Dog walking off leash

So I guess you'll all be happy to note that my off leash dog isn't breaking any laws.

ORIGINAL: KarissaKS

I break the law in the nation's capitol daily.  Many people do.  I keep the leash in my back ocket but on most days it does not come out.  Its a lasso type leash and I can get it on her quite quickly.  It does not connect to her collar.
 
I've had my dog for about a year and she was just under a year old (so we were told) when we adopted her as a rescue.  For months I walked her on a leash and laid the groundwork for off leash walking.  When I started this I was not really thinking of off leash but teaching some commands that help on leash.  Those commands are  stop, switch (sides), slow, heel and move.
 
Most times on our walk I just say "enh" and my dog knows when that means she's too far ahead or move along from what you're sniffing or no you cannot chase that squirell.  I walk my dog in Rock Creek (National) Park which is directly across the street from my house.  I usually walk her within 90 minutes of dusk when the oldsters at the nearby retirement and most others are out of the park.  We encounter other off leash dog walkers and have never had a problem with aggressive dogs.  She knows not to approach unknown off leash dogs quickly.
 
She has several buddies that she recognizes quickly and they break into "chase and be chased" within seconds.  I also let her chase deer and squirrels in certain areas but she will not chase if I tell her not to.  Over half of our walk is in the woods unless we go on our extended walk.  Part of our extended walk is on streets with no sidewalk where she walks as if on an  invisible leash when I want her to.  Most of the first mile is on the paved path beside streets.  She is never interested in going near people who do not have dogs.  She will just watch but not seek to meet other dogs if I tell her to heel.
 
We have now done this at least a couple of hundred times without issue.

I let my dog run around without a leash at the big city park where I work just about all day long.

And I call him to me several times an hour. And if he doesn't come to me immediately, I go get him and he gets tethered to me or put in the car for awhile.

If I didn't have an excellent recall, and if my dog didn't have really good dog social skills (really good at avoiding dogs on a leash, especially good at avoiding dogs that show aggression), and generally not have any bad habits beyond garbage eating...

...then I wouldn't consider it. It's rude in the extreme not to have your dogs under your control at all times in shared space.

isn't that the whole point of doing an off-leash walk? so the dog can get in lots of sniffing and more exercise than on -leash? I train my guys to stay within thirty feet (length of a long-line) and come back immediately when called, in case we do see another dog or person.

 
 
Yep, that's how I work it with my gang....

There is a walk and then there is a walk.........
 
When we are in town the dogs are leashed.  Again, this is for their own safety.  Excellent recalls don't mean spit when there is traffic.  And yes, we do have a leash law here in our tiny village, but for me it isn't so much about obeying the law as it is about keeping my crew SAFE.  Are my dogs trained to stop and sit when they come to a street?  You betcha, but it only takes  a heartbeat for some fool to jump a curb because they are driving a giant tank and talking on their cell phone which requires so much more attention than say, driving said giant tank[:@].  Or watching for foot traffic, human or canine.
 
Walking in town is not about exercise.  It's about maintaining our leash manners.  It's a chance to practice and reinforce what we've already learned.
 
A real walk is a romp through the fields  and woods.  I'm a wuss and I don't do those walks during the warmer months when the snakes are out.  I'm phobic and unreasonably terrified of snakes and I'm afraid that the dogs pay the price for that.  I do take them into town however for a good romp in a city block fenced school yard where they can SAFELY be off lead.....and where my heart isn't racing out of fear of aforementioned slithery things!
 
This is my opinion and I know that many do not share it, but I think that it is cruel to allow a dog to chase and terrorize a deer or a squirrel or any other wildlife. We are invading THEIR domain and I do not allow mine to give chase.  Ever.

ORIGINAL: fisher6000

I let my dog run around without a leash at the big city park where I work just about all day long.

And I call him to me several times an hour. And if he doesn't come to me immediately, I go get him and he gets tethered to me or put in the car for awhile.

If I didn't have an excellent recall, and if my dog didn't have really good dog social skills (really good at avoiding dogs on a leash, especially good at avoiding dogs that show aggression), and generally not have any bad habits beyond garbage eating...

...then I wouldn't consider it. It's rude in the extreme not to have your dogs under your control at all times in shared space.

I think it is rude to have a dog run loose in a city park and so do alot of other dog owners and people in the park.

I would consider it a personal favor if ya'll would NOT react negatively to that last post.

I didn't read the whole thread, but I walk Emma off leash all the time. She has a rock solid recall (she's called off of a bloody dog fight, and several running rabbits, I mean SOLID), and she listens very, very well. She'll drop into a down at any distance that she can hear me. She knows left, right, back up, stop, faster, slow down, etc. She'll also leap into my arms on command, which gets her out of harms way (she also leaps into my arms when she's uncomfortable with a situation). I really don't worry about her getting into trouble, because she does listen so well.
 
Teenie, on the other hand, will *never* be walked off leash. She will chase after and attack another dog, and she'll chase after kids. She does not have a solid recall, or even a solid enough "sit" to take it at a distance. She's the kind of dog I see loose all over. The not-safe kind. It would be very scary to have her running free, and I'll never allow it.

Glenda, I don't think that most people who walk their dogs off leash allow their dogs to chase animals....

someone posted above that they did, which is why I commented on it.

Glenda, I don't think that most people who walk their dogs off leash allow their dogs to chase animals....

ORIGINAL: snownose

I may be in the minority but I do! I don't have a Greyhound.  I seriously doubt my dog will ever catch up to a healthy deer or squirrel.  At maybe 55 pounds now and close to 2 years old she's not a big Shepherd.  I do not believe squirrels are traumatized by being chased and doubt that adult deer are either. 
 
Some squirrels seem to treat it as play and appear to taunt and dare her to chase.  Even when they go up the tree they don't go much farther than just out of reach.  There is no element of surprise as there might be with coyotes hunting.  When we're on the unpaved trails I make enough crunching noise with every step that any wildlife around is alerted and looking in our direction.  Her collar also tinkles from the tags on it.  With deer most times she's is chasing from such a distance that the game is over before it starts.  I do not allow her to chase when there are other people or dogs around and do not allow chasing fawns since the mother is likely around and will attack as well as the fact that she is more likely to catch them.
 
I was a little nervous yesterday when I pointed out a buck that was about 50 yards from us that she did not see initially.  She'll usually start running in a direction when I tell her to and sight the animal after a few steps.  The buck started running when it saw her.  If it didn't she had plenty of time assess and avoid.  She will break off a chase if I clap or whistle but I usually do not need to because she gives up the chase on her own.
 
On yesterday's walk we did not encounter any joggers or dog walkers whatsoever in the woods portion of our walk which is over a mile (I have a pedometer).  That is the exception but the people with dogs that we encounter are usually ones we are familiar with.  We walk this route every day.

JMHO and clearly not a popular one, but I believe that we as humans are already encroaching enough on lands that did belong to the wild animals.  It's not enough to take their homes and confine them to ever smaller areas (hmmmm, much like we did with the Native American), NOW we get to turn our dogs loose on them? (hmmm, again, much like we did to the Native American) Have you ever SEEN a really PO'd buck?  They can kill a dog readily, regardless of it's size.
 
WE are supposed to be the intelligent species yet we think nothing of endangering the wildlife by poaching their habitats and allowing our dogs to terrorize them.  I have yet to see a bunny who LIKES being chased...they scream in terror. And I sure don't want the squirrel we happen on to be a RABID one. 
 
I try not only to respect Mother Earth and Nature, but to tread lightly.  Same goes for my dogs. And while it is NOT against the law here for them to chase small game, it very much IS against the law to allow them to run deer.

ORIGINAL: Bobsk8

ORIGINAL: fisher6000

I let my dog run around without a leash at the big city park where I work just about all day long.

And I call him to me several times an hour. And if he doesn't come to me immediately, I go get him and he gets tethered to me or put in the car for awhile.

If I didn't have an excellent recall, and if my dog didn't have really good dog social skills (really good at avoiding dogs on a leash, especially good at avoiding dogs that show aggression), and generally not have any bad habits beyond garbage eating...

...then I wouldn't consider it. It's rude in the extreme not to have your dogs under your control at all times in shared space.

I think it is rude to have a dog run loose in a city park and so do alot of other dog owners and people in the park.

To be perfectly honest, I agree.  My mom is afraid of large dogs, and she gets extremely frightened by strange loose dogs.  It doesn't matter if they come near her or not--if they are loose, she gets nervous.  If the park has leash laws, I don't see how people like her should have to be unnerved while trying to enjoy the park because someone decides to keep their dog off leash.

If the park is off-leash, that's one thing, but if it is on leash, people should be able to enjoy the park without worrying about loose dogs.

I call my dog to me often, watch him to make sure he is not getting into trouble, and don't let him go up to strangers, especially strange dogs or children.

If the park is busy, or if I can't watch my dog, he's tethered or otherwise confined.

If he does not come, I go and get him immediately (or risk ruining his recall).

How is this different than a long flexible lead?

I have to agree with not letting dogs chase wildlife. I *do* let Indy critter to some extent (he's allowed to go after 'pest' wildlife at the farm and that's IT- rodents, rabbits, and the occasional armadillo- we've had to have a Discussion about whether or not skunks are rodents.) But chasing wildlife on public lands is WRONG. 

I'm the wrong person to ask, as I can't stand those in public places.

For someone who is afraid of dogs having them on a leash (even a flexi) is much better than no leash at all.  In addition, it's not like people know how your dog behaves, only you do.  My mom can just avoid the dogs with leashes.  In her mind, however, she cannot avoid unleashed dogs.  It really hampers her enjoyment of the park because she is nervous baout the dogs, and that bothers me.

There are probably people who completely avoid the park at certain times because of the dog being loose.  I know that if that park was in my neighborhood I simply wouldn't go to it with my dogs.  Considering that it's a public space that's unfortunate.