DemoDick wrote:Don't let this dog off leash unless you are in your own secured, fenced yard and there are no other dogs present. If you do not have a fenced yard, find someone who does who will let you use it. You do not have the level of control you think you do. What you're talking about takes years of very high-level training and even then it is still not absolute. That is going to be the opinion and advice of everyone here.
Demo Dick
Hi...
I understand your frustration with your dog....I really Do.
I know you are 'trying different things' but I also KNOW you 'trusting' you and your dog based on a kind of HOPE/and belief that "so far nothing really really bad has happened" theory.
This is a very dangerous risk.
Even though I am the least qualified person *here* on this forum, (for various reasons), I'd like for you to go back through all the answers you've received from the members of the board and read them all
again. I suspect You're disappointed with some of the answers and are telling yourself that these people don't "know diesel and they don't Know how hard you work to do the right thing"
This is a mistake, hon.
I have a dog named Dar that sound similar to Yours.
Forgive this long response, But This is My Way of Telling you the
same thing Demo and the others told you, but with lots more 'pictures' . (but our message is the same)
When I first adopted an 11 week old Dar, I wanted all the things 'average people' take for granted with their dogs.
My hope/goal for him to walk down the street, go places in the car, and be the pit bull diplomat dog in a small town that really doesn't care for the breed at all.
I did what I thought was all the right things to 'socialize him'.
when he was little I drove him to DOGGY PLAY DATES at the "dog trainer' on Saturdays.
(Demo, Stop Laughing at me)> :+)
While he played with the other dogs, I was pleased to see he romped and exhibited all the behaviors of a pit bull that would be 'socialzed' with other dogs and get along JUST fine.
Nope, No Aggression. He was about 5-7 months old, and in my opinion, on his way to being a Pit with no dog aggression.
Then came the phone call.
One day at Doggy-Camp (I was out of town and had him "kenneled' there), the owner said "one minute he was fine and the next minute he was all over a Vizula. "Kathy" said she had to THROW HERSELF ON DAR and 'MAKE HIM LET GO'...
and she felt she could no longer allow Dar at the 'daycare' because she coudn''t trust him.
(I had already mentioned to this dog trainer/kennel owner I didnt' think it was a good idea for her to let the dogs play unsupervised, but she felt dar 'was no threat at all)
NO More Doggy Play Dates. :+(
THEN, There were a couple times Dar got loose out of my fenced yard and I realized that NO MATTER how many times this dog would 'come', 'shake', lay down', 'wait', and a myriad of other commands IN THE HOUSE FOR A TREAT,
once he was off leash, there was NOTHING in this world more important to him that Running Hog-Ass Wild Around the neighborhood......It was only after sheer exhaustion and the help of my entire family to 'herd' him back towards the house for water that one of us could shut the 7 foot kennel gate on my front porch.
( this kennel gate had to be put in to keep him IN the yard, which didn't work either, because Dar would simply climb it.)
I walked Dar on leash around my small town every single day. He always strained/pulled.....and I never truly felt this was a RELAXED walk. ---Dar never got to the place where I felt I HAD HIM UNDER CONTROL.
Even if He didn't go lunging after other dogs, there were ALWAYS dogs running up to us, there were squirrels and rabbits.
Sure, I had treats to reward him when he did break eye contact with whatever and I tried to follow the GREAT advice everyone gave me here, but I dunno---even letting go of of the leash with one hand to offer the treat made me feel uneasy.
He could just be so determined and strong when that squirrel darted up a tree, or a little dog would run up barking.
As much as you tell yourself you can 'control' Diesel right now, believe me, you most likely won't be able to when ONE OF THESE DAYS, another dog is going to run UP to Diesel and Diesel decides THIS TIME IS THE TIME .
Once, When Dar got out, some lady tried TO HELP me 'get him' BY letting her small dog out of the house to 'lure him into playing' --before I could stop her, she opened up the door, scooped up MUFFY and let her go bounding towards Dar.
OH.
MY.
GOD.
Thank god Dar only roughed Muffy up and finally LET GO.......
The woman was Screaming, I was on top of DAr trying to make him LET GO....
Holding Him Down, My Daughter Kelcie (17 at the time) was crying because the unspoken horror had just happened.
Dar had 'hurt' a small dog in our tiny town, and we feared a complaint would cost me my dog.
I paid for a vet bill and was THOROUGHLY SHAKEN AND PETRIFIED of a "next time">
My dog will sit and not break eye contact with me with a bowl of cooked chicken at his feet, until I give him the 'okay'.
BUT if another dog walks by our house, there is NOTHING I HAVE TO OFFER THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM than his desire to HAVE that dog.
No Food, No Commands, NOTHING.
Could Dar Become a Better Trained Dog??
YES.
Would it TAKE CONSIDERABLE Time and Effort???
YES.
Did I try??
FOR A WHILE.
BUT I do not have the Patience, the Time, or the Total Understanding of Dog Behavior to maintain the Training Dar Needs to get to a place where I feel safe walking him in our small town.
I don't NEED to have my dog play with other dogs...I realized he doesn't need to play.
I realized my need to Walk My Dog was personal, and He could get just as much exercise as he needs in the yard with play time with me.
So what have I done to MODIFY ??
I'm lucky enough to have a Large Fenced in (picket fence PLUS a 4 foot flimsy wire fence adhered beyond that , to 'keep Dar in"> Ha. He just climbs it the minute I let him out of the door)
So.
Since I'm not Very "big", and well, not as YOUNG as I used to be, Dar Is NEVER off a Tether Line when I take him out to play.
He goes to the Back Door, and is Clipped to a Tether Line that's Screwed into the FOUNDATION of my house.
That Line Gets him to the LONG Tether, Where he can Extend to the Perimeter of the yard, but not close enough to the actual fence. This is where we play with the Spring pole, I kick the soccer ball, etc.
He gets exercise, and gets to hang out like a dog.
I sit in my chair under the tree and read, etc. when he's just hanging out.
I KNOW MY LIMITATION and I know MY Dog's capability.
He GETS NO CHANCES to Run.
LACK OF PERSONAL Dedication (time, understanding, effort, etc) Is My Problem, not the dog's fault.
but I'm also not going to play 'faith games' with myself and think "it's okay just this one time'.
I'm scared for you and your dog when you say you let him out the back ally because no cars can get in.
But one of the worst 'run off' instances happened to me with Dar when a RABBIT zipped by him when I was taking him to the car. (( I didn't have the firm grip on the leash).
Dar took off after that Rabbit for BLOCKS AND BLOCKS--he ran so fast, he was out of sight within seconds and I had no idea which way he was going; zipping through the back yards of our tiny quiet town...
I was PANICKED.
What if "Miffy the poodle' was tied out in her yard down on X-Y-Z street?
What if he bolted across the tracks when a train was coming??
What if the Big German Shepard was 'out roaming the streets again?
There are just too many possibilities............and NONE OF THEM GOOD.
Actually, they're pretty horrific.
Not Being able to let Diesel out to run around may seem easier.....(cause it's a pain to be vigilant every second or find other ways to let your dog find exercise.
But as the owner of pit bull, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG, and the dogs of other people.
Every single time someone sees your trying to get control of your lunging, whining dog, it sends the message that you have an uncontrolled aggressive dog-----
Again, I'm sorry this is such a long story.
But Please.
Stick Around, Ask Questions and trust these people.
They KNOW what they are talking about.
((and they don't always agree with each OTHER, LOL....but when I see them all agreeing on one topic, YOU CAN REST ASSURED, there's no grey area. )
Take this Free Advice and consider yourself lucky.
:+)
“Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are Anger and Courage.
Anger that things are the way they are.
Courage to make them the way they ought to be.”----Augustine