To think one of the rules should be dogs on leads at this time?

[ShesGotBetteDavisEyes]

Went for a walk as a family today down some country lanes near us. We knew we would pass a few people but the paths are quite wide so it’s easy to keep your distance, as we and most other people did.

Except three separate lots of dog owners who allowed their dogs to run over to all of us, repeatedly jumping up at us and pawing at our clothes.

One of the women was letting her two dogs run around our feet and not calling them away (in fact was laughing indulgently) so I shouted “you know, usually we would pet them but the virus can live on dogs fur so could you call them away?” She and her companion looked a bit surprised and said “oh, we haven’t heard that?” They STILL didn’t call them right away.

It actually really annoyed me. We are taking the care to lecture our kids about not touching anything, keeping their distance moving to the side to let people pass etc. and then dogs are just running and jumping up/brushing against us whilst their owners smile & laugh ffs! What is the actual point of doing all this if it can be passed on by a dog? We have to keep the kids away but dogs are allowed to run rampage?

AIBU to suggest Boris puts a “dogs on leads” rule in his next speech?

I have a rescue dog who exhibits anxiety agression, ie loud barking,especially when surrounded by lots of people.
I have enjoyed walking him offlead in secluded places and have enjoyed the progress he has made.
These places are no longer secluded, which has added to his anxiety, so I have kept the lead on, but resent having to do so whilst also understanding the need for it.

You resent having to keep an aggressive dog on a lead in public?

Why the need to exercise now and not before? Are these people who previously used gyms? But they do tend to be families. There's no rule against it but it's slightly irritating.*

I take regular walks in my area, but normally I'm at work in the city 4 or 5 days a week and get plenty of exercise there. A couple of days a week I go to the gym, and a couple of days a week I go for a walk. One of the things that keeps me at the gym instead of walking is dogs that are off lead. Now of course, I'm walking every day, so apologies if that's irritating you. On each walk, I probably encounter a dozen dogs, two thirds of which are off lead. The thing that those of you who are nicely confident that your dog won't jump up at me don't seem to realise is that when I see your dog approaching, I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA whether it's a jumpy dog or not. They don't wear a badge that explains that. So on my hour's walk, every day, I feel frightened several times until the dog is safely behind me. Yesterday, a dog jumped up and scratched me and every member of my family, while its owner looked on 100 metres away. It wasn't until I shouted to the owner that he called him off. My son was terrified and felt sick. Is it that worth it to you to have your dog off lead? We absolutely need to exercise. You don't absolutely have to have your dog off lead.

CatTangle - I agree, they sound pretty selfish

Yanbu. Happened to us today. Huge field. Our dog playing with his ball. Young Lab comes racing over hotly pursued by a 10ish year old child. She has no lead so keeps grabbing ineffectually at its harness. It keeps getting away. We keep walking. It follows us. We stop so she can catch it (no other option) which means she has to come closer than 2m as it’s desperately jumping over our dog. Meanwhile the girls father (presumably) comes ambling over shaking a (by the sound) tub of treats while the girl squeaks “Riley! Riley! Daddy’s got treats!” 🙄

PUT YOUR FUCKING DOG ON A LEAD OR KEEP IT ON A LONG LINE FFS!!! 😡😡😡😡

QueenMab99 have you tried scent work? It’s really good when you can’t get long walks in.

This kind of thing

moderndogmagazine.com/articles/8-fun-scent-games-your-dog-will-love/80052

I am trying to see your point of view DoAs but nope, I don't see why I should keep my perfectly well behaved dog (who has absolutely no interest in you or anyone else but is busy sniffing and exploring) on a lead because you have a dog phobia

queenMab99 I do feel sorry for you. None doggy folk don't understand that dogs are therapy on four legs. My dog is basically keeping me sane during lockdown (that and the wine) - and I have the kids and dh at home too for company. Must be hard when there is just you and him and you no doubt have a very close bond

If you can bear to do facebook there is a facebook page called 'Canine Enrichment' which is full of ideas to keep your dog mentally stimulated and entertained during this enforced idleness.

A few suggestions

• Breakfast kibble scattered around the garden for him to sniff out and find
• use stuffed kongs (best part frozen because they take longer to find)
• teach him a new trick
• use lickey mats etc

I think the new rules in the Royal Parks (and maybe others) are not because dogs might carry the virus but because their people follow them and become less organised in keeping apart. Maybe it's necessary, not because of the poor dogs but because of their humans?

I had a large Bernese Mountain Dog puppy jumping at me while I was on the walking-warm up for my run the other day (I've recognised him growing over recent months). Fortunately I'm used to large breeds. He was far more interested in joining me in a different direction than listening to his owner. Also fortunately I did not have my DCs with me as umpteen encounters with jumpy unruly dogs in their toddler years have instilled a fear of dogs into them. I could have done without being thoroughly rubbed all over by a strange dog in the first 4 minutes though!

Even at normal times it is not fair to let unruly dogs charge around, indeed it is illegal even if enforcement is practically nil.

What has specifically irked me in the last couple of weeks is that you do not have to socially distance yourself from your dog on a long lead. It's often awkward enough trying to respect as close to a 2m distance as possible without the path being further obstructed by the dog on one edge and the owner stretched out halfway across the path.

I generally like dogs, but some owners really do put me off.

Perth and Kinross Council have produced this graphic and they advise dogs on leads.

We have lurchers. The old boy doesn't care if he runs or not but the young one desperately needs to burn off some steam.
However, we only let them off if there are no other dogs on the park. They only run after dogs running, not interested in other people at all. If we spot a dog they get put back on their leads.
Today they didnt get a run as there were loads of people out so we changed our route and lead walked further. Young dog was most put out but we're trying to be responsible.

I’m a dog owner and absolutely agree, I keep her on the lead now so there’s no risk of her running into people and me having to chase her!

Makes me feel very fortunate reading this thread. I’m in a medium sized market town with a lovely park. I’ve been taking the dog every day at around 6:00pm. It’s very quiet. Yesterday one couple on the way and a handful in the park itself. We walk right out into the middle of the grass and avoid the paths. We’ve had some lovely walks off lead. It’s helped us both to sleep. She obsesses about the treats in my pocket so recall is very easy.

Walking there and back to our ordinary park in the early evening feels like a Dr who film set it’s so quiet. It feels as if an alien is about to land from outer space.

When your dog grows up to pay tax, become a medic, or otherwise be useful to wider society like the majority of children will then we can talk, Glowcat.

How the fuck does it affect anyone if I walk my young dog to an out of the way area and work with her off-lead? She has excellent recall, stops on the whistle and will walk to heel off-lead. This time of year? Lambing.... No matter how well trained the dog... lead on if out in the countryside!

A friend just had her dog shot by a farmer (also a friend). Dog owner had no idea her well trained dog would worry sheep and the farmer had already had a run in with another dog that killed 5 heavily pregnant ewes - and god only nows how many others aborted!

Famers re a lot more vigilant and liable to act and it is wholly the fault of people whose dogs are "well trained"

My dog is only off lead in secluded areas that walkers don't use as they don't realise that there are trails there. It's absolutely blissful and a big advantage of living semi rurally. My other favourite walks are full of people at the moment so in very glad of the chance to get away from it.

She's on lead at the village end though. The number of snotty kids coughing over both of us as we return home is rediculous. If I'm keeping my dog under control I expect parents to do the same with their children. And it has happened daily since lockdown. Also the aww I want to stroke the cute little cockapoo (who is amazing with children) but just wants to get home and also, your kids shouldn't be within 2m of me.

And before I'm accused of being some kind of child hater, I'm a childminder who adores children. I just happen to believe the world is a better place is we all show consideration for others, something I teach my charges and my daughter as standard!

It's a bloody difficult time and everyone needs to show some extra consideration. My dog is keeping me sane. I usually get 20000 steps in walking with the children, playing with them, to walking my dog twice a day (she has 2 walks with her walker too) and running 5k 4 times a week but now I can do 1 dog walk and some exercise at home. It's driving me nuts. As are my neighbours who whinge everytime pooch goes into our (private, secure) garden because they are dog haters. They shout loudly complaining, because she is out there minding her own business (because she's well trained).

So let's all just be more considerate. I'll keep my dog away from people, people keep away from me and my dog. Deal?

Limit incidentally I very much agree with you on the car front. And your part of the UK sounds lovely.

To the dog walkers who feel that people are ‘hating’ dogs here. I am sure many of us don’t hate dogs. However, I am totally over people who believe ‘under control’ means their dogs being able to run around on a suburban narrow path. Like the woman who stands on the path and gets her large and very fast dog to run circuits returning to her. Who abused me when I panicked during my run when her dog misjudged and came sprinting towards me Thinking that I was her- twice.

Or the owner of the very old dogs who take up half the path while she and her friends take up the other half and get offended if you ask someone to move over. Or to control their dogs because the dogs now recognize you and try to come up and sit in front of me for a pat while I run past. (I have never patted them so it was not a pattern).

I am sure that dogs make such positive impacts in your lives. I had dogs growing up and only developed a fear after a few months of jogging here because some people don’t do the right thing. Many do.

However, perhaps this is a good time to recognize that some bad habits have crept in and that ‘being under control or close enough to control’ does mean that if anyone is coming, the dog does need to be ‘under control or close enough to control’.

My dogs aren’t interested in other people but because they are cute, children and parents often want to stroke them, which the dogs don’t much enjoy, so this goes both ways.

YABVU for wanting yet more laws to curtail our ancient liberties. Will these laws ever be repealed? Unlikely. Most people muddle along in life without demanding laws be changed to suit them. Besides, dogs need off lead exercise. 🥴

Put your dog on a lead when walking near pregnant ewes and fields with ewes and lambs. You don't want to get your dog shot do you.

Thank you all for your suggestions to entertain my dog we normally do that kind of thing in the afternoon, but we are both missing our lovely daily walks in the woods and on the beach. Although I am resolutely sticking to the present regulations, and have no fear of being switched on, some posts on here and on Facebook horrify me, I hadn't realised how much resentment, feelings of superiority and petty fault finding were bubbling below the surface, in our society.

*snitched on

i dont think so,
regardless of any lockdown, dog owners should be polite and not let their dogs run and jump at people

@queenMab99 I know. It’s terrifying. We all sneered at informants and East German children reporting their parents but maybe it’s closer than we think.

Do you mean that someone’s feeling of being safe is petty and feeling superior? Or do you mean that there are people on both sides who have done the wrong thing?

wash your hands when you come in, keep your hands away from your face