i was wondering if there were such things as fields that are enclosed for dogs that arent obiedient but can have a good off lead run, do they exist, or am i dreaming?

many thanks
Gemma x

In Uk we dont have dedicated dog play areas as far as I know, but enclosed space can be found. If the dog is really not good at recall it is safer to use a long line until they get the message. Even in an enclosed space there are times you need the dog to obey a recall for safety, and IMHO off lead running is a privilige earned by responding to the owners requests ncluding recall. :)

We have around where we live but we are in the middle of the countryside :)

he will come if he wants to, its just in wide spaces he goes mental and runs off barking!!

i think there should be some areas where people can let their loopy dogs like mine off for a good run!
mine has got in trouble with the farmer before, not a good experience!

I'm not trying to be rude but if you are on his land dog off lead and you not in complete control of your dog not surprising he was't happy. When I lived at home we allways let people walk their dogs on our land until one of the dogs chased my horses and my mare lost her foal. We immediately put notices up telling all people to stay off.

i didnt purposly walk him through sheep field, he ran off and got into sheep field, i was lucky i got to him before farmer shot him!

sorry to hear of the foal xx

Gemma x

Sounds like some serious recall training is required.  After euthanasia having no recall is a leading cause of death in dogs! 

i practised recall with him from moment he came home, went to classes, he was excellent when a pup, had him on long leash, sometimes i let him off lead, he is wonderful, other times he just runs off, nothing will stop him!

Gemma x

I dont think there are many dogs out there that have 100% recall. You just have to get it as good as you can. If we all waited until our dogs were "perfect" they would never get to go off te lead.

Saying that though, if he isnt responsive around animal distractions I would make sure he is never let off in a field adjacent to one with animals in.
You might have to travel further to find one but you shouldnt take the risk, like you said the farmer could easily shoot him.

If however he cant be trusted in fields where there are animals more than one field away, then perhaps he is better permanently on a lunge line until you can do more work with him. Although i think its very hard to train a dog to still recall with distractions, without having proper distractions in the first place

Sorry puts you between a rock and a hard place I guess.

Luckily for me my lab is very lazy and not at all interested in other animals

luckily he doesnt need much excersise, he is on flexi lead all the time he get a god run, and i can rest knowing he wont be shot/run over etc.

i do feel guilty but at the end of the day, if i let him of the lead hed certainly die, i have spent so much time training him on long long leads hes perfect, but as soon as he is free, hes off....

its a shame, thats why i wanted to know if there were enclosed areas, oh well! thanks anyway people!!

xx

p.s can farmers legally shoot dogs??

Gemma x

Yes farmers can legally shoot dogs if they are worrying livestock; this term can mean just being in the same field; they do not have to be actually chasing them or attacking them.

What breed is your dog? And how old is it?

thats quite worrying!

he is a cairn terrier, they are lovely little dogs, but have a high chase drive! he is 5yrs and neutered!

they are supposed to be one of the trainable terriers but id like them to meet my little terror!

saying that i dont think hes being disobiedient, hes doing what terriers do! im just used to the lab obeidience i guess :)

Great if he has a high prey drive then you can direct this onto toys and get him to chase those instead!

that was my exact thought!!, so i tried that, hes too clever for his own good, he takes no notice of balls or anything on walks, on constant look out for tasty rabbits!!

i really have tried everything, any  more ideas?

thanks for the help!
Gemma x

Gemma,

Cairns do not need to be exercised off lead.   If you are using a long flexilead, taking your dog on interesting walks and providing plenty of playtime there is no problem.

Stacey

errrrr,

i think your dogs behaviour suggests he might well need more exercise, mine can be very well behaved at times, but under exercised and ive got very little chance of either of htem listening to me.

Do more training, (not specifically recall training, just training in general) and more exercise, and i suspect the recall will improve.

Em

more than an hour and a half a day??

do you have a cairn em?

Em,

Cairn terriers will never be 100% in terms of recall.  Most far from it, regardless of the amount of training or exercise.   I know of several Cairn breeders who ask puppy buyers to sign a contract stating that they will never let their dogs off lead except in a contained area. 

Not every breed is trustworthy off lead, and Cairns are one of them.   I know someone who trained her dog up to tracking in obedience, but even she would not let them off lead.  They are game little dogs and instinct will take over every time, with rare exception.

The only Cairn owner/breeder I knew who let her dogs of lead lived deep in the countryside.   There were miles of dirt roads to get to her house - and no cars anywhere.   I have to say she did not actually train them, she had too many dogs, but like most dogs they really have no desire to run away and not come back.  It's coming back exactly when you want them to that's the problem.

My own Cairn will happily come to me when I call but that goes out the window when confronted with anything furry or feathered. I've owned and trained GSDs and I know how it's supposed to work :-)  Luckily Cairns are small dogs with short legs and a long flexilead gives them plenty of room to explore.    Not to mention off lead in a field I would have to hose the poo out of her coat, which is not something I would want to do too often.  Terriers do like to drop and roll in anything smelly.  It's great hunting instinct, but not for a house pet.

Stacey

dont you just love them! :)

my little boy is a great dog (well he thinks hes a cat)
i would love to let him run free, but its just not worth the risk!

my neighbour who owns scrumpy-jack's (my cairn) mum and brother, lets them off lead, they run off, she has to go home and leave door open they return later, but to get home is a busy main road, i cant believe she does it but there we go!!

Gem + SJ x

So now you just need a 30ft tracking line and harness so SJ can explore and chase while your mind is easier :D I do sympathise with you as my dog will do the exact same thing as SJ and we have to go back to basics every so often with the lunge line. This is why I think him getting off lead is a privilige. It does take hard work to  interest some dogs in toys and Ive been at it a while with mine. He now does play with me outside but the whiff of rabbit in the morning can be too tempting, as can the arrival of another dog and then hes off to answer the Call of the Wild! Hope to hear more of SJs exploits. :)

Gem.

Love your Cairn's name, Scrumpy-Jack!

Let's hope that you neighbor's Cairns stay safe.  I could never risk it with mine.  My own street is relatively quiet in terms of traffic, but at the end of the road there is a very busy street.   Even so,  I have several neighbors that let their dogs roam. 

It amazes me the chances some people are willing to take with the lives of their pets.  Several people on this forum have said that most people in the UK do not let dogs roam free.  Well, you cannot prove it in my area.  It's one of the reasons (if not the only reason) I had my Cairn spayed.  (The other reason being my husband, who is way too casual in terms of Cairn-watching.)

Stacey