Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think an out of control dog should be always on the lead?

161 replies

hibbledibble · 04/07/2015 20:31

I was going for a walk in the park today with dds, both under 5, and my dh and dog. Our dog is a small mixed breed, with a very gentle nature, and is impeccably behaved.

I saw 2 dogs which I knew to be aggressive (they have attacked/tried to attack our dog numerous times before). I immediately picked up our dog to protect her. One of the dogs, a powerful breed, then comes up to me, growling, scratching and trying to climb up my leg to reach my dog. I'm pretty scared at this point, and so is older dd.

Dog owner makes no effort to remove dog, other than meekly calling her over, which the dog ignores of course. Dh comes and removes aggressive dog from me by grapping her harness. Only at this point does the dog owner want to take control of his dog 'give me my dog'.

There was no apology, and in fact the owner was verbally aggressive, saying I knew nothing about dogs! No idea what this is meant to mean..

I was pretty schook up, and spoke to a bystander who said he has seen said dog be aggressive many times.

Aibu to think dogs like this should always be on the lead? It is always off the lead. I have tried previously to tell the owner that his dog is out of control and should be on the lead, but he said it would never hurt anyone!!

Wwyd?

I'm worried about walking my poor dog in our local park.

OP posts:
Silverdaisy · 05/07/2015 00:11

Luke, I do agree. If you are sure your dog won't bother anyone then they should be off lead. My dog is not dangerous, but would approach people so we keep her on lead in public areas. We think she is amazing, but not everyone else may think so. As you said the same may go with children who sometimes are a bit to "
off lead" for my liking.

ghostspirit · 05/07/2015 00:14

i think dogs should be on lead if aggressive. not if the dog is well behaved/trained/gental. dogs need excersize they cant get that stuck on a lead.

i wonder if agressive or uncrontrolled dogs are down to owners or not. is it because they did not train it as a pup. been no rules not soicalised well. or could it just be one of them things where owner has tried really hard but its just not working. maybe the dog has had something bad happen...dont know im just thinking :(

There is someone with a big german shepard. the owner keeps him on lead at all times. he will try go for my dog.he gos up on his hind legs and barks. owner pulls him back but he defo wants to go for my dog. we pass and all ok. when im just with the kids he looks intrested and owner has to pull him back but hes less aggressive. i had never seen him go for anyone before so i thought the dog was all mouth but then i was across a road and someone past the owner and dog. and the dog lept for him. the owner is always on the ball. but not this time. and i have never seen the dog actually go for a person. the man he went for always reaks of weed its gross. i dont know if the smell played a part. maybe not

lilacblossomtime · 05/07/2015 00:16

I don't want to see all dogs on leads in all public places. There are plenty of places which are fine for a well trained dog to have a run around without causing trouble. My local park is very quiet in the mornings when I walk, even though it has a few areas popular with kids later in the day.

saturnvista · 05/07/2015 00:19

My dog is remarked upon by everyone we meet/know as a brilliantly trained dog. However, she is extremely social and I cannot recall her with 100% accuracy. Does she constitute an out of control dog who should always be on the lead?

brickinit · 05/07/2015 00:21

So pleased you reported the aggressive dog that was off a lead.

Aggressive dogs should ALWAYS be on a lead.

If a horrible dog comes up to my (gentle, passive) dog and causes aggro, then it is the aggressive dog's fault.

I always report the aggressive dog.

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 00:21

That sounds horrible for you OP. I hope you're ok. I would report this incident to your local dog warden. Chances are it will happen again and maybe the next dog won't be pick up-able (New word there!). I have a big dog. He's trained impeccably and never off lead in situations where I'd have no recall.

Lurkedforever1 · 05/07/2015 00:22

Every aggressive dog I've known has been made, not born. And mainly through lack of knowledge, eg socializing as a pup, allowing kids to maul it, lack of exercise or undiagnosed pain etc, and of course those who are aggressive from bad treatment at some point.

Silverdaisy · 05/07/2015 00:24

Lilac, actually you have raised a point for me. It depends on what someone may class as a park also. I generally visualise an area where the public walk round. I don't think round abouts or swings when I am writing my posts.

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 00:24

Saturn my big dog is fully socialised and friendly with all dogs. I don't let him off in parks with a play area for the kiddies because people would be wary of him. There's no need to be but it's not their job to decide which dog is ok and which isn't. It's silly for ppl to suggest all dogs need leashing all the time but sadly, there are lots of irresponsible owners who spoil it for the rest of us and I see it as my job, as a responsible owner of a trained dog, to manage situations.

ghostspirit · 05/07/2015 00:27

my dog walks with his lead in his mouth next to me. my 5 year old walks him to when they get abit far he stands there glued to the floor and wont move till i have caught up. only about 3/4 meters. 5 year old not impressed with it though. does same with 8 year old. with 12 year old he does not glue him self to the floor but does keep looking behinde him.

Battleshiphips · 05/07/2015 00:27

Ghost my rescue dog has been beaten by humans(in particular children) and attacked by other dogs. That's why he hates other dogs and certain people. Some of it is down to bad owners and other factors too though. I'd love him to play happily with other dogs but because I can't trust him he stays on lead.

Original poster
hibbledibble · 05/07/2015 00:32

Saturn I think if a dog does not have perfect recall it should not be off the lead, for the dog's own safety as much as anything else. The dog could run into a road.

In this situation, the dog did not only not recall, but was also aggressive.

It is a tough one, deciding whether dogs should be off the lead in public. Off the lead exercise is very important to dogs. Perhaps dog specific exercise areas are the solution, as they are safely enclosed, and dog phobic people can avoid them.

I don't think they would do much good for irresponsible owners though, as they would probably still allow dogs off the lead everywhere, and let them attack other dogs.

ghost I believe dogs aren't bad. It is the owners that are problems. Dogs are usually aggressive due to fear: they haven't been properly socialised, or have been maltreated. I accept someone may have a rescue dog, which is aggressive through no fault of their own. That dog should always be kept on the lead, and possibly muzzled too.

OP posts:
ghostspirit · 05/07/2015 00:35

battle yes i agree have to do what is safe. and shows why dogs act in different ways.

There are quite alot of people with fighting dogs here and go out baiting. my dog has been baited. my dog did stand up for himself. the dog and owner is known road the area for it. when my dog stood up for himself i kind of said good arshole. Then my friend pointed out the dog will probably be beaten later :( :(

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 00:35

No dog has 100% recall. There's always that time that something will prove more interesting than the recall.

I must admit I've never encountered in real life the MN level of hysteria towards dogs.

Original poster
hibbledibble · 05/07/2015 00:40

ghost that's sounds terrible.

I have no idea what being baited is, but I think I probably also don't want to know.

join I agree there is quite a lot of mumsnet histeria about dogs. I like to think I'm pretty reasonable though. I have love dogs, have a dog, and am happy to see non-agressive dogs off the lead. It is the irresponsible owners like this who ruin it for everyone though.

OP posts:
ghostspirit · 05/07/2015 00:44

i never knew either it was only after i spoke to my mate that she told me.

CainInThePunting · 05/07/2015 00:46

No YANBU, but then you already knew that didn't you. You didn't really need to ask.

Original poster
hibbledibble · 05/07/2015 00:47

Cain the owner of this dogs thinks aibu

OP posts:
JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 01:09

I fully agree with you OP, it is irresponsible owners who are to blame. I feel very strongly about that. I take my dog ownership very seriously and my dog is well trained and I'm always responsible with him. The problem we have in this country is there are no, or weak laws in relation to dogs. It's far too easy to own one. Backyard breeding is commonplace and widely accepted. Out of control dogs dragging their owners up the street is normal. These things need to change but you have to get involved at base level, or sign lots of petitions to even start touching on the changes that need to be made.

ghostspirit · 05/07/2015 01:29

join we had dogs as a kid and my dad always taught me to make sure the dogs head is right next to the leg. and the dogs lead slack.

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 01:33

My dog (rescue) pulled like a steam train when we got him. I could, and do, drape the lead over his back and have him walk to heel without moving the entire walk. It took me 10 months to get to that level (not a bright breed!) My point is, I'm in the minority but I feel it necessary to stand up on these threads and shout, very loudly, we are NOT all like the wankers in the park.

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 01:38

I walked my big seven stone dog along the canal path today. Off lead. He didn't approach a single person or dog because he was told not to. His only interaction was with a couple I know and their yorkies.He looked to me for the release word and then went to play. That took 12 months. People don't like dogs, or are afraid of dogs, or have a nervous dog, it's my job to make sure I have a sensible canine citizen, and I have.

Kingoftheroad · 05/07/2015 02:32

I have A very small dog and I am absolutely sick to death of large off the lead dogs pounding up to him and terrifying both of us. . I usually challenge these stupid, inconsiderate owners and havE had every excuse under the sun from oh he thought he was a rabbit to he only wants to play - the poor wee soul has been terrified so many times.

to the op who has a large friendly dog who wouldn't harm a fly but is terribly interested in dogs who have been picked up news flash we know that we shouldn't have to lift our small dogs but what do you suggest we do when irresponsible people like yourself have no recall on their dogs , other people don't know they won't harm small dogs, neither do you as dogs are unpredictable. I don't think it's terribly funny to have a large dog jumping all over me trying to "play" with my small terrified pet. anyone making excuses for this behaviour from dogs or their owners is a complete idiot

tabulahrasa · 05/07/2015 02:59

Unless dogs have near perfect recall they should be on a lead (I will give you that occasionally well trained dogs do just find something too interesting to come back when they're usually good at it, completely unexpectedly).

BTW, being reasonably scared that a dog may bite you, for example when it's trying to get your dog constitutes dangerously out of control as far as the dangerous dogs act goes.

For the people saying that aggressive dogs are always caused by an owner, actually as nice as that is to believe, it's not true, there are quite a few reasons you can do everything right and end up with a dog that's aggressive with other dogs, but, responsible owners make sure their dog isn't able to get to other dogs.

Pippin16 · 05/07/2015 07:29

Noooooo Mumsnetters, i have failed you. I fell asleep and the buggers have made a swift escape in the night! No note was left (i chickened out!) and i'm not sure if this was good or bad because the cheeky BoaterTwat has left his rubbish behind Shock! just giving LO her morning feed but will go investigate if there is any identifying info in it after.

I'm disaappointed i failed you, will check if ChairThrowingPleb has keft- there may be opportunity for Parking thrills through the neighbour if not.

Never fear, its the festival next week, will get some duct tape and Weetabix in in preparation.