# Do You Let Your Chi's Off The Lead?



## Pinkchi (Nov 21, 2008)

Just curious as to how many of you let your chi's off the lead on walks in safe areas?

Louie is 'never on a lead' with his owners that I am adopting him from. But when I walk him i'm not quite brave enough to let him off.

I feel bad as i'd love to see him run around but i'm scared to let him off.

His owners said he loves other dogs but today at the park a few off lead dogs said hello and he got scared and growled. Is that just because he was on his lead and his movement restricted? The other dogs were friendly I think maybe he was just a bit overwhelmed?

I'm going to see if I can take him on a walk with his owners so I can get some experience of how he is on walks and hopefully boost my confidence about letting him off the lead.

He gets a good hours walk morning and night though so its not like he doesn't get enough excercise.


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

We never have prada on the lead at the park we have her on the lead walking to and from there but we take her off when we get there if there isn't too many people (our park is huge and has multiple baseball/soccer games going on daily) she doesn't care for other dogs much but she doesn't attack them or anything she just runs away or barks we did have a chi playdate with her and my friends chi a couple months back tho and she had no problem with him they were even kissing each other lol guess she's racist and only likes chis LOL! 

I think getting the owners to walk with you is a good idea that way you can see how they handle it get confidence and also learn any commands they use for recall etc. 

You have a right to be scared when you don't have experience it took a lot for me to let prada and ninja off leash at the park I would take them off longer and longer each time and just kept practicing recalls with them until I felt comfortable enough that I could trust them.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Mine are never off lead outside. Too many things can go wrong in just a split second. If it was a remote, secluded area, possibly. But I'd still be nervous.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Exception: My back yard is fenced in.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I let mine off as they have fab recall if I don't know a fog I put their lead back on til I'm happy


You need to bond with him a bit before you let him off


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I never let Brody off lead when we are out. (He has a fenced backyard he can run wild in). But on walks he is leashed. There's just too many unknowns and dangers - mainly other dogs, birds, kids, etc. He also doesn't have a rock solid recall and if he saw a squirrel - he'd be off like a shot and that would be dangerous.


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

No mine are never off lead.
I live in a busy place, with a lot of main roads.
If you live in a quiet place and he has a good recall then after a while you may be able to, but i would wait a good while for that. x


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Yes both mine are off the lead,but only in the fields .I would never let Lily off in a park, (somebody may pick her up and run off with her )Simba yes as he's old and plods along.


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## Shamelle (Jan 20, 2010)

My girls don't get off lead, we have coyotes around and big bad birds.
We use retractable leashes 16 feet long so they get to run.


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## pmum (Oct 17, 2010)

Hi PinkChi
You are just trying to be a very responsible, loving pet owner.
Mine is off leash quite a bit, but we also live in a country setting.
If I didn't live in a country setting, I prob. would Not have him
off his leash. As a few on here have said, anything can happen
in a split second. Better safe than sorry.
Blessings.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

No, I never let mine off the lead. I think even if they have fantastic recall, there's still always a risk. I have a fenced in backyard, so that is the only exception.


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## Dazy Mae (Aug 10, 2008)

Shamelle said:


> My girls don't get off lead, we have coyotes around and big bad birds.
> We use retractable leashes 16 feet long so they get to run.


Same here! We are close by in WA. and there is so much wildlife here that I would never let them off lead. Our packs of coyotes are like wolves and the great bald eagle is king of the sky! 
My girls get to play and run inside the house most of the time. we do let them stretch and walk a bit outside and get fresh air, but only on very short lead in case I have to grab them up quick.


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## AC/DC Fan (Sep 15, 2010)

When we go for a walk, mine are always on their leashes. They are off leash in the back yard and in the front yard when we are in the front yard with them--otherwise, they're not out there either.


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## rache (Nov 10, 2009)

Mine go off their leads in the fields at the back of our house, but they are on their leads on the way there and back. We live in a road and although its not that busy, you just never know. I love seeing them running about when they get off their leads, I love how they stretch their little bodies out when they are chasing each other ))


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## IowasAngel (Mar 5, 2008)

Coco has been allowed off lead once, in my bro-in-law's fenced in back yard but I was a nervous mommy the whole time. Usually she is never off her lead because I have seen hawks in our trees just watching for anything small to grab. Cabo will probably never be allowed to be taken off his lead, only because he loves everyone and everything. At 13lbs I don't have much worry about hawks but he will run across the street in a heartbeat if he sees a person or another dog. And against a car, well...that's a "predator" he would never beat.


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## sugarbaby (Dec 21, 2009)

i let my dogs off lead at the beach but when walking they are always on lead


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## Dragonfly (Jun 6, 2010)

When we're at the park or river, no because I just freak out thinking they'll be swept away! At home we have no fence but good acerage so I DO let Shayley off her leash in the back she listens so very good and will stop with just a look I give her. She seriously just knows mommy freaks out LOL As for Kizzie, she is still learning...and listens much better than before but shes stilljust a baby to me (17months) Actually just the other day she got off the leash accidently and when I called her she stopped in her tracks and actually came to me which was a shock because she's usually so wild outside and happy lol. So I think she'll do good soon!


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Depends on where we are, if we are somewhere I know is safe from bigger dogs coming in and swooping in to get her, then yes I will let her off leash, Ziva is a negative though as she doesn't yet know how to come when called


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## Reese and Miley (Jun 24, 2010)

Mine are always leashed when we go on walks, but when we go to the park I let them off. It isnt a "dog park" in the traditional sense, like a small fenced in area teaming with dogs, but a huge park with a lake and wooded trails, fields, etc etc that is dog friendly. We usually pass a few others hiking with their dogs on the paths and trails, and when you first get there and park theres a big open field and some benches etc where people and dogs can congregate and play. Occasionally mine have growled at a larger, overly rambunctious dog, seems to be the boxers they take a dislike to most often, just due to their high energy. Ive never had another dog, large or small, try to hurt one of mine.
Youre right to be cautious letting him off lead. I would def wait until he has settled in with you and youve bonded before having him off leash. It is always a bit of a risk, but to me the joy they have at the park outweighs the minimal risk to their safety. I wouldnt have him loose in an area youre unfamiliar with. 
I did have a nasty scare once with Reese. We were at the lake house in a very secluded area, with the house set back from the road. There isnt a fenced area, so we had to take the dogs out leashed. I got in the habit over the summer of letting Reese be loose and just Miley leashed. Just as we were about to go inside, Reese froze and I could tell he saw something. There was a deer right in front of him, and when it realized he was there, it took off. He ran right off after it, zipped across the road and into the woods. Across the road was heavily wooded and I was absolutely panicked that I had lost him. Despite his excellent recall, my voice couldnt compete with that natural prey drive. Im not even sure he could hear me once that instinct kicked in. I hurried across and screamed and screamed his name, with no sign of him. The woods went on forever, and I was afraid to go in incase he came out and tried to cross the road again by himself. It was about 5 of the longest minutes of my life before I started to hear some rustling and crunching and then saw him running to me. He did have the most overjoyed grin on his face, but I was hysterical. I could have lost him forever. Other than a securely fenced in yard, there is no absolutely safe way to have a dog off leash, youre always taking a bit of a risk.
Taking a walk with his current owners is a great idea, and will def help with your confidence. If youre feeling nervous, he could pick up on it and be more defensive/ confrontational with other dogs.


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## LadyJ (Aug 20, 2010)

Never, not in a million years! Even though she might be 100% trustworthy, other dogs are not!!!

Jeanette


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

Yes, but only in parks and fields where Hannahs squirrel related deafness wont be a big issue! If its too open, near roads, etc then they stay on leads. I do love to see Heidi run off lead though. My garden is too tiny to really run and she just loves to take off running like a tiny greyhound, plus her and Adam can really have a good game of chase.
I understand that it wouldnt be safe for alot of people where wildlife and feral dogs are an issue but for me its a calculated risk.


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## kryzif (Jul 28, 2010)

I have a fenced in yard so my dogs are never on the leash in the yard. However, if they go anywhere outside the fence they are on the leash with the exception of the massive field behind our house... I haven't taken the chi's out in the field yet. I plan to. They have gone from the car to our fenced in yard but it's not very far, they follow me directly into the fenced in yard... Once I get them more trained we will take long walks in the field. Frankie, my mixed breed, LOVES those walks.


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