huski

I don't have a picture, so just have a story to share which is less exciting but still funny and a 'what in the...' moment. When I was living in my last house, I came home from work one evening and found a house brick in the middle of my yard, I freaked out a bit thinking the feral kids next door had chucked it over the fence. I was really worried for the dogs. I removed the brick and then sure enough the next day there was another one there - far out I thought who would be chucking bricks over the bloody fence?! These were big heavy house bricks that I couldn't pick up single handed-ly. This went on for a while and I became quite panicked thinking someone is MUST BE throwing them in the yard! Then one night I went out to light the BBQ and sure enough I catch the bloody Malinois carrying a house brick - A HOUSE BRICK! around the yard She had found a pile of them near the old shed and had been relocating them for fun. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I never would have believe it, what the!!

Definitely consider what your goal is and what you really want as it will help you to become more consistent. I don't want my dogs to have value for other dogs, which makes it clear to me what things are worthwhile doing and what is counter productive to my goal. At this point Ronins value for other dogs has already been set, he has a reward history with them and knows other dogs can be super fun. But you can obviously work to desensitize him to the distraction of other dogs if this is what you want to achieve.

What a lovely post! I love a nicely bred rottie. I am really proud of my beagle, Daisy. She has such a solid temperament and is so neutral to other dogs and distraction, nothing phases her. we frequently bring her out in consults to help with dogs that are reactive to other dogs or as distraction proofing for pups or to help teach other owners how to motivate their dogs. I can always rely on Daisy to do what I need her to do. I think she's a great example of her breed.

Ha, yes I used to hear it all the time (our family dog is a husky). Your boy sounds like a lovely dog Obviously it is personal choice, and if you aren't comfortable with letting your dog off leash even if you do think their recall is very reliable, there is nothing wrong with that. It is the sentiment that you are wrong to 'trust' your dog or that pet owners who let their dogs off leash are irresponsible or naive or whatever, that annoys me. We teach pet owners every week how to train their dogs to recall reliably, and they can do it, it is just a matter of knowing how and putting the work in (which is often much less and easier than expected). Having owned a Husky and a Beagle before it is a personal pet hate of mine to be told they can't be trained or can't be reliable! ETA: I think the message that complacency is a disease, would make more sense to me, because becoming complacent in your training and management of your dogs is certainly something that can lead to disaster.

I don't think all dogs are the same either, but I don't think that means that certain breeds can't be trained reliably. I have a beagle and I have lost count the number of times people told me they were untrainable, couldn't be "trusted" off leash, she would never have a reliable recall etc. I took that as a personal challenge because I didn't accept that my dog was untrainable and could never be reliable, I also enjoy letting my dogs run off leash at the park or beach etc or when I take them bush walking, and I hated having that constant fear of what would happen if the leash came off. It is a personal choice if you want to train your dog to be reliable off leash, I would never tell an owner that their dog wasn't trainable for something as basic (and necessary IMO) as a reliable recall, I haven't yet met a dog that couldn't be trained to do it. This conversation reminds me a lot of the other thing husky owners tell each other which is that their dogs a bred to pull and therefore can never be trained to walk on a loose leash - LLW and recall are basic skills all dogs can learn, IMO.

The owners of these breeds that want to train them to have a reliable recall don't love their dogs less because they want them to be able to enjoy freedom off leash at the beach, park etc. As I said above I don't understand why any owner would choose not to train a the most reliable recall they possible can, even if they never intend to let their dogs off leash. Recall is essential in my mind, if my dog wasn't coming back to me every time I called I would see that as a serious problem.

What would you do if you wanted to compete in dog sports ie obedience or agility where dogs are required to be off leash in unfenced areas? Genuine question as I have been to many trials where dogs bugger off out of the ring.

I'm not sure what the point they are trying to make is then if it's not 'don't let your dog off leash, ever'

We have lots of Sibe owners come to us for training because they have been told their dog can't be trained to be reliable off leash, we haven't yet met one that can't be. I don't think complacency is a good thing either, but training your dog isn't complacent. It is obviously up to each individual owner as to whether they want to train their dogs to be let off leash, that is why I don't enjoy the article in the OP because it implies you aren't responsible if you let your dog off leash. Even if you don't intend to let your dog off leash recall is something that should be at the top of every owner's list to train, you never know when training a reliable recall could save your dogs life if they get loose when you aren't expecting. ETA: There is nothing worse than the panic you feel if your dog gets off leash and you haven't got a reliable recall, that is how I used to feel many years ago before I got into training. It is the worst feeling ever, because you don't know if you can get them to come back to you. That in itself was enough motivation for me to train a better recall!

I don't think that is all the article is saying, it clearly says dogs shouldn't be let off leash because you can never rely on training to produce a reliable dog. I do let my dogs off leash in unfenced areas, if you do dog sports, you would also be letting your dog off leash in unfenced areas when competing. I don't agree that dogs can never be trained to a reliable level where you could never "trust" them enough to take the leash off.

I have read this article before a few times, and while I definitely believe that you shouldn't let your dog off leash if you aren't certain that their recall is reliable, I just can't agree with the tone of the article. I do let my dogs off leash in unfenced areas, because I trained them to have a reliable recall and IME, any dog can be trained to recall reliably. There are many things I ask my dogs to do where I rely on their training, not trust, to do reliably. Would I walk my dogs off leash next to a busy main road? No, because I see no purpose in doing so even though experience has shown me that my dogs recall every time I call, the first time, even when chasing rabbits etc. But do I let them off leash in unfenced areas? of course I do, why else would I train a reliable recall if I wasn't going to give my dogs the privilege of being allowed off leash. I don't blindly trust my dogs to do the right thing, but I have confidence in the time and training I put into them to make them reliable in many environments under high distraction.

I have a routine which is as soon as the dogs are let inside they go into their crates. I wanted to build a habit where they think enter the house = go to crate, even if I let them out straight away. They do this automatically now without any command or prompting from me, so they don't enter the house expecting fun zoomie times but have a clear direction of what to do. You could do the same thing with a mat or bed as a 'place'.

I don't use dog parks, but I agree with you TSD. If I'm out anywhere and see another dog I call mine to me and leash them or put them in a down stay. I don't want my dogs to rush up to dogs but I'm also not interested in having them socialise with strange dogs.

Hey Noishe, what are your goals with Sarge? Are you wanting to train him to be a well behaved pet, or with a view to compete in obedience or other sports?

Using high value rewards can definitely help, but the way you deliver rewards is hugely important. Do you make training a game that is super fun and exciting, or is it more like food exchange where you just give him a piece of food every now and then? How long are your training sessions, are you always ending the session with him wanting more or does he lose focus and interest while you're training? Focus isn't something I really train, it's something my dogs offer naturally because they are super invested in the game we play. There's a lot we can do in the way we deliver rewards to make training more fun and exciting.

Ah goodo! As far as I am aware, (at least according to their website) Kyjen don't make those any more - just the 6 and 3 squeaker models now! So stock up if you can find somewhere that still has the 12 squeakers in stock :)

I am very interested in these! Hey Rebanne, these just arrived today, we have already sold half of the shipment but do have some left at this stage. http://www.k9pro.com.au/dogpacer-treadmill.html Price is $799 plus shipping.

The Frog is the 6 squeaker model, its about 35cm long from memory!

as it is a bit relevant to the thread, I just had to share this video of my Daisy beagle, who loves the new Invincible Frog toy that just arrived here! I love how excited they are with new toys! So cute :)

The other popular option is to get a toy like the Holee Roller or Holee Molee and stuff it with fabric or similar. Then your dog can de stuff it over and over again.

Rory agrees ... some enabler on DOL introduced me to them .. Rory has a 6 squeaker python ???? ... more roll eyes from Kirra. Yes they are great! Very durable for a plush toy! Kyjen make great stuff Piper we have them listed for $26.95 http://www.k9pro.com.au/invincibles.html

The Kyjen invincible range is awesome :D

I think Daisy would love this, except she would eat through the toy to try and find where the food is :laugh:

We sell gloves for this exact reason, though our dogs have been trained to have excellent aim, when you are teaching them the game sometimes you need a bit of hand protection :laugh: Ummm yes that is exactly the same here, any package I get is always something for the dogs! But I get really excited to receive their mail! LOL!

Haha, I have just about every ball on a rope toy there is as it is the main reward I use for wiz in training. I also road test any new equipment with her to see how it will stand up. I have a few I really like, but the Ultra tug is definitely one of the best especially because of the handle as it's so durable plus it doesn't give you rope burn like the thinner rope ones can :laugh: