for wanting to walk in the park without being bounced on by giant b*stard dogs?

My Dad's job involved him having to go round houses collecting every week. He's never been afraid of dogs and no dog has ever attacked him. He says you just have to be bold and strong then the dog knows who is in charge and won't attack. Have seen this also on that nauseating "it's me or the dog" where the woman emphasised that they are pack animals and look to the leader for guidance.

Can I also just rant about the inconsiderate moron in my neighbourhood who allows their dog to shit right outside the school gate and never picks it up. If I find out who you are I will post the afformentioned crap through your letterbox, you fcking twat. And to the even more selfish fckwit with the smaller dog (going on poo size here) who lets their dog actually crap in the school playground without picking it up - I'm on a mission with you!!! Beware the anti-dog witch of south Glasgow.

If a dog chases you, dont run! I've honestly never seen a dog chase someone though. I can certainly see why they do if you run.

I lvoe the descriptions of dogs. Cant be arsed to go back but bastards,evil hell hounds!

I can't stand owners who don't keep their dogs on a lead. I have chased by a hellhound on more than one occasion and I am very wary when I see dogs roaming free now.

Greenbos - i would complain if dogs are nto been kept in the leads in teh area where they are meant to. Have you tried the council. THey might be able to patrol it occasionally and issue fines.

Kerrymum. Yours scenarios dont ring true. Dogs dont generally go round fighting with each other. My dogs have never so much as growled at another dog. Dogs are far more likely to be aggressive if they are on the lead then off. It's a fight or flight thing. THey cant run if on teh lead so if feeling threatened they fight. There would be far more aggressive dogs if they were always kept on the lead. That would be poor ownership.

Dogs who do fight and are left off the lead? Well I've not met one and I wlak dogs every day. Now I've seen a lot of people fight and if you read a paper you'll see just how much violence humans do - far more than dogs. How shall we solve that? I dont think they care either if a child gets hurt along the way.

If I see a dog on teh lead I keep my dogs away as the dog may be in season, unwell or aggressive hence on teh lead.

If a two year old gets in the way of a dog fight? Well, where are it's parents??

Dogs arent humans and so cant really apply the whole cant be bothered thing. I carry really nice treates with me which I know will win over an interesting smell or something else. My dogs arent lazy or dont have that human dont feel like it thing. DOnt know any dogs like that but know lots of people. It's all about training and motiviating. It would be nice if the kids that approached my dogs would go to their parents when called.

Again, I walk my now 3 year old with my dogs and she always meets unleashed dogs all the time. There was a time she may have been tempted to pull their tale but I didnt let her. She know know not to do it to dogs especially ones we dont know. She could do it in theory to mine as they are used to lots of childrn and the hustle and bustle this brings.

If a child does something to a dog to hurt it then the dog will warn it before taking further action. The child wont be able to read the signs but there will be signs. It's upto you as a parent to do this for the child.

We had a very large rescue dog last year who snapped at my daughters face when she went near it when it had a bone. It was our fault not the dogs. We didnt think and let my daughter be near it on her own without our supervision. If he had wanted to bite her he would have and she would probably been killed as her head would just about fit in his mouth. The snap was a warning and left a small red mark on her face that disappeared the next day.

Too right Dionnelorraine

I'm not frightened of dogs, nor do I hate them at all. It's the stupid b@stard owners who don't control their dogs that I have problems with & I know that there are loads of responsible owners out there too. I just thank god that it's different now to when I was wee & you'd see unaccompanied dogs roaming the streets all the time. I lost count of the times I was knocked off my bike or roller skates by some bloody mutt & my ex-h when he was small was sliding down a hill one winter when this big collie slid down after him & bit him on the bum halfway down. His mum called the police & he actually had to drop his pants and show the policewoman where it bit him.

I don't think dogs should be kept on leads in woodland, on the moors etc but in parks where children play they should def be kept on the lead. Proper leads too and not those stupid extendable leads - what is the point of them? They don't keep a dog under control, they get tangled everywhere, they take up the whole path & you can't get past with the buggy. I once saw someone walking down one side of the street & their dog was across the other side of the street on an extendable lead - what if a car had come along?

There are signs all over the huge park here saying dogs should be kept on leads but no-one seems to take the blindest bit of notice & one of the peacocks was savaged by a dog & killed a few years ago

Wheresmysuntan - I agree. people that come out with crap like that have no idea what the bloody hell they are going on about. We share our world with animals. Theses people obviously have no real life problems to worry about hey?!!!

Jomist - ''As to whether dogs should be on leads in woodlands or fields, it's my opinion that they should. ''
Where exactly do you propose that dogs should be allowed to run free? They cannot possibly get enough exercise on the lead and any dog-owner just doing this would end up with an unhealthy dog and probably one with behavioural problems aswell. I suspect you have never owned a dog or you couldn't possibly suggest that lead exercise only is enough.

My best friend has her own business and runs a dog training school. She is very good, and helped me with my dog as he was a rescue at 18 months. He is an angel now (was boysterous (sp) before.) Even off the lead. But I keep him on the lead in play parks because its the kids who are the problem. They come up to him and some are kind and some pester and tease. In half the cases its the parents that need to control their kids!!
Works both ways!

The bottom line is some owners care enough to train their dogs. Others don't - and it's thems that don't that cause all the grief.

Kerrymum,

You obviously know feck all about dogs and training them. There are lots of different ways of keeping dog under control whilst off the lead. People develop there own cues - its not rocket science.

Kerrymum - as far as I can see a dog that doesn't respond to a whistle or call and who is allowed to wander too far from the owner, isn't under control. Many dogs are well trained and respond quickly. Some dont - therein lies the problem.

In a lot of parks there are play areas fenced of for children where dogs aint allowed. If you decide to use the area outside of this then i am afraid you will have to share the area with dog walkers, i don't know what you want the council to do, fence off the whole park for children only and ban all dogs? In my mind isn't that a bit selfish? Everyone has the right to use the park, thats why its called a PUBLIC place.

I think I read that black dogs appear more unfriendly for some reason, but definately have read that black dogs are harder to re-home

I walk my dogs in a park which is full of regular dog walkers and that's about it as there is no playground etc. WHen the weather becomes hot you see families who dont go there usually with their kids so I avoid walking until the evening. Of course they should be able to go there but dog walkers use it every day regardless of the weather etc.

I put the little one on a lead near kids as if a child and parents starts to scream (and they do) he might be interested enough in the noise to have a closer look. I leave the big one off the lead as she has no interest in other people.

I do have to watch out for kids who like to tease dogs and their owners who think this is okay. Fortunately my dogs dont seem to react to the teasing but it's bloody annoying and I wish their parents would keep them under control.

I wouldnt ever take them to a park which contained swings etc.

THere are a lot of problems rehousing black dogs and battersea tries to put hankerchiefs and the like on them to make them more attractive. I believe there is also a rescue place just for black dogs. I dont believe though it's blamed on racism. Cant remember why in teh article though.

MB, I don't treat my dogs as pronto humans - in fact they know they are bottom of the pecking order in this house as it should be.

I would never allow my dogs to jump all over children, particularly if they have asthma or other medical problems that may occur as a result. I do think a dog jumping up is not akin to a 'savage attack' and in most instances is pretty harmless. I did take offence at posts saying dogs were filthy disease ridden creatures who the owners treat like babies and our houses stink.

What I was perhaps clumsily trying to say is that I don't think all dogs should be kept on the lead at the park if they can be kept under control. A dog needs exercise to be a happy dog and that certainly would limit the potential of them turning into a biter.

If the constant dog jumping is giving your child asthma attacks then I would be taking him elsewhere. I don't have the problem of my dogs jumping up at people is what I meant by that comment.

My cousin kept dogs, they were working dogs. Not treated as proto humans they were some of the happiest dogs in the UK.

My next door neighbour had a dog, spoiled it, fed it the wrong food (which caused it the most awful rashes), never walked it enough. Unhappy, very dodgy do in terms of behaviour.

Dogs are happiest when their owners remember that they are dogs

and you are quite right you just can't tell how a dog will react on 100% of cases. In that being the case it is the resposibility of the dog owner to kepp it properly under control.

So we do actually agree then MB. I love my dog to bits and he is best friends with my little girl. But my little girl always comes 1st! Im lucky in that my dog is a good lad and doesnt run up at people. Infact kids and their parents go up to him cos hes is so big for his breed and a good looking boy (not biased, honest!) that they just want to say hello. He is very soppy!
Even so, I wouldnt let him off in a family park. Mainly because of other peoples reactions.You never can tell.

I don't have a problem with that either, as long as they are on leads when they are in areas that are heavily 'used' by families. IYSWIM. Connie, on the other hand seems to think that I should take my son to places that dogs are prohibited. She seems to feel that her dog as more rights than my son. Since as she so supportivly puts it 'I'm not the one with the problem'

Personaly I think that humans should have more rights than dogs. I'm actually rather fond of dogs, had them as a child and we support the training for guid dogs for the blind.

The trouble seems to be that some dog ownners think that they dogs are more important than people.

And as far as I know Connie, Human head lice are specific for humans, and are no risk to your dog. And unless you dog licks the anus of a human with thread worms, or bites their fingernails, you can sleep at night, safe in the knowlege that you do will be unaffected.

Human children, however have been blinded by toxicara canis.

Would it be ok if a dog whose parents were married jumped on you?

Totally agree

I hated dogs until I got one myself, and I think children and dogs can mix as long as each side is sensible

I remember last year taking my dog and some of my friends kids to a river on some moorland where they wanted to play in the river. There where loads of kids playing in the river, but I thought my dog should be allowed in. I let dog off lead and she ran into the river, and one of the adults had a right go at me, and I told her that the dog was harmless but if her kids where scared I would remove the dog, 5 mins later all the kids where playing with dogs throwing sticks etc.
I think there are some dogs who can play safely with other kids. Its a judgment call. That said, I trust my dog 100% she is a labrador, and has NEVER even so much as growled