im looking for reasurance really. can anyone tell me whether my dogs will get enough exercise on long leads? one is 4 and only trots around anyway, the other is 3 and does more running. in the last few days, the older one suddenly trotted off towards the gate that leads to the main road, it was shut but they can open it if they push it. at the last minute she turned and came back but that gave me kittens. yeaterday the younger one suddenly chased a seagull (which was 30 feet in the air) and ran toward another exit-not near a main road, she actually went out the gate and then ran back in-more kittens for me. i then had a text from a friend saying her little dog (12) had been killed by a car the night before! now im being paranoid and have decided to keep them on extender leads. hub says its cruel to not allow free running but im so scared to let them off. will i permanently damage them if i keep them on long leads? opinions please.
thanks.

I would first of all go right around the garden, checking that there are no little gaps for them to get through - and also find some way of securing the gate (even if only with string/tape/belt) so that they cannot get out beforeyou work out a way in which to fasten the gate more securely.   Our gate from our back garden has a clip fastening at the top - and a goat-proof bolt half way down.   I wouldn't want to leave them in the garden on extended leads - what if they get themselves caught around something - or tie each other up whilst your back is turned?   Quite easily done!  Other than that, you'll have to stay out in the garden with them!

Margot

sorry i am obviously not clear, i am talking about our walk in the park, not our garden which is secure!

Whoops!  Sorry - in that case then, until you are absolutely confident with their recall, I would be inclined to keep them both on leads - accidents can and do happen!  

Margot

My park is actually an island, surrounded by roads, two being very fast one being one of the  city ring roads.  People do walk the dogs off lead and normally they do stay in the park... but it only takes once and is not worth the risk.

I walk mine on a lead but I take them up to a central area of the park for off lead exercises where I can play ball and run them around well away from the main road.   A lot of people do put on  pressure for the dogs to be off lead but I rather try to keep my dogs safe...but they do need some of both because it is the running that gets the heart pumping and keeps them fit and healthy. 

Funny my hubby is the other way round he can't understand why I like the dogs to have time to be off lead..he thinks it is okay to be on lead.

We have a 2 year old Golden whose recall is ok but not perfect especially when other dogs are about :rolleyes:  She goes off lead only where there it is very difficult for her to get to a road or in our local "park" (a small field) which is fenced off with only a gate where she could get out.  I also tend to take a ball with me so that she can be focused on playing with me so that I can keep her close and away from danger or distractions.

thanks for replies. its a shame because the young ones recall was perfect and she was easily focused on her ball untill she killed a squirell in the park last year. now shes a hunter and if she sees something to chase thats it and her recall is out the window! bummer

Depends on the dog I'd say.  All of mine need off-lead running every day, but I do as you do and restrict where it happens.  It varies with each dog too - if we go to the park Soli is only allowed off-lead in the playing field if it's deserted, as her recall is good alone but non-existant with other dogs around (or if she sees someone who might have a dog).  Whereas Remy and Opi can go round the park a bit more off-lead because they are more reliable, River can go most places off lead as she has good recall too.

I've seen dogs that would be fine on-lead all the time though - heck, Remy probably wouldn't mind as he's so unfit and lazy at the moment.  It's horses for courses I think.

this topic interests me at the moment, because i am vetting potential pup owners and one of them said they would not be able to let the hound off on their daily walk because of the proximity of the road. i was quite aghast that anyone should imagine that a life on a flexi lead was suitable for a large active hunting breed and made it quite clear that they would have to put in a lot more effort before i would consider them.....they needed to find somewhere they could let him/her off that was  fully fenced and safe.

in an ideal world i would own several acres of secure land and walk my dogs on it! the reality however is that most of us are at the mercy of public parks or beaches which are very rarely secure. i thought hounds could never be let off anyway due to hunting instincts? i was told basenji/bassets/huskies/greyhounds can never be let off- not sure if its correct. i let mine off fine when they were pups that cling to your legs but now i just dont feel safe anymore. since walking on the long lead i find i walk for much longer so hope they get enough exercise.

I would think you just need to put more work into finding somewhere where your dogs can have an off lead run, even if you have to travel to it and even if it's not every day but say every second day. The easiest, closest park is not always the best one for our dogs. I can walk my collies anywhere as they are very ball focused and have excellent recalls...but my borzois need more thought put into their walks. I don't own my own land but have spent ages driving around finding suitable places to exercise them - I now have a 'bank' of fields that I use depending on them being empty. The furthest away one is a 15min car journey but well worth it for an off lead, no hassle walk. On the odd day in winter when the roads weren't cleared and I couldn't get to their fields I take them to the local 5-a-side football pitch late in the evening and early in the morning. These, and tennis courts, are usually fully fenced with only one exit that you can tie a lead round :)

I have to walk my Akita on a lunge rein (about 20ft long i think) because she is a very, very keen hunter and even though I have and still continue to put alot of effort into her training she will not come back if she doesn't feel like it!  Saying that Akita's are known for not being allowed off lead and I believe they are safer firmly attached to their owners.  I do however run with her and have now started hydrotherapy so I am doing my best to keep her as fit as possible.  She does also have plenty of opportunity to run around the garden like a loon with the other dogs at home!

All my other dogs can run off lead (the Staffie is an exception because of an injury) so I can see both sides of it.  I would love to let my Akita off lead but unless she is fully enclosed eg in a tennis court I wouldn't dream of it.

Not meaning this to come across harsh but dogs need off lead runs to keep them fit and to interact with their surroundings, put yourself in their place if someone told you you had to be attached to a lead for the rest of your life, how would you feel. 

Like someone has already said I have a number of walks that I can go on, some on lead, some off but both of my collies get at least one off lead walk during the day out of their three.  Sometimes with their balls sometimes without. 

If I dont have a reliable recall then I always use a large line so that they can still run around but I can still have the control of being able to get them back just in case.  Luckily I do have two very realiable recalls.

>Not meaning this to come across harsh but dogs need off lead runs to keep them fit and to interact with their surroundings<

Do they?

Staff has said that he/she runs with his/her dog.  I would have thought that would be a challenge for many dogs regularly off lead!

And they interact with their surroundings via their noses, which they can still do if you have a long lead and/or lots of patience! :-)

Of course off-lead exercise is preferable but if you have to walk near roads then it makes sense to be careful.

I would have thought that the amount of time spent exercising was more important than the pace of the exercise.  My dogs certainly think so - off lead they will still choose to spend 2 hours walking and 2 minutes chasing each other - not the other way around! :-)

Staff has said that he/she runs with his/her dog.  I would have thought that would be a challenge for many dogs regularly off lead!

A dog OFF lead will run backwards and forwards and stop now and then to sniff, change pace etc -they do not have to keep up the same speed all the time without the possibility of checking something interesting out  a few metres away. On lead, on a flexi, or even on a long line unfortunately cannot be compared to offlead as the dogs simply cannot behave in the same way.

Very true Marianne - my Soli is a perfect example of that.  In an ideal world, she needs two hours' walk a dya, and again ideally, all of that off-lead - but her recall and issues prevent it.  She will NOT recall from other dogs at all, and thinks nothing of running off to hunt small furries - and lately she's developed a rather aggressive streak towards hedgehogs, which of course can't scarper fast enough to get away.

So she's on a flexi everywhere we go, and it simply doesn't allow her the exercise she needs - I'm fortunate enough to have a garden big enough that I can throw a ball for her and she can get a good speed up, but it's still not enough.  UNtil that recall is much, much better she's stuck on - and she's irritated by it.  She's on the longest flexi I could get but it's definitely not enough, and she's such a fruitloop that a long line isn't an option; I've tried, I simply can't control her on it and if a dog was to appear, she would react too quickly for me to reel her in in time.

As far as jogging goes - I've tried that with her, but no, it's not enough.  For her anyway.  She wants to explore, run big zoomies round me and generally be a loon - running in a straight line is just boring.

Although we can let Tara off the lead (her general recall is fine) because off the problems that we have with her and joggers, we are very limited to where and when we can let her off lead :( She is very fast (she's an Aussie) and I have to have a very good view of all entrances to the fields where we walk and the ability to see through hedges and around corners :D :D :D Sudden encounters are a disaster :( Although it is such a long time since we have had one (because of the measures that we take) she might be OK now - but we can't take the risk :( We are very, very fortunate to have been able to buy a house with a field so that she can have unlimited running. Facing the next ten(ish) years with having to restrict her offlead would be very upsetting and not in her best interests :(

Daisy

Your post didn't come across as harsh at all, however, I disagree that dogs need to be off the lead to keep them fit.  My dog is NEVER off the lead because he had no recall when I got him and I, or trainers, haven't been able to teach him.  So he stays on the lead and we take him to the woods, the park, the beach, round the block or wherever.  He does get a lot of exercise and he is very fit and he appears to be very happy as long as he's out.

I agree it is preferable for dogs to be off the lead and running around but with some dogs I just don't think its advisable.  I think if you were a dog, to be attached to a lead for the rest of your life would be a nightmare but only if you weren't going anywhere :)

CG

Hi, yes i find running with any of my dogs will tire them out more than them going for off lead runs.  This is because you are keeping them at a constant pace whereas when they are running round fields they have short burst of energy. 

Don't get me wrong she knows when her free time is as she has a seperate harness and her lunge rein and when she wears this she knows she gets to hunt through hedges, attempt to climb trees, roll around or possibly interact with me if i'm lucky!! I just have to follow her and let her go where she wants.

Edited to say I always think off lead is best for dogs to interact and mix plus run around and be unattached but I don't know one responsible Akita owner that would allow their dog off lead in an open space.

Hi Staff,
You intrest me with your account of the Akita off lead. I walk my dogs all over the place off lead as the Dobe demands it(2 hrs per day). One place we go to occationaly is the local quarry and where we rarely see anyone else. There's is a guy though who has 2 Akitas and lives on the quarry land in a cottage. I have never seen them off lead, ever. And he must also walk one, then the other, as they are never together. The quarry walk is a couple of fields away from the nearest road and there's the river and woods between them. I have always thought his arrangement is strange as I cannot imagine all walks on lead. I wouldn't want to do it as it's hard work for one and the fun of going out with the dogs is surely in the running, the hunting and games in the water etc and to see them grinning with the joy of life.
Do all Akitas have to be on lead or would they just run and run, presumably without looking back? Do they attatch themselves to their owners or are they independant? What are they used for? I always thought they were palace guarding dogs but I bet now I'm completely wrong.

Several other dog owners use the same fenced farmers fields that I do to exercise their (presumably similarly antisocial) dogs. We have an agreement that nobody will let their dogs out a car until the dogs that are in the field are safely back in theirs. I see the same people most days and only know them to wave too in passing - gsd man, gsd/terv man, gsd/goldie woman, weim man and akita man. Yes, there is an akita man, he has 2 akitas that he lets off lead in the field. Anytime I've arrived and they've been loose he's called them back and put them on lead to walk back to the car - they've always came straight back. I guess the worry is with other dogs but if you find somewhere secure surely you could let them off?

They are a hunting dog (some sources say sometimes historically used for fighting to) and are generally very independent, and also very dog dominant, not a good combination in a dog to have safely off lead where it might meet another dog.

I can with care just about deal with my girls off lead that want to hunt and are independent but very sociable, but one that won't stand no challengers would mean they had to stay on lead.  Add to this their size and power.

Brainless is right.  Obviously every dog of the same breed is going to have different characteristics but as a general idea the Akita is a very aloof breed who is independant and has a high prey/hunt drive.  As Brainless says they can be very dog dominant and without an excellant recall it is probably not a good idea to let them off lead.  Every reputable breeder/owner I know would say never let an Akita off lead but I also know of people who do chance it....I personally wouldn't as the safety of my own dogs and other people's comes first.

My Akita bitch will chase birds when they are flying and she'll have no consideration for the fence that is in her way etc....I would hate to think what may happen if she decided to hunt a bird, rabbit etc and chased it onto a road.  She will even chase bits of paper floating down the road without a second thought of bouncing across to catch it!

I have to say though we have great fun out on walks but it involves both of us hunting through hedges, across fields and through the woods....even in little lakes etc.  She also has walks with the other dogs at home and gets to play with them aswell, it just involves me trailing 20ft behind!

On another note I do have my house up for sale as i'm hoping to buy somewhere with more land so they can run even more freely at home.

>I think if you were a dog, to be attached to a lead for the rest of your life would be a nightmare but only if you weren't going anywhere<

We agree with that!

Psssst Jane.. you should try it!!! :D :D Go Borzois!!LMSO

Can I share that borzoi trap pic?

Here's the site Barbara (The Lady I went to visit in Finland told me about them)
http://www.sylvanborzoi.com/driving/driving.html

Wow! I wouldn't trust Toto and Tchi to pull me anywhere other than to the nearest hedgrerow to go bunny hunting :D

Oooh I like those. :D Are there any pics of different breeds doing that anywhere?

> Edited to say I always think off lead is best for dogs to interact and mix plus run around and be unattached but I don't know one responsible Akita owner that would allow their dog off lead in an open space.

I've met an off lead Akita on our walk on the playing field. She stuck fairly close to her owner, and enjoyed playing with my dogs. Not typical of the breed from what people say, but I didn't feel it was irresponsible for her to be off lead, so I guess it also has to be on a dog -by -dog basis.

> take them to the local 5-a-side football pitch late in the evening and early in the morning. These, and tennis courts, are usually fully fenced with only one exit that you can tie a lead round 

Are you allowed to do that? I didn't think dogs were allowed on tennis courts and football pitches and things - but I've always looked and thought they would make great enclosed running around spaces. So many open spaces are just too near roads for my liking with a HPR breed that covers distances very fast....

A point which everyone has forgotten about extending lead is the famous Tangle!

Dogs need to be off lead to say hello to other dogs, other wise leads get tangled, theyre excited but restrained and this sends them even more excited and you have to do the shameful ''you hold yours and i'll get this bit.....oh no!!...wait there and i'll untangle him.....''

Dogs should be off lead as much as possible, Mitz is off lead on every single walk from the age of 8 months.
But only if the dog is trained should it be off lead, which it should be, if you are a responsible dog owner, and got a dog for the right reasons! :)

> But only if the dog is trained should it be off lead, which it should be, if you are a responsible dog owner, and got a dog for the right reasons

LOL :)

Daisy

I don't think dogs should be off lead on every single walk as road walking is also very beneficial to training etc and is also a good way of building muscle.  With large breed pups you have to be careful not to overdue the off lead exercise while young.

My Akita is very well trained and I am a very responsible dog owner and I have got her along with my other dogs for the right reasons....however this does not allow me to let her off lead.  I think my Akita has a fantastic life even though she stays on lead at all times when out and about, i'm happy in the knowledge that she is safe.

Yeah on the road to the walk obviously on lead for safety etc, I would never walk Mitz off lead next to a road, never, but in parks and woods on lead isnt right IMHO. :)

Its like someone who doest like a dog being crated, its the same feeling I get when I see a dog on a lead being walked in a wood and I just think, The poor thing! All this space and it cant even stretch its legs or run up to dogs, or just scarper like a loon and get tired!

Just my opinion :D

(hides under table waiting for the onslaught of abuse to start) LOL only kidding! :D

On the other hand though Rach it depends on the breed. My dog has good recall but my bitch who is a rehome is very unpredictable. They are beagles and she is most definately lead by her nose. We cannot EVER let her off in the woods, her instincts are so strong that even if you have hold of her or have her on a lead she is hard to manage. She pulls constantly, tries to dart up banks, behind trees etc. She is so oblivious to everything else that the few times we have tried she has often come back (not really we have to go and get her) with thorns stuck in her face, around her eyes etc. She gets cuts all over her and she even ran past me once on 3 legs as she was on a scent, had hurt her paw but couldn't possibly stop. My boy is different and is very well behaved and loves the woods. Sometimes we take them to places that they can both be off lead other times we go to the woods for Merlin. You have to weigh up the situation with her. There is a beautiful place near us called saltram house, my girl can only be off lead for half the walk around it and then when we get near the woods she has to go back on a lead. Ironically she is called Angel

But their tiny, they would do as well in the garden.  We have one near me, and no dogs allowed, same with the tennis courts which are locked anyway, so you obviously have to apply to get the key to play tennis.