I might be a bit over sensitive about this but walking my two dogs and also with a friend and her dog we met up with six huskys and I was really unerved by it,my girl peg gave a very wide berth as did my friends greyhound but my boy ended up in the middle trying to get away,everyway he turned he came face to face with a husky and I could see he was worried,he gave a small get away from me growl and got a bit told off by one of them,I stepped inbetween them saying a firm no and the owners called them away which to thier credit they all raced towards her,i have walked with one of thier owners before who was a very nice lady but in the end she had to put her youngster on a lead to stop him harrassing my dog.And did an alpha roll on him(no real fighting here, her dog just layed down for her)
I am a bit worried about meeting them again,although to be fair they didn't do anything wrong,am I worrying over nothing?
I have to admit to being a bit scared myself,i only know one husky and he is a beauty,i am wary though but always stroke him,last time i met him he jumped up and put his paws around my neck and pushed his face against mine, and then gave me one big lick on my face,i didn't react i just stayed really calm and fussed him,but for a split second i thought oh god he's going to have me,his owners are fantastic they pulled him away and said sorry,i said its all fine ,nice to be greeted like that but I am a bit scared of him, and they said,we know.
So,maybe its just me,i dont know.

i don't think you are being oversensetive. I think it is well out of order to allow a pack of 6 dogs to go over to another dog/dog walker without clearing first they are happy about it.  one dogs a dog but 6 is a pack and things can go up. 

I can understand they it was worrying and I am surprised that someone would walk 6 huskies off lead she was lucky they don't take off to do their own thing.

I'd have been worried too, huskies are gorgeous dogs but with 6 all offlead they could easily have gone pack mentality and the chase instinct kicked in. Glad it all ended ok but I would be keeping an eye out in the future.

Was not thinking of that as they are not hounds although that is possible I was concerned because most dogs run in large circles Huskies take off in a straight line and don't stop for 30 miles of so.

I would be very worried to see huskies off lead as they're usually great at racing off and rubbish at recall.  They are also well known for not liking other dogs, small furry things are 'fair game' to most as well so many dangers with huskies unfortunately.  I love them - although I wouldn't want one - as we had 14 staying here for a year, but whilst a few got on well with even my pups they fought between themselves and have a tendency to want to chase smaller animals which they see as 'prey'.  All my husky friends would think it utter madness to let them run free - far too dangerous for the dogs and really for other people :-(

Any responsible husky owner should not have their dog off lead. It doesnt matter how much training you do, there is always an instinct to chase run off and with kill or be killed (sheep, road etc). There are lots of warnings about it from both breed clubs. Sounds like a very irresponsible dog owner to me!!

Setting aside the on/off lead debate (I am firmly 'on' for huskies, before anyone says anything), it was extremely unfair and irresponsible of her to allow 6 large dogs to go over to others, even if they were friendly.

I am always walking 3 or 4 dogs at once, my dogs are similar size to huskies (bit heavier mind) and one thing I do my best to prevent them doing is all going over at once to say hello to other dogs, even ones we know well because a big group of big dogs is intimidating.  All but one of mine are well-mannered with dogs too (and the one is always on-lead anywhere we're likely to see other dogs), it's just courtesy - no matter how friendly they are, one or two dogs can easily be spooked by a big group and I'd hate to be responsible for starting an anxiety issue in someone else's dog.

And yes, there is the pack thing - well-mannered mine may be but if I was to allow four of them to say hello as a group they would get a bit more giddy and confident about it, being with their mates.  Another reason to keep them under control and not allow them all to go off and say hi as they please!

even when my hubby walk our 3 shepherds he never lets them off lead together all animals that live together will pack on another animal thats on its own if anything was to kick off. id be worried sick if i can across that walking my dogs too :( x

omg how irresponsible, i am a husky owner, i own 5 huskies and a malamute and i would never dream of letting any off the lead, it just isnt worth it. and to be walking 6 huskies at once is also irresponsible, i would never take more than 2 out at a time, they are bred for pulling and if something took their fancy they would be off, no amount of training can overcome instinct. 

i have a lurcher pup, and she loves and gets on with all dogs, but too friendly as she REALLY DOES love other dogs. No amount of recall training I have done as helped. And so when i take her on the routes where there are loads of different dogs off lead, she is kept on lead as she would always run to other dogs and although i have never met another owner that as seemed to mind i appologise over and over and still feel guilty. So she is now kept on lead, although have met a few people on these routes with other pups on leads who have come over to greet us and have said can we let um off together to play? To which i have agreed and both pups play together. But she is really kept on lead. Unless i go to my local smaller field on the estate where she is always off as only a few locals go down there with their dogs who have all become best of friends with my pup and love her as much as she loves them, and go as 'mad' as she does while playing and although recall is still patchy i still have no cause for concern while down there. So as opposed to a pack running over to us i would be very concerned and it has happened to us before and although i said my girl LOVES other dogs, when more than one come over she tends to turn and run (nothing as caught up with her in the slightest yet) and will keep running till the other dogs are called back, which is scarry incase she runs far enough to on the roads or back home. She has felt that threatened efore that instead of running she has stayed to protect me maybe? and has barked in their face while cowering by me, to which they retreated but anything could of happened on her behalf or the other dogs behalf. That is also why she is now kept on lead in these kinds of places.

Myself, it wouldn't have bothered me one bit. :-) I would be more in awe in seeing so many Huskies at once they are not a breed I have ever been wary of or ever worried about dog on dog aggression from, I guess that may be a little lax on my part but I would have thought what a beautiful sight more so than anything else.

But, in saying that I am used to walking with large dog packs, best you are no-where near me on Christmas day as I have approx 20 dogs all out for our country walk. :-D Although I can fully understand your apprehension and it should be taken into account that some people are frightened of a pack of dogs. I would never allow the pack to go near dogs I did not know or people, they should be aware that people can be fearful. At least the lady had full control when she recalled, but she should have done this as you approached, perhaps because you had been so nice previously she thought you would not mind, but hopefully now you have told her you are scared she will think about you and your dog too. :-)

I've known 2 people who had off lead Huskies who were very obedient, but it is a rarity to see them off lead the owner is either oblivious to what could happen or has the pack under full control although I'd still be wary myself.

LurcherOwner - have you tried using her love of dogs to train her recall?  I.e. the reward for listening to you is getting to play.  Could be done with a long line - then you can reinforce the recall and when she gets back to you, you release her to go play (obviously if it's safe to do so).

I've done this with Opi for her squirrel chasing habit - she has two places at the park where previously she would charge off ignoring me to go hunting, so I started having her on lead and asking for a sit and wait when we got near those places, and giving a release cue when she did it to go and hunt (and letting her off).  Now, she starts to slow down as she gets near the spot I usually ask and although it's still a work in progress, she is vastly improved and has started offering the sit (so asking for permission, essentially) about half the time.  Only did it on the main spot originally but started doing it at the second now and she picked it up doubley quick without any on-lead work.

I also recall reading about someone who had the same issue as you with an akita and taught her this on the long line, the dog now runs back to the owner to touch her hand - ask permission - and will not go play unless she's given the specific release cue.

I'm with Carrington on this. Nothing wrong in having 6 dogs off lead. What about commercial dog walkers? They regualrly have more than that off lead. I walk my 4 with clients dogs and walk up to 7/8 dogs at a time in huge open fields where I can see for miles and avoid people or they can avoid me!! Huskys can be hard to train for recall but they need off lead exercise same as any dog and I would have been amazed to see 6 with perfect recall. She's to be admired!!

Wrong to let the dogs go over to you but nothing happened. I have 4 dogs who are off lead everyday on our 2 walks I don't put them on leads when I see people I don't feel it's necessary. They come close and walk with me, I spend more time defending my lot from staffies than anything else. And making them lie down so other people can get their dogs back from mine!!

I think the point that is coming through is that many people feel intimidated by that many dogs off lead and so its a courtesy to call your dogs in, as described by happy hound girl described, or put them on leads. In my area there was a dog walker who walked with over 10 dogs off lead in a town park. He stayed well away from others and generally kept them all calm. But the outing was more about keeping the dogs calm rather than fun exercise and i certainly wouldn't have paid him to take out my dogs! In the last 2 years our local authority, and those surrounding ours, have introduced dog control orders limiting each adult to 4 dogs at a time which i imagine has impacted on a few dog walker's livelihoods.

> Huskys can be hard to train for recall but they need off lead exercise same as any dog and I would have been amazed to see 6 with perfect recall. She's to be admired!!

It isn't simply a case of them being hard to train - the vast majority of huskies simply cannot be trusted off lead, regardless of how much training they've had.  These dogs have been for hundreds of years to run, very fast, in one direction, away from their handler's voice - so when they are off lead, that is what they tend to do!

The only safe way to let them off is in a totally (and I do mean totally - they are escape artists too) enclosed area.  The alternative is to give them a LOT of on-lead exercise coupled with a lot of mental work to tire them out (although they should have that regardless of what exercise they get, of course), or take up a sport with them such as cani-X, scootering or full-on racing.

It's why I decided against a malamute (same issues) when I was looking for my first dog - 4 years of research told me that I am not the right sort of person for either breed because them being permanently on-lead irritates me (not the idea that they aren't running free, the actual lead walking irritates me - I can't stand it!).  I find it frustrating enough that my oldie has to be on lead at the park!