Off-Leash Training

[MirkoS]

Hello everyone,

 

So Khaleesi is almost 7 months old and I've worked really hard with her on off-leash training. I've followed all sorts of tips and tricks that I picked from the Internet. She is generally good off-leash, she comes when called, however, that is when she's not playing with other dogs. Just a few days ago I was working with her when she saw a dog, she focused on him almost ready to run off to say hi, so I called her and she came instantly, no hesitations. So she's doing well so far with some distractions. I always work on 'come here' command whenever I can, in every possible environment that I can put her in. Now, just yesterday as she was playing with her buddy, she saw another friend of hers in the distance and within a seconds she ran off to say hello. Of course, she turned a deaf ear on me and I had to go after her -- she did stop when I was in relatively close distance, so I am wondering if anyone had success with their husky off-leash and how they introduced higher level of distractions, like other dogs etc.

[Chula]

You're probably not going to get a lot of support for having your husky off lead on this forum. There are a few who do but the vast majority will tell you that you're playing with fire.

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[Mazz]

Huskies off leash, is like trying to mix oil and water. Yes, it is possible, but the risks far outweigh 100% reliable recall. Huskies have a very high prey drive, unlike most all other breeds. The prey drive is part of a Husky's instinctual makeup. I'm not trying to dissuade you from working on recall, as this is a very important training queue. What I am trying to dissuade you from doing, is trying to train for off lead, especially in a non-enclosed area. All it takes is one rabbit, another dog (as you've already experienced), or another small animal to grab your Husky's attention and the prey drive kicks in. At that point, all too often, all bets are off and your Husky may be gone forever. There are too many reports of people who thought they could trust their Husky off lead, only to find themselves searching endlessly to find their beloved Husky to no avail. At seven months, your Husky is very near to the stage when Huskies push the envelope and begin to challenge authority. Please use good judgement and take extra precautions when training for recall. Don't become one of those who report a lost Husky. Dependable, reliable recall for a Husky can take years of training. Even then, it is very, very rare that it will be 100%.

[mydiamond]

She has already ran off once. That's enough evidence for me that she's not gonna succeed in off-leash walking ever. I know some Huskies that come back when called 100% all the way through their life but that kind of dog don't run off. Yours do, which means she's not that kind of dog. Please put her on-leash. 

[Jay]

I agree.  The best solution is just to keep them on lead.  You can get leads that are very long to give them freedom.  Mine are very happy but I never let them off leash unless we are in a dog park.  

[jonnyc4t]

I am very late to this topic but would like to chime in as I was an off leash husky owner that now lets them off lead only at one place where we walk and that is only because it's a path surrounded on both sides by water - there is no where for them to run off to.

 

I know how sensitive of a topic this is on here (I started a topic myself maybe a year or two ago and got some heat for it) but I can only say I have learned my lesson. All dogs are differen't, I know this. Odin, my 4yr old Husky, had an amazing recall for maybe the first year/year and a half. Around the second year it's almost like a switch flipped in his head and he just wanted to hunt. The second he gets the scent of another wild animal he is on a mission, the second he sees another dog off leash up ahead on the same path we walk - no chance he is coming back to me. Odin has an unreal good recall as long as he doesn't smell a wild animal or see another dog....I have learned it is just not worth it. What it boils down to is you know your dog - if you're comfortable with him off leash then have him off leash. I believe the majority of off leash stories regarding huskies are horror and having my guy run off twice each time for about an hour (Thank GOD he came back) I am now part of the horror story pack and I leash him.