Do dogs need to run free? When should a dog be on a leash, and when is it appropriate for the dog to be off the leash?

Will a dog automatically come to your call out of love for you? Does the failure to come when called mean your dog doesn’t respect you? What role does training play? Should a dog who doesn’t come when you call be off the leash?

Legal Issues

Leash laws are set by localities. Cities and towns typically require keeping your dog on leash when outside a building, vehicle, or fence. Parks as well as other public and private properties can require leashes even if the area has no leash law.

People commonly violate leash laws and rules, but doing so is risky. You might be fined or required to appear in court on the basis of a report by an enforcement officer or a citizen. Your dog might be impounded. If the dog is observed behaving aggressively, you might have to decide whether to hire a lawyer and try to get the dog released, or lose the dog permanently.

A cute little dog behaving aggressively is a lot less likely to be reported to authorities than a large dog of a breed with a reputation for being dangerous who is showing exactly the same behavior. While this may seem unfair, the responsibility for a dog capable of doing serious damage is greater.

The safest practice is to confine off-leash activity to designated areas and activities. For example, dogs can legally be off-leash in fenced dog parks, and during hunting and certain other specific tasks for which they are properly trained. The owner is still liable for any harm that results.

When Training

Keeping the leash on when you train with your dog aids the formation of good habits. People often take their dogs off leash because the person and the dog don’t know how to work on a leash. It’s wiser to learn how. You’ll be a more competent dog handler and your dog will be better trained. A good handler can tell a great deal about your ability with your dog by watching how you handle the leash.

If a regular leash doesn’t give enough room to do the exercise you are training, a long line or a retracting lead usually will. Otherwise, it’s better to move the training to a safe location. In some such cases people opt to use an electronic collar, but do your homework before considering it. Training with an electronic collar requires expert help in order to avoid ruining the dog’s temperament. How can you be sure the trainer you use is expert? You can’t. Training with a leash is safer in every way.

One reason to train your dog with a loose leash is to teach the dog to pay attention to you rather than being guided by a taut leash. Another reason is to increase the likelihood of eventually being able to work the dog without a leash. If the dog learns to listen to you without feeling leash pressure, removing the leash won’t feel very different to the dog.

The more practice you put in with the loose leash, the better your dog will listen to you without the leash. The loose leash is a major sign to other dog handlers that you know what you are doing. It also makes handling your dog on a leash a fraction of the effort it becomes on a tight leash as you and the dog both pull progressively harder.

Dogs of some breeds may seem to learn quickly and people may think their dogs are reliable long before they are. Other breeds or individual dogs seem so friendly their owners don’t get motivated to train. The Golden Retriever, a highly trainable breed, often falls victim to this. If you’re not careful, you wind up with an unruly Golden who jumps on other people and their dogs—upsetting both of them and even starting fights—and a big retraining job to do because of the bad habits you’ve allowed to form.

Some breeds are much more difficult to train than others. These can be the dogs who need the most training, giving you a lot of work. The best time to consider this is before adopting a dog.

A dog’s temperament makes a huge difference in the dog’s ability to work around other dogs and people, with or without a leash. Temperament can be the result of breed or the genetics of the individual dog. Dog behavior is strongly determined by genetic makeup. Training can improve it, but genetics limit the improvement that is possible.

Dog behavior is also heavily influenced by the dog’s prior experiences or lack of experiences needed at specific developmental stages. Repeatedly chasing a dog can create a dog who tends to run from people, for example. In spite of great training later, that dog may never become reliable to come when called.

Some behaviors benefit from training off leash and thus should be done in a confined area. One example is when working with a timid dog. You may want to train off-leash using treats or other rewards until the dog gains confidence in the training and gets used to a leash.

Certain athletic behaviors are also better done off-leash, when use of a leash might interfere with the dog’s balance or cause the dog to continue working when tired or in pain. Handler skill with the leash, a loose leash, and careful observation of the dog can make most things safe to do on-leash until training is reliable, though.

 Good Rules to Follow

1. Use a leash when not inside a building, fence, or vehicle unless there is a good reason to have the leash off at that specific moment. When that reason ends, go back to using the leash.

2. Keep courtesy in mind. Discourteous dog owners who upset others in their communities are causing dogs owners to lose the ability to get insurance, to take their dogs to places they formerly could take them, and even to own the breeds they want. Go out of your way to be courteous when handling a dog. Demonstrate that dog owners can be good neighbors.

3. If you want to show off your dog’s training, pick an appropriate place for it, such as a scheduled performance in an indoor or fenced location.

4. Put yourself in the other person’s place. Your dog being off-leash can instantly upset such people as: a person walking a fearful or aggressive dog on leash, a person with a young child or multiple children to supervise, someone allergic to dogs, someone afraid of dogs, a frail person who would be hurt by a fall if knocked off-balance by your dog, or someone dressed for a critical meeting with no time to change clothes dirtied by a bouncing dog. After the other person exclaims or you see the panicked expression on the face, putting the dog back on leash won’t fix the damage already done. If people have a right to expect that dogs they encounter in that location will be on leash, stick to the rules. Otherwise the next rule change may be “No Dogs Allowed.” This is happening everywhere.

5. Clean up your dog’s poop. No place is so far off the beaten path that it’s a good idea to leave your dog’s poop laying there.

6. Have your eyes on your off-leash dog at all times.

7. Work only one dog off-leash at a time so you can properly supervise that dog.

8. If you choose to run your dog at an off-leash dog park, make sure your dog fits in without being frightened or frightening other dogs. At leashed parks, keep your dog on leash. At off-leash parks, it’s risky to keep a dog on-leash because it can lead to fights. Pick the right kind of park for your dog’s needs, temperament and level of training.

9. Always remember that dogs act impulsively and don’t understand the consequences of their actions. At any time, something unexpected could happen to tempt your dog off command and into an action you never would have imagined. To keep this risk to a minimum, train well with your dog, keep the training sharp, and maintain a strong mental connection with your dog during all off-leash activity.

What’s Best for Your Dog

In considering whether or not you and your dog can work reliably without a leash, test in an objective situation. Participate in testing with established rules and under an experienced evaluator. Don’t just judge for yourself. All of us love our own dogs and will inevitably at times be blind to their faults and overestimate their virtues.

Few activities require the leash to be off in an open area. Be sure to continue use of the leash until your dog is ready to work without it, even if that is never. A dog on a leash can be a magnificent worker and a joy to be around. Make sure you and your dog are good citizens.