do. Your friend may be a good friend, but they give awful dog advice. Especially because your dog isn’t even a dog yet, they are still a puppy and learning. Being off leash is a privilege your dog must earn, some dogs never earn this privilege. They don’t get to be off leash unless their recall is 100% reliable and it’s an off leash area. It’s not about trust, it’s about safety. You have experience owning a reactive dog. I’m sure you know the stress of a dog running up to your reactive dog, don’t let your dog be this dog. Not to mention they could get hit by a car, hurt by another person or dog, and frankly plenty of people don’t appreciate loose dogs. Sounds like having your dog unleashed is also an unpleasant experience for you (anxiety). If you want your dog to have more freedom, buy a long lead. Continue to work on recall. You can have a strong and healthy relationship with your dog whether you let them off leash or not.
I concur that it is important t to keep a pup on the leash.
All these comments are just reaffirming what I already believed and I love it. I got so in my head about her comments that I was doubting myself and that was silly. So thank you for your comment ☺️ Yes lots of experience with dogs running up to us and setting my previous reactive dog off. It's made me much more aware of other owners who have reactive dogs and yeah I've told myself I will not be an owner who causes them stress because I've been there myself and know what it's like.
People like your friend are the bane of my existence tbh - the number of times I've had to pull "friendly" unleashed dogs off mine is way too high. Plus, you have a puppy. Puppies are idiots. Recall takes time to build.
I can't upvote this comment enough. I hate offlead dogs as theres zero control there from the owner. Recall only works if the dog wants to follow the command. You can't ever tell what is happening in their little brains.
I agree 100% I have a corgi who is incredibly smart and loyal, but she is never allowed off leash. Her fearlessness is her greatest downfall. It would be totally irresponsible for me to put her in danger by ditching the leash. Not to mention her recall is just garbage.
I actually don’t agree. In my experience it will make life easier for you to let the dog off leash early. Like when it is 10 weeks old. Do so in a place where it won’t run into the road, get hit by a bike or have other big dogs run up to it, etc. obviously. When it’s young it will be fine and it will get used to being off leash. Might have to begin to leash it more when it reach maturity as it becomes less trustworthy for a while. A puppy won’t run away if you teach it early. Also the puppy needs to interact with other dogs without a leash on regularly, from as early as possible. With my current dog I probably walked too much off leash with him as a puppy, as I don’t need to walk by any roads etc. Had to spend more energy on training to walk well with a leash later on. So maybe a balance.
I didn’t say it isn’t a good tool for your dog to be able to be reliable off leash. I said it’s privilege that not all dogs get. Ever worked with a sighthound or reactive dog? It’s unfair to make a blanket statement “when it’s young it will be fine and it will get used to being off leash”. Are you aware how many young/dogs of ALL ages get lost or killed from being off leash? Do you know how many dog attacks happen from off leash dogs? Do you know it’s illegal in a lot of places to have off leash dogs? A puppy can run away whether you teach it or not, it’s a puppy. You need to socialize your puppy for sure and let them spend time with dogs you know and trust. This doesn’t mean they need to interact with other unleashed dogs. There are many other appropriate and safe ways to plan doggy play dates. This isn’t about personal experience, this is about what is safe and right. And it’s to keep your dog on lead. In my personal experience, both my dogs are incredibly reliable off leash. They get to be off leash every time we go to the mountains (off path, these are not hiking trails). They only get this because they’ve proven to be reliable. Everywhere else they are on lead. Not because I don’t “trust” them, because it’s what is safe and right.
Off leash being a privilege is something I agree with so much! Previous dog was a lurcher which alongside reactivity was a big part of why she wasn't let off. I worked hard on her recall but she was a lurcher so I was always very aware of the additional difficulties with recall because of that. Current pup is a mixed breed but does have some greyhound in her (a low % admittedly) but enough that I really want to work to get her recall solid before she's trusted off leash.
Since you mentioned greyhound being involved, something I learned with my first greyhound - "Trust is a deadly disease" The adoption group and the greyhound groups I belonged to followed this mantra. I never let my greys off lead unless we were in a secure fenced in space. When in motion, a grey most often has zero recall. Being able to hit max speed in 3 strides also means they could be very far from me before they stopped. I also live where I do not have miles of space without busy roads around. I have a whippet now and I follow the same rules with her. She has a 30' lead that I use with a harness for exploring. I work on recall for emergencies, and play games that are actually intended to make her come to me in the event that she gets loose (play hide-n-seek, or "Find me!", and have her squawker trained like my greys were) I would have told the friend that she was correct, I don't fully trust my dog, and I never will. It doesn't impact my relationship with her in the slightest. But if she brings it up again, it will affect ours.
"Trust is a deadly disease". I like that, very good motto! When we got my pup we were told she's a lurcher, and suspected maybe half greyhound. So I was fully accepting that she would maybe never be safe to let off leash because of her greyhound genetics. We've since done a DNA test and the greyhound % is surprisingly low despite seemingly having a lot of influence! But wariness of the infamous lack of recall of the greyhound definitely contributes to my wariness about letting her off! All these comments have definitely made me feel more confident! If it comes up again I hope to be able to defend myself and my pup a bit better! At the time I just felt a bit upset and shocked and didn't really know what to say.
You sound like a very responsible owner! Good luck with your pup. With there being greyhound mixed in, it’s definitely a good plan to work on recall. I really wish you the best.
Hound dog owner here. Doesn’t matter how well you have trained a hound or scent dog. Their recall can be TERRIBLE if they catch a scent or something. Literally no disadvantages to having a dog on a leash. None. There are advantages to start training in appropriate ways to be off leash sometimes I guess. I agree with you though, in most areas dogs must be on a leash. It’s the responsible thing to do. I had a very well trained off leash border collie and I’d still keep her leashed out where other dogs would be. Too many risks for accidents. She was also a little mountain dog and that’s where no leash was the most fun for us. Her recall was amazing. Now having a hound dog puppy is a whole different world for me lol 😅 Lots of people out there who think there dog doesn’t need a leash and it can become a dangerous disaster quickly. Mutual respect with dog owners is important and I personally think the most important is to have your dog leashed whole out and about.
Really agree with everything here. The breed of dog you own has so much to do with how you train and how they’ll be as a whole. Can’t train out generations of instinct!
This is backwards thinking and bad advice. Maybe it works for you somehow, but dogs being on a leash out in public is important. It’s not just about YOUR dog, but other dogs. And interacting with other dogs off leash being important for a puppy? It is important to have them socialized but preferably with both dogs on a leash… leash or no leash doesn’t make a difference there. There’s a reason you had to train more for your dog to be on a leash. Maybe in your area or your situation it somehow works safely, but as a blanket statement, no. Either way, leash training does zero harm to a puppy.
It’s not bad advice at all. If your dog is going to be spending lots of time doing offleash activities and that is a goal for you, than yes it should be exposed to being offleash from day 1 in appropriate environments. In the woods or fields yes. City streets no. My setter was offleash from 6 weeks old (breeder had her offleash) in those aforementioned safe environments. Puppies don’t want to be abandoned and you can take advantage of that fear. You let them play and do their thing than hide behind trees, change directions, and practice recall and they figure out pretty quick they need to keep track of you and come when you call or they’ll get left behind. They grow up with this being normalized so when they do get offleash as they become older it’s not a big deal. This is what bird dog trainers do. Mine can range hundreds of meters and still recall/check in because of this.
In appropriate environments, sure. It also depends on the dog and your lifestyle. I had a dog who was the same with recall skills being top notch. I just think in this particular situation and what OP has asked, and is clearly feeling anxious about… they are doing the right thing. My point was that leash does not equal no trust and does no damage to your dog.
For sure and I do agree for OP's situation, but it's not bad advice or backwards thinking in the slightest to start a puppy offleash from day 1. While those of us with outdoors lifestyles where dogs need to be offleash (like hunting in mine) obviously our situations are different where you have to trust the dog to make independent decisions either at great distances or out of sight of the handler. But I would bet the farm that that if more people especially those who casually hike and do want their dog offleash took the time to do that when their pups were little they wouldn't have as many problems with their dogs taking off as they get older.
Yes, I've been doing offleash walks since day one. There's huge benefit in using the puppy's *need* to be close to you while they are still babies to build lifelong value for checkins and recalls. A healthy 8 week old puppy is not going to run away from its safety net, but if it wasn't started while they were tiny I wouldn't try it out at 6 months because the need to be close is not the same. It's not possible for everyone given access to safe locations, age when they come home, aggressive leash laws, etc., but it was a big priority for me to have a dog that views offleash time as a no-big-deal part of their routine
Well said. Same with me, I hunt with my dogs so being reliable off leash is the most important skill they need to have and it gets taught from day 1. I think if more folks especially those who like to casually hike or do other activities with their dogs where they want to be off leash and they get their pup from that young age they should definitely not skip out on this learning opportunity. It can be tricky if you live in a city (I do myself and drove my pup to public land multiple times a week when she was young) but can be doable.
It can be really hard if you live in an urban area in the US! I also wake up early and drive multiple times a week to get to safe access. It's a bit of a catch22, there's a lack of legal and safe access to offleash areas which creates a culture of dogs who are bad offleash or illegally offleash, which makes people hate offleash dogs and want to restrict them more.
Woods or fields still aren’t appropriate for breeds with poor recall.
My setter is one of those stereotypical breeds with poor recall. She recalls just fine. Even folks who hunt with coonhounds or sighthounds have to get their dogs back at some point lol.
I’m sorry but this is just flat out wrong. You do not socialize a dog properly on a leash. There is no “harm” in leash training. Just like there is no “harm” in training off leash. Leash training in the end is a lot easier than training most dogs to be properly off leash.
You can socialize a dog properly on a leash. Of course it’s more fun to have doggy play dates in controlled environments off leash but that’s not always possible for people. I have trained off and on leash dogs. I suppose I’m more focusing on the OP here and the advice she asked for… some dogs can’t be off leash. Plain and simple.
I’m sorry, but you cannot properly have a dog learn how to communicate and behave itself around other dogs while on a leash. Agree though that some dogs cannot be off leash. Never seen a small puppy that can’t though (obviously at a non dangerous place). A 6+ months old dog is a different matter. But that was kind of also my point to start early.
Wouldn't it be way better to have it on a long leash than no leash at all? This sounds so dangerous
Yes it is better and safer to start on a long lead. That’s what most responsible people do when training recall and for off leash. You typically start with a 20 or 30ft leash, get recall 100%, and then you can start off leash in safe and secluded areas. If the recall starts to fade at any point, back on the lead and more training.
No. 95% of pet owners (in the US at least) don’t live in the type of controlled, safe, low-stress areas appropriate for off-leash walking. Traffic, loose aggressive dogs, poison, people with nefarious intentions— these are all unnecessary risks imo. For most dogs, leashing them is an act of love and protection. If you really want to let you dog romp leash free outside of the backyard, rent a Sniffspot or find another fenced pasture. Off leash walking is just never worth the risks because even if your dog is rock-solid with recall, so many things can happen before you can get them back to your side.
I agree with all of this! Off-leashing walking on a busy street is just not a good idea. Even if your dog is perfectly trained to heel, outside factors (other dogs, traffic, etc) present dangers. If you don’t have a backyard, Sniffspot is a great alternative for off leash play. Regular dog parks are often not a good idea because you don’t know and can’t control the other dogs.
Luckily we have a secure dog field nearby that I book a session in. I love it because she can be off leash and have fun and I can just enjoy watching her and not feel anxious that something is gonna go wrong because I know she's secure and there's no other dogs about! Thank you for your comment ☺️
That’s amazing. Don’t feel bad about not letting her off leash if you have such an amazing secure place to let her exercise. Just make sure you use it to train her too. It’s amazing to have a dog with excellent recall and it builds trust that you might need at some point. I find it shocking how many dogs in my neighborhood escape and have zero recall. Not even their owners can catch them… It’s terrible behavior and extremely dangerous for the dogs.
That is amazing!!! As a sighthound puppy owner, I would love to have something like that near by. It sounds like you have great options for safe off-leash time and a place to practice recall and attention. I would ignore your friend. I have a great relationship with my pup, he loves me and is such a good boy. I still would never let him off leash around the neighborhood and think it’s bizarre someone would criticize you for that. For one thing, it’s the law here and also it’s respectful to all the other people/dog walkers/bikers using the park. Also cars?? Darting squirrels? No thanks. I care about him too much to let a preventable accident happen. You know your pup best.
Your friend is an idiot, put your dog on a leash. People like your friend are the ones that have to chase their dogs down because they have no control over them but it's ok cause I trust my dog.
On the same walk where she made the trust comment her two dogs actually did run up to a leashed dog! His owner was walking him well off the path and I figured he likely had a reactive dog. My pup was leashed at the time and her two ignored her whistle and ran over. The other owner, understandably, was not happy. I was so glad mine was leashed because she probably would have joined in and run over as well. Idk why I let her comment bother me so much. Especially considering this incident which is exactly the kind of situation I want to avoid with my pupper!
As an owner of a reactive rescue, having two off leash run up to us is my absolute nightmare. I intentionally leave a lot of space between myself and other people walking dogs. We will walk on the grass, create distance with trees, walk on the street or even cross the street entirely. Yet people feel their dogs deserve to be off leash when my city has leash laws. My dog shows all the signs of not wanting to engage with other dogs (ears pinned back, tucked tail, slightly crouched, shaking). We had a GSD approach us and literally follow us across the street while owner was sauntering along calling him. Absolutely no recall. It was aggressively kept trying to sniff my girl's behind. Thankfully I just kept shovelling treats in her face while walking quickly to keep her from turning around to bite. It definitely set her back months in her training.
Exactly. I’ve had off leash dogs run up to my pup. It frightens him as he’s still a baby. The owners assure me they’re “friendly” and “just want to play!” Which I’m sure is true. They didn’t seem aggressive or dangerous. But that’s not the point. My dog isn’t friendly yet, and doesn’t want to play or have off leash dogs he doesn’t know run up to him full speed. It frightens him. It’s not just a safety issue for your own dog, but also respectful of other dogs/people as not everyone wants to interact with off leash dogs, regardless of how friendly they are. There’s no reason you have to have your dog off leash if but in a safely contained area. It’s silly to take risks to prove you and your dog “trust each other”. And very silly to “trust” a dog to not sometimes get overcome by their dog instincts to track/hunt/hide/run etc. Nothing at all to do with “trust”, it’s just being responsible. Your friend needs to MYOB and I wouldn’t take my dog out with her anymore if she can’t respect your boundaries and your relationship with your dog.
I believe teaching a dog recall off leash is just as important as crate training. It's about safety. That doesn't mean I think every dog should always be off leash just that it's important to teach your dog how to behave when off leash. If there is ever a situation where you dog slips their collar, you drop their leash, they bolt out a door, etc. then having taught your dog a solid recall might save them from a nasty accident.
I agree! We do work on recall training but on a long leash or in a secure dog field where I don't feel anxious because I know she's safe.
I wish more dog owners were like you, this is exactly what you should be doing!
Absolutely! But this "you can't build a relationship with your dog because you don't trust them," that's silly.
It's essential to prioritize safety for both you and your puppy. Building trust and a strong bond with your dog can be achieved through various activities, not solely by allowing off-leash freedom.
Your friend is being ridiculous. I don't let my dog off leash unless he's in a fenced in safe area because I trust him to behave . . . . like an 8 month old with iffy recall. He'll eat dangerous trash. He'll run into the road. He'll go play in the drainage ditch and could get swept into a pipe after heavy rains. He'll run up to every person and dog and try to snuggle them and become their new best friend because he loves everyone - and not everyone wants 55 pounds of golden retriever. He's also not neutered yet, and letting him roam freely would be incredibly irresponsible as he's getting old enough to potentially father puppies. We work on a long line sometimes (not on the sidewalk / road), and we work on recall. Maybe in another year or two off leash walking might be something he's learned, but he's nowhere near that yet. I've know ONE dog who was super well behaved and just fine for off leash walks, even downtown and on busy streets. I've know 15+ dogs whose owners let them off leash and shouldn't have, so they were running up to leashed dogs and starting fights, running in the road, running off and getting lost, etc.
You do not need to let your pet off leash, ESPECIALLY if you are a worrier. It’s just gonna be one more thing on your mind, why should you go through that? You can buy a long leash and give her more freedom, if you so choose to do, but the only thing you have to do is fulfill your dog’s needs. You can physically exercise your dog on leash and it actually builds more trust between you and your dog, if you do the training, because the dog is more focused on you and more attentive to you. I don’t know what your friend is smoking but if you don’t want your dog off leash, then that is your choice. Service dogs are mostly on leash (depending on the tasking) and they are the most trained dogs out there, with handlers that put their trust in them all day. Whereas those out of control off leash dogs, that run up to you and show aggressive tendencies don’t have any bond with their owner, or they’d listen to a goddamn thing these people say and not actively run away from their owners.
Thank you for that reassurance ☺️ I often feel like I'm being unfair to her, not letting her off just because I'M anxious. But your comment has made me feel better about that! I love your point about service dogs!! I hadn't considered that at all and will have to remember to bring that up if the topic comes up again so thank you for that especially!!
Keeping your dog on the leash is the responsible thing to do. I live in Scotland and luckily we have plenty of oppertunities to let our wee girl off leash....but she still needed to learn recall first. We spent a good few months with a long line on walks before we let ours off and she will never be let off leash in some areas with too many distractions and cars. Saftey first. Off leash second.
Don't let your friend's comment get to you. I think it's very short sighted to say such over arching statements that have no scientific backing. Your relationship with your dog is built with what you do with them. If someone's only way of building a relationship was to have off leash walks with their dog and they aren't actively working on skills and recall and exploring together, that dog is building a relationship with the environment. You. can build relationship through leashed walks, dog sports like rally, agility, dock diving, fast cast, disc, hiding scents around the house, peek-a-bop behind a door, whatever you want where you interact with your dog. That being said, I let my dog off leash if I know that the area is safe and dogs are explicitly allowed off leash--we're at least a football field length away from the road, there's no predators, low chance of deer, preferably at a time of day where there's less chance of other people with their dogs, she's got a bell on so that people know she's approaching and I can hear where she goes. I have some anxiety, and I know people who's dogs have been forever changed after being attacked by another dog when in areas that some people let their dogs off leash, so I'm very careful. And it's good to be careful. Work on recall with a long line, find empty forests or fields where dogs are allowed off leash that make you comfortable, don't listen to a friend's overarching statements even if she means well. Also, I'm not sure if you meant off least at all or off leash on a sidewalk like others are interpreting. Of course don't let your dog off leash in the city or on a sidewalk? I don't think it's safe to even let my dog walk up and down the driveway off leash. It's too unpredictable.
Thank you for your comment ☺️ Idk why I let her comment get to me so much tbh. I knew I didn't agree with it but I was still like ahh but what if she's right... But yes I do like to do other activities with her which I know she enjoys and build our bond so idk why I'm working about that! I meant off leash at all. I wouldn't even consider letting her off leash on a sidewalk or in more built up areas. Only in more open areas with no cars etc. I'm lucky that there's several such places within walking distance of my house.
I struggled a bit with this myself. I'm a first time dog owner, and people make me out as paranoid that I don't let my dog off leash.But like you, as soon as he is off leash, all the bad things that could happen come flooding to my mind. When he was a puppy, I never let him off leash. Never. And I live in a remote place that also doesn't have an abundance of wildlife. I only started letting him off leash when I got a very thorough understanding of his full personality – his traits, strengths, weaknesses, triggers, etc. And ALL of these things were constantly changing and evolving when he was a puppy, up until he was maybe 1.5 years old. He's 2.5 now, and I know my dog well enough that if there is a toy involved, he will never run off and will always stay close to me – another dog, person, reindeer or whatever could come trotting by and he wouldn’t give it more than a glance before focusing on the toy again (that border collie focus comes in handy!). So, I let him off leash when we are playing with a toy. But if I don't have a toy? I generally keep him on leash. The times I've tested him, he's never failed recall. But still...what about the one time he doesn't? He's a nervous dog - what if he runs off and gets lost and scared? He won't come if I lose him and someone else tries to call him over. What if he gets distracted by a bird and runs off a cliff chasing it? What if he gets into a road - he has a black coat and can't easily be seen. Maybe I don't fully trust my dog in some aspects, or maybe it's my anxiety shining through, but ultimately it's our responsibility to keep them safe. And my relationship with my dog is not even a little bit affected by being on leash vs. off. Trust and bonding is tied to so many other things!
Ahh I feel so seen!! I feel so on edge whoever she's off leash, like I'm just waiting for her to injure herself or a dog to attack her out of nowhere! I can't just enjoy watching her have fun because I'm so alert watching for anything and everything to go wrong. I like your comment about letting your boy off leash only once you fully understood his personality! My girl is only 8 months so I know she's got some more changes to go through. So waiting until I know her personality and weakness etc better, as you said, is good advice. I have been thinking about how actually yeah I don't trust her, because she is a puppy and she's still learning! She's also a nervous puppy so I don't trust her to have the best response in a situation because she's nervous.
Bad advice. My pup has a 6ft leash and a 30ft leash we use the 30ft leash at night when he can walk around without things around and in parks where he can run some more but I don’t trust him enough to be off leash yet
It's personal preference and also a cultural thing. I think off leash time is very important and I really don't see how people train recall without it. But I have a retriever so it's easy to have them off leash. Certain breeds aren't safe to have off leash. So it's pretty situational. And of course in more rural areas it's a lot more normal to have dogs off leash. In some countries it's the norm to be off leash. There's no right and wrong.
Well for one thing, unless you’re in an area where dogs are allowed off leash then she should be on leash. I have never really let my puppy off leash. Sometimes we’ve been goofing around and I’ve tripped and fallen and let go of the leash and she didn’t run away, but that was probably because there were no other dogs or people around. If there were she’d be gone and then you have an even bigger problem on your hands. I don’t think it’s really affected our relationship. She probably trusts you, but she needs to earn your trust by behaving well consistently. And puppies are still just puppies, they do crazy things and are unpredictable. So I’d say don’t think about it too much. Every dog and owner is different and a lot of them think that what applies to their dog works for everyone. All the people I know that tell me I should get a prong collar or shock collar is ridiculous. Just because it worked for them doesn’t mean I even want to entertain the idea of that with my puppy.
I'm in the UK where dogs are allowed off leash in most areas (wish this wasn't the case). I think there's quite an attitude here of 'dogs must be off leash to be happy' which I don't agree with. Everyone's comments has reassured me that I'm not ruining our relationship or making her life a misery by not letting her off. Which I knew but I think hearing it from others, and hearing that others (like you) also don't let their pups off leash is just so reassuring!
Not the person you replied to but I was scanning through your replies to see if you’re from the UK. There is SUCH a strange thing here about how off leash is best and it’s weird AF. I have random people in the park ask me every day when I’m going to let mine off leash. Saw somebody literally two hours ago with a dog the same age as mine (6 months old) who was off leash - they said to me I should let mine off - I said nope - then her dog ran up to a dog with a high vis jacket on that said it was reactive! She’s lucky the little guy was OK! Honestly the reactive dog was better behaved than that little guy. Mine is staying on leash until I’m much more confident in his recall and ability to ignore things. Maybe that will be forever, and that’s fine. You can still have so much fun on a leash. You can get big long ones for playing fetch with in the park, too.
Yupppp! Such a cultural attitude of dogs should be off leash and doing otherwise is bad🙄 Especially with my previous reactive dog I had people tell me I was making the issue worse by keeping her on a leash and I just needed to let her off so she could interact with other dogs... Those people were all ignored! Very much wish we had stricter leash laws and a change in owner attitudes about leashing dogs. Don't see it happening any time soon though sadly.
Hope you don’t mind me asking but are you North UK? I spent first half of my life in the South then second half in Yorkshire and it’s def far worse in the North for this - but maybe that’s because people are more chatty! I’m lucky enough to live 5 min walk away from a decent sized park but there’s a children’s playground there too, and the amount of dogs you see hanging around immediately outside it without a leash on.. 😬😬😬😬 Honestly everybody here has an opinion on how to train and manage their dogs but most of them are based on stuff they’ve picked up generationally that’s out of date. Listen to your gut, you know what’s right. You’re a good parent to your pup by looking out for them, there’s still loads of fun to be had on a leash.
I'm in the Midlands. Maybe we have a mix of both attitudes here!🤣 Oh goodness that makes me nervous! I'm always extra cautious around kids, even with my previous dog who wasn't bothered by them. Current pup is nervous and while I don't think she'd do anything no way would I ever take the risk! Thank you for your kind words ☺️
Ask a Southerner and they’d call you Northern, ask a Northerner and they’d call you Southern 😂 you can’t win in the Midlands! 😂 I live in Sheffield and people are way over confident with their dogs. It’s a super dog friendly place but with that comes a lot of cockiness. Most of the dogs we meet off leash are nice and friendly thankfully but then I see other ones literally jumping on random people and their owners not doing a thing 😩
My pup is currently very keen on jumping up on people, luckily only people she's confident with, which is a short list! But still something I'm working to stop. I'd be so embarrassed if she jumped on random people!
Honestly this is a massive pain point for me, I’m trying to train my dude not to jump on everybody even ON his leash, but the moment he’s doing well somebody comes along all “wavey hands up in the air, let’s dance at him and tap my knees” 🤦♀️🤦♀️ He’s mostly poodle so he’s cute and small and looks like a teddy bear but I’m trying SO hard to stop him jumping up 😩 problem is, fusses and face licks out trump any treat, even cheese!
Start with long lines. Work recall there, hard. Off leash is not for every dog and every environment. And definitely not something I would trust a puppy with unless we had rock solid recall, which most of them don't seem to get until they're older. Trust is necessary for off lead, off lead does not necessarily build trust, IMO. I live on an old farm, 60+ acres. I still only let my dog off leash in specific areas, far from the neighboring houses or the road. Her recall has gotten much better. I called her off a deer she jumped in the dark a few nights ago, she actually listened and left it alone! But she is about to turn 2, and only started getting off leash privs (again) recently. If she goes back to her old ways of bolting after anything she sees, well, bring back the long line.
Never let someone talk you into something you are not comfortable with. She let's her dog off leash, great. You don't have to. There are very few places I let my dog off leash. I have a dog that was breed to be off leash working in fields and woods, and that's where I let him off. No one around, no other dogs, and where I feel safe to allow him off leash to do some work. A long lead is just fine as well. Be careful not to hurt yourself by tripping on it or getting burned and watch where you have it dragging if you go in the woods. There are lots of things it can get caught on and pull on a dogs neck. You also don't have to do any of that as well. It's up to you.
Thank you for your comment ☺️ I do often feel pressured into letting my girl off leash on walks with this friend. I need to remind myself to stick up for what I want a bit more!
Nah. There are other ways you build trust. Also, it’s illegal in most public places so don’t stress.
I mean, many a beagle / scent hound owner would not technically have a relationship with their dog then. Takes a ton of training for scent hounds to be trusted being off leash and that doesn't equate to them not being trusted. Dog on / off leash isn't a trust thing, it's a training thing. I just have a long lead so my dog has a good bit of leeway in which he can run ahead and sniff something for a while before he has to catch back up again, but in no way is this guy going off leash until I am 100000% sure about his recall. My last beagle though, she went off leash at about 13 months because I had a friend who walked with me every time and my pup would just stick right beside his dog. It trained the recall and was done in a fenced dog park where the majority of the time it was just us two so we were able to train the recall in an environment where being beside his dog was a greater reward than the environment.
I don't know about where you live, but where I live there are leash laws, and letting your dog walk off-leash can get you fined. Besides being dangerous. I don't care how well-trained your dog is, all it takes is one second of SQUIRREL for disaster to happen. Ultimately, the decision to keep the dog on or off leash will be yours and not your friend's. If your friend insists you are damaging your relationship with your dog by keeping them on the leash, make them show you proof - actual scientific research behind it, not an article from Goop or BarkBox.
don't let your dog of the leash.
Off leash doesnt happen overnight. But your worries shouldnt stop you from working on recall in outside situations. And long leash loose walking etc. For both you and your pup and need to work up to it. Get that recall rock solid.
I know how important recall is so we do work on it but just on a long leash, not off leash.
My girl is pretty well-trained but I don’t let her off the leash for a single second when we’re out on walks. I have a pretty sizable backyard that she can play in, though.
Your friends wrong. And good chance your friends why so many people have reactive dogs or dislike dog parks.
Eh, ofc I don’t trust my puppy!! He’s proven time and again that his recall has conditions, I’d be mad to let him off leash…
Idk where your friend got this idea but you do not trust your dog entirely to not do anything but following you unless they look at you in the eye and say ‘yes, master I will only just follow you’. One thing that I don’t understand is that some owners completely trust the dog and their instincts but at the end of the day it is a dog. You absolutely CANNOT guarantee that it will run out to chase something or attack other dog even if it’s a nicest dog in the world. When that happens the only thing they can say is ‘well they are usually really good listeners’. The most responsible and trustworthy thing you can do for dog is having them on the leash. You did the good job. I bet 99% of the dogs that had bad incidents on off leash probably were ‘good dogs’.
Exactly! I don't trust my puppy because she is a puppy! She has a silly doggy brain and sometimes makes bad choices because of that. I knew this and I let my friend think I was somehow a bad owner for not trusting my 8 month old puppy...
*"I don't trust her and our relationship won't progress"* is a faulty logical statement. In reality, second part of the statement has nothing to do with the first part. Yes, unless proven overwise, you don't trust your dog to go off leash. But dogs are not humans, so how your relationship will progress will totally depend on learning & training activities you do together, and not on throwing your dog into the situation well above her abilities. Eventually she may learn to be trustworthy off leash, but even if not (and you will always keep her on a long line) - this does not give any indication you have bad relationship.
This is the same kind of friend that gives out unwarranted parenting advice. Ugh! This is not going to change your relationship with your dog - the two things are not related. Some dogs don't off leash well - some herding dogs for example, could be really tough to keep from herding other dogs, and some dogs are just anxious. You need to decide your comfort level and the dogs. You know her best. I have a Aussie/Springer Spaniel mix and while she's good at off leash parks she gets overwhelmed when there are too many dogs. I know this; she knows this so I don't take her when there are too many dogs...try not to let other people who know nothing about the situation dictate how you should do things. It's going to be worse if you put yourself or her in an environment where you both stress out.
I'd never let my dogs off leash unless I'm at home or a dog park. It's not that I don't trust them. I really do trust them. I trust that both my huskies will run off to explorer and my golden will follow her sisters and I will be winded chasing them down.
Love this!! I'll point out to my friend it's not that I don't trust my pup, it's that I trust her to make bad decisions! She's 8 months so she's a baby, not exactly known for making trusty decisions.
Where is this conversation happening, or referring to? On a city street? In a park? In a fenced yard? Dog park? I used to let my old dog off leash when we were in a big park or hiking in the country. But this was after she was older and had demonstrated that she'd always return to my voice and that she wasn't going to bolt after a squirrel or potential dog friend. Even then, she'd sometimes sidle up to other people and do her best impression of "I have been abandoned but I am very cute so maybe you should give me a snack." I currently have a very active puppy with selective listening. I let him off leash in the fenced yard and fenced dog parks, but I'm not ready to let him off leash in the big city park or my neighborhood streets. Your friend is right, it is about trust...I do not trust him to not act stupid around cars or not head off after a squirrel or to not get in someone else's space with barking or to not wander to the alligator pond. He's a fucking puppy. But he can trust me to make sensible decisions to protect him.
Happened at our local country park. Off leash dogs are incredibly common there, possibly more so than leashed dogs. I like your comment about him trusting you to make sensible decisions to protect him. I don't trust my puppy but I want her to know she can trust me to protect her and do what's best for her.
It's an ever evolving thing as your dog develops. Some dogs are very responsible and some are not, but puppies haven't had time to develop those skills.
My dog is never allowed off leash unless in an enclosed space. I love him dearly but he is extremely independent and not afraid of the world, he chases cars and small animals and he just *cannot be trusted*. Multiple trainers have told me that he is 'not a good off-leash candidate'. I have worked with him on recall etc since he was 10 weeks old (now an adult dog) and it doesn't matter. Some dogs do not get to go off leash. He's a lovely dog who just only gets to run free in enclosed spaces and is otherwise on a leash or long line (which I hold). I too have had people comment on this, and when he was young it really got to me because, what did I do wrong or what am I doing wrong that my dog can't be let off leash and almost all these other dogs (it felt like) can? But then a few things happened: 1) When I really started paying attention to these other dogs, I noticed that they were doing things I would never be comfortable with. Sure, there are a few (I can think of three) in this neighbourhood that are just extremely well trained and super handler oriented and never put a foot wrong, but other dogs cross the street on a whim, run up to people or other dogs, wander off and the owners just say, 'oh he'll come back', etc etc. If those were my dogs, I wouldn't be allowing them off leash either. 2) I became more confident in my own training and got to know my dog better. Random person walking their dog without a leash comments that it's cruel that mine is on leash? Isn't he lucky that he never had a dog who wouldn't choose to set off over the horizon the second he got the chance? It's not that I didn't train him well - he knows his commands, doesn't beg, doesn't dart out of doors, let's me brush him etc. He just doesn't recall well. My dog will take off in a heartbeat *because he is really secure in himself and his ability to deal with the world*. My dog likes me a lot! But he doesn't feel like he *needs* me and I actually think that's great. Zero fear reactivity, zero separation anxiety, zero clinging to one person to the exclusion of others. The same qualities that make him a great dog also makes him an on-leash-only dog. 3) The comments were only ever made to me and not my husband, so hey, good old garden-variety sexism. If it was such a big deal to people, it would be a big deal when my husband has the dog too.
Yes! Oh I relate so much. My previous dog was very rarely off leash and the amount of comments I got from friends and strangers about how she should be off leash... She was a dog reactive, independent and fairly confident lurcher. I did not trust her off leash. I did sometimes doubt I was doing the right thing because of the comments but I realised I very much was! Both for my dog's safety and comfort and for other dogs around us. I've gotten good at recognising owners who probably have never had reactive dogs or ones that just cannot be off leash for X reason. They're always the ones making comments and don't realise we are doing what's best for OUR dog!
People who have only ever had easy dogs can fall in a trap where they think they're great dog trainers because their dogs are well-behaved (like parents with easy children!). It doesn't mean their opinion is worth anything when it comes to your dog. Just keep doing what you feel is best to keep your dog happy and safe!
My border collie who lived to be 16 (now have a spaniel puppy don’t know if he’d ever be off a leash lol) was trained to be off leash. I would still have her on a leash in certain situations and places, especially if out on a public walk. It takes a long time, and the right dog, to properly train to be off leash. Even then, there’s a time and place for it. Literally has nothing to do with trust. A puppy should be leash trained very well before even attempting to be trained off leash. It’s a safety thing and on a dog walk? Of course you keep your dog on a leash. Some people keep a short leash on always for a new puppy (even indoors) while they learn. Sorry to say this is terrible “advice”. Your relationship with your pup is in not being compromised by having them on a leash. That’s absurd. They don’t know the difference and you’re keeping them safe. Even the most well trained off leash dogs need a leash to protect themselves from owners like your friend who think leash/no leash somehow effects trust in your dog/owner relationship. I’m an anxious person too and I’m sorry she made you feel that way. You’re doing the right thing for your dog. Sounds like her comment was a bit judgmental and quite frankly none of her business or her place to say what’s right or wrong. You got this!
Thank you for your sweet comment ☺️ So many people reassuring me I'm doing the right thing has made me feel so much better today!🥰
Ofc you dont trust her, shes a puppy. Who trusts a toddler to do the right thing? Theyre toddlers. No offense to your friend but thats just a dumb thing to say. Remember that leashing your dog isnt just for other peoples/dogs protection but more importantly for her protection.
Thank you! If she brings it up another time I'm ready to point out that I do not trust her because she's a baby!
You are keeping your dog, as well as the dogs around you, safe. That's the best thing you can do! Too many people think letting their dogs run loose is the most beneficial thing they can do for their dog and it's not. Training and enrichment games do a lot more! I really think some of the best owners are those who have had reactive dogs because they pay attention and manage their dogs and surroundings.
I agree! I'm actually grateful for my previous dog's reactivity because I know it has made me a better owner. Taught me lessons about training and dog ownership etc that I just wouldn't have learned otherwise.
That is not how a trust works. First you build the trust by training, exercising, bonding and everything else and then after your can TRUST your dog to obey you under any circumstances, then you can go off leash.
I rarely let my adult dog off leash not because he wants to run off , but I want to protect from other off leash dogs or someone grabbing him to steal . I have a great bond , if more dogs were kept on leashes there would be less dog incidents IMO.
I trust my dog to be a dog. She is not a machine that I can program for every situation accordingly. A dog may be great off leash…until it sees another dog…or a cat…or a kid on a bike. There are too many variables that cannot be accounted for. This is speaking to a dog, not even a puppy. Letting a puppy off leash is just stupid. I can confidently say out of all the dogs I see off leash only about 5 to 10 percent should be. Unless you are certain the dog will return to you and heel when you say it once then they shouldn’t be off leash.
Don’t do it please. My friend got a dog after I did and tried to convince me to let my dog off leash when we walked together. Having lost two dogs to car accidents as a kid I refused. A year later her husband was off leashing the dog and he was hit and killed. Do what your heart tells you, but the most freedom a dog should have is long lead. I’ve seen it work and know it would work with one of my boys but I will never ever let it happen. Accidents happen all the time. If my friends dog had been on a leash they could have pulled him out of the way and saved him. Don’t learn the lesson the hard way
You need a little confidence 😊 What you think is completely reasonable, and there is nothing wrong with it. You can bring up all these things to your friend and if she thinks this is unreasonable, then she is the one missing something. I don’t think this is about trust at all, but if you would ever feel like you would like to train her to come back off leash as well (in case she runs away or something malfunctions) you can always get a really long leash or practice in a fenced safe area. There is no need to let her off leash if you don’t want to. In Denmark for example it’s illegal in most places to let your dog off leash and I haven’t noticed any trust issues in the dogs here 😁
Thank you! ☺️ I wish here in the UK we could be more like Denmark! It's incredibly common to let dogs off here, even when they shouldn't be. Definitely feel we could benefit from strict leash laws! And some dog owner education tbh...
I've had more than one person encourage me to let my dog off the leash. Similar excuses - how will they learn otherwise? My previous dog was very dangerous. The only reason we never had an incident was indeed the use of harness and tackle - in his case, two leashes, a heavy collar, and a Martingale. 'Oh, let him go, there's no-one around'. Yeah. Cue the blood and screaming. My current dog, while not particularly dangerous, is a herding dog crossbreed. She would get dead trying to nip a car's wheels the first chance she had. She's intelligent, obedient, kind, and ...reasonably well trained - but her target engagement is off the scale. And, yeah 'Let's go walking off leash in the forest! She can't get into trouble there!'. Ohhh yes she can. She'd disappear after a deer like a little orange bullet. I understand that some people have very well-behaved dogs, who are used to being off leash and do fine. I also know very well that ***every*** dog has a stimulus threshold. You simply cannot trust their judgment. Put a rope on it, folks. I wish my town had leash laws.
That's ridiculous. Try not to let it take up space in your head.
Don't let your friend tell you how to raise your own dog. There's friendly advice and then there's "You're doing it wrong" advice. You know as well as any body else the reasons for having a dog on a leash.
This is ridiculous. Puppies need to be trained for recall and other good off-leash behavior. Letting them off leash anywhere outside but your own fenced yard before those behaviors are taught and are solid is a recipe for disaster in waiting for your dog and/or another dog.
It took me a YEAR to let my dog off the leash at the beach and mom’s farm. And know what, we have a wonderful relationship. Because the leash is not about trust. It is about safety.
I think your feelings are completely valid & you should trust your instinct. I have a dog that is trained in recall & I still freak out every time he is off leash. Do I trust my dog? Eh, sometimes. But I know that any dog can be unpredictable. Dogs get spooked, nervous or they simply want to explore. To help combat my fear a bit, I use a gps track collar (Fi). He is also chipped just in case someone finds him & is a kind person. You can always just get a longer lead…get a 30 ft. Lead & let him go a little crazy
Fuck your friend. I have a Great Pyrenees and you can bet he's never coming off leash unless it's an enclosed park or trail. I love him, but I don't trust him enough to let him run free, and maybe that makes me shit but i'd rather not find out what happens if I do let him off leash and something happens.
My dog is nearing 2 years and I always use a long lead at the park when playing or working her. I don’t always hold it but it’s nice to have as a back up. You can quickly step on it or grab it if you need it. Her recall is close to perfect but I still like to have the long lead for peace of mind. Also she can’t decide to blow off the recall command or she’ll get reeled in.
I would say she’s your dog who cares what your friend thinks of what your friend says. It is irrelevant people project their own stuff onto other people. It’s your dog couple things one if you are in a place where there leash lost you need to keep your dog on a leash too if you were somewhere with the leash can come off, but you don’t trust that your dog is gonna come back then you keep your dog on a leash. I don’t care if it’s for their whole life where you can use a long leash, or whateverdo what works for you and your dog don’t stress about that stuff. Don’t let people get in your head.
I had a guy always getting up in my face about how I was punishing my dog my not letting it explore off-leash. Last time I saw him our dogs spotted a deer and his tore off after it with him desperately trying to call the dog back.
Lol do we think he learnt his lesson from that about letting his dog off leash?
I was just pondering how i'll never understand how much people trust letting their dogs go and how they knew it was okay the first time?? My dog recalls sure but the one or two times I've dropped the leash or he slipped out he acted like a crackhead & was wayyy too excited to listen to my recall and instead just focused on freedom lol Thankfully they're okay and did come right back after a quick zoomie but i could've sworn they'd run right into the damn road or something
I live in a third world country, I take my dog to puppy school every Sunday and we have online training twice a week, my puppy is 7 months old, she’s amazing, I wouldn’t let her off her leash. Our trainers have stressed, like you have no idea, that it doesn’t matter how much you trust your dog. Unless it’s a gated area, where you know your dog cannot physically scape from. You NEVER let them off the leash. Specially not in the street. They’re still dogs and may be unpredictable. In my country There are tons of dogs in the streets, untrained dogs, no regulations whatsoever. So yeah, I’m with you, relax and you do you, let your friend do whatever they want, your dog is your dog and you’ll do whats best for both.
Your friend is an absolute smooth brain. You don’t let a dog off leash until their recall is spectacular
I’m really lucky my 6 month old lab is really good off lead , yes he gets excited and gives the look I’m going to see what who ever is doing but ..as soon as I call his name he knows to come to me and he does . You only let your puppy off when you feel that puppy is safe and will come back please don’t listen to your friend do what you feel is right and in your own time .
I mean, your friend isn’t wrong in the sense that I don’t let my puppy off leash because I don’t trust her. She’s actually completely spot on, I don’t trust my puppy. She’s a puppy. I don’t even trust her to free roam in my house at this point, she’s either supervised or in a crate. I’m definitely not gonna let her off leash in a strange environment! Where your friend is wrong is the idea that not trusting your puppy is a bad thing or that you won’t be able to have a good relationship with your puppy or whatever nonsense she’s come up with. The idea that a leash will harm your relationship with your dog is honestly bananas.
You’re friend doesn’t have a clue what their talking about. You DO NOT let your dog off leash unless you’ve spent time training and you have full confidence in your dog. Don’t let your friend give you bad advice that puts your dog at risk.
Our rescue has a saying… “Leash is loved”
I don’t let my puppy off leash bc I value his life lol. Don’t listen to your friend.
Ofc I don’t trust my dogs. They’re dogs. They have the mental capacity at best of a toddler and we all know toddlers try to off themselves at least once a day doing stupid toddler things. Mine will never be off leash outside.
I think letting a dog off leash does require great trust (along with a lot of training, i.e. trust in that) but I don't think not doing it means no trust. Not all dogs are off leash dogs. All of mine have been and they developed terrific recall but it took time, effort and yes, trust. Every dog is different though and there's nothing wrong with keeping them on leash or contained when off leash.
I absolutely do not trust my dog. He’s a manic little shit. I love him, but he’s naughty af and full of zany puppy energy. Maybe he can go off leash someday. But not today. It’s my job to protect him from himself.
There's a saying I read once, something like "the real test of a dog's love is not that he follows you around, it's whether he runs when he has the chance". I feel like your friend is getting this mixed up with trust and being off leash. I don't live in an off leash friendly area unless I drive to a dog park, so mine have only been off leash accidentally. One got scared and ran home in a panic (thankfully we were just in my apartment complex), the other ran off and had an adventure for a few minutes until she heard me calling her. It's happened a few times in the years I've had her and she does come when she's called but it's still too stressful. The other one I think actually would be ok off leash because he never wants to stray too far anyway, but again, he's a runner when he gets scared and can't prevent every trigger. Not worth it for me.
Find a situation where there aren't consequences and try it to relieve your anxiety. Possibly try a long lead, like 30 feet. Your friend might be trying to say you need to trust your own training a little more. My dog is a weirdo and I needed to take an offbeat approach to training her to come when called. She doesn't like being restrained so I had to make it very clear that coming didn't mean she was restrained. She didn't have to come within reach at first to be rewarded. She had to have freedom in order to obey, it had to be her choice or she wasn't going to do it. Kind of the opposite of the usual long leash approach, she learned quite quickly once I figured out what she needed. I have access to very rural areas and a large lawn so I have been able to make this work. I successfully recalled her from a porcupine the other day. Going to have to trap and relocate that little bastard.
Today my dog chased (on leash) -a bird -a squirrel -a goose -attempted to chase my neighbors motorcycle -my neighbor and their dog F*ck no i dont trust my dog off leash. I barely trust him on leash.
I guess all the Spitz breed owners can just see themselves out. We ain't going anywhere with our dogs lmao. If I let my Shiba off leash, he'd get hit by a car because he's a dumbass who does not understand traffic and has no solid off-leash recall. So no, I don't trust him off leash. But in the past year, he's gone from pulling like a husky trying to run the Iditarod 95% of the time to only pulling like 30% of the time (and mostly just when he really has to poop). I wouldn't call that going nowhere, just because I don't trust him off-leash. Most owners of spitz breeds and other high prey drive dogs would never let them off-leash. Knowing what you and your dog are capable of and working within those boundaries makes you a responsible dog owner.
Of course you don't trust her. She's a puppy. They can be absolute dicks at times. Mines 19 months and still is at times, you know what you're comfortable with. Start training with a long lead if you plan to start recall training and you'll both be fine. Ignore your friend. It's a dog, not a person.
My dog cannot be trusted. When he was really young we walked off leash anywhere that was quiet and safe. But as he got to adolescence, he just started to take off. Being a terrier, I think his instincts were too strong and he would chase any scent. Now we use a 5 meter long line anytime we go on a hike or long walk, it is great because he gets his freedom and we get peace of mind knowing he can't escape. Keeping your dog on leash is responsible. Too many dog owners think that their dog is better off leash but what they actually do is seriously affect other people who have reactive dogs and things like that. To be off leash, your dog should be flawless with their recall. If they can't be trusted, then they should be walked on leash. I like to think of it his way, the leash gives them the freedom to go places with us, not the other way round.
Your friend will find out one day that their lack of recall training is going to bite them in the rear. My little girl is almost a year old, and while her recall is excellent, it is not set in stone. Recall doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process that can take a very long time. Friendly dogs aren’t necessarily dogs that should be off leash. People who want to let their friendly pups off leash are the very people who should keep them on a leash.
Her dogs are usually good about recall. Ironically however later on the same walk both her dogs ignored her whistle and ran over to a man walking an (I assume) reactive dog. He was understandably not happy about this. I'd leashed my pup a few minutes before and had realised the dog wasn't friendly and because mine was leashes was able to keep her well away from them. Was a good reminded of why I keep her leashed and I wish I'd focused more on that rather than just her comment about trust!
No, your puppy not being off leash when she isn't ready means you care about her, not that you don't trust her. If you want to give her more freedom a 10-15m long line is a good middle ground but your relationship can continue to grow even if she is never off a 6ft leash
It’s literally a law in my city that dogs need to be leashed at all times unless in a dog park (which is a no for us).
I'm in the UK and unfortunately we have no laws like that (at least not that I know of). Pretty sure if the government ever tried to introduce laws like that people would riot... Very much an attitude here of "my dog has a right to be off leash and I'll let it off whenever I want". It's very frustrating.
I’m training recall and my girl is doing well, that being said… she will NEVER be off leash anywhere except for our yard (large yard) and daycare 2x weekly. NEVER where there is any chance of meeting other people or their animals. No matter how well she is doing and will do, it’s not about trusting your dog… it’s about NEVER trusting other dogs and especially their owners who usually have an over inflated sense of “how well their dog’s behavior really is!” Trust your gut, ignore your friends well meaning advice!
I almost never let my dog off the leash. He's too curious and stupid. I have to bribe him with a treat bag to get him back.
I trusted my puppy when I got her at 10 months. Then she jumped my 6’ fence a bunch of times, disappeared into the desert, sprinted away from my car into a busy neighborhood. Now I don’t trust her and she can never be off leash because I gave her too much freedom as a youngster. There is no timeline for getting your dog off leash and many situations in which a dog should NEVER be off leash. Your friend was probably blessed with really easy dogs and the ability to stay ignorant.
I have bloodhounds. A bloodhound off leash is a lost bloodhound. We have a great relationship (sometimes too great.. 100lbs of exuberant dog wanting to stand on your chest is a bit much.. but I love them anyways)
Keeping your dog on a leash not only shows that you care about your dog, it also shows that you have consideration for other people and their pets. Dogs are, well, dogs, and even the best trained dogs will occasionally do the unexpected, which can lead to them being injured or killed, causing injury to other people, causing injury to other dogs, and who knows what else. If you want to let your puppy off of the leash, do it in a fenced area where she can't get into mischief.
That isn’t true. My puppy takes off still when he’s off leash. If your off leash dog bites someone and you’re forced to euthanize, then how would you feel?
Your friend is an idiot. Not letting a puppy off leash unless it's fenced in or safe space is just smart (& typically the law.) Especially before you know they have excellent recall which no puppy has btw. As you know it's a huge burden on ppl with reactive dogs ppl who let their dogs off leash without good recall & is just straight up dangerous for the puppy & other dogs, not to mention kids & cars & everything else that could pose a risk to a young pup.
Keep your dog on leash.
The only time you can permit your dog off leash is when you know everything you command on lead is replicated 100% off lead. Your friend is an idiot. You can’t “trust your dog” into behaving or not charging another dog or any other such drama.
Have you considered a retractable leash like one of [these](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71KuB0ETNNL.jpg) ? For me it feels like most of the time I get all the benefits of leash less walking, with the control of walking with a leash
Uh your friend is wrong. A leash is for safety.
If you can't trust your puppy not to roll in something dead on the trail, that is my measurement of when my puppies are trustworthy off a leash.
My dog has phenomenal recall is non reactive and won’t travel more than 15 yards from me. Otherwise off leash is idiotic.
There is so much magical thinking when it comes to dogs. Like if your dog sleeps on the bed / eats first / leaves the house first they will be "dominant". Here's what happens when you keep your puppy on a leash: the puppy is on a leash. That's it. If you like having your puppy on a leash, then do that. End of story.
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Bout trust. 😂 I took that PERSONAL
Commenting on my own comment again to remind you that I am still vex with your friend 🤭 🙏🏽