Bullie Freedom

[hoegaandit]

Just wondering who else on this forum tries to maximise the freedom for their bullies.

Even in our case, our boy is kept locked away in the house for up to eight hours a weekday, and then when we are at home can't go into the front yard or street without our permission, has generally to walk in the place he's taken to and has to eat what we provide.

However he has (a) free reign of the house and furniture at all times (except the coffee table), (b) largely chooses where he wants to walk and leads the walk (eg I may take him to the park but he can easily decide he will rather rather walk the suburban streets; it is quite surprising the new routes he takes), (c) we walk off lead even on the streets and I let him sniff and mark pretty much to his heart's content as the walk is mainly for him (he has to stay out of people's property of course and usually checks with me before crossing the street), (d) I try and give him a wide variety of food (mainly cooked and raw meat and offal) and don't make him eat food he doesn't like (eg he didn't like Orijen).

Just in case people wonder, no, although a very big and strong boy (and not neutered) he does not take advantage of me at all with this freedom. I think it makes his life a lot happier having a significant degree of choice in what he does.

 

[Angievelvet]

Violet is in the kennel at night and when I leave. I'm hoping the coffee table comment wasn't a dig at me lol. I don't let her on it she just discovered she can get on it and was redirected of course my daughter had to take pics . Since she is just barley 4months she is leashed outside. Our hallway is blocked off no bedrooms no bathroom. Other than that she has the living room and kitchen. Free reign of the backyard

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[Fontanafox]

My dogs have the family room and adjacent kitchen to roam in. The front half of the house is for my cats to hang out in safety. Backyard free zone. I do leash on walks. Walk them separately most of the time. Louie gets the longest walk and he is use to the same route and doesn't like to deviate (I've tried but he blocks me and redirects me back to the same way). BabyGirl meanders and likes to watch "everything going on" and we could be out for 60+ mins. Louie and BabyGirl seems to like going southbound while Mr. Wilson always wants to go north and I let him walk and sniff wherever and whatever he wants as long as it is not harmful and not someone elses lawn. They all eat NVI beef and lamb.
My husband is retired and I'm home full time now so of course that means all my pets are wanting my attention full time. I spend all day with the dogs and all night with a kitty pile up on my bed.

BTW, dogs chewed up my coffee table last year so there is none to stand on

 

[Lucy-licious]

Lucy goes to work with her dad everday, where she has free roam of the workshop. When she goes out at work she is kept on the lead as it is a busy industrial area with busy roads.
At home she has free roam of the downstairs rooms and yard. She is allowed on the furnature ( I love my cuddles) and has never tried to get on the coffee table
when out at home she walks off lead pretty much all the time and loves to wander in front showing us which way...having said that she always goes the same way and rarely deviates.
My husband always feeds her at the same times daily but I'd say that is her only routine. She goes to bed when we do and sleeps downstairs...upstairs is the cats domain and safe area.

 

[kim n the guys]

my boys are only in their crate when no one is home or the kids are still sleeping and I have to leave. With it being summer, someone is usually always home so they are not confined for long. They have free rein of the house but I do keep the bedroom and bathroom doors shut on the main floor, but usually they can be found where ever I happen to be! In the fall when everyone goes back to school all day, they are going to be confined to the kitchen and eating nook. The only problem with that is, my other two dogs won't be able to get to their food and water, but they don't usually eat or drink much during the day, they just sleep. At least that's my experience with being home all day now.

 

[cali~jenn]

Yes this freedom is actually my boys norm too for the most part. They do what they want when they want usually. Have full run of the house and furniture all the time and now that they are 5 it is much easier since there is no more chewing on coffee tables. They were always free fed even until switching to fromm and they LOVED it too much. Now that has to be controlled a bit and walks are always on leash, we live on a busier street and well, there is no way I am risking that one. They have free run of the backyard to mark whatever bushes they want, the other day they both marked the little squirrel statue. lol

 

[anatess]

[MENTION=2729]hoegaandit[/MENTION], that's great that you can trust your dog! It's really awesome to see very well-mannered dogs off leash.

We have the dogs on-leash when we go walking because I can't trust that they won't run off when they see a squirrel or something. And we have these big ponds in the neighborhood that sometimes sport an alligator or two and the occassional water moccasin. Anyway, they don't lead either. They go either next to the lead human on the walk or behind the lead human. That's just the way my husband keeps the pack.

I work from home, so the dogs kennel's are open most of the time including at night. They come in and out of it at their leisure and they can go anywhere in the house. Interestingly, they normally just lay down next to my chair unless some neighbor is out cutting their grass or something, then the dogs fog up the windows with their dog breath. We put them in the kennel and close the door when we go out.

I had a no-pets on the furniture rule. My husband blew that to bits (he's just as stubborn as a bullie). I was okay with the bichon because he doesn't shed. I wasn't ok with the bulldog because her hair gets all over the place. Anyway, we made a compromise - the bulldog can go on the furniture as long as she is on her doggie blanket. So, if the doggie blanket is on that piece of furniture, she can go on it.

Meal-times are on a schedule. But then, that's the same for the kids. Having to feed 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 turtles, some fish, some rats, and 7 snakes will drive me insane without a routine.

I don't have a fence, so the bullie goes on the 25 foot retractable leash to go bathroom until I get comfortable with her obedience level. The bichon is off-leash out the yard because he comes to me 99% of the time that I call.

Dogs go to the dog beach/dog park almost every weekend. They get to go off-leash there.

 

[Davidh]

We crate ours when we are gone during the day, except sometimes if I'm only gone an hour or so will leave Buddy boy out because he never bothers anything. They have the run of the house except the back bedrooms which we leave closed off, and they have full access to the furniture. Walk on lead all the time and usually walk beside us, some times in front or in back, what ever they want, and have full access to the back yard. Feeding time is usually same time everyday, in the morning and in the evening and access to water all day, even in their crates and they sleep in their crates at night and go the sleep when we do.