If you can’t let your dog off the lead is it an issue?

[Mangomelongrape]

I’m looking at rescues. I’m drawn towards sight hounds plus there are loads in rescue. I’m eyeing up a lovely lurcher atm.

His bio like many sight hounds says he has to be kept on a lead. I’m used to going on dog walks with friends and we get a lot of pleasure from watching the dogs chase round and its obviously a great way for them to use up energy and they seem to get a lot out of playing with each other.

My question is firstly do you feel like you and your dog are missing out at all only being able to lead walk ? Also do you have to go on much longer walks to try and give them the exercise needed ? We do have a garden that we would fully fence.

Most sighthounds (with lurchers it can depend a bit on the mix as they are cross breeds really) are really lazy, so won’t object to a short lead walk, depending on what dogs your friends have I’d be a bit wary of letting something with such a strong instinct to chase off a lead with other dogs, if they have small crusty white dog types I’d be a bit worried it could all go a bit south.

Most people I know with dogs that can’t be let off hire fields or horse menagés to let them have a good hoon if they really think it’s beneficial

everyone seems to have a cockapoo or cavapoo round here ! I’m bucking the trend !

if a rescue told me a dog couldn’t be let off lead I would certainly take that advice I just thought dog walks may not be as fun. Perhaps there are fields to hire though.

My girl can't be off lead apart from in enclosed fields or with her besties. It's absolutely fine and not a problem at all. We have a long line which is great for giving her space to explore. But I really enjoy having her on the shorter lead too. It means a lot of stopping for her to sniff at things, but I quite like the bonding element of having to be aware of each others stride and wants. It helps you build great trust.

She is a giant breed though and at nearly 2 she absolutely is over the idea of running around.

I wouldn’t want a dog I couldn’t let off ever. I have sighthounds and they love to run and sniff and mooch at their own speed.

interesting differing opinions. Perhaps with rescues you just can’t risk it?

Our rescues can't be let off the lead and I have to admit it isn't the same as watching confident dogs playing and running freely. However, I hire a secure field ( with agility equipment) regularly for them and that is a lovely time. We also have to walk one of them much more than the other or he doesn't get enough exercise, but that is good for me too! I have never regretted getting them though and so many dogs need rescuing now and lurchers are lovely.

You can try renting a dog walking field to give it a go, building up to doing it with doggy friends. I have seen plenty of rescue sighthounds off lead, with varying success. So it does seem down to the dogs personality and the training.

We're having issues with our young lab's recall at the moment so he's walked on lead while we work it out, but I find it helps to burn off lots of energy at home first, throwing the ball in the garden for a good half hour first. Then the walk is just a walk (I run with him if he's up for it but he usually stops because he prefers lots of sniffing).

I don't think I would enjoy my dog walks half as much if I had a dog I couldn't let off, and nor would my dog, in terms of enrichment value, swimming opportunities, amount of exercise.
Canicross or other harness dog sports are an option for exercise on lead.
You might find you get lucky with a lurcher with good recall, they do exist, or you could also find a few locations where some off-lead time is possible - a beach for example?

I'm not sure why the rescues say the dogs can't be let off the lead? If it's because of a strong prey instinct, surely they can be muzzled. I have a rescue lurcher whom we let off the lead after a couple of months (she was 3 when we got her). She did used to have her 'conveniently deaf' moments, but she's 11 now and no trouble at all. Lurchers are generally very lazy, a couple of good zoomies a day then snoozing. I'd definitely have another.

My last dog couldn't be let off lead, Fox hound, as if he was following a scent he just didn't hear us. No prey drive, we worked with on lead walks, long line and hiring private Enclosed fields. It wasn't a problem but because we live in London we were too near roads to take a chance. He was a rescue as well

Our boy is no longer able to go offlead unless in a private hire field or where I can see for certain there are no other dogs (his recall is really excellent). He was badly attacked and is now very reactive to dogs and people (but only if they come right up to him, otherwise ignores), so all his usual walks are on lead. He has a longline and we do lots of sniffing and hunting for toys/treats in long grass (he is muzzled so finding things that work is a bit tricky). We also canicross and he is more than content with his lot. He actually seems happier since we stopped letting him off lead, he doesn’t need to make decisions that might go wrong, and pretty much 100% of our walks involve no problems or worries as he is under complete control at all times. He is a very contented dog at home, and I don’t have any regrets about needing him to be on lead at all times in public.

I would say that's a breed issue due to their high prey drive rather than being a rescue issue specifically although it could be both. You can get extremely long leashes and you could do what we did when training our dog for recall- we went to a dog park at the crack of dawn so he could run off leash while it was deserted but the dog play are was fully fenced in. We left as soon as others arrived. That would be preferable to using a field where you could have other wildlife nearby/ rabbits or where there could be gaps in the fence your dog could get through. There was an instance recently where two lurchers off leash mauled a small dog and their owner because they just saw the dog as prey. It's very important to understand the breed you're getting and their inclinations as that's what you'll be working with no matter how well you train. I would second pp who suggested muzzling but you might need to train them to tolerate a cage style muzzle first. And tbh most owners would not be happy to see you walking a muzzled dog off leash.

I would also say that being muzzled off lead doesn’t make prey drive safe, a lurcher chasing a squirrel will run into traffic without a second thought, no muzzle prevents a chase.
And whilst my lurcher loves to snooze, he is whip smart and needs quite a bit of mental and physical stimulation. We run 6-15km 3-4 times a week with daily mooch walks of at least an hour. He is incredibly fit and has excellent stamina. Sighthounds are generally very lazy, but you get the odd lurcher who has the energy and drive of a collie or terrier, make sure you’re happy to satisfy that drive if necessary (my lad is a lot of saluki, he would go all day at a steady lope if I let him).

My lurchers go off lead, but neither was worked (well, one would have been trained to do so but was handed in because he wouldn't) and have low prey drives. But I know plenty who don't and these days it is easy to find enclosed dog fields which you can hire with others to let the dogs have a really good run around - especially with pointy friends to shoulder barge and play bitey face with.
Long lines with sighthounds are a very, very bad idea. They reach 30-45mph in 6 strides and its a shortcut to broken bones if you are using them as a lead

My 2 only go off lead with DH (apparently my voice doesn't bother them enough to listen to it 😂) so the vast vast majority of their walks are lead walks. I actually prefer it to off lead walks as I feel I am spending more time with them as I'll talk to them while we walk and we're more 'together' than if they're off running free.

Prey drive, coupled with being able to run at 40mph means that they get lost/run over. Greyhounds, for example, generally can’t be let off the lead.

I don’t necessarily agree that long lines are a bad idea with lurchers. Without appropriate training then yes, absolutely don’t do that, but if you’re happy to put the work in to train a good stop command, heel, leave it etc then they’re a really useful tool for ambling mooches with your pointy dog.

A muzzle won't stop a dog running for miles and potentially getting hit by a car.

My whippet loves an on lead amble with plenty to sniff and look at . We do have access to a secure field but she often sits in the middle and looks at stuff instead of running round ! Her recall is usually great but whippets often have a fiercely independent streak and once they are locked on to chase they are utterly oblivious to anything else .. she's not disobeying she literally will not hear you, or traffic or road,or see barbed wire or even trees sometimes. There are some awful sight hound injuries due to total focus on the chase.

We have two dogs, one with good recall, one with none at all.

We walk the one with no recall on a long lead when out in woods or fields and she gets to sniff & explore happily whilst the other can run on ahead and pick up sticks. They both get the walk they enjoy.

I’m not sure where you live but near us are some dog pens, free to use and fully secure we used to walk to the pens have twenty mins off lead then walk back. On holiday we have rented dog fields, I think it’s unfair to never let a dog off it’s lead, it’s hard for dogs to use up all their energy.

My dog is lead walks only and I dont enjoy it as he is so strong and pulls terribly. If he was happy on the lead it's woildnt be as much of a problem.

He runs off after birds and does zoomies and he can't be trusted when he meets people and dogs. He's also a bit nuts in general and he's massive and people I reckon fun don't like him as he's a bit scary.

He's a rescue. Tried to train him but it'a exhausting/impossible. Last time I tried he get stopping and looking at me then running off. Heart in mouth.

I long for a nice sensible dog that I can take for a walk and just let off and the will amble along and potter off here and there. Chase a ball and come back. sigh. So many friends have these dogs without a any training. Very unfair!

Hired fields aren't the same really.

Thanks all

this Particular dog is a bedlington x whippet with poor recall and who chases cats but I’m looking at all sighthounds suitable for us.

I wouldn’t enjoy letting a dog off if panicking about it attacking another dog or running into the road tbh .

anyway it’s good to hear some of you saying on lead walks can be more bonding.

No not really. Obviously you always picture a dog bounding around next to you off lead but in reality it isnt much different.

i think the main thing that has an impact is reactivity and temprement. My dogs recall is poor, but other than that he is solid so we are able to do all the same walks, visit cafes, national trust, go on trains and do all the things we planned. I imagine its a much bigger impact if your dog is on a lead due reactivity or nerves

We have a long line that we can use on beach walks that gives us the power to give him meters of freedom, but step on the lead should he see something to chase. We have ocassionally booked out secure fields with dog friends

Sometimes i wish he could bound around the way he wants to with other dogs but secure fields and gardens give him those options

The other consideration is with high energy breeds that it makes excersing them harder on the human. An off lead dog would be zig zagging, running about, possibly running backwards and forth with a ball, how often do you see people plodding about while their dog is running about or sitting on a bench throwing a ball. An onlead one does a very similar walk to the human, so your steps might be higher to get the same impact