This is probably a stupid question.

I walk/run my dog every morning and every evening and do some pretty serious hiking on the the weekends. He is pretty laid back and with the above mentioned exercise stays pretty calm. But he is always on a leash or tether. Since I live kind of out in the middle of nowhere, my yard is not fenced. I have a huge yard but it is not enclosed. He never gets to just flat out run. Even when we jog, obviously he doesn't have to work too hard to keep up with me. The most "freedom" he has is on a 30 ft. tether while playing ball. We have a dog park in town, but I don't like them. His recall is not yet reliable, so I can't just let him go.

My question is this;

Does a dog require time to free run to be healthy and happy? He got away from me once and ran like crazy for 30 minutes then returned. I can't let him do this for his own safety, but man he loved it!

My opinion is not unless/until his recall is solid.

Seeing them run does remind you, though, of how much joy they get from it. You might try what some of us city folks do: get him a harness and have him pull you on a bike/cart/scooter/roller blades. Our current rescue absolutely BOUNDS in front until he's run some of that initial energy out of him, then he settles in and does the fast trot for miles.

You can google up: bikejoring, dog carting, skijoring harness to see some of the equipment.

Meanwhile, I would suggest increasing the priority that you give recall in your training, and start proofing it in lots of different places, even with longer ropes (50 footer - 100 footer??) and off lead in a fenced area if possible. Make him earn your confidence on the recall - it certainly sounds like you might have the setup for some off-leash time.

If you have a friend who has a dog that is reliable off-leash, enlist your friend's help in training - sometimes your guy will get the idea more quickly that way.

(E-collar is something you might also consider for training????)

Take care.

I could try the rollerblading. Is this difficult to start? He is a 30 lb.,muscular but small Boxer mix. Is he big enough for this?

Thanks for the help.

He is doing very well with training, but the recall is by far the most difficult. I'm considering an E-collar. My reluctance is due to him being a rather sensitive dog. This maybe silly on my part.

Have you considered an in ground electric fence?

you have to train them to the boundary but it really made a difference with my escape artist

 Quote: Janet Dudley

My question is this;

Does a dog require time to free run to be healthy and happy? He got away from me once and ran like crazy for 30 minutes then returned. I can't let him do this for his own safety, but man he loved it!

Sounds like enough exercise to me.:smile:

I do think that dogs need time to just be dogs. Pee on stuff, smell stuff.....Free time with no demands.

Do you have any ball fields nearby? If you found a nice, secure one, that would be fun. Lots of good smells from the people that were there before.

Just make sure to ALWAYS pick up messes. Yours, and probably unfairly, other people's. It will help ensure that nobody tries to run you off.

Jennifer,

I have considered an electric fence, and found one that is wireless. Anyone has any experience with these?? (No inground wire.)

Michael,

Never thought of that! What a great idea. There are some around. I'll have to check them out to see how secure they are. I love taking him different places.

I am a FIRM believer that dogs need to run, off leash, but under control. The happiness that you saw when he got to run should tell you that dogs NEED to run, and not on a leash beside a bike run, I mean like a horse run. Even if you have to bring him to a ball field so that you can work on the "come" at the same time then so be it.

Have you taught him what the word "come" means?

With all of my dogs I started teaching them as puppies to follow me and come "in" when told, I always made sure to have a pocketful of treats and reinforced the "in" EVERYTIME. Even know that they are older, I still make sure there is a reward waiting for them even if it is just some rib scratches when they come in.

I have a tiny yard and rely on parks to exercise my dog. Baseball fields are great!

My dog still drags a long line. I started out with a 50 foot bright red line, now that her recall is solid I'm using a 30 foot one. I could probably just have her off leash but I feel better being safe.

I agree with Niomi. Walking your dog is important, but there is nothing like a good run to let them burn off some energy.
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Niomi,

In the MONTH that I have had Ollie, we have been training everyday. He has a reliable sit, sit stay, down, and yes, he knows the "come" command. He does very well inside and on a tether outside. But the day we had the collar/leash malfunction, he didn't come back until he was good and ready. I stayed out and watched him, but he would not come when called til he had worn himself out. His "watch" is not very good with outside distractions either, but we're working on it. Is a month enough time that I should expect him to have a reliable recall? I thought he was doing pretty well.

I am definately going to take him to a nearby ball park. I never thought of that. We're going to the lake this weekend for the first time. I can't wait to get him in the water!!!