# Border Terrier - off lead or not?



## Mama Sass (Sep 8, 2009)

Basil our border terrier is 5 months old and I have had him off lead in safe, secure areas from the start. His recall so far is really good (as long as there aren't any other dogs about!), and he rarely strays too far from where we are.

However, some people have mentioned that as a terrier he should NEVER be allowed off lead as they have a tendency to chase after anything that runs and ignore any recall they may have learned! Basil is only young and I am anticipating more issues as he reaches adolesence, but we work hard at his recall and have encountered very few issues so far.

Reason I ask is that now he is a bit older we are beginning to go further afield with him, and we often go through some nearby fields with him off lead, and I am worried that I am being irresponsible for letting him off lead.

Just wondered what everyone else thinks? Am I being mad by letting him off?


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## crazybones (Jan 1, 2009)

imo the only way you find out is by trying it... If your happy with his recall then as long their are no roads near then if i was you i would give it a try...


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## Patterdale_lover (Sep 25, 2008)

Who ever said that obviously stereo types  Yes, terriers are very hard headed and fixated on game with a huge prey drive. However with firm obedience and consistant training i should see no problem why your dog shouldn't be let off.
My terrier is an ex worker if she sees something run she will take after it however i have trained her consistantly and she comes straight back to me. I trained this in to her at 7 months and she is an ex worker so the drive is even more intense. You can do it with your pup :thumbup:


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## Sarahnorris (Dec 1, 2008)

Patterdale_lover said:


> However with firm obedience and consistant training i should see no problem why your dog shouldn't be let off.


i agree with patterdale 

or try a long line?


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## Mum2Alfie (Jan 4, 2010)

If its working so far and u havent got a problem, then why change it? If there does become a problem then deal with it when it occurs. Chazz chases thigs, but never goes too far and always comes back when I call him. I know plenty of people on here who has terriors and has no problem. 

Some people can be so closed minded!


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## Mama Sass (Sep 8, 2009)

Patterdale_lover said:


> Who ever said that obviously stereo types  Yes, terriers are very hard headed and fixated on game with a huge prey drive. However with firm obedience and consistant training i should see no problem why your dog shouldn't be let off.
> My terrier is an ex worker if she sees something run she will take after it however i have trained her consistantly and she comes straight back to me. I trained this in to her at 7 months and she is an ex worker so the drive is even more intense. You can do it with your pup :thumbup:


Yay! :thumbup:

So pleased that someone thinks it can be done!

We will continue to work hard on his recall (which I think for a pup is really good anyway) and see how we go. So far it seems as long as he knows we have cheese then we are worth coming back to when we call him!!

It's so lovely to see him trotting and sniffing about and going where he pleases that it would be a shame to stop it.

Thanks for the advice/support!


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## sarybeagle (Nov 4, 2009)

Hi I've got a almost 8 month old beagle and people on hearing this reply with she'll never be off lead, run away, never come when called. Yet she is super on recall, never runs far ahead always stops looks back and if she is too far ahead she soon runs back and muzzles straight into our legs and flops over for belly rubs  

IMO if you know your dog is ok then why change? I'm constantly watching bella just to make sure she is ok, still in sight etc and so far we've been ok. I won't let her off lead if it's not safe I'll leave her long line on but I'm finding I'm taking that off more than leaving it on now  

You know your dog best, like you say you're aware there maybe teething probs when they hit teenage stage-I'm prepared for bells too. Don't let people spoil your walks xx


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## Becki&Daisy (Oct 22, 2009)

I think this sort of thing should be done asap... 

I let Daisy off lead from day 1. She's brilliant on walks and always comes back when called and she's a yorkie/ shih tzu cross so she has that terrier in her! 

Sometimes she likes to chase the birds but if i call her she always stops and comes back.

I don't let her off near roads because although i know she's brillant and a very good girl i just don't trust it. She loves footballs and if someone was to have one and it went across the road i think she'd follow it.... 

I would say see how you go. If your dog is toy motivated take squeaky toys or something to get your dog's attention to come back to you if they won't. Make sure it's somewhere safe and secure.... then if you do this and it's a nightmare i'd reccomend training them on the long line like others have mentioned. I'm sure he'll do you proud though!


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I have a friend with a border terrier and she has always been off lead on walks. She does range around a bit I think but not a problem with coming back. She stays with me sometimes and she doesnt go off at all. In fact, last summer I was walking her with Candy and Candy ran off. I told the border to stay and when I had retrieved Candy she was still waiting for me.


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## Mama Sass (Sep 8, 2009)

Thanks ever so for all your replies...I kind of knew that we were OK but then a couple of people say something and it gets you thinking, you know? 

Took him for his walk around the fields at tea time and he was off lead for most of it with no probs at all. He tends to hang back a bit and have a sniff and then runs really fast to catch up...and he appears to know that when he does catch up, he gets cheese more often than not!! He has me trained well it seems!

I do use a squeaky toy which always works if there are distractions...but today we didn't need it, even when it looked like he was about to leap the ditch and take on the horses in the next field :scared:.

I just said 'Basil, with me' and along he came!! :thumbup:

Thanks again everyone...


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## Raini (Nov 29, 2009)

Hi Mama Sass, we have a 6 month old BT, Harvey, and he's recall is good unless something (anything) more interesting is around and then we can forget it! Because of this we only really let him off lead if no-one else is around, or it's a doggie friend or we have a ball (which he loves) and we are a distance away from whatever else it is. He has a thing for birds and chases them when I let him off lead and say 'get the birdy' (is that naughty of me?) he almost went into the bushes after one but stopped as soon as I said no. He ambles quite far from us sometimes but always comes back and I think he likes this freedom, I think. He also knows what 'Bye Harvey' means when he doesn't want to come back! Maybe we're lucky that he seems to be more interested in birds than anything else but I'd trust him with wildlife much more than other dogs and people (particularly men for some reason he's always preferred them!). So until he shows signs of not being able to contain himself we'll have him off lead whenever we can


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## Mama Sass (Sep 8, 2009)

Raini said:


> Hi Mama Sass, we have a 6 month old BT, Harvey, and he's recall is good unless something (anything) more interesting is around and then we can forget it! Because of this we only really let him off lead if no-one else is around, or it's a doggie friend or we have a ball (which he loves) and we are a distance away from whatever else it is. He has a thing for birds and chases them when I let him off lead and say 'get the birdy' (is that naughty of me?) he almost went into the bushes after one but stopped as soon as I said no. He ambles quite far from us sometimes but always comes back and I think he likes this freedom, I think. He also knows what 'Bye Harvey' means when he doesn't want to come back! Maybe we're lucky that he seems to be more interested in birds than anything else but I'd trust him with wildlife much more than other dogs and people (particularly men for some reason he's always preferred them!). So until he shows signs of not being able to contain himself we'll have him off lead whenever we can


You could almost be describing Basil!! He too has developed a passion for chasing birds! But even when he does chase them off he never goes too far.

And I only let him off unless there's no one else around...if there are kids playing footballl in the park you can forget it - he would be in the middle of the game whether they liked it or not!

I actually think it's about trust at the end of the day. We have shown him that we trust him to come back and he trusts us enough to want to come back. If we continue to work hard and train him well, I can see no reason why he shouldn't enjoy off lead walks all the time.

I love this forum...so much reassurance when you need it!


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## Chocmonster (Feb 23, 2010)

I dream of the day I can let Milly the Terrier cross off her long line. She's getting better and I find that once she's run off the pent up energy she wanders around and I've been tempted a few times then. The one time I did drop the line she spotted another dog before I did and of course nipped off to bark at it. However she's only been with me for two months so it's early days yet.


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

My terrier mix is walked offlead most of the time and there's a chance he has some border terrier in him. If he has a good recall then keep working on it and let him off as much as you can in safe areas obviously


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## aurora (Aug 16, 2008)

both my girls have been off lead from pups when we got them at 8 weeks, i love to see them free running in the fields we have, yes i have to be aware of small furries etc, given half a chance they will run after them, so i try to see them first and go in another direction, and i've always got some smellie treats to get there attention or there ball, they will do anything to play with this one small red ball they have, they have hours of fun playing with it in the fields chacing each other trying to get it off each other. Road walking i do on lead, this is good practice for them, and it is much safer for all concerned.

we are lucky because we have afarm and lots of acres for them to roam about on when i'm out with them, and there is nothing nicer than seeing a happy free running dog, and the added bonus is all the extra exercise they get while they are off the lead

:thumbup:

keep doing what your doing :thumbup:


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Well done! Keep up the good work. Sounds at though you are well on top of the situation.

My little terrier x has been off lead from day one and so far so good too. She is one now. Someone once told me that to get trust, you have to give it.

I have made my mind up that no matter how old or how good she gets, the treats for recall will never stop (because she is a terrier). She checks in with me regularly and if ever I feel she is roaming a bit too far, I hide when she least expects it (making sure it's safe to do so). That works a treat and she soon starts checking in a lot sooner.

Have fun and enjoy your little pup.


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## Mama Sass (Sep 8, 2009)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Well done! Keep up the good work. Sounds at though you are well on top of the situation.
> 
> My little terrier x has been off lead from day one and so far so good too. She is one now. Someone once told me that to get trust, you have to give it.
> 
> ...


I think you're right...I take cheese as treats on our walks as Basil sees this a high value treat. I even treat him at home occasionally if he comes when I call, just to reinforce the message!!

Haven't tried the hiding thing yet but the OH has (he does the first walk of the day!), and he said it worked really well, so that's another trick to use if needed.

I love to see him off lead and I won't stop doing it, and I agree, it is definitely a trust thing. Plus as someone else has said, he gets so much more exercise when he's off lead because he's always running back and forth!

So pleased I was brave enough to do it right from the start, and that the advice is to keep going with it, and I dare say Basil is pleased too!


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## Mum2Alfie (Jan 4, 2010)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Well done! Keep up the good work. Sounds at though you are well on top of the situation.
> 
> My little terrier x has been off lead from day one and so far so good too. She is one now. Someone once told me that to get trust, you have to give it.
> 
> ...


I feel the same with Chazz as well. Cause he is a terrior I dont want to stop the treats. He is doing so well with his recall, even with dogs he will sniff and say hello, then I will keep walking, calling him and when he comes I will treat him. Thats the only time I do have to treat him though. Other times he will come to me straight away.

Cant wait to see how this lil one is at recall! Gonna ask the lady tonight.  Getting really excited!


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## Rocket_Fuel (Apr 16, 2010)

I had the exact same dilema with our cairn terrier...every bit of advice was NEVER let a Cairn off lead but i felt that was just unfair to a wee hunting dog (any dog for that matter!). 
We have let our boy go from day one (deep breath) and along with our field spaniel the 2 of them 'hunt' from the minute we get to the park. They have always returned after a chase and we do not even call them back, we just keep going and they find us/follow us. I feel that if you have a great bond with your dog, terrier or otherwise, his instinct will drive him to you. Our 2 boys think we are all hunting together as a pack so they regroup as soon as the rabbit, bird, duck, deer has managed to give them the slip without a word from us. Occassionally we whistle but thats usually only to let them locate us if they are out of site after a long chase - sure enough, they appear back by our sides! We don't use treats just praise for being such good hunters lol!!
Sounds like your wee fella has a very good bond with you as he returns, just stay relaxed (even when he is on a chase and disappears from view), his bond and instinct will drive him back to you. Glad to hear you took the plunge and let him go, your bond can only get stronger so enjoy your walks/hunts together.:thumbup:


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