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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think dogs should be on leads on pavements?

19 replies

Shelby2010 · 23/01/2012 12:28

Sorry this is a bit of a rant! The road I live on has signs on every lamp post stating that dogs should be kept on leads and their mess cleared up. Despite this, on the short walk to the play area we always pass at least one dog not on the lead and numerous piles of sh*t.

I don't think the problem has got suddenly worse, but now my dd is walking I'm noticing it more! Even a small dog's mouth seems dangerously close to her face. I don't want to make her scared of dogs by constantly whisking her away every time we see one, but if an owner isnt responsible enough to keep their dog on the lead when near traffic, then how can I believe that they 'know' it is safe near small children?! And it's even worse when she's on her push along trike because then she's 2 foot in front of me so I cant even subtly position myself between her and the approaching animal.

And yes, normally I like dogs, grew up with them and would love to be in a position to get one myself when dd is a little older, but why should I be made to feel like an over-anxious idiot because of these people? I am thinking of contacting the council but I can't believe that they would have the resources to do a stake-out, so is there any point?!

OP posts:

StrandedBear · 23/01/2012 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thankgodforcaffeine · 23/01/2012 12:36

I'm with you on this one. A lot of dog owners always seem to think that THEIR dog is harmless and therefore they do not need to have it on a lead at all times.

Aside from the (very real) risks of attacks, even a playful dog can harm a child (knocking them to the ground etc)

I am not sure how much the council could do about it though.

OrmIrian · 23/01/2012 12:40

If there is a sign stating that all dogs should be on leads, then all dogs should be on leads. Contact the district council? I think they are the ones that put up such signs.

FWIW my dog is usually on the lead when pavements are busy mainly because of the road being so close.

Have to say though that if you are that worried about dogs, a lead isn't going to stop them getting close to your DD. Even on a lead a dog can get reasonably close to your child.

Original poster

Shelby2010 · 23/01/2012 12:50

StrandedBear: I wouldn't move her away from a dog that I knew, but I would pick her up if a dog off it's lead came lolloping towards us with it's owner 12 feet or so behind.

OP posts:

Thingumy · 23/01/2012 12:54

Yes but mainly for the safety of cyclists,motorcyclists and car drivers.

It's all to easy for a unleashed dog to run out into a road and thus causing a horrendous accident.

Contact your local dog warden.

cuteboots · 23/01/2012 12:55

Agree 100% . I remember a few months ago leaving my house and being lunged at by some huge dog. it think it was a great Dane that the owner had off the lead. Scared the crap out of me and apparently he was after the food I had in my bag! The owner just called him away from me and didnt tell him off!! "he wont hurt you she said" !!.

FeelingsorryforSnape · 23/01/2012 13:30

As other said upthread, contact the council or dog warden. I had a huge dog lunge at me, similar to Cuteboots and the owner had a go at me, as I'd pushed it away. My dog is perfect btw

LoveInAColdClimate · 23/01/2012 13:39

I agree, although even on leads a dog can be scary. I saw a man walking his very large, Rottweiler-type (so obviously very strong) dog in our street this weekend, on a lead. There was a woman opening the metal shutters on her shopfront, and the dog lunged at her (on the lead). The man was able to hold the dog and told the woman just to stay still as he thought the dog was being excited by the noise of the lifting shutters, and dragged the dog away, but it kept lunging back at her and carried on trying to turn around to her all the way up the street. The owner did manage to keep the dog under control, but I couldn't help wonder what would have happened if the lead had slipped out of his hands or the dog had lunged while the owner was distracted and holding the lead more loosely. I like dogs and am not hysterical about them at all, but I would have been terrifed had I been the woman.

allthatglittersisnotgold · 26/01/2012 15:12

I have a staffordhsire bull terrier (a rescue) who is incredibly friendly, however I will always keep her on a lead whilst on the pavement or when the park is busy. I have had incidents where other peoples (off lead) dogs have come up to mine and she has barked, then other people have had a go at me, even though she is on lead and can't move. So I equally feel cross about off lead dogs not being in control, and the staffie prejudice

Smellslikecatspee · 26/01/2012 15:39

As an ex dog owner I agree if you are out walking your dog on a pavement etc they should be on a lead as much for the dogs protection as anyone elses.

My old boy had the sweetest soppy face and I would regularly have to pull him away from rapidly approaching children. He really was a child magnet and was as soft as warm butter.

BUT in my view i didn't know if the child knew how to approach/behave around a dog, if there was a petting coming up or a poke in the eye.

More to the point if there is a bylaw requiring dogs to be on leads it should be followed

seeker · 26/01/2012 15:41

Wow- 11 posts and nobodybhas said thwt dogs have as much if not more right to walk on the pavement as children!

Gribble · 26/01/2012 15:45

yanbu I keep my dog on a lead on the pavement because I dont want someones kid mithering her getting her all excited and daft. Also she lies down with her fanny on show if a child so much as farts in her general direction and in the past...yes you guessed it, she has lay down on a nice fresh dog egg

OrmIrian · 26/01/2012 15:54

seeker - I think it's because the thread title is a bit of an unarguable statement. Like people shouldn't drop litter. And sunshine is nice.

Debs75 · 26/01/2012 16:02

I keep my very soft and quite dopey Bassett Hound on a leash when walking on pavements as we have Foxes near us which are becoming more amd more visible during the day. She loves to chase them and has no road sense. My friend once walked her to her house whilst I crossed the road to the shops, my daft dog ran across the road and sat in front of a bus waiting for me. I was lucky the bus was stationary and she didn't cause an accident.

YANBU as the law is that on most roads a dog has to be on a leash. It's easy to do and if you happen to have a dog who won't be leash walked then don't walk him until he is trained.

cakeismysaviour · 26/01/2012 16:03

I can't believe that there is even a need to have signs telling dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead on pavements and/or to pick up after them.

Surely anyone with any common sense would know that letting a dog off the lead on pavements is totally unsafe, not least because of the potential to cause traffic accidents. As for the not picking up the dog poo, this is surely a basic part of dog ownership and if they are unwilling to do this then they ought to rethink their choice of pet and perhaps get a hamster or goldfish instead.

YANBU, OP.

mojitomania · 26/01/2012 16:04

Agree OP.

Especially the bit about the dog shit. Almost every time DS comes home from the park across the the road he has dog shite on his footwear - there's a fenced off area for people to use as a dog toilet but no, the whole park is used as one

PregolaLola · 26/01/2012 16:10

Agree op dogs in leads on the pavement, i have a German Shepherd and hold him fairly close as we walk past people then give him a bit of space again.

Must say though an awful lot of Lunging going on

oldraver · 26/01/2012 17:12

I have had my twatty neighbours large dog chase us while we were on our bikes THREE times, and he has nipped twice. The last time I told her quite calmly that I wasnt happy about this. She went off into a tirade about how he was 'so soft' how he wouldn't hurt anyone'. I told her he had nipped and she knew that he had (neighbour had been a go between) but she denied and just ranted her dog wouldn't do that, wouldn't hurt anyone.

She saw her dog chase a 5 year old and still no sorry or I will try and make sure it doesnt happen again

Boomerwang · 26/01/2012 18:41

When I take the dog for a walk she's always off the lead when we go to the field because there's nobody around. For her own safety, though, if I see another dog approaching I walk her in the opposite direction. Luckily she doesn't seem to be interested in other dogs, just people, and she runs up, sticks her tongue out then runs back to me when I'm calling her.

On the road/pavement, however, she does have a lead on. This is for HER security, not anyone else's. She's car savvy and stays to the side when she sees one coming down the road, but some of the drivers don't slow down and I get nervous unless she's on the lead.

Poop isn't really an issue because we always make her go in the garden before we go anywhere (I go round with a bag a couple of times a week) but I always carry a spare just in case.

She's a very good dog, very well trained, but she IS still young and frisky and I wouldn't trust her not to scare children as she'd look huge to them and she can get pretty overexcited when they scream or cry.

If a sign says on a lead at all times, she'd be on the lead and that's that.

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