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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that dogs can be out of control when on a lead....

39 replies

silentcatastrophe · 15/01/2012 17:27

All that tugging like a train and leaping about. It doesn't look very good really, does it? Of course I have had dogs that do exactly that, but finally having realised that there are ways to behave that mean that you're not being dragged around, and that the dogs will allow me to lead the way, it seems unneccesary to have dogs misbehaving on the end of a line.

OP posts:

shouldabeenwashedinajug · 15/01/2012 17:30

doggy

GlitterySkulls · 15/01/2012 17:30

depends why they're doing it really- a lot of the time it can be fear-based.

sometimes it takes a lot of work and effort to work through the problem- you can't just stop them doing it instantly.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 15/01/2012 17:30

So, what's your point?

Original poster

silentcatastrophe · 15/01/2012 17:35

Some dogs are kept on a lead because they have an unreliable recall for one reason or another. I just don't understand why some people keep their dogs on a lead all the time, and they are still not under control. Most dogs are trainable and sometimes I wonder a bit if dog owners have any idea of what kind of animal they have?

OP posts:

Original poster

silentcatastrophe · 15/01/2012 17:36

When you see signs that say Keep you dog on a lead, what it usually means is Keep your dog under control. A dog on a lead is not necessarily under control. It's just on a lead.

OP posts:

ditavonteesed · 15/01/2012 17:37

well it cant run off and eat a squirel or a child when it is on a lead can it, therefoore is under control.

RuleBritannia · 15/01/2012 17:40

I wish that those extending leads were banned. Dogs at the end of a 30 yard lead are not under control. I suppose they have one advantage - but only for the owner. A lead like that would enable the dog walker to stand a fair bit away from the dog while it's pooing and pretend it's not theirs when walking away.

An extending lead does not give the dog walker control if the dog goes for a child or another animal.

akaemmafrost · 15/01/2012 17:48

Yes it does. You press a button and the dog comes swinging back, as long as you have a good one, accompanied by a good tug it's very effective.

D0oinMeCleanin · 15/01/2012 17:53

I try not to judge. You have no idea how long a walker has had their dog, if it is their dog or what they have tried to do to train him.

My one problem dog cannot be let off his leash. He is recall trained. Myself and two different trainers (one obedience trainer and one behaviorist) have all tried with no avail to get his recall up from around 90% to 100%. I have now accepted it is just not going to happen. Ever. If he sees something to chase he cannot see or hear me, only what he is chasing. It doesn't matter what sort of treat I am offering or whistle I am blowing on, he is concerned only with what he is chasing, ergo he stays on his lead or long line most of the time. It is down to breeding, not training. He has a very high prey drive. No amount of training will change that.

He used to drag me about, he doesn't now, but he will strain on the end of leash snarling and snapping when off lead dogs are allowed to approach him. He gets scared. It doesn't mean he is not under control. He is. I make sure he cannot reach the other dog. It's bloody scary for me, especially when it involves dogs much larger than him. Last time it was an English Bull Terrier. It wouldn't go away and it's owner was very far behind it, fortunately it was very friendly and seemed merely bemused at my dogs behavior. If it was as simple as you make it sound, do you not think I would have fixed this problem already?

He is getting much better. He can now greet dogs who are also leashed or ignore them when he is told to, even if they are barking at him and on rare occasions can greet or ignore off leash dogs who approach him (usually ones we have met before or bitches of a similar size to him). Every time we are forced into a greeting with a strange off leash dog we risk the chance he will react and his training will be set back. If I could train other owners along with my dog we'd have no problem by now. Unfortunately they don't listen, much like you, Op, they think I am the one in the wrong and should learn to control my dog better

Sandalwood · 15/01/2012 17:56

I never feel they're properly under control if it's a child holding the lead.

Original poster

silentcatastrophe · 15/01/2012 18:31

That is not what I mean at all, DooinmyCleaning As I said before, sometimes there is a very good reason for not letting a dog off a lead. One of ours used to leg it every time he left the house. Even when he was on a lead, he was not under control. I think that a lot of people think that because a dog is on a lead that it is under control. It is very difficult when your dog is on a line and there are others running free. It can be really scary for your dog to be unable to run away.

OP posts:

SarahStratton · 15/01/2012 18:35

Well, the simple answer to that one is to not walk your dog in that area. If your dog has issues with being on a lead around other dogs, it's not exactly an enjoyable walk for it anyway.

GoingForGoalWeight · 15/01/2012 18:43

I had a Yorkshire Terrier, a couple of years ago. It was a nutcase on and off the lead. He ran away, i searched but to no avail. Two years later I was mowing my lawn and on the lampost there was a poster. Missing dog - it was my lost dog. I was pleased he was safe and judging from the photograph he was well looked after :) I guess he was just very hypo and needed an experienced owner.

LaurieFairyCake · 15/01/2012 18:48

I quite often have my dog on a 30 metre lead initially - he has perfect recall but if he wants to poo I like to follow the lead to get to it.

troisgarcons · 15/01/2012 18:51

lead or the elastic string lazy dog walkers use these days?

LaurieFairyCake · 15/01/2012 18:53

He's a springer - I'm entitled to be lazy

D0oinMeCleanin · 15/01/2012 18:53

I don't intentionally walk him around off leash dogs SS. Even I am not that dim

We do walk on a footpath near an off lead area to get to our preferred walking place. The off leash dogs are not allowed on the footpath. There are signs that say so, but I guess some of the dogs have trouble reading them and I do sometimes have to walk him through off leash areas to get to safe, enclosed spaces he can run in, but a lot of the time I will put his long training lead on him for that. He seems to feel more secure knowing he has extra line to run if he needs to. We try to avoid the more popular walking times for that.

Also we need to meet other dogs to socialise and help train the fear-agression.

Op I take it you mean those walkers who appear to be being walked by their dog as opposed to the other way around?

I do sometimes wonder why they don't make life easier for themselves and join a training class but again you don't really know the circumstances so I try not to judge [polishes halo].

We regularly see a lovely wee lady being walked by a very bouncy Lurcher puppy. She looks so stressed, bless her. I have told her of many training groups but she is adamant that they won't work on her dog Her dog is a lovely, friendly thing but not surprisingly not many people like to stop and talk to her/greet her dog. I have noticed that she has recently invested in a halti, which seems to be helping.

GoingForGoalWeight · 15/01/2012 18:59

My Cousin had a dog years ago. A Golden Retriver, She was very dopey. I used to take it for a drag walk I'd love a dopey dog but I think I have too much on my plate, caring for my DS. Just thought I'd add my crap info :)

Original poster

silentcatastrophe · 15/01/2012 19:04

Yes, I guess I do mean those people who appear to be taken for the ride by their dogs! Having spent so long in exactly that situation, and realising that I am not the one taking the dog for a walk but the other way round, and finally realising that it is my responsibility towards my dog that he shouldn't feel the need to make executive decisions...
Of course it is not up to me how other people live with their dogs. I feel pretty judged where we live because our dogs are off lead most of the time, and do as they're told most of the time, and I do see a lot of these people being taken for walks by their dogs.

OP posts:

SarahStratton · 15/01/2012 19:09

Oh Dooin, that wasn't for you at all :)

GoingForGoalWeight · 15/01/2012 19:29

I watched a child of about 9 years old being dragged by a Dalmation, this early evening at top speed. I wondered if the bdog was out of control or had been encouraged by it's owner. Plenty of people about and I was inside the house. Was a comedy moment.

GoingForGoalWeight · 15/01/2012 19:30

Not dragged, the child had a nice running motion behind the dog.

MissBetsyTrotwood · 15/01/2012 19:30

Our chap's an ex racer so he can't be on an extendable lead. His acceleration's so powerful he could break his neck once the lead reached its limit.

I can't foresee a time he'll ever be able to go off the lead. Like Dooin's his prey drive is so strong and he's so fast we might never get him back.

I agree to a certain point, OP. He was bitten by another dog who was on a lead last week. They'd been getting on fine both of them - then the other dog's owner offered mine a biscuit and the other dog went for him. He's just learning to meet other dogs at the moment as he's only recently retired (when he raced he only saw other greyhounds, so most other breeds are pretty scary and weird to him still.)

Perhaps if the other dog had been off the lead her owner would have been a little more wary. But then mine might have felt threatened and been aggressive towards her... who knows? The only thing I do know is that it's set his socialisation back a lot and he's very very nervous with other dogs now.

GoingForGoalWeight · 15/01/2012 19:36

I was told Greyhound dogs are one of the best breeds to own. They're usually very friendly. Is you dog like that? MIssBetsyTrotwood How about a body harness instead of an around the neck type lead for your Greyhound?

D0oinMeCleanin · 15/01/2012 19:44

We have a Greyhound. She's adorable. One of the best dogs we have owned, well, fostered, but I am hoping they forget we have her

She is very friendly and loves other dogs and playing but she is not a retired racer. She is a failed racer. She's just a pup really. She likes to steal knickers and socks out of the washing basket to take into the yard to play tug with the aforementioned terrier. What is wrong with the actual tug toy they own I have no idea

I use a body harness on her when we are running together, but they're quite expensive to buy to fit a greyhound. They have awkwardly shaped bodies . We let her off leash, but only ever in enclosed areas. She is good at recall. She failed at racing because she got too distracted. Her thought process seems to go like this: 'Oooh, squirrel. Must. Chase. Squirrel. Oooh a leaf. Must. Sniff. Leaf. Oooh, small child. Might have hugs and food. Must. Get. To. Small. Child. Mmmm, food smells.....'

She is very gentle with people. Especially small people and is superb on her leash. She spends much of her day upside down on my sofa, legs akimbo.

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