Is it ok to always keep a dog on a lead?

I’m not sure that socialising puppies is all that necessary. Our last dog was never socialised and wasn’t bothered about other dogs. Would sometimes take to another dog but was happy with her own company. Whereas the latest dog who used to have puppy playtime as part of her training session is desperate to go and play with any dog she sees. She totally ignores us and strains on the lead to get to them. If she was off lead and saw another dog she’d run straight to it to play (or her version of playing which is to run round and round in circles very fast!). Thus far it hasn’t happened as we always let her off lead when there is no other dog in sight. We’ve tried distraction etc but nothing seems to work.

Sorry Maybee I have to disagree, we were very careful to socialise our first dog getting him used to children, other dogs etc. We rescued our second dog a year later and thought he would be fine as he lived with another dog. How wrong we were, he has a lifetimes dislike of other male dogs and will go all out to see them off his territory, bitches are not a problem for him. Sadly he is now in the last stage of his life but still manages a bark if another dog comes near him.

We have a place around here where you can let your dog off lead in a safe, enclosed environment. There is CCTV to ensure that your dog is less likely to be stolen. I suspect you have to pay for it and I am wary of taking my dog to places where lots of dogs are exercised in a confined space because of disease.
Dogs need their minds worked as much as their bodies. You can walk a dog on lead or a roaming lead for physical exercise but play games with them to exercise their minds.
We have indoor cats after having 2 lost to the road in quick succession. They do have access to the fresh air in a large Catio which off the side of the house. If we had a small enough garden, we would find a way of cat proofing it but on one side we have a hedge so there is no way we can keep them in the garden safely.

sodapop

Sorry Maybee I have to disagree, we were very careful to socialise our first dog getting him used to children, other dogs etc. We rescued our second dog a year later and thought he would be fine as he lived with another dog. How wrong we were, he has a lifetimes dislike of other male dogs and will go all out to see them off his territory, bitches are not a problem for him. Sadly he is now in the last stage of his life but still manages a bark if another dog comes near him.

I read something yesterday that said that a lot happens to a dogs brain when it goes through dog adolescence and that things that happen to them at that time affects them for the rest of their lives. Thankfully our dog was attacked when she was fully grown and it hasn’t affected her. We did several classes with our latest dog and two of them were great. We both learned a lot from them and the trainers were able to reassure me that she was a nice dog. She was and still is quite bolshie compared to my previous dogs and I was relieved to find that she loved other dogs and people. But the one where they were all put in a pen and allowed to play seems to have affected her. Even when she was doing other things she was always desperate to go into the pen and play. The classes have turned her into a fabulous little dog apart from her desperation to play with every dog that she sees. People think she’s reactive because of the way she pulls on the lead and because of social distancing we can’t always explain that she just wants to play. Her breeder does so much with her puppies before they go to their new homes and it makes them so confident. I feel so sorry for people that can’t go to training classes with their dogs as we both got so much pleasure from it.

MayBee70, thanks for mentioning the down side of these so called puppy socialisation groups. I don’t want my dogs running up to other off lead dogs, or nose to nose when on lead.
My 14 week old puppy has one 15 minute off lead run. I’m lucky in having a well behaved two year old dog who never ventures far from me and, comes when I call or whistle. So he has a good role model. I take him on his own and work on him staying with me. He isn’t old enough or well trained enough yet, so if we see other dogs, he’s straight on his lead.
The kennel club approved training groups are excellent. We have our names down to return with the older dog and start the beginners group with this puppy.
As has already been said, I wish training was something every one committed to

We didn’t really get on with that particular training class and I wish we’d not persevered with it. They only seemed interested in the dogs that would go on to get their certificates. Having said that, they did turn round some older dogs that had been a problem to their owners.. I learned more from the last class we went to in 5 minutes than I did at that class. It helped that the trainers at the other classes lived my dog. I think what I’m trying to say is, if a class doesn’t feel right for you try another one. As with having children sometimes we need to follow our instincts with our dogs.

Maybee our third little dog is a rescue as well and just like yours she wants to play with every dog she meets and loves people. This is despite being cruelly treated by her previous owners. We are lucky to have her.

I just think dogs are amazing. The way they can be so badly treated but still have so much love to give. I didn’t really want another dog but Winnie has meant everything to us while we’ve been shielding. I just wish I’d had more knowledge of dogs over the years. I’ve made so many mistakes.

25Avalon

I ask this question as there are so many places now where a dog can’t be let off a lead. Even farmer’s fields have notices saying dogs must be kept on a lead regardless of what’s in the field. Then these days there is the risk someone may steal your dog so you are advised to keep it on a lead. So is it ok to always keep them on a lead and never let them have a run except in your garden or do they sometimes need to be free?

Absolutely NOT.
Dog's natural motion is running. Their mode of life is with other dogs.
You would not keep a child in handcuffs. Even that would not stop a child running. But why would you think it okay to keep a dog forever on a chain like a prisoner.
Leading a dog prevents socialisation, which is harmful to their mental health.
Obviously it is important to have a dog under control and off lead training and recall is essential. You have a right to walk a dog off lead on public footpaths, as farmers have a duty to keep livestock behind fences.
Often people keep their dog on leads because they bark at other dogs. The owner pulls back on the lead and the dig takes that as confirming a fear of other, dogs. This makes it harder and harder for the dog to be socialised.

So how do you stop dogs being attacked by other dogs? It’s happened to us several times which is why we’re so careful. And I know my dogs: I know from a distance which dogs might be a potential danger. But we’ve still been attacked. Some dogs don’t have amazing recall. Sighthounds are great until they see something and then they become deaf to everything. When we have a dog we become their pack. Should I not have a dog at this moment in time because we’re shielding and both of us, including the dog, are avoiding everyone? She seems happy enough.

MayBee70 - I wish I had the answer to how we prevent our well behaved, even tempered dogs froM being attacked. My 15 week old, on lead pup was set upon by a nasty snarling Jack Russell today. I’d watched the owner try and fail to call her dog, so I walked my pup away. Her dog the came from behind the building he’d gone behind, she said because he knew the walk was over. I saw him start to run at my pup, she then shouted ‘he’s only friendly’ I could see he wasn’t and he set on my pup making an awful noise. I shouted very loudly, must have scared it because it ran off. She picked her dog up, no apology.
The man walking towards me with his small daughter and young doodle pup told me the Jack Russell had attacked his puppy as well.
Stupid, irresponsible woman had no control, no manners and this can’t have been the first time her dog behaved this way. It’s unusual for pups to be attacked.

My pup thankfully, was perfectly at ease after this, but a young dog could become reactive.

We know our whippet has been well socialised as a puppy and isn’t nasty. But we also know that she could run towards another smaller dog and knock it over. Or it might squeal and bring out some sort of hunting instinct in our girl. When a Border Terrier went for her last year all we got from the owner was ‘he’s never done that before’. And they continued their walk with the dog off lead. Someone on a Facebook page was annoyed that their whippet ran up to an on lead Akita and the second time the owner started shouting and swearing at her. Now, I love Akita’s. A friend of mine wouldn’t have any other breed. But I avoid them like the plague when I’m walking my dog! It’s no wonder the responsible Akita owner was angry.

Exactly MayBee, it’s irresponsible, ill informed owners and sadly there do seem to be a lot of them about. One of my spaniel crosses became reactive after being attacked, twice on lead once off - all u nprovoked. He’d snarl, lunges etc but we helped him learn not to do this
I was cross with the JRs owner but no point expressing that. However, if I see her coming again, I fear I’ll shout call your dog, if he attacks mine again, I’ll kick him. Never kicked or hit a dog in my life but ....

I’ve been pondering about this all evening. So now everyone gets a puppy and takes them to classes to socialise them. Which is good. But then do their owners think ‘my dog is now socialised and I must let it play with other dogs for it’s sake and theirs and if other owners don’t want their dog to play they’re being cruel’. However we take them to training classes so they can get used to other dogs and not be afraid. Because a scared dog is a danger to other dogs. Also the people running the classes know from experience which dogs to let your dog play with. At our first training class they all went into a pen and ran around with the other dogs. But the trainers didn’t put all the dogs together, only the ones that they knew would get on: they’d often remove dogs and put them with bigger, more dominant dogs. So all these owners think their dog is well socialised and couldn’t ever be a danger to other dogs or be in danger from them. Anyway, I’ll get back to the washing up and continue to ponder.....

Dreadful story on Mumsnet - dog walker in a field with unexpected sheep, lead snapped and her dog chased a ewe into the pond where she nearly drowned. Second incident of sheep worrying for the farmer that day.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.