Is it ok to always keep a dog on a lead?

I agree about people underestimating the cost of pet ownership. Not just about food etc but vets fees, kennel fees and other incidentals. So many dogs here in France are abandoned in the summer as owners are not willing to pay for kennels.
I love Great Danes Grannysyb we had a Harlequin who was a delight and so good with children. When my daughter wins the lottery we are going to set up a rescue centre for Danes and Donkeys.

I think all dogs should be on a lead in public regardless of whether the owner believes them to be well behaved or not. A large area of woodland locally is now virtually a no go area for the general public due to dogs running free and no sign of the owner(s).
Dog excrement left on paths or worse still, in plastic bags just lobbed into the undergrowth.
Our local Facebook page regularly has pleas from owners who have lost a dog, last seen "chasing a deer" or running free in someone's field. They are a d**n nuisance.
I know there are many dog owners who are responsible and careful, but there are a heck of a lot who treat their pets as child substitutes and expect the rest of the population to feel the same adoration as they do.
Taking your dog, on a lead on a public path across a field is fine. Allowing your dog to run loose over land that does not belong to you just because you feel it needs it is not.

No I'm not a dog hater. I have had dogs in the past but no longer. My dog was exercised in a farmer's field with his permission, provided no livestock was there, otherwise it was a nearby park, on a lead or in my own (small) garden.

In my view, if you feel your pet cannot be exercised adequately on a lead in public or loose on land that either belongs to you OR where you have the permission of the owner, then maybe you out to reconsider whether you should have a dog in the first place.

oh well said Iam !!

I totally agree. I know of someone with very poor specimen Springer Spaniel who breeds litter after litter of equally poor specimens, sells them for a fortune as 'working spaniels' when neither of the parents have ever seen a gun in their lives.

Its all about the money and its a sad, sad state of affairs.

We couldn’t let ours off on the beach today because it was high tide and there was also a lot of stones and shells (worry about her doing zombies on sharp shells etc) so we just hid lots of kibble around the house when we got back and let her do lots of sniffing on the walk. I heard a while back that it’s important for dogs to get sun on their backs the same as people as, in the wild they would be outside all the time absorbing VitD but because they’re inside most of the time they can be deficient the same as people.

My DH is a retired vet, he dislikes breeders. Our last two dogs were rescue Great Danes, and were perfect, never jumped up and were fine with other dogs. I always let them off the lead in Bushy park, they were deer proof. The last one would plod along next to my three year old granddaughter, my stepdaughter once found her daughter covering the dog in Carins face cream, dog looking resigned!

Blondiescott, I volunteer for a breed charity. Like local shelters and other rescues, we haven’t had the influx of lockdown dogs we expected. Instead, the adverts are full of young pups and dogs being sold by owners. The reasons are the ones usually given when unwanted dogs are handed in. It’s the sudden return to work, the combination of puppies and small children, the endless poor dogs who howl when left alone all day, or chew things.
I’m beginning to think NanandGrampy and Grandtante are right, we need the implement the German system. I also feel as strongly about hobby breeders as puppy farms. Breeding your unhealthy/temperament tested spaniel just because you can and charging £3500 a pup is outrageous and wrong

I think all domestic animals should be able to live as near a natural (to them) life as possible. In the wild, dogs would roam freely, so to keep them on the lead always is going against their instincts. It could also make them defensive of other dogs as they aren't free to react in a normal way.

Yet another reason why people should have to get a licence and training package before they get a dog Alexa . People tend to totally under estimate the costs involved in having a dog .

Its not just about food and the vet but its about insurance, the right food, training - the list goes on.

I agree Grandtante , I lived in Germany many years ago and totally support the methodology they have chosen.

Dog owners are supposed to be able to control their dogs at all times.

This applies specifically if they are to be let of the lead in a public place.

A well-trained dog will come when called or whistled at by its owner and has learned not to run up to strangers or jump up at people.

This thread like so many others shows clearly that not all people who have dogs train them properly.

The only solution I can see is for all countries to adopt the German system. There you have to take your dog to police run dog training classes to be allowed to keep a dog. If you fail as an owner, I believe you can be refused the right to keep a dog.

Dog theft rose 250% in the past year. Most of it from breeding kennels, or hobby breeders. Some dogs stolen from cars, outside shops and occasionally from owners on walks.

Every day my FB page has more stories and appeals from distraught owners of dogs and puppies which have been stolen, some even from gardens.

PS most people have no spare money to spend on getting to a dog park, let alone paying for that facility.

Cruelty is relative. If I were to rescue some dog from eastern Europe; some dog who has been a long time stray, I cannot let him off the lead as he will have no recall; his life on lead with a kind old lady will be a lot better than when he was cold , starved , and terrified in Romania.

Similarly for retired greyhounds. It is either death or lead walk for them.

Some years ago a racehorse trainer was banned because one of his horses had a positive dope test. After huge investigations it was discovered that a dog being treated with steroids had peed while on a footpath across the trainer's field and the horse had eaten grass tainted with the steroid. It was all sorted but cost a lot of money and the trainer was distraught. Round where we live there are fenced 'dog parks' for owners to loose run their dogs. You book a time and are given a gate code - clear up any mess and off you go. Brilliant result all round.

I have a new lab puppy having lost my dear old lab over a year ago. First lab took years before she would recall properly. Any sign of water and I ceased to exist. On one occasion she ran through a wooded area into a small river, then into a field with sheep. Fortunately she did not chase them when they moved away not wanting to play. She then tried to get back but there was an electric fence so terrible yelp. Took me ages to get round to her. She was scared of fence but too big for me to lift over. Luckily two strong lads came along and rescued her. It put me off of letting her off. Eventually as she got older she would come to the whistle for a treat but not near water. In the morning I could let her run out into the garden for a wee knowing she would be back within 10 minutes for breakfast.

With new puppy I will like to let her run free as she gets older but because of what happened with previous dog need somewhere safe for training. Also worried about dog napping. At the moment I let her chase a ball down my long corridor.

NanaandGrampy

Well said Iam .

I'm with you on the training. In fact, Id go as far as to say that training lessons ( and socialisation) should be obligatory when you get a dog.

So many people who get a dog have absolutely no idea that their dog needs training. They see people who do have well trained dogs and assume that its that easy and their dog will be the same as if by osmosis.

A well trained dog is a joy but it takes hard work,

Absolutely - and this is one of the reasons why I fear for the welfare of some of the poor dogs who have been bought on a whim during lockdown, and who will no doubt end up in rescue centres once the owners realise just how much work is involved in having a dog!

Well said Iam .

I'm with you on the training. In fact, Id go as far as to say that training lessons ( and socialisation) should be obligatory when you get a dog.

So many people who get a dog have absolutely no idea that their dog needs training. They see people who do have well trained dogs and assume that its that easy and their dog will be the same as if by osmosis.

A well trained dog is a joy but it takes hard work,

In Northumberland a local group has been formed to help with dog theft, it's called DogHorn. The group started after yet another working dog 'disappeared' from the beach, it's now three months and there haven't been any sightings or responses to the poster offering a reward.

I'm on a dog page on facebook and yesterday a woman was cornered on a local beach by four men trying to steal her dogs, during the day time. I've just bought a whistle and a rape alarm which I'll carry at all times, I've no choice but to walk my dog on my own and am starting to feel vulnerable.

Hetty, no responsible dog owner lets their dog off lead near traffic.
Dog theft rose 250% in the past year. Most of it from breeding kennels, or hobby breeders. Some dogs stolen from cars, outside shops and occasionally from owners on walks.
I’m lucky to have parkland woodland, reservoir walks nearby. I can’t imagine being scared to let them off lead, they need to live as domesticated happy pets.

Iam64, they can get lost or stolen too. A tiny chihuahua was crushed by a car here recently. Who in their right mind lets them roam near traffic?

SueDonim, those of us with well trained dogs can spot each other easily. You’re right, no dog should run up to other dogs, children or people. Well trained dogs don’t do that. Responsible owners call their dogs if on lead dogs are approaching.
I’m out every day for an hour including off lead for my adult dog, 15 mins for the pup. Rarely have any problems but the lockdown puppies with first time owners stand out

CocoPops, we have the by-law here too (on pavements) but the local historic woodland is effectively off limits to small children. There are simply too many large dogs running free - with no owner in sight - or they're in the distance.

It simply isn't right that children have to get through the same 'running free' situation to reach their gated, dog-free playground in the middle of the park.

So many ignorant owners just don't realise (or care) that their dog should legally be 'under control' (trained with recall and down) at all times, when allowed off lead.

Mine does her racing around in the garden, in the mad half hour (about 5 pm) anyway.

I agree with posters advocating off- leash fun and exercise for dogs. My dog loves me throwing her ball and playing fetch so every morning I take her to a designated dog park. Today we went to a beach for dogs and my dog had a whale of a time running after her ball, swimming and playing with other dogs.
In my neighbourhood we have an on- leash bylaw so her local afternoon walk is on a lead.

Perhaps small or toy companion dogs would be fine with on lead walking to heel. Larger athletic dogs would need running in safe areas. It's not hard to train young pups around meal times, and recall training from day one, in the home and garden with a game hiding and calling them to you, lots of fuss and a treat.

Get an OS map and discover you local area, you may find there are plenty of places where dogs can be free run for hours. There will be few people there, and if you do see anyone they will,probably be running big dogs too.

Leave the smaller public parks for the people who have the small companion dogs who tend to stay on the flexi leads.

The two dogs living either side of me don't know what a lead is, they never go out of their yards, one is not allowed to use the garden.

So if you don't want to, or are frightened to, let your dog off the lead, then get a low energy dog that will be happy with this limited form of excercise.

I agree with Iam64.. Mind games too.

I do not think it is right to own a dog unless it can be walked daily and have somewhere safe to be off the lead.

I do not agree with indoor cats either.

Although we do put our labrador on a lead, she doesn't really need it, as she walks to heel and doesn't like to be away from us. We are lucky in having a nearby park with adjoining field. Lots of people (including us) let their dogs run free on the field and in 10 years, I have never come across an aggressive dog there; all the dogs get on and its lovely to see them playing together. The dogs aren't interested in any of the humans, they just want to play with each other. The dog owners are responsible and clean up after their dogs, and there is never any mess. Visiting this field was a godsend when our dog was a puppy, she got to socialise with all sorts of dogs and learned her 'dog manners' from the other older dogs. It goes without saying though, that if you wish to let your dog off the lead for a run, it must be in an appropriate place and only do it if you can trust your dog to behave.