Ravenwolf Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 bellabear11 - just keep in mind that she's still a puppy and very much dependent on "mum" at this stage. If her recall is still excellent beyond 2 years old then I'd say you will be one of the fortunate few! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellabear11 Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 bellabear11 - just keep in mind that she's still a puppy and very much dependent on "mum" at this stage. If her recall is still excellent beyond 2 years old then I'd say you will be one of the fortunate few! we very much agree... Buninfortunatly we can ony find out the hard way x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed #5 Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 we very much agree... Buninfortunatly we can ony find out the hard way x I found out the hard way, it's not worth it! 2 1/2 to three years she came when I called then one time - then no more! Believe me it's not worth the heartache! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zani Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 My husky is off lead every where and has been so for the last 12 months... that is ONLY because she has had discipline in her very long training program, and I have a safe guard (remote collar). With my husky as an exception to the rule I say NO husky should be off lead EVER unless in enclosed areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Povodny Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 We let bella off the lead every day, either on the beach or on the prom. Sometimes she gets off 2 or 3 times a day, but she ALWAYS gets off the lead EVERYDAY. She has a great recall. Today for example, we were on the beach, there wasn't much beach as it was high tide, yet on the beach there was a border collie, and 3 little yappy dogs. She played with the boarder collie for a bit and EVERYTIME I said 'leave' she would leave the ball ( good thig as it was theirs) and EVERYTIME I said 'come' she came to my side. This is not unusual for bells. She is great on the lead now and only pulls if I say 'go on'. It has taken some time but I think the fact that she knows she will always get off the lead again we do have a problem with food aggression but that is getting better with every meal. I used to let Togo off regularly as a puppy. One Sunday when he was six months or so we were at new Brighton and he took a shine to a dog with a woman, pram and husband. The dog at that moment was on a lead and the family were walking away from me across the beach. Togo was bouncing round them getting further and further away ( he'd already run away to get to the dog). They clearly heard me calling Togo back but decided to let their dog off because it to was bouncing about with Togo whilst on its lead. Then completely ignoring the fact I was trying to retrieve a young dog continued to walk away their dog and mine ahead of them. They were obviously annoyed Togo was bothering them but instead of stopping and allowing me to catch up and retrieve the annoyance they made a bad situation worse. Togo lost interest and came back. But only when he was ready. Up to that point he was generally reliable with recall. Safi as a younger dog has taken herself off, lost us completely and retraced her way home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celestial Echo Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I voted both No and in enclosed areas. I do not feel comfortable enough with her recall to take her to a dog park, but I have taken her to a friend's house who has a very nice fenced in back yard (and a beautiful Siberian Husky) and allowed her offlead over there with absolutely no problems. I would never let her offlead in any open place, just never know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampage Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I voted no, not even in enclosed areas. She's way too precious and such a happy girl she could easily find a home with someone else. I won't take the chance, ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizadora Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Not worth the risk, EVER with my two and fosters. only ever in specially secure dogs parks with high fencing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 well for those of you who believe your huskies are the exception to the rule. I hope you are right I truely do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoBD Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 I hope so too. Recently I tore/strained tendons/ligaments in my right shoulder....when I got home last night I took Moro out on lead and he pulled a little and I gasped. He looked back at me like ":sorry:.....are you ok mom????" he came up to me and really quiet went oooooooooooooo. After that he was right with me, checking on me every step.....once I'm healed maybe I should fake hurt so he'll walk better lol. It did warm my heart to see him soooo concerned for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed #5 Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 well for those of you who believe your huskies are the exception to the rule. I hope you are right I truely do. You know how it hurts when I do this, I thought I had the exception - it's been four months now since I let Misty run and I still haven't seen anything of her. If you think you have the exception, then think again! It's really not worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 :cry1: You know how it hurts when I do this, I thought I had the exception - it's been four months now since I let Misty run and I still haven't seen anything of her. If you think you have the exception, then think again! It's really not worth it. :cry1::cry1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyka&Diva Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 i would let div run free in an enclosed area but i wouldnt in other places she has only ever done one perfect recall and that was when she escaped from the house x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 You know how it hurts when I do this, I thought I had the exception - it's been four months now since I let Misty run and I still haven't seen anything of her. If you think you have the exception, then think again! It's really not worth it. I know sweetheart i truely do. I often tell people your story to try and change their minds about offlead huskies. huge hugs al xxxxxxxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharloid Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 I'm kinda jealous of the people who let their huskies off lead! Broder never has been, and we always keep a firm grip of the lead. He does come over to us outside when called (after he's finished sniffing that is) but who knows if he'd be the same if he knew he could run off! I don't know if we're being way over protective, but I'd never forgive myself if something happened. We're even weary about letting him run offlead in the garden when we get a 6 foot fence, is this normal? I thought that most people didn't let them off, but looking at the results of the poll it seems otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 I'm kinda jealous of the people who let their huskies off lead! Broder never has been, and we always keep a firm grip of the lead. He does come over to us outside when called (after he's finished sniffing that is) but who knows if he'd be the same if he knew he could run off! I don't know if we're being way over protective, but I'd never forgive myself if something happened. We're even weary about letting him run offlead in the garden when we get a 6 foot fence, is this normal? I thought that most people didn't let them off, but looking at the results of the poll it seems otherwise! dont be jealous, be glad that you will never have to suffer the heartache some have like poor Al.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laine Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 After posting up my video of Shila off lead, a friend of mine - who has GSD's - asked me this: "Why do they do this, though? Why do they run away and don't come back? Are a GSD's high-prey drive and a Husky's high-prey drive completely apples and oranges? Is it that Huskies just don't bond that closely with their owners the way some other breeds do? Is it because the wolf heritage of the Husky is closer to the surface than it is in other breeds, and so you have a dog who retains more of those primal instincts?" So, what is the answers to these questions, in your opinion/experiences? I would also add, are Huskies the highest prey-driven dog out there and as such that's why they can't be recalled off lead? Because as she mentioned, GSD's are pretty high prey driven, and so are BC's and a lot of other breeds. I've talked about the dog trainer Susan Garrett before; its her belief that any dog of any breed can be trained to recall reliably and be allowed off lead, it's a matter of having the right training and proper importance placed on the handler/owner. I brought up the issue of Sibes and their high prey drive but there were many who said it didn't matter about the breed; reliable recall could be trained and dogs offlead could be achieved. So what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 IMO... Some huskies do have a high prey drive, though so do many breeds and I definitely don't think their prey drive is the highest. Dogs like Malinois, BCs, GSDs etc can all have higher prey drives. Those are often selected for working homes because of their high prey drives so prey drive does not make a dog untrainable, quite the opposite in fact. I think huskies are a very independent breed which means they don't have as high a pack drive or the biddability that breeds like GSDs and BCs etc can have. I don't think it makes them untrainable by any means, but I think the handler needs to have a certain amount of training knowledge or assistance to get there. They are also not a breed that trainers or dog sports people tend to choose to train so you don't often see people training them to a high level. I think they also come with a tag of being untrainable or hard to train which can put owners off trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 From my understanding, a lot of their behaviour come from the way the breed was selectively bred to perform its specific type of work. I don't think it's that huskies are any more closely related to wolves - that's a misnomer. I think it comes from the fact that the Siberian husky is one of the oldest breeds of dog. And that just means a breed that has been largely unchanged in recent history from the established breed. The high prey drive was probably cultivated - initially - by natural selection. If the dogs were truly set free in the summer to fend for themselves, it stands to reason that those with little desire/aptitude for hunting would not fare well. Sadly, this practice is still all too common in parts of northern Canada. I don't know if this part is true or not, but it makes sense on the surface, anyway. Any sled dog has to exhibit some degree of independence - it can be crucial to saving the live of not only the musher, but the entire team. A musher cannot always tell when danger is afoot, so a dog who steadfastly refuses to press on despite the musher's commands seems like it would be extremely valuable, particularly when there is a bear ahead, thin ice, or avalanche conditions. Siberian huskies were raised by women and children, which is why they tend to be naturally very good with them, and also had to be good with other dogs, as they would have to work with sometimes very large strings to pull sleds. They were never bred for one-person loyalty. So pretty well, our house dogs are the result of hundreds of years of selection and successful breeding for desired traits. Yet another one of the major problems in unregulated breeding - people don't always look at all the personality factors when breeding, or selecting their dog for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huskies On The Go Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Whats the vote for?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laine Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 They are also not a breed that trainers or dog sports people tend to choose to train so you don't often see people training them to a high level. I think they also come with a tag of being untrainable or hard to train which can put owners off trying. This; I actually agree with this totally and it's probably why you don't see huskies competing in a lot of dog sports, especially if you can get an "easier" breed to train like a BC, GSD or even Malinois. Which is sad in a way, because seeing a Sibe do obedience or agility or what have you looks pretty friggin' awesome, especially when there are so few doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john quinn Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 no twillight can run took me 2 hours to get him unless its enclosed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttilaVikingsDemon Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 I found out the hard way, it's not worth it! 2 1/2 to three years she came when I called then one time - then no more! Believe me it's not worth the heartache! @Al Jones is right, whatever the reasoning, whatever the age, its just not worth it-it only takes one time to sever your relationship you've had with your beloved one. You have to ask yourself one question, is it worth what could happen in one instance? For us, we think not. Our banker had a Siberian Husky for 11 years, great recall, all those years--except one, and she never saw it again since. Very true story, very sad, but its actuality-thats what happens and why lots are in dog shelters waiting to be destroyed if they are unfortunate enough to end up in one of those kinds of shelters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langy91 Posted April 29, 2012 Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Heartbreaking really No enclosed areas within an hour of where I live, and Storm is being very difficult when walking (he doesnt heel) so I spend every walk with my arm slowly being wrenched out of it's socket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted April 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Heartbreaking really No enclosed areas within an hour of where I live, and Storm is being very difficult when walking (he doesnt heel) so I spend every walk with my arm slowly being wrenched out of it's socket have you tried a walking belt? I walk all 3 of my boys on it with ease Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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