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Jan 2019
10:01pm, 23 Jan 2019
14,327 posts
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Sharkie
You've done wonders with Rory, Maz. Our favourite trainer always said to us you have to love and work with the dog you've got. All dogs are trainable but their breeds and personalities can't really be changed. Quite wise I think.
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Jan 2019
10:01pm, 23 Jan 2019
11,061 posts
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D2
I don't know how you can do it Maz, my anxiety levels would be unbearable. As it is I have a good recall but would never let him off the lead just in case "something" happened to him. I'm such a woose.
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Jan 2019
10:07pm, 23 Jan 2019
14,328 posts
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Sharkie
But Indi has all your lovely, interesting fields to run around and play in D, so he really isn't deprived of off lead freedom at all.
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Jan 2019
10:34pm, 23 Jan 2019
7,464 posts
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BaronessBL
When off the lead Wanda mainly stays quite close to us because she is on the lead on walks much more than off it and has learned that that's where we like her to be. But as I've said before, that only works as long as nothing chase-able appears. At least she has worked out now that she can't fly, so however fast she runs after a bird once it has flown she gives up rather than keep going in the hope that she will take off, or jumping into the air underneath telegraph wires just in case it turns out she can fly all the way up to them!
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Jan 2019
11:09pm, 23 Jan 2019
6,017 posts
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Mazlin
He’s very, very rarely off lead, D2. At training there are 2 fenced runs you can hire for half an hour or an hour, and there’s a fenced agility paddock. Those are the only places I ever let him totally go and do his own thing without worrying. I let him ‘off’ with a long line on, one foot hovering over the end of it, and all my ‘engage Rory’ toys and treats to hand in a couple of other places that are pretty much enclosed, but not dog proof. I should do that more often, but it’s not good for my stress levels!
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Jan 2019
6:57am, 24 Jan 2019
27,431 posts
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halfpint
You are working so hard with Rory. Given his background and the breed traits you describe it was never going to be easy.
So far so good with Ernie. He seems to have very quickly adjusted to lots of new rules. I can’t help thinking he’ll be plotting how to outsmart me though.
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Jan 2019
7:09am, 24 Jan 2019
25,412 posts
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LazyDaisy
Reading these posts makes me realise how lucky I am with Flossie. She may be a long way ahead or a long way behind on our walks, but she does keep in sight. When she goes off chasing round with 'friend' dogs - ie ones we meet regularly on our walks - she does come back eventually - probably only a couple of minutes max, unlike Rory's potential hours! The biggest risk for me is if she encounters a cat on our on-lead walk to the fields - I've been pulled over into a hedge before now, when she spotted a cat before I did 
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Jan 2019
8:14am, 24 Jan 2019
14,329 posts
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Sharkie
No surprise that labs are first choice for assistance dogs. Biddable, friendly, calm, keen to please but less edgy than GSDs..... and will do anything for FOOD.
We are lucky with our 'Run Off? No chance!' dogs.
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Jan 2019
8:47am, 24 Jan 2019
27,434 posts
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halfpint
Hmm! Ernie forgot the no pulling rule this morning. To be fair he hasn’t been tested with distractions so the neighbour coming out his back door was a challenge (he loves our neighbours). Seeing another dog at the beach was also a challenge. I didn’t let him say hello to either as he didn’t calm enough for me to ‘reward’ him.
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Jan 2019
8:49am, 24 Jan 2019
6,019 posts
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Mazlin
To be fair to poor Rory, I’m very lucky that he’s always been fine with being left alone, and that he’s not dog-reactive, so he can go out with a dog walker. Both things which make my life much easier!
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