Letting Them Run Free

[Roo]

Had Regis had recall, he would have been the perfect off-leasher. He had no interest in chasing fuzzy things, but he only did what HE wanted to do, regardless of how much I tried to train him. He'd come when you called him - eventually. No matter what we tried, he never go the whole "recall" thing unless it suited him

 

Dusty loved loved loved to run. We couldn't let her loose because when she saw something fuzzy, it was all over and the fuzzy was the only thing that mattered and even though she came when called relatively reliably, she definitely wouldn't have if she was giving chase. But we'd take her to a fenced area (school soccer field, neighbor's backyard, Greyhound Friend's morning adopted dog runs, etc) and let her loose and it was wonderful watching her go. We eventually had to stop taking her to the fenced fields because she learned that the fence was only so high - she once leapt over a fence at Greyhound Friends and started chasing a horse around the field. We called and called for her but she absolutely couldn't be bothered to come back until the horse started chasing her and she realized it was all a big mistake and came tearing back toward us. It's funny now, but at the time (on my birthday!) I thought for sure she'd get trampled. Some of the other hounds were watching through the fence like "What is wrong with that one?"

 

Some of the responses make it sound like not providing daily or weekly flat-out run sessions is cruel, but sometimes it simply isn't worth the risk. Regis had no interest in running at all. Dusty had too much interest in running and a fence couldn't even contain her. We couldn't risk her jumping and running off (because we were positive we wouldn't get her back in one piece - she would have chased anything that ran from her and I'm sure that would have led her into some dangerous situations). To compensate, we took her on long walks in a variety of places - if she couldn't run free, we at least wanted to engage her as much as possible with new sights and smells and sounds.

 

 

Sometimes I wonder about the reason that retired greyhounds are prone to strokes. Our retired greyhounds are famous for their ability lie around looking blissfully happy doing absolutely nothing all day, and I think can fool people into thinking that they don't need to do anything much. But we know that in humans, being sedentary and not exercising properly can lead to blood clots. Why not in dogs? You might argue that active racers spend a lot of time lying around doing nothing too - and that's true, but they do have a structured exercise regime. They are let out into paddocks to play, and they are taken racing.

 

 

Dusty stayed fit (minus a few scratches and one nasty brown recluse bite) until she suffered a few strokes that took too much of a toll on her body. Now I'm wondering if it was my fault that she had the strokes because I couldn't safely let her off leash anywhere to run...

Edited April 8, 2014 by Roo

[Sambuca]

I wish you'd taken a video of her chasing the horse and the horse chasing her.

[Busderpuddle]

I would never in a million years let Ruby off leash anywhere. She escaped once out of our yard and luckily we found her 9 miles away playing with some little kids. She had ran until her paws were so bloody she couldn't go any farther. I am just so thankful that we got her back alive.

[Roo]

I wish you'd taken a video of her chasing the horse and the horse chasing her.

 

Me too! If I hadn't been so absolutely terrified that she'd get trampled, I probably would have thought to take a video. I'll never forget it, though... All the greys were running in a group, clearly enjoying themselves, when we lost sight of her. Someone yelled "Someone's over the fence!" and my dad and another guy took off after her. The guy stayed near the fence in the horse pasture and dad went tearing off after Dusty and the horse. She was happy as could be and I could swear she thought it was the best prey she'd ever seen It took about half the pasture for the horse to stop panicking and realize it had the upper hand in terms of size. When it spun around, ears pinned back in true unhappy-horse fashion, and started chasing her, she really looked like she realized her mistake (as in "I regret this decision!"). She hightailed it back to the guy near the fence (dad was still running after her - hard to catch up with a full-speed greyhound!) and he grabbed her and hoisted her over. Everyone applauded while the horse stomped a few times, snorted at us, and went out to the middle of the field. It was heart-stopping at the time, but it was just such a Dusty thing to do. She was a little nut!

Edited April 8, 2014 by Roo

[Guest k9soul]

I don't think Rudy would go too far, and he does not seem to have a very strong prey drive, but I would still be too paranoid to risk it. Maybe on a deserted island or something. I'd really like to live on one some days .

[silverfish]

Dusty stayed fit (minus a few scratches and one nasty brown recluse bite) until she suffered a few strokes that took too much of a toll on her body. Now I'm wondering if it was my fault that she had the strokes because I couldn't safely let her off leash anywhere to run...

 

Please don't feel like that - it wasn't my intention to make anyone feel guilty or add to anyone's grief. It's just a thought I had. Our two lay around a lot too (normal greyhounds!) because they're elderly and/or have physical problems, to I can't do much exercise with them. I try to get them up on their feet during the day though rather than lounging around ALL day .. but who knows? Nobody does. I haven't heard a single vet suggest that they get strokes because of inactivity, it's just that with cardiovascular incidents running strongly in our family, it's kind of on my mind a lot and I was wondering.

 

Lost my Mum in 2011 to a massive stroke. She was disabled and in chronic pain and sat around literally all day in a chair unless she was pushing her frame from one room to another, to get food or drink and it was a small bungalow. She had one of those static pedal exercisers but used it only for a week and then it gathered dust.

 

Our greyhounds are lazy, lazy dogs. You can bet Dusty wouldn't have been blaming you for the happy life she led.

[Roo]

 

Please don't feel like that - it wasn't my intention to make anyone feel guilty or add to anyone's grief. It's just a thought I had. Our two lay around a lot too (normal greyhounds!) because they're elderly and/or have physical problems, to I can't do much exercise with them. I try to get them up on their feet during the day though rather than lounging around ALL day .. but who knows? Nobody does. I haven't heard a single vet suggest that they get strokes because of inactivity, it's just that with cardiovascular incidents running strongly in our family, it's kind of on my mind a lot and I was wondering.

 

Lost my Mum in 2011 to a massive stroke. She was disabled and in chronic pain and sat around literally all day in a chair unless she was pushing her frame from one room to another, to get food or drink and it was a small bungalow. She had one of those static pedal exercisers but used it only for a week and then it gathered dust.

 

Our greyhounds are lazy, lazy dogs. You can bet Dusty wouldn't have been blaming you for the happy life she led.

Thanks The connection hadn't struck me before so seeing it like that was...I don't know. Weird. Tough. I'm sure you understand the drive to know exactly what's going on with them and why and how to help them!

[Guest Marsroving]

Since we've moved from Ohio to Wisconsin and are in a new environment we have been hammering the recall training nonstop in our new backyard (which is fenced).

 

Yesterday I got to see it work : ). Long story short the back fence goes around to the front of the house, there is a back gate that closes and another front gate that closes. The fed ex person did not close the front gate, and I let Mars into the back. Next thing I know he's trotting right towards the open front gate...but as soon as I said his name "in the voice" he turned around on the spot and ran into the backdoor where I called from.

 

I feel like Mars is more confident as, well, Mars...the more he learns. I think our whole family feels a lot safer having a plan, a routine, or structure even...

 

I won't lie, my heart sank with terror...and even though we've done the routine a thousand times now a part of me thought he would just keep trucking. I was really proud of us when he came to me without a second thought...and then he had lots of treats.

 

Note: I do not off leash my greyhound in any un fenced area but we've been working on recall for emergencies and near misses like yesterday.

[krissy]

Note: I do not off leash my greyhound in any un fenced area but we've been working on recall for emergencies and near misses like yesterday.

Awesome! Congrats on providing your dog with a safer home and you with a life of fewer heart attacks. One day you may not even consider something like what happened today as a near miss. I know I don't miss having heart attacks. And that has nothing to do with off leashing.

[CharlieRhea]

Thanks for the videos everyone, i thoroughly enjoyed them!

[Guest rarmstrong]

While I have not let Willis off leash in an unfenced area, I am really glad to have taught and continued practicing recall. Last week while packing up the car, Willis dashed out of the door. My heart sank and I began to panic. I wanted to yell, but thought of our recall word and he came right back.

 

As for unleashing him in an unfenced area (or other greys for that matter), I'm still unsure but these posts have been illuminating. I'm really glad to have taught him recall, and it is definitely something that should be practiced consistently. It may make this topic a little less controversial.

Edited April 17, 2014 by rarmstrong