Comments on: Walking or Hiking Off Leash With Your Dog? http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/2008/11/03/off-leash-dog-hike/ News & Tips from Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:09:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Terra http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/2008/11/03/off-leash-dog-hike/comment-page-1/#comment-1136 Terra Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:19:08 +0000 http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/?p=293#comment-1136 I was working my very reactive boy in a park in the far back corner away from all the hub bub that goes on in public parks, on a 30' lead doing recall and getting him used to proximity to me. Luckyboy was about 15' away from me, on his recall when i see a golden mix barreling down on us. Now, Luckyboy's recall in public was still shaky, but introduce the trigger of another dog, and it was nonexistent, but he was coming to me. I called out to the owner to call of her dog, and her response? He just wants to play. REALLY????? I again call out to her to call of her dog, and Lucky notices the other dog, and sat, but started screaming and braying. The other dog veer off, and Lucky proceeded to take me water skiing through the rather large puddle that stood in his path. I end up on my rear, and the lady, no joke yells at me that my dog is dangerous and should not be out in public. I have never been so angry in my life. That 5 seconds that my dog was dragging me were the scariest moments of my life and I have not taken him back to that park since. His recall is almost 100% and he is becoming less reactive, but I still will never take him somewhere where a chance encounter with an off leash dog will ruin all the hard work he has put in on learning to come to me, and that i will keep him safe. My other dog has been attacked in our neighborhood by a roaming dog and now i never leave home without spray sheild because of it. I was working my very reactive boy in a park in the far back corner away from all the hub bub that goes on in public parks, on a 30′ lead doing recall and getting him used to proximity to me. Luckyboy was about 15′ away from me, on his recall when i see a golden mix barreling down on us. Now, Luckyboy’s recall in public was still shaky, but introduce the trigger of another dog, and it was nonexistent, but he was coming to me.
I called out to the owner to call of her dog, and her response? He just wants to play. REALLY????? I again call out to her to call of her dog, and Lucky notices the other dog, and sat, but started screaming and braying. The other dog veer off, and Lucky proceeded to take me water skiing through the rather large puddle that stood in his path. I end up on my rear, and the lady, no joke yells at me that my dog is dangerous and should not be out in public.

I have never been so angry in my life. That 5 seconds that my dog was dragging me were the scariest moments of my life and I have not taken him back to that park since. His recall is almost 100% and he is becoming less reactive, but I still will never take him somewhere where a chance encounter with an off leash dog will ruin all the hard work he has put in on learning to come to me, and that i will keep him safe.

My other dog has been attacked in our neighborhood by a roaming dog and now i never leave home without spray sheild because of it.

]]> By: Grisha http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/2008/11/03/off-leash-dog-hike/comment-page-1/#comment-297 Grisha Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:51:57 +0000 http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/?p=293#comment-297 Green Lake is relatively safe from off leash dogs, but every so often, it's terrible! Don't get me started on extendible leashes, which are off leash with the pleasant twist that the people don't think they need to pay as much attention. I was teaching a Fluency Field Trip at Green Lake last summer. We were up on the grassy area in Woodland park, right near the road. A dog ran up to us and his owner was far behind. She didn't even call him. I shouted out to ask her to call her dog and she said, "He wouldn't come if I did!" Can you imagine caring so little about your dog's life that you would be willing to risk walking near a busy road and other dogs and squirrels with no ability to call him back?! Green Lake is relatively safe from off leash dogs, but every so often, it’s terrible! Don’t get me started on extendible leashes, which are off leash with the pleasant twist that the people don’t think they need to pay as much attention.

I was teaching a Fluency Field Trip at Green Lake last summer. We were up on the grassy area in Woodland park, right near the road. A dog ran up to us and his owner was far behind. She didn’t even call him. I shouted out to ask her to call her dog and she said, “He wouldn’t come if I did!”

Can you imagine caring so little about your dog’s life that you would be willing to risk walking near a busy road and other dogs and squirrels with no ability to call him back?!

]]> By: Dog Lover http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/2008/11/03/off-leash-dog-hike/comment-page-1/#comment-296 Dog Lover Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:31:49 +0000 http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/?p=293#comment-296 Very timely - today I was walking my dog around Green Lake and his dog/dog stuff was going so well (automatic "watch me" when he saw a dog), and then there was a Viszla OFF LEASH running around. As we got closer, I called out, "my dog is not friendly" and they looked at me like I was a pariah, when they were the ones totally breaking the law and being discourteous!!! I was so frustrated because here I was working hard to keep my dog under threshold and appropriate, and it was almost blown by their dog. Off leash at Green Lake - unbelievable. Very timely – today I was walking my dog around Green Lake and his dog/dog stuff was going so well (automatic “watch me” when he saw a dog), and then there was a Viszla OFF LEASH running around. As we got closer, I called out, “my dog is not friendly” and they looked at me like I was a pariah, when they were the ones totally breaking the law and being discourteous!!! I was so frustrated because here I was working hard to keep my dog under threshold and appropriate, and it was almost blown by their dog. Off leash at Green Lake – unbelievable.

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