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The Classic Accident--almost


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Coyo has just been awesome, all through the Summer, and on our vacation he was off leash all the time. Responded excellently to all commands, and gave us no reason to worry. He was amazing, and such a good helpmate/dog/companion.

 

So, I've been letting him go in and out to the truck, to the house, without the leash, since we've been home. He's been terrific. Saturday morning, however, I opened the door, he was waiting on the porch, all was well, and then as I turned to shut the door, he took off.

 

There was a squirrel I hadn't seen. Coyo was stretched out and low to the ground after this squirrel; they had a good chase, that took them across the street twice. Fortunately, there were no cars. Of course he was not responding, and I was so unnerved that I didn't even say the right thing--the one that gets through to him.

 

I had to rethink the whole thing. He doesn't care if I have him on leash. It's me that has this feeling like he's missing out on something. I got a wake up call, however, which was reinforced this morning as a car went racing up our street.

 

There are places to be off leash, and places to be on leash, and I have to give up the idea, that our small front yard, on a busy city street is an off leash place. It's not a matter of being a good dog or a bad dog, he's just a dog, through and through.

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I've had this exact experience several times, only with cats instead of squirrels. I usually let Cassie walk along beside me to put her in the fenced part of the yard, or to the truck. Usually I check to make sure there are no distractions but sometimes I miss one and bam, there goes Cassie, lightning speed across the street. I panic, but luckily, it's not the busiest of streets. And I get mad at her, which I know is counter productive, but it worries me so much that she'll get hit I am not thinking straight. Like Allison said, it's tough to give up the idea of just letting her walk by me, but that's better than what could happen if she bolted in front of a car.

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I have a dog that can be off-leash in any situation (that I've put him in, anyway), and I've known others of whom I could say the same. But as with everything, our dogs are all different. I'm reluctantly coming to the conclusion that if Roscoe is ever going to be able to enjoy having the door to the family room wide open so he can lie in the sun on the porch again (a favorite treat of his, and something a ten year old dog ought to be able to do, for the sake of his bones), we're going to have to put in a wireless fence for Danza. We will all be happier for it.

 

Maybe someday when she is older and more mellow she will be more like him, but since she is so cool the way she is I'll try not to wish for her to be different. For the dogs' sakes we're fortunate to not be urbanites (but man I miss Thai delivery!!). Danza's life is mostly off-leash anyway.

 

Karen

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I have a dog that can be off-leash in any situation (that I've put him in, anyway), and I've known others of whom I could say the same. But as with everything, our dogs are all different. I'm reluctantly coming to the conclusion that if Roscoe is ever going to be able to enjoy having the door to the family room wide open so he can lie in the sun on the porch again (a favorite treat of his, and something a ten year old dog ought to be able to do, for the sake of his bones), we're going to have to put in a wireless fence for Danza. We will all be happier for it.

 

Maybe someday when she is older and more mellow she will be more like him, but since she is so cool the way she is I'll try not to wish for her to be different. For the dogs' sakes we're fortunate to not be urbanites (but man I miss Thai delivery!!). Danza's life is mostly off-leash anyway.

 

Karen

 

 

If Shunka gets the hunting mode on, nothing else seems to register, it's rabbits that interest him, but luckily they are in the fields, it's just getting him to leave them which can be a nuisance.

 

Yesterday, i went out with him and Holly, and as she is a lurcher is a naturakl chase dog, I still had Shunka on the leash, when she spotted someting and was off like greased lightening, called her when she got the hedge and she returned after several calls.

 

Mentioned this to Steve, and he said I've taught her to respond to OI! that way it's not so easy for anyone to take her!

 

I've found she comes to me if I call Shunka to make a fuss of him too!

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  • 2 weeks later...
I'm reluctantly coming to the conclusion that if Roscoe is ever going to be able to enjoy having the door to the family room wide open so he can lie in the sun on the porch again (a favorite treat of his, and something a ten year old dog ought to be able to do, for the sake of his bones), we're going to have to put in a wireless fence for Danza. We will all be happier for it.

 

 

Phoenix likes to sit in the front yard (no fence) and watch the world go by. She can sit there for hours without leaving, but every once in a while...squirrel...bike...dog. You know what happens. We have a new solution that we invented this summer. We have a flexi-leash tied by the handle to the railing on the front porch. We clip her on right at the front door and she has about 20' of unlimited freedom. Fortunately, that is about the exact distance to the sidewalk, so she cannot trip people walking by.

 

-Gavin

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Phoenix likes to sit in the front yard (no fence) and watch the world go by. She can sit there for hours without leaving, but every once in a while...squirrel...bike...dog. You know what happens. We have a new solution that we invented this summer. We have a flexi-leash tied by the handle to the railing on the front porch. We clip her on right at the front door and she has about 20' of unlimited freedom. Fortunately, that is about the exact distance to the sidewalk, so she cannot trip people walking by.

 

-Gavin

 

 

Shunka seems to know that he should not leave through the front door of the house unless he is told. He even waits to be told that he can go into the car, and he is off like a rocket then when he is told!

 

He seems to respect the boundaries of the neighbours gardens too, won't go over the wall unless invited.

 

He watches the world go by from his chair in the window, we only have a problem if a certain dog goes past, they hate each other with a passion. Every time the setter goes past the house it barks and growls, and gets Shunka annoyed. he would quite happily go and rough it up if we let him!

 

Although most days he gets annoyed at this dog, if I did let him go, it is he who would be classed as the bad dog, not the other one for riling him so much.

 

So before he is allowed out, it 's a quick look to ensure Rufus isn't on the way down the street!

 

It helps that we do have defined borders with fences and hedges all around the property, so it was easy for him to pick up, although he hasn't been taught this especially, he just respects them as we do I suppose.

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Coyo is like that, too, respecting the flimsiest boundaries. He is even aware that he shouldn't step on the flowers. Unfortunately, one of his "jobs" is to keep the squirrels off the bird feeder. So he is allowed to go full bore, after them. I actually created the situation.

 

We use a cable in the front, too, and just have not got a satisfactory place for it, since we redid the porch.

 

I wish I had used the correct command.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I have a dog that can be off-leash in any situation (that I've put him in, anyway), and I've known others of whom I could say the same. But as with everything, our dogs are all different. I'm reluctantly coming to the conclusion that if Roscoe is ever going to be able to enjoy having the door to the family room wide open so he can lie in the sun on the porch again (a favorite treat of his, and something a ten year old dog ought to be able to do, for the sake of his bones), we're going to have to put in a wireless fence for Danza. We will all be happier for it.

 

Maybe someday when she is older and more mellow she will be more like him, but since she is so cool the way she is I'll try not to wish for her to be different. For the dogs' sakes we're fortunate to not be urbanites (but man I miss Thai delivery!!). Danza's life is mostly off-leash anyway.

 

Karen

 

We got Niki a wireless fence a few months back. It is way less work and a lot cheaper than putting a fence around my entire property. The transmitter we got is adjustable & covers up to a 1/4 acre radius around it (1/2 acre circle), which is more than adequate for an active AIDog. Plus they come w/ car adapters for camping trips and what-not. It took Niki *no time* to learn her boundaries w/ the collar on medium/high settings for about a week. After that, she knew exactly where to stop. We have now put the collar on "beep" mode [no shock], and she has NEVER left the our property. We even let her go for days at a time w/ no collar and she stays put. In fact, when I take her on walks around the neighborhood, I have to pick her up and carry her out the driveway or she won't go.

 

I can personally vouch that your dogs will change their minds on critter/car chases if they have this kinda collar. My dog is a serial killer and she'll be 15 ft from a bird on the other side of the boundary and just be shaking cuz she knows she can't get it w/o 'bad things" happening. Poor puppy ;)

 

Jeez....... it sorta seems like I'm makin a sales pitch, but I feel it was money well spent on safety and peace of mind for my off-leash dog.

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Hey, thanks a lot! I appreciate your "sales pitch".

 

My neighbor has one for their lap dog, and it jumps it all the time. They're weird, though; poor dog. Only gave it about a three foot section of grass.

 

You've got me thinking. We are redoing our front yard. It might be the perfect time to add the fence. The terrain change and the habit change together. It might work.

 

It certainly would be excellent to work in the front garden without the cable.

 

Gee a half acre...that sounds nice. Some of our dogs have a great life, don't they?

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Hey, thanks a lot! I appreciate your "sales pitch".

 

My neighbor has one for their lap dog, and it jumps it all the time. They're weird, though; poor dog. Only gave it about a three foot section of grass.

 

You've got me thinking. We are redoing our front yard. It might be the perfect time to add the fence. The terrain change and the habit change together. It might work.

 

It certainly would be excellent to work in the front garden without the cable.

 

Gee a half acre...that sounds nice. Some of our dogs have a great life, don't they?

 

They seem like they are a sure thing but our friend had his first AID and installed the buried fence. He saw a squirrel, h ad on the collar turned on high since he lives by the highway and Bear took off, went through the voltage into the road and was killed so they really aren't fail safe. Hate to be a party crasher but experience talks.

 

Judy K in Michigan

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They seem like they are a sure thing but our friend had his first AID and installed the buried fence. He saw a squirrel, h ad on the collar turned on high since he lives by the highway and Bear took off, went through the voltage into the road and was killed so they really aren't fail safe. Hate to be a party crasher but experience talks.

 

Judy K in Michigan

 

Point well taken. When I was a young man, my family had a pitbull & I'm not entirely sure this typa restraint would have worked w/ her particular... shall I say... "intensity". So I'd say the success of the collar depends largely upon an individual pup's tendencies. That's sad about your friend's dog.

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I've heard the same thing, that with enough motivation a dog will charge right through the shock without a thought. I've also worried about coyotes (and bears) being able to cross INTO the 'fenced' area, but that would happen if she were on a lead, as well.

 

I think Danza has the temperament to suit an electric fence, with work. We do have a long cable down at the barn for her that we use pretty often during the summer, and she does well on that but it would tangle too much up by the porch, which is where our elderly dog lies in the sun. And a fence has the added bonus of being a backup restraint, which I really wish I didn't need but I do for safety's sake. I told Kim I needed a dog that would not bolt out the door and head for the hills, and maybe one day she will be that dog. But man, she is not at the moment. I've had to work on just 'taming' her outside; having her down-stay while we are playing so I can touch her and put on her leash. Her preference was (still is) to stay beyond arm's reach so I cannot touch her outside. Once I put my mind to it, she quickly changed her ways and is slowly forgetting to naturally edge away. She is so wild, it's a trip! Getting to the point where we can play Chuckiitt in the yard without her running away when I want to go inside has been a real victory! I'm sure it does not help that the 'yard' is barely cleared forest with critters and smelly mud and lots of other enticing things all around her. But you know, that does not matter to me.

 

Hummm....I had a lot on my mind. She's been a challenge, and she's been a reward. She's not been boring!

 

Karen

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  • 2 months later...
I have a dog that can be off-leash in any situation (that I've put him in, anyway), and I've known others of whom I could say the same. But as with everything, our dogs are all different. I'm reluctantly coming to the conclusion that if Roscoe is ever going to be able to enjoy having the door to the family room wide open so he can lie in the sun on the porch again (a favorite treat of his, and something a ten year old dog ought to be able to do, for the sake of his bones), we're going to have to put in a wireless fence for Danza. We will all be happier for it.

 

Maybe someday when she is older and more mellow she will be more like him, but since she is so cool the way she is I'll try not to wish for her to be different. For the dogs' sakes we're fortunate to not be urbanites (but man I miss Thai delivery!!). Danza's life is mostly off-leash anyway.

 

Karen

 

Lucky you, to have a dog that can be off lease anywhere. I have the invisible fence. It works great and you can also have it in your house if there are certain rooms you don't want them to go in, or if you want to keep one out. Some people don't like the shock factor but they learn very quickly, and after about a month or two, I no longer used the indoor one. Quodi just knows she can go on that side of my house ( it's where the liter box and my wallaby's room is). Too, what kind of traing did you do with Roscoe. I wish Q would do that.

Jan

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Well, 1st, 'cuz it's where the wallaby's rooms is' has to be a pretty cool sentence to type! (legitimately) But I just want the fence to work outside, that will be fine! We're good inside. No scat issues.

 

Roscoe is the easiest dog to train ever. All he wants is to be pet, lie in the sun, eat, and make me happy. His heart is as big as the moon. He's a four-ingredient dog. So, sorry, no secrets except maybe get a stubborn hard-to-train dog first and practice on him and then get Roscoe. I know we go on and on about our smart dogs here, but I appreciate my simple moon dog more than I can say.

 

I'm hoping we can experiment with laying the wire and using the collar before we commit to installing the whole system. Any suggestions, folks? (And I WILL be trying the collar myself!)

 

Karen, Roscoe and Danza

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I used to have to worry about Coyo bolting off leash, but he grew out of it. Don't know when it happened, and he still has prey drive, but he sticks pretty close, now. We can even call him off deer. Thing is, I am usually with him. He does not have the opportunity to entertain himself so freely the way Danza does.

 

My neighbor, who has a gorgeous AIDog, that looks more like Lisa's Hawk, he wandered also, and she let him, having the woods right near her work. She confessed that she was worried a little about the same thing, but he also grew out of it. That's that pack mentality taking hold.

 

I learn something from her, every time we meet. She is so mellow, and it is wonderfully infectious. She also carries treats. I'm going to try that. It's more for other dogs.

 

Hey Gavin! I haven't missed your visit, have I?

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  • 5 months later...

FYI: The invisable fence is a wonderful solution to the containment problem.... Years ago, I used this to contain my sheppard / timber wolf (so I was told). She did bolt through it a couple of times and then was afraid to come back in (duh). Then she learned to figure out if the battery on her collar was low. OOPS, time to bolt again. Smart dog.

Miz Molly

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the other day I was cleaning up the yard and my neighbor up the street yelled down one of your dogs is up here I am thinking my pug so I went to walk up got to the end of my drive way who meets me Snake because of some trouble with my rescue dog I have not had him at the park so he desided to take a walk. MR chicken and here he is walking the neighborhood he has no hunting instincts at all but he thinks the street is his play ground I agree there is on the leash places and off the leash places I am heading to NC in September I cant wait he will have 11 acres of woods to play in with a lake he like to play in streams

 

 

 

Coyo has just been awesome, all through the Summer, and on our vacation he was off leash all the time. Responded excellently to all commands, and gave us no reason to worry. He was amazing, and such a good helpmate/dog/companion.

 

So, I've been letting him go in and out to the truck, to the house, without the leash, since we've been home. He's been terrific. Saturday morning, however, I opened the door, he was waiting on the porch, all was well, and then as I turned to shut the door, he took off.

 

There was a squirrel I hadn't seen. Coyo was stretched out and low to the ground after this squirrel; they had a good chase, that took them across the street twice. Fortunately, there were no cars. Of course he was not responding, and I was so unnerved that I didn't even say the right thing--the one that gets through to him.

 

I had to rethink the whole thing. He doesn't care if I have him on leash. It's me that has this feeling like he's missing out on something. I got a wake up call, however, which was reinforced this morning as a car went racing up our street.

 

There are places to be off leash, and places to be on leash, and I have to give up the idea, that our small front yard, on a busy city street is an off leash place. It's not a matter of being a good dog or a bad dog, he's just a dog, through and through.

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