# The Street...



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Hmmm...I've had 3 poodles and not one has ever had a healthy fear of the street. I just have to keep them on a leash or in the fenced in back yard.


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Why take the risk. Put her on a leash or in a fenced area. It just isn't worth it.


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## pudlemom (Apr 16, 2010)

AgilityIG said:


> Why take the risk. Put her on a leash or in a fenced area. It just isn't worth it.


Agreed,they do make a long cable tie out that you could use and she could roam around with you on that and you would not have to worry about her getting in the street.


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

Yup, I agree. In fact, I want to stress that you do NOT want her scared of the street; fear is hard to control and there is no 'healthy' level of fear. If she was on a lead going for a walk and is afraid to go anywhere near the street, it will cause difficulties.... There is also no humane way to teach her to fear something IMO, as I don't see causing fear to be humane at all....


However, I do know what you mean, you don't actually want your dog to be scared (I only covered the above for the benefit of anyone who may take it the wrong way!) but you want your dog to recognise the boundaries and not cross them without explicit permission by you. Correct?

I would start by having a long line for her to be able to spend time with you in the front yard SAFELY while you are busy. It will then give her an idea of hanging out with you without leaving to go elsewhere, but it means you need not worry about where she is as much and get on with your gardening. Give her a bone or something to chew on too.


Over time you will perhaps be able to spend some more time with her in the front yard for short spells when you're not too distracted and let her be with you. I'd be calling her away from the front boundary any time she went near it, and perhaps providing her with something to chew on to keep her occupied.


But in the end it will really just be time and consistency. Especially if she's reasonably new to all this 'yard' stuff! lol. Keep calling her away from teh front of the yard and encourage her to spend time back from the front edge. Keep close tabs on her, and don't push it too far; if your'e going to be out there for a while then put her on the long line again before you forget to watch what she's up to. If you cannot supervise her ACTIVELY, then she needs to be on a long line initially. It isn't worth the risk!!! 



And ANY time you have her off lead where she can get away is a risk you must be fully aware of. Yes, I take Paris all over the place without a lead, in fact she rarely ever wears a collar at all and she travels to work with me every day (so is going from the house, to the car, from the car park to the shop, and back again with no collar or lead. She will come into the open drive-way at home to collect the mail with me etc too) but it's something I know is a risk and I must be diligent. If anything were to happen to her (she got away or something) then I would be the only one at blame, and I have to be ok with taking that risk. No dog can be trusted 110%, no matter how much you think they can be, there will be SOMETHING that could trigger your dog into running off. It might be just a leaf for some, or it might be a nuclear explosion under their tail, but NO dog is totally and utterly bomb proof. We must accept that any time our dog is off lead somewhere where they can easily escape.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I agree - just keep her leashed or use a cable. I really don't like electric fences either but don't get me started on that one LOL. I can't tell you how many dogs just ignore their electric fence in my neighborhood


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

Ditto from me. Mine is leashed around roads, full stop. We do train him to sit and wait at every crossing, so much so that he will do it automatically, but I would never rely on that off lead.

It's too easy and too tragic for a dog to go under a car. I live on a fairly quiet one lane road, but we occasionally get the boy-racers screaming down.


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## robin (Dec 18, 2010)

I live far out in the country on a dead-end little traveled road. But I've always taught my dogs while walking on lead -- in the country, I don't think you could do this in the city -- to move way far off the shoulder of the road and sit-stay when a car approaches.

I don't let my dogs loose, and have only allowed them off lead in the woods on state land. But I wanted to train that behavior on the off chance -- the horrible chance -- that they got loose. 

It took my good old pitty-boxer mix about a week to figure it out. My spoo figured it out in 1 day. ^_^ 

I'm with everyone else that a longline or tether is the best and safest option in your situation, if only because you are working and can't give the dog 100% of your attention.


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## DoeValley Poodles (Jun 12, 2010)

My parents had a 10yr old mixed breed dog that was never tied up. He always stayed with my parents when they were outside gardening etc. Until the one time he didn't. For whatever reason he bolted into the street in front of an on coming car. He didn't make it to the vet office. Very sad story without a happy ending.


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