belznp Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Hi,At what age would you let a papillon puppy off the lead to run on the beach.Ours has just turned 1 year & his recall isn't that great especially if occupied.He loves it down the beach but we are loathe to let him off his lead but would love to.Just scared he may take off or a big dog may chase him & we couldn't get him to come back. Cheers,Judith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpie_Pup Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Hi,At what age would you let a papillon puppy off the lead to run on the beach.Ours has just turned 1 year & his recall isn't that great especially if occupied.He loves it down the beach but we are loathe to let him off his lead but would love to.Just scared he may take off or a big dog may chase him & we couldn't get him to come back.Cheers,Judith Hi Judith The short answer- not until you are absolutely sure he will recall EVERY time. We couldn't let Halle of the lead at the beach until about a month ago... Not only is it a concern that your dog runs away from you, but there are people at beaches who do not like dogs, and for some of them there is nothing more frightening than having a dog run full pelt towards them, with no lead on, and no owner in sight. I myself have been harassed by a dog off lead, which was very difficult considering he wound up Halle pretty badly and she ended up bolting away from me, with her lead in tow. Basically, unless you are 100% sure he will recall in any situation with any amount or type of distractions, keep him on the lead.. its basically being a responsible dog owner. We made up a lead for Halle out of rope that was 10m long, and put a shackle on it to attach to her lead...It meant she could run around a bit more but still be under our control. Perhaps that might be good for a while? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) As above LOL. Nothing to do with "what age" but everything to do with "what training". Until he will come back regardless of distractions then he isn't trained well enough. With a Papillon you might be tempted to think 'oh well, he won't do any harm and he won't frighten anyone', which is probably true - but if he dashes up to an ON leash dog which is in a bad mood, or protective of it's owner or dog aggressive then with a little dog like a Pap, one snap and he'll never be coming back, and that won't be the fault on the ON leash under control dog. ETA: and you say you're worried he might get chased by a big dog. Off leash, *most* dogs don't fight but some will, and again if you can't get you're little guy back and a big dog decides he's a rabbit then it's all over. Yep, big dogs should be under control and not allowed to chase little dogs either, but I wouldn't be gambling the life of my dog on that one. Edited January 2, 2009 by Sandra777 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenz0r Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 that being said, plenty of dogs that frequent dog beaches do not have 100% but you will have to be careful and keep an eye on him at all times if u do decide to let him off lead being a papillon i dont think u would have a huge problem with him scaring other dogs/ppl at the beach but not everyone is appreciative of dogs getting into their blanket/towels/stuff, mine sometimes run over for pats and kisses to ppl sitting on the beach and i try to discourage it because not everyone is going to be so keen, even though i dont mind it happening to me when i am at the beach i dont have experience with tiny breeds like papillons but plenty of puppies of other breeds that are around the size of a grown pappilon are seen at the beach... i would just make sure you are near him in case he gets spooked by a big dog. and get him used to it slowly.. i like the idea of a lonnnnnng lead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I just wouldn't take the risk of letting a pap off lead at a beach or anywhere else. You just don't know what other dogs temperaments are like that are there too and one bite and shake and goodbye pap. Just have a longer lead for beach going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoodleNut Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I would have to agree with other DOLers on this one. We have a Puli (just turned 1 year old) and like you is not 100% in her recall. When going to the beach I put her on a tracking lead (Black Dog have tracking leads online that you could order or make up one of your own). Secondly our Noodle LOVES attention from anyone! This may be a good thing but I know from first hand experience with extended family members with three young children that are TERRIFIED to the point of HYSTERICAL at ANY dog of ANY age and ANY breed (a complete other story ... groan) ..... they would not greet your or any other dog well on the beach ... needless to say a nasty interaction. On that note I wish kindergartens and schools would do more education about interacting with animals (in every state/territory).. and parents too for that matter! It makes my blood boil to see such behaviour from children and a comment from a parent of 'get over it' ....... Go the lead ... and continue the training ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I let my pups off lead at the beach from the very first time they are allowed to go out, when the want to stay with me, it is a good way of getting them into the habit of staying close on a walk and recalling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Willow Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) If you keep your pup on a long lead (5m is ideal.....anything longer I find gets tangled) you can practise your recalls without fear she can run off. Start with mild distractions (what is her recall like in the backyard?) as the beach at this point might be too stimulating to focus on you until she has had more practice. If she doesn't come back when called, you can simply collect her & keep her on a short lead for a while. No recall = loss of freedom. It's so much safer, and a littley like a papillon will still get plenty of exercise on a 5m lead. You can also relax because you know you have control, and don't have to be looking over your shoulder every 5 minutes thinking she's going to disappear. The recall will come with time & practice, but you can still enjoy your walks in the meantime. If a big dog approaches & you feel uncomfirtable, you can simply "reel her in" & head off somewhere else without resortng to chasing her!!! ETA: My Stafford has a lovely recall 99% of the time, but under extreme distraction, rather than let him "get it wrong" I clip his leash back on. Interestingly, I have found over time he has come to realise that once the lead goes on, he can only go a certain distance from me, and it "switches off" his interest in the distraction (can't possibly have it, no point trying). Then just a simple "good boy" and a treat is all that's needed to reinforce this. Remeber BBQ chicken is your best friend in convincing your dog that by your side is the place they want to be!!! *rofl* Edited January 3, 2009 by Willow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoodleNut Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) If she doesn't come back when called, you can simply collect her & keep her on a short lead for a while. No recall = loss of freedom. The recall will come with time & practice, but you can still enjoy your walks in the meantime. If a big dog approaches & you feel uncomfirtable, you can simply "reel her in" & head off somewhere else without resortng to chasing her!!! Good suggestions Willow .. this is exactly what we do and walking our dog very early in the mornings on newly washed sand (clean ...no doggy do left from unscrupulous owners either LOL) when there are less people of the beach (and this equals less distractions) is also great .. or later in the evening. If you are lucky you will also find another owner with a responsibly trained dog that you will be able to allow yours to play with. Here is Noodle as a very young pup on the tracking lead at the beach and another of her full grown about a month ago. PS Our dog has NO food drive so BBQ chicken doesn't work ....... Edited January 3, 2009 by NoodleNut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 This brought to mind a friend's dog. We lived near a river in the country and the dogs often swam from one side to the other then back again. Friend's dog had great recall, mine were so so but followed friend's dog so that worked. We took the dogs to the beach one day, no-one around and they had a marvellous time until friend's dog went swimming. Unfortunately he didn't realise the other side was China and we had to race up the beach to a fisherman with a boat who had to rescue him, scary at the time but many laughs later! Luckily my guys weren't keen on the waves so stayed on dry land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I let my pups off lead at the beach from the very first time they are allowed to go out, when the want to stay with me, it is a good way of getting them into the habit of staying close on a walk and recalling. And talked me into doing it with Ziggy Best thing I ever did :rolleyes: Agreed, though, for an older puppy/teenager/adult with no recall, a long line and cooked chicken works a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) Gremlins.... :rolleyes: Edited January 5, 2009 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) I let my pups off lead at the beach from the very first time they are allowed to go out, when the want to stay with me, it is a good way of getting them into the habit of staying close on a walk and recalling. same with me - with the exception of that horrible adolescent period when they play up! It is all about risk vs reward. You can live a very low risk life without having much fun. My dog's recall is 100% with no/little distractions (add a dog chasing a ball then all training is forgotten. Even then, he doesn't actually run away). I take him to the fenced dog beach first thing in the morning (that's 6.30 am for me). We're either alone or there are one or two well behaved dogs there. I check them out and make an assessment before releasing him. He adores his sweaky toy, so I take it along in case of emergencies. I throw a ball and play with him so that I' the most interesting thing on the beach. I only call him if I am 100% sure that he'll come to me, so that I don't "untrain" the recall. I also walk along the water line and he always follows - they often wander when you just stand still dong nothing. I agree in theory with "only let them off until you have 100% recall". The thing is, you only know if you have 100% recall when you actually let them off. Many dogs are smart enough to figure out that ona long leash they must come back every time. Off leash is a different story. If I was in your position, I'd take him at a few set times on certain days (very early mornings are the best). Take him on the leash a few times, show him the "path" that you walk and check the other dogs out. After a few visits, let him off, play and keep walking. Bring an emergency recall item (food, toys, whatever attracts him) and have some fun! edit to add: I assumed when writing this that your dog doesn't just run away when let off the leash and that you're doing recall training on a long leash already. If you haven't started this yet then, as others have said, this is the place to start. Edited January 3, 2009 by megan_ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I suppose the answer is when you have a few tactics up your sleeve that you think your puppy will respond to! Could you try using an extender lead to begin with, giving treats to your puppy when you call him over to you on the beach? Or similar to what another person said, take along a favourite toy or whatever your dog is interested, just in case, if you need to get their attention quickly. To get my 9 month old puppy Tilly to recall when it is time to leave the dog park, sometimes I have to use a firm/gruff voice, otherwise she will deliberately ignore me. Then she will come straight to me, lay down and look very guilty! If I only use a vaguely naughty voice, then she doesn't take me seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Willow Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I would avoid extender leads for three reasons: They can be dangerous. I know personally of cases where the locking mechanism has failed & the helpless owner has watched while theri dog went under the wheels of a car :cool: They teach the dog to pull...in order to make the lead longer, the dog has to pull against slight tension. The handles are not safe. The plastic handle is clumsy & difficult to hold securely in an emergency. (sorry fainty_girl....that wasn't intended to be an attack on you.....please don't take it personally, it wasn't meant like that ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I would avoid extender leads for three reasons:They can be dangerous. I know personally of cases where the locking mechanism has failed & the helpless owner has watched while theri dog went under the wheels of a car They teach the dog to pull...in order to make the lead longer, the dog has to pull against slight tension. The handles are not safe. The plastic handle is clumsy & difficult to hold securely in an emergency. (sorry fainty_girl....that wasn't intended to be an attack on you.....please don't take it personally, it wasn't meant like that ) No offense taken :cool: . I Didn't realise the extender leads had such a bad reputation. That's terrible that you know of dogs being hit by cars too :D . I don't always use the extender lead, but I have sometimes with Tilly because she is such an active pup and gets more exercise on the extender lead if we are walking together as she is always running back and forth. I only use it in quiet areas though and if its busy, then I keep her closer to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I've been using extender leads since they first came out and have never had an accident. Like all things - common sense is the answer, use them where applicable and know how to use them. I've still got the first one I bought, no cheapies around back then, I think it cost me about $40 and it's still in excellent order. If you want to use one then get a good one, extra money is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I've been using extender leads since they first came out and have never had an accident. Like all things - common sense is the answer, use them where applicable and know how to use them. I've still got the first one I bought, no cheapies around back then, I think it cost me about $40 and it's still in excellent order. If you want to use one then get a good one, extra money is worth it. me too, mine was $50, well worth the money. Got it about 15 years ago, not used a lot but invaluable for when I do need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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