Is it safe to allow a Black Lab Coonhound mix off leash?
I recently adopted a Lab Coonhound mix who is now over 10 weeks old. She’s generally well-behaved for a puppy, but I’ve noticed that when she catches scents, she tends to ignore me more. I was aware of hounds’ tendency to be stubborn before adopting her, and I’m prepared for the scent-following behavior.
I’m curious if anyone has experience with Lab / Hound mixes and whether they’ve been successful in letting them off leash in dog parks and other reasonably safe, open areas. I don’t plan on letting her off leash for hiking.
I have a 60-pound Coonhound/Lab/Poodle mix that I adopted when she was 10 months old. She’s infamous for only listening when she wants to. Sometimes, she’ll just look at you and decide to ignore commands. She’s very intelligent, knows plenty of tricks, and gets along well with people and other dogs, but she can be stubborn. She’s mastered heeling, but on walks, she’s a handful because she wants to sniff everything. I started using a head halter with her, and it’s made a significant difference.
I’ve accepted that she’ll never be a dog I can trust off-leash. The moment she catches a scent or sees an animal, she’d be off in a flash. (My other dog, on the other hand, sticks close and is excellent off-leash.)
How long did it take to correct the pulling and reduce the use of the head collar? So far, she’s not pulling on the leash, but I wonder if that might change as she gets older.
I have a Greyhound/Whippet mix (possibly with some Lab judging from his face), so while he’s not the same mix, his behavior sounds pretty similar to your girl’s. He’s very stubborn but otherwise well-mannered, and he absolutely loves smells and watching smaller animals. When he gets distracted, his prey drive can be quite strong. It took me a while to feel comfortable letting him off leash, but now he loves going to the park. We’ve been going off leash almost daily for about three months without any incidents.
I think taking it slow and working on recall with patience and lots of positive reinforcement has been key to his success off leash. If you can work on her recall in the yard or with a longer leash, that would be a good start. You could also try using training leashes and taking her to small off-leash parks to see how she responds to commands. Check if there are any fenced-off leash parks in your area where you can test her recall in a controlled environment first, before trying more open areas. If she’s too focused on smells to listen while on a leash, she may not be ready for off-leash situations yet. Hope this advice helps!
Great, so off-leash at the dog park is doable. I’ll focus on positive reinforcement and leash training while she’s still young. Getting a solid recall is crucial; I’ve even considered using a dog whistle for emergency situations. Thanks for your advice!