Do you think walking off lead is important

[freshstart24]

We have a beautiful 10 month old black lab. He is walked at least twice a day and almost always one of these walks is mostly off lead. We've carefully built up his walk time as we've been warned about over exercising him whilst still young. So we are now up to about 50 minutes max a day.

There are a few safe off lead walks very close to us but they've recently become very very wet so whenever possible we are driving somewhere that he can go offlead.

After chatting to some fellow dog owners recently I've realised that quite a few don't bother with off lead walks.

Our dog seems to enjoy being off lead very much, and his recall is good so I do intend to continue with the off lead fun, but I'm wondering how important it is and wether I can scale down and do a bit more on the lead.

I'm interested in what other people do?

We've a 4 year old JRT, he has 2 x 1 hour walks a day, both involving at least half hour off lead playing call running around and sniffing/peeing. He would be impossible without this. He WAS impossible before we gave him off lead walks

Offlead exercise is hugely important... of course if there's a large enough garden they can make do with that instead of walks.

But as someone who has a dog who can't go offlead in public places, I have no clue why you would not let a dog off lead without an actual reason not to, in all honesty, I think it's verging on cruel.

If it's for the dogs safety or the safety of others, that trumps being able to go offlead - but other than that?...

Ours would destroy the house I feel he didn’t have lots of off lead exercise and sniffing time. He needs about three hours a day and dislikes being on a lead at all. Luckily we live where he rarely needs to be on a lead. I can’t imag a quick trot around the block on a lead would suffice for anything but a very elderly or very young dog.

Definitely off lead walking for us. Double the exercise and mental stimulation in half the time.

TiddlyTerriers ON lead

I walk in the morning when it’s still dark and the last time I let them off lead in the park one of them was going nuts so I put him back on the lead and could see an animal of some sorts which then decided to chase us.

It’s the only big open space to go when it’s dark so I’ve been sticking to on lead walks until it gets light again.
They get another walk in the afternoon though and most days this is off lead.

My lab actually gets more exercise on the lead cos he’s such a dawdler left to his own devices whereas on lead I make him walk fast to keep up with me.

I just bought some Ruffwear Roamer leads which are really long so they get some freedom to sniff stuff as we’re walking through woody bits and down quiet lanes.

My black lab and golden retriever have all walks off lead. Only time they are on lead is walking back to the car.

My dog is a greyhound and unless he has an off lead run he doesnt actually get tired or exercised he just has to run those laps to get his energy out

I think it's important where possible.

I don't think walking a dog for hours can have the same effect as a good 10 minute run off lead with the dog going where they want.

Obviously not all dogs can do it, but if it's possible, it should be.

Madam loves her off lead walks. She does proper zoomies round and round until she she's literally panting. She always looks so happy when she's zooming.

On those days she sleeps and behaves brilliantly.

On days where I don't get the chance to off lead her (such as not feeling well so don't get the chance to get to the field), even though she's still walked, she's much more of a pain in the ass

I think it's critical. I don't know anyone whose dog gets no off lead time

Our lab is useless at off lead stuff. He once got about 3m away from me (because I stopped to let him plod on), he glanced around and galloped the whole 3 entire meters back to me. He also once gave up on a walk, and sat down to protest. DH left him there and DH managed about 7-8 meters away before the lolloping old git plodded over to him.

OldGirl, on the other hand, loves galloping around but unfortunately can't do too much of it due to arthritis. We let her have a bit of a play once a week, but any more and she's limping. I'd love for her to motor around again.

I think it’s absolutely imperative. Ideally daily but appreciate that isn’t possible for everyone.

For dogs with crap recall, I think secure fields or harness and trailing long line need to be used.

I know quite a few people who won't walk offlead including my SIL whose chihuahua has never been offlead in his life apart from in the garden as she's scared he'll run away.

Loads of people with small dogs especially think an extendi-lead is good enough. Personally I think it's really sad to have a dog whose natural instinct is to run and never allow it to.

As for breeds such as huskies, I don't think people should keep them unless they intend to do some sort of sledging or running activity with them, just my opinion. We looked into getting a husky as loved the look of them but quickly realised they weren't a dog for us. We have a hound 90 min run every day and the rest of time is on the sofa asleep.

Quick wave here!!

Madam is a chihuahua cross (we think with a papillon) and gets off lead walks.

But I know some who are never walked...as the garden is enough. When I watch her zooming around with such joy, I feel sorry for them

Sweetkitty couldn’t agree with you more about huskies etc.. a friend has one. She never lets it off the lead. The poor thing always looks so stressed. I refuse to walk with her as the dog is so destructive and a massive handful. In contrast there’s a guy locally with a pack of huskies and about 30 acres. He sleds with them (is that the right term?). It sounds like the hounds of the Baskervilles or the local hunt going through the village when he’s harnessing them up or feeding them, some locals complain about the noise but I find it a joyous sound. They’re all so excited to get going.

I have a Basset Hound, they’re notorious for going off hunting being a scent hound, but I’m lucky that mine has always stuck pretty much with me. Yes she runs off ahead, but will stop if I call her (she’s too stubborn to run back to me) but woe behind if I get ahead of her and get out of her sight, for a 5 1/2 stone beast with tiny stubby legs she can half shift it if she needs to..

My lab is off lead every day. He’s like a bloody greyhound, the second you tell him to go he’s off. He’s no company on a walk at all, he’s usually about fifty yards ahead of me. Luckily we live out in open countryside and there’s no livestock and very rarely do we see another dog. He has got a good recall though.

Currently mine only go offlead twice a week when I drive them out of my local area. A 4th dog has now died from alabama rot thats walked in my immediate countryside area. My vet has said do not risk it at the moment.

Mine are currently stuck with 2 hours on lead around the town/streets every day. Theyve been walked like this for almost 6 weeks now. Oddly they're not really that bothered and actually seem more worn out after their walks than off lead but imagine they would be more bothered when the weather warms up.

My dog gets 1 on lead walk a day and 1 off lead walk a day

I think it’s cruel to keep them on lead. They need to run and enjoy themselves, be a dog!! Which is why I think it’s vital from day 1 to teach re-call

My dog has recently finished her first season which last 4 weeks! There was no way I’d keep her in the house so for the first 3 and a half weeks all her walks were on lead. The first time I let her off again she was absolutely loving it! I couldn’t imagine never letting her do that...

Personally I am very pro off lead if you can and if your dog is well trained, good name recall and gets on well with others. Both mine love being off the lead, one of them who is old and is now used to being off lead for many years, will walk slower on purpose if I put the lead on which is quite funny.

I can totally understand that for some dogs e.g. personality issues and for whatever reasons, being off the lead just isn't possible though. You know your own dog and what is best.

My one year old GSD had to spend 6 weeks with on lead only exercise recovering from an arthroscopy to treat his elbow dysplasia and it was hell for both of us. I walked him on lead for 3-4 hours every day but he still chewed everything in the house, yapped and howled all the time, and had to be on Prozac and even sedatives to be left for a couple of hours. It was a nightmare.

Most dogs benefit greatly from off lead exercise.

Mine is pretty much 100% off lead. He loves it and I feel bad when he has to go back on 100 yds from home whilst we cross the road. I'd hate to have to keep him leashed - he gets much more exercise running free and lots of scent work which is so good for them

I say it's very important. I have three working type labs and for every mile I walk they will do at least three.
The mental stimulation is good for them too.

In our local woods it's not unusual not to have sight of them for five minutes at a time (they check in regularly and we know what general direction they are in) and a lot of people find that a difficult concept to grasp.
Mind you they all have bomb-proof recall.

I have 5 greyhounds and they are never walked off lead, their recall is appalling and prey drive is high.

It is fairly frustrating to have an off lead dog run into the pack with no owner in sight, and trying to keep the dogs apart. So I hope those dogs with "bomb proof recall" actually know where their dogs are at all times.

Oh, and we do let them off lead on our own land, which is fully stockproof fenced, but never on a public walk.

@hahahaIdontgetit my dog's are antisocial biggest and actively avoid other dogs.
The woods is also private property (owner by our landlord the farmer) so the chances of meeting another dog is very slim.

*buggers