Bonus: How To Safely Allow Your Dog Off-Leash

Training your dog to return to you when called or signaled is key for enjoying off-leash experiences. Whether at a traditional fenced-in dog park, or public lands in the wilderness where off-leash dogs are allowed, the ability to recall your dog to your side is a vital lesson to learn. It is part of being a responsible dog parent, to ensure safety for other dogs, wildlife, and humans alike. This bonus episode provides tips from outdoor journalist Annette McGivney, who also writes about hiking etiquette and regularly takes her dog Trudy off-leash in the backcountry woods of Colorado.

In this episode, we hear from guest expert Annette McGivney. This series is narrated by Jenna Blum, author and dog mom.

Dog Parkology is a show about the importance of dog parks as public space. The series is produced by As It Should Be Productions, the creators of the Dog Save The People and Dog Walk Meditation podcasts.

FEATURED LINKS
Dog Parkology website
Dog Parkology on Instagram
Dog Parkology on X
Dog Parkology on Facebook
Jenna Blum on Instagram
Sign up for dog park people newsletter
Dog Save The People on Apple Podcasts
Dog Save The People on Spotify
Dog Walk Meditation on Apple Podcasts
Dog Walk Meditation on Spotify

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Welcome to Dog Parkology, a show thatlooks at the concept of dog parks
through our relationship with dogs,with each other, and with the land.
Our dog parks can take many forms.
They're not limited to the traditionalfenced in areas of grass or dirt.

(00:27):
They can be anything.
Whether you're going for hikes inthe woods or running on a beach,
as long as you're making sure to beresponsible and respectful of others
when having your dog off leash.
This is outdoor writer Annette McGivney.
It's very important for anoff leash walk in wild places

(00:48):
that your dog has good recall.
That means that they come back toyou whenever you call out to them,
no matter how distracted they mightbe, chasing something, or barking.
Or wanting to engage with another dog,that when they hear your signal, which
could be calling their name, or youmay have a whistle or other device,

(01:11):
they turn around and head towards you.
Maybe you're lucky enough where you havea kind of dog that will always come back
to you when you call, but that doesn'tmean for all the rest of us that we can't
take our dog off leash in wild places.
It just means that we use a device calledan e collar, which is not a shock collar.

(01:32):
Having an e collar gives youa sense of security that the
dog will be able to come back.
The device against their neck vibratesor beeps or both depending on how
you set it and it breaks theirattention when they're really fixated
on something and they turn aroundand they're like, Oh yeah, my owner.

(01:52):
They come back where I live inColorado, I love to do off leash
dog walks with my yellow lab.
Trudy, now that I have an eco, Iknow I can communicate with her.
It's worked wonderfully for me.
I've had two dogs in the past whenthis technology with Ecos wasn't
available and I was hiking up thistrail with my two dogs coming down.

(02:17):
The trail was a black bear.
My two dogs went after it.
And next thing I knew, thedogs were running towards me,
coming back down the hill.
I'm sure the bear must haveraised up on its hind legs and
growled and scared the dogs.
So I was so relieved, but now I know ifthat same thing happens in bear country

(02:40):
today, I've got the e collar, I feel likeI can control Trudy and not be scared.
be subjected to that same riskfor Trudy, myself, or the bear.
90 percent of the time, shecomes back without me ever even
having to use the e collar.
But just knowing it's an option, whenshe's too far, she may not hear my

(03:02):
voice, or she may not want to payattention to my voice in the way that
the e collar, with its vibration andbeeps on her neck, gets her attention.
Such a relief to me and it keepsher safe and it keeps wildlife safe.
We're trying to be responsible in theoutdoors with our dogs but we're also

(03:23):
trying to enjoy nature at its best.
which is off leash.
Please also check local rules toconfirm off leash walks are permitted
on the public lands you are visiting.
Thank you for listening tothis episode of Dog Parkology.

(03:43):
I'm Jenna Blum, your narrator.
This show was created by AsIt Should Be Productions, the
creators of Dog Save the People.
And dog walk meditation podcasts withexecutive producer, Scott Benalio
and producer and editor Jack Summer.
Be sure to check out the entireseason of dog parkology by following

(04:05):
the show on Apple podcasts, Spotify,or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can follow us on social media.
A dog parkology and dog save the people.
You can visit our website, dogparkology.
com to learn more about the show and tobuy custom design merch like our t shirts.
If you know of any great dog parksin your area, or you've created your

(04:28):
own dog parkology moment, You canemail us at dogparkology at gmail.
com.
We'd love to hear about your experience.
And if you've enjoyed listening to thisepisode, please share it with a friend.
Enjoy a trip to a dog park today,or wherever you go with your dog,
to appreciate nature, meet others,and make a better life together.