Author Topic: Off-leash romps in the woods  (Read 8299 times)

Offline LoveMySiberian

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Off-leash romps in the woods
« on: October 18, 2005, 01:49:42 am »
I am SO proud to say that I have a Siberian Husky that is good off leash! I've been practicing with Taz  (considering when we're at the dog park, he doesn't let me out of his sight, so I thought I'd give this a try) off leash at a local preserve, and he is doing so great! He doesn't go that far ahead of me, and if he does, he'll stop and wait for me, or I'll just tell him to wait (he knows that command thank goodness!). He gets a little off track sometimes if he sees a bird or a squirrel, but I just call him and he comes back on to the trail. I have been blessed with a Siberian whose an exception to the rule, I got really lucky! I'm not sure if I'll ever get this lucky with a Sibe again LOL. I totally trust him, but of course I'm still cautious, I would never let him off leash out of an area that's not enclosed.

Later on, I'm going to take him to a bigger and better preserve and see how he does. I can't wait! I'm really glad he's like this, because I don't have a fenced in yard (phooey) and I don't have a car, so I can only get to the dog park so much. So, I'm glad this is another option to get him out and running!

Here are some pics, actually most of them he's waiting for mommy's slow butt to catch up with him  :D
Jackie
Taz's Mom

Offline greek4

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2005, 01:55:26 am »
Way to go, I'm proud of him.  I wish I could get Rocco to be that good, how did you do it?
Thanks,

Emily and 1 husband, 1 boy, 1 on the way, and 4 crazy dogs

Offline LoveMySiberian

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2005, 02:00:44 am »
I actually really have no tips, because I only adopted him a month and a half ago. His previous owners were very neglectful of him and since I got him, he does not want to leave my side, and I guess it's attachment issues maybe, since he never really had a human. When we go to the dog park, I always attempt to hide from him so he'll leave me alone and go have fun LOL. So, I did get very lucky!
Jackie
Taz's Mom

Offline greek4

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2005, 02:02:50 am »
Rocco definately has absolutely no attachment issues.  He loves everyone and always hangs out with the newest person to come into his vision.  It makes me feel so special sometimes.
Thanks,

Emily and 1 husband, 1 boy, 1 on the way, and 4 crazy dogs

Offline Tulsas' Dad

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2005, 02:14:44 am »
You are indeed fortunate! I had a Husky/Shepard mix, and when he got loose he was GONE! Huskies love to run, and run, and run...Funny thing is, our house cat, Oliver, would go with him! They'd come home covered in Cow Dung, Mud, filled with Burrs, Ollie with a prize catch, bird, rat, or field mouse, usually alive. Which he would release once inside the house!
Glad I was younger then.
The scientific name for an animal that doesn't either run from or fight its enemies, is Lunch.--Michael Friedman

Offline Nina

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2005, 02:24:30 am »
awesome pictures, my 2 are social butterflies and they are not good off leash. You're lucky to have such a great dog.


Nina
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Calgary, AB, Canada
Harley(Lab mix)
Dilbert(Pyr mix)At the bridge
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Offline LoveMySiberian

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2005, 05:12:48 am »
Well, our trip to the bigger and better preserve didn't go to well. This one has two lakes, and there were swans in one and before I knew it, Taz was in the water chasing them. I was going crazy, my voice is gone from calling him, he just would not get out until he could get a swan, which wasn't happening, since they have a bigger advantage in the water, and they just kept flying to the other side of the lake, and Taz would go after them again. All I can say is thank GOD the water was not deep. Even in the middle of the lake, he was able to run, the deepest part was about chest high on him. I'm also greatful a kind guy came along and got him out of the water for me. I felt bad, the poor guy waded in to get him in that yucky swamp. I never really trusted Taz around squirrels, birds, etc and I wasn't planning to hang out by the lake, but of course, dogs can be unpredictable with their actions. I think I'll stick to the smaller preserve where I have all tabs on him. Well that's my scare for today, now I'm so relieved!
Jackie
Taz's Mom

Offline Scootergirl

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2005, 05:32:22 am »
 ;D ;D ;D HHHAAAA!!! Oh, I wish you would have gotten some pictures of that!! Especially of the guy wading in to go get him!! HEEEE HEEEE!!!
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Offline LoveMySiberian

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2005, 05:42:19 am »
LOL I would have, if I wasn't freaking out. I was completely neurotic and paranoid. I'm a very pessimistic thinker and I'm like thinking OMG, he's going to die out there, he's going to get tired and collapse and drown and that's it! I was in tears. I always expect the worst to happen, so I am SO  glad that guy showed up. I even called the cops! Some people must have thought I was a nutcase. The operater for 911 even said that she wasn't going to tell the cops that the dog was in the water, she was going to say a person was stuck out there, so they'd actually come LOL. I think it's kind of messed up though, because no matter what's out in the water, it's still a life!
Jackie
Taz's Mom

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2005, 07:47:43 am »
Well, I was going to say lucky you until I read your previous thread about the swan.  Keiko's 1/2 husky, and she's reliable off leash about 80% of the time if it's in a controlled environment.  She did take off on my the last time we went to the beach.  I was so pissed.

Gunther started running out to some birds.  I yelled at him, which caught Keiko's attention to the birds.  Gunther came back, and Keiko took off.  Normally, if I yell leave it, that is good enough, but not this time.  Down the beach she ran, with the stupid stupid birds landing and taking off every 30 feet.  Why they just didn't fly off is beyond me.  I knew she would come back eventually, so me and Gunther waited, and w/i about 45 seconds she moseys on back.  She knew she was in BIG trouble, and refused to come within 10 feet of me.  I'm bobbing and weaving trying to grab onto her, with her just out of my reach.  I finally grab her drag her over to a crevice in the rocks, give her a talking to and put her in time out.  Then me and Gunther continued our walk up the beach.  We didn't go too far b/c I was afraid someone would think she was abandoned.

Gunther didn't like leaving her there, he kept turning around to go back, and when we did finally turn around, he took off full speed......... ....until he realized I wasn't running with him.  He was disappointed to say the least.  After picking up Keiko, she stuck by my side the rest of the time we were there.  She knows better than to piss me off more than once per day.


Your swan story reminded me of when we were at the pond, which is really a manmade giant fountain.  Lots of people take their dogs there to swim and walk around the pond.  Keiko will go wading but rarely swims.  Until one time there were some ducks.  They weren't out that far until she jumped in after them.  Then they swam out to the middle, with Keiko following, although much farther behind.  I snapped a pic of her (since she never swims) and then realized she wasn't stopping.  Since she rarely swims, I was afraid she would tire out and I'd have to jump in after her, and I don't swim that well either.  This time, thank goodness, telling her to leave it worked, and she reluctantly headed back to shore, with her eye on the prize the whole time.

Offline LoveMySiberian

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2005, 06:27:07 am »
I'm glad Keiko came back when you told her to leave it.. it can be quite scary when they're in the water after something, and they don't listen. That's why I'm really thankful the water wasn't deep, and that kind bypasser on his bike came over and went into the lake and got him, otherwise he never would have come out unless he got a swan. His prey drive is very high, and normally I'm Taz's number one priority and he doesn't let me out of his sight, but I have competition when a squirrel or bird is around LOL. I'm definetly going to stick to the original preserve I went to, which has no body of water whatsoever.

I also was getting frustrated about the swans as well, like you said about the birds at the beach, all they kept doing was flying over to the other side of the lake, and they were just going back and forth and I'm sitting there so frustrated that they didn't just fly over to the other lake, where Taz could not get them. You'd think they'd do that if there was a threat. *shrugs* lol

By the way, I really like that picture, it's very pretty!
Jackie
Taz's Mom

Offline mishka

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Re: Off-leash romps in the woods
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2006, 03:06:47 pm »
You are lucky that u can let your sibe off leash ,mine can only be let go free when they are in an enclosed area like a tennis court or large pen. my young sibe has a run in a tracking harness next to my bike attached to a springer device attached to my bike frame!!!