# Does your GSD run loose with you in your yard ?



## Firefighter195 (May 23, 2011)

I'm just curious if your dog is usually loose when your outside with him. Were getting a puppy in a cpl weeks and I hope that we can just go in the backyard and play/train him without to many worries of him running off. Obviously this is very closely monitored and he'd never be alone. I've read many thds that you MUST have a fenced yard.

We live in a subdivision with a large back yard butting up to elementary school property with neighbors on either side. We have a lab who is never on a leash (except walks) and goes out on his own to potty and then stands by front door to let in. Now I know better to not let our GSD on his own to go potty even when grown but just wonder how he'll be.

Whats your experience with this matter. ? I'd love to have 40 acres and rolling hills and dogs loose all day but thats just not gonna happen (unless I win the lotttery). 

Thxs


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

If your not sure about letting him loose, you could always use a long lead, untill he is trained up..


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Puppies are curious and when they are from 3 to about 18 months they are more interested in what they want than what you want. I recommend using a long retractable leash so that he has a lot of freedom of movement but you are always there to control where he goes. I am sure you will get a lot more in depth advise on this.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

I have heard some members on here say the radio fence, if that is the underground fence does not do the job so well.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

In the very beginning, you have to go out with him all the time and they are programmed to follow you closely so it wouldn't be a problem. It doesn't take long before they start exploring their world and don't feel like they need to stick with you unless you know what you are doing and continue to train them that they have to stick with you. Most people not only don't know how to do this, but they get lazy - bad weather and late nights - and think they can just let the dog out for a minute to potty and the dog takes off and gets hurt or lost. This is why you need a fully fenced yard.


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

I wouldnt let him out loose without a fenced yard, especially abutting an elementary school.


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## KAE (Jun 21, 2010)

I've never had a fenced in yard, and I do just that, let him out (I go out with him) let him potty then I'll throw the frisbee for a little bit.

Like Elaine said, at a young age, your puppy will just follow you, wherever you go. But when Rocky started wondering off, I would get him and put him on a leash for a little while and then let him off. 

This would also be a great time to teach him his recall, just to get it in his head he shouldn't go a certain distance away from you.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, my dog had pano, so he wasn't the most active puppy. But, even now, I trust my dog to stay close by, and I'm still going to keep risking it.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

Firefighter195 said:


> I'm just curious if your dog is usually loose when your outside with him. Were getting a puppy in a cpl weeks and I hope that we can just go in the backyard and play/train him without to many worries of him running off. Obviously this is very closely monitored and he'd never be alone. I've read many thds that you MUST have a fenced yard.
> 
> We live in a subdivision with a large back yard butting up to elementary school property with neighbors on either side. We have a lab who is never on a leash (except walks) and goes out on his own to potty and then stands by front door to let in. Now I know better to not let our GSD on his own to go potty even when grown but just wonder how he'll be.
> 
> ...


Hi FF, Puppies are easily distracted and run really fast  so even if you're right there with him, he is likely to run off...most likely toward the school  

There are alternatives if you do not have a fence. E-collars and different types of long lead options. We put a stake in the middle of our yard and attached a long lead. Mac could run the entire perimeter of our yard, play chase, fetch, train, etc.


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## schatzi14 (Sep 29, 2005)

Wolfiesmom said:


> I wouldnt let him out loose without a fenced yard, especially abutting an elementary school.


 Yep. 
God forbid anything ever happens to a child...even though it may not have been your dog, everyone is first to blame the gsd.


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## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

They run lose in our fenced in back yard. We always double check the gates too. In the front yard, when they are little puppies and can't outrun me, I'll take them out potty. But once they can outrun me, they don't go anywhere open without a lead.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

Trolley Exerciser - Red - Medium Weight - 100 ft. | Tie Outs & Stakes | Collars, Leashes & Harnesses | Dog - ThatPetPlace.com

we also used one of these...it was awesome until Mac was strong enough to break it


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## crisp (Jun 23, 2010)

The dog could be out with you a hundred times glued to your leg. The 101st time it chases something off the property and bites someone/thing, or gets lost, or gets hit by a car, etc. Not worth it. A dog should not be off lead until it has a cemented recall. I speak from experiance. Although its great excercise to be chasing your dog through the woods as its running after deer, I told myself a long time ago I won't be doing that again.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I have a fenced yard.


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

I let my dog run free at my friend(s) houses. One friend has 50+ acres and is literally miles from paved roads. The other that Banjo gets to run free at has two well behaved BCs that stick close to home on their 18 acres. Otherwise he's on lead when not at home (fenced yard).


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## RazinKain (Sep 13, 2010)

I have a fenced back yard for Kain to play in unsupervised, but when the wife and kids are in the front yard, Kain is always with them off-lead. He wants to be where his people are and he never wanders off. A few times he has bolted after a stray cat or ground squirrel, but his recall is excellent and always 'leaves it' when told. I would never allow him in the front yard unsupervised however.


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## Deuce (Oct 14, 2010)

Deuce goes out into the yard with me and stays with me now (he's 11 months). When we got him at 4 months that never happened. If he went outside off leash he'd take off running all over the place and wouldn't come back inside without me having to physically go get him and bring him in. That being said, I still don't trust him enough to take him into the front yard off leash and if something runs he WILL chase it.

We don't have a fenced in yard FYI.


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## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

My backyard is fenced and I let Xander of leash to run and play back there. At this point though I still wouldn't trust him enough out front with kids running by/dogs/cats or at a large unfenced park to let him run loose. 

As a puppy they're so easily distracted by everything....people, animals, car...leaves. So if your new puppy saw kids playing at the elementary school I'm sure that would be very enticing. 

I'd say until you're 110% sure that your dog has excellent recall it would be best to keep him on a long lead if the yard isn't fenced.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I have a fenced in yard, so my pup never was tethered or on leash while training or playing. He had great recall and wasn't the type to run off, ever. 
I usually trained in the front, with no leash or fencing. Because he was never hooked to anything the need to run was not there. 
I think if a pup is constantly tethered or contained by a leash, when they are unhooked, in their mind, it is a good opportunity to take off.
Still, not ever a good idea to have pup free if you don't trust him. 

I had one time where my pup(14 mos) didn't come to me. It was 7 am and I was turning on the neighbors sprinkler for her. Thought I'd take my pup along, no leash/collar. I thought we'd be safe(7 am, who is out?)
Well, a teenage neighbor came around the corner walking his yorkie. The dog went balistic when s/he saw Karlo. Karlo saw the little yappie as a flirtpole item ...s/he was bouncing back and forth just like Karlo has seen many times at the end of that flirtpole. 
Karlo would not come back to me when I commanded, so I asked the kid to pick up his dog. He didn't, he thought it was funny or something. 
Karlo went charging after the prey item and the kid finally snatched her up just as Karlo was about to grab her. I was there in a flash and grabbed K by his scruff, but that was enough for me to not ever have him out again without at least a collar and tab.
The what-ifs scared me! That was the only time his recall was not there.

Sometimes we have to train according to our surroundings. And every minute is a training session with a young pup.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

My 9-year old Shepherd goes out into the front yard with me without a leash. The 6 month old absolutely not.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

My back yard is fenced in so they are free to run and play there, out front-no way. One is a car chaser and the other is dog aggressive.


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

My dogs are in the back yard whenever they want to be out. I will take Clover in the front yard if I am out there and she goes with me in the morning to get the paper. She gets this because she is of gentle temperment and I can call her back without fail. The boys do not get this privelege. Max is too dog aggresive to trust and Patton does not have sufficient recall, plus he is a little less predictable, therefore I can't take the risk.


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## Ucdcrush (Mar 22, 2004)

Not in my front (unfenced) yard. Too many cats around, and I don't do anything in the yard anyways except cut the grass. If I hung out in the front yard more, I'd make the effort to train them to stay in the boundaries of the yard.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Our backyard is fenced(we have brick walls). We let them loose back there, we are able to keep a good eye on them when they are out there because of our french doors. Our front is not fenced, Molly has better recall than Tanner, he is getting better, but we trust Molly off leash better than we trust Tanner off leash. I always have a leash with me just incase a child(we live across the street from an elementary school and in case our neighbor's cats decides to come out, then I have to control both dogs because they both like to chase cats.

If we are in a fenced area then they are off leash, otherwise they are leash, we have a long leash if need be.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Back yard fenced so their out when we are home. At 8 and 11 years old they are pretty much perimeter trained, although the cannon incidient had Lucky break through the side garage door. Daisy at a year and a half was in the front yard with us alot and responded to' no" when she tested the perimeters.I still prefer them on leash and collar if not in the fence. Cats ,squirrels, loose horses and the occassional idiot make it much safer.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

My backyard is fenced . 

When I had Dodge, he was one that would be with me out in the front , I'm about 1,000 feet from a main road, but no worries with him..He was usually out there with me while I was gardening, my 'reptile searcher'

The others well, the aussie Jynx, forgetaboutit, she is a varmint chaser and would be flipping me the paw , Jag (aussie) is very good about hanging out in front with me, but I don't trust him fully to not chase something..Masi my new reptile checker, she is alot like Dodge, hangs with me, but with alot of traffic in the summer I always keep her on a long line just to be safe..


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I haven't had a fenced in yard since Sinister was 7 months old.

I always go outside with him even when I had the fenced in yard and as a puppy he was never leashed when we went places. He doesn't wander, he's glued to my hip.


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## gypsyrose (Nov 22, 2010)

Elaine said:


> In the very beginning, you have to go out with him all the time and they are programmed to follow you closely so it wouldn't be a problem. It doesn't take long before they start exploring their world and don't feel like they need to stick with you unless you know what you are doing and continue to train them that they have to stick with you. Most people not only don't know how to do this, but they get lazy - bad weather and late nights - and think they can just let the dog out for a minute to potty and the dog takes off and gets hurt or lost. This is why you need a fully fenced yard.


  I agree here Gypsy and i live in the country and i have fifteen acres i let Gypsy loose to playwhen she was very little but as soon as she grew up she became more intreast in her nose than me so i built her a thirty foot X eighty foot run and we are all happy now. she never gets to run free except in special places where i know she cant get hurt.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

My backyard backs onto an elementary school-sometimes when the kids aren't out I take rorie out to play 2 ball-Anja I take for walks out there and I let her off leash but she isn't very interested in others and pretty trustworthy-if they are alone in the backyard its fenced-when the kids run around the field sometimes they stop to say hello to the dogs


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## suzzyq01 (Feb 15, 2011)

My backyard is fenced but only with chainlink. Both Sonar and Onyx can jump it, but Sonar won't. He did one time and was put in time out for a couple hours and learned his lesson. My Siberian Onyx well he jumps it and my alarm system Sonar goes off. Sonar will howl and high pitch bark as soon as he hops the fence. So he doesn't get far. Now we either put Onyx on his runner or stay out there with them. 

In the front yard I can have both of them stay right with me. Sonar won't go far from my side and if he gets 15 ft away he stops and turns to look at me and wait for instructions. Onyx is shock collar trained off leash and responds to it incredibly well, haven't shocked him in over 3 years. Sonar also normally hangs out where ever his brother is, which is never far from me.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Have 3 1/2 acres all entirely fenced, so they have free room to roam. Even at that Ace does not have 100 % recall to be trusted anywhere off the property without being on a leash. (My fault).


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## myshepharley (Feb 11, 2011)

I have a fenced in yard but alot of times the kids will let the back gate open. Harley will not go out the gate unless I do. Lots of tmes I will catch him sitting there wantng to but stays put. Now if he sees a cat or squirrel, then he will chase it, but will come as soon as he hears me yell. If we go to the park I keep him off leash if we are playing ball, but if we are walking h goes on the leash.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I have a fenced in back yard that Hondo goes into with out direct supervision. I have acreage that Hondo is allowed to run around unleashed, but only when I'm out with him. Never on his own. He isn't allowed to go where the horses are unless the horses are locked in their stalls. 

I have never taken him out on public property unleashed, and rarely with out his halti.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yes, Jax is with me when I'm outside. If I can't watch her closely then I put her back in the house. But for general yard work, she comes out with me and rarely strays to far from me. This is the first year we've let her out with us without a lead and she's 3 1/2 years.


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

We own 5 acres and our dogs are allowed to roam the property only if we are out with them to supervise. The backyard is for them to do whatever they want, the front is only for training and ball playing with us. We are in the process of fencing in 2 different areas in the back for them to spend time in without us having to worry about being there the whole time.


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## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

I live out in the middle of nowhere. I am surrounded by woods in all directions.

I use to have the underground wire radio fence. It was always messing up.

Finally invested in a wireless fence. It works prefect.


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