Dogs off the lead on main roads

[lbsjob87]

I don't get why people do this. Surely it's dangerous?
Went to visit my mum today, as I was getting the baby out of the car, a motorbike went past then there was a screech of brakes. I thought there was about to be an accident, but then I saw a small dog in the road, not injured or anything, just walking about, and an elderly man on the pavement with a lead in his hand. There was a car stopped in the middle of the road. I asked if everyone was OK, the elderly man said his dog had been spooked by the motorbike, probably because it was a whiny engine sound, and had run into the road, but wasn't hurt.
He said he usually lets him off the lead all the way to the park because he's a good dog and nothing like this had happened before.

It made me wonder what the benefits are of letting a dog off on a main road, when anything can spook it and clearly accidents can happen, although luckily not in this case.

I don't have a dog now, but did as a kid and we were always taught to keep him under control on a lead while on the way to the park/beach, then he could be let off when we got there for a run around.

AIBU to think there are no obvious benefits or are there advantages that outweigh the risk?

Dogs shouldn't be off the (short) lead in any public area as far as I am concerned. They should always be under control. Some people have their dogs so well trained that they will return to heel immediately and never bother anyone or run out into the road. But even then as someone says they can get spooked.

However, I would say that those dogs are fairly few and far between. Many will return eventually but only after they've had a good sniff round, knocked a kid off their bike etc etc. So they should be on a short lead where they can't get in anyone's way and cause a danger to themselves or anyone else. Also if you have a big dog and let it run into the road so a car hits it, you are also endangering the person in the car. People have died when they've hit deer etc so hitting a dog could be really serious.

Last week my son, husband and I were at our local parkrun. I'd gone to the loo and they were warming up on the canal towpath, minding their own business. An elderly couple with two Great Danes came along (off lead). One of the Great Danes chased my son. When my husband asked the owners to keep it under control they told him to keep our (12 year old) son under control! Good job I wasn't there, I'd have been so cross. I did report them to the local dog warden though, who thought she knew them and said she'd have a word. Note this was on a canal towpath so if a dog chases a child they could end up in the water.

I will never understand how people can think that a dog's right to roam free trumps a human's right to walk/run/cycle/drive unmolested.

We live near a very busy A road which has grass verges on both sides and areas with no houses on.

I'm in disbelief at the number of dog owners who let their dogs off the lead on the grass verges (and one guy who throws a ball for his dog) ffs there's hundreds of cars every hour doing 60 down the road.

And don't get me started on the woman on a bike with a free roaming Weimaraner several hundred yards behind her (and I have had words)

Im always impressed if anybody has a well trained dog off lead plodding along beside them my dog can't be off lead when he is out he is flighty and bolts. If an owner is so irresponsible to let their dog off lead and there is a risk of accidents then they are irresponsible

It is very irresponsible, it's dangerous for the dog and people on the road. If the dog had caused an accident the owner would have been liable. I don't have a dog but look after family members'/friends' dogs when they are on holiday and I'm extremely fussy about where I consider it safe to let them off the lead; no roads no matter how quiet, no rivers or canals, no steep drops etc. Also when walking in a road I make sure the lead is short and even if it was pulled tight the dog wouldn't be in the road/in the path of traffic.