Dog owners put them on a lead!!!

[BusyJessica]

I am a runner, Im so tired of people's dogs running and jumping on me while i'm on a run. Its always dog owners with the larger dogs, if you have a dog that is excitable and is known to chase jump and be a general nuisance to others trying to enjoy the park please put it on a lead.

I suffer severe allergies and today a dog jumped on me while i'm out running and scratched my leg. I have now got a 4 inch scratch which could scar from the knee down. The lazy owner had the dog off a lead and was very overweight so could not keep up with the dog running off ahead.

She then had the nerve to tell me i was out of order for kicking the dog off me.

Please Dog Owners put your dog on a lead.

Yesterday I saw a man in a mobility scooter with 2 huge, bounding German Shepherds. He couldn't control them. Would I be disability shaming if I said he should either have them leashed and muzzled or not walk them alone? I don't think the OP was fat shaming , it's a fact that if you're not mobile enough you can't control your off lead dog.

Green - I don't agree. If my dog runs there is not a chance I could catch up with her. I doubt Ussain Bolt could catch her either. Dogs run fast. I don't control her with my physical presence, I control her with my voice and tone.
I recall my dog by commanding her to heel. Then I tell her to sit. I don't touch her. I tell her to wait. She is not allowed to get up until I give the command. Just like she is not allowed to eat her dinner until I give the command. I don't stand fending her off the food. I say wait, and she does. I say go on then, and she starts eating/gets up to walk away.
I could do this if I was in a wheel chair. There are people who haven't trained their dogs to recall well. Some of those might be disabled. The two are not connected and the latter has nothing to do with being in control of your dog.

I agree that dogs should be controlled by their owner. However only a scumbag would kick an animal.

TrueBlueYorkshire I'm sorry. I must be misunderstanding you. You're calling me a scumbag for kicking a dog who is currently viciously biting my leg? Should I perhaps asked it to kindly desist from munching on my ankle whenever you're ready?

Report it to the police OP, chances are if it's jumped up and scratched you it will have scratched others too. After a cyclist got badly injured after being knocked off by a dog in my area, the police have really started cracking down on irresponsible dog owners with a number of dogs being put down. Now I very rarely see a dog off of it's lead in the parks.

baby Yes but it becomes more important if you are immobile to train your dog or get help walking them.

I would absolutely agree that people need to be able to control their dogs whatever the circumstances (of the dog or the person). But that's not what you said. You said you needed to be mobile enough to control your dog. I was just pointing out that that's not the case. You need to be able to control your dog and mobility has nothing to do with it.njust like being fat has nothing to do with it.
You are either an owner who has done the training and can control the dog, or you can't. If it comes down to being mobile enough, then no-one has a chance in hell of controlling any dog until it's past running age. And if you have a big dog, St. Bernard or the like, unless you are Geoff Capes you'd probably struggle too.

I was referring to the two cases, one of a fat lady who neither could run or verbally control her dog and the man I had seen who could do neither.

I know. I've read the thread. I still maintain that the problem is that neither could control their dogs and the fact that one was overweight and the other in a wheelchair is irrelevant. Because if a dog runs and you can't control him using your voice then no-one would be fast enough to catch up, even an Olympic athlete. Therefor the physical condition of the owner is irrelevant, the relevant information was that they couldn't control their dogs. You seem to be saying their physical condition makes the difference. It doesn't.

I think all dogs can be unpredictable as they are animals. A friend of mine's well behaved dog of 12 years killed a Jack Russell one day in a park. She had to have him out down. He had always been the most obedient dog.

After a cyclist got badly injured after being knocked off by a dog in my area, the police have really started cracking down on irresponsible dog owners with a number of dogs being put down. Now I very rarely see a dog off of it's lead in the parks

Dont believe you. I do however believe you are being deliberately goady.

If there's a tiny bit of truth in what you're saying, then it sounds like you live in a really rough nasty area.

It's lovey where I live, the parks and fields are full of off lead dogs

Dont believe you. I do however believe you are being deliberately goady.

It's lovey where I live, the parks and fields are full of off lead dogs

Why should we believe you and not the other pp? Maybe those who say all is fine and dandy are the goady ones.

I suppose the difference is I've not been goady one bit on this thread. I couldn't care less if people believe what I say on here or not.

Dear OP I've not read the full thread but I totally agree, as a runner, that a lot of dogs are a real menace and should absolutely be in on a lead in a public place.

But no doubt there have been 23 pages of people saying it's their dog's right to run around, sniff other dogs' bottoms and then jump up at a runner and lick their face. Etc etc. Eeegh.

My view is that dogs should be on short leads at all times when out in public. If they "need" to run free, then you need to be able to keep up with them (I think some fit people definitely can keep up with their dogs). If you can't, get a lap cat instead. Very few dogs are really under control when not on leads, I suspect police dogs, and a very few other exceptions such as farm working dogs.

As for the cyclist story above, one of the members of my running club was injured by a dog twice - once bitten, and the second time knocked off his bike by a dog and broke his collar bone. So not sure why it's goady to say that a local council is cracking down - dogs can and do cause injury.

People are more important than the "rights" of your pets. And even if you don't accept that, you should accept that other dog owners don't want your dog hassling their dog, either. There's a whole other thread about that somewhere on here.

As for kicking the dog, if it's hanging onto your leg , how else are you supposed to get rid of it other than some sort of physical action? I'm not sure asking nicely works.

YABVU in my opinion. bet you're fun at parties Dog owners need to exercise their dogs or they're considered irresponsible, and with three WORKING breed dogs that are bred to go 18 hours a day, there is absolutely no way I would be able to give them anywhere near the adequate amount of exercise on lead. No dog I have ever had has ever chased, jumped on or tripped up a runner/cyclist, but I've had plenty of rude runners/cyclists who have come speeding past my dogs at such a speed, my oldest (12) has issues with her eyesight and when things like that happen she gets such a scare.
It goes both ways, I am always curtious to others using the area I am but some runners or cyclists are so damn entitled!
And the 'young children' issue, I meet plenty of young children and they always like to say hello to the dogs and rub their heads etc, on rare occasions they have been knocked over (these things happen, toddlers are very unstable on their feet) but I always apologise, and parents are fine with it, you need to socialize younger children with dogs or you end up with dog phobic children that scream and cry whenever a dog approaches and a dogs natural instinct is to go over and see what's wrong. I've even had parents thank me for letting their wee ones speak to my dogs.
Also if you kicked any of my dogs I wouldn't be held responsible for my actions, that was SOOOOO out of order.

one final thing - have my first ever biscuit

Purplevase spot on!

Purplevase, completely agree. The onus is on the dog owner to respect another individual's absolute right to not want their dog making contact. And as an aside, I've had a random dog floor my 6yo, who is absolutely not unsteady on his feet. Followed by a 'he's really friendly' obviously.....

Purplevase, completely agree. The onus is on the dog owner to respect another individual's absolute right to not want their dog making contact. And as an aside, I've had a random dog floor my 6yo, who is absolutely not unsteady on his feet. Followed by a 'he's really friendly' obviously.....

newdocket I call my dogs over until promoted by the parent/adult they're with before allowing any of them to go over, and they've never bounded up to children, I understand that some people aren't keen on dogs but just because you don't like something doesn't mean we should just ban it from public places. You're clearly not a dog owner or you'd understand. Most dogs are friendly and responsible dog owners with unfriendly dogs take precautions, trust me my dogs are probably more interested in what smells good over there than a screaming child People with well trained dogs shouldn't be tarred with the same brush as those that have failed to/struggle to train their dogs.

er, crazyspaniel, where did I say dogs should be banned from public spaces?! I object to (some) dogs bounding up to me/my kids in public places and their owners not respecting that this isn't ok, not dogs per se.

hear hear newlocket

crazy - Working dogs are bred to go 18 hours a day. Agreed. They need to have freedom to run around and exercise and do what working dogs
do. Work all day. So why keep a working dog in a domestic environment? If one wants a domestic pet, why get a working dog that doesn't really have a job, and has to rely on walks in the park for exercise? I think that's inconsiderate and maybe a little bit selfish.
A working dog works off its energy doing its job. Not walking in the park.
I despair.

And to the people who were disparaging about somebody not wanting an unknown and apparently unaccompanied dog sniffing their feet, the whole dog problem lies at "your" feet.
If dog owners would treat their dogs like dogs, and not as honorary human beings, or an extension of themselves ,then there would be no problem. A dog is an animal, and therefore unpredictable. Most folks with an ounce of sense know that, without even having to think about it.
Some of us have been bitten or nipped by dogs without any provocation whatsoever. We are perfectly entitled, and even "programmed" to be wary of any dog we meet - with just cause. We are not..umm "dog haterz"
(how quaint - I think it means we do not find your pooch adorable).
We just don't want our peaceful picnic in the park ruined by some gormless, ownerless, jobless working dog pissing on our chips.
Take some fecking responsibility for your canine charges. Keep them under control. Don't have a working dog unless it has a job. That's just
common sense. If you want a house pet, get a little dog. Nobody much minds little dogs.
I walk in the park with my husband, who obviously knows I am nervous of dogs. When a dog comes barking up to us (which contrary to the general opinion of dog owners on this thread, they often do) I am always reassured when he says - "Just ignore that one, it will fit on the end of my boot"
I think the problem lies with the arrogant and lackadaisical attitude of dog owners, not comprehending the daily discomfort that their dogs cause to other people.
In precis. In the real world, I do not mind a dog brushing against me in a walk-by or crowded situation. Or having a quick sniff as it walks by. That's not scary at all. But a dog bounding up to me, with me as its focus, induces a fight or flight reaction.
And to the dog owners who think that's wimpy. When I was a child my family kept ferrets. Ferrets can be quite cute. They rarely bite, unless provoked. They can actually be quite affectionate. I'm not scared of them. How would you feel if I dropped one on your lap?
Think about it.