The Kind of Freedom I Always Hoped For
Off Lead during adventures hiking in Devon
When Freedom Starts to Feel Different
Over the past few months, I’ve found myself feeling more and more emotional on our walks.
Not because Diggory is suddenly “perfect” and not because every walk goes exactly to plan, but because I’ve watched him become steadier in the world.
Recently we did around seven miles out on an adventure on our own and afterwards it suddenly hit me that I don’t think I’d actually recalled him once the entire walk.
That would have terrified me a couple of years ago.
But what felt so lovely about it was that I never really needed to. He was naturally staying with me, drifting away and then choosing to come back into proximity again. Even when something caught his attention, he still felt emotionally present enough to hear me if I needed him to.
For me, that’s become the real meaning of off-lead joy.
Not constantly calling your dog back or managing every second, but helping them learn how to stay steady enough in themselves that freedom doesn’t completely consume them.
When Your Nervous System Changes Too
I think what’s surprised me most though is how much I’ve changed through the process too.
For a long time I carried so much hypervigilance on walks. I was always waiting for something to go wrong. Worrying he wouldn’t hear me, worrying he’d run off, worrying he’d get hurt.
Honestly, underneath all of it was simply how deeply I loved him and wanted him safe. Now I notice things much earlier.
I notice shifts in him, but I also notice shifts in myself. If I start feeling unsteady, I’m far more able to ground myself again rather than spiralling into worst-case thinking.
That doesn’t mean I take risks or ignore what he needs. There are still days I choose to keep him on lead because that’s what supports him best in that moment. If there’s livestock, deer or an environment I know is too much for him, he stays on lead without question.
Honestly… that feels like success too. Because this journey was never about forcing freedom. It was about building the emotional capacity for it safely and thoughtfully together.
Connected Freedom Feels Different
One of my favourite moments recently was actually on the beach over Easter.
There were people everywhere and lots going on and yet he moved through it so beautifully. I remember just feeling this huge sense of joy watching him experience the kind of freedom I always hoped he’d have one day.
I’m no longer constantly trying to micro-manage every second of the walk. Instead, I’m watching, observing, supporting and stepping in when needed.
Sometimes that means helping him reset with a little game I know he loves that offers the support he needs in that moment or sometimes it’s small moment to reconnect. Sometimes it means recognising that off-lead freedom probably isn’t what his nervous system needs in that moment and sometimes it means simply enjoying the fact that he can now experience the world without becoming completely lost to it.
Why I Created Calm Recall Foundations, part of the Calm Walk Journey™
Honestly, this shift in how I now think about recall and off-lead experiences is exactly why I created Calm Recall Foundations as part of the Calm Walk Journey™.
Because off-lead training for dogs, for me, has become about so much more than teaching a dog to “come back.”
It’s about helping dogs stay emotionally connected outdoors. Helping them recover after excitement.
Helping them learn how to move through freedom without completely losing themselves to the environment and helping humans feel steadier too.
The Calm Walk Journey was created to support both ends of the lead through calmer, safer and more connected adventures together.
Because the kind of freedom I always hoped for was never about control.
It was about a shared way to connect, which is far easier when you work on steadiness, that allows us to share the world together, one adventure at a time.
Ready To Explore This Journey Further?
If this way of thinking about off-lead freedom and calmer adventures resonated with you, there are a couple of ways you can continue exploring the Calm Walk Journey™.
✨ Download the Calm Walk Guide
A gentle introduction to calmer, more connected walks through the Calm Rhythm Method™.
✨ Explore Calm Recall Foundations – Limited Spaces
A guided journey helping dogs build calmer, safer and more connected off-lead foundations for real-life adventures.
Learn More HERE
Wherever you are in your journey, remember:
off-lead freedom starts long before the lead ever comes off, check out this previous Blog – Off Lead Training – The Calm Unclip