hooch vs. the deer

DukesMom · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:02 am Post subject:

And while we're on the subject; at what age do you typically start letting them off leash and how do you know that the time is right? This is just such a scarey thing for me. My husband always wants to when we are out on trails but it just scares me to death! Sometimes he does let Duke off leash and I am a nervous wreck!

hoochmamas · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:09 pm Post subject:

we've always let hooch off leash at a park by the house.. it is HUGE.. with 4 baseball fields, one in each corner..and a wooded trail that runs along the back.. on the other side of the trail is another park.. so i don't have to worry about cars.. and it is almost always empty..
it was real scary the first few times.. but he really just wants to be with us, and if he starts to get distracted by something, i just get his attention back, or start running the other way, and he will chase me.. every time.. he will also go after a frisbee, so i can always throw it where i want him to end up.
i don't take him off leash when i am alone, though.. not yet.. and if there is more than one game going on, we just walk on the trails instead of frisbee in the field.
when he was very little, we would have him chase us around the outside of the house, or in other people's yards to see how he would do off leash..
yours are definitely old enough, but if you think they will flee, or you won't be able to get them back.. don't do it. especially with grace.. Wink

DukesMom · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:03 pm Post subject:

I was letting Duke off leash and he was really good until that incident and now I'm scared to. My husband does it though and he's fine. I haven't done it with Gracie yet, way too scared for that, but she is so unbelievably attached to me I highly doubt she would let me get far from her. Their personalities are just so very different. She is very timid around strangers and strange dogs even. Duke is very friendly and outgoing (although he did show some aggression towards my daughters male dog once). She is very very affectionate and cuddly and Duke is not. Gracie is stuck to me like glue and Duke is much more independent. He is more obedient. Like on recalls he comes on cue each and every time (at home). Gracie comes more just because it's me calling - I don't think she would respond to someone else. In all fairness to Gracie though I spent much more time training Duke than I have spent with her. Life has been crazy. My Mother is ill and I'm spending alot of time helping her out, my daughter just bought her first house (at the age of 22) and I've been helping her out, but today I am taking Gracie to the park and doing some training. It's hard cause I feel so bad leaving Duke, but I really must do it.

hoochmamas · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject:

DukesMom · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:49 pm Post subject:

I absolutely adore them both in different ways-don't get me wrong. Now that Gracie is 9.5 months and Duke just turned a year old yesterday I kinda feel like they should be getting close to the same, age wise. Duke never really went through a bad teenage stage? I just took Gracie to the park and worked with her and she was awesome! I used a 20 ft check lead basically dragging on the ground and she heeled the whole time (basically off leash with a little insurance just in case Very Happy

) and there were lots and lots of distractions. I then came home and for the first time took them both out on a walk together. We had to work out some kinks but they did pretty good - better than I expected. Than I brought Gracie home and worked with Duke. He was just awesome on a check lead too. Now they're both passed out Laughing

I do love my dogs! I think I just need to work with Gracie more. I've really been slacking.