When dog walking can you let the dog run free in a park?

[Dogtastic101]

Hello everyone! I'm 14 years old and have joined this forum because I love dogs and I am really knowledgeable about dogs and dedicate my time to learning about them and dog body language. I want to become a dog walker when I turn 16! I just wanted to ask, if you are a dog walker can you let the dog run free and play at a park will they return even though you aren't their owner? Thank you so much and have a lovely week everyone.

 

[leashedForLife]

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As in so much concerning dogs, it depends... there's no hard n fast rule.
The 1st Q to ask the owner is, how good is this dog's recall with U? - can s/he be called in reliably?
Will they come to the owner at least 8 times of 10 single cues? [80% compliance]

then it further depends on how well-proofed the dog has been - can they be called in when other dogs are present? When other ppl are there? When they're sniffing tracks, chasing, or watching a prey animal?
What if they see a roaming cat? - will they chase, kill her / him if possible, or ignore the kitty?

Proofing is the part of training where most owners fall down on the job; sure, U can call Ur dog to U in the home garden... when no visitors are present, & the neighbor's dog isn't outside, barking, & there are no squirrels, birds, cats, or children in sight... So what? . That's an extremely-low bar, & it's pretty useless away from home!

Proofing is the process of adding the 3 Ds: Distractions, Distance [from the handler], & Duration [of the behavior] to the training process; no dog can be "well-trained" if s/he has never been proofed, & each individual exercise gets proofed step by step, gradually raising the level of difficulty.

The last bit is the dog's response to U as an individual - some dogs take longer to warm up to a stranger than others; some make friends very quickly, & will respond to cues from U just as well as they'd respond to the same cues from their owner.
All of these factors - how much training they've had, how much proofing they've had, how sociable & affiliative they are as individuals, & how well U two hit it off - determine if they can be free INSIDE a fenced park.

Personally, until i got to know them well, I would not let any client's dog off leash OUTside a fence - just in case. As a trainer or dog-walker, I'm legally responsible for the animal's safety, & also liable for any damages that dog might cause; if they ran into the street & caused an accident between 2 cars who swerved to avoid hitting the dog, I could face thousands of dollars in costs.
I can always use a long-line to let them romp in an unfenced area, or use a bike with a K9-Springer attachment to jog the dog safely at low speeds.

JMO & IME, YMMV,
- terry

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[Dogtastic101]

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As in so much concerning dogs, it depends... there's no hard n fast rule.
The 1st Q to ask the owner is, how good is this dog's recall with U? - can s/he be called in reliably?
Will they come to the owner at least 8 times of 10 single cues? [80% compliance]

then it further depends on how well-proofed the dog has been - can they be called in when other dogs are present? When other ppl are there? When they're sniffing tracks, chasing, or watching a prey animal?
What if they see a roaming cat? - will they chase, kill her / him if possible, or ignore the kitty?

Proofing is the part of training where most owners fall down on the job; sure, U can call Ur dog to U in the home garden... when no visitors are present, & the neighbor's dog isn't outside, barking, & there are no squirrels, birds, cats, or children in sight... So what? . That's an extremely-low bar, & it's pretty useless away from home!

Proofing is the process of adding the 3 Ds: Distractions, Distance [from the handler], & Duration [of the behavior] to the training process; no dog can be "well-trained" if s/he has never been proofed, & each individual exercise gets proofed step by step, gradually raising the level of difficulty.

The last bit is the dog's response to U as an individual - some dogs take longer to warm up to a stranger than others; some make friends very quickly, & will respond to cues from U just as well as they'd respond to the same cues from their owner.
All of these factors - how much training they've had, how much proofing they've had, how sociable & affiliative they are as individuals, & how well U two hit it off - determine if they can be free INSIDE a fenced park.

Personally, until i got to know them well, I would not let any client's dog off leash OUTside a fence - just in case. As a trainer or dog-walker, I'm legally responsible for the animal's safety, & also liable for any damages that dog might cause; if they ran into the street & caused an accident between 2 cars who swerved to avoid hitting the dog, I could face thousands of dollars in costs.
I can always use a long-line to let them romp in an unfenced area, or use a bike with a K9-Springer attachment to jog the dog safely at low speeds.

JMO & IME, YMMV,
- terry

.

Thank you so much for the insightful reply, I really appreciate it. Have a lovely week or weekend depending on wherever you are!

 

[Violet Turner]

Welcome, If you make a contract with the owner then they can sign if they want their dog to be let off or kept on the lead.

 

[Dogtastic101]

Welcome, If you make a contract with the owner then they can sign if they want their dog to be let off or kept on the lead.

Okay, thanks a lot!