Just looking for some ideas and thoughs on leash training.

Well in actual fact more interested to hear what fellow husky owners think about letting their husky off the leash.

My boy is pretty well behaved (it's all relative) in that after he's had a good run about he'll return but I would say that he is far from perfect.

Does anybody have a very obedient husky out there and what were your training methods Or did you just get lucky?

Also do you use a retractable leash or just a normal leash? Choker chain or a harness?

KT.

I will start by saying that my stance on this is pretty staunchly set, which is for the safety of my dogs and other members here. I DO NOT CONDONE off-leash training for a husky! If you want an off-leash dog, the husky was a bad choice! (Not directed at the OP in particular, just in general).

Training off-leash is hard because of one thing-- you're training AGAINST a husky's INSTINCT. They are bred to run, explore, and to do it for hours on end. They are independent and do NOT feel the need to return unless they see fit.

Time and time again I hear people tell me "Well, my 6 month old husky doesn't want to leave my side, I think he's the exception." NOPE. Your pup is just a pup in such a situation. Once your dog hits the teenage rebellion years, say goodbye to him. Once they hit those teenage years they push their boundaries to see what they can get away with. They become MORE independent and they WILL take off on you. I guarantee it.

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Okay... now- to combat the training question. All that being said, training recall IS very important even if you never use it. Why? Emergency situations for when the leash slips or someone accidentally leaves the door open. I would train it by using a safe word. It needs to be a word that you don't say often like "Yahtzee!" or something. The idea is that the ONLY time you say this word, your dog gets a HUGE treat. Find out what drives him nuts. Is it a raw steak? A raw chicken wing? Liver? Something that he NEVER gets. You want your dog to return NO MATTER WHAT and to know that EVERY time he does, he gets this super special treat.

I'm hoping that eventually when Val gets back, she chimes in a little. She does some good recall training with her Dakota and I'd love for her to post what she does.

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EDIT: Also, as far as leashes go, it depends on what we're doing. If we're going on a hike, we use a retractable leash. If I want him to run around: retractable leash. However for nearly every other situation they both get 6 ft leashes ESPECIALLY when out in public or near other dogs.

Im with Tori, for the safety of my 2 i keep them on a 6ft leash when on walks or store visits, would NEVER think about letting them off, they have to high of a pray drive and people drive like crazy and i don't want to lose them, regardless of how they "try" to act good.
Now im not gonna lie and i have taken them off leash 2 times ever, both this year and both while hiking. I hike with Harrise (eddy) and his crew of 3 1/2 dogs. we keep them leashed through the woods and up to tree line, he will let his off then, i keep mine leashed on a retractable leash. once we summit (12,000-14,000ft +) and rest and start to head back downi do let them off leash, at this point they are tired and Jack will follow eddys pack and Sierra sticks with me and they know the direction we are going, since we just came from that direction. i will let them off leash till tree line. i will also add i have done this with NO OTHER DOGS AROUND (other then eddys) i would never let them off leash on a hike with other dogs or even people around to many things could go wrong. just keep the safety of your dog in mind, i want mine to be around for many many years and not gone because of something stupid i did because i "thought" my husky did not act like a husky.

I have let my dogs off-leash before in controlled situations. Koda was off-leash ONCE and NEVER again. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.

Hailey however, I believe due to a very rough start to life, years of neglect, misuse, and abuse is very loathe to run away from us even at her older age. If Koda is leashed near us, in certain situations (like camping) I have let her off-leash supervised. She does NOT leave Koda's side-- she is very attached to him and I under no circumstances think that she is the norm. I think she is a rare rare exception and I would not be so bold with any other husky. However, she's broken her leash a couple of times in our yard (non-fenced) and ran across the pond to chase ducks in the neighbor's yard and BOTH times she came back immediately with a firm "Hailey, come!!" That's the only reason I decided to trust her off-leash and trust is a VERY strong word.

I say this lightly and in the efforts of full-disclosure. I will not ever train my dogs to do this and I think this very limited practice of off-leash times will die with Hailey.

Great information here.

So the consensus that I'm hearing coming across is NO to letting your husky off a leash unless it is in a very controlled environment. That has naturally evolved with my boy Rennie. I'm lucky in that we have miles and miles of open land for him to roam when he goes for a walk. If not we are walking down a long beach with water on one side and high dunes on the other. It's interesting because he seems to run off while maintaining contact with us heading back and forth past us. As soon as he feels that he's had enough running time he'll come and site between my legs. But once he's off the lead he like everything on his terms. I have noticed that if I call him and he comes back and then I let him go straight away he's happy to come back again. I'm not sure how that will go long term.

I keep him on a 6 foot leash when going for walks. The lady I bumped into yesterday while cleaning my car at the car wash (while my husky was tied to a post off to the side) said she took her two huskies walking once and they tore a cat to pieces because she couldn't control them. That's why she now walks them individually.

Hmmm. Rennie seems like he doesn't have a predatory bone in his body but the way he eyes up the local sheep I'm not too sure.....

kurt.tully wrote:

So the consensus that I'm hearing coming across is NO to letting your husky off a leash unless it is in a very controlled environment.

Exactly. However, I have to ask, how old is your boy? I ask only because he mimics that puppy stage leash manner... Just be careful-- the cat thing is just one example of why a leashed husky is better than an unleashed one.

If you notice-- most of our controlled environments are NOT near other people, dogs, or crowded areas. But it sounds like you understand our point.

I think you also have a fairly liberal set of husky owners here, or maybe we're just too honest. I can count on ONE hand the number of times in the last 12 months I have let my huskies off leash and the majority of those are with Hailey who has been with us only since February. I just don't want you thinking this is something we do all the time (well, baring Eddy and his hiking-- but Eddy will soon teach you that he marches to the beat of his own drum ).

never! mine have got out and always came back LUCKILY but i would never purposely let them off leash , its too risky