[AblemTee]

sort of... I had Frankie off leash, and let her run across a neighbors lawn to get his dog.

I was doing some obedience work with Frankie a couple days ago. We were walking down the road, off leash, practicing heeling, sits, turns, backing, etc.
We get to the end of our road, I see a neighbors dog in the yard and said "Frankie, get 'em!" She went flying across the yard, stopped for a split second to say HI to our neighbor, who was watering his lawn, then went over to play with Molly, his dog, who she has played with before.
My neighbor was impressed how well she's doing, he didn't know she wasn't on a leash until I told her she could go.

Now, don't freak out.
First, I can walk the dogs for 45 minutes and see maybe one or two cars on our road, so traffic isn't an issue. We've been doing a ton of off-leash work and she's doing great..and I did have a leash with me, just in case.
Our neighbor knows, and likes, our dogs. He knew I was there and talked to me before I told her she could go to Molly, AND he did spray her with the hose...or maybe she walked into the water.

We talked for a few minutes while the dogs played. He thanked me for some salmon we gave him the night before. I explained to him that if he watered his lawn, he'd have to mow more often.
Then I leashed up Frankie and we walked home.

We get to our next-door-neighbors who are sitting on their swing with their little dog. They see me with Frankie (now, on leash) and take their dog inside.

[OvDojQXN]

If she was under voice control, and you released her to go play... I don't see the harm You know your dog, know what your dog is capable of, and know what risks might be involved in your behaviour... no one can knock you for it!

Maybe your next door neighbours took their dog in so it wouldn't attack yours? Maybe?

[provigil]

If she was under voice control, and you released her to go play... I don't see the harm You know your dog, know what your dog is capable of, and know what risks might be involved in your behaviour... no one can knock you for it!

Maybe your next door neighbours took their dog in so it wouldn't attack yours? Maybe?

X2 and

Little dogs often like to start shit.

[Julik19]

If she was under voice control, and you released her to go play... I don't see the harm You know your dog, know what your dog is capable of, and know what risks might be involved in your behaviour... no one can knock you for it!

Maybe your next door neighbours took their dog in so it wouldn't attack yours? Maybe?

LOL Their dog is a 5lb Japanese Chin. She's never off leash, because they are worried about eagles.
I was walking Frankie (on leash) one day, and they were outside. I was going to stop and say Hi. Frankie got pretty excited and was doing some silly puppy jumps and that freaked out the lady. Every since then, they see her and go inside. They are an older couple, late 70s or so.
That's fine, they are nice people, but I'm soft spoken and they can't hear very well, so it's hard talking to them anyway.

[Enfonebew]

LOL Their dog is a 5lb Japanese Chin. She's never off leash, because they are worried about eagles.

That's funny as crap. lol I really don't get the thing about the teeny "pocket" dogs....get a hamster and call it a day! lol


I WISH my dogs would listen like that off leash. If you didn't know your neighbor, or their dog, things would have been different, but I don't see anything wrong with what you did. Sounds like they had fun.

[LypeReexy]

I don't see it as a problem because you were in control of the situation and your dog. That's a whole different story than the assholes with out of control dogs, or those who refuse to follow the leash law.

While I hate dealing with the ignorant dog owner who allows Fido to blast around everywhere and spurns the leash law, it is vital for dogs to learn how to act off-leash and have a strong recall. Context is what separates the situations.

I love that my dog heels off lead, has a great recall (let me tell you, that was a bitch to teach a hound mix), and can reliably stay within my sight and voice whether we are pottying in the yard or out hiking. But I never turn him loose in strange places, and I'm the first to leash up if I see another person or dog. And any place it's posted, he's on a leash.

Just as it's important to have a dog leash trained, I feel it's also important to have them accustomed to being off lead. I don't think you did anything wrong.

[Corryikilelet]

I don't see a problem with that. That situation is about the only time that I do let her off leash is when it's time to go next door to the neighbour's place behind us. All you have to do is say to her, "Wanna go see your boyfriend? Go find him!" and she's dead focused on that one task of running to the gate of their back fence. He's always already outside when it happens, so she won't go anywhere. If she's on leash, she pulls me so hard that I'm running with her across the yard, so it's just easier to let her go. If I'm too slow, she'll usually come running back looking for me.

[spiveker]

I've had dogs themselves go back inside after seeing Star lol. I mean labs and such. star was such a bully. Lol. Anyway, still be careful. Dogs can be playing one minute the next they're fighting. Star had dogs he used to play with when he was younger but those same dogs almost start fighting because he was way to rough for them to handle.

[bapimporb]

Frankie got pretty excited and was doing some silly puppy jumps and that freaked out the lady.

Well you can't blame them, she is tiny @ 5lbs! Omg Scout does ridiculous bouncy jumps when she is excited! Its so awkward because she's huge lol. Last time I weighed her in April she was 64lbs, but I think she's put on more muscle since then. I know some GSD's can be real late bloomers, but really Scout? Anywho I think the silly jumps are adorable, but other people not so much.

And Scout gets over stimulated and does that high pitched, machine gun fire shepherd bark when she's excited about a play friend. Super awkward!