Please be careful where you take your dog.

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NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Dogs make great exercise buddies. They provide lots of motivation, and they can keep you safe. Plus it's always great to bring a friend. I used borrow my sedentary neighbor's dog when I'd go for walks around the neighborhood.

I saw a disturbing video today. Somebody brought a German Shepherd on a trail where dogs aren't allowed, and let it run off leash. The dog chased some mountain goats, who waited for the dog to come to the edge off a cliff, then rammed it, knocking it to its death. I've done that hike, there are signs at the parking lot saying "no dogs allowed" and "aggressive goats in area."

I don't mean to lecture everybody because someone made a bad choice. But it seems like a good time for a general reminder. Dogs don't understand everything about the world, and need their human friends to keep them safe, too.
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Replies

  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    That’s heartbreaking, my god.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
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    Wow that's pretty wild and heartbreaking at the same time
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I think these are goats that we’re relocated from the Olympics this fall.
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
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    I live on an estuary, where adders are abundant along the riverfront. Almost weekly you hear of dog walkers who have knowingly let their dogs on to the sea wall without a lead and their dogs have been bitten. Generally the larger dogs are ok after an expensive stay at the vets, but the smaller dogs don't fare so well unfortunately.
  • jdubois5351
    jdubois5351 Posts: 460 Member
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    People are such idiots. I would never risk the health of my baby by letting him off leash in an unknown area. When we go hiking, especially on vacation, he is always leashed. Your example is pretty extreme and terrible, but you also often hear about dogs chasing wild animals to their death or actively hunting and killing them. I would never forgive myself, if my dog hurt a fawn or a piglet!
  • DoubleUbea
    DoubleUbea Posts: 1,115 Member
    edited October 2018
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    .

  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    People often forget that wild animals can go wild animal.

    When I was a middle school aged kid a friend had a large German Shepherd that had been a former cop dog. We startled a large raccoon out near the edge of a swamp, and it bolted up on the tree. The bark at the top of the tree let loose, and the raccoon fell about 25-30 feet into the water.

    The dog was on the raccoon in seconds, and within a few more seconds the raccoon seemed to have the upper hand in a major way. Without our intervention, I think the raccoon may have killed the dog. Yep, it was that violent.
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    edited October 2018
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    laurenebargar wrote: »
    FL_Hiker wrote: »
    That person was asking for it letting their dog in an area in the first place that said No dogs allowed, poor dog. That being said my dog hikes off leash with me often, but he’s had intense training focusing on his recall. We also have an e collar for back up (never had to use it yet besides in training, but I’d rather him get a slight buzz from me than something worse happen, like death). It is always a risk you take, but I feel it is worth it. He doesn’t get to live his life to its fullest if he is always chained up by my side... you should see the joy he gets on our long hikes. After all what kind of quality of life would that be anyways? That also being said, he does not chase wild life, he loves other dogs, other people, and is very well mannered. I never take him to dangerous places with cliffs, or areas with standing water which is a danger here in FL with gators. He always stays within a few feet of me in my sight, and at my whistle he is back to me if he needs to be. There’s definitely a wrong way and a right way to do it. o4s6qxexzhfh.jpeg

    We do this too, however if another person or dog shows up on the trail (we try to go early mornings and go places not many actually go) we always put her leash on, I really dislike when an offleashed dog runs up to my dog without the owner asking first. I agree though there is a right way and a wrong way!

    Yep same here, I always leash up if there’s a person, dog or horse.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,675 Member
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    There used to be an area on the Appalachian trail in Virginia where feral goats (once domestic) would go up to hikers and nibble on their sweaty legs. The only way to get rid of them was to either pee or hope someone else would appear that the goats liked better. On a hike in northern California, we had deer that would follow us into the woods to lick our pee spots. Salt is salt, and they don't care where it comes from.

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