Cyrus is nearly 1 year old (20th of july) and he has never really been let off the lead to run around its always been on his extension.
He can go from the front door to the car and vice versa by himself unless there is kids around and then he bombs off to see them, and a few times I`ve let him off on the local feild when no one else is around and hes not left my side just followed me round where ever I went but I`ve never had the confidence to let him off around other dogs incase he just runs off.
There isnt anywhere around our area that is secure enough to let him off the lead and teach recall and he doesnt always listen when on his extension lead.

Is there anything I can do, I know many say huskies shouldnt be let off the lead but I know of some owners who can and do and have no problem. We`d really love to let him off as its stopping him playing with other dogs when we are out and about etc as they and their owners get tangled up in his lead

I have spoken with a few people who are confident to have their Husky off lead, the dogs have been in excess of 4 years old and to me seem very steady and controlled.

I have also spoken with owners who have been lulled into a false sense of security with pups up to about 12 months when they seem to be sticking like glue to their owners only to find that when they get the urge to run, if something catches their eye, they run and run and dont look back.  Boys seem to be worse than girls for this but I am no expert.  I have been told about pups and youngsters dying in traffic accidents because of this desire to run,

Ask your breeders opinion, they will know if their dogs are the kind that may return to recall.  My friend, who is a well established breeder herself, advises never to let the dog off unless in an enclosed space.  Dont forget they can climb and jump too.

There is a wealth of advice on the internet about Husky behaviour, but I would allways be guided by my breeder.

I have spoken with a few people who are confident to have their Husky off lead, the dogs have been in excess of 4 years old and to me seem very steady and controlled.

I have also spoken with owners who have been lulled into a false sense of security with pups up to about 12 months when they seem to be sticking like glue to their owners only to find that when they get the urge to run, if something catches their eye, they run and run and dont look back.  Boys seem to be worse than girls for this but I am no expert.  I have been told about pups and youngsters dying in traffic accidents because of this desire to run,

Ask your breeders opinion, they will know if their dogs are the kind that may return to recall.  My friend, who is a well established breeder herself, advises never to let the dog off unless in an enclosed space.  Dont forget they can climb and jump too.

There is a wealth of advice on the internet about Husky behaviour, but I would allways be guided by my breeder.

I really wouldn`t try.    I know how fast my little babes can run pulling a rig...........and how far..................my lot could easily have travelled several miles in the ten minutes or so it would take for me to run around the field trying to find them. We`re only a mile from the motorway.................

Some huskies can be trained to recall..........but maybe only 9 times out of 10...until they see Mr CAT.The main concern I would have is their high prey drive...................all it would take would be for them to see that fluffy little moggy sat lazily on the wall and they would be after it.........potentially right under the wheel of a car.  Same goes for little dogs............

HTH

The main problems with huskies and Malamutes etc is twofold

Firstly, they have a high prey drive ..and whilst they will walk beautifully by your side with nothing else around, once they see a raboot, squirrel or any other small furry or feathered creature , they will be off like a shot. No amount of shouting will bring them back

Secondly, unlike most dogs who *circle* when offlead, Huskies and Mals tend to go for the straight line approach. Much harder to get them back once they have taken off

It *can* be done ...we let our Mals offlead in a safe area. This is a field with fences ALL around and one entrance ...so we can see what is around and if there are any other people or dogs. They can chase pheasants and rabbits until their hearts content but they can't get away

If you let your dog off lead you are taking a risk ..it is up to you to decide whether or not that risk is acceptable

Speak to husky experts - long time owners, breed society, racers, breed rescue. They will all tell you the same thing - NEVER let your Sibe off lead unless in an enclosed area, not even to the car and front door and back. If a cat went past he would be gone and you may never see him again. These ppl don't say it for the fun of it. They know what they are talking about and with good reason. If you are that desperate to let him off find some tennis courts with 8 foot plus high fencing and padlock yourself in so no one can open the gate. Every year countless Sibes die from being hit by cars, getting shot by farmers etc because ppl think their dog is different. Also, don't forget that as he is only a year old he is still a pup (Sibes are late maturers) and so he is more likely to stay put the first couple of times he's off lead due to lack of confidence but one day he will grow up and he wont give you any prior warning.

I love Sibes and would love one myself, they are by far my favourite breed and I did years of research into them, was in touch with Sibe rescue and everything but in the end I had a little doubt about how I would cope so I got another collie instead. I went to races, spoke to every single expert I could so there is no way I would ever recommend letting one go.

You will always meet someone who knows someone or is someone who lets them off without problems but then I know someone who knows someone who smoked and died at 100 and fed dogs chocolate every day who are still going at 16, etc. Get the idea? 

hi Emma as the others have said yes there may be the odd few who do let theirs off lead  and so far they have been very very lucky IMHO i wouldnt take the chance :-(

when i was waiting on the long 8 weeks before i could collect my girl last year  i regularly met another husky owner who walked his offlead in our local park where there are ducks/squirrels/swans and deer in the woods he  always EVENTUALLY SO FAR has come back he has since added another and does the same with him he has had no problems SO FAR as i said
but there have been a few compalints about them chasing the squirrels etc and even a few reports that they have killed so he has choosen to just walk them in the woods out of the main park for less hassle

to me if i would rather walk my 3 onlead and get pulled when they see a squirrel etc(thank god for my walky belt lol) than know i couldnt enjoy my walk with them not knowing if some1 else will complain or worse they do run off and this time not come back!!

they have too high a prey drive to want to come back to them the thrill of this furry thing running about is way to much more intersting than staying obediently by your side :-(

i always get comments on how well they walk onlead UNTIL they see another dog, they love meeting other dogs and saing hello, or a squirrel or duck etc
its in their blood to want to chase this furry thing that dares to have the gall to dangle in front of them like a carrot to a donkey

it is an unfortunate part of being a Siberian Husky owner i know of people who have theirs in a flat and walk them for hours a day to get some of that sibe energy released

i am fortunate that i have a fairly large fenced off back garden that they have the run off to play in as well as their usual walks where sibe olympics take place on a regular basis 

my 1st girls breeder told me of pups she had kept that were only months old, a few years ago the top hatch of the stable door had been left open, the pups jumped the door and got out into local fields and killed some sheep!!

im sure 99% if not 100% of breeders will tell you never to chance it after all as well as the obvious dangers of getting  hit by a car/shot by a farmer  etc you have the worry of how severe their injuries are if not fatal
you have the guilt of knowing that it was caused by you thinking maybe mine will be different

and you also pay out quite a bit of money to bring this wonderful animal into your life and to me opting to give them that freedeom is throwing that well earned money away 

if you want to see them running freely make sure its a high fenced enclosed area, i have heard a few people say they regularly use tennis courts for theirs

good luck with your decision and at the end of the day it is your decision :-D

sorry if i have gone on a bit but all of the above is just MHO :-D 

Michelle & gang xx

Thanks for your very honest opinions guys

I know I will probably never allow him off lead in an unenclosed area, its as you say you hear of the odd person who lets theirs off lead and hear how they have no problems what so ever and its only then that my mind ever so slightly contemplates it, and I thought I would ask you guys on here if you knew if it was possible (even though I already really knew the answer :) )

But if wanting to walk a dog off lead meant not being able to have a husky I would choose to walk my dog on a lead every time :)

>I thought I would ask you guys on here if you knew if it was possible (even though I already really knew the answer

Sometimes it helps just to have our own common sense knowledge reiterated by somebody else doesn't it? :-) Have you ever thought of getting a training rig or scooter or a mountain bike to go out on? All of my coolies run in harness with a bike and I also have a WalkyDog for one at a time running. That way your Sibe can keep fit in complete safety.

>All of my coolies run in harness<

Is that still legal?   :P

:D :D :D Shades of Empire! :D

>All of my coolies run in harness<

>Is that still legal?

Yes but they do complain when their coolies get caught in the buckles. :D

How do sibes/huskies get the proper amount of exercise they need if they are always on the lead? Unless they pull carts every day or whatever i cant understand how they could possibly get enough exercise walking on a leash next to their owners?

My dogs run and run when we go for walkies on the fields,i could never provide the same amount or quality if they were on lead.How do sibe owners exhaust their dogs so their mentally and physically satisfied at the end of the day?

Well Cy goes for a good two hour walk in the morning with my OH and is always tearing around the garden and house during the day and then at night the Cy and I go out for a run together for another good two hours so he gets plenty of exercise

Colliesrus - We are definately looking into training Cy to work in harness and pull a rig even if it is just for exercise :thumbsup: Its good to hear not only the sibes and mals are enjoying the pulling work :)

as i said at the end of the day the final decision whether you want to try him off lead is entirely up to you we can only give our thoughts on the matter :-D

im eaxctly the same as you if it was a choice of whether not to have them or have to walk onlead then theres no choice ther for me either
:-D :-D  have fun with your boy

Bindy asks ........................................

**How do sibes/huskies get the proper amount of exercise they need if they are always on the lead? Unless they pull carts every day or whatever i cant understand how they could possibly get enough exercise walking on a leash next to their owners?**

mines are the same at the moment they get only get walked or.... my husband runs with them with the walky belt on im not that brave lol!

they get up to 2hrs walk a day then we have the back garden fuly fenced off so they can run around till their hearts content with the other dogs

we do intend to get ours running in harness purely for fun whether it be a scooter or a rig, we are definately making that next on the agenda but for now a nice long walk or run suits them just fine oh........ and a few rounds of Sibe olympics everyday goes a long way to help  burn of that Sibe enery :-P  lol

as for walking on a leash NEXT to their owners!! mines are always a few feet in front on long leads, which i think most other sibe owners do too it gives the dogs that little more freedom and its still possible for them to play too ;-)

i have it from both perspectives too as i have a GSD and a collie x both of whom get loads of off lead excercise and yes it would be nice to be able to do it with the sibes too but all the running off lead the other 2 do the sibes get plenty of in the secure garden

im sure that a lot of other different breed owners have dogs that CANT be trusted off lead too and dont chance giving them that freedom to roam

at the end of the day you do what is best for your dog, each person chooses that particular breed for whatever reason and hopefully make sure they have the best quality  of life as part of the family  and understand that breeds needs etc :-D

Michelle & gang xx

The Siberian Husky cub of Grat Britain stae categorically that they should not be allowed off lead, so I would imagine very few, and only in the safets of places.

Michelle there's a guy that goes to the same park as us who has 2 sibes,he and his wife have a scooter each and get the dogs to pull them along,i completely forgot about them. he says this is the only way they can poop their dogs out :)

I may be to sensitive to this,but i feel so sorry for those dogs who can never be let off the lead,personally i couldnt own one,it would just bother me too much :( I sometimes see this Lab who is always on the lead and he looks so longingly at the other dogs running around,playing with each other,my heart just breaks for this dog and others like him. His owners excuse of why he is on the lead is because "he might run off"! I wish he would just take him to training classes!

I've only met a handful of sibes and only 2 were always let off the leash,but the majority are always on.

Cyrus still gets to run about and play with other dogs just on  a long line we get just as much exercise running out the way of it and untangling ourselves.
He is never made to walk right next to us unless the circumstances dictate that he would be better off to be next to us.
He also has his doggy friends come round to his garden and he has a good tear around with them too, in the near future we are hoping to possibly get him a friend of his own to play with so I feel in no way does he loose out when it comes down to it.

This is why I went for the Elkhound they only have the hunting trait to contend with not that and the need to run which the sibes have :D

Sadly there are some in my breed too that son't get to go off lead as you do have to make sure you go to a large safe area so that when the selective hearing kicks in they can't go so far as to get into trouble.

I am very lucky here with enclosed recreation grounds, and several country Parks that are big enough to cope even wsith my Jozi who has been known to b***er off for 15 minutes at a time.

Many owners of hunting and sight hound breeds need to get creative in order to alow safe off lead excersise, but I too couldn't face not being able to let the dogs off at all.

Well i tire mine out with a good run on the rig(only in the winter )And usually in the summer i use a push bike,harness and walkey belt to tire them out.But i am fortunate enough to also have the use of a football field that has a fence all the way around.Tell you what though nothing beats a good run with the dogs at 6 in the morning,it really gets the old body parts awake.I usually get accused of running my dogs to the ground,or have them saying it is cruel to make a dog pull by people who don't know what a husky is really like and the amount of exercise they need.But i have happy heathy dogs so i don't really care.
I have 2 boys and 2 girls and i would not trust any of them off lead(even though the youngest boy got out of the front door once and came back straight away when he heard me pleading with him not to run)It would be my fault if anything happened to the dogs not theirs or the person that may knock them down if they were running loose or the farmer that may shoot them for chasing sheep.Thats why i bought a rig so they could have a run and i really enjoy it too,so we are all happy

hi again  Bindy yes i can see where you are coming from you really have to fully understand the part about not letting offlead before you dive in and decide on a Siberian Husky .....but...... if thought for 1 min mine were not :-D  and i wasnt able to give them what they needed i would in no way have went for this breed :-(

i am 100% certain they are happy with what they get at the moment but im dying to get them on a scooter or rig too which im sure will make them 150% happier lol

i do get to see them off lead happy and enjoying themselves thouroughly with each other in the garden :-D and the other 2 join in 2 its a wonderful sight  :-D     i see this as good as going to the park and seeing them free palying with other dogs only difference is its a home :-D
they still have doggy meetings at the bigger park :-D 

i think the UK should be providing us with dog parks :-( i hear so many Siberian Husky owners in the U.S A comenting how they are off to the dog park its usually at least fenced 6ft high has loads of space for all dogs to run freely as its fully enclosed and things like benched to sit ponds for the dogs to go into etc, they sound ideal lol ;-)  im off to petition!! lmao :-D

Michelle & gang xxx

My mum has a dog park near her too,i was so excited as i hated visting as we had no where to go for them to run.Off i go trotting down to the park only to find that the bars were too wide for me to even dare let them off.But at least it is a start for other dog owners.She lives near to blackpool.

awee really :-D not so good about the bars though :-(  didnt realise there were some in the U.K already :-o

ah wel need to see if there is any in Scotland hee hee

Michelle & gang xx

If you find any Michelle,let me know cos i am moving back to scotland early next year.

:-D will do Shedog  it would be ideal for us Sibe owners to have a fully enclosed dog park :-D

which part are you heading back to??

Michelle & gang xx

Lovely Edinburgh,Can't wait either.The weather is pretty much the same here but i do miss dropping the kids off at grannies,lol

hee hee hope all goes well with the move back then 

and yes thats a welcome bonus having granny near agan :-D

Michelle & gang xx

I have four female Siberians and would never trust any of the little darlings off lead. The instinct to run and their predatory streak really ARE as strong as the VAST majority of those who really know, understand and care about the breed will tell you.

An example:-

One (3 yrs later this month) is particularly independent and headstrong and has been since a tiny puppy. Oddly enough, indoors she is remarkably obedient and will sit and hold a stay while you walk away from her and remain like that until recalled. She will give a paw and wait to take a treat out of your hand until invited. In harness, she runs as my lead dog and will take turns, ignore wildlife (generally) and basically do pretty much what you ask of her. You could easily be lulled into expecting her to do the same thing off lead, outside. However, loose, she is another story completely. I have a large enclosed grass garden that the dogs can run about supervised, as well as a fairly large and very secure concrete based dog run. When this one goes into the garden for exercise, it is (unfortunately) completely down to her when she comes back into the house. She absolutely will NOT come when called. Imagine what she'd be like the park...

I think, essentially, running around playing is pretty boring to a sled dog. They don't really get what other breeds get out of charging round with a lot of strange dogs (not their own pack) in the park or chasing a ball. Mine have access to a large tennis court but after five minutes of chasing around they are all checking out the perimeter, looking for weakness. They always have one eye on the far distance... Remember, they're not wanting to run away from you as such - they're just running and they fully just expect you to be (as pack leader) up there running with them.

The one almost disastrous occasion my lead dog was off lead outside (a complete accident, a landslip left enough of the bottom of the fencing exposed for her to dig out in less than ten minutes unsupervised) was almost the last thing she ever did, running straight across the main road through our village TWICE. I feel incredibly blessed that my baby wasn't hit. And yes, she did eventually slow down a couple of miles later to see why I was running through a wheat field with a raw chicken and I was able to grab her but again,  I WAS VERY VERY LUCKY. My heart still misses several beats when I think about it.

Sorry to go on and on but I feel very strongly about this. I have had various people lecture me that I'm just not training them right. That it's unnatural keeping them restrained. Sadly, we no longer live in a "natural" world and a dog's instinct to roam unchecked will almost certainly be the death of him/her. Like many people with Siberians, I expend vast amounts of time, money and the odd personal injury working my dogs in harness to make sure their generations of breeding - their birthright - to run and to pull are not wasted. I get an awful lot out of it myself, don't get me wrong. The feeling of working with a team of sled-dogs - even a small team like mine - far outweighs the very slight disadvantage of not being able to throw a ball around the park for your dog to fetch. 

:-)