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Does anyone else do this with their dogs, either working or pet?

In short.. YES

He's 16 months old and I've really hit the recall hard the last two months or so. Basically when we go out on a trail, he stays on a close heel for a few minutes and then goes into a down stay for about a minute if not more before I turn him off leash so he does have to work a bit for his play time. I periodically call him back to me throughout the walk as well. Once we get within a few hundred yards of the trail head to leave, he goes back on a long line with prong collar for heeling under distraction (lots of bikes, joggers, and worst of all, off leash dogs) and he gets a pretty hard correction if he breaks his heel to go take off after the other dogs. As I do not have a fenced in backyard, if he doesn't get at least some time off leash to run full speed on the trail (much faster than I could ever jog with him), he'll drive me completely crazy. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> There isn't a formal dog park in town that I could take him to even if I was so inclined (which I'm not as I agree with Ed that they are a bad idea), so the trails will have to do. His recall is not quite bomb proof, but the long line work has helped a lot. He's quite a bit better than those crazy folks who turn their dogs loose in the parking lot near the trail. They're usually so keyed up with excitement, I am surprised I haven't seen a dog fight break out yet.

and how has it worked for you?

For my 5 1/2 month old pup... well I know that the day that he'll decide not to come when called I have control of him.. As to my older 18 month old female... she's got the fastest recalls in our club <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hi John, you asked if anyone else keeps their puppy on a long line until after a year....thats a big YES I sure do! I know from previous dogs that when they are puppies, if they get it into their heads that they can run away (you see it it their eyes right before they do it - it's like a slow motion train wreck) Oh they think that is a GREAT game, but I'm sure you know that game is not fun AT ALL!!!
So I keep them on a long line all the time until they are full grown. I'm old & slow, no way I can run as fast as my GSD puppy!

thanks for your responses.

Susan, do (or did) you keep your pup on a line all the time in the house as well? (when not in the crate)

I ask these questions because of all the articles I've read on this site, reading that Ed keeps his dogs tethered to him in the house 100% of the time for most of their young lives strikes me as very interesting and like to hear the results it has produced for others.

Me personally, I use a leash in the house... Less tangle! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I don't necessarily TETHER once the dog is beyond the peeing every 5 steps phase, but they always have it on. That's until the testing phase (or the brunt of it anyway) is over.

Not everyone (especially pet owners) do this because it's work, it involves YOU moving around more, and it feels weird... But if more people did it then the two BIGGEST problems (running off and housebreaking issues) would be prevented before they needed to be solved.

Good luck! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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He's 16 months old and I've really hit the recall hard the last two months or so. Basically when we go out on a trail, he stays on a close heel for a few minutes and then goes into a down stay for about a minute if not more before I turn him off leash so he does have to work a bit for his play time. I periodically call him back to me throughout the walk as well. Once we get within a few hundred yards of the trail head to leave, he goes back on a long line with prong collar for heeling under distraction (lots of bikes, joggers, and worst of all, off leash dogs) and he gets a pretty hard correction if he breaks his heel to go take off after the other dogs. As I do not have a fenced in backyard, if he doesn't get at least some time off leash to run full speed on the trail (much faster than I could ever jog with him), he'll drive me completely crazy. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> There isn't a formal dog park in town that I could take him to even if I was so inclined (which I'm not as I agree with Ed that they are a bad idea), so the trails will have to do. His recall is not quite bomb proof, but the long line work has helped a lot. He's quite a bit better than those crazy folks who turn their dogs loose in the parking lot near the trail. They're usually so keyed up with excitement, I am surprised I haven't seen a dog fight break out yet.

You sound like you're doing a great job. Beware though of the excuse that you cannot keep him on a line because he needs to run and chase... I used to think that way too. But having a full grown malinois who has it in his head that VENISON sounds good for dinner and off he goes... Uh... for example, you know... Not speaking from personal experience or anything! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Actually if you use a long enough line and an open enough field, the dog can run pretty darn near unrestricted. And of course you'd keep up your calling him back to you and periodic obedience too.

No, I have not had to keep my GSD pups (current one or past) leashed in the house, but I don't work or have kids, so I can pretty much keep him with me at all times. I do have a crate indoors & use it so that he is always comfortable & familiar in it. I also have never had any housebreaking issues (just lucky). I know others have had issues wich were solved by keeping pups on leash in the house & I would not hesitate to do it if I had housebreaking or other house issues.

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Actually if you use a long enough line and an open enough field, the dog can run pretty darn near unrestricted. And of course you'd keep up your calling him back to you and periodic obedience too.

You're right about the exercise with a long line and a big open field. I have a friend who has an Alaskan Malamute and she couldn't jog with it anymore, so she bought a 50 foot long line and makes it run around her just like lunging a horse a couple times a week. It's kind of a bummer in my town because even if I live in central Missouri, there aren't any big open fields that aren't already meant for something else that I know of, like baseball or soccer fields, that are dog friendly. They've really been cracking down lately on people who have their dogs offleash where they shouldn't be, which is fine, but it just kind of limits me to the trails and a long line gets caught up easily. I've had several friends get either tickets or warnings for letting their dogs off leash as they play disc golf in the several courses around town, so I have to be pretty sneaky. This is a fully enclosed baseball field within a 10 minute drive that I can take the dogs to in the winter, but it's pretty much being used for Little League and softball from March to September and they get rather upset if they see dogs running in it during then (although I always make sure I have at least one plastic baggie with me).