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Rant - Tired of people walking their dogs on the steet without a leash!
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I am so sick of dog owners not leashing their dog’s when they are on public streets.
I walk my Dad’s westie every day and when I am on a street he is always on the lead and when I take him to the beach or up the hill he’s off the leash so long as there are no other dogs around, in which case he is back on the leash. Now I am the first to admit that he isn’t as balanced as he could be. His problem is that he hasn’t been well socialized and he tends to get anxious and tense when dogs off the leash come up to him. When they are on the leash he pretty well ignores them as he is too interested in all the different smells around him.
Anyway we were walking down this road overlooking the beach and I saw a big dog off the leash (about 10 meters away) with his owner (who was a couple of meters away from his dog). It immediately it noticed my dog and started to show what I would class as signs of aggression – staring at my dog, it’s tail straight up and it slowly started to stand up straighter and taller (all before mine had seen him). I couldn’t avoid it and it came up to us and started to block my dog as he tried to move away. Mine growled and then the other dog pounced and had him around the neck whilst growling fiercely and it looked like it was trying to chew off his head. Funnily enough this got his owner moving and he grabbed his dog, threw me a “sorry” and walked off!
My dog was fine and although was a bit hyper than usual was not injured but it drives me crazy how people can be so irresponsible. There is another couple who have a retriever and they never have him on the leash, instead when we meet they have to grab their dog before it lunges at mine cause apparently “it doesn’t like terriers”. If you have a dog that has a known aggressive tendencies towards a certain breed of other dog, when on a public road they should be leashed.
I am sick and tired of people just being completely irresponsible when they are walking their dogs and rather than it being an enjoyable bonding time with my Dad’s dog, I am starting to feel that I can’t help but be always on the outlook for dogs off the leash and it just sucks all the enjoyment out of it.
So to sum it up I am :mad:.
I walk my Dad’s westie every day and when I am on a street he is always on the lead and when I take him to the beach or up the hill he’s off the leash so long as there are no other dogs around, in which case he is back on the leash. Now I am the first to admit that he isn’t as balanced as he could be. His problem is that he hasn’t been well socialized and he tends to get anxious and tense when dogs off the leash come up to him. When they are on the leash he pretty well ignores them as he is too interested in all the different smells around him.
Anyway we were walking down this road overlooking the beach and I saw a big dog off the leash (about 10 meters away) with his owner (who was a couple of meters away from his dog). It immediately it noticed my dog and started to show what I would class as signs of aggression – staring at my dog, it’s tail straight up and it slowly started to stand up straighter and taller (all before mine had seen him). I couldn’t avoid it and it came up to us and started to block my dog as he tried to move away. Mine growled and then the other dog pounced and had him around the neck whilst growling fiercely and it looked like it was trying to chew off his head. Funnily enough this got his owner moving and he grabbed his dog, threw me a “sorry” and walked off!
My dog was fine and although was a bit hyper than usual was not injured but it drives me crazy how people can be so irresponsible. There is another couple who have a retriever and they never have him on the leash, instead when we meet they have to grab their dog before it lunges at mine cause apparently “it doesn’t like terriers”. If you have a dog that has a known aggressive tendencies towards a certain breed of other dog, when on a public road they should be leashed.
I am sick and tired of people just being completely irresponsible when they are walking their dogs and rather than it being an enjoyable bonding time with my Dad’s dog, I am starting to feel that I can’t help but be always on the outlook for dogs off the leash and it just sucks all the enjoyment out of it.
So to sum it up I am :mad:.
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I am assuming you are in the UK - a general reminder to the owners that it is an offence to walk dogs off lead on a public highway.
While I defend the right for dogs to go offlead on beaches and parks, streets are a completely different matter - it is dangerous, irresponsible AND illegal.
The thing is, it was home time for schools and there was more than one toddler running about among a whole host of other young school age children.
Quite honestly I just felt lucky that the cat looked like a more interesting sport than a child did.
No matter what an owner thinks or believes about their dog I don't think any dog should be trusted to that extent.
The teen just laughed his head off and kept walking.
I know I wasn't the only Mum there who had other 'visions' running through their minds when we saw what was happening.
Terrible dog ownership really.
Bugger...too late...
My friendly rescue lurcher was attacked last month, by a collie off lead on the village main street. For background, I have worked hard to teach my dog good manners. He's not aggressive, but had a tendency to get over excited when he saw another dog, lunging on the end of the lead and barking. *Play mode engaged* If with another dog offlead he just loves to run. I know he only wants to play, but to other owners and their dogs he appeared as a total psycho. Working with a rattley bottle and treats he's made excellent progress.
On the day of the attack I'd just picked up the kids from school. The main street was busy with parents and kids. I saw the owner texting, while the dog wandered around. Because of this I assumed it must be friendly and continued along the street. As we approached the dogs met. I was really pleased with how well behaved Seamus was, approaching quietly and calmly, with appropriate doggy body language and a nose to nose sniff hello. I had the treat in my hand ready when the collie pounced.
Seamus squealed the place down and the shops emptied to see what was going on. I dragged him away as the owner tried to get hold of the collie and remove her from Seamus' leg. :mad: He was shaking like a leaf and holding his leg at a strange angle and my kids were really upset at witnessing the attack. He was bleeding from a half inch gash on his leg, but luckily it was just skin deep.
As we left, a delivery driver came over to express his concern and commented that the dog had already had a go at a wee whippet tied up at a lampost further up the street. Yet it was STILL wandering freely offlead when we met it :mad:
Yipe, I live in Scotland and I absolutely agree with what you said. I probably would have said something to him but I was distracted and he walked off so quickly I didn't get a chance. However I passed them when I was in a car yesterday and his dog was on a leash so maybe he has learnt a lesson
That is another thing that annoys me. I love dogs but I realize that not everyone likes them as much as I do so I never let my dog go near anyone unless I know that they are ok around dogs. I have been down the street and have strange dogs’ just walk up to me (their owners are usually chatting to someone) and even I am on guard because I have no way of knowing if this is just a curious dog or one prone to aggression. I can totally see how intimating it must be to people who are afraid or just unsure around dogs.
It’s just so frustrating because it’s not the dog’s fault; if you want a dog then you are responsible for everything that it does. I just get the sense that some people get a dog because they think they are entitled to own one rather than having any idea about how dogs behave and what you need to provide to ensure that you end up with a well balanced and healthy dog.
The amount of people that I have met over the years who think it is perfectly acceptable to get a dog even though they work all day and are never home so it’s left by itself, or think that letting the dog out every now again in their garden is suitable exercise for a dog. And then it’s the dogs fault when it gets frustrated and acts out. The more I see the more I think that we should have some sort of licensing in place to ensure that dog’s go to people who educated themselves in how to care for their dog properly, who will treat it with respect and be responsible.
Anyway thats me off my soap box now
That's awful, I'm so sorry about that.
My dog has his own little mortal enemy (a Jack Russell from a few gardens up) and they always bark at each other whenever they pass each others gardens. One time I was walking past their garden and their gate had been accidently left open and the Jack Russell just shot out and sunk his teeth into my dog's hind quarters (I still remember the squealing even now although I think a good deal of it was surprise - that dog came from nowhere). Luckily my dog was pretty hairy so he couldn't get a good grip and it was no one's fault, just an accident but I have to admit I was probably more upset than my dog. He stayed very close to me for the entire walk but was completely back to normal by the afternoon.
Dogs are quite good at letting go off stuff - better than us by a long shot so I hope that Seamus is back to normal now.
Your poor kids though I hope that they are OK. I can imagine how distressing that would have been.
We are very lucky in England.
The thread should be about untrained dogs off the lead - not all dogs.
What about sue's point?
The road traffic act 1988 states that it is an offence to have a dog on a designated road without it being held on a lead.
And unfortunately (I am not referring to you cosmo) there are a lot of owners who believe their dogs are models of good behaviour despite all evidence to the contrary.
Not only is that true but all animals, however well trained, are unpredictable, as are the many events that can occur outside any owner's control, and any dog can be frightened, startled, excited, hurt (which can include the dog being attacked by something else, or having something hit it or fall on it), distracted or annoyed, etc by unexpectedly encountering something that has not happened before.
If a dog doesn't what it will do next when in a novel event, the owner/handler cannot possibly know either.
For every canine response that can happen, from bolting to biting, there is that unforeseen, and so unpredictable, first time, particularly as people who have their dogs off lead along the road tend to be those who believe their dog to be entirely predictable and consistently well-behaved, whatever may occur
.
If the dog is off lead within a potential dangerous environment for the dog or others (e.g in the street), successfully mitigating the consequences of these unanticipated responses is very much less feasible.:eek:
Bruce was attacked several times by dogs that were free then their owners would come up apologising, grab their dog and rush off. Sometimes I wished he was the size of a Great Dane instead of a wee fox hound cross as although I loved my walks with him, I got quite anxious in case I met another dog.
I am now a cat person and where I live now I have yet to see a dog off the lead or out on it's own for that matter so that's all good.
My dog is always on her short lead whilst walking on the pavement,firstly it is the law and secondly if she was off lead I would be terrified that she may get spooked and run into the road and cause an accident, not only injuring her but possibly the car driver too.
It just beggars belief that firstly she still has the dogs and secondly that she continues to let them run loose despite knowing what they're capable of. I feel sorry for the dogs to be honest, because it's inevitable that they'll end up paying the price for their owners irresponsibility.
I was in the shopping centre yesterday and someone had a BIG dog off the lead. I thought that was very unwise.
Exactly.... as shown by the woman who told me she didn't need to put her dogs on a lead because they were so well behaved - immediately after one of them chased my cat down the lane and growled at me when I opened my door to see what was happening.:rolleyes:
Michelle I hope the police carry out their promise and seize the dogs, stupid owner:mad:
I was always told that prevention is better than cure so not so much keep your dog on a lead but if not in a dog park ALWAYS KEEP YOUR DOG UNDER CONTROL!
As for extendable leads attached to dogs walking along the pavement ~ these are the bane of my life:mad:. I can't count the times I've nearly been tripped over by a flexi lead with an owner chatting away or window shopping while her dog causes havoc, push chairs swerving etc!! And once an elderly lady was chatting at a bus stop when I drove by with her little dog sniffing in the gutter on the end of a flexi lead. It suddenly darted out into the road & I had to swerve quickly to avoid the dog. I blasted my horn & frightened the daylights out of the owner ~ so perhaps she'll be more careful with her dog's life in future. These dogs are not "under control" anymore than off lead dogs!
I see what you are saying Cosmo but it has been my experience that you cannot always predict the behavior of dogs, especially when out on a public street where anything can happen. Just today I was walking down in the harbor and we passed this wall that had drainage pipes in it and for some reason when we were passing one my dog suddenly leapt into the air and made to bolt. Obviously he had heard something that startled him and luckily I had him on the lead otherwise he could have bolted into the street. I just think it is the safest thing to keep a dog on a leash whilst on a public road for the safety of not only other dogs and people, but for your own dog as well.
I think that is why I get so frustrated because it is the dog that will ultimately pay the price and it is not their fault. If some dog owners would just exercise some responsibility, caution and common sense then there wouldn’t be a problem.
Wilhemina and Spiderpig - I got to admit I am one of those dog owners that use a flexi lead
It's all the same thing really, some dog owners need to accept that it is their responsibility to not only keep their own dog safe but to ensure the safety of other dogs and people that use the road as well. The easiest and simplest way to do that is to keep your dog on a leash on a public road (however beaches, parks etc I have no problem with them being off the leash so long as they are non aggressive) and if you are unsure of how your dog will behave (or if you know they will react aggressively etc) keep them on a leash at all times when you are around other people and their dogs.
As for ensuring that your dog is behind you or by your side (as the "follower"), I don't necessarily agree that this is the safest place for the dog. Ok when you are going through gates/doors or round blind corners, it's sensible to know what's on the other side before your dog can get into trouble. But when just walking along a road, I prefer my dogs to be slightly ahead so that I can see them.
I would agree with you on what you say as in your case you make a good point. I just wished the other dog walkers cared as much as you do.
My Yorkshire Terrier was attacked by a Staffy wondering off the lead. People I've told seem to think I'm a bit pathetic because she wasn't injured and it was a while ago but it's put me off taking her out ever since. Obviously I still do, but I spend the entire walk worrying and looking around for dogs off the lead. I definitely think all dogs should be kept on a lead, even if they're well trained.
I agree. My dog is totally obediant and obeys voice commands to the letter.
Well done and all that needs to be done is go after the other 99.99% and that book can closed.