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.

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What is Dog Parkology?

The importance of dog parks as public spaces is undervalued. This narrative series will explore the current dog park paradigm and suggest improvements. This will be accomplished by discovering how dog parks strengthen our relationships with our dogs, neighbors, and the natural world around us.

This show is brought to you by As It Should Be Productions, the creators of the Dog Save The People and Dog Walk Meditation podcasts. The episodes are narrated by author Jenna Blum.

Welcome to Dog Parkology, a show that
looks 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 traditional
fenced in areas of grass or dirt.

They can be anything.

Whether you're going for hikes in
the woods or running on a beach,

as long as you're making sure to be
responsible and respectful of others

when having your dog off leash.

This is outdoor writer Annette McGivney.

It's very important for an
off leash walk in wild places

that your dog has good recall.

That means that they come back to
you whenever you call out to them,

no matter how distracted they might
be, chasing something, or barking.

Or wanting to engage with another dog,
that when they hear your signal, which

could be calling their name, or you
may have a whistle or other device,

they turn around and head towards you.

Maybe you're lucky enough where you have
a kind of dog that will always come back

to you when you call, but that doesn't
mean 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 called
an e collar, which is not a shock collar.

Having an e collar gives you
a sense of security that the

dog will be able to come back.

The device against their neck vibrates
or beeps or both depending on how

you set it and it breaks their
attention when they're really fixated

on something and they turn around
and they're like, Oh yeah, my owner.

They come back where I live in
Colorado, I love to do off leash

dog walks with my yellow lab.

Trudy, now that I have an eco, I
know I can communicate with her.

It's worked wonderfully for me.

I've had two dogs in the past when
this technology with Ecos wasn't

available and I was hiking up this
trail with my two dogs coming down.

The trail was a black bear.

My two dogs went after it.

And next thing I knew, the
dogs were running towards me,

coming back down the hill.

I'm sure the bear must have
raised up on its hind legs and

growled and scared the dogs.

So I was so relieved, but now I know if
that same thing happens in bear country

today, I've got the e collar, I feel like
I can control Trudy and not be scared.

be subjected to that same risk
for Trudy, myself, or the bear.

90 percent of the time, she
comes back without me ever even

having to use the e collar.

But just knowing it's an option, when
she's too far, she may not hear my

voice, or she may not want to pay
attention to my voice in the way that

the e collar, with its vibration and
beeps on her neck, gets her attention.

Such a relief to me and it keeps
her safe and it keeps wildlife safe.

We're trying to be responsible in the
outdoors with our dogs but we're also

trying to enjoy nature at its best.

which is off leash.

Please also check local rules to
confirm off leash walks are permitted

on the public lands you are visiting.

Thank you for listening to
this episode of Dog Parkology.

I'm Jenna Blum, your narrator.

This show was created by As
It Should Be Productions, the

creators of Dog Save the People.

And dog walk meditation podcasts with
executive producer, Scott Benalio

and producer and editor Jack Summer.

Be sure to check out the entire
season of dog parkology by following

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 to
buy custom design merch like our t shirts.

If you know of any great dog parks
in your area, or you've created your

own dog parkology moment, You can
email us at dogparkology at gmail.

com.

We'd love to hear about your experience.

And if you've enjoyed listening to this
episode, 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.