Yeaahhh..not a very nice thing to do. I know some trainers live and breathe leash pops, but I find that saying NO in a stern voice and just stopping dead in my tracks works wonders. Aanndd my dog won't have neck problems.

I usually just stop. Then if shes pulling really hard, I immediately switch directions and walk back and then whirl around real quick and start walking forward while shes still walking back. It gets her back by my heel tehe

Sheba&Kennedy wrote:

Yeaahhh..not a very nice thing to do. I know some trainers live and breathe leash pops, but I find that saying NO in a stern voice and just stopping dead in my tracks works wonders. Aanndd my dog won't have neck problems.

That's always a plus.

Mobezilla wrote:

I usually just stop. Then if shes pulling really hard, I immediately switch directions and walk back and then whirl around real quick and start walking forward while shes still walking back. It gets her back by my heel tehe

That's what i do plus with treats, that is when i remember to bring the treat bag...

How long have you had Maya?

Camoger wrote:

How long have you had Maya?

I've had her since she was 4 months old and she's 4 years old now.

Excuse me if this sounds.. Blunt, or rude.. but Why, after four years, do you not have a reliable off-lead recall, where you can simply tell Maya 'come here' once she slipped the harness, and either leash her or put the harness back on it?

Camoger wrote:

Excuse me if this sounds.. Blunt, or rude.. but Why, after four years, do you not have a reliable off-lead recall, where you can simply tell Maya 'come here' once she slipped the harness, and either leash her or put the harness back on it?

You don't know huskies very well do you?! Lol. They get loose, and don't look back because of the desire to run, it overtakes them entirely. Even if they have great recall, chances are they won't hear a thing.

Keyda81 wrote:

Camoger wrote:

Excuse me if this sounds.. Blunt, or rude.. but Why, after four years, do you not have a reliable off-lead recall, where you can simply tell Maya 'come here' once she slipped the harness, and either leash her or put the harness back on it?

You don't know huskies very well do you?! Lol. They get loose, and don't look back because of the desire to run, it overtakes them entirely. Even if they have great recall, chances are they won't hear a thing.

This made me chuckle. Koda has a good 3-4 words that we only use for high value treats. If he slips his collar, he's GONE. Takes a few minutes before he decides to "hear" anything.

Yeeeeah... It TOOK four years to get my male to respond to a recall word (and I am a trainer and behaviorist- so it isn't anything about my lack of skill) and I got lucky with my female being respondent.
Some huskies don't care and will never respond. Not to sound rude, but I wouldn't make judgements like that when you are not aware of some of the main unsatisfying behaviors most huskies possess (some can learn, some are lost causes).

Camoger wrote:

Excuse me if this sounds.. Blunt, or rude.. but Why, after four years, do you not have a reliable off-lead recall, where you can simply tell Maya 'come here' once she slipped the harness, and either leash her or put the harness back on it?

I had a toy aussie once that had great recall because all he wanted to do was follow me around and please me. Maya could care less. The greatest reward for her is to run as far from me as possible. Now if some random person on the street called her when she got loose she'd go up to him because he isn't going to put a leash on her and ruin her fun. If she knew i had treats she'd might come running but I've never tried letting her loose and calling her, i'd rather not lose her. She comes 100% of the time in the yard if i have treats, in the house without treats, and outside on a 50' lead if i have treats.

I'm going to by-pass all comments here except the OP, because, to be honest, they all sound like irresponsible ignorance to me. I DO know how huskies are, none of what you are saying is new to me.


Abby, I know how it is, I really do. But, no dog can be kept on a lead at all times. Accidents like this, and similar ones that end a lot worse are the reasons to put the time in and train a reliable recall. I can tell you already have the basic understanding of how the training works, She comes when you have treats if there is nothing else around she would rather do, she KNOWS what the command means, she just gets more rewards for not obeying. I would highly recommend you (and anybody else who cares about their dog) puts the time and effort into training a reliable recall. It CAN be done... If you are serious about trying, I can help you research some techniques that might work better with a husky.

Okay, so now myself, and a few other members on this forum are irresponsible, and ignorant?! You don't know anyone, and are very quick to judge people, so I would suggest for you to keep your opinions to yourself.

I can understand both sides of this argument but i would like to get emergency recall training in for in case my pups get loose.

What are the techniques? I'm serious about trying anything but i didn't know what other techniques there were. I know some people on here have an emergency recall word they've worked on in case their husky(s) get loose.

Camoger wrote:

I'm going to by-pass all comments here except the OP, because, to be honest, they all sound like irresponsible ignorance to me. I DO know how huskies are, none of what you are saying is new to me.


Abby, I know how it is, I really do. But, no dog can be kept on a lead at all times. Accidents like this, and similar ones that end a lot worse are the reasons to put the time in and train a reliable recall. I can tell you already have the basic understanding of how the training works, She comes when you have treats if there is nothing else around she would rather do, she KNOWS what the command means, she just gets more rewards for not obeying. I would highly recommend you (and anybody else who cares about their dog) puts the time and effort into training a reliable recall. It CAN be done... If you are serious about trying, I can help you research some techniques that might work better with a husky.

First, I think that was kind of rude to say everyone else sounds ignorant. You say you know how huskies are, however have you ever had huskies? Second, I would NEVER trust my dog off leash, and I have been very diligent in training him, however I would not feel confident if his collar slipped off. Once he has spotted something that he wants, there is nothing that will stop him, especially not calling his name. I ALWAYS have a training collar on him, and I make sure it is on correctly before we go on our walks. I have had a couple of scares but luckily it did not turn out bad.

As Kayda pointed out, I am new here so I am not familiar with what you have and have not tried, so lets start with this..

Total Recall

Maybe read up on that a little bit and shoot me a PM with a few details on what in that you have and have not tried along with whatever other recall training you have worked with.. In the mean time I will start researching some 'husky specific' recall training.

Shit, I didn't know I was ignorant and irresponsible when I have two very well trained dogs, who yes, do have recall, and one a service animal and the other a therapy dog, and three years being a trainer and having a degree in animal behavior and physiology. I'm sorry I am not up to par with your amazing ways of dog ownership. Seriously, you came on here with a terrible attitude from your first post trying to correct people.

You are pretty much saying anyone on here who doesn't have a dog that responds to emergency recall is irresponsible, which is a LOT of the members. It's rude. It isn't like it's from lack of effort and care on their part.

You may be new here but I don't think anywhere it's viewed acceptable to put people down like that from the start. You don't know what the OP or the other members have done to work on recall.

Camoger wrote:

As Kayda pointed out, I am new here so I am not familiar with what you have and have not tried, so lets start with this..

Total Recall

Maybe read up on that a little bit and shoot me a PM with a few details on what in that you have and have not tried along with whatever other recall training you have worked with.. In the mean time I will start researching some 'husky specific' recall training.

The fact that you ignored ALL comments that disagreed with your own shows how truly ignorant YOU are. Don't judge Abby that way, and start respecting members older than yourself.

Simmer down guys.

The choice as pet owners to keep our typically unreliable off-leash dogs, on leash at all times ins't irresponsible. Sure- I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should encourage and train recall but because they haven't achieved it doesn't make anyone irresponsible or any less of an owner.

Do not disrespect other members, please. And that goes for BOTH sides of the coin.

i do what a few other posters have mentioned when their husky slips leash ...we make a game of it. I saw Victoria Stilwell do it- she said make high pitched exciting noises and run away and the dogs desire to chase usually takes over. Works like a charm with Kiba although ive only had to do it twice. We work very hard on recall and she'll come 90% of the time until she spots our neighbors cat. Glad you got Maya!! that would scare me too!

I read the article and am familiar with the techniques described, also with the high-pitched squeals method described above. These methods work most of the time.

However, perhaps five percent of the time they don't. Huskies have an incredible prey drive. If any of my huskies ever saw a deer or elk off leash, it was/is off to the races despite "total recall" training.

I've had three huskies over the last 30 years, and had scares with all of them. My first two dogs were leashed most of the time, but Bodhi is leashed all the time. I've learned my lesson. In fact the trainer with whom I trained my current dog Bodhi in "total recall" discouraged me from ever relying on it in traffic or in a dangerous situation. This was because he is a husky. He strongly advised keeping him leashed in those situations.

Many of us on here believe that huskies are not like other dogs when it comes to strict obedience. That's why we keep them leashed. Other people who post here allow their huskies to go unleashed. Neither group is ignorant or lazy. We all love our dogs and are trying to do what is best for them.

wow it was getting hot in there. but imagine it from my perspective, you sit there playing your game and suddenly get a call, answer the phone and find out that Maya got out of her harness. that's enough to give anyone a heart attack. knowing she had the other two pups you run outside in your pjs and hop on a bike to search for your sister and a missing dog. it was a horrible day but thankfully we have great neighbors.

I know where you guys are coming from, recall our not I can watch Bella get excited about something and it's like you can see the training fall out of her head. It's like a person getting focused on something so much they lose sight of everything around them so I don't know that it's so much a training issue as something that's dog specific.
Bella has slipped her collar a few times (I had treats with me so we were ok) which is why I use an alpine harness, adjusted correctly I don't really see a way for her to get out and she has tried a LOT at first. Last time my ex went crazy and tried to run Bella off. Luckily the moment I got outside Bella was so excited to see me she ran to greet me and I grabbed her and ran her inside.

Abby, so glad you got her back! I would have freaked too!!! Another suggestion... I always use a back up, just in case! On normal walks, runs, or while biking. I'm not sure where the clip is on your current harness (or the xback), but I use a small dog coupler which I attach to their leash and collar. Hope that makes sense. If not, I'll try to take a picture tomorrow

Oh, and while biking I use the walky dog. I still keep their leash on them in case the walky dog breaks. I highly doubt it will, but I'm extra paranoid!

MelissaI wrote:

Abby, so glad you got her back! I would have freaked too!!! Another suggestion... I always use a back up, just in case! On normal walks, runs, or while biking. I'm not sure where the clip is on your current harness (or the xback), but I use a small dog coupler which I attach to their leash and collar. Hope that makes sense. If not, I'll try to take a picture tomorrow

Oh, and while biking I use the walky dog. I still keep their leash on them in case the walky dog breaks. I highly doubt it will, but I'm extra paranoid!

It makes sense, Megan told me that that's what she does and i was thinking of doing that. I want to get a walky dog at some point.