Clare70 Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 The reason I ask this is because a friend of a friend has a Mal puppy and they say they can get training for him so he can go off lead, apparently someone else they know has done this and it worked for them. I was rather surprised by this, but truly I don't know much about Malamutes, hence my question. I always thought they were pretty similar to huskies, so am a bit shocked but didn't want to go preaching until I had some facts to throw at them, if of course it's necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 I did a quick search and came across this site http://www.winterpaws.org/malamute-v-siberian.html: It says "Both breeds are born to run. Neither of these breeds should ever be left off leash to run in fields, woods, or neighborhoods. They will keep on running and in all likelihood, just won't come back. Many Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies have been picked up by local dog wardens who have found them running stray. Some of them are never claimed and end up in rescue organizations or euthanized due to overcrowding in local shelters." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 Nope. Huskies, Malamutes and Akitas amongst others are all known to have shaky recall. Noones saying you can't train any recall in them because you can, however it's the reliability of it that's the problem. One glimpse of a fluffy little rabbit and zoom! Off they go down the road and out of sight. One of the people I meet up with occasionally on meets live in Surrey, their dogs escaped and ended up so far out that when the police called telling them they had their dogs and asking where they were, the policeman had never heard of their town! Crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare70 Posted January 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 Ok, as I thought. I will relay the info and warn them to be careful. It's another one of those 'surely you can let them off' it's beginning to pee me off, not sure if it was said to make me feel bad. I hate the fact I can't watch my babies run free, but I have to put their safety first! Walked a total of 8 miles today and am bloody knackered, just so the dogs get a good walk. They've been asleep since 8pm UK time and I won't see them until 6am tomorrow, so hoping they are getting enough exercise, I know I am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 Mals are lazier than huskies (well some are so ive heard) so people do tend to let them off I think it depends on the actual dog tho but I wouldn't risk it Besides can always get 50ft / 100ft leads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 I don't have personal experience to prove that, but a lot of web pages I read suggest that neither Mals nor Huskies can go off-lead. Sure, Mals are calmer. But it doesn't make their prey drive lower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devildust76 Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 We'd never let monster dog off lead but he is quite lazy and I doubt he'd go far but I'd never take the risk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie615 Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 There are ppl on YouTube who have managed to train their huskys to recall but I wouldn't risk it I've just got a 100ft lead to take my shadow out to the beach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goingsolo Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 When asked why we dont let off lead i say he is designed to run for a long time and im not, shuts them up straight away lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoey Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPQU85EfD6U i dont know how to link the video directly in here but its husky off leash training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare70 Posted January 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Cool, but the dog looks like it's been on a massive run first, panting and tongue hanging out. Harry is like that on our way home when we've been out on a 5 mile hike, walks at my side and really isn't interested in anything else. I could probably let him off lead and he'd walk right by me, but I'd never risk it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malagirl Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 nope. My malamute is terrible of lead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 we have a Mal in foster with us at the moment, we have been told she is good off lead. We were also told she's never been in a crate but she went straight in one here as if she's lived in one all her life so I'm certainly not letting her offlead unless secure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stew660 Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 hi i am new to this site so hello. we have a malamute and we let him off the lead all the time and he is very good in the fields and along the river banks, he is fine as long as he can see or hear me so playing hind and seek drives him mad lol .the more we play the closer he stays to me to the point were he will not take his eyes off me. , i started when he was a puppy with a VERY long lead in long grass , the grass would snag the lead and he wounld think i still had hold of it , over week the lead would get shorter and shorter to the point were he has no lead on , but a pocketful of treats goes a long way. the only time we dont let him off the lead is in the parks where there are other dogs and he does not understand that some dogs do not like to play . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare70 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Hello! I personally think you are very brave and up to now lucky he has not run off. I guess if you are in a location totally away from cars etc then it is less of a risk, however they only need to see one squirrel/rabbit and they could be off. The only other thing I will say is I wish you luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpups Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Nope never my malamute is worse then the huskies lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I'd say each to their own in this topic, but dogs are--in the end of the day--an animal. Animals live by instinct, not personal experience or personality. Although our pooches differ greatly in behavior due to various personal experience and personality but they all have breed traits. Those breed traits are instinctive, and--as far as my understanding goes--we can't train that out. Taking off when off-leash is one of those breed traits. Personally I wouldn't gamble with it, but then again... each to their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stew660 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 hi we only let him off the lead when we are far away from cars etc in woodland or fields, he has learnt when i say bye or good bye and start walking the other way he knows i am going with out him and he come running back , when we walk along the road he is always on the lead, as for squirrels rabbits he will chase them but with no luck in catch them not much of a hunting dog lol, i have a friend who has a 3yr old Siberian Husky (my malamute is 1 yr old) and hes the same he will run all over the place off the lead but never to far ,she is the one who showed me the treats trick. if we go for a walk together the dogs spend the entire walk bouncing off each other ( i dont know why there do that) but it really tires them out. but if he does run off one day to the point that scares me that i am going to lose him he will be back on the lead for good. so far he's been a very good dog :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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