I have no problem with off leash dogs, done responsibly. You have to know your dog, their limits, etc. My uncle's GSD worships the ground he walks on and always sticks right by. Certain breeds are more incline to do this as well, others need a lot more work. Obviously, I don't think letting a dog off by a road is safe - no matter how well trained. But if you have lots of land and lots of space, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Jackson is trustworthy off leash for the most part. However I don't do it often because I know he's not 99.9% reliable - he's probably about 90% reliable. He's allowed off leash privileges when we visit my dad, I let him hop out of the car and go run to the house, and same with my moms house (both in the "country") or occasionally when we're out exploring thru the 90 acres of farmfield behind our house (but I'll usually put a line on him and let him drag it around, just to be safe).

Tibbe is only off the leash outside of the house & backyard when I am training him not to leave the front yard. And I have plenty of treats, squeaky toys & am constantly aware of the environment watchful of anything that might incite his prey drive with an eye toward getting him scooped up & in the house once there is any activity in the neighborhood. I'm really really really cautious about that training time, hold it only in the early afternoon when there are the fewest people about & have the toys & treats to help should he see something to bolt toward. So far, he has never left the parameters I have set out for him, which are our front yard and part of each neighbor's front yards - as long as they aren't out there at the time. I figured if I didn't allow him some leeway to sniff into a portion of another yard, the draw of the different scents & surroundings would always be calling to him & it was best to allow him just a bit of leeway so he could experience being a bit off his property and still feeling he is under my control. Knock wood, I got him at age 9 mos. & Aug. 30 he will be 5 & he's never left the training area any time he's been out front. That's the only time he's off leash & he gets taken inside once there is any activity on the block - appearance of a squirrel across the street, a person coming down the sidewalk, a neighbor coming out their front door, a car coming down the street - anything.

Only in the house! :D

I never let my dogs off leash outside of a fenced yard, I'm a control freak and that would be way to much for me to handle. My shih tzu will follow me anywhere, but he drags his leash behind so that I have something to grab if he thinks about wandering away. Belle (my Yorkie) squeezed out of the fence one day and as soon as I realized it, I called her and she came running right back - thank goodness for training recall with her! I would never intentionally let her run loose though. My big dog is so obsessed with scents that I'm sure if he was off leash and found something that he wanted to smell that he would forget all of his training and not come back when called.

It is a good question. The only dog I let off leash on a regular basis, is Magic, and that is when we are in training mode for CDX and or when we are swimming, or in leash free parks. I've told this story before here, but my trainer Ilona, wondered why I insisted on training the STOP command, why I needed it if I had a good stay. Well we were all at a leashfree park, it had a good swimming pond, and great trails. The dogs at one point ended up about 30 yards ahead of us and...oh my Lord, a group of three horses with riders started down a trail. Magic had only ever seen one horse before in his life. He was as I said thirty yards away, he started to turn and to go investigate the horse, I yelled STOP. He stopped on a dime. I ran up to him. Stood beside him, rewarded him, and let the horses pass us by. Ilona said, awh I see now, why the STOP command. So he has earned his right for off leash work.

Razzle and Zoey for similar reasons have not. They are only off leash in our fenced in back yard, and when we are swimming. Neither one has a good recall. And Zoey in particular still doesn't accept STOP command, Razzle does..

I think it is a little different in the UK. It is standard for most dogs to be off the lead in a park, both big and small. It makes me nervous, but is common practice.

I haven't decided what I'll do with Ellington yet, as he is still new, he is on lead at all times.

My best friend is a dog walker/groomer, and all of the dogs she walks go off lead together - from a very small dog to a very large one.

We don't have predators like you do!

I too am from the UK. It depends where you live. We have buzzards in the trees around us which circle over head. I allow my 2 Staffies and old yorkie x off lead but would never allow the yorkies as they are so small there are also loads of rabbit holes here and it is in their genes to chase these to there nest so would be a disaster if they went down a hole.

Big, powerful dogs off leash worry me unless I really really know the dog & his training history & he is one who is likely to respond quickly to his owner. It scares me to be walking in the neighborhood & see a Pitbull off lead 20 feet in front of his owner.

Sure you do. You have bigger dogs and cars and such. Small dogs have predators everywhere.

:goodpost::clapsmile

Only in the fenced in back yard will I let Heidi off leash. She is so good, but I don't trust the other environmental factors - people, other dogs, etc. Plus, she loves people so much she thinks everyone is suppose to stop and talk to her. Especially if its a kid, she looks at me like "Can I go to them, please please please!"

You're right of course, but still, where I live, most dogs are off lead.

My boys are never off leash, but I agree with Gemy about training because we have had several instances where leashes were accidentally dropped or the dogs got out of the house. Thanks to training in the house "stop", "stay" and "down", the boys listened and stopped in their tracks or came immediately to me. I still don't trust them to be off leash purposely.

That doesn't mean its the safest or best thing. I personally would not be comfortable with lots of large dogs running around off lead for my safety and for my small dogs safety.

Oh definitely, I agree. But I look at the other dogs and how much fun they have having a real good run around, and a real good play with other dogs, and part of me wants to give that to Ellington too.

once I have had him snipped, and trained him to come, I may start trying it. His tail wags so much when he meets dogs!