I got kinda smitten when I watched one doing the agility at crufts either last year or the year before, the dog was bloody amazing,

There are some cracking ittle dogs at our agility. They do really well. It must hurt the owners back sometimes trying to teach them too.

LOL. Hardly likely. Shows how much you know really.

Really...this from someone who doesn't know any Boxers,oh except for the aggressive ones in the distance?!

Boxers are VERY high energy. That I DO know..my great grandfather bred them They introduced me to the world of dogs.

I apologise if my posts are coming across as patronising and rude, that isn't the intention. However, I do feel strongly that it would be cruel not to allow MY dogs to run off lead freely regularly. Is that better?

Thats true for my dogs, whenever a lead goes on they naturally fall into step, and they will not run while they are on the lead, the only time that Honey has ever ran on a lead is when she got a severe injury to her front paw, and could not be let off lead, after about two weeks she had so much pent up energy that she just ran on the extension lead, she wouldn't do it before, as its not normal for her, and recently Diesel has started to get excitited because of the snow, but he has never ran on lead, I've had both on a 20 ft long line, and it was hard work, as the dogs wouldn't leave my side, unless they was going for a wee, and then they came straight back and fell straight back into step.

So I feel that my two need it, espcailly as they live with small furries, they would not run otherwise, and its become very much a part of their day, they have never been stressed from running off lead, but have become stressed if they have been kept on lead for more then a day, infact its actually dangerous for mine the first time they are let back off lead after being kept on for any length of time, because they have so much pent up energy, and are on the look out for anything to take it out on, be it a squirrel, rabbit or even one of my old cats (and this is the only time that Honey ever chased a cat).

So although being kept on lead most of the time, or on all walks may work for some dogs and owners, it defiantly wouldn't work for me and mine.

Yes.

In answer to that though...you have a GSD with arthritis. If she continues to deteriorate, but does not regulate her own exercise effectively....will you do it for her and have her onlead in order to stop her doing more than she should?

I also wonder how much time you have actually spent walking a dog onlead in the way I walk Tango and other people on here walk their dogs that can't cope with being let off for whatever reason. The thing is, until you have seen that they can and do cope when thought is put into every moment of every onlead walk..I don't think it is possible to say that offlead exercise is NEEDED.

I'm sure they are. But to say that they have triple the amount of energy of my breed, one that you have probably never met given that they are uncommon, is seriously unlikely. You wouldn't be able to live with such a dog.

I get where your coming from I have often said the worst thing that could happen to any of my lot is a cruciate injury or snap, for dogs that have spent so much time having freedom, I think it would be horrid to suddenly have that plucked from them,
which sort of takes us back to what tassle said,

but for dogs who have been walked on lead since they were young I dont think it would be a problem.

anyways im bowing out now,

being on the fence I can see all sides and tbh everyone has a point. lol

I think that is what most people have been saying all along, only that point seems to be constantly challenged by some.