Nervous about No Leash?
 

Are there any other pet parents who are nervous about letting their Yorkie off a leash? I've got this total mentality that because Avery is so small, he can easily get out of my eyesight and someone snatch him. He wears his contact info at all times, but let's be serious... he may not be returned. It isn't that he doesn't listen to me.. he does, I just don't trust others.

I'd love to hear what you all think about this... am I being too over protective?

Not at all.
I assume you are talking off leash in your own yard.
Even that could pose a danger depending on where you live
so i do not think you are being overprotective.
You are being a good mom...

Only Roxy is allowed off leash ever. She earned the privilege. She has stranger danger fear. She barks and will run backwards up the driveway is she sees another person, dog, or cat outside.

You are not alone. I take my two girls to puppy school. The trainer asked when we would begin letting them off leash when we are out walking them. (they are the only ones in the class still in leash). I told her NEVER. They are too precious too loose. I am afraid they will chase a rabbit down a hole or some. Oh buzzard will steal them or they will chase something and as they are quick as lightning I would never catch them. Indoors they come instantly when I call them where ever they are in the house and what ever they are doing but outdoors there are so many interesting smells I don't know if they would and Im not prepared to take the risk. Maybe when they at 10 yrs and a bit slower I might think about it lol

Your baby is absolutely adorable and would be snatched right up! I certainly do NOT think you are being over protective at all....and not only is there "stranger danger" to concern yourself with, what in the world will you do if a vicious loose dog comes after your baby....you will stand, transfixed in horror, as that dog tears your baby apart and runs off with your baby, or what is left of him, in its mouth.....and you can do absolutely NOTHING!! If you have your baby on a leash, you can actually swing your baby up and hold him over your head to keep the other dog from killing him.

Bella was allowed off leash for a few times, then she lost that privilage. She took off and it took about 30 minutes to find her and I was a mess. We live in the country with a big yard and I know she would love to run in the yard, but no fense and she loves rabbits, squirrals and we have a couple of cats she would love to chase.

I allow my baby girl off leash only, ONLY because my Chow Chow mix is hyper protective of her. He stays by her side at all times, so no other animal or person with malicious intent would ever get near her. Otherwise, I would never let something so small off leash. All of my Pit Bulls, and German Shepherds growing up were off leash trained but we never allowed the poodles walk around off leash. I don't think you're being over protective at all. You guard your baby, you don't have a big protector dog like I do lol.

I will never and would never let Callie off leash unless in a fenced in area. Dogs have instincts that even the best trained dog can chose to follow instincts over there training and end up getting hurt by anything really or hit by a car.

I have to be in a area that I believe is safe. Otherwise they are in a fenced yard or on a leash. I am lucky to have a few acres they get to run when I am with them. And they love it. Just be very careful if you choose too.

agreed mine never come off the leash and i would be to afraid as everyone on here has stated so you are no overprotective in my eye.

Peek a Boo is 15.5 years old and can still outrun me most days!

No, mine are never off leash, only in the small, fenced yard. I have security cameras too.
I use a retractable leash to allow them a bit more freedom on our walks. Plus I watch the area we're in constantly for loose dogs and wildlife.

Katie Scarlett is rarely off leash. She of course was off leash at puppy class and in fenced in areas (such as dog park), but other than that I am terrified to let her off leash. We have let her off leash at a park near our house a few times. It is huge and only when we are about the only ones there. She always comes back to us when called though, but I'm still scared. I wish I could let her off leash in our yard, but we do not have a fence.

My two are excellent with their recall, but still are very rarely off leash. We have a fenced front and backyard, a fenced small dog park and that is really the only time they are off leash. We have taken them to the beach and let them run, but we make sure there is a ton of space and not any other dogs around when we do it. I haven't ever had them take off like some dogs do... But you still have to worry about other dogs.

This question makes me think of what my own (grown and married) sons had said at the dinner table one evening when they were visiting. One of them said "mom was just too over protective, she wouldn't let us out of her sight and it was embarrassing", and the others completely agreed with him. I just looked at my sons and said: Nothing bad happen to you guys, you were not molested, kidnapped or worse now were you, and I walked away smiling because you could hear a pin drop and I know they were absorbing what I said. :~)

SOOOO, I'm for being very "protective" no matter what, and no matter what anyone else says or thinks". It's better to be safe than sorry! ;)

No dog should be off leash anywhere except their fenced in yard and then they still need to be supervised to prevent attack from preditor or someone stealing them. People who do find out the hard way

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!