Keeping a dog on the lead
@sprite1950 (30461)
Corsham, England
May 20, 2018 3:18am CST
I have two rescue dogs. I can let them off the lead if we are somewhere safe like a field which is not close to roads but always keep them on if we are somewhere near a road.
I was reading a story where a vet recounted how her dog was so well trained that she could let him out the front of the house which was on a main road because he would never run out. One morning while she was getting her daughter into the car she went back in the house to get something, heard a screech of brakes and her dog had been hit by a truck. She said although she believed it would never happen something had distracted him and he ran across the road and now she believes that no dog can be 100% trusted not to run out.
Is your dog well trained? I sometimes see dogs walking alongside their owner without a lead. Can you trust your dog completely not to run out in the road if it was distracted?
10 people like this
11 responses
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
20 May 18
Yes I don't like it when dogs off the lead run up to me and jump all over me with their muddy feet.
2 people like this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
@bagarad When the owner apologises I always say "that's alright" but I'm really thinking "these jeans were clean on today!" I don't let my dogs do that.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
20 May 18
@sprite1950 I don't like to be jumped on even with clean feet.
2 people like this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
We have a garden so my dogs can't get out but there is a big field in front of my house so I can take mine over there off the lead and let them run around.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
23 May 18
@nela13 Yes they don't understand why they feel bad. It's best to put them out of their misery then.
1 person likes this
@nela13 (59367)
• Portugal
21 May 18
@sprite1950 A few years ago I had a dog that was hit by a car, he survived but with a lot of issues.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (52907)
• Mojave, California
20 May 18
Trust me, they see something that makes them curious they will take off . no matter how well behaved. Not that will not comeback eventually, but all that nonsense about perfect dogs do not exist. They can get hurt and why when I do it is 5 in the morning because know they will not get hurt other than a random skunk. No cars or anything that could run them over. It safety for them more than what they will do. Obviously they earned that trust and will not hurt anything or anyone to even let them do that.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
20 May 18
You sound like a very responsible dog owner 
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (52907)
• Mojave, California
20 May 18
@sprite1950 Thank you, not sure about all that, but learned from my mistakes.
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@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
20 May 18
@crossbones27 I think we all make mistakes with them but as long as we love them that's the main thing.
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
That's what this vet said. She was devastated when hers got killed.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
@LadyDuck They do. I always carry a lead even if my dogs are in the field outside my house. You never know when there might be an incident. Some people don't carry them as they think their dog will be safe.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
21 May 18
@sprite1950 You cannot be sure even of humans, how can you trust an animal. Animals follow their instinct.
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@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
It only takes one little incident like a cat running across the road and they will chase after it.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
23 May 18
@aureliah I had a dog that was run over. She survived but she was never the same afterwards
1 person likes this
@aureliah (24687)
• Kenya
27 May 18
@sprite1950 I know that an accident will not leave anyone the same again. That was awful
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
3 Jun 18
Wow they must be well trained. I do see some dogs walking sedately beside their owner and not running into the road. Mine are definitely not like that although I do keep them under control.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
9 Jun 18
@porwest Oh yes I think I've heard of those although some people don't agree with them as they think it's cruel. Once they get used to how far they can go I guess they don't get shocked any more.
1 person likes this
@porwest (112717)
• United States
8 Jun 18
@sprite1950 Well, those invisible fences are a buried line around the perimeter, and then the dogs have collars they wear. When they get close to the buried line it sends a signal to the collar that gives them a shock. The closer they get to it the stronger the shock gets. The dogs eventually learn how close they can comfortably get to the perimeter without getting a shock.
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15526)
• Hartford, Connecticut
21 May 18
I used to walk my two dogs off lead also.. and this is probably very true.. as my bigger dog would sometimes Run across the street chasing another dog.. I often knew what would cause him to ignore what he knew he shouldn't do.. So I would always scout out the road way ahead of us and if I saw something.. another dog maybe I would call him back to me and hold his collar until we passed. he didn't do this very often though.. but .. 100% trust.. to be left out unsupervised.. never.
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15526)
• Hartford, Connecticut
21 May 18
@sprite1950 yes, they go by their instincts.. so they can not reason WHY they aren't supposed to cross the street.. so you always have to be watching them.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
I love dogs but they do need a firm hand sometimes.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 May 18
I had a voice and hand-command trained Akita @sprite1950 . Since I live out in the country, he knew what the boundary lines were BUT, you never know when their 'nose' is talking to them.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
Absolutely true. My little blind dogs is pretty good and she listens for my voice all the time but I would never trust her completely. My other dog is very nervous and it would not take much to make her bolt if she was scared
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
29 May 18
@sprite1950
I feel that if anyone has a dog and they walk the dog they should always have it on a leash. My dog once I trusted her while we were going up the steps to our home and instead of going up when I took her leash off she went back down and wandered off for two hours. I did not know what happened to her but was so relieved when she was home again.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
2 Jun 18
I would be devastated if either of my dogs got lost. They are like my children..
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
3 Jun 18
@sprite1950
I understand what you are saying Snowdrop66.
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@YrNemo (20254)
•
20 May 18
Sounds almost like my neighbor's dog. They trained him very well, and the dog was with them almost like forever. BUT one day, something happened, and the dog just ran across the road and got killed. They got so unhappy losing a good friend that they never have another pet again. (They are in their 80s).
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
That's sad but I wouldn't have a dog at that age as I would be worried that something would happen to me and the dog would be left alone.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30461)
• Corsham, England
21 May 18
Do they keep her on the lead or is she safe to walk without one?
