This is generally a big NO-NO in husky-world....purely for the reason that their instinct is to run and if they spot something more interesting than you then nine times out of ten they will run.. and run.. and run!!!!
But, I do know of huskies that are let off to run and they do return to their owners, it's all down to you and your dog, and whether you are prepared to take that risk...

Author: Liz McPherson

This is a very emotive subject for some people. Especially those breeders that have had to comfort someone who has lost a sibe due to it running off and not returning (or coming back in a carrier bag) - especially when they have tried to drum it home that they sibes should not be let off the lead.
For us - the price of getting it wrong is not worth the price of finding out.
Sibes don't understand roads and cars - the only thing I can guarantee is that ours definitely understand sheep and freedom - and are very agile when they see the chance of that opportunity.

Author: Guy Redwood

We also did the 'my husky is different' thing with our first pup.
Despite being told not to, we let her off the lead and yes, she would come back on call each and every time we let her off in a country park...then one day, she was about 7 months old, she spotted a cyclist at the top of a distant hill and she was off like a shot.
By the time Sam got to the top of the hill there was no sign of her.
It turns out she kept running right onto the road and was happily trotting along the roadside!
We were lucky a passing motorist realised what she was and picked her up, he happened to work in a cattery so had somewhere to keep her and let us know....she's never been off lead since, apart from the time she jumped over the back seat of the car, or the time she slipped her collar...but then thats another story. All i can say is that we were frantic with worry for hours.
I think my second girl would be OK off lead but trust me, i'm not taking the risk to find out!

Author: Brian Duncan

I have always had mixed views on this topic. The bottom line for me is that NO DOG OF ANY BREED is 100% safe off lead all the time!
I have lost count of the times that our dogs have been attacked while training by "safe" off-lead breeds. I have lost count of the times I have seen owners of such breeds plaintively asking "have you seen my collie/dobe/spaniel/rottie/labrador....." in the huge park near our house, any every motorist must have had a heart-stopping moment as a dog ran across the road in front of you.
Having said that, I think it is crucial that Siberian owners train their dogs in basic obedience - in particular "down stays" and "recalls" so that if that terrible day does dawn and your dog does a runner, at least you have an outside chance of getting it back. This isn't false optimism, it's insurance.
One of the dogs we bred lives with her owner who has always had border collies and has always trained her dogs for obedience. When she got her Siberian from us four years ago she treated it in exactly the same way. This dog has now worked its way through all the levels of obedience and is starting to beat the BC's at agility. Now her dog, like any Siberian, like any dog, is not 100% safe off lead, but if she did manage to slip her lead in a dangerous situation, at least this particular owner would have a fighting chance of getting her back as a result of her training.
The key for me is simple - by all means let your Siberians off-lead - but only in an area which is 100% safe and which poses no risk of escape. We are really lucky - about a mile from where we live there is a large park completely surrounded by 10ft brick walls and with only one gate. We can let ours off lead there with no problems - one of us guards the gate and the other watches the dogs.

Author: Mick Brent

Fellow Husky Lovers,

Although very upsetting for us, if what follows makes just one owner STOP and THINK again before letting their beautiful Siberian OFF THE LEAD to RUN FREE once more knowing the dangers; then it's got to be well worth it.

Your treasured Siberian Husky is probably not far away frrom you at the moment; your HAPPY, HEALTHY, LIVELY bundle of FUN who means the absolute world to you. I'm right? Yes?

Well take another long hard look at him or her and try to imagine just what it would be like to have to go and collect your Sibes 'STILL VERY BEAUTIFUL' but 'NO LONGER LIVELY' body from the roadside!!!!
The life that he or she once enjoyed so much; snatched away in a matter of seconds!! No, not nice eh!!, and no it wasn't either; such a horrible image to remain with anyone, as it will with us ........ FOREVER!!

Kira escaped: she was NOT LET OFF HER LEAD TO RUN FREE !!!
and the tragic outcome meant the loss of our friend, our pet, our working team leader and our much loved, very special Siberian 'girl'.
A nightmare which takes you to hell and back we can assure you, the guilt, the hurt, the why's, the if only's, you name it - WHY PUT YOURSELF THROUGH IT UNNECESSARILY THAT'S ALL WE ASK?? !!!!

So next time your hand reaches for the clip of your Siberian's lead .... STOP .... THINK .... PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T DO IT .... Don't knowingly let it happen, don't RISK LOSING A PRECIOUS PART OF YOUR LIFE ... WHY ?? .... YOU'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOURSELF .......... EVER !!

Author: Andrea & Steve Taylor

To be perfectly honest, i think that at the end of the day your dogs are your own, and what you do with them is your choice, but what does make me laugh is that even with extremely compelling evidence that letting your husky run free is a bad idea there are still people who are of the opinion that they know better, this is a shame because it wont be these people who end up under a car or shot for worrying sheep!!!

It will be the dogs who end up suffering, all because someone who was relativly new to the breed thought they could do what everyone else would love too, and let the dogs of the lead.

Its at this point its a bit late to say ooopps sorry, you were right.

If you want a dog you can let of the lead a husky is not for you and the sooner people realise this the less of these topics we will have about these amazing people who have the ability to give a husky road sense,and stop its natural instincts to chase livestock.
Author: Dathan Trent

I repeatedly asked my knumbskull husband to please stop letting our 3yr old girl off the lead.It's fine he said there's not a chance of her running off in an open field ! which is exactly what she did nearly 3 miles from home.Crossing and traversing busy main roads in rush hour untill she luckily made her way home pushed open the back gate and calmly waited for my breathless hubby to arrive.Needless to say it's a lesson he has now taken on board.
Author: Abbie Watts

I think an awful lot of people start too early - so much depends on the development of the dog. Some of ours haven't been at all ready to go in harness until nearly a year old, whereas others have been joining the oldies for training runs as young as six months.

We've had adult dogs here that have had no training at all in the past and they have done really well - I think the oldest we started running one of these was five years old and he turned out to be one of our best.

We, in the early days made the mistake of doing too much too soon, and I think ruined at least a couple of dogs who really ought to have done better for us.

Don't be in too much of a hurry to start, your dog is not going to work any less well for you by leaving things a bit later.

And it is perfectly possible to teach a young dog the difference between a collar/lead for walking with and a harness, so walks needn't be a nightmare.

Author: Lyn Hall

I train with a quad and also a stripped out Yamaha Breeze. I now train in Thetford but I used to train in a wood which was only 3 miles round the perimeter, with trails that are mainly 6-8ft wide. As this wood was heavily used by dog walkers and horse riders, I convinced the forestry that it was far safer for other forest users if they allowed me to use a quad, so they agreed. It's also far safer for the team to have a passenger who can help out when encounters occur with loose dogs and spooked horses. I ended up doing most of the training in the dark to avoid disrupting the training runs.

I also train a friends dogs, we run up to 14 dogs on the stripped Breeze with two people on board. Good fun, safe, good for the dog’s manners.


Author: Dan Storey

My siberian puppy has not liked the experience of having a object behind her,so wont run
in a racing harness.
The answer i have is to buy her a tracking harness,walk her in it so she gets used to it,
this worked.She now runs in this harness attached to a metal springer device.This springer
is attached to the seat stem on my bike.It is glued in place as well as being bolted on.The
springer keeps the dog under control whilst running next to the bike,also shes a safe distance
from the pedals & wheels.Ifind this device very good as it absorbs almost all of the dogs pulls & lunges.You also have both hands on the handlebars,best to wear a safety helmet when running
dogs like this.
Author: rose gallagher