Do you trust your dog?

[Diesel_Dawg]

Kaytris posted about trust in my thread about exploring the off leash issue. After reading this story & drying a few tears it certainly hit home. It's not that I was oblivious to what dangers were there or fooled that I could trust Diesel implicitly, just that I found the level of his desire to listen & obey increased when I showed him a bit of trust & he had a more at ease, happy-go-lucky trott when I took off the leash. While the worry for me increased, the corrections for him were less.

So I was just curious who here trusts their dog?
In what aspect? To what extent? (uncrated in the house all day, off leash, etc)
And after reading that story (seriously, read it) do you still feel that you could/should trust your dogs?
If yes, do you honestly feel your dog is exempt from potential hazards/mishaps such as in this tragic story?

BTW, Kaytris, thanks for posting that link

[Labradorable]

I trust my dog like I trust my children. They are to be watched and guided and protected.

My husband was running with Dozer (on lead) in May and they were in the home stretch, about 5 blocks from home. All of a sudden my husband sees a husky and it's companion bolt towards the road. He sees a truck coming. He waves for the driver to stop, she sees him, but has no idea wtf he's waving about. BAM the husky is hit. Well, it hit the side of the truck. It ran back to it's house as my husband was heading across the street so the other dog wouldn't bolt out too.

The man said "she's never done that before."

There's a first time for everything and we live on a busy street.

The husky was lucky. She's still alive. Hopefully her person learned a lesson.

[deidra]

I trust Tank more than Bentley. Yes,I let Tank off-lead but if I wasn't there he would be gone in a flash. Bentley he is now always on lead as I do not trust him as much. I do not fully trust my dogs though. They are animals and animals have their own "thoughts". WIth Tank I can trust him around kids more than I can adults because an ADULT abused him and he is scared of them exspeccially men. WHile Bentley I can trust him more with teenagers and adults more than I can with kids "they are never left alone with kids". SO my awnser is no I do not trust them 100%. Tank 90% and Bentley 80% if that is ok that is my trust for them.

[Dio's mama]

Hmmm... Dio has the run of the house, but we shut the doors to the rooms and bathrooms and I have a toddler lock on the pantry, just in case. So far so good. *knocks on wood*. As for off-leash, only in car free areas. If we are near a street or on the sidewalk, it is mandatory that his leash be on. If we're cutting through the park, I let go of the leash but it's still on him in case he needs to be grabbed.

I trust him, but I know that he doesn't "get" the dangers of cars, trucks, bikes...

[georgie]

I don't fool myself that anything is 100% fool proof no matter how well trained a dog is. Abby has her MHR, she has to walk from a holding blind, at heel, to the line in hunt tests. She can not be out of control. Her recall is excellent. Would I ever walk her on a street with no leash? NEVER. I just would not take a chance. We travel with them alot, they both know not to get out of their crates till they are released. They are on leash when they get out of the crates when we travel.They sit at the door until they are released to go out. Would I ever trust them 100%...nope. They are dogs & you never know what will catch their eye & they might decide, just that one time, to bolt. I would never take that chance. The only time they are off leash is at the beach, in the sand at the ocean & on the training grounds we go to. But my eyes are never off of them.

And for a sad story, our breeder lost her beloved Ruby several months ago. Nancy has about 68 acres. We train there all the time. Her labs are also well trained. Well she had company, someone left the door open, the dogs went out. Nancy called them in. All of them came but Ruby. They started looking for her. Someone called & told her that Ruby had been hit by a car on Rt. 30. With all that property, she took off after a deer & ran up through the hillside & got onto the busy 4 lane highway. Ruby & the deer were both killed. My breeder has not gotten over it yet. So things can happen. Ruby was 5 1/2 years old. They are still dogs & you never know what they will do.

[Tanya]

I trust my dog like I trust my children. They are to be watched and guided and protected.

My husband was running with Dozer (on lead) in May and they were in the home stretch, about 5 blocks from home. All of a sudden my husband sees a husky and it's companion bolt towards the road. He sees a truck coming. He waves for the driver to stop, she sees him, but has no idea wtf he's waving about. BAM the husky is hit. Well, it hit the side of the truck. It ran back to it's house as my husband was heading across the street so the other dog wouldn't bolt out too.

The man said "she's never done that before."

There's a first time for everything and we live on a busy street.

The husky was lucky. She's still alive. Hopefully her person learned a lesson.

Very very similar story happened to my dad. he was walking Dryf (family dog) on leash on a residential stree. A family parked in their driveway and teh dog BOLTED out the car and headed accross the street where my dad and Dryf were. He never made it, he was hit and died in the arms of his owner who saw the entire thing. The owner said the same thing "he has NEVER done that before".

I took Rocky swimming in an area everyone (EVERYONE) said was super safe. the dogs have no where to go they all said. What did Rocky do? He swam after a duck down the river. Completely out of site in a river with currents. I started with happy cheerful calls but by the end I was shreeking in fear. Rocky came back happy as a clam, seriously, i rarely see him THAT happy. sigh.

So I know Rocky is only allowed certain freedom in cerain environments. Ducks are obviously an issue. Does he come back? sure, eventually. but god only knows wha will happen in the meantime. I have a friend who lets her dog loose at her cottage and says they don't see her for HOURS! Seriously? I could never live with that.

I am in the city so leashes are not only on but short, as cars often drive near the road and one quick stretch of the head to sniff something on the road could be dangerous.

In the house?
Uncrated now but it took MANY years before he got to this point But I do NOT trust him with a loaf of bread on teh counter So I do a "rocky proof" scan of the environment.

With kids? sure, but I know he WILL try to steal the granola bar right out of my niece's hand if given the chance as well Mostly because she will just hold it and walk around with it for awhile so he figures she needs help eating it but otherwise is gentle (very gentle) with kids

[Tanya]

one more thing - as a foster home this is a huge issue I have when placing fosters. Too many poeple think you can just leave a new dog offleash right away. before they have even bonded. it is really hard to make them understand that a dog won't always naturally just go with you. everyone just wants to bring their adopted dog to the park just down the street with all the other dog owners go, which is totally unfenced. Sigh.

[BauersMom]

Bauer has excellent recall, and always has. We take off-leash walks in the woods and in the trails of a local park. He has run after deer, squirrels, and turkeys; but he will turn on a dime when called. "Let's go!" is our emergency phrase, and I can't think of a time he hasn't come when he hears it. His recall is one of his best traits. That being said, I would never, EVER take him off lead near cars or roads. I am 99.99% certain that he would heel and could be called back if necessary, but I love him too much to risk the small chance that he wouldn't. It is my job to keep him safe, and i would never forgive myself if my poor choice hurt him. We have an invisible fence (we live at the end of a private road in the country), and he doesn't go out alone. Someone is always with him. Perhaps I'm paranoid, but you just never know. In the house he has free roam, and has since he was a little over a year old. He has never counter surfed, and was never a "chewer". We still keep everything put away that might hurt him. When we leave, we do a quick sweep of the house to be sure. He is very trustworthy, but he is still an animal . . . and you can never be too careful.

[Felix]

Yes, i trust my dog complete .. Except whem we walk into other dogs, she's not so kind towards other dogs. But to childeren, and other people she's friendly and calm

And when she's roaming around in the forest it is just one simple call, and she's back to me

[kassabella]

Kassa I trusted completly, but would never let her off lead on a street. Park, on a hike, beach her recall was 90%.

Ernie didn't have any training and trainers told me I would never be able to let him off lead anywhere. I have given him numerous chances to prove them wrong, but the call of the wild is too much for him. I have spent years on long lines, treats the works. He is better and I can walk from the car to the house without a lead, and if I give him time at the beach he will come back. Other than that even in a fenced yard he will find an escape if he wants to.

Tessa is proving she can be trusted so will work on that a bit more.

Gemma I trust 90%. But for me no matter how well trained any dog there is always a small % something could happen so never let them off lead where they can be harmed.

Kassa was fine in the house at 18 months. Ernie recently earned that right. Gemma not yet and Tessa not yet. In the yard they are fine. GEmma wont leave the yard, but I still keep an eye on her.