Gnasher, you know Loki and that he fights other dogs. I have no choice but to keep him on a lead in public places and I have to venture right out into the middle of nowhere so that he can run off lead. I am lucky in that I live right on the edge by the fields but there is still a risk that we run into other dogs, so I have to be careful.

His life isn't cruel or miserable, I assure you. I do my best to ensure he gets off lead exercise but it is difficult sometimes and I am always alert for other dogs.

What choice do I have? I wouldn't use an e-collar on him to try to stop him fighting.

BTW, I did see a behaviourist but it wasn't terribly useful, in honesty.

Having been in Sheepsville all last week,then out again around water and fields etc today I have to say my two have been onlead a LOT because of sheep and because of ground nesting birds/fledglings etc. They are just as tired as they are after an offlead walk.
Life on lead is not cruel...sometimes it is necessary, particularly in the countryside at this time of year, out of respect for the other species that live there.

i dont think its about a life on a lead. I keep my dogs on a lead when saftey is paramount, Ie walking near to a cliff edge.

My OHs BSDs would prob chase sheep so we wouldnt risk them off the lead where we see shhep, wheras mine are fine!

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I agree a life on a lead , will depend on the dog and the owner.. where it is necessary to do so, it is called being responsible..

Would it be better to use CM `s violent methods or even worse the e.collar...

I know which I choose, the cruel owner I am

Well I hold my hands up..I am a cruel owner and my dogs are condemned to a life on a lead..(as are the majority of other mals and sibes in the UK..as most are not allowed off lead)..

Absolutely totally in support of your excellent post wolfdog. We have adders on a heath area in a local area of woodland near here. Tai would almost certainly pounce on one if he saw one before I would have a chance to stop him. I know that as a rule adder bite is little worse than a bee sting - but then like many humans, my father included, our dogs also can go into anaphylactic shock following such apparently minor incidents. What a terrifying thing to have happened.

I quite agree too about the selling of e-collars to the general public, v. bad idea.

None of us are cruel but behaving responsibly and taking care of the interests of the dogs AND that of other people and their dogs.

I know, and I completely disagree with it. You CAN train them not to disappear into the sunset with perseverance and calm assertive energy. If I, who am really not very good at dog training, can train a wolf cross like Hal to recall, then there is hope for any owner of mals and sibes.

Can I ask a question Louise - how do you actually KNOW that they will pee off into the sunset. Have you actually put them to the test, or is this just what you have been told. I know someone who goes into our local with a lovely male pure sibe who diligently listened to the breeder and duly kept him on the lead. However, after our urging, they actually let him off and found to their surprise that yes, his recall was appalling, he took absolutely no notice, once he knew he was free, of their calls. But he did not gallop off into the sunset, he just would not come close enough to be caught! They kept their nerve, there was no danger, no roads or livestock, so ignored him and kept on walking. He continued to hunt rabbits in the wheat, ignoring them seemingly, until he realised he had been left behind. He soon came! Now if he won't come when called, they just turn around and run off in the opposite direction. He comes then.

I am not saying this would work with all mals and huskies, but I am sure a fair few just have very poor recall, and this is misinterpreted as being "will definitely p off into the sunset". After all, if you were confined to the lead the whole time, wouldn't you make a run for it if you were let off for the first time, or you "escaped"? I jolly well would.

Fine. But allow me (and this is not aimed at you LS, but at those who are robust to say the least in their accusations of cruelty and abuse because I like CM) to have the right to criticise an action that I think IS cruel.

It works both ways

I don't KNOW..but I love my dogs too much to take the chance!