Should dogs be kept on a leash in public places?

slkehl

When a dog comes bounding towards me off lead, it doesn't matter how kind, docile, harrmless, etc YOU think your dog is. Those moments while the dog is running towards me are HORRIFYING. and I can't do a thing about it.

What if a stranger came running at you, put his face in your crotch and started sniffing you? Is that acceptable behavior that you should calmly ask to stop and hope they do? No. So why is that ok from a dog? (it's not)

Yes. I'm kind of scared of dogs, and I hate it when they come running up and jump on me.

Illona88

There's this lady in the park near where I live. Very posh English lady, about 50-60. Always walks her dog around the same time I do.
Her dog always runs off and she shouts his name in the highest poshest pitch ever. The dog never listens.

One day I couldn't bear it anymore so I asked if she needed some help (seriously she was calling him for like fifteen minutes).
She said, oh no, he is a good boy, won't hurt a fly.
Yeah, sure. But he's got absolutely no respect for his owner. What happens if he feels threatened? Nothing she can do about it, because he will be miles away, ignoring his owner completely.

I gave her some dog training advice. She said she didn't want to 'limit' her precious pooch. Seriously, teaching your dog to listen to you is limiting? She's probably still spending at least half an hour a day calling for her dog, who will come whenever he feels like it.

FYI. Even though my dog is professionally trained, I still only let her off the leash in designated areas. And my dog knows to come the first time I call, otherwise I will come to her and put her back on the leash.

withabandon

There is a lady that walks her dog on a leash and always comes over to say hello to me and my dog. I shorten my dogs leash and make him sit by my feet.

The lady has a border collie cross, the lady is really nice but her dog has an extendable leash also and she continually keeps letting it go and her dog jumps up at me which I find really annoying as when it is raining or she has just come from the beach my clothes get muddied.

I have asked her not to let it jump up at me and her answer is that `Sultan is just being friendly` So now if I see her with Sultan I just hang back and pretend to be on my phone or walk in another direction.

There are way too many dogs on retractables that should NOT be. Over a certain weight really shouldn't be. And most people don't use them responsibly - a lot of the designs of them, you have to pull the trigger to stop them from extending. I have one that you can lock on either a short leash or go extendable and if it is locked, you have to pull the trigger to extend it or retract it. Whenever we are near people or dogs or see bikes coming on the trail, he is reeled in. I always go with my finger on the "lock" button when he is loose so I can quickly rein him in. I would never allow my dog to approach a person without their consent. They usually give consent though, LOL. He wiggles his butt stub and makes eye contact and that pretty much reels people in. I always thank people for asking if they can touch my dog. He loves attention from any and all people.

snazzyjazzy21

Pretty sure it's the law where I live. We've had a lot of children mauled by dogs, so people are pretty careful. I see a lot of people who muzzle their dogs when walking down the streets around my house, mostly because it's a thoroughfare for school/kindergarten children and it can get pretty loud and hectic around school time.

Personally, I think they should be on a leash in a public place. My cousin got attacked by his own dog when he was younger, and I've also had a couple of not so friendly encounters with strangers dogs that make me wary. People forget that they're still animals, and that they don't actually have total control over them.

slkehl

I have asked her not to let it jump up at me and her answer is that `Sultan is just being friendly`

Ugh, those dog owners are the worst!

PaulHalicki

I had an interesting experience Tuesday night. I was out on a bike ride and noticed a big-ish dog crossing the street in front of me- big enough that I knew that it could outrun me if I continued. So I stopped and watched as its family (humans) went running after the dog, calling its name. As it came around I knew it would come my way, so just before it noticed me I range the bell on my bike. The dog paused, confused, but put its ears and tail up (usually a good sign in dog-speak).

As the people closed on the dog, one of them advised me, "You'd better move away from him."

That made me angrier than the fact the dog was loose. I can understand how a dog can unexpectedly get away and enjoy some freedom freedom for a few moments. But when its owners imply that it is dangerous to any stranger like that, I can only think that they've done a p!ss-poor job of training it.

asmylie80

Every dog will bite if enough stimulus is presented. If the dog is on a leash you can control what is happening. If the dog is off the leash you can't 100 percent control. I take my dog off the leash when the environment is right, No kids, No high energy dogs, No cars moving etc usually a field or dog park.

CorvusCorax77

I think pets need to be on leashes in public places, and even in neighborhood. I'm not questioning the animals obedience. I'm just saying you have to factor in a massive amount of STUPID when it comes to humans.

This.

My dog plays rough, so I keep him on a leash. People who have dogs should know that when one dog is on a leash and the other isn't, it can cause the dog on the leash to stress out. Once I had my dog on a leash tied to a tree and some folks let their dogs run over to him. I told them "my dog sometimes isn't so good with other dogs, you should call them back." They said "oh it's ok." When my dog did exactly what I said he would do, they told me I should have him shot.

Humans can be such idiots.

And, for the record, my dog has never hurt another animal. He plays rough, but he isn't dog aggressive. I have, with the other owners permission of course, let him go at it with other dogs of his breed and 100% of the time when this has happened (and the other owner says "my dog likes to play like that, too") the two dogs end up in a panting pile on the muddy ground slobber-cuddling each other because they had so much fun.

But why some people let their dogs off leash and don't know it's not ok to let your dog go up to a strange dog that is on a leash, or would completely ignore warnings form that dog's owner, then blame the other dog??? Morons.

emmawoolf84

Its technically "the law" where I live and in general on the streets dogs are always leashed - but in some parks/fields, most people let their dogs off & I've NEVER witnessed anything ever in all my years, & I have 2 dogs & am active outside with them.
Late at night I do let one of my dogs off leash. She is a extremely predictable, trained 7 year old dog who walks by my side.

Generally though I think dogs should be leashed. Better for all parties involved.

CorvusCorax77

I utterly fail to understand why public parks (which are HUGE in the states) can't separate dog free areas like they do in the UK, for use by people who are afraid or intolerant of dogs.

Wait, so... I should be the one restricted to only certain areas of a park in order to avoid dogs off leashes who will almost surely appraoch me against my wishes? HAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, but that's just selfish of you.

Also, you may not realize this, in many US large parks, dogs are required to be on leash for the safety of the local flora and fauna, it doesn't even have anything to do with people...we just don't want your dog crapping in the woods where domesic-dog crap doesnt belong, and we dont want them scaring away or interacting with the wildlife. Plus, parks don't want to deal with pet owners complaining that a skunk or porcupine attacked your precious dog that you refused to control.

I apologize for generalizing, lots of people have some control of their dogs off leash but the overwhelming majority do not.

uh. there are lots of places in the US where dogs aren't allowed. I'm confused.

cindigold9

I have always been very afraid of dogs. They always are barking at me from even across the street or walking by and at other people including children. I have been chased by a small dog barking at me for 10 minutes, until the owner finally came out of her apartment and called him in, and he should have been on a leash with his owner! I have also had two other dogs with no leash jump on my thighs and their owner was right there.




In June 2012 a medium sized dog without a leash came running up to me barking, and her owner only called her to come back from a distance, he didn't even run after her up to me down the street.First she came back to him, but then she started running towards me again barking repeatedly! Her owner said sorry about that, but she wouldn't hurt you though.Yeah right, did his dog personally tell him she wasn't going to bite me? I was physically shaking for two hours after this.




I checked with my local police department and asked them isn't it against the law to have dogs in public streets and places running around with no leash,and they said yes, there is a 50$ fine it really should be a 100$ and told me to go to the .gov site about it.The Center For Disease Control reports that dogs killed 167 people over the age of 14 from 2001-2010! And they say *any* type of dog is capable of biting and or attacking people and that even small dogs can do real damage and harm.



When I was five I was bitten by my uncle and aunt's little grey terrier Heidi.When I 16 I was over my first cousin's house and they had found a poodle type dog,I was standing across from her in my cousin's bedroom and she was growling at me and my cousin yelled at her and said stop it! And then she said it was like she was ready to bite.



I hate dogs, cats never come up to strangers ready to bite them the way many dogs do and you usually have to provoke cats to get them to hiss, bite or scratch, and they are beautiful and don't make loud barking noises they just have a beautiful quiet meow and purring! I had a dog for about a year when I was 4 until I was 5, and then I had a gorgeous calico cat from the time I was 6 until I was 12.My former next door neighbor had such a sweet friendly beautiful orange and white tabby cat that I loved and he was an out door cat.





Just last week I was down the street and I saw a German Shepard with another dog running back and forth with no leash at my apartment complex.I had to stand and wait for 15 minutes until I didn't see them anymore and then I had to go across into the parking lot and I was still really afraid that they were still out there and would have run over to me and possibly worse.


But also, for the first 18 years that I lived in my apartments they said in the lease and brochures that no dogs were allowed only cats.Then they put a notice under everyone's doors unfortunately saying that now small dogs were allowed,and now with no notice in the last two years there are medium and big here now.




PEOPLE WERE BITTEN BY A NEIGHBOR'S POODLE OFF A LEASH and went to court.

http://voices.yahoo.com/dog-leash-law-pa-summary-offense-case 7036144.html



A nun was mauled almost to death by three neighbor's dogs and the dogs owner is a an owner of a dog grooming business,the dogs escaped from their fence and she was rescued by another nun.

http://www.mysecuritysign.com/blog/dog-bites-nun-prevent-dog-attacks/

silverinc13

100% yes. I can't count the number of times a loose dog has run up to mine while I'm walking which really messes with them. They aren't the friendliest of dogs to strangers.

queenb39

absolutely :noway:

jwooley13

My husband and I considered moving to the States. I'm American, he's British. The leash laws is one of the things (healthcare was the other) that put us off the idea. I have to keep my dogs on a lead, whereas there's nothing to protect me from people's unruly children? Don't think so. Sorry but your freedoms are not more important to me than mine or that of my dogs.

When's the last time you got bit by someone else's child? Much more likely to get bit by a dog, I think.

Ummm in just the past week I have been kicked in the shins by a small child on thee street and had a spit ball flung into my ear on the subway. Some children should be on leashes.

Agatefairy

Yes Yes adamantly yes! I've been mauled and scratched up my multiple dogs while walking and hiking. Please, no matter where you are if it's not your private land obviously keep your dog on a leash. Also, as a side note, clean up the piles of poo they leave behind if you're in a park. I just went for a walk in a park a few days ago and yeah....poo + shoe=#$#%##$

laynerich15

Yep my two little boys are always on leashes in public

elusive_design

Leashes are not for the public's protection, they are for the dogs. Dogs do not reason like people, if you expect them to be able to you have no business owning a dog. Keeping a dog on a leash insures it's continued survival from people who are driving cars, police officers who don't like dogs and people who don't want to be licked to death. You want to bring your dog out for some freedom go to the mountains, or the woods.. or a no leash dog park.

WanderingPomme

Yup, I think dogs should be kept on a leash in public.

Some humans (and human children) should be too!

vulpesgirl

Yes, absolutely!

I've got a little Pomeranian, and he is ALWAYS leashed outside. He's excitable, and he HATES bicycles and motorcycles and will lunge after them whenever they pass. (I can "thank" my friend's kid for that - repeatedly going at the dog and making revving noises with his bike was when THAT difficulty started.) He loves to jump on people, and even though he can't jump higher than your knee, I appreciate that while I know him, others don't, and it should be THEIR choice whether they want to approach the dog, not the dog's choice. He's kept on a short leash when we walk on the sidewalks.

He slipped out the front door last week when my hubby was getting the mail and went running up to another guy walking his own dog...I was MORTIFIED, both because that guy shouldn't be subjected to my dog's Napoleon issues off-leash, and because my little guy had to cross the parking lot/road to get where he was going, and people don't drive carefully there so I was terrified he could get hurt.

As far as being able to run around goes, when we go to the park, I let the leash out and we run around together. Good exercise for me, bonding for us both, and it's much safer for him since he loves chasing things that move. He tires out pretty quickly on those short little legs. ^_^