Free Running

[doris]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

I used to exersise along canal towpaths but our local council has just put dog control orders in place in ALL public areas and dogs are not allowed off the lead

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

do local council's control the towpaths? I thought it would have been british waterways? you might want to check with the council or waterways, or ask if you see any employees working along the canal

I mean there might be the `odd dyke ` here and there    :- " 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I'm sure you're too canny to get caught by surprise :wacko:

 

[dawn]

Whippets were born to run ,
Im lucky in that I have a horse race course mins away. with lots of crows and canadian geese to chase , I try to let them have run at shows too ,but you have to be careful where you free run if you dont know the area dont you ,  (w00t) I mean there might be the `odd dyke ` here and there    :- " 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I saw a van once called Dyke - that was quite odd.

 

[jayp]

thanks for all your replies, in answer to the council thing it apparently covers all land owned by British watreways in our area. I do know quite a few show folk who do not free run their dogs as they consider being allowed to run around the garden a free run and most wont admit it. There are now protests in our local paper about these OTT restrictions but keep an eye out as they are set to spread all over the country. Gosh i now feel i am rubbish trainer as my whips are always jumping through hedges to go hunting, they do come back but not until they have thoroughly skirted the field. In 15 years of running prob 4 whips at most I have had 2 major cat encounters, one death of a young dog suspected broken neck, one hung from barbed wire by his back legs halfway up a tree after a squirrel. one jumped off a canal bridge onto concrete thankfully uninjured. And I consider my dogs to be pretty well behaved, if they slip the lead, jump out of the car or out of the front door they never run off and always come when callen unless hunting mode takes over then they are oblivious especially when in a pack. i would however fraught it has been always find a way to free run them every day as a whippet unable to run has no joy and neither would i. i remember the dyke jax. jan

 

[Macha]

   
I've just noticed the lines on Frankie - drawn on when myself and husband were talking Whippet anatomy!! (w00t)  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I wondered for a moment if they were the stitches after he cut himself while running free!

 

[Karen]

Mine are free running on the beach now, they found it a bit odd at first, Polly kept barking at the sea :blink:

At least on the beach there are not many deer or wabbits :thumbsup:

Let them free run, you will have the odd scary moment but most of the time its ok.

 

[zilloot]

I must have really weird whippets :blink:

There's one wooded area where I can go that all the dogs can be off the lead (well, Milly-lab is never off-lead with me because she only listens to her Dad).

But they just mooch!! They hardly ever go for a run :teehee: Only The Supermodel will sometimes run to catch up if she's been sniffing about at something. If I take them on one of the other walks they have road-walking, which is good for their feet and muscles and builds overall fitness, and then occasionally a run in a field... but even then the whippets only 'run' if I have the ball 'chucker' with me. Otherwise they're all really lazy!!!

The iggies, on the otherhand, are little nutters and run and run and run all the time!!!! :lol:

If the whippets do see something like a bunnifer or a hare they'll go after it but lose interest pretty quick - only The Supermodel will give a proper chase (and be gone for up to half an hour while I frantically chase after her!!!) If Milly-lab and The Supermodel are off the lead together they disappear hunting within minutes so they are now never off together.

 

[~JO~]

At least on the beach there are not many deer or wabbits :thumbsup:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

No but in the fields behind there are!!

I have taken Archie to a beach with really steep cliffs and all he does is leg it as fast as he can til the next cove and then he can chase all the rabbits on the fields and caravan sites behind (w00t) (w00t) But I would guess most whippets aren't quite as determined as Archibald :wacko:

But Stan loves the beach :huggles:

 

[louisetope]

All my boys free run every day and have done since day one. they get road-work too, especially for the champ show season.

We have a couple of reasonably "safe" places near by, but there has been the odd occasion when a rabbit or deer or something has caused some "convenient" deafness.

Murray really freaked me out earlier this year when he went off and was away for nearly an hour and a half :angry: Not a happy mummy when I finally caught up with him! Mind you, he'd obviously had the most fantastic time - tongue dwon to his knees and covered in blood (not his own mind!)

I find that the beach is the best place to take them - I'm lucky in that I have several nearby who let dogs on all year 'round. The sand sends them crazy - it's fantastic to watch.

They've had the odd cut and tear, but the silly accidents seem to happen when they're not going mad. Reg broke his leg just bimbling around. I have invested in a surgical stapler - fantastic for tears and barbed-wire nicks etc. Just clean 'em up, squish it together and pull the trigger. I'd recommend one to any whippet owner.

Like most have said, whippets are running dogs. If you're not gonna let them run, then get a different breed. If the injure, or, God forbid, kill themselves in the process, at least they were happy when it happened!

Louise

 

[JAX]

  (w00t) I mean there might be the `odd dyke ` here and there    :- " 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Just realise this could have been taken the `other way ` , cos I meant Dyke as along a field not `Dyke` as in girlie who prefers other girlies

I was at a partie a few years ago when asked if i d ever had `it ` with another girlie , and when I said `no` , I was asked if id like to give it a try (w00t) boy did I soper up quiclky :- "

We are still just `friends ` :huggles:

I know , this has nothing to do with free running has it :lol:

 

[jools]

Whippets were made to run free. I feel very sorry for those that never get the chance - and what sort of owners can deny them the pleasure, I hated it when Sky had to have gentle lead walks only because of her broken toe!!

Jax, I have had an encounter with a dyke on the Wolds rally - is that what you mean

 

[jayp]

Well an update to this topic. Took whips in dinner hour as usual on wednesday, free run in private sheep fenced field which i have permission to use. Up from brambles jumps c.t, over five barred gate go whippets,result poor c.t now in vets on a drip, my nerves and bank balance shattered. Does this only happen to me??? :rant: jan

 

[~Helen~]

Well an update to this topic. Took whips in dinner hour as usual on wednesday, free run in private sheep fenced  field which i have permission to use. Up from brambles jumps c.t, over five barred gate go whippets,result poor c.t now in vets on a drip, my nerves and bank balance shattered. Does this only happen to me??? :rant: jan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

No, it happens to me as well I have one who has fantastic recall in all situations except where there are deer, or where she has seen deer before, and I now have to take her to very selected places to let her run free and keep her fitness up. Most of the places within a five mile radius of me are so crowded with deer that it's becoming impossible to let Josie off. I love seeing her run free, but with a major road cutting through the landscape, plus all manner of barbed wire tangled through the undergrowth in the woods, I don't feel I have a choice but to keep her on the lead on 'at home' walks. I did have the attitude of "better take the risk and have her happy..." but three major injuries on and one crossing the fast road at rush-hour, and I'd rather have my darling girl alive at my side. I've had three close shaves which I consider divine warnings and I know we won't continue to be so lucky

She gets a free run 6 days out of 7, so we're all happy, but in our case there's a time and a place for it. My other whippet Lola is off lead most of the time, however she's beginning to range a bit more widely and develop selective deafness too, in spite of training and reinforcement in other situation :unsure:

We also go to a Hound Playgroup run in a local equestrian centre once a fortnight, where all the dogs get fantastic free runs in safety :thumbsup:

 

[sophie]

As Debs said, Whippets were born to run.  I think it is such a breathtaking sight to see them running at full pace - i love it. :huggles:   I let mine free run everyday.  My two show Whippets go off the lead together with my Dobermann and have a great time together on  massive open fields.  They also do road work daily.  However, on a 'pet' point of view, i don't think they would be properly exercised without their free running. 
Yes, i do worry about injuries.  Frankie seems to get little nicks and cuts quite easily, he's got a superficial scab on every leg at the moment, although this isn't normal! :b   However, he gets so much pleasure out of running i would never restrict him to just lead work. 

With Frankie it's been a lot of trial and error with exercise and food to get him to a weight and muscle tone that im happy with for the show ring.  Im now happy and proud with the way he's looking. :wub:   Above all, i've got two very happy Whippets who enjoy galloping across the fields on a daily basis. :huggles:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

What a handsome fellow!

Galloping across fields goes down well here too, though some days we just trot and sniff the superbly scented city pavements, count how many times it is possible to lift a leg, and stop at the park for a free run after a ball, or a chase with another whippet/ lurcher. Both seem to produce a contented, albeit skinny couch potatoe!

 

[jayp]

Phew, update on c.t incident, C.t now out of vets with no broken bones had to stay on drip 5 days but now home thankfully. Cost treatment £376.19 God hope my insurance coughs up or might have to sell kidney!!!! :rant: jan

 

[saraquele]

phewwww :blink:

glad all ok , thank god for insurance (w00t)

 

[JAX]

my butchers sell Kidneys , Ill get you one from there if you have to sell yours :- " :lol:

 

[jayp]

my butchers sell Kidneys , Ill get you one from there if you have to sell yours  :- "  :lol:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Cheers jax probably better than the one ive got (w00t) (w00t) jan

 

[GreyKnight]

We've always allowed our previous whippets off their leads so long as we are in a place we are familiar with and that is largely secure. We have roughly 45 acres of land which used to have sheep on it and we had to put pig wire all around the perimeter to keep them in, this means that it's unlikely that a dog will get out of his domain, but while in it they're allowed off the lead. We also allow them off the lead on the beach so long as there aren't any other dogs nearby.

To be honest the only time we put the dog on a lead is when in public (especially among other dogs), or when going on cliff top walks when on holiday as dogs are not clever enough not to run full tilt off a cliff!

Obviously while he's young we keep Monty on his lead when going for walks as he doesn't know to come to heel yet, but we hope to be able to let him off before the summer arrives.

 

[Janimal]

Phew, update on c.t incident, C.t now out of vets with no broken bones had to stay on drip 5 days but now home thankfully. Cost treatment £376.19 God hope  my insurance coughs up or might have to sell kidney!!!! :rant: jan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

So sorry about your dogs unfortunate accident. Hope hes well asap. :luck: