Sally The Samoyed: Adventuring Off The Leash With Tractive
Going off the leash can bring a ton of perks - letting your dog just be a dog, for starters. But how do you ensure they don't get lost? Here's an example in practice - Sally the Samoyed who wanders (safely) off the leash across the Scottish countryside!
Meet Sally, a two-year old Samoyed pup composed of fluff and mischief. She’s typical of her breed, being exceptionally friendly, fun-loving, high energy and very photogenic! Importantly – Sally’s also quite accustomed to wandering off the leash through the Scottish countryside.
Says her mom Claire:
“She requires lots of exercise and off the leash play to burn off all her energy. Luckily, we live in Scotland, with miles of unspoiled beaches, moorland and mountains within easy reach.
However, there’s always that fear, what if I lose sight of her, how will I call her back?
That’s where our Tractive GPS – we have the standard white model – has been invaluable.“
Going off the leash comes with both its perks and perils. But the biggest upside? It lets your dog just…well, be a dog. Dogs are natural hunters and explorers – and letting them off the leash means they now have the freedom to sniff around, explore, and roll around the grass as much as they please.
Besides, once you’ve trained your dog to stay safely off the leash, it can mean:
Your dog can tire themselves out – and be too tired for any more mischief!
Think you can outrun or out-exercise your dog? If you’ve got an active, high-energy dog breed, they might just give you some stiff competition! Letting them off the leash for some supervised playtime can help them get as much running around they need.
“To us, Sally wearing her Tractive GPS means she spends less time leashed and has more time for off the leash play – which means a happier and more thoroughly exercised pup.“
Can get all the exercise they need – without you having to monitor them 24/7
…is now too tired to get up to any mischief (including running away from home!)
💡Besides real-time GPS tracking over an unlimited range, your trusty Tractive device also logs in your dog’s active minutes per day – so you can check whether they’ve gotten enough exercise. (Or still need some more playtime to be fully tuckered out.)
Going off the leash can also help your dog more freely socialize with other pets and people – and, importantly, learn what’s considered “good behavior” (and what’s not!)
This is key to your dog’s social development – since if they’re not socialized early on, it could lead to behavioral problems down the line. (Including aggression or even anxiety.)
It helps you stay accountable to your dog’s training
It goes without saying – but there’s no substitute to proper off the leash dog training if you’re considering letting them wander around outdoors. Specifically, including commands like:
Coming to you when called
Heel, or walking besides you (not in front or behind you)
Leave it, or walking away from an object, person, or animal
Because even with its perks, going off the leash also comes with a bunch of dangers. (Not least which include your dog bolting off from you too far from safety!)
Which means your buddy might now be at risk of getting:
Injured by a passing car – or in a fight with another pet or predator
⚠️However, even the best trained dogs can fall prey to their instincts.
Whether that’s a high prey drive (or hunting instinct) or having sniffed out a female in heat nearby – there’s always the chance even a highly-trained dog might fall prey to their instincts and end up running away. (Or up to some mischief.)
Besides:
A senior dog (whose hearing might not be what it once was) might not hear you calling out for them.
Puppies, with their endless energy, might be more accident-prone and less likely to respond to commands.
💡 Which is where on top of regular training, a dedicated dog GPS tracker that helps you track them in real-time can be a lifesaver.
“Whenever Sally’s been gone exploring for more than a minute, I can turn on the LIVE tracking and see exactly where she is.
If she’s heading away from me, I whistle loudly to attract her attention before she goes out of hearing range. She’ll happily come running right back as she knows she’ll be rewarded with a hug and a tasty treat.
All the extra opportunity we have to practice “come back” has led to Sally having more dependable recall.
This means she can now be safely allowed off leash in new and unfamiliar places.“
How (safely) going off the leash looks like in practice
“Sally has good recall for a sled-dog, but that’s not to say that if a deer crossed the trail she wouldn’t give chase and run for miles – she would!
And that’s the other reason I have her wear her Tractive GPS. Should the worst ever happen, and she gave chase and ran out of recall range, her Tractive GPS would permit me to find her again.“
“I pray this scenario never happens, but it’s very reassuring to know that the Tractive GPS is there, just in case.
An overnight charging cycle every 2-3 days is sufficient to power it, and by keeping it clipped to her collar we never leave the house without it. It’s become an essential piece of the Sally kit. I’d recommend it to every dog owner!
Sally will also most definitely be wearing her Tractive GPS on holiday as it works across country borders.”
Beause let’s face it, you can’t predict when your dog might stray, and wouldn’t you like to see exactly where they are? I know I do, that’s why Sally wears her Tractive GPS!“
You can’t predict when your dog might stray – Tractive GPS gives you peace of mind!
Adventure safely off the leash – with proper training (and a little Tractive magic)
Sally lives with Claire, a professional marine and molecular biologist, full-time dog mama, and part-time sailor, traveller, science-communicator and photographer. They go everywhere together – and Sally is teaching Claire that dog behaviour is a lot more complicated than it sounds!
Claire is passionate about educating people and their pets in how to responsibly enjoy their time outdoors. Sally loves off-leash play and enjoying herself, meaning muddy paws and dirty towels are facts of life!
So if you’re considering letting your dog off the leash, make sure to get started with regular obedience and off leash training to keep your buddy safe.
⚠️ Just remember: Training alone might not always override your dog’s runaway instincts.
And there’s nothing quite like the panic of finding your dog missing while you’re both out hiking or running together – rather than enjoying yourselves outdoors.
Which is where it makes sense to plan ahead for an emergency. (I.e., your dog bolting off from you to chase down a woodland animal, get some extra zoomies in, or just out of boredom.)
100% waterproof build – for all your rough and tumble outdoor adventures
Always know where your dog is
Follow every step in real-time with unlimited range. Get alerts if they wander too far. Keep them happy & healthy with Wellness Monitoring. And let others – like walkers or sitters – keep an eye on your dog too.
