to ask if dogs should be on a lead or not in public places?

[GospelTruth]

Following on from a recent thread about dogs snatching food & biting very young children in public places, should it be mandatory for all dogs to be on leads in public places, it's a yes from me. Who could argue otherwise?

No none of that is unreasonable Feelingthepressure. I don't do any of that. I don't like dog owners who do those things.

Tryharder, we were in Turkey last year and a Pitbull/lab x came into a bar my children were playing in without a leash on .

I don't think I saw a dog with a lead on while we were over there. Or any dog dirt, despite them being able to roam (yes, even the pitbulls were allowed to roam free).

Cornsilk, I'm a rescuer. I'm well used ti people speaking of dogs in negative terms, it's a frequent occurrence with some of the arsehole owners and abusers I get to deal with.

That pretty much goes over my head these days. Ignorance, however, doesn't and sadly there's far too much of it spoken.

valhalla
my sister was mauled by a dog
both my ds's have been attacked by other people's dogs who were nothing to do with us
don't try to patronise me about dogs

Apologies for spelling and typos - I'm knackered and have lost my glasses AGAIN!

WTF Cornsilk? Where, precisely, was I trying to patronise you???

Unless you thought that I was accusing you of ignorance, which in fact was not the case - I was speaking generally.

Dooinmecleanin, it's the same in The Gambia - there are dogs running around unleashed which do not really belong to anyone but they are not generally tolerated in public spaces around people and are certainly not "pets"

I dunno, I like dogs in that I like all animals, but round us, the dogs are first and the children are second.

I am really precious about dogshit and won't let my kids run on the grass in our local park because there's dog poo everywhere which makes me vomit and I would be forced to throw their shoes out if they get it on their shoes and I can't afford that.

Hi Dooingmecleanin, you said 'I have zero tolerence towards ill trained children who interupt my walks and pester my dogs during training, yes. As I imagine you would have zero tolerence to my dogs if I let them slobber on your child.'

Actually I would have a lot of tolerance for your dogs in this situation. It would be you, the dog owner I would not be pleased with because you are responsible for your dogs. Similarly, it would be ill-advised to have zero tolerance towards 'ill trained children' as it is not their fault but their parents.

we had to rehome our jack russel when we were kids - gave him to our Gran in the ROI. He was such a lovely dog - didn't 'bite' but snapped at a boy who was playing with us and bruised his skin - his dad was a policeman so our dog's time was up - his dad made sure of that. He then went on to bite nobody at all for the rest of his life.

These dogs were pets Tryharder. Mainly owned by bar owners, as guard dogs, very well socialised and well trained, but well cared for I was told , although the particular resort we were in was not as bad as other places in Turkey, or so I was told by Turkish man we got talking to (he had a dog with him my kids loved).

Many bar owners are known to buy puppies to draw in children and then abandon them after the season is over

Thankfully the puppy my children got to know at their favourite bar is still there and they are looking forward to seeing him again this summer

The pitbull x was also a pet and out on his walk, with his owners. He just walked to heel without a lead.

cornsilk - and your point is?

I wrote a long post but decided it boiled down to this.

Most Dog owners are responsible people.
Most Parents are responsible people.

I will happily keep my dog away from your precious child even though it is just being a dog, if you keep your child away from my precious dog, even though it is just being a child.

And don't be precious about public spaces that dog walkers use year round and families want to monopolise the minute the sun comes out.

Gospel - you are extrapolating too much from one incident. The vast majority of dogs do not bite or steal food. If they are going to shit, they are going to shit, whether on leash or not. The majority of owners pick up after their dogs. The behavioural problems of dogs who would become stressed and mentally ill because if they could not be properly exercised would actually cause there to be many, many more problem dogs than there are at present.

Leaving children aside, the same points you make could be made of many humans - they cause injuries to other humans and animals, sometimes fatal, by driving around in cars (just the other day, I killed a rabbit while driving). They pollute the environment in all kinds of ways, including dumping their sewage into the sea. They behave in an anti-social manner, often in regard to other people's property. Surely we are, then, actually worse than dogs since we have the ability to know better?

I must say, I'm amazed at the hatred of dogs on this website, which seems much stronger than I've come across anywhere else. It does make me wonder if having children makes people more fearful of dogs. I do remember my own mother being decidedly twitchy around dogs when I wasa child - something which she miraculously seemd to recover from when I left home to go to uni and she replaced me with - you guessed it - a dog.

'it would be ill-advised to have zero tolerance towards 'ill trained children' as it is not their fault but their parents. smile' - yes you are right. I stand corrected.

I actually do not mind children approaching Whippy dog if they are accompanied by parents and they ask first. Seemingly because she is a small dog she is not deemed as a possible danger and parents just let their kids run upto her, sometimes squealing (with glee, normally, but still ).

I also don't like being interupted when it is clear we are in the middle of a training session.

The Devil Dog was not especially fussed on children when we got him, although he is a lot more tolerent now, I still don't like children approaching him, jsut incase.

My dogs are kept under control and do not bother children, unless they are invited to do so. I do not like it being suggested that they should have to remain leashed because of the failings of a few, just like other posters did not like me suggesting their children should be restrained, because of the failings of a few.

I don't mind sharing the park or the beach, actualy, so long as both dog owners and parents show consideration for each other. I don't believe people with children have more right to use a public space unbothered than people with dogs do. We are still members of the public, no?

I think dogs should be UNDER CONTROL in public places. That doesn't necessarily mean onlead.

Fabbychick-Big . We never let our dogs off their leads either-2 rottys. They are so friendly towards other dogs. We shit ourselves because they are often attacked by small,yappy, bitey dogs off lead. One of these days though.......

Devil Dog is not often allowed off his training line as his recall is still not 110%, if I feel we are likely to see other people or dogs while we are out he is left with the long line trailing behind him and I am watchful and ready to get the end of the line and reel him in if needs be.

Whippy dog is spot on with recall. If she was off lead and I noticed you I would call her closer, but I wouldn't necessarily leash her, as she wouldn't be bothered about you anyway, she would be looking at me waiting for her treat. If you flapping you arms, squeeking and generally attracting her attention, then yes, I would leash her, but it is normally just children who act this way.

I would not allow either dog to approach you unless we a) knew who you were and b) you called them to you.

I have two dogs, always on a lead in town and surrounding area but off leash on the beach and in the woods or appropriate signed designated dog walk areas.
Where I live it is law with a fine of up to £1000:00 if a dog is off leash. I thought that was all over the country but apparently its up to individual local authorities to decide.
I'm all for it, as much as I love my dogs I would never forgive myself if they run into a road and caused an accident or if they hurt someone . I trust them and they are well trained and obedient but I am not prepared to take a chance.
Dogs can be distracted by anything, a cat or another loose dog, whatever. I'm not gonna risk it because even if its not my dogs fault its my dog which would have to pay the ultimate penalty in the worst case scenario.
So its best not to set the scene in the first place , surely.

O and as an add on , my two dogs are quite large labradors, Not so long ago a jack russel off lead run up to the younger one and bit him for no reason other , my dog lost his inner eye lid, luckily he was not blinded. My dog was on a lead, several weeks later the same dog off lead run up to my dog, my hubby released the lead and my dog put his paw on the jacks head, my hubby lifted the jack up by its collar and told its owner (who came running up screeching and squealing) "get your dog on a lead because if it ever attacks my dogs again I will fucking feed it to em "

If my dog had not been on a lead the first incident would not have happened, but I still stand by that all dogs should be on leads unless its a designated dog walk area

fit2drop-OH did the same recently. He was walking one of our Rottys on lead when he (zeus the dog) was attacked by a staffy off lead..OH let him go.......Often meet the owner now with dog on lead..

I had a bit of a set-to once with the owner of a Staffie who kept bothering my dog. She's good with other dogs, but not particularly tolerant if they HASSLE her. Said Staffie wouldn't leave her alone; kept pouncing on her. Owner of Staffie was trying fruitlessly to recall it and ended up asking me to put MINE onlead so he could catch his while it was accosting her.

Yeah, I'm really going to put mine onlead, thereby leaving her unable to escape your ill-mannered lump and possibly leaving her with ishoos about meeting other dogs onlead. Uh uh.

I live in Brisbane and own a beautiful Golden Retriever whom comes everywhere with us.
The rubbish thing about living here though is that she is only aloud off the lead in the designated fenced in area of the park where everyone has to take their dogs.
The off lead area is always packed and full of dogs who are not well controlled and sometimes pick on dogs that they dont know.
I find it intimidating taking her in there and am always worried that a fight will start.
I have only been there a few times and am never going back!
We have a huge park in which we can walk but she has to be on the lead all the time which is really frustrating and unfair.
I never take her near the kids playgound unless she is tied up and watching my kids play (at a distance)and I always pick up her poo!
She loves people but would never tear up to anyone as I believe her to be well trained.
Infact she is a Delta dog (PAT Dog) and visits a retirement home once a week.
I long to be able to walk her across the fields and let her run with that big smile on her face like our dogs did when we were kids.
There are no dog friendly pubs or Cafe's here and only one "Dog Beach" about half an hour away.
Why do dog owners have to be treated like social outcasts just because we want to take our mates out with us?? The few bad owners ruin it for the rest of us!!!
I agree with Vallhalla and Dooin YABU I would love to be left alone in the park when I am walking my dog too (Although my dog simply adores being admired and patted) like another poster said they are dogs not wild lions!!!
I miss England and being able to walk my well behaved dog anywhere I like.
Dont ruin it!!!!!

oops sp Allowed