Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think dogs shouldn't be off lead in public if they don't come when you call

233 replies

ladylasagne · 04/09/2024 10:34

So I should start by saying I love dogs, I think they're great. I generally have no issue with them being off lead in public if they are well behaved and obey a call to heel.

Today I was out doing my morning run. I was running along a well used footpath, that is popular with lots of people. I saw a lady with two dogs off lead (fairly little terriers) running all over the place, paying no mind to her shouts for them to come. I slowed right down as I approached (I was already pretty slow as I'm really not fast runner). When I was about 10 meters away (or 30-40 ft if you're old school), these dogs start running full speed towards me. Whichever way I moved, they would change direction to still be heading for me, so I just stopped and stood still hoping to avoid an accident, and both dogs crashed into my legs. It really hurt, but luckily I'm pretty solid because it was a hard enough impact that it could've done damage to anyone frail or vulnerable using that path. I dread to think how painful it must have been for the poor dogs. I stepped around the dogs and walked on until I was far enough away to start running again.

As I walked passed this lady, she said sorry (so she obviously knew she was in the wrong on some level!). Maybe I should have left it at that, but I couldn't bite tongue and so I said to her "don't let them off the lead if they don't come when you call", she replied "yeahhhh sorry". I didn't swear, I didn't shout, but I just couldn't let it pass without saying something. Whenever I see people doing this with dogs, I just think it's a matter of time before the dog runs in front of a car or ends up getting hurt as a result of irresponsible dog ownership, and it really upsets me.

20 minutes later, I'm running back along the path in the other direction. Surprise surprise, same dogs running around off lead, same lady pointlessly shouting at them. I slowed down to a walk and just walked past because I didn't want a repeat of the incident. The dogs were running up to me, I had to repeatedly step over and around them while trying to get past again. I said nothing to this woman (what more can I say really?!?) but I was shaking my head (very british) and just held my arms up in the air (half in despair, half to demonstrate to the dogs that I have nothing on me of interest - it works sometimes, not this time). This lady obviously recognised me, and just starts shouting "they have as much right to be here as you". I continued to say nothing, walked passed, and eventually was able to start running again.

So my question is, was I wrong to say to her that her dogs shouldn't be off lead if they don't come when you call? Should I have just keep my mouth shut, and accepted that I now have a bruise on my leg because of her dogs being allowed to run all over the place?

Thanks in advance ladies. I want opinions but please be kind, I do feel quite sensitive at the moment. The woman really shouted at me, I'm a very delicate, sensitive person inside and I did find it quite intimidating. Also, I ran a different route today because last week a lovely man in a van who is now regularly parked along my usual route shouted something out the window at me (didn't hear it fully but it involved the word 'chunky', so probabaly not a compliment) and I was really upset. He still parks there sitting in his van eating his Ginsters pasty for breakfast, and I still don't feel up to running past him again yet. I just want to be able to run in peace, I'm fat and it's a cheap way to exercise!

OP posts:
Ohcrap082024 · 04/09/2024 11:32

Seas164 · 04/09/2024 11:27

You train recall and start small in the house, then use a long line and move out and about. You can then move to a secure field. You ask a dog trainer for help.

What you don't do is let them off the lead and shout their name into the wind, while other people have to deal with your untrained off lead dog.

Edited
Show quote history

Spot on.

ExtraOnions · 04/09/2024 11:30

No dog should be off the lead in public ..

FiveShelties · 04/09/2024 11:29

Downtrod · 04/09/2024 11:22

Because there is plenty of fields to hire at ant time, not all empty fields are available to hire for dogs

So find one that is. It is so relaxing to have a dog which comes back when you call and you only get that with training.

Seas164 · 04/09/2024 11:27

Downtrod · 04/09/2024 11:16

How are you supposd to train them off the lead if you dont let them off the lead?

You train recall and start small in the house, then use a long line and move out and about. You can then move to a secure field. You ask a dog trainer for help.

What you don't do is let them off the lead and shout their name into the wind, while other people have to deal with your untrained off lead dog.

Original poster
ladylasagne · 04/09/2024 11:26

WearsblackLoveschocolateAvoidspeople · 04/09/2024 10:51

YANBU at all.

I am a lifelong dog lover and owner and a dog walker and this absolutely pisses me off

I have a reactive rescue dog, he has a bright yellow lead and a yellow vest with 'I am anxious please give me space,' written all over it. I never let him off the lead yet time and time again other dog owners just allow their dogs to run right up to him even when I've specifically asked them to keep their dogs back, I receive the same reply each time that 'It's ok' because their dogs are friendly. They just don't get it. Very few have good recall on their dogs. This happens at least once a week.

Yesterday dh and I were out on the fields in our village and a couple came towards us with a yellow lab off the lead, they saw my dog was on a lead but made no attempt to leash theirs. I called out that my dog was anxious and she called hers back but he made no attempt to go back to her. My dh managed to get our dog into another field but the lab came bounding up to me, he'd been in the stream and was soaked, he jumped up at me and left me muddy and wet, I was fucking fuming but the couple never apologised, in fact they said nothing and walked on by.

Many dog owners these days are idiots with zero underdog dog behaviour or walking etiquette.

Oh that's awful. My MIL has a very nervous and reactive dog. I love her dearly but she can't be near other dogs she doesn't know. Whenever we walk her, we have to be on the lookout for other dogs and be ready to make a quick turn if need be. My MIL has spent over a decade doing different activites to help her be less reactive, and she is mellowing a bit in her old age now (she's 14). There's a few dogs that she tolerates, but the only way to let her off lead anywhere is to rent one of those little fenced off paddock areas for an hour a few times a week so she can have a nice run around without worrying about it. We've had exactly the same situation with off lead dogs running up to her on a daily walk and it's horrible, there's nothing you can really do except try to get her away. One time a man walking his off lead dog wasn't even looking at it and was just staring at his phone! That was the only time I've properly 'lost it' at another dog walker. It was just so irresponsible.

OP posts:
TwinklyAmberOrca · 04/09/2024 11:23

One of my dogs is going rather deaf so her recall is terrible. BUT... she does NOT approach people or other dogs. She knows to stand still.

They're working dogs so NEED to be walked off lead as they need to exercise properly.

It's not so much the recall but people need to train dogs NOT to approach other people or dogs unless they are told they can.

junebirthdaygirl · 04/09/2024 11:22

It's my pet hate!! Only walk our dog on his lead as l would be totally stressed if he didn't come back when l called although he is very obedient but excitement can get the better of him. I can happily walk then without a car. Why do people put themselves through it not to talk about others around them?

Downtrod · 04/09/2024 11:22

Because there is plenty of fields to hire at ant time, not all empty fields are available to hire for dogs

Butterfly43 · 04/09/2024 11:18

Downtrod · 04/09/2024 11:16

How are you supposd to train them off the lead if you dont let them off the lead?

Hire a private dog field to do training, or use a long line.

UrbanFan · 04/09/2024 11:18

Any dog who does not respond to instant recall should be on a lead when out in public.

Butterfly43 · 04/09/2024 11:18

YANBU. Our dog has no recall whatsoever (she's a street dog rescue) so we can't let her off the lead in public places as she simply won't come back, especially if she sees another dog. DH had to shout at someone the other day whose big golden retriever wouldn't leave her alone and had started barking at her. Other owner was meandering over and calling his dog half heartedly but there was no urgency or apology and DH shouted at him that our dog is on a lead, she can be nervous around bigger dogs and his dog was barking in her face. DDog had got all tangled up in her lead as she was panicking so much and then started yelping. Other owner still didn't apologise and just said "well I'm trying." People are shit.

Dolliesdisasterousdayout · 04/09/2024 11:17

Also, one of mine is a barker. He sounds really aggressive but I wouldn’t expect a stranger to believe that he’s not! I wouldn’t like a big barky dog running up to me.

Original poster
ladylasagne · 04/09/2024 11:16

Runssometimes · 04/09/2024 10:46

Dog lover and previous owner here, I hate this. She should have put them on lead the very first time and they should stay on leash until they have reliable recall. I spent many early mornings teaching my dog recall and he was 95% reliable at the end of it and I knew situations where he would go selectively deaf so in those situations he stayed on leash. It’s the law. If your dog isn’t under close control around members of the public or other animals you are in the wrong. Her dogs don’t really have rights to roam freely per se but she’s under an obligation to keep them under control, which she didn’t, she’s totally in the wrong. And I guarantee calls them fur babies.

Lol, fur babies! Yeah quite possibly. You sound like a very responsible dog owner, well done for putting the work in. I don't have a dog but know many people who do and have seen how much work goes into it (though I've probably only seen a fraction of it). It was quite obviously not the case with this lady, she wasn't even using the same command each time, just shouting loads of different words/phrases at the dogs and expecting them to understand "come", "no not there", "back here", "don't do that". I felt quite sorry for the dogs really, I see it as a sign that the owner doesn't necessarily know what they're doing with dogs.

OP posts:
Downtrod · 04/09/2024 11:16

How are you supposd to train them off the lead if you dont let them off the lead?

Dolliesdisasterousdayout · 04/09/2024 11:15

Mine have awful recall so are only off lead in our fields.

If we have joined friends for walks in the nearby woods or beach they encourage us to let ours off lead and don’t really seem to grasp that just because their dog comes back ours won’t! I don’t think I would see mine ever again!

FiveShelties · 04/09/2024 11:14

I have had dogs almost all my life and it drives me mad when dogs run up to my elderly, almost deaf dog on her lead. They always tell me that their dog just wants to say 'hello'. I don't know if their dog is going to attack mine or really actually wants to say hello.

Idontevenknowmyname · 04/09/2024 11:13

I would have given her a damn sight more grief if she’d tried that with me.
I hate dogs. I hate bad dog owners. As a result of their poor behaviour I will only go out running/walking on pavements now. If they aren’t barking and leaping up at you they’re leaving shit everywhere. DH has been scratched and bitten by dogs off lead when out running. I wish they would license the bastards and then fine them or remove the animal for this sort of thing. Not likely to happen but there we are. All dogs on a lead at all times would be a start.

summersingsinme · 04/09/2024 11:12

Totally agree - it's better for everyone concerned. I saw an unpleasant exchange while at the beach the other day. A family - two kids, two dogs (one large, one small). My DH had to point out to the dad that his big dog had done a poo (pretty sure the guy knew as we heard his daughter tell him but was just going to ignore it). The large one also approached my DD, who is wary of dogs after having been knocked over several times as a toddler. It nearly put her off playing in the sea.

Then a little while letter another couple came up the beach with two dogs, both on leads. As they approached the family, one of the women called out that her dog was not friendly and they should recall theirs, they couldn't and there was a minor altercation between the dogs and a lot of shouting between the owners.

I love dogs, and enjoy seeing them gallivanting around, but it has to be safe for everyone and in the case of most dogs, that means being on a lead in public.

caringcarer · 04/09/2024 11:10

I don't think dogs should be off lead on public spaces unless muzzled. Even dogs with good recall smell a bitch in heat and recall is out the window. There are special fields you can hire to let dogs run free.

RareLemur · 04/09/2024 11:10

YANBU. It's a shared space, people need to be considerate to not impede on other people's use of it. You weren't opposed to the dogs being there, you were opposed to the fact they were out of control.
And you are right, they could have knocked over someone more frail than yourself, run up to someone afraid or allergic to dogs, run up to another leashed dog that may be reactive and bite them, run into the path of car,....

Mandylovescandy · 04/09/2024 11:09

100% YANBU - I hate dogs but actually this is the only reason I hate them

Ohcrap082024 · 04/09/2024 11:07

You were absolutely in the right. I have a young cocker spaniel who is overly friendly with other dogs and people. She loves a cuddle and thinks everyone is her friend. Her recall is pretty decent but not yet spot on.

So guess what? I keep her on a lead. Short lead for local walks, long lead for woodland walks. Off lead in our own garden or when I book and pay for a secure field. I have lost count of the number of dogs we meet who are off lead and completely ignoring their owners.

My girl will eventually get to the point where I can trust her recall off lead. But this takes a lot longer than many dog owners realise. And it takes a lot of work to get them there.

Please do not blame yourself. You said and did the right things.

Seas164 · 04/09/2024 11:04

You weren't wrong. It's a scourge currently, it's ridiculous. I'm a life long dog owner and the current situation out in public with out of control dogs is a joke.

I went somewhere the other evening, (without my well trained dog because I knew it would be mobbed with off lead untrained dogs who would want to jump on her and me and she shouldn't have to, nor will tolerate the behaviour) and there was an off lead big Doodlesomething running over picnic blankets and snaffling food, joined shortly after by a labrador, and the owners stood watching and smiling together, commenting how nice people were, that nobody was really saying anything or getting cross, and how understanding they were being. It's a madness.

Sorry this happened, there's a dickehad everywhere you go. Not your fault.

Skyellaskerry · 04/09/2024 11:00

As an owner, it’s far more stressful if you let your dogs off without reliable recall, so much more enjoyable all round to walk them on lead. But then I take responsibility and I would be really upset if my dogs behaved like hers, seems some people just don’t care about anyone else. I think you were right to say something.

Original poster
ladylasagne · 04/09/2024 11:00

Seeline · 04/09/2024 10:39

I don't think dogs should be off lead in public - at all.

It appears the most dogs usually come when called (according to their owners) - except they don't.

My DD was knocked over 3 times by off-lead dogs in different locations as a pre-schooler. The most I ever got from an owner was' Don't worry your DD won't hurt him'! Well obviously not - she's 2, flat on her back, pinned down by a large dog.

And I am fed up with being covered in mud and slobber. and being hurt by dogs jumping up at me.

I could understand it a bit in the country, but I live in London!!

That's awful, I hope she's ok. I had a bad experience with a dog at that age and was terrified of them until my teenage years. Luckily I've met many lovely dogs since then and have well and truly moved beyond beyond it. But that kind of thing happening when you're so young can be really scary.

I hope it didn't put you off going back to wherever it was as well. I'm in a medium sized city (though very small compared to london), which doesn't have many nice places to go running. This was a more scenic area, but is still very close to a main road. In fact, where it happened was only about 20 metres from a busy-ish road and a car park, not really a great place to be off lead at all in my opinion.

OP posts: