Should dogs be kept on a leash in public places?

Around where I live, it is the law

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.

Yes.

Yes, as much for their safety as people's.

I see dogs off-leash around here all the time. As someone who has never had a fear of them and loves them, to me it's no big deal if a dog comes running up to me. But other people feel differently and you're risking that person even doing something like calling animal control and claiming an attack.

My friend has a pit bull. He was IN HER CAR with the windows up one day and she came out to see some woman yelling at him to get away from the window and the woman freaked out at my friend for even owning that breed and she said she was going to call the police and report a vicious dog.

Now, this particular dog my friend has had since he was a puppy. A friend of hers rescued the dog from people who wanted to use him as a bait dog to train fighting dogs. He's beta and the sweetest thing you'll ever meet. Plus, he was shut up in a car where he couldn't hurt anyone if he tried. Imagine if he were off-leash at a park and ran into that woman. Ugh.

So, yes. They should be leashed in public.

Yes.

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.

Also children.

I work in animal rescue....too many horror stories of great dogs being put down because some kid without a parent goes up and gets in dogs face and....If your dog is kept on a leash you can protect him from.other people, dogs and kids without a leash.

Also children.

This, and maybe elderly people.

There should be some sort of test to see if the owner can even control big dogs, I have seen multiple times an owner struggle to control his/her " BIG *kitten* " dog'; just because the dude is on a leash doesn't mean he can't over power his owner and run at you

Come back to me when you have a gigantic rottweiler chase you

My hubby just said exactly the same thing to me. If you buy from a breeder, you just go and pay your money and take away the dog.

If you go to a rescue center then they are a bit more stringent as to how you are going to care for the dog etc.

Care and being able to control a dog on a leash are two completely different things. The shelter is looking to see if the dog is going to a good home. Will someone be home with them a lot? Will they be relegated to a crate the majority of the day? Is it a good home etc. They're not going to take the time to train you and the dog and see if you can 'handle' him on a leash. Also if you get a young dog who is going to grow up and be big they're not going to demand you come back to see if you can handle it and make you give it back if you can't.

With regards to not being able to control big dogs my dog is a 70+ lb German Shepherd. While most of the time I can control him sometimes he gets his eye on a something -- squirrel, bunny, chipmunk -- and wants to go tearing off into the woods after it and it is very startling and I have been pulled down by him when he does that. My husband has been jerked by him too in the same instance.

For the record we don't take him places where there are going to be people and dogs mainly because he is very, VERY hyper and doesn't always get along with other dogs and needs to be socialized slowly (he is basically a rescue dog as someone abandoned him at the end of our road last year and we took him in) For the most part when I walk him it's done off leash where I live which is in the woods with secluded back roads and woods.

If I get bitten by a dog. I am putting it down that very instant. Enough said!

You are going to put it down? :huh:

Also children.

Exactly!

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 were in that father's situation I probably would have done the same thing (or similar) to the dog. I don't know why your dog is tearing off after me or my kid and my gut reaction would be to stop that dog immediately.