# Who else is nervous of letting their dog off lead?



## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Hiya

Ollie's recall has been going well and I've retrained him from loosing it at his teenage phase. But I've never been able to trust him off lead in wooded areas as he tends to lose focus and just run into the woods and not stay on the path. He does listen to me but not as much as in open spaces. In open spaces, he doesn't find everything that smelly or interesting so just trots around and comes to me straight away. in woods, his nose is to the ground and if he smells a rabbit, he's off. So now, he's on a long line in all wooded areas, and off lead totally in fields or parks. The problem is there is only one park that is safe enough to let him totally off lead because the other fields and parks in the area have holes in their fences. And we have tons of woods around us, but hardly any parks or fields. It's quite sad really that a small park is the only place he can go off lead. I know he's a cocker spaniel and he's bred to smell game in undergrowth, but he's supposed to listen to me, not to his instincts. What else can i do? I've been retraining his recall for 4 months, and he's done fab, but I don't know if there are any other fields I can go to in my area (north west london, watford area) or if i should just keep him on a long line in woods?


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## gungirl (Aug 30, 2009)

What treat are you using with recall? maybe you could get something extra special for it? Maybe even try rabbit? something that he only gets when he is recalled??


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Sammy can be a nightmare. When he gets over excited, he can bark at people and it is not nice. I have started to take his very favourite toy out with me and it seemed to work a treat! With 3 dogs, it is difficult as with their individual problems, I have to walk them off lead seperately.

I know you have worked really hard on his recall, but I think, when you get a breed like yours and they have such strong instincts, it is difficult. Hopefully time will make him better.

How about some advanced gun dog training? 

I think you have probably done as much as you can on your own. I would consider outside help, if not already done.

You have shown huge dedication to his training, so don;t be too disheartened x


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Thanks goodvic2.  I think i've done all i can on my own. I know he's a cocker spaniel and he's going to have this instinct but it's awful to see him just on a long line near enough everywhere we go. i might see about gundog training. 

i use sausages and chicken, and he does come back for those. he's not interested in toys that much, he can take them or leave them. should i try whistle training? or would he still run off in a woods?

edit: he does come back to me in a wooded area, but you can see his mind is clearly distracted and he can sometimes not come back (hence the long line), so it only takes one sniff of a rabbit for him to be off, and that scares me too much to let him totally off.


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## moboyd (Sep 29, 2009)

Non of mine get let off their leads unless I am in a fully enclosed area, they are a nightmare to get back especially if they are full of beans so i just dont do it, its not worth it,

Mo


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

My park's tennis courts has got new fencing so I may be able to take him there to let him off lead. Where do you go to let them off lead, moboyd? there's hardly anywhere that's not totally enclosed or has got holes cut in the fence.


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

I have springers and have let them off lead from 12 weeks when they were first allowed out which makes recall much easier. If he ignores you in woods fields its because whatever is there is much more interesting than you or what you have, so what reason has he got to want to come back? so you have to take a high/higher value treat than the treats he has any other time, liver cake is a great one, chicken is also a good one.


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## KenDoddsDadsDog (Aug 26, 2009)

I feel your pain Seven_Pets. Using a long line around trees is an absolute nightmare! I'm sure my dog knows exactly which side of each tree to go in order to create some sort of rope cats-cradle. :cursing:


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## sequeena (Apr 30, 2009)

I'm confident with letting my lot off the lead, including the pup as she follows the dog or us and comes back when we call them


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## Ducky (Nov 23, 2008)

i am extremely nervous about letting my dog off lead but only because ive made myself so. just because of what happened to bailey. i know that he was a beagle and had strong strong instincts to hunt and chase things. 

but now with skye (flat coat), she is very very people orientated, and never wants to be far from me. i have never let her off lead myself.

she gets let offlead everyday though, but by my parents. im still too nervous to do it, even though i know she will come back. she has already proved she has excellent recall. i will get over it, i hope!


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## ad_1980 (Jan 28, 2009)

I feel nervous when it comes to Dante because he can be rather ignorant. With Mika i sometimes feel a bit, esp when you see big dogs around. I'm so scared he's going to get trampled on!


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## xxsarahpopsxx (Sep 30, 2009)

I never really to be that nervos but now I am considerably more since some guy tried to hit geordie because his dog was wanting to play with her


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## sid&kira (Oct 15, 2009)

kiras never allowed off lead, i know some people can walk their sibes off lead but kira has no recall whatsoever, especially since she caught and killed a rabbit in the feild :blushing:

gunna get her a 100ft lead very soon for the feild and the woods but i can imagine the fun we're gunna have with the bushes and trees


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## Guest (Oct 19, 2009)

I'm very careful where I let Alfie off lead now, but only because I'm worried that if he did go for a sprint after a deer, he may hurt his leg.
I'm lucky to have 3 walks that I am happy to let him free


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## lifeizsweet (Jun 7, 2009)

if there isn't any other people or dogs, he's fine but he just doesn't listen when there are distractions.


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

It's amazing the amount of people who have problems.

Don't know about anyone else, but sometimes I feel as though it is just me and everybody else has perfect dogs!


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## canuckjill (Jun 25, 2008)

The Sheltie and Shih Tzu have great recall the Rough Collie nope she would rather go visit the cows, horses, sheep or children after all mom shouldn't they all be in one spot LOL...Jill


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## sid&kira (Oct 15, 2009)

goodvic2 said:


> It's amazing the amount of people who have problems.
> 
> Don't know about anyone else, but sometimes I feel as though it is just me and everybody else has perfect dogs!


i wish i could let her off but everything you read about sibes says never to let them off... ever... lol and i dont wanna take that risk.


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## MarKalAm (Sep 6, 2008)

I don't let mine off, but I have a walking belt and go for a run with him, keeps me fit too


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## brackensmom (Jun 15, 2009)

goodvic2 said:


> It's amazing the amount of people who have problems.
> 
> Don't know about anyone else, but sometimes I feel as though it is just me and everybody else has perfect dogs!


yes reasurring to know we are not alone,


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

i am now i never was but as soon as zeb him 9.5months his ear switched off!! 
A few weeks ago oh was walking him off lead for his last walk (whch is late at night) and he legged it up the road near a road and was close to being hit by a car. It scared Oh that the fact hes being doing this walk every day for 7months off lead and the one times he legged it he couldve been seriously hurt 
Now hes on lead at all times, and we are buying a long line to hopefully get his recall back 

Bears is pretty good to be honest his is around 98% mainly because he doesnt like leaving me for long


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## Natik (Mar 9, 2008)

mine are off lead most of the time ... im just more wary of letting them off when there are other dogs around but when i see the dogs mind their own business with their owners then mine are being let off too


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

haeveymolly said:


> I have springers and have let them off lead from 12 weeks when they were first allowed out which makes recall much easier. If he ignores you in woods fields its because whatever is there is much more interesting than you or what you have, so what reason has he got to want to come back? so you have to take a high/higher value treat than the treats he has any other time, liver cake is a great one, chicken is also a good one.


i use chicken and sausages but he's much rather have rabbit if he finds one. in fields, he's much more responsive and just trots along and minds his own business and comes when called all the time, but as soon as we hit any trees or woods, his mind switches and it's too many smells to think about me. i might try liver cake. can you buy it or do you have to make it?


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## bullet (Jan 25, 2009)

Frollicks are a good recall aid, and you can break them into small pieces. Problem is, nearly every dog we meet can smell them in my back pocket and they start following me much to the annoyance of their owners.


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