Off-leash Running

[grizabella]

I'm curious as to how others go about giving their hounds a good run. Is it difficult to find safe fenced areas? How high does a fence need to be before you feel comortable to let the dog off the leash?

As I'm in the process of planning for my first whippet, I've been looking into places where I can safely give the dog a run. My friend (greyhoundaddict) has very kindly said that I may excercise the whippie on her property and there is a fenced dog park near my house that may be suitable. I'm considering using an extendable leash to give the dog more freedom when I can't let her run completely free.

I've seen photos and videos of sighthounds off leash on beaches, which made me curious as to how they can be safely exercised off-leash on a beach,which is highly unlikely to b fenced.

[Gazinghound]

Well, I am fortunate in that my exercise area is my backyard. But even without one, there should still be some good options around for doggie free-running. Before I got my dog as a pup, I was looking at Home Depot for either a new, taller fence or simply the "fence extensions" that attach to the top and heighten it. My dad wasn't especially keen even on the latter idea, and suggested that we wait a while and see what happened. Our fence is about 3.5 feet tall, and the ideal recommended height is at least 5-6 feet. However, Ulla (a relatively small Saluki) has never once made an earnest effort to leap it. She definitely could if she took a running leap, so someone always keeps an eye open while she's out there, and the alternate fence ideas are still always viable options; but they haven't been necessary. (Wish I could trust one of the invisible/electric fences, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be a good idea.) Even when she jumps up to peek over the fence and springs up and down, she doesn't actually try to get over. (One of her best friends is the little terrier mix next door whom she's obsessed with chasing.) So, with her in particular, I'm okay with a three- or four-foot fence because she seems to get that jumping them wouldn't be a good idea--but in general a few feet higher is better.

A few months ago someone told me that the nearby dog park has been renovated, and I'm going to take her back there this month. The first time I went, their excuse for a fence was a pathetic little thing that Ulla was literally able to bend and step right over in an attempt to escape some other very annoying dogs. Apparently, the place has been redone with much better fencing and other improvements, so I'm really hoping to be impressed. A good dog park is a great place to exercise and socialize them, especially if you haven't got a yard. So I hope that your local dog park is a good one, and that between that and your friend's property, you'll have some fine spots for the Whippie to run to his/her heart's content. ^^ If the park's no good, it might even be possible to petition for improvements, which I know has been done a lot for other inadequate ones (such as ours.) It's also really lucky that Greyhoundaddict is willing to help. Ulla's breeders live on a gorgeous piece of land that's located, surprisingly, down a quiet road just off a major highway route. Ulla LOVES visiting her family and roaming about that place. =D

Retractable leashes are definitely cool, especially for places where the dog can safely wander a little further ahead of or away from you; lets them move faster without forcing you to run so much. I also love tie-outs; I bought one that stakes into the ground, and have others that just tie around trees or anything sturdy...some slide between trees or other upright things. Anything that allows the dog to move more freely while remaining secure is great. I've very rarely let her off-leash up in rural Pennsylvania, and then only for a short time, making sure I had her in sight and responding to me. One other thing I tried was a bicycle attachment that lets the dog run alongside you. It's tricky and can be dangerous if your movements aren't coordinated, so I haven't used it much, but it's a neat idea. I sometimes add some extra length to it with a cord of my own or even a leash/lead, though, because that makes it a lot more comfortable. It also makes it too long to safely use on most sidewalks or streets. Dx *sigh* Maybe one day I'll find the thing that'll fit and make it more workable.

She's a fan of beaches (probably thanks in large part to the sand...no surprise that she likes sand!), but I haven't even come across one yet that welcomes off-leash dogs. Even if I did, I MIGHT only consider it if it were a quiet, secluded beach (and I had plenty of treats with me, lol.) I too have seen sighthounds off-lead in such places, and according to one of my Saluki books, they're often able to do that if they've been accustomed to it from an early age. Seems it tends to be older ones who've never gotten used to such freedom who have the most problems off-leash, because the rush of it "goes to their heads" and they're more likely to take off and ignore your commands. So I guess that's the explanation behind that, and it is doable. But again, I'd still be wary...even with the Brittany, or for that matter, any dog.

[grizabella]

We're quite lucky in that at the moment we have a nice sized yard with a 5-foot+ fence which should be great for exercising the puppy. The dog park fence near my house is around 3.5ft I think, so I imagine it would be a fun place to take the dog, I expect Ulla would enjoy it too- it's juuuust a little bit too far away for her though!

I have considered using a bicycle as a means of exercise, but I've been put off by the thought of the dog racing into the road after something and me getting dragged along. I think it could be fun in a nice quiet area with very few cars.

Tiggy used to love going to the beach, we have several off leash beaches and she ADORED them. Unfortunatley, Tiggy wasn't always reliable off-leash so I rarely felt comfortable to let her off anywhere that there could be distractions.

[Gazinghound]

Oh, that's great! A 5+ foot fence is awesome to have. :3 And yes, I'm sure she'd love to visit your dog park when we eventually travel to Australia someday! ^_^ One of these days I'm going to take her back to the park around here that has one so we can check it out; the weather's been absolutely gorgeous for about a week now, so I guess the rest of spring is pretty promising...perfect park conditions...hopefully we'll approve of the new place.

Exactly, the bike thing seems like a fantastic exercise idea, but only if the dog and bike are moving in sync...otherwise any number of accidents could occur. I figure I'll have to keep practicing with ours a lot in the backyard or on the quiet, secluded streets in Pennsylvania. I start just by walking the bike. Her usual response to being asked to do something she's not sure about is to simply freeze and stubbornly refuse to move, but I do hope I can convince her of the funness of that and other activities...=]

Aww...that makes sense. I've actually known very few dogs who were truly reliable off-leash, especially in potentially dangerous places or situations. I do wish there were more such beaches here, though. A week ago in Virginia Beach I did note a Border Collie who appeared to be off-leash on the boardwalk, catching a Frisbee, but s/he was the only one I saw. Guess it was allowed (or that dog's person/disc thrower was breaking the rule...I dunno. Maybe it was permitted on the boardwalk.)

[greyhoundaddict]

hey ,
A while back i was chatting to someone from the Greyhound Adoption Program and they mentioned that (with greyhounds anyway) you can not let your GH off the lead anywhere unless it's on a private property with absolute permission and you have to stick to regulation leads, you're not allowed to ues the extension ones
if you're concerned you could always ring up GAP or the cat and dog management board

[grizabella]

I've had a poke around, and it seems that law applies only to greyhounds, and not other sighthounds. It must make it very difficult to find suitable spaces for allowing a greyhound to run.
It's a real pity there's no lure coursing in South Australia as that would be an excellent way to exercise a sighthound.

[Gazinghound]

Gee, that's all disappointing! I guess they've had some issues with Greys and felt there needed to be such a law...? I'm anti-BSL, myself...

I might suggest this product, the Zippitydog:
http://wickedcoursing.com./store.html

It's a small lure coursing machine that can be used at home, and while it's pricey ($109 U.S. dollars plus $60 for international shipping), it does beat the standard lure machines that are worth thousands and are used by groups that hold coursing events. I'm considering getting one.

Edit: Actually, now I'm looking at constructing my own course using a simple motor, pulleys, and string with a bag clipped on...I think with a little help I may be able to assemble one that's much larger, longer, and can be arranged into many more different configurations without having to reset it each time the line zips around once.

[grizabella]

Oooooh wow, I didn't know you could actually buy a lure coursing machine! That's definitley going on my shopping list for the future. ;D It reminds me a bit of the lure they've set up for the cheetahs at the zoo, I've never seen them use it but I imagine it's a sight to be seen!

[Gazinghound]

I didn't either; apparently it's a new thing that was recently invented by the Bedlington Terrier woman who runs that website and sells the machines. I heard about it through a Bedlington e-mail list.

Lure coursing cheetahs, now THAT must be something to behold! *O* They're my favorite wildcats. :3

[grizabella]

Hehe, they are pretty much the sighthounds of the cat world. They are my favourites too!

[Gazinghound]

^___^ Yep, indeed; my favorites are oftentimes not very surprising, either, once you get to know me. ;}

[grizabella]

With it now looking like I'm going to be becoming a Saluki mum, I'm thinking more about exercise and running, because the 'luki's going to need more than the whippet I'd been thinking about getting before.


I'm not sure I'd be completely happy about letting a Saluki off lead in the dog park, the fence isn't that high and if she were to jump over she'd be going right into a busy road. (What kind of a ninny puts a dog park next to a main road anyway?!) and I'd be concerned that what would be considered 'play' behaviour for a Saluki would upset other dog owners.

I've just thought of the possibility of getting a lunge reign like they use for horses, about 7 metres long and could maybe be used to run the dog in a big circle. I'd be a lot happier taking a Saluki to the dog park on one of those as she'd still get quite a lot of freedom, but I'd be able to reel her in if necessary. I think a lunge rein would be much stronger than an extendable leash.

I think agility training might be a fun idea later on, it'd be a great teamwork and training exercise and I'm sure would be great fun for the dog.


We're actually looking at a house that's two minutes walk from the dog park. If we did get the house, it would sure be handy for taking the dog out!

[Gazinghound]

Mmm, those are valid concerns. Indeed, locating the dog park right next to a main road was a pretty obvious "Wtf?" move, especially if they weren't going to provide a very high and sturdy fence. But, it's still an awesome thing to have two minutes from your house!! The weather's gotten up to 90+ degrees for a few days here, but it's supposed to drop a bit on Thursday, so I plan to check out our dog park again then and see what the deal is with its renovations. If nothing else, at least it's well inside the park and away from the busy thoroughfare, and if she were to ever get loose I feel confident that I could get her back to me without a major problem.

Also, it's true that being so tall and leggy can make a bouncy, playful Saluki seem kind of boisterous or even scary to other people and dogs...I've had the experience. One of my best friends is somewhat wary of big dogs to begin with, and he finds Ulla a little creepy and calls her "Spider Dog"--affectionately, of course. But I can understand. She's smacked, scratched, or stepped on enough of us with her lovely limbs to have kinda earned the nickname. xD There's even a hysterical photo of her "kidney punching" him (and him deliberately exaggerating his reaction.)

A lunge rein? Now there's an interesting idea. Surely an equine product would be stronger than a dog one (though still usable for other animals.) They're very long, but inexpensive. Hmm. Makes me consider the idea myself...

Now if only I can get my girl more interested in our Agility work--goes without saying that Salukis are athletes and naturals for running, jumping, climbing, etc., and she'll do such things just fine on her own, but try and instruct her to do something and it's another story, lol! I'll keep trying to make it really fun and to convince her that she'll want to do it, AND looking out for perfect weather days.

[grizabella]

Maybe if you instruct her not to complete the obstacles she'd be more obliging?

[Gazinghound]

Not a bad idea...the parent's oldest trick, reverse psychology...muahaha, ha...xD