Do people judge owners with their dogs on a long line?

[Blubell281]

Our dog is 19 months old, despite our best efforts his recall isn't as good as it should be. He has a very high prey drive. I can recall him from people and other dogs but when he gets a scent he's so focused and he sometimes bolts. I don't think he'll ever be off his long line as we live in a very rural area with sheep everywhere and he can squeeze himself under stock fencing.

I have literally never once seen anyone with a dog on a long line, not even a puppy. All I see is dogs off lead trotting alongside their owners. I feel like such a failure, I feel like people must see me and think I dont know what I'm doing, that I haven't put any effort into training. I'm just embarrassed using it. I'm sure I wouldn't be if they were a tool that lots of people used but as I said, I've never even seen 1 person with one, in 18 months!

Oh, and actually lots of other people have said it better than me .... I should have read all the new replies before commenting.

No I wouldn’t judge. I would think it’s someone whose dog hasn’t got a great recall and they are trying to master it. Good luck btw.

[quote mcdog]@NeedingCoffee why are retractables so bad?? Genuine question because that's what I use with my 2 dogs and would hate to think it was hurting them some how. [/quote]
if the dog darts into the road both you and the dog can get pulled into under the car, as the lead becomes wound around the wheels or inside the engine compartment. some terrible injuries can occur.
also see this:
www.happy-buddies.co.uk/blog/do-you-use-a-retractable-lead-maybe-this-will-make-you-think-again

What do you give a fuck?

You have a dog with poor recall, you are trying to keep your dog safe and under control because you know they are a flight risk. That is responsible dog ownership right there. You're doing good. The fact that the dog doesn't have great recall is not a sign of failure. Some breeds are just notoriously poor at coming back. (My dog included.) Don't give a fuck about what anyone else thinks....

I'm interested in the long line theory... due to get pup soon. Do you hold on to the end of the line and walk dog as usual... just giving them more roaming space? Or (as I've seen in videos) do you let the line drop and be dragged along with the dog?? Or is it a bit of both depending on the surroundings?

Thanks so much for all the replies and info, its been really helpful.

I wish I didn't care but I'm a first time dog owner (well first time puppy owner, I've had old rescues in the past who didn't need recall training) so I do feel like I've failed him and haven't put enough training in and that thats what people see when they see me walking him on the long line, that I look like I dont know what I'm doing. It doesn't help that his sister, who hasn't had a days training in her life just instinctively stays close and returns when her name's called. I just think where have I gone wrong?!!

No. Of course not. Some dogs are little bolters.

Squaddielife in an open area i hold the end and feed the long line in and out as needed (gloves essential).

In woodland i use a biothane line that trails behind him and I stand on it if he goes too far. I use that for when he's playing in water too, he loves chasing stones into the river (shallow) so I stand on the end while I throw them, the biothane doesn't absorb water.

I've then got a normal short lead for pavement walks and a longer lead for walking along the canal, that gives him a bit more freedom with there being no traffic to worry about but i can still control him if I people or bikes need to pass.

savvy7

Being honest ... yes, long lines don't train your dog to stay by your side so I would probably think you couldn't be bothered to train your dog properly

I don't want my dog to have to stay by my side the whole time, I want him to be able to run ahead and sniff.

Some dogs are just harder to train, mine included because he’s friendly and sociable and wants to play with every dog he sees 😬but we are getting there. So stick at it 😀

Following with interest! Those of you who use long lines, do your dogs ever bolt? I was training Pup on one and it slid right under my boot, then burned my hand when I grabbed it as she just totally lost focus and sped off when another dog came bounding up. She's fast and massive so I would have been pulled over if it was around my waist. She's never bolted on it before, but I've not dared use it since, so interesting to see how OP and others use theirs. OP i'd likely just be envious of your dog being nice on it and not getting all tangled up in trees or other dog leads!

[quote mcdog]@NeedingCoffee why are retractables so bad?? Genuine question because that's what I use with my 2 dogs and would hate to think it was hurting them some how. [/quote]
It depends on the lead, the dog, the training and the situation. Don't worry!

I use a heavy duty retractable for most walks clipped onto a harness for my old dog. It has a 'brake', doesn't get tangled, and we both barely 'feel' it (ie it doesn't feel like the dog is tugging). Plus the handle is v ergonomic and sturdy. Dog has been walked by boarders and dog walkers and has been complemented on how well she walks on the long lead/retractable (dog boarders/walkers use whatever leads they want with her).

When I took her to puppy training and agility she was on a short loose lead as standard. Some outdoor training work was on a long loose lead. But she walks best on a retractable (on the back of a harness).

I'm sure your leads are fine.

I’d just think you haven’t managed to train a good recall but you are trying. As long as you are not allowing your dog to run free with the line trailing behind him.

A long training line is much more acceptable than those dangerous retractable leads that some dog owners swear by. The only reason people have a dog on a retractable lead is because they want the dog to have some freedom without them having to put in the necessary training.

“The only reason people have dog on a retractable lead is because they want the dog to have some freedom without them having to put in the necessary training.”

@Marleythedog, not the only reason at all. See my first post on this thread. My dog is elderly, deaf and his sight isn’t great. He is a sighthound mix, who had brilliant recall (trained to the whistle) until he had a medical episode last year that affected his hearing. I put in all the work and more with him when he was young and have constantly reinforced that training throughout his life. Now he can hear the whistle-ish, but can’t tell where it’s coming from. He generally can’t hear us calling him verbally at all if he is more than a couple of steps away. That, plus failing sight, has resulted in him taking off after the wrong person multiple times. I have him on a very strong, thick, hi-vis tape retractable lead, attached to a harness when he’s in the park, to give him a bit of freedom. He can feel the vibration of me clicking the brake through the lead while he’s pottering about and knows that means if he heads back to me he will be rewarded, so if anything, it’s improved his recall since his hearing went. He has never pulled on the lead, but can’t pelt off at full speed now anyway, so there’s no jerking or reeling in like I see other people doing. I use the lead responsibly and maintain it carefully.

It’s the first time in over 30 years I have ever considered using one and it took me a while to accept it as an option, as I am generally anti-extending leads, but it works for us in these specific circumstances and has been a useful tool for facilitating more freedom for him on our sniffy-walks in our local park. It has also meant that, during the pandemic, dh has been able to walk him, when he is hopeless with longlines and always gets himself, the dog and the line in a real tangle. (I have given him countless lessons with them over the years, to no avail.). For what it’s worth, I still don’t like them and wouldn’t recommend them in 99.99% of cases.

@Blubell281

Our dog is 19 months old, despite our best efforts his recall isn't as good as it should be. He has a very high prey drive. I can recall him from people and other dogs but when he gets a scent he's so focused and he sometimes bolts. I don't think he'll ever be off his long line as we live in a very rural area with sheep everywhere and he can squeeze himself under stock fencing.

I have literally never once seen anyone with a dog on a long line, not even a puppy. All I see is dogs off lead trotting alongside their owners. I feel like such a failure, I feel like people must see me and think I dont know what I'm doing, that I haven't put any effort into training. I'm just embarrassed using it. I'm sure I wouldn't be if they were a tool that lots of people used but as I said, I've never even seen 1 person with one, in 18 months!

I've used a long line with every single one of my dogs (pups and rescue) for almost 30yrs. At the start it was washing lines as the commercial training line just didn't exist.

I might have a friendly conversation with you if you were holding onto it like a lead and not letting it trail - about my own experiences of training recall and what seemed to work best with different dogs.

After the first lockdown I had to go back to using a long line with my youngest dog as the excitement of seeing more dogs out and about in the park was too much for him and he forgot all his nice calm behaviour!

So yes I'd judge you to be a responsible dog owner.

@Squaddielife

I'm interested in the long line theory... due to get pup soon. Do you hold on to the end of the line and walk dog as usual... just giving them more roaming space? Or (as I've seen in videos) do you let the line drop and be dragged along with the dog?? Or is it a bit of both depending on the surroundings?

it trails - and you can easily stamp on it and then grab it if you need to. MUCH easier than chasing a puppy around the park.

They get the idea that they are free, but you have more control. Holding it leads to getting tangled and wrapped around legs.

Let the puppy off lead / on a long line AS SOON AS they are allowed out. At this early stage they are likely to stick near you, you do something called flitting - walk away from them and they will follow, reward them. Make it fun, walk off in different directions, they will follow, at that age you are their safe space and the park is not. By the time outdoors becomes a safe space you want them to have the habit of coming to you on command pretty well ingrained.

The earlier you start letting them off the easier it is to teach recall in my experience. If you are anxious and keep them on a lead until they are a bit older then they are bolder and more likely not to come back and it becomes a chase game.

Then, depending on breed, your lovely obedient young dog will turn into a teenager (in retrievers it's 10-13 months ish) and look at you with disdain, pretending to have never heard the word "come" ever before. So you get the long line out again

@puppygalore

Following with interest! Those of you who use long lines, do your dogs ever bolt? I was training Pup on one and it slid right under my boot, then burned my hand when I grabbed it as she just totally lost focus and sped off when another dog came bounding up. She's fast and massive so I would have been pulled over if it was around my waist. She's never bolted on it before, but I've not dared use it since, so interesting to see how OP and others use theirs. OP i'd likely just be envious of your dog being nice on it and not getting all tangled up in trees or other dog leads!

Yes, it's not all plain sailing with some dogs. I always let it trail, never attach to me, its benefit is in being able to get the dog back without the chase around the park. I have had other dog owners kindly grab it for me as well.

It's a training aid - so by definition, it's used on dogs that NEED training, not well-trained dogs. I haven't used mine for about 4-5 months. With the youngest dog (I got him at 6 months) I did think at one point that he would NEVER be trained out of bolting, but most of the time now he is fine. I can usually recall him, putting him on a lead if I see other on lead dogs - he's not 100% yet, he's a work in progress. If I thought he was regressing I wouldn't hesitate to go back to using the long line.

@ImRealHonest

Depends on the size / strength of the dog.

As a PP says, the handles don’t give you much control. You’re holding it in your fingers. Normal leads can go round your wrist for extra safety.

I realise small dogs, if they suddenly out a sprint on, can still pull the handles out of your hands, but when I see a Neighbour of mine with a staffie on a retractable lead, yes I judge. My dogs have all been 25kg and up, and no way would I have them on a retractable lead.

I also judge people who just have them at full length, let the dog go around corners and have no control over it, like one girl near me. I have a reactive dog, and her golden retriever often wanders around the corner whilst mine is shitting, and she’s nowhere to be seen. But, it’s on a lead so it’s ok apparently.

long lines are NOT retractable leads

a long line is training aid - literally a long line / leash that trails behind the dogs so they are easier to get back under control.

I agree with catsrus - when I first got my pup I was reluctant to let him off the lead. It was a dog savvy relative who advised me to let him off whilst still a puppy as they are more likely to stay close. It does require a leap of faith but not an issue if you do it where it is safe to do so (i.e. not close to roads).

I wouldn't be judgy about a straightforward longline - it is those retractable leads that I was referring to in my post.

it trails - and you can easily stamp on it and then grab it if you need to. MUCH easier than chasing a puppy around the park

🤦‍♀️ This is exactly how a long line should NOT be used. A long line is a training aid - used to train your dog for different purposes, the main purpose, and why they are mostly used is to train your dog to recall.

Attaching a line and allowing your dog to run free and hope someone is near to him to stamp on the lead so you can catch him is not training your dog anything.

Young puppies do not need a line to teach recall. They will automatically follow you as long as you start right from the time pup has had his innoculations and can go out - the very first time you take him out and continue with calling and treating every time you go out. That’s the easiest way - for dog and owner.

A training lead (or long line) is used with an older dog who has not been taught recall or during certain times, like the teenage years, when the dog has been trained a solid recall but becomes headstrong and refuses to recall promptly and needs a reminder of how to behave.

Very sensible to use a line/lead, imo.

I'm the same as you in that I couldn't let my nervy, reactive, fast-running pup off the lead adn get quite sad when I see wee pups trotting about happily without one. But she'd be gone, quite likely, and I couldn't stop her. So I'll be keeping her on line until she's got any better recall and I'm confident she'd come back.

You could judge me, OP, for my loopy dog tying me up in knots the one time I took her out on a longline. I looked like a prat.

Young puppies do not need a line to teach recall. They will automatically follow you as long as you start right from the time pup has had his innoculations and can go out - the very first time you take him out and continue with calling and treating every time you go out. That’s the easiest way - for dog and owner.

Hm. My dog is loopy, always has been. Highly reactive to other people/dogs. This would have been an utter disaster for us.

Hm. My dog is loopy, always has been. Highly reactive to other people/dogs. This would have been an utter disaster for us

What do you mean by “loopy”?

A 3 month old puppy reactive to dogs and people? How did that happen? 🤔

Ok, so forbid me for being a naive new dog owner, but how on earth is 'stamping' on a trailing lead of a loose dog safer and more responsible than having a good quality retractable lead? My puppy doesn't just run off for other people to 'grab' or stamp on her lead, because I have control of her, on her lead. I'd judge the 'responsible' long line user far more in that circumstance than somebody who was actually safely holding a retractable lead with a puppy attached to the end.

By 'loopy' I mean she is shy, nervous, high energy, reactive and skittish. She's also very large and will jump up and knock people over and wants to play with everyone. She doesn't listen to commands and gets very wound up.

As to why she is like this, I have no idea. I suspect it is a combination of things - her breed, history, and her innate disposition. Perhaps a lack of social interaction over lockdown has contributed to her shyness, although she was like this even during puppy class at about 10 weeks. I am now suspecting she might have some food allergies or dietary issues, also. But do feel free to chip in with any ideas on what might help, that would be great.