Should dogs be kept on a leash in public places?
Replies
-
I hate when I am walking my kid (off-leash lol) and someones dog runs up to us. They always say 'oh its ok - he won't bite'. Um excuse me if I don't care about your warning. Put that damn dog on a leash because Im not just taking your word for it.
It's nice to know that there are parents out there who monitor their children around dogs. I don't have kids, but when I walk my dog I hate it when little kids come running up to my dog to pet her. Yeah, she's small (all of 25 pounds and half Corgi) so I get that she looks cute, but she's actually a full grown dog who doesn't like chubby little hands crowding her space. -_-
In case anyone is interested regarding "supervising kids and dogs". I thought this was a good read.
http://www.robinkbennett.com/2013/08/19/why-supervising-dogs-and-kids-doesnt-work/
I do keep an eye out for this type of behavior with my dogs because I've learned to look for it. Plenty of children come from homes that don't have pets and as a result, have no idea how to act around them. I'm definitely not opposed to leashing my dogs when we're out and about, and I'll go one step further--I only take one dog out at a time so that he or she gets my full, undivided attention. As I said before, I'm sometimes shocked that I seem to have better diligence about my dog than other people do for their children, but I guess that's just human nature at work.
I'm an advocate for leashes for children, too, if they've shown a pattern of not behaving in public. I feel badly for my future kids already; though, ideally speaking, I'd raise them better than to go petting strange dogs, anyway.0 -
Not out in the boonies, but if I go in town I leash them up. I always keep the leashes with me in case I need to get control or I need to use it as a weapon to beat off wild animals.0
-
I hate when I am walking my kid (off-leash lol) and someones dog runs up to us. They always say 'oh its ok - he won't bite'. Um excuse me if I don't care about your warning. Put that damn dog on a leash because Im not just taking your word for it.
It's nice to know that there are parents out there who monitor their children around dogs. I don't have kids, but when I walk my dog I hate it when little kids come running up to my dog to pet her. Yeah, she's small (all of 25 pounds and half Corgi) so I get that she looks cute, but she's actually a full grown dog who doesn't like chubby little hands crowding her space. -_-
In case anyone is interested regarding "supervising kids and dogs". I thought this was a good read.
http://www.robinkbennett.com/2013/08/19/why-supervising-dogs-and-kids-doesnt-work/
I do keep an eye out for this type of behavior with my dogs because I've learned to look for it. Plenty of children come from homes that don't have pets and as a result, have no idea how to act around them. I'm definitely not opposed to leashing my dogs when we're out and about, and I'll go one step further--I only take one dog out at a time so that he or she gets my full, undivided attention. As I said before, I'm sometimes shocked that I seem to have better diligence about my dog than other people do for their children, but I guess that's just human nature at work.
I'm an advocate for leashes for children, too, if they've shown a pattern of not behaving in public. I feel badly for my future kids already; though, ideally speaking, I'd raise them better than to go petting strange dogs, anyway.
Just to be clear, I wasn't implying you weren't or anything. Your post just made me think of that article and I thought it was relevent. :flowerforyou:0 -
It's the law around here and a good one at that!!0
-
I hate when I am walking my kid (off-leash lol) and someones dog runs up to us. They always say 'oh its ok - he won't bite'. Um excuse me if I don't care about your warning. Put that damn dog on a leash because Im not just taking your word for it.
It's nice to know that there are parents out there who monitor their children around dogs. I don't have kids, but when I walk my dog I hate it when little kids come running up to my dog to pet her. Yeah, she's small (all of 25 pounds and half Corgi) so I get that she looks cute, but she's actually a full grown dog who doesn't like chubby little hands crowding her space. -_-
In case anyone is interested regarding "supervising kids and dogs". I thought this was a good read.
http://www.robinkbennett.com/2013/08/19/why-supervising-dogs-and-kids-doesnt-work/
I do keep an eye out for this type of behavior with my dogs because I've learned to look for it. Plenty of children come from homes that don't have pets and as a result, have no idea how to act around them. I'm definitely not opposed to leashing my dogs when we're out and about, and I'll go one step further--I only take one dog out at a time so that he or she gets my full, undivided attention. As I said before, I'm sometimes shocked that I seem to have better diligence about my dog than other people do for their children, but I guess that's just human nature at work.
I'm an advocate for leashes for children, too, if they've shown a pattern of not behaving in public. I feel badly for my future kids already; though, ideally speaking, I'd raise them better than to go petting strange dogs, anyway.
Just to be clear, I wasn't implying you weren't or anything. Your post just made me think of that article and I thought it was relevent. :flowerforyou:
I feel you.
I thought the article was interesting. Are there really people who hear their dogs growl and say, "Oh yeah, that's cool. Don't anybody be concerned." 0 -
I hate when I am walking my kid (off-leash lol) and someones dog runs up to us. They always say 'oh its ok - he won't bite'. Um excuse me if I don't care about your warning. Put that damn dog on a leash because Im not just taking your word for it.
It's nice to know that there are parents out there who monitor their children around dogs. I don't have kids, but when I walk my dog I hate it when little kids come running up to my dog to pet her. Yeah, she's small (all of 25 pounds and half Corgi) so I get that she looks cute, but she's actually a full grown dog who doesn't like chubby little hands crowding her space. -_-
In case anyone is interested regarding "supervising kids and dogs". I thought this was a good read.
http://www.robinkbennett.com/2013/08/19/why-supervising-dogs-and-kids-doesnt-work/
I do keep an eye out for this type of behavior with my dogs because I've learned to look for it. Plenty of children come from homes that don't have pets and as a result, have no idea how to act around them. I'm definitely not opposed to leashing my dogs when we're out and about, and I'll go one step further--I only take one dog out at a time so that he or she gets my full, undivided attention. As I said before, I'm sometimes shocked that I seem to have better diligence about my dog than other people do for their children, but I guess that's just human nature at work.
I'm an advocate for leashes for children, too, if they've shown a pattern of not behaving in public. I feel badly for my future kids already; though, ideally speaking, I'd raise them better than to go petting strange dogs, anyway.
Just to be clear, I wasn't implying you weren't or anything. Your post just made me think of that article and I thought it was relevent. :flowerforyou:
I feel you. I thought the article was interesting. Are there really people who hear their dogs growl and say, "Oh yeah, that's cool. Don't anybody be concerned."
I've met them.
I've also seen people allow their kids to continually interact with their dog when it is clearly showing the other signs as well.0 -
Of course they should, for their own safety.0
-
This content has been removed.
-
No.
Did you watch that whole video? That dog is extremely well trained. lol.0 -
I have two dogs. That being said:
My Lab(115lbs) is leashed for her protection. She is super people shy. She is a rescue dog to the fullest. Came with the scars on her face and legs to prove it. I go to the park later at night, when I know when people aren't around. She is more scared of you and will try to run from you. When I tell you NO, you may NOT pet her. It's for her protection and yours. She has never shown any signs of aggression, but it doesn't mean she can't or wont. You just never know what a scared animal will do.
My Begal (40lbs)l, He is super people friendly, He is leashed for his and your protection. He might be a medium sized dog but he can still knock you or a child over. I do not want him to hurt you from jumping. You may pet him, but only with my permission first and after I get him to sit down.
I don't walk my dogs together, I know they will split me in half. This isn't safe for me or my dogs.0 -
I think dogs should be kept on leashes in public places, and where I live, it is the law, but not everyone follows it. I have seen such well behaved dogs, that I can see why the owner might balk, but I have also been chased and jumped on by dogs, and that is not a fun feeling, especially if the dog is bigger than me!0
-
This.Yes, no exceptions, end of story.
No one should be the victim of someone who "thought" that Mr.Fluff would just do what they said, when they said, without a leash.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
If I get bitten by a dog. I am putting it down that very instant. Enough said!
And risk not knowing if you will die from rabies or not.
Yeah... it`s called quarantine.. if you get bit you automatically get a shot, but the animal can be quarantined for 2 weeks. If it has rabies it will exhibit symptoms long before those 2 weeks are over. Maximum lifespan for an animal with rabies was 3 weeks from initial bite. Symptoms show in a week and a bit.
Not every animal deserves to die because it was provoked into biting.
Why would you quarantine a dead animal? at that point you just test it.0 -
yes.Even if you have a cute toy dog or a floppy big puppy that obeys your every command. Put a leash on it. My dog is always on a leash and I hate taking him for walks and other dog owners allowing their dog to run up to us. My dog does not want to play. I carry mace for this exact purpose.0
-
I probably would too, except I think it's strange to give a ticket for a dog not on a leash in a dog park! Also, survey the dog park before you go in there with a two year old. In the one I've been too, they have different pens for large or small dogs. I might not take a 2 year old in with large dogs.When I owned a dog he was military trained, so wouldn't do anything crazy when outside without getting a command for it.
A couple of years ago I saw a dog in a park who got excited when he saw kids and would run up to them and play with them. Well after an hour being there a dad and his kids came to play and the dog saw the kids and ran to them. What happened next was just crazy.
The dad saw the dog running towards his 2 year old and without hesitation punted the poor pitbull like 4 feet into the air, the sound that dog made was soooo sad. Of course the kids are crying the dog owners are freaking out the dad is freaking out, some lady who saw it happens calls the cops. One of the owners is in a heated argument that was about to turn into a fight, the cops come and end up giving the dog owner a ticket/summon for not having the dog on a leach.
I love dogs but if the dog is not trained then leach him for his protection and others.
If I saw a pitbull running towards my nieces, I'd have done exactly the same thing.
Once someone brought like 4 dogs that started bad pack behavior towards people and dogs. They were getting a little bit scary. Don't bring your dogs to the dog park and let them off leash unless they can behave.
It wasn't an official dog park, just locals took their dogs there.
I'm pretty sure I would've kicked the dog or worth if I didn't know who it belonged to. I was just pointing out that even good dogs can be perceived as a threat, I've seen it many times.0 -
No, not at all. I have a dog and when I walk her in the field/woods/park she is always off the lead, as is everyone else's dog. The only time I put her on the lead is when big dogs run up to her because sometimes they try to bite her cause she is small.0
-
In a lot of ways I think yes, but at the same time I think it depends.
In an ideal world, I'd like it to be that if you're a responsible owner and you know your dog is very well trained, won't bite, won't run off etc etc then I think they should be able to be let off. It's not the law to do so here, and I see plenty of well behaved dogs off the lead.
That said, it's not an ideal world. People are idiots and think the sun shines out of their dogs backside and they wouldn't ever disobey them and the don't think or take proper precautions. I'd love my dog to be able to run around at the park off his lead but I don't trust him yet. I know 100% he would never bite anyone, we're only just managing to teach him to stand up for himself when other dogs get aggressive to him! (A dog, off their lead, one time attacked him at the park and he still did nothing back) However, he's not very well trained at staying by my heel and I don't trust that he wouldn't run after a bird/cat and get himself into danger/get lost/get run over by traffic. I therefore, never let him off the lead and probably never will.0 -
Yes. Only exception is a public dog park. It's safest for your dog AND everyone else.0
-
Around where I live, it is the law
I wish it was the law here.
I have a little confession to make. I actually bought `keep dogs on leash` stickers from Ebay and stuck them on the posts near where I live
I want some of those stickers!!
There is a leash law in this city but EVERYBODY doesn't think it applies to them, and FURTHER, to try to justify not having THEIR dogs on leash, they try to criminalize you if you don't have a rude obnoxious lab type that runs up with no regard for personal space. If your dog doesn't like to be approached by off leash dogs and were to bite, in their mind, that is YOUR fault for having an aggressive dog and letting their dog get bitten, not THEIR fault for letting their dog get into the situation to get bitten in the first place!
My dog is 18", 35lbs and he does not enjoy dogs getting up in his face. Usually the "friendliest" are the ones that have NO RESPECT and will get all crazy up in his face - he will bark/snap at them - he has never bitten or initiated a fight, he is just saying "eff off, dude." I can tell a mile away which dogs he will be fine meeting and which ones he will tell off (the ones straining at the end of their leash to try and see him? Those are the ones he thinks it is his job to educate on ettiquette!) - unfortunately, other owners sometimes think my dog is being "aggressive"... which he is NOT. I usually just tell people these days that he is not friendly when they ask if their dog can meet mine because even a "friendly" dog when he is met with an unfriendly reception could become something BESIDES friendly.
My dog is well mannered and would not typically run off to meet a dog or person so technically, he probably COULD be off leash but I keep him on leash for a variety of reasons besides that its the law, including that he is a DOG and so therefore could be unpredictable - I don't want him to dash out in traffic and get hit by a car or have another dog run up to him and start a fight and then them take off running. There is way more control of the situation that you can do with a leash on your dog.
I had an experience a week and a half ago where we were approached by two 70+lb labs. The owner was pulling his boat out of the water in a public park and left them running outside of his Jeep while he did it. They started to approach but I stomped my feet/hollered and he called them and put him in the car but then didn't close the door and they jumped back out when he got out to secure his boat.
They charged at us with hackles up and my dog started to panic so I picked him up, which was not probably the smartest thing to do but was my first instinct - I figured if they bite his leg off or injure his leg, we could amputate but it is a lot harder to sew up a torn open belly or throat. They kept grabbing at his legs and trying to pull him away from me. They did not have collars or leashes on them and the owner never attempted to physically restrain them. I was SCREAMING at him, BEGGING him to get his dogs under control while my dog was panicking and I got bitten in the face and was bleeding all over (he was just trying to defend himself and I happened to be in the way, I cannot blame him AT ALL as HE was getting bitten, too!). At one point, one of the dogs charged at my dog's face and I put out my foot to kick at him. At that point, the man became belligerent and didn't seem to want to call his dogs off after that. He eventually got them under control and in the car and sped off shaking his fist and swearing out his window at me. Somehow, *I* had become the villain for doing the right thing and trying to protect my dog against his dogs who were illegally unleashed and I find that tends to be the overwhelming attitude in this city of those who choose not to leash their dogs. If it ever happened again, I would have made a run for the nearby busy intersection with my dog in my arms and hoped his got hit, I think. Not legal to carry pepper spray or bear mace in the city, I guess I am going to have to start carrying a stick.0 -
Absolutely.0
-
Yes but that would be barking up the wrong tree here in the Philippines,,,fought off 4 of them yesterday0
-
Also, unrelated but incredibly frustrating... pick up after your dogs. There are SO MANY fecal transmitted diseases that even 30 day old poop can transmit. PICK IT UP!
Not to mention it can contaminate the water via the storm water system, which is often reused in the main water system.
AND THIS. OMG.
This city is a nightmare for dog owners trying to rent, honestly, and it is because of people who think the bylaws don't apply to them. My dog had a resume (training, dog sports, etc) and references from obedience trainers and people who have kept him overnight for me and we still got denied at many places simply because he is a dog. Our current landlords had a dog owner in here before and basically told me when I offered his resume, that they didn't care as long as we were good owners who didn't abuse our pets. LOL0 -
yes0
-
Yes.0
-
Yes, all dogs should be leashed in public places.
I'm a parent and I have three dogs (a white german shepherd, a black lab, and a mini American Eskimo).
All three dogs are well-trained. My mini Eskie is the cutest, fluffiest, oh-let-me-pet-him adorable bundle out of the three. However, he was poorly treated in his first four months of life (before we got him) and is VERY skittish and has a good deal al fear aggression around strangers (males especially). Despite his cute face (see my avatar), HE is the one that would be most likely to bite, but most people are afraid of the two bigger dogs.
I do not like when people allow their kids to run up to the dogs to pet them. I put up a hand and say in a loud firm voice that I do NOT want you to touch my dog. A lot of people STILL come toward us and say things like, "Oh its ok...dogs like me" or "I'm a dog person". I don't really care. I know MY dog and he doesn't want you touching him.
One tip though: I have found that when I tell people that the dogs are in "Training", they're a lot more respectful of our wishes that they not touch or attempt to pet them.
With regard to off leash dogs just randomly running up to a child or a stranger in general? I'd defend myself/my child FIRST and ask questions later. If a dog is running at me full bore, I'm not going to be thinking "Oh he just wants to play". That's a LOT of teeth he'd potentially be playing with...and I'd rather they not be buried in my leg...or my kid's face.0 -
Dogs need to be leashed. They should also be leash trained.
Our dog heels while leashed. She sits and she stays when I tell her to. When around other dogs, if I tell her to leave it, she ignores them and keeps walking.
I see people all the time being dragged around by dogs and I can't help but think it's such a shame.0 -
, I guess I am going to have to start carrying a stick.
[/quote]
please don't carry a stick, or wave a stick threateningly at a dog, this will instigate more fight in the dog, they intruprut the waving of arms (or stick) like that as threatening.
Our dog went out door with one of my children(not paying attention) , our neighbor across the street, was outside, got scared, even tho dog was still in our yard. He started yelling at the dog and waving his hands, walking towards the street, the dog, beliving someone was threatening "his family" went after the man, grabbed his arm (broke no skin) and held him. After this instance, the dog could not be outside without being upset by neighbor, got loose a 2nd time, same thing happened, and then the dog had to be put down.
When we got a new dog, the neighbor did the same thing.. UGH, Tried to explain to him what he was doing, but he wouldn't listen, we finally got an underground fence so that even tho we tie the do up, if he ever, slipped out he would leave the yard...bnut neighbor always caused problems with every dog we had0 -
I think your situation would be different as your dog was on YOUR property with your family and probably would have been territorial with the aggressive approach your neighbour was taking (the yelling and coming toward him) even without the waving hands. If just carrying a stick in the first place caused such problems, every single person who walks on the trails with a walking stick would have problems with dogs coming at them aggressively.
There would be no waving to keep it away, I am talking about a weapon, not a threat. Particularly for at large dogs which we also run into frequently as the three major city trails intersect at the end of our street. After my experience, I cannot NOT bring a weapon of some variety. When I forwarded my experience to my trainer, who has decades of experience in positive reinforcement training and animal behaviour, she recommended a stick.0 -
UK law differs from US law in that it merely stipulates that dogs must be under control not on a lead. Mine is a collie which heels on command. If she were ever approached by an aggressive dog, her chances of getting away unharmed are better off-lead than on.
Dogs are allowed off lead in public parks. I am not aware of us having any "dog parks" like they exist in the US.
They are not allowed in childrens play areas, which is fine.
My dog is well trained, does not approach other dogs unless allowed, does not approach other people unless allowed, does not jump up at people. Why should I limit her life because a small minority of people can't be bothered to train their dogs?
In my local area most pubs are also dog friendly. I'm glad that I live someone that's not such an adversarial environment.0 -
In the UK we have the most selfish dog owners on the planet...
Mild exaggeration perhaps?0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions