Perceptions of Training Dogs to be with You

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Canine

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Since most of us are mobile, most of us probably don't carry enough fencing to erect a 1 acre area for our dogs to run around safely in. Therefore, this may be more of a problem for us in general than for most others. Even those populations that have a large apartment ratio like New York City, those places usually have dog parks or similar areas they knowingly have access to. So how do we deal with giving our dogs enough "freedom" so they can "be dogs"? Freedom is hard-earned and "being a dog" means different things to different people. Here's my take...

While I won't go into how to train a dog as this is a thread in an Internet forum not a book, I would like to mention a thing or two about keeping your dog with you.

Myself, my dog stays off-leash. All of my dogs have. I thought that was normal behavior when I was a kid. Of course, many of my friends' dogs ran unchecked, but I still didn't think a lot of it. I took care of my dog and didn't worry about other dogs. Having your dog stay with you off leash is normal behavior. Most dogs will run off, especially with distractions like squirrels, but that doesn't make their behavior normal.

Having your dog run around with loose boundaries is important, but that is a small part of being physically and mentally healthy. Your dog should be on a controlled walk 80% to 90% of the time with no more than 20% of free play. You don't want your dog to disregard you for long periods of time. Some people think letting their dog run with little or no control is best for the dog. I disagree. Compare kids that are left to run around with little to no control. You see YouTube videos of kids running around vandalizing or sneaking up on completely innocent people for the sole purpose of knocking them out in one punch. They run away giggling and all giddy, but are they truly happy? I don't think so. They are running around like hoodlums. Letting kids run loose without guidance doesn't mean that every single one will become a violent felon, but clearly too little guidance is bad. Another example is elephants. Because of poaching, most of the bulls (dads) with large tusks are gone. The kid elephants are growing up without the guidance of a responsible adult. Those kids are "having fun" hazing and killing rhinoceroci. When adult bulls are reintroduced, the kids get a hard lesson in proper behavior and the rhino are safe again. I'm sure the young elephants feel much better emotionally, too. It is clear, at least to me, that letting a dog run loose without control creates mental instability and problems result. Of course, different animals have different needs, different cultures, and behaviors, but the underlying concept of earning your free time (time spent off leash with consistent, loose boundaries) is there and is incredibly important.

Leashes are your next best friend. They are a powerful tool. Nothing wrong with leashing a dog. It is an inanimate object- it isn't inherently bad, wrong, dangerous, or somehow negative. It absolutely can be if you make it so- it is what you make of it. Embrace the leash as a tool that can help open up more freedoms for your dog instead of something that somehow cages your dog or breaks its spirit or whatever negative thing you can attribute to it. I use leashes and my dogs have had more freedom than almost any dog I can think of. Thousands upon thousands of dogs come to mind and I can think of only a couple handfuls that have had more freedom than mine have. This includes service dogs. And I attribute that strongly, in part, to the leash.

Today I was 15 minutes early for the parts store to open. I went into the field across a busy highway to kill some time. While we were moseying around, my dog spooked a cat and it ran across the highway. Luckily, the cat made it just fine. My dog looked up at the cat, was all happy she flushed a cat, then went back to sniffing around and peeing. She had a good time and was totally safe. Where would other dog's have been? Perhaps chasing the cat to a possible terrible end. Left at home because it is too much work to bring it along. Being under near or total constant restraint on a leash; too much leash can be harmful, too.

Dogs were I live aren't allowed to chase game or livestock. Game Wardens will shoot those dogs dead. I was with a group of friends in a remote camp with about 6 dogs total. They would send their dogs off to chase deer or whatever they thought was fun or funny. My dog stayed with me and had fun without chasing wild game. After a couple days of this, one guy spoke up, "Why don't you let your dog be a dog?" I thought I was. I didn't think being a dog meant hazing any animal you could, but that's just me. I knew he had left his dog at home because it was so unruly and so ill-behaved that he couldn't take it with him. I replied, "Where's your dog?" He said, "At home." I said, "Is that your dog being a dog?" He shut up. (I wish I could be that quick with my comebacks all the time.) My dog had a blast. It wasn't injured as some of the dogs were running around without a care in the world. My unleashed dog got to share the forest without causing harm to anyone or anything. Good times.

Dogs can also get into porcupines, skunks, badgers, raccoons, etc. I see no value to the dog in chasing those animals unless you are hunting them, and even then, you should be able to recall your dog so you can safely do your job to dispatch the animal. I've seen videos of "hunting" dogs and those dogs aren't much for hunting. They track and chase well, but that's about it. Takes more than a being an athletic tracker to be a responsible hunter.

So anyway, this is my philosophy of the benefits of using a leash to establish control of the dog and then maintaining that control so a dog can be off leash and stretch its legs when it is safe and appropriate to do so. I hope this helps you in understanding the value of controlled walks with the occasional off-leash rumpus especially when we have less access to fenced areas than most.
 
My dog, Mr. Pico never has worn a leash. The key is good training with voice commands. When he was young he was well trained and now he never has to wear a leash. I keep my eye on him all the time while we are camping and in more than two years we have never had a problem. I guess some dogs need a leash and some don't. Dogs enjoy being trained. The forest and desert can be dangerous. A well trained dog is a pleasure to camp with.
 
We often stay in campgrounds where a leash is the rule. We often take Dog into town or to attractions where a leash is the rule. When we are in areas where we can let him off leash, we all enjoy it. But a dog that is not trained to walk on a leash, especially a big one, is a pain in the neck as well as in the back. A barking dog pulling at a leash is something I won't tolerate. If Dog couldn't behave, he wouldn't get to come along.
 
Since my dog has never worn a collar or leash, I make willing sacrifices. We never camp in campgrounds or go where there are those kind of rules. We spend all our time boondocking with out any problem. Dogs love to be trained. And a well trained dog is a pleasure for everyone. I have never understood why anyone doesn't train their dog.
 
grammakittycat, thank you. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm afraid, though, that the only people that will get anything out of this are the people who already know. But I need to give it time. These are new concepts for many and that takes time to absorb, accept, and implement. And the older we are, the more work it takes to remold ourselves for the better. My internal clay gets thicker and harder to mold every year!

Sameer, I don't fully understand why so many don't train their dogs, either. I find it odd. Am hoping this thread will prompt some people to think a bit how they could maybe approach training in a more positive, realistic manner. I also avoid places that require leashes although it doesn't matter to me personally as my dog is a service dog. I like to make an effort to support businesses that will take the time to kick out the unruly dogs and welcome the few well-mannered dogs instead of kicking out anything dog; I consider kicking out any and all dogs an abuse of authority and/or laziness most of the time. This becomes more important as we become more mobile. Finding places that allow dogs off leash can be challenging for a community's old-timers and it can be much more challenging for the newcomer. The more welcome and enjoyable our dogs are, the more we enjoy our travels and those we meet.
 
Great advice Canine. We leash our dogs but whenever possible allow the dogs to enjoy offleash time. I feel like it is protection for our dogs. The dogs are very excited when a leash comes out. We want our dogs to be a joy to be around. Jan
 
Sameer said:
Since my dog has never worn a collar or leash, I make willing sacrifices.  We never camp in campgrounds or go where there are those kind of rules.  We spend all our time boondocking with out any problem.  Dogs love to be trained.  And a well trained dog is a pleasure for everyone.  I have never understood why anyone doesn't train their dog.

Never worn a collar? How do you take him to the vet? Where is his rabies tag?
 
I have a Jack Russel Terrier so it is actually recommend in books about the breed that he is never off-leash because of his strong prey drive can get him into trouble as they are a working breed.

I am sometimes left in fear when other people's dogs are unleashed because it is obvious that they are also left completely unmonitored and their dog will walk right up to our Jack on his leash to sniff at him and our Jack will aggressively go after them because the dog is unfamiliar to him. :(
 
gcal said:
Never worn a collar? How do you take him to the vet? Where is his rabies tag?

He is a small dog and he goes to the vet once a year...unless there is a problem.  He is small and I can pick him up and carry him.  His rabies tag and other papers are in the glove box of the Van.  Many people know Mr. Pico and agree that he is a really good dog.
 
gcal, (I know you asked Sameer, but I would like to respond as well) I like to have a collar on my dog (most of the time) with tags for identification purposes. While I have far more control of my unleashed dog than most other dogs using any other kind of restraint, there are things that are beyond my control. No matter how prepared I am, I know that one cannot be prepared for everything. The tag has my address and phone number on it to make it easy should someone need to contact me. I might get in a car accident and someone might take the dog to care for it until I regain consciousness. I also have her chipped and that fulfills the requirement of legally having my dog to be able to be verified for rabies. At least for the city ordinance. Maybe not for the county or other areas.

The collar also has a 3M reflective strip for when we are out in the dark. She is therefore that much safer when she is off leash. She also has a light on her leash, but we haven't had a use for it yet. I don't rely solely on the light because it could fail. The reflective strip won't fail.

I have also read several times that terriers shouldn't be off leash because of their prey drive. I would use that prey drive to my advantage to keep it off leash, but that is me. I think it is very responsible of you to recognize any limitations you may have and take appropriate, healthy measures to ensure your dog's safety and to keep it happy!   :)

It really sucks when an aggressive dog comes up to you, doesn't it? I hate that. Waffles and I have been in more fights because of that. Fights that could've been easily avoided. I sometimes carry a leash with me for other dogs that I run into, but not for my dog. My dog hasn't even needed stitches, but she has lost a bit of fur and blood over the years. I have little patience for dogs like that. Haven't gotten into a physical confrontation with an owner of a miscreant dog, and hopefully never will. Have had law enforcement called on me a few times, though. Am amazed I've never received a ticket; not sure how that has happened.
 
These are good ideas, that I haven't thought about. Thank you! Everything you have presented is wonderfully good. I hope lots of dog owners read it.
 
Canine, your words of wisdom regarding our pets would make a great topic at the RTR. :)  Jan
 
We spend a lot of time in towns we visit, so Bindi is on a leash quite a bit. She doesn't seem to mind, especially when she knows she gets to ride in the handicap cart in the stores. When we camp, she is off the leash and stays near the van.

Bindi sends out a bark to her buddy, Mr. Pico.
 
An RTR seminar on whether to leash or not could be quite a heated debate. 
I am one who believes a dog should be leashed in town as prescribed by law.

If an unleashed dog attacks Bindi I will come unglued and I'm going do something y'all don't want to see or hear about. I'm very protective and a bit crazy.
 
even though I mostly agree with canine my dog is a ranch dog and runs free 95% of the time. when needed I put a collar and leash on him, he doesn't mind. however I only put his collar on when I am using the leash. I have seen 2 dogs hang themselves with a collar and know of a third(only 1 of these was with a chocker type collar). so the only time a collar gets put on is with the leash. highdesertranger
 
I feel Canine has some valuable knowledge in training of dogs and feel it would be beneficial to others. Many people have pets without simple obedience skills. The "to leash or not leash" could be debated into the ground without resolution. For me, I would rather have the restraint of a leash when unknown persons approach my dog, more for my dog's protection then the approaching stranger. I can train my dog, can't train strangers. :D  Jan
 
My dog also does not wear a collar.

His rabies tag actually rubbed a huge patch of his fur off right down to the skin that he is still healing from six months later and we were told by the vet that he wasn't required to wear it as long as we had the information.

When we take him out for walks he wears a harness as he has tried to choke himself on several occasions with his collar on.

I agree with the people who are totally baffled why other people do not take the time to train their dogs. Obedience training not only keeps others safe it also keeps your own dog safe from running off to do things to hurt themselves. My heart would break into a million pieces if anything ever happened to my dog because he refused to listen to me when I gave him a command to do something.
 
Abrin, how tight did you have that collar, anyway?
 
Bindi is a great example of a wonderful dog to be with....that is from Mr. Pico. Sure do miss you Jay and Margie! I too think that dog training would be a good subject for the RTR...Right now I am camped in a great spot near a waterhole where cows, deer, elk and a variety of other animals drink. My friends were parked here and had to move because their two dogs barked and chased the animals. Mr. Pico doesn't do these things. I reap the benefits of a 'good dog'. Hahaha!
 

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