Having been a “cat person” most of my life, thanks to THS I’ve got to know - and love - dogs. But when I transfer my knowledge of cats – their need for play and stimulation (not just food!.. Don’t start me..!) – to dogs, I question more and more how it can be OK for dogs never to be allowed off-leash. I’ve sat many lovely dogs, which because of their inbred nature had always to be on the end of some kind of string… Spaniels, terriers, various sight-hounds… The HOs have said everything, from “There’s plenty to sniff along the way, so she’ll be fine” to “There are just too many squirrels about” and “The garden’s really big, so he gets lots of exercise there.”
And that’s my question: Can a dog be truly fulfilled and contented if it’ never allowed to run free?
Also, you may not be permitted to let the dog off leash. That doesn’t mean the HO don’t let the dog off leash. Some dogs won’t recall to strangers (and that is what you essentially are - you have not built a years-long relationship with these dogs). Some dogs, like sighthounds, scenthounds or huskies, are generally hard to recall. There are still safe options to let these dogs run (in the US we have Sniffspots where private, secure fields can be rented for a small cost).
Even in a case where none of this happens, there are long lines to let dogs explore safely.
Would they be happier off leash? Of course - until they get hit by a car, or attacked by a wild animal. Then, not so happy. Safety has to be the first consideration.
I think the word “never” is really important here.
There’s also a difference between a dog being “happy” and a dog being “safe” - and most loving HOs naturally prioritise safety. Especially when handing their dog over to a sitter who may or may not have experience with that particular breed, temperament or prey drive. In that situation, safety for the dog, wildlife, other people and the sitter themselves probably has to come first.
And HOs usually know their own dogs better than anyone. They know which dog will happily potter along sniffing hedges… and which one will spot a squirrel at 200 metres and disappear into the next postcode.
I also suspect many dogs described as “never off leash” actually do get some safe freedom - enclosed dog parks, fenced paddocks, secure beaches, tennis courts, long-line runs and so on. “Never loose in an unfenced public area” is often closer to the reality.
For me, a happy dog is probably less about whether it’s technically ever off leash, and more about whether it’s engaged, stimulated, exercised appropriately and living a life suited to its personality and breed.
Thanks for opening up this discussion, especially as the post on which this subject was recently raised was unrecognisably moderated into oblivion. Short answer, yes. they can
Agree the short answer is Yes. I missed the heavily moderated version.
I want to elaborate on my short answer . I have (oddly enough) actually LOWERED my standards of what a “good home” is for a dog after living in Mexico for 8 years where there is a large stray dog (and cat) overpopulation issue. Personally, my 13 year dog is living a happy life never off leash outside of an enclosed area. @felinelover and @WeRPAWsome pretty much covered all the whys.
@DieFledermaus, interesting question if perhaps emotionally loaded and subjective. We’re dog people and have housesit many dogs in different countries.
There seems no right or wrong answer to your question. From experience, we find that pet parents vary more in mindset than dogs. We’ve come across the same breeds of dogs in different countries living very different lives with different pet parents. Some pet parents choose to keep dogs on-lead/leash at all times. Some pet parents choose to avoid all contact with other animals/humans. That’s their right. ‘Truly fulfilled and contented’ is impossible to say.
That said, we have learned relevant facts about ourselves. Our own dog spend less than 5% of his time on-lead/leash. Rather he hiked mountain trails in Western Canada. Bless, we miss him. So we have a subjective preference - and a heartfelt joy - to complete housesits where a dog spends most of their time walking off-leash. We were comfortable off-lead/leash before housesitting and have gained a whole lot of further experience (e.g. walking spaniel breeds of dogs by whistle - wow!). But we respect wishes of each pet parent. It’s their dog(s).
“But we respect wishes of each pet parent. It’s their dog(s).”
It comes down to this very sensible sentence. As HO, please don’t judge how happy our pets are - all we ask for you as temporary sitters is to care for them appropriately while we are gone. Not pass judgement on the life we provide for them. Many animals (sadly) have a far worse life than simply being kept on lead.
I did find OP’s question at first glance insulting and judgemental, but then realized they lacked experience with dogs and were simply curious - so I don’t think they meant it that way.
It is possible, you know, to ask a question without implying or anticipating any particular answer. My aim was to educate myself. And perhaps generate an interesting conversation. So far, the responses have filled both aims.. I’m learning a lot (thanks all!) and the discussion has been enlightening and sensible.
As for doing what an HO asks, I don’t think anything I’ve said suggests I would ever do otherwise.
Dog spaces are the winners there as dogs are both safe and everyone is aware that dogs will be off leash. Win win.
There are dogs who are entire liabilities off leash and should not be off leash for everyone’s safety including those that have good behavior but poor recall…
My sister had a pup who would jet as far as she could if allowed off leash. Dogs like that can die from running unto traffic, get lost if in an unknown area, etc.
Edit: I’ve had my own late labbie attacked by a dog off leash. Horrible experience. 10/10 don’t recommend. Our dog was on a leash and the attacking dog was not. The leash allowed the attack to be contained to our area and we were able to separate the attacking dog from our pup. It was horrible. However, if our dog had also been loose, it could’ve been 100× worse considering he might’ve ran unto the busy intersection we were at the corner of, trying to run away from the dog who was attacking him and gotten hit by cars.
But I’m still conflicted. I completely understand the safety angle. It’s a parallel to keeping a cat indoors all the time, to prevent them being hit by a car or savaged by some (off-lead!) dog. But to my mind, there’s still a balance between preserving life and quality of life to be considered. For example, I’ve sat spaniels, who are designed to run, sniff and chase and can happily do it all day. But, for exactly that reason, they had to be on a leash ALL the time. Now, all these sits were in rural areas, so roads weren’t an issue. One of them had a big outdoor space at home to run around in; the others didn’t. I also know people who have collies - another breed which exists to run and run and run… Which have nothing more than occasional short, on-lead walks. I guess my question is less about dogs on leads vs dogs off leads than about whether it’s fair to have a dog if you can’t let it fulfil a major part of its inherent nature: To run. And run. And run..
I’ve just remembered a Spike Milligan poem from decades ago:
So they bought you
And kept you in a
Very good home
Cental heating
TV
A deep freeze
A very good home-
No one to take you
For that lovely long run-
But otherwise
‘A very good home’
They fed you Pal and Chun
But not that lovely long run,
Until, mad with energy and boredom
You escaped- and ran and ran and ran
Under a car.
Today they will cry for you-
Tomorrow they will buy another dog.
I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to judge what’s fair. Everyone is doing the best they can, even if it may not be perfect or an idealized version of perfect. I’m sure those dogs are loved and cared for, and are happier then they would be in a shelter.
The breeds you mention are working breeds. They were bred to fulfil a specific role. In the case of spaniels, they were bred as gundogs to retrieve shot gamebirds. In the case of collies, to herd sheep. I’d disagree that they are a
Perhaps you could say they exist to work. If you look at any well trained border collie, they are constantly looking at their owner for instruction. What they need more than anything is mental stimulation. They need to exercise their working dog brain as much as their bodies.
My friend’s failed sheepdog excels at agility (and chicken herding as she is not afraid of chickens). Another friend’s collie competes in flyball. Another’s visits a nursing home as a therapy dog.
Spaniels as retrievers are often strongly motivated by balls or other toys they can retrieve. They could play retrieval games in a smaller space or even on a long line. They also really enjoy puzzle mats or hunting for food or a hidden object. While they do enjoy a walk, without direction they are frequently distracted by enticing smells. Most of them also love to swim, but must have good recall to be able to do so safely when out and about.
The other thing with spaniels is that they don’t really have an off switch. They will want to continue to play fetch forever, their owner needs to know when to stop. We cared for a ball obsessed spaniel who would be so lame the following day if she played too much fetch. We took her to the beach and played fetch in the sea so she was swimming not running - much better for her joints.
It made me really sad last week to see a spaniel running around a park at midday in a heatwave while their owners were sitting having a drink. and later running along a path in the excessive heat. I couldn’t believe how many dogs were out at that time of day including pugs and french bulldogs. I think I was most worried about the spaniel though as it was receiving no direction or encouragement to stay in the shade from the owners and was likely to keep running around. We had left our charge at the house in the cool.
I digress, but my point was that it’s not all about the walk, there are other options. I do agree that some owners take on breeds of dogs whose needs are not suited to their lifestyle.
That was really interesting and helpful. Thankyou. My worry all along has been more about stimulation than sheer physical exercise (e.g How can a dog which exists - literally - to hunt small animals over a wide and varied range be neurologically OK just trotting along a narrow path for an hour a day..?) But I’ll certainly be far more inventive in providing various forms of “entertainment” for the dogs I look after, from now on.
@Felinelover , I really wasn’t judging anything. I was just raising the question. Although I admit, it’s a question I do fret about.
That may have been your intent but please read these words again:
“I guess my question is less about dogs on leads vs dogs off leads than about whether it’s fair to have a dog if you can’t let it fulfil a major part of its inherent nature: To run. And run. And run..”
Specifically the point where you question whether “it’s fair”. Fairness requires a judgment call - which you (nor I) are not empowered to give. So I read it as judgmental due the question of “fairness”. Intent vs impact are different things so maybe consider that. You are a sitter - just keep my dog on leash for the week you are here and keep you judgement about her ‘unfair’ life to yourself. Again, you are there a week or two - you don’t see the dogs while life (years with their families). Probably they do go off leash - just not with you as you are a temporary caretaker and we don’t want you to lose our dogs (especially sitters with limited knowledge of dogs).
Again, pet owners are doing the best they can. To say it’s not “fair” for them to enjoy a dog in their home because they don’t have a gazillion acres for the dog to run safely around is inappropriate for you, or any outsiders, to decide, either legally or morally IMO.
Frankly the dogs exist anyway - so should they all be destroyed if they can’t be provided the off leash happiness that you believe (and judge) they deserve? Is that a better outcome?
I don’t dispute your reading of the word “fair”. The heart of the thing, though, is that I asked a question: IS it fair?
I make no secret of the fact that my instinct - and it’s nothing more than that - is that dogs which are allowed sometimes to run free and explore have a more fulfilling life than those which aren’t. But I’m very open to reasoned correction/debate. Indeed, that’s what I was hoping for.
I’m fully aware that there may be different rules for dogs when they’re being looked after by sitters. And as I said before, I would never dream of doing anything other than as asked by the HO. To raise a question is not to announce a behaviour.
Talking about destroying dogs if they can’t be allowed off-leash is silly. But I would probably suggest that someone thinking of getting a dog should look very carefully at their lifestyle - and location - first. If you live in the middle of a big city, sure, your husky is far safer on a leash. But should you have a husky in the first place…?
You react as if I’d come on here proclaiming that Anyone Who Doesn’t Let Their Dogs Off Leash Is an Animal Abuser (and the Dogs Should Be Destroyed)!! To use the F-word again, that really isn’t fair. I know we live in an age of rage and personal insults, but it should still be possible to discuss an issue objectively, even if you do, personally, lean in one direction. My aim was not to announce my opinion, but to invite discussion. And I’ve learnt a lot from the people who responded in the same spirit.
I find this thread very interesting in the fact that domestic dogs are a human creation and exist for our purposes. Like their natural ancestors, they are pack animals and that as long as they are with their pack (their human(s)), then I’d think they’d be happy.
I’m sure they love being off lead, but again, their pack is what truly makes them happy, if we anthropomorphize what happiness to a dog is.
. I have (oddly enough) actually LOWERED my standards of what a “good home” is for a dog after living in Mexico for 8 years where there is a large stray dog (and cat) overpopulation issue. Personally, my 13 year dog is living a happy life never off leash outside of an enclosed area. 