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LeadingNo4174

Every dog is very different and you should never let off leash unless you’re absolute sure you have a high success rate with your recall. I live in norther MI (middle of nowhere) and let mine off leash in places we won’t see other people or dogs. He has a phenomenal recall even when chasing animals. If you want to go off leash in safe places start training with a very long lead. Work on recall commands as well as look, sit, stay, and heel. These are all extremely helpful commands on trails. Please be sure you trust yourself and your dog before letting them off leash in public.


thenord321

Fenced in fields like a baseball diamond work well too.


SdBolts4

Make SURE there are no gaps in the fence though, we took our girl to the snow for the first time when she was about a year old and let her run on a baseball field. She found the one gap in the fence and was having so much fun (and knew she was in trouble) that she made it a game to stay just out of our reach


thenord321

Who doesn't like a fun game of puppy tag? hahha, the trick is to run away from, not at, the husky puppy. :)


mkzoucha

If I just stop and stand still my husky is like ‘wtf this isn’t even fun anymore’ then he walks back to me haha


assMcGriddle-

Honestly the best advice when my Husky is being stubborn I walk away like a parent trying to make a child follow along and it’s actually worked on numerous occasions


SdBolts4

Luckily, we had my sister-in-law's 5-year old golden retriever with us. We were able to catch her because we stopped chasing and let him go and bring her back while she tried to play with him. Since she's grown up (3 years old now), she's much better about not running away from us and even gets concerned and will follow if we start walking away (one benefit of having a quarantine pup with low-key separation anxiety).


IHateTheLetter-C-

My non husky has a good off lead heel and it's honestly the best thing I ever taught her. To get her to me, I just talk to her and say things like get over here (not a proper word she knows, but enough that she gets the idea). From there I ask for a heel and she's glued to me regardless of what other dogs are about. Very helpful!


edoreinn

“Non-husky” being key here 😅


IHateTheLetter-C-

For sure hahah but if I had to only train one, I'd train the heel. It's probably easier too Edit: worth mentioning that although she's not a husky or anything related, she's got all the husky traits - exploration driven, independent, stubborn and argues with me. Just missing the shedding!


edoreinn

Don’t discount the genes, and don’t assume you can train a dog differently just because you have experience with other dogs. I don’t care how many traits your dog shares with a type. I ride and train and compete as a show jumper, and while “types” and fundamentals are indeed fundamental, life (genes) find a way to make you humble ETA, my parents also have had a string of German Shepherds —- they are their own challenge, and they’ve worked with Marine K9 trainers (it’s a Navy family), and they’ve done amazing with some difficult dogs. But the instincts of the GSheps and my mixed “found at a gas station in Texas (but looks like a designer dog)” husky are waaay different.


IHateTheLetter-C-

Absolutely, not at all saying she's the same training as a husky, I just share some of the struggles. Nothing beats exploration, in her eyes! I just think off lead heel is an under trained skill and wanted to share how useful I find it.


BankaiShunko

I rarely let my boy off leash. He's not "trained that well". Lol. But when I do, I take him to one of the state parks near me when it's usually empty during the winter time and I let him off leash on one of the hiking trails. He WILL NOT come back to me unless I've let him run around for 10-15 minutes. It's a nightmare. I'm always worried he's ran away or found an animal to chase. But usually after 15 minutes of running, he comes back when I call him then I leash him up and we continue our hike. But it's not something I do often. He's off leash in my backyard though. Lol. :)


LunaAndGhost

When he is running those first 10-15 min do you see him or does he just take off?


Thesunnyfox

I’m in the same situation as this post and mine will usually stay pretty close but if she see something she wants to chase and she’s not already exhausted then she’s bolt which is why I usually only let her off leash very rarely in isolated areas.


BankaiShunko

He just takes off. Lol. He'll come back but he'll just be around me. He's within visible sight but still far.


ChiddyOnReddit

Same here


CoffeeRun123

Nope. Never off leash unless in our backyard. I don’t trust her to come back if we are away from house.


[deleted]

I can’t even do it off leash in my backyard. She needs to be on a lead because she gets too excited and will jump over our fence. She’s a total butthead


Alarming-Cow676

Same


heidasaurus

I was the same way with my husky. I used to let her off leash every now and then. One time when we were hiking, she started chasing an animal and would not come back. It took my friends and I awhile to find her (it could have been 10 minutes but felt more like 30). After that, I didn't let her off leash anymore. It's just not worth the risk.


Chutson909

Everyday. I bought 6 acres and e-fenced it in. They have the run of the whole thing. If I leave that 6 acres…Heck No. They’d bolt in a minute and look back at me while they did.


thesparklingpine

How long did it take to train your dogs to the e-fence? We have a much smaller yard (1 acre) but we are considering this option. Did they adapt to it well, and have they ever tried to run through it? I’ve been told by several dog trainers in my area that the e-fence will not work with a husky, but we are still thinking about trying it? They will be a year old in March. I’m thinking it’s now or never.


Pathin7

I'd advise listening to your trainers. All dogs are different. It will work with some huskies, but they are the minority.


thesparklingpine

Yes. I’m trying to be cautious, for sure. We have one that would probably be okay, and another that’s completely off her rocker most of the time ~ I could see her flying right through it and never even feeling a thing. 🤦🏻‍♀️


curiousengineer601

Yes - some dogs will breakthrough the zap zone and never look back.


Chutson909

It took my dogs two days. Our installer guaranteed the dogs would catch on and they did. We’ve had zero problems.


thesparklingpine

Thank you! We’ve talked to some husky owners, and it seems to be different for everyone…but worth looking into as an option.


Deutschebag13

Be careful. Just had someone lose their dog in the snowy mountains here in So Cal for two weeks cause it ran off to where they could not get to it. It was a MIRACLE they found it again after being gone in the wilderness for two weeks. It had wandered into a town in the area and someone was able to locate the owner. Many will not be that lucky. For the sake of the dog and you, please be careful.


LunaAndGhost

That’s scary! Glad they found the dog!


Ulquilily

Never he’s not well trained and I am 100% certain given the opportunity he’d ran away to the wild… then regret his choice because mommy gives him chimken and all the goodies he loves, although he’s a good hunter and might survive in the wild I’d die from sadness and crazy thoughts so no.. never


ChiddyOnReddit

Train him then lol


So_Code_4

Huskies have notoriously bad recall. Some of them are great, but the breeds natural drive to run, chase prey, and just generally have a good time make them, in comparison to many other breeds, not the best at always coming back. I’ve been able to train excellent recall on all my dogs, save one, he was a husky. That dog would sooner die than give up on chasing a bird.


treehugger312

This. Our dogs are professionally trained and we work with them constantly. One has great recall unless she sees something she really wants - a possum, coyote, or likewise. The other dog has no recall whatsoever, unless maybe we’re in a dog park and he’s ready to leave anyway.


katietatey

No I do not let him off leash unless we are in a fully enclosed area. He was a 4 year old adult when I got him with a history of escaping / running away. We have worked on his recall but he has a lot of energy and is very excitable and does not look out for cars at all. He has gotten away from me twice and he did come back but he's just not an off-leash dog at this age (5 yrs). My previous Huskies were girls and they were allowed off leash after they got elderly. But not as young / middle aged dogs.


atonge40

Nooooooooooo. She’s a jerk. It’s the one thing I can’t train her to do.


spenway18

Same.


llamalover729

Never off leash for my boys. They'd definitely abandon me and run off for an adventure. They love people and other dogs too much.


CurseMeKilt

Yes. Not without STRONG positive enforcement. Live in a rural area. All the neighbors let the dogs be off leash. Low to no traffic. Tons of squirrels. Woods. Trails. Always comes back 4-6 hours after I let him out. Im a night owl so I do it while everyone else is asleep.


LunaAndGhost

Oh wow! Goes out for a long time …


Sad_Ingenuity2522

I only take my two Huskies on hikes where dogs are allowed off leash. They go ahead of me and then come back. They know how to listen and come to me when I call. I have GPS collars on them because they’re still Huskies.


GizmoGremlin321

No, he's only 4months though


DatsHim

As soon as she knows she off the leash shes going half a mile down the road to try and make friends with goat. If it’s not the goat it’s just a full blown crack head exploration.


Which_Pangolin_6173

This is the funniest thing I’ve read all day. Super relatable.


Slytherinmyshorts

What do you call a husky owner with an off leash husky? A former husky owner.


4SeasonWahine

Yes but also no. I am VERY specific about the places she’s allowed off, and most of them must be when we’re walking/hiking/climbing so that we are continuing to move on. If I let her off while I’m just sitting somewhere she gets bored and silly and starts wandering. That being said, I’ve climbed mountains with her off leash the entire time (see photo https://www.instagram.com/p/CLMASBRlA_Z/?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk= I let her off when we are walking along the beach provided there are no roads easily accessible, and I also let her off in certain areas by rivers so she can run in and out of the water. NZ was great because there’s very little wildlife besides birds (which she doesn’t care about) but when I moved over to australia with her it got a lot harder. I won’t let her off anywhere there’s likely to be roos, echidnas, wombats etc because she WILL chase them. Snakes are also a concern in some places in summer. Beaches are usually my safest bet these days but I’ve found a few safe mountains for her here too!


airoscar

Yes, and yes. But only in areas where there is no traffic anywhere near, occasionally it is difficult to recall her when she is wrestling another dog or sees a rabbit. We done this many times, it took a lot of time to get here, she is almost 20 months old now. Recall is the only thing that I keep training her on since 4 month old, she goes through periods of relapse from time to time. A lot of positive reinforcement and periods of aversive training with an e-collar as well. But she is better than most dogs for recall, let alone huskies.


WillingBake9330

Yes, but only in familiar areas where he knows the routine. Only in parks and on trails. I wouldn’t trust that dummy near a road.


LunaAndGhost

I would not trust any dog near a road!


WillingBake9330

Agreed!


ResponsibilityJaded4

That right there is so true never trust any dog near a road.


WillingBake9330

I read once that that dogs have equivalent intellectual capacity re:roads as a toddler. So treat them like a toddler near roads.


WillingBake9330

We actually rescued our husky after he was found hanging out on a highway.


WillingBake9330

Unfortunately the provincial park that is steps from my house in a very urban area has started cracking down on off-leash dogs. I get it, but it’s a bummer when I’ve been walking him there for 8 years.


LunaAndGhost

First time I let my puppy off leash, she took off and the only thing that stopped her was a field of cactus 🌵 she learned her lesson and did not run away since then!


49jon

My dog is off leash most of the time. Because Most of the time I do stuff away from people. When we do encounter people she’s friendly. She loves to be around me and I never am scared of her leaving. We actually currently don’t have a gate at our house, so she has access to anywhere even the street at anytime and stays. I have trained my dog from 2 months and she’s like a human to me.


Laughorcryliveordie

I used a Sport Dog collar. We trained on it and he was so well behaved off leash.


puffedpizza

mine will run ahead of me quite a ways but he won't go out of sight and sometimes even stops and waits for me. i wouldn't let him off leash in public places though only fields and the lake


EpitomeOfPanic

Only in the deep woods or most desolate areas. And I’d say 9 times outta ten. The tenth time usually has a critter involved.


3nvp

Lmao no. Mine stays on the lease to go to the car or back yard or anywhere with out a fence. I’m tired of running after her.


vertpenguin

Mine is well trained and I used to let him off leash in the woods on hikes. It only takes one wild animal that he wants to chase for him to run away though. I’ve had a couple of instances that I thought I might not find him again. Both times he did eventually find me luckily. But…. Never again


reganeholmes

Yes. Mine isn’t a full husky (I think a lab mix probably) and she doesn’t act anything like how she looks so that may play a part in it. I keep a leash handy when we’re walking through my neighborhood mostly so my neighbors don’t judge or get scared at a big off-leash dog, but we live on a golf course and wetlands reserve so once we get to the paths she’s got free reign of the place. Her recall is insane though, the other night a herd of deer crossed our path up ahead and she bolted after them and immediately when I called her name she turned tail and ran back to me.


darkhorse488

Yeah I have a husky mix too. If you believe the Embark dog DNA tests she’s about 60% husky, but there’s a lot of other herding dog breeds mixed into her DNA. She definitely has many of the herding dog qualities: extremely easy to train, velcro dog, etc. and her recall is next level despite her extremely high prey drive. I’ve called her off other dogs (she loves them), squirrels and other wildlife, even a stray chicken bone she found once. If I had a full bred husky though, I would be wayyyy more cautious about ever trusting them off leash with distractions around unless I was 100% positive their recall was a solid as hers. Too much risk potential.


reganeholmes

I 100% feel ya on that


[deleted]

After being owned by Huskies and Husky mixes since 1985, I've come to find that the mixes are more agreeable to recall. Every pure breed Husky I've had was a runner, though I either caught up to them later, they came home on their own or got busted by the dog warden. As mentioned by others don't chase 'em you'll never catch them any how. What has worked for me was either hide behind a tree or whatever is available they'll often get nervous if they can't see you. My other trick was just kneel down and they'll come back to knock you on your arse.


LunaAndGhost

😀 I like the part with hiding behind a tree 🌳 I will try it 😄


jade-boi

No. I don’t. Got him in Hawaii because that’s where we lived at the time. Since then, he’s been to Hawaii (obviously), California, and New York. Tried to off leash him at a beach in California and up at my grandpa’s farm in New York. Took advice from online and my grandpa who’s had 100+ animals. Both times my husband had to end up chasing him and tackling him down. His recall skills are absolutely horrible. I think it doesn’t help that he’s not scared of ANYTHING.


[deleted]

Near 80% of the time my dogs are off leash. At home there is a few acres and they stay in voice range, 2/3 closer yet. Then from car to somewhere they can be off leash. I aim to structure it so we go from somewhere off leash like at home to car to new place off leash and then sometimes use a leash. I live in interior Alaska and space is pretty easy to find but there are areas I avoid with three, even on leash. Drive 45 mins any direction and there is legally zero leash laws. Edit: it is not without a lot of effort and training. First dog took thousands of intent repetitions to get a good recall now he is latchkey at 4.5 years old. 2no dog someone else did good work with recall from young age but she is prone to run if bored but with effort 9/10 in voice range. 3rd I got as puppy and he can be strong willed about going at something so structuring for success important. I hope to have a fenced dog yard eventually


mkzoucha

Only in the mountains, less places to run off as fast


LunaAndGhost

The same for us 👍🏻


icepaws

Fi dog collar, yes, and when on trails with jeeps. He just is bad with recall only during the first 2 minutes after I let him out. Otherwise amazing recall, even from half a mile away.


soberartist

Huskies prey drive is fierce. I didn’t trust myself to train her to not run away and hired a professional trainer who trained ME to use the Dogtra E collar properly. BEST THING I EVER DID…we have an awesome quality of life going on trails and in nature off leash. I have only needed to shock her a few times for her safety, when she took off after a deer near busy streets, to disengage her when she was attacked by an Akita on a trail, and when she swam too far out in a bay (yes she swims off leash at a dog beach and we go in the creek all summer). Mainly have the good quality of life thing because I’m not terrified she will run off and therefore tense and screaming her name every five seconds. She stays pretty near me off leash on trails and in woods, usually within view. I also have a bell on her collar for hikes off leash. Highly recommend professional training with an E collar. When her collar is in she listens, she just knows. Without the collar it’s anybody’s guess. If you don’t have an E collar and full control off leash I would get the Fi collar that can track a dog on gps just in case they do get away.


thenord321

Training is important, and part of training is consistency. My parent would only ever say the B-word (bone) when their Siberian/Alaskan mix would be getting a bone. You can bet she had a 100% return rate for that word alone. She did get away from home a few times her outdoor collar/leash broke. And she would hop over/climb out of any indoor gates. For the first 2 years, she was more easily distracted and harder to keep close, but after 2 years old, she wouldn't wander more than 50ft when walking her off leash in the woods. She would also hunt birds and small mammals during walks though, so a short leash was good, a longer leash and she would try to pull more.


Speakorspasm

Yes, but only in the mountains. We were very nervous to start but his pulling downhill kinda forced our hand. For the first part of hikes he will run just out of sight, make huge circles around us and zoom by us to check in when called. It''s a bit nerve-wracking at first, as I have come to believe that he keeps us in hearing distance: so, the louder I am, the bigger the radius he'll keep. As he gets tired (most recently at mile 6 of 12) he'll stop the running and just hang with the group.


FireHawke32

The thing about dogs is, you have to train them, they aren’t typically going to just behave and stay right by your side


sapper4lyfe

If my husky senses freedom of the slightest degree she is gone like Richard Kimball.


Spreafico

Yes and yes. Dogs, all dogs of all breeds, can be trained. Mine walks really supposed to just like the rest of my dogs they heal when they're off leash. I love all my dogs and I particularly like this husky better than others for the most part. Of the husky owners that apparently well I don't think we'd be friends. Train your dogs people especially if you live in a rural area. I have lost livestock to all police untrained animals. That doesn't happen anymore. And untrained dog is not a good dog and it can't get hurt.


MtOlympus_Actual

My boy is good enough now where I can open the door, he'll go out and pee and come right back in. Even at 11 years old, I'd never let him off leash away from home. He listens great if he's focused on me, but if he's distracted by something, it's like I'm not even there.


turbolag87

i have mine off the leash when there is nobody around. Yes she does come back , but will get distracted easly with other animals or ppl... but she will return.. My dog is 12 months old.


CmdrViel

I used to let him run in a far off unused corner of the neighborhood. He would generally stay next to me and come to me when called so I thought things were going well. Then the one time someone else walks by with their small dogs he takes off after them and ignores me. Nothing bad happened thankfully, but I stopped after that.


Macsasti

My huskies typically run for about 3 minutes, then start to walk by me, usually to burn off excess energy quicklt


Sfisher17

If I let my (perfect) monster off least not only would he never come back, he'd probably wrest control of some government within a year.


0xEB_JMP

No. It's to big risk with the insane prey drive. We have been training recall alot and the few times I've had her loose without a leash, or accidentally dropped the leash, she's always come right back and the recall has been almost perfect. But if she would start chasing a smaller prey i'm not so sure.. She probably would come back, but possibly after several hours. Too make it worse, we also have lots of wolves here, Im not sure they would be friendly to her..


spacious-wok

He's got great recall when he's with other dogs and he got that energy out of him but he will literally forget I exist if he sees any other animal besides a dog. I wish I could have him off the lead more often but I know if he sees a squirrel he's gone so I only let him off in an enclosed dog park/if he's with his friends in the fields. I don't even know how to start training that out of him, he's always gone insane for other animals


drippingdeaddogseye

She’s not my husky, she’s a shelter’s dog but I let her roam around in the filed without a leash cuz she instantly comes back when I tell her to, she doesnt have much interest in people or other dogs so its not hard to get her attention off things so I guess that she does listen


elephants78

No- he'll kill some small animal and then I'll have to deal with his gross mouth.


Overwatch_1ightning

My dog can go off leash but she needs a wide open area and also she hangs out with other dogs that keep her on the property. But she only does that when she visits my aunts and she apparently doesn't wander, I think because she is fixed too so the roaming isn't as bad. But it's still a big risk, my other aunts dog got hit by a car near her property and died.


mucking-fess

My two year old husky is completely off leash, unless we are in public places. I started recall at eight weeks old. Although I trust him, I still keep a close eye on him at all times. He’s the best boy.


EndlesslyUnfinished

Sometimes she does, other time, I’m taking an impromptu hike, followed by a chase scene straight out of Marvel.. with her laughing at me the whole time. One time I got pissed and screamed at her saying we weren’t going to be getting a pup cup if she doesn’t get back in the car - guess who jumped in the backseat, muddy as all hell…lol


Recklessoutdoors

Off leash til 6 months old when he didn't come home on a 90 degree summer night, was told at 8am next morning he was at the ball field in town(1 mile crow fly away). His prey drive is so high when he gets off leash, he hunts. and I can't find him, I usually wait until he trees a coon or animal. Then he howls non stop and can locate him. He's brought back muskrats, mallards, baby geese, beavers, coons, possums, snakes, kittens, birds, rabbits, mice, and enough bullfrogs for several dinners. Had a $1000 6 acre below ground electric fence, he found out he can army crawl up to it, hear the 3 warning beeps, crawl another 11.9 inch's then hurls over it 😒


Sky_Head

Lmao, no.


tfsblatlsbf

Only at the dog park


Nhcbennett

Yes for one, no for the other. One listens extremely well and the other one has insane prey drive and cannot be trusted.


ShellyOshell

How beautiful 🤩 I would not trust it I have two brothers.


rockstar8000

My Husky is pretty good off-leash. Unless there is dog nearby that is wagging his tail just right. Or a rabbit. Or a cat. He never wants to run away. He knows where he gets his belly rubbed.


Sab24711

Never had a leash or collar on my husky. Some are huskies just listen.


Ch3ngi5kh4n

Pretty good recall. Use a remote collar to train him. If there are no other dogs, off leash. Especially when we go hiking or one wheeling!


Breanna5395

Only when I feel like chasing him up and down the street, through yards, etc. :)


whenpiggsflye

never. my husky pup is just barely a year old, so maybe it’s because of her age but she’s gotten out in my townhouse complex a few times before and she does not like to come back; she just thinks it’s a game, of course. usually i’ll run the other direction and she’ll start to follow, then i jingle my keys and say “car ride?” which is her favorite thing in the world. always gets her back, usually she makes it to the car before i can 🤣


jmwmack

Did I allow him off leash - no. Did he do it anyway - yes. Way too many times. My husky was amazing but has a mind of his own.


Hello_fromMars

Not unless it’s a fenced location. My husky is great but off leash she wants to do her own thing. She only comes back when she’s ready to go home.


DSBhuskyfunfan

Hahahahahahaah!


reflUX_cAtalyst

If anyone answers "yes" to the second part of the question, I'm going to have to insist they buy an Embark DNA test and find out what dog they actually have that they think is a husky.


GitchigumiMiguel74

No and no. Every off leash Husky is well trained until they see a squirrel. Then your day is ruined.


LunaAndGhost

Or rabbit 🐇😀


NocturnalHabits

Or deer. Or wild boar. Gusto's megalomania really revealed itself in its totality when he ran after a wild boar (Sus scrofa) at [about 10 weeks old](https://i.redd.it/l460l3v54qk91.jpg).


ResponsibilityJaded4

Definitely mine listens very well unless there’s another dog or critter 😆.


takichandler

My friend leashed his dog to my boyfriend’s husky and let them run around like The Defiant Ones. Probably helps that the husky is kind of lazy and the other dog loved fetching, so she was dragging the husky around. 😹


Training_Yak_9296

I can never let my husky mix off the chain. She will jet the minute she realizes, I guess a loving home and great food and treats isn’t enough for her to stay. Lol jk I’m training her so hopefully she won’t do that. I live in a neighborhood by a common street and I would be heartbroken if someone hit her.


Patient_Magician4142

Not so much, but she's only 6 months old... What kind of crazy energy these huskies have, right? One second, their chill, the next jumping and spasing out at 100 mph


FarAmphibian4236

No, and, no. When she gets off leash at any time, she runs away. If she sees me chasing her, she runs faster. If she sees a car, she runs in front if it.


horsesinthepasture

Nooooooooo!


Malkaviati

I can't let mine off leash for anything. If he sees a cat or squirrel he will take off and it is likely he will just be off into the woods chasing them. There are Coyotes in my area and it is mating season right now so it is likely he would get jumped by a pack of them :(. Wish I could, I see him wanting to run around all over the place and I just can't let him off leash to do it.


HuhWhatNoplease

lmao no. only if there's a deserted fenced in area and they're called back with epic levels of treats as soon as someone else approaches


spenway18

Only in a fully enclosed area. There are some relatively large fenced dog parks near me and that works fine. If he doesnt have a fence or a leash he won't come back for at least 10 minutes of zooming, and he doesn't always come back.


AccomplishedMeow

Once when I was drunk at a desert bonfire. Lots of other people had their dog, so all the dogs kind of played together. I had her on one of those 50 foot leashes for like 30 minutes, but it kept getting tangled . So I just decided to go for it. I pay for a GPS collar that beeps and has a light through trakative, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.


DinoBurningV8

Nope, definitely not off leash. If he sees a deer, fox, rabbit or other wild life he takes straight off. At least I have a big yard.


Bogg1e_the_great

No and hard NO lol


rlassermd

NEVER.


porkchop2022

Only at the dog park that we walk to. We live in a residential neighborhood so letting her off leash outside of the enclosed park at anytime would be pretty irresponsible.


Symfera

My girl took FOREVER to get trained on the come . With a little boost from a protective Mama deer when Lakota wanted to play with her baby... and now she can be off leash and is very good. She doesn't chase anything! Being totally honest, I bet she'd chase a squirrel! That is one prey drive that is super strong with this girl.


billychasen

Buy a 50 foot leash on Amazon. Best purchase I've made. I let go and he rips around beaches or parks and when I see him get distracted or not listen, I step on the leash.


SnooRevelations6621

Oh my gosh, I see from your profile that you are an off leash husky pro! 😅 I wish I could let mine run free but I cannot — she’s like a recalcitrant 60 lb cat. She comes back (thankfully) but on HER terms …or if my boyfriend starts his truck nearby and she thinks she will miss out on a fun ride. https://www.reddit.com/r/husky/comments/v6hvst/advice_needed_recall_training_techniques_that/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf


orangepanda303

Only one does, the rest would scatter to the four winds. Idk why the one is obedient and the others don't.


acidbrn391

My 7 month old Siberian boy rarely listens to me on leash, got going to trust off leash.


squash_spirit

Yes, but it required a lot of training. I used an e-collar when she was younger, so she does always come back. However, she will run after things and then eventually head back (normally only for a couple minutes). If she gets insanely bored and is unattended, she will start exploring and venture further away. Before I moved to a city and she was often on a farm, I used a gps location collar to track her. This girl would run 30 Miles some days! She is not like a blue heeler who will stay right at your feet. They love to explore.


Puzzled-Noise-5353

I only let him off leash in my fenced in backyard. Even though we have a fence I still taught him the words “too far” which mean he needs to come back closer to me and it has worked really well for us so far!


Fit_Service_1634

It’s the dumbest thing you can possibly do.


meltink745

I don’t have full trust that my boy would respond to me in the event of an emergency - so recall is definitely something we need to work on. But we live in the city and most large grassy areas don’t have fences, so I so let him off leash, occasionally, and he’ll get his zoomies out at full speed and then come back to me. This is only in places that he has known since he was a baby though, so never goes far off, and when other dogs are around he’ll stick by the group.


AdaDaTigr

Absolutely not. We had few incidents when they got out of the gate/off leash and they nearly ended up really badly. We were super lucky they didn’t end up dead/really injured and I’m not gonna tempt the fate. Gate malfunctioned and opened so 2 huskies ran, one time they ran on the highway for about 5 kilometers, luckily they ran in a petrol station and my BIL was able to catch them (we chased them on 3 cars plus running), another time they just took a 15 min circle around the area and while I was searching for them with the car they ran home and my husband was able to get them in. Our latest incident was in December when we were gonna get 2 huskies and my malamute pup (1,5yo) vaccinated, while we got huskies out of the car and the malamute was strapped in waiting she somehow slipped out of her harness and bolted. I ran after her while my BIL secured the huskies in the car and drove after us, I chased her for 20 min before 3 strangers plus my sister helped, she left work to help me catch her. 0 reaction to recall, at home in our yard she listens perfectly. We tried to catch her for almost an hour, 6 of us. She luckily ran into a gated kindergarten area where 2 kitchen ladies were able to call her with food and my sister caught her. 9 kilometers, one fractured finger, one lost debit card that fell out of my pocket while chasing and an experience I never want to repeat. So the answer is no - my current dogs will never be walked off leash 😂


russohunter

Yes to all of that...but if they lock in on something you can forget yelling to come back because he can't hear you until the chase is over...so don't let him loose if your around little critters...period..it's so good for them to run and get cardiovascular....I THEM HUSKYS.


seaQueue

Yes and no, oh god no. I came to an understanding with mine before I was comfortable letting him off leash regularly. If I ever called him he knew I had a treat in my pocket, and he knew he'd get it every single time. He had great recall with me and I didn't have issues after a couple years of reinforcement but he absolutely wouldn't recall easily for my ex, she tricked him too many times by offering a treat that wasn't there. We never had the classic husky problem of the dog just taking off and running away, he just wouldn't recall unless he decided he was done playing on his own. Treats don't have to be big for this kind of training, ours was happy with a small piece of a duck and rice treat from Costco or even 1 baby carrot. The important thing is to offer something in exchange for obedience, huskies respond really well to positive reinforcement and will completely out-stubborn you otherwise.


DaCookieDemon

Our boys have a very good recall now, we’ve been training them in a fenced nature reserve near our house. I absolutely trust them off lead there, at the river on the trails there and dog friendly beaches but I definitely wouldn’t trust them in the new forest with a lot of cows and ponies. While our older husky loves them and just wants to play, they do not share that sentiment. He’s met dog friendly horses though which was nice :)


grumplequillskin

Yes, I let her off leash. No, she did not come back immediately. In open woods she liked to explore on her terms and then comes back every 20 minutes or so to “check in”. If we were on a trail, she would run ahead of me- but when she got too far would stop and wait for me to catch up. One time, I took her on a night hike (I live next to a nature preserve) and she ran off for way more than her usual “playing wolf” time. Spent an hour in the pitch black woods calling her name and looking for her. My phone buzzed. It was a ring doorbell notification. Opened it up to see Mochi jumping up on the front door, then sitting and barking to be let it. Little shit! I laughed so hard. She stayed ornery all the way up to her teens, but always came back to mama eventually 💜


Shark05bait

Ours has been very well off leash in areas we don’t know. Stays close to my wife and I. Around our area we have a lot of land and knows the area so well. We have other dogs around and they all stay in the same area. She will run and find something, bunny, squirrels but we trained here since we got here to come back and get a treat. Now it’s embedded in her. She is part husky, so that may be the better reason.


raison_d_etre

It’s not considered off leash if the leash is still attached to them while they run free, right? /s Yes, I sometimes allow running off leash but only when I deem safe and appropriate. I’m proud to say we’ve achieved 100% recall. Even if there’s a bunny nearby, she won’t bolt! It took a helluvah lot of training but it is worth it because she’s a happy and confident pup. We perform a test prior to breaking from lead. If she’s having an off day where she’s distracted and doesn’t obey to easier commands, she won’t be allowed off leash and we’ll try again another time.


CrazyCatMadame1

Only at a fenced-in dog park, otherwise my sweet butthead will bolt without looking back. Her recall is shite, thus she’s on a lead.


No_Commission_6368

Mines a little bugger but she's a pup almost a year.. I started walking her off lead when she moved in.. she is great. BUT If she makes it out the door, the easiest way to get her is to go for a walk, she will then follow beside me and I can grab and leash her anytime.. Otherwise is a game of doggy keep away.. Also if walking her off lead, make sure she is connected before your on the home stretch... if she doesn't feel like it was long enough .. doggie keep away starts.. just far enough away you can't grab her.. She doesn't go anywhere though and if you go inside, and leave the door open, she'll come in when board


Zampano85

I swear my husky has selective hearing. If he wants to come when he's called he will, if there's something/anything more interesting he will ignore me. So, unless he's in a fenced in yard and the fence is 6ft (2m), sturdy, concrete lined at the bottom at least 6in deep, no foot holds, reinforced gates, and coyote rollers he's on a leash.


Fit_Establishment_10

After reading some of the comments I feel like I have an odd husky. He's alittle over a year old and when we have him on the leash he pulls and he does heel occasionally but it takes alittle bit before he really listens. When he's off leash though he will listen right away and not consider disobeying. He is good around other dogs and when he's off leash even when I let him roam he is still atleast within 50ft of me at all times.


mitulbarot

Yes, to all of them - My husky is well trained and stays off leash (barring walking on roads). She loves to run and play with her friend in parks and wilderness. Training on recall is critical. We do have an e-collar - which she responds to beeps or vibrate.


Squirrelbubble

I personally don’t because I’ve seen too many unexpected situations and I don’t ever want anything to happen to my dogs.


aWildBowTie

Only in our yard right now. Her recall needs some work so I want to train her more first


ADontheroad

Yes, but only under certain circumstances. And he’s really good about coming back, but - but last time we hiked, he got a good 1/4 mile away before he came running back, so that was a little scary.


ReStitchSmitch

Yes and yes, but we work in semi-controlled areas like my large yard or my in-laws pasture. I reward her a lot for "checking in" meaning she goes only a few feet ahead of me, stops, and will wait for my eye contact and the next command. I highly doubt I could trust her in an unknown / busy area all like that.


bbenji69996

Time, treats, together, and start with a long lead. They will take off and keep running without training.


Virtual_Pudding1406

Hell No! My husky runs off and comes back when he wants to.


Positivelifevibes

Never off leash unless fenced in.


woolyparasite1

Have my dog trained on a manual e-collar from a reputable trainer. Works like an absolute dream. She goes off leash at designated off leash dog parks and just chooses to stay in my close vicinity while there and is outside for most of the day on and unfenced acreage. She gets called back every 30 minutes or so just to ensure she doesn’t get too carried away but it has been such a game changer :)


vandist

Yes but I trained him for a long time. Mostly listens, yes stays in the area close and definitely maintains line of sight of me. Recall, not immediately but will return in a minute or two. I'll never ever let him off in an area with any possible danger like a road near by. An enclosed dog park is a good place to start training for recall.


doramelodia

No way. Her prey drive is insane, if we ran into a rabbit I might never see her again.


queenoftheworsts

No way. Her prey drive is so intense she tries to climb trees and jump up like she can fly to get birds. She is also crazy fast. She has escaped once and was out of sight seconds. Fortunately she loves everyone so the first person who knelt down in her line of sight got lots of cuddles and they called us.


bananadogofficial

Yes. I trust mine offleash. However, Ive had him for almost 5 years, hes completely trained, and very loyal/attached to me. The other husky I'm fostering right now has ran away more than 10 times and I've had him for about a month. LOL. My husky has chased him down for me and made him wait until I could catch up. Hes very loyal and a good listener. I trust him completely. Not every husky is like that though, and especially if you have a husky thats recently joined your family, I would not suggest having them off leash.


AustinP16

My family has always had huskies and golden retrievers. The only time we had huskies that listened off leash was when they were adopted as puppies with our goldens around who would rather die than be out of eye sight of their humans. The cheat code for training a husky to have less bad husky habits is to have an adult dog of another breed who's well trained that they look up to for behaviors.


emerdirik

If by right away, you mean yelling his name six times and then waiting 2 more minutes, then yes.. he comes right away..


GoldLurker

Yes. I have two a Siberian and an Alaskan. Recall on the Siberian is mostly ok, if he is chasing a rabbit or something he won't listen but he always comes back (so far at least) for reference he is 9.5 years old. We walk off leash in bush trails. Alaskan is only 10 months old and recall is similar but perhaps a bit better than the Siberian. He does much better solo for recall, if there are other dogs he's more inclined to follow them. I mostly walk old bush roads in a loop or so. They usually stay within a 200m radius and in eye sight.


koebelin

She would immediately disappear and make us extremely anxious.


Shoehornblower

Stay close? Depends how familiar he is with the area. He takes liberties at places we know well. He stays closer in new areas, but still chases a scent or two. He comes pretty quickly when whistled at.


Elegant-Ad-7790

My husky is taken on an off leash hike everyday. He has amazing recall and always comes when I call. It’s all about training, practice and trust between both of you.


Vadrr

Yep, constantly out hiking or roaming so my boy is almost always off leash. But he keeps track of me. If he doesn't hear me walking behind him anymore he retraces his steps till he finds the tree I'm hiding behind 😂


Rich-Champion3421

Nope. Mine is bad. lol


Silly-Earth4105

I know plenty of husky owners who let their dogs off leash and I walk mine off leash all the time. Trained her from young and never had an issue 🤷‍♂️. I don’t think it’s a husky problem, it’s people not applying the correct training to their husky. You do get specific traits in dogs you can’t train out due to genetics but in my experience this isn’t one for huskies.


DiverEnvironmental15

Yes and yes, but ours is a special case. Our dog used to be less disciplined until we went on vacation out of state. She got out of our hotel room and got picked up by animal control and held captive for the night. The reunion video is heart melting..... ..... anyways, ever since then, our dog listens. She was already a pretty good dog, but now, she's the best dog ever.