Dogs to be kept on lead.

There are just too many selfish, blinkered, emotive people about when it comes to dogs.
Those who don't like them don't understand the love people have for their pets and those that love them can't understand why anyone would dislike them.
I have two German shepherds. I know that, possibly more than any other breed, they are feared by a lot of people. Whether that be because they are often seen as guard dogs or police dogs or perhaps the similarity to wolves still taps into their basic fears I don't know. But a lot of them are big softies - and all of them are intelligent. However, I digress.
Until people who have dogs start taking more responsibility for their dogs, start treating them as dogs and not toys to dress up or, worse, children, then we'll always have issues.
Having a dog used to be a priviledge, you didn't get a dog if you were out all day, if you couldn't afford vet bills or if you didn't have time to exercise and train them. Nowadays a lot of people seem to get them as ornamentation. They seem to think their precious doggy has a right to run free. It doesn't. It's a dog. They pay eye watering money for them and treat them as human, paying little heed to the needs of the dog. They're carted off to 'doggy day care' which is often a very bad environment for dogs and they're given nothing to exercise their brains.
I hope this whole 'designer dog' trend dies down soon. It's a nightmare for a lot of people and an irritation to me as everywhere I go I have dogs running up to my on-lead dogs, closely followed by an owner trilling 'It's ok Bella/Bailey/Lola/Charlie is friendly'. No, they're badly trained and my bitch has been attacked and really doesn't take kindly to dogs running up to her so get it on a lead until you have control.
Dogs without boundaries are an accident waiting to happen.

Exactly Chewbacca. If a dog on a lead comes towards me when I am out walking and I move away and don't smile at it, I usually get a dirty look.

We were out walking and an unleashed dog ran up to us. Our body language must have shown that we weren't happy about this as the owner called out 'He won't bite'. DH replied 'No, but I might!'. The look on the dog owners face was priceless!

On a more serious note, it amazes me that people spend so much on their dogs, and apparently love them to bits, but will let them run risks. A friend of ours had his dog swallow a lolly stick when off the lead. It cost them a fortune to have the vet remove it, but it could have been a lot worse.

I have grown up with dogs, and had dogs all my adult life. With one exception, I would never let any dog off a lead - you never know the trigger point for fear, and a dog may run off and be killed, as detailed in other posts. Years ago I had an elderly dog who couldn't have run if she had wanted to , and plodded gently by my side, never moving away from my left side. That animal was the exception, and all dogs over the years since then have been trained to walk properly on a lead, and never let off. If they need a lot of exercise, then owners should keep walking!

There are SOME selfish people of all types in our parks, I’m afraid, from yummy mummies who push you out of the way with their buggies, to young people on fast e-scooters, cyclists going at huge speeds, plus the dreaded joggers who brush past you and have been known to kick dogs out of the way, and some thoughtless dog owners, of course.

We have a dog and I think we are over cautious with him, for his safety, and for the safety of other people

But it would be nice if each park had an area where he could safely go off the lead. People can play tennis safely in a tennis court, and children’s playgrounds are out of bounds to other older people, so why not proper ‘dog parks’ within a park? This would serve several purposes.

I do feel for people who are frightened of dogs, but also annoyed that they pass this fear onto others. My disabled nephew loved dogs until he moved into a residential home aged 27, and some staff there were hysterical in their dislike and fear of dogs. It’s not helped him at all, I’m afraid.

I live near a lovely park with birds and animals. I often see dogs bothering the cows while the owners look fondly on and sometimes film. Why do ignorant dog owners allow their dogs to dash through the bushes and plunge into water where there are birds. Of course they should be on a lead. I know several people who don't like dogs for different reasons. What about the right to walk in a park and not have your space invaded by poorly disciplined dogs and their supremely stupid and selfish dog owners. Dogs should never be allowed into shops and coffee shops but they are.

Dogs are allowed into very few shops (with the obvious exception of assistance dogs). There are far more restaurants/coffee shops which don't allow dogs than those which do, so surely that gives everyone the choice? I'd rather sit enjoying a coffee with a friendly dog than some Gransnetters, that's for sure!

H1954
I wish it was true that keeping a dog on a lead minimised problems. My bassets were always on a lead but twice were attacked by dogs off leads. As a young pup one of my dogs had his ears bitten through and bloodied by an off-lead retriever. A later basset was deaf and sniffing happily when leapt on aggressively by an elderly couple's' cocker spaniel. Of course there was the usual "never done it before" comment!!

It's becoming a lawlessness society.... What are we to do?

If you have a camera on your phone you could take photos of dogs off leads in a park so that you would have some clear evidence to show. So if you could offer two or three different times or days of this behaviour then you could show this to council or police as evidence of this behaviour that they could not deny they were breaking the law. I agree with you that it is not the dogs but the owners who do not train their animals properly and think that their wishes come above other peoples safety.

I feel so sorry for the dogs mentioned on this thread who are never let off the lead. No amount of on lead exercise, even with a keen walker, can compensate for the freedom to romp, roam, sniff and play with other dogs.

You can train dogs to come back, you can train them to behave and then you can let them off the lead where it is legal and safe to do so.

The Graeme Hall TV show "Dogs behaving very badly" is a great help to anyone training a dog.

I love dogs and used to own one but became progressively ill and only when he died was it realised that I was allergic to him (despite childhood negative allergy results for 'dog'!) so, no more dogs for me.

However, could I please raise a point regarding some leads - but I am probably in the minority here.... A few years ago, very thin flexible leads which expand from a cartridge to great lengths arrived. These leads can be dangerous: I have seen dog owners walking on the left hand side of a path whilst talking on their mobiles. They forget that they have let their dog's lead out to its maximum and the dog has wandered off to the right - the lead is now stretched across the path.

I have seen a couple, busy speaking to each other and a cyclist, almost tripped by these leads from non-attentive owners.

Apart from the obvious dangers of these leads used like this, all dogs should be on a lead unless in an area where it is expressly stated that dogs are permitted to roam free.

MoorlandMooner I have my rescue now for 3 years and have trained her well, she knew nothing, but her recall is still zero. She slipped her harness one day and took off towards the road, totally ignoring me, but thankfully a man caught her.
She was found as a stray in the streets, the most nervous wee critter you could meet,she would run if a paper bag flew down the street and jumps at every noise she hears. She gets to meet other dogs at a dog exercise centre near me and one of my leads when we are out is a horse training lead that is really, really long. I also have a decent sized back garden that my friends come to with their dogs to have a run around together.
You may feel sorry for her not really getting the freedom you think she deserves, but compared to the life that little mite had before me I think she's doing ok.

The only dog I was never afraid of was our own. She also did not like other dogs either, especially coming up and sniffing round etc. I always kept her on a lead when other people were around unlike most people I encounter. The few who do put their dogs back on their leads when they see me, I always thank for their consideration. I have been known to reroute my walk if I see a dog loose in front of their property, especially Jack Russells! A dog once made a beeline for me on a huge beach and ignored it's owners shouts to come back. I braced myself for the attack and screamed, arms over head before impact. The owner did not apologise at all. Thankfully, the dog didn't attack me, just jumped up and scared me. Yes, people are so selfish.

Alioop

MoorlandMooner I have my rescue now for 3 years and have trained her well, she knew nothing, but her recall is still zero. She slipped her harness one day and took off towards the road, totally ignoring me, but thankfully a man caught her.
She was found as a stray in the streets, the most nervous wee critter you could meet,she would run if a paper bag flew down the street and jumps at every noise she hears. She gets to meet other dogs at a dog exercise centre near me and one of my leads when we are out is a horse training lead that is really, really long. I also have a decent sized back garden that my friends come to with their dogs to have a run around together.
You may feel sorry for her not really getting the freedom you think she deserves, but compared to the life that little mite had before me I think she's doing ok.

Nobody knows our own dog as well as we do and it sounds as though you know your dear pup very well. You are giving her a wonderful life and she's lucky to have found you.

My dog was a rescue dog too...scared of everything and everyone. It's a joy to help them build their confidence and see them thrive isn't it.

MoorlandMooner

I feel so sorry for the dogs mentioned on this thread who are never let off the lead. No amount of on lead exercise, even with a keen walker, can compensate for the freedom to romp, roam, sniff and play with other dogs.

You can train dogs to come back, you can train them to behave and then you can let them off the lead where it is legal and safe to do so.

The Graeme Hall TV show "Dogs behaving very badly" is a great help to anyone training a dog.

Graeme Hall isn'the best example of a dog trainer. And don't get me started on Caesar Milan!

Oh my word. You cannot be serious.
Few things are more annoying that Doreens and Maureens still in their 70 yr old prefects' garb preaching at me and my dog. Even had to instruct scared local headteacher to initiate dog friendly lessons in his school...
Children should be at ease with puppies from their infancy and this sniffy whiffy attitude won't help.

Kryptonite

The only dog I was never afraid of was our own. She also did not like other dogs either, especially coming up and sniffing round etc. I always kept her on a lead when other people were around unlike most people I encounter. The few who do put their dogs back on their leads when they see me, I always thank for their consideration. I have been known to reroute my walk if I see a dog loose in front of their property, especially Jack Russells! A dog once made a beeline for me on a huge beach and ignored it's owners shouts to come back. I braced myself for the attack and screamed, arms over head before impact. The owner did not apologise at all. Thankfully, the dog didn't attack me, just jumped up and scared me. Yes, people are so selfish.

Screaming at the dog was one of the worst things you could have done as you would have further agitated that dog.

Thank heavens I own a farm.
My dogs are required to keep me in sight and come when called. They understand "wait" to mean that they must not go through a particular gate or fence and that's about it. They're only ever on lead at the vets' place.
They're well trained and free to run, play and eat disgusting finds.

Interesting that the blame is put on the person screaming as she anticipates an attack from an out of control dog in a public place, rather than on the idiot dog owner.
Typical blinkered, selfish dog owner attitude.

Comments from some dog owners such as it is easy to train dogs to come to heel when off lead, ignore the fact that large numbers of dogs are NOT well trained. That is the whole point of this thread.
Until the current regulations are strengthened and rigorously enforced I cannot see an improvement in the situation.

Fiorentina51, I don't think she was "blaming" the person for screaming, merely pointing out that it's likely to make a dog react in a worse manner. It's good advice to say don't scream and don't run, as it's likely to exacerbate the situation.

I agree with a pp re extendable leads. So many dog owners don't bother to retract them when around other people, or turn them into a tripping risk as they wander around the park seemingly oblivious to the fact that everyone around them, including elderly people, are having to avoid falling over the bloody lead.

I wish they could be banned.

I'm not sure why those of us who don't like/are afraid of dogs should be asked to alter our behaviour or taught/encouraged to be more comfortable with dogs. Maybe we don't want to.

Re retractable leads, as well as the nuisance and danger aspect to other people I read ...

The purpose of using a lead when walking a dog is to keep the dog under control and safe. Retractable leads very often do the opposite.

They are a very bad idea from a training aspect as they actually train dogs to pull while on a lead because they learn that pulling extends the lead. ... It is much better to teach your dog to walk politely on a lead beside you without pulling.

kevincharley

MoorlandMooner

I feel so sorry for the dogs mentioned on this thread who are never let off the lead. No amount of on lead exercise, even with a keen walker, can compensate for the freedom to romp, roam, sniff and play with other dogs.

You can train dogs to come back, you can train them to behave and then you can let them off the lead where it is legal and safe to do so.

The Graeme Hall TV show "Dogs behaving very badly" is a great help to anyone training a dog.

Graeme Hall isn'the best example of a dog trainer. And don't get me started on Caesar Milan!

Golly, what's wrong with Graeme, he seems very kind and talented to me? Who would you suggest we look to for advice?