maggie Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hi This is our first post. We have two dogs, brother and sister, aged 4 months. Before the dogs were chosen I had read reports that Huskies could never be allowed to run free safely. Our two dogs have been running free in the woods since they were 8 weeks old. They recall to there names and by whistle reliably. However, not having any previous experience, is this going to continue, would be upset if such a large dog had to be constrained by a lead. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hi its possible that cuz they r young they think ur the best thing since sliced bread then there prey drive cud kick in n they r gone HOWEVER if uve bin training them a reliable recall since 8 weeks old and continue 2 do so then i would see much ov a problem, maybe tho keep ur eyes out for things like rabbits cats squirells and other dogs just incase - i do no that alot ov ppl on here can let their dogs off n they will come bk everytime i however prefer a 50ft lead (thinkin bout gettin a 100ft 1) for lettin my boy roam but thats because i know he will shoot off one he realises hes free btw welcome to the site hope u enjoy it here n please post sum pics ov ur sibes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 to be honest you need to be very careful! Sibes often have selective hearing! Whilst they are young they may be recalling fine, but most sibes do have a high prey drive.....if they dart off after animals do they still recall? Also most have a strong desire to run, as they get to their teenage stage they may bevome confident and not recall! Personally i choose to onky exercise my girls on a lead or in harness, i would feel too guilty if one of my girls got onto a road and hit by a car, or simpley got lost having run too far away! A good recall is always useful in tge emergency situation tho! My girls are given the oppurtunity to run in harness and they love it! Gives them more freedon than lead walking but i'm always right there behind them, and can ensure i can keep them safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hiya, Maggie, welcome on board I've had Myshka since she was 10 weeks, she's now nearly 4 yrs. We could let her off leash until she was about 18 months old, that's when her prey drive was stronger than listening to us (we back on to farmers' fields with foxes, vermin, birds, etc), so now we can only let her off leash in a doggie park that is enclosed. Some people can walk their huskies off lead all the time, I guess it's the amount of training you put into them, but I know we're on a loser with Myshka & all the interesting things around here! Good luck with your two ............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Well i had my puppy since 7 weeks and she was off-lead and only on-lead to teach her what it was about...as soon as she could go outside she was off-lead in parks and woods and was excellent!! Shes now 1yrs and has to be on a lead BUT this doesn't mean she wont be able to be off-lead ever..it means she is being a teenager and has selective hearing, many owners (not just with sibes) have to put their dogs on leads from anything from 6 months all the way until 2 years old when theyve calmed down a bit. Alaska knows re-call well..maybe too well, she knows she can out-run me..the funny thing is when i call her now she sometimes sits down and just looks at me...and comes in her own sweet time >>> If i allowed this however she would never be good off-lead, so the only thing i can do is keep her on-lead and double her recall trianing. We got her brother from the breeder at 5 months and he was/is terrible off-lead, he has a prey drive that is soo strong i doubt he'll ever be off-lead without an e-collar...which is what our training is looking to do next for his own saftey. Sibes can be great off-lead but they can also be bad..its all about when and how much training you give them..not just recall but they must respect and love you enough to choose a dog over you! This puppy recall never lasts, but stick with it and reall train them, make sure they get a really tasty treat each time they come back or a nice play of tug-of-war. Im really glad their great off-lead and im not giving up on Alaska just yet..shes not bad but at the mo it 50/50 so shes on the lead whilst her training gets tougher;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindog Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 You may be lucky and have that one-in-a-million husky that is always reliable off lead. On the other hand, every single Siberian Husky related organisation in the world recommends that they be kept on lead. They do not say this for fun, or to annoy people, or to belittle anyone's training skills. They say it because bitter experience in the shape of thousands of dead huskies throughout the world has led them to conclude that it is the only certain and safe advice that can be given to husky owners. Our boy Ute, is the most obedient husky we have ever owned. We have done obedience with him and his off-lead recall is 99%. But 99% is not enough! and there is no way we would ever put him at risk by letting him go off lead in an unenclosed area - we value him much too much for that. As others have said above, Husky puppies are often very obedient and can lull you into a sense of false security. Then the "teenage" stage hits and all bets are off! Huskies can get all the stimulation and exercise they need in other ways, without putting them at risk. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbb23 Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hey ya, Welcome to the site!!! We only let our Grey off in closed off areas as his recall is good but would never dream of letting him off on the street or normal park as its not safe. It is a fact that Huskies are said to be never left off lead but I think it depends on how much time & training you are able to put in but like many have said you can never trust a Husky 100% with that high pray drive. Would love to some pics of your 2 sibes!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Even if you never, ever plan to let your husky off leash you should ALWAYS try to train a reliable recall. You never know when having a good recall on your dog may save their life. To give you an example - one of my dogs got out of the house a couple of days ago. It was my scent hound Daisy who has no where near the reliable recall that Micha my Siberian does, because she is far more easily distracted and goes into that 'zone' you see Siberians go into when they want to run after a prey item as soon as she picks up a scent. I do a type of high energy training with Daisy called drive training and only a couple of weeks ago we introduced a new command word for the recall, which we only ever use for training - so she knows that obeying that command will give her guaranteed food drive satisfaction. When she got out of the house a few days ago she picked up a scent and was off down the street, running towards the road with her head down focusing 110% on the scent. I freaked out because she could so easily have been hit by a car. I ran after her, stopped and called 'HERE!' which is our special training recall command and she stopped scenting, shot around and came running back towards me. I nearly died from relief! I would never ever let any of my dogs off leash near the road, but you also never know when you might need to recall them in an emergency. I've been flamed in the past for saying that I think any dog can have a reliable recall and I still 100% believe that's true, but if you have to be realistic about your dogs ability. Could you call your dog off a wild rabbit if he saw one and started the chase? Could you guarantee that every time no matter the level of distraction that your dog would recall without hesitation? If you have any doubt about the answer than don't risk it, unless you are in a secure and safe area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ade hill Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 nicely put bec added to rep, my sentiments exactly...mine are being trained to recall, for those reasons, but i still wont let them off unless i feel its totally secure to do so, i just have too much to loose. we've started using 30ft lunge reins from a horse tac shop to give them a run about with the security of being able to stop them when they put up a rabbit etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 i'v only let kira off lead twice, the first time she was with a dog who lives near us, and as he was well behaved she was too, the second time we let her off to see what she was like on her own, luckily it was in an enclosed area cus she refused to come back!! now we have her on an 7ishft rope cus im worried she'll break an extendable lead. i dont think we'll ever be able to have her off lead since she caught and killed a rabbit in the field we walk her in, her prey drive's way too high... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkyries Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 would never ever allow any of mine off lead unlease in a secure place loves em to much and would never forgive my self, it's my duty to keep them safe and no matter how much i trust them there is always that once and BAM it's tolate for the only if i or what if i Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hi, welcome to the pack I've got a pretty good recall with my boys but wouldn't trust them out and about in an unenclosed area i used to let them but one day they decided to bugger off for about half an hour - never again, that was the worst feeling ever Can't wait to see some pics of your sibes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbb23 Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 i'v only let kira off lead twice, the first time she was with a dog who lives near us, and as he was well behaved she was too, the second time we let her off to see what she was like on her own, luckily it was in an enclosed area cus she refused to come back!! now we have her on an 7ishft rope cus im worried she'll break an extendable lead. i dont think we'll ever be able to have her off lead since she caught and killed a rabbit in the field we walk her in, her prey drive's way too high... Grey Killed a rabbit a while back :icon9: Poor bunny didnt stand a chance...... I felt so bad!! :icon11: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninooks mum Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 I agree with only letting them off where they cant reach the road I would never let nooks off in the streets or anywhere where she could get to the road but I have no problem with leting her off as she has been off lead since being a puppy she is now 2 and comes bck I would hate for her not to be able to have a good run or swim in the water xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa (Fragglebabe) Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 We gave Maia her first experience off lead this evening. But thankfully we're lucky enough to have a large field surrounded on all sides. Three of the sides are 8 feet metal fencing. It's actually the overflow car park for Haydock Park Racecourse (shhh, don't tell anyone :54:) She did really well, and recalled a few times i f she was in the mood. However, we wouldn't consider allowing her to run in an open space. This also goes for George, the maniacal GSD. Only because he wants to play with everything Maia is our first Husky, but after reading all the info we have over the last few weeks, the field is the only place she'll be allowed to run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 awww bet it was great to see Deffo a good idea off leading in a secure area - soooo not worth the heartache we need pics and vids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 Having had a huge vet bill for treatment of shattered pelvis and hip and haemothorax and the working career of a 2 year old ended after a road traffic accident, whos now a prematurely arthritic 6 year old. Having also seen the xray of a dog peppered with shot who also lost an eye from being shot and very lucky to survive after getting into a cow field and attacking a calf so bady it had to be destroyed. Having known the anguish of a friend who had to have their dog PTS after he got into a field of sheep I ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT LET A SINGLE ONE OF OUR 14 DOGS OFF LEAD IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN AN ENTIRELY ENCLOSED AREA. All I would add is take a read of this: (Taken from the SHCGB siberian news 2007) TRUST: a deadly disease there is a deadly disease stalking your dog, a hidious, stealthy thing just waiting its chance to steal your beloved freind. It is not a new disease, or one for which there are any innoculations. you knew before you took your puppy home that it could not be trusted. the breeder who provided you with this precious animal warned you.....drummed it into your head. Puppies steal off worktops, destroy anything expensive, chase cats, take forever to houstrain and MUST NEVER BE LET OFF LEAD. when the big day finally arrived, heeding the sound advice of the breeder, you escorted your puppy to his new home, properly collered and tagged, the lead held tightly in your hand. At home, the house was puppy-proofed, everything of value was stored in the spare bedroom, rubbish stowed away out of reach, cats separated and a gate placed across the lounge to keep at least one part of the house puddle-free. all the windows and doors had been properly secured and signs placed in strategic points reminding all to "close the door!". Soon, it becomes second nature to make sure the door closes nine-tenths of a second after it was opened and that it is really latched. "Dont let the dog out" is your second most verbalised expression (the first is "no") You worry and fuss constantly, terrified that your darling will gewt out and disaster will surely follow. Your friends comment about who you love the most....your family or your dog. You know to relax your vigil for a moment might loose him to you forever.. and so the weeks and months pass by, with your puppy becoming more civilised every day. AND THE SEEDS OF TRUST ARE PLANTED!!! It seems that every day brings less destruction, less breakage. almost before you know it, your gangly, slurpy puppy has turned into an elegant, dignified friend. Now that he is a more reliable, sedate companion, you take him more places. No longer does he chew the steering wheel when left in the car. and darned if that cake wasn't still on the worktop this morning, and, oh yes! wasn't that the cat he was sleeping with so cosily on your pillow last night? AT THIS POINT, YOU ARE BEGINNING TO BECOME INFECTED; THE DISEASE IS SPREADING ITS ROOTS DEEP INTO YOUR MIND. and then one of your friends suggests obedience classess, and after a time, you even let him run loose from the car into the house when you get home. why not? he always runs straight to the door, dancing a frenzy of joy and waits to be let in. And, remember he comes every time he is called! you know he is the exception that disproves the rule (and sometimes late at night, you even let him slip out of the front door to wee wee and then right back in) Years pass......it was hard to remember why you worried so much when he was a puppy. He would never thing of running out of the door which you leave open while you bring in the bags of shopping from the car. It would be beneath his dignity to jump out of the window of the car while you quickly run into the shop for something. and when you take him for those wonderful long walks at dawn, it only takes one whistle to bring him racing back to you in a burst of speed, when your walk becomes too close to the road (he still gets in the rubbish bin, but nobody is perfect!) THIS IS THE TIME THE DISEASE HAS WAITED FOR SO PATIENTLY. SOMETIMES IT ONLY HAS TO WAIT A YEAR OR TWO, BUT OFTEN IT TAKES MUCH LONGER..... He spies the neigbourhood dog across the street, and suddenly forgets everything he ever knew about not slipping outdoors, jumping out of windows or coming when called due to traffic. Perhaps it was the paper fluttering in the breeze, or even just the sheer joy of running.... Stopped in an instant. stilled forever, your heart is broken at the sight of his still very beautiful body. THE DISEASE IS TRUST! the final outcome.....hit by a car. Every morning my dog bounced off lead exploring. every morning, for seven years he came back when he was called. He was perfectly obedient, perfectly trustworthy.... HE DIED 14 HOURS AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR. Please do not risk your freind and your heart. save the trust for things that matter and please, read this every year on your puppy's birthday, lest we forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahNukka&Shadow Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 Even as a puppy my girls recall is virtually none existant, unless she can see you reaching for the treats shes off in her own sweet world. Gunna take her to training classes and work on recall specifically but even then not gunna let her off anywhere but her own back garden as I just love her so much I think I'd die inside if I lost her!!! It actually keeps me awake at night worrying!! I'm not a kiddie kinda gal so I have her, when I say shes my fur baby I mean it litterally!! Sorry to be a bit OTT but I thought you guys would appreciate where I'm comming from... most people look at me like I'm a little bit crazy! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 Even as a puppy my girls recall is virtually none existant, unless she can see you reaching for the treats shes off in her own sweet world. Gunna take her to training classes and work on recall specifically but even then not gunna let her off anywhere but her own back garden as I just love her so much I think I'd die inside if I lost her!!! It actually keeps me awake at night worrying!! I'm not a kiddie kinda gal so I have her, when I say shes my fur baby I mean it litterally!! Sorry to be a bit OTT but I thought you guys would appreciate where I'm comming from... most people look at me like I'm a little bit crazy! Lol nope i'm crazy as well - i can't have kids and so my two boys ARE my kids Lyn, that's a great post, added to rep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa (Fragglebabe) Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 Amazing post Lyn, I had to dry my eyes before I could type this reply. My furbabies are my life, I couldn't be without them (suppose the husband is included in that too ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 No one should let dogs off leash if they aren't comfortable and the dog hasn't been trained and proofed extensively. But that article about trust is really just rubbish. Of course people can have trust in their dogs. There is a difference between a trust that has built up and been trained for and laziness and complacency. In fact, that article should really be called "Complacency: A deadly disease". Much more fitting and appropriate, IMO. I need to "trust" that my dog can be put in a stay, off leash in a row of strange dogs, in a big open field without her moving a single paw while I stand quite a distance away. I wouldn't put my dog in that position without trusting her first. I wouldn't put her in that position if I thought there was a chance she'd break and run off. There are many instances where people need to have trust in their dogs - owners of guide dogs, police dogs, a range of working dogs. A musher needs to trust his sled dogs will do their job. Trust is not a disease or something we should be scared of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 There are many instances where people need to have trust in their dogs - owners of guide dogs, police dogs, a range of working dogs. A musher needs to trust his sled dogs will do their job. Trust is not a disease or something we should be scared of. Guide dogs and police dogs are NOT Huskies. Theres several very good reasons the very intelligent breed that is the Husky are NOT seen in those roles and of course, A musher places complete trust in his OR HER team, but then again, that trust does not involve having those dogs loose :awink: As the story says, save your trust for things that matter, and trusting a breed off the lead against the advice of EVERY major breed club does not fall in that catagory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 That article wasn't written about huskies. It was written about dogs in general. I've seen it posted by lab owners. I've seen it posted on rottie forums. Becoming complacent is NOT the same as having trust in your dog, because you've trained and proofed him. The article you posted talks about complacency not owners who go out and train their dogs to a point where they do have a 100% reliable recall. I've often said in these threads that if you couldn't safely say, 100% of the time that you could call your dog off a rabbit then you shouldn't trust them off leash. I still stand by that, it doesn't matter what breed you have - if you haven't built and proofed a reliable recall you shouldn't trust your dogs off leash regardless of the breed you own. Do I trust my dogs off leash? You bet I do, it's part of their training and we couldn't compete in obedience without doing it. Would I trust them off leash in an unsafe area? Well, I certainly wouldn't risk my dogs lives unnecessarily. But then again according to some posters here, and the article you posted, any time you let any dog off leash no matter the situation you are risking their lives unnecessarily. A musher places complete trust in his OR HER team, but then again, that trust does not involve having those dogs loose It doesn't matter what form your trust takes. If you agree with the article you agree that trust is a deadly disease when it comes to dogs and that they are not trustworthy full stop. Why does it matter what form the trust takes - either you think you can trust them in some ways or not. The article talks about trust in general. I know how strongly some Sibe owners feel about letting their dogs off leash but really that article is just ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PawPrints Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 would you trust your dog with a child - having that trust built up over the years - oh he/he's great with kids loves playing with them etc etc - would you leave your dog alone with a child NO - you may trust the child not to do anything but can you ever trust a dog in that situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 would you trust your dog with a child - having that trust built up over the years - oh he/he's great with kids loves playing with them etc etc - would you leave your dog alone with a child NO - you may trust the child not to do anything but can you ever trust a dog in that situation? Of course I wouldn't leave my dogs with kids unsupervised - even though I trust them, I don't trust all kids to do the right things I'm not saying you should have 100% unwavering trust in your all the time in all situations. I'm saying that there are plenty of occasion where we do and NEED to trust our dogs. Would you trust a husky you've trained in harness for years to work well when you hook them up to the sled? Would you trust a working dog to do their job whatever that may be? Would you trust a dog who you have trained extensively, proofed extensively to work off leash when required? My point is that the article says trust is a deadly disease - which is absolute rubbish because we put trust in our dogs all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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