Dogs off the lead

[LudaMusser]

I was walking with my thirteen month old in the pushchair this morning through a nature reserve type place. I've only recently found it and it's great for the two metre rule as the track is maybe six meters wide

It's quite popular with walkers, joggers and dog walkers. For the second time now an old woman (maybe sixty) has came towards me with five dogs all off the lead and none of them that close to her, she's definitely not in control of them

It really annoys me because on both occasions one of the dogs has ran straight up to the pushchair. I've then angled the pushchair to try and move it away from the dog. Two dogs are big, one a boxer type dog and the other an Alsatian. The other three are small terrier types. AIBU to want the dogs to be on a lead?

As a child I was scared of dogs as I was chased by some alsatians once and nearly bitten another time. I don't feel easy around some dogs, particularly bigger ones. I'm always concerned for my little girl, if a dog jumped up to the pram it doesn't bare thinking about

Works both ways tbh ,I have a Beagle I always walk her on n a lead all she wants to do is amble along sniffing the amount of kids that approach is however ....

Same here @x2boys. Our tiny, very pretty JRT is a people magnet, little girls particularly make a beeline for her.

I dislike other dog owners who let down the responsible ones among us and hence cause people to heap opprobrium on all of us.

My two dogs walk off the lead, however if someone else is approaching I recall them and put them on the lead - because I get that some people are scared of dogs or simply don't want to be approached by them. Its simple really - or should be.

Dogs should not be allowed to run over to your pushchair op, you are absolutely right. But yes, 60 isn't old

However I don't agree with the absolute nonsense from EverythingChanges321 that all dogs should be on the lead at all times except on private land (especially given her unbelievable 'I'm alright Jack' comment that hers is off lead in her friend's private wood [sceptical]. Lets hope you never fall out with your friend!)

Like another poster on this thread - I would support dog licencing with some mandatory training as a pre-requisite

Next time shout over to her to please call her dog back or put it on a lead.

I was out with my 16 year old daughter and 20month old and my little dog in a park last week and 3 dogs off the lead came charging across to us, tried to go for my little dog. The owner was shouting to them to no avail. I told her the dogs should be on a lead. She shouted and said they hadn’t been told to and it was a dog park and if I don’t like dogs I shouldn’t be there. Obviously I do like dogs as I have one, but yes if you can’t control your dog then you shouldn’t let them free in a park

OP threw a shit grenade then buggered off? Surprise surprise.

Yes I can’t think many dog owners would be against mandatory training since all responsible owners train anyway.

It might have something to do with the shame of calling 60 'old'... as many posters agree that the dogs should be on lead (at least some of the 5) and recalled when they started towards her and the pram.

OP threw a shit grenade then buggered off? Surprise surprise.
I guess you weren’t paying attention. The OP did return to the thread. There are no rules about how often the OP must post. It’s not as if her posting would make any difference to the attitude of the many dog owners who think respecting other people’s personal space comes way below letting their dogs run wild.

It's a classic though. Wind people up, drop a few breadcrumbs at the beginning of the thread, bugger off.

Everyone lives to have a go at dog walkers though so carry on if it makes you happy.

I just want to be able to go about my business without dogs invading my personal space and touching me. Dogs touching me is a big problem for me and it really is a very basic courtesy that when I’m minding my own business and keeping out of other people’s way, they do the same for me.

If when out walking your dog you came upon me, I then grabbed you, gave you a hug and tried to kiss you, you’d be horrified. Who is this random woman getting up close and personal with me, you’d say. And I don’t eat poo and other unmentionables, don’t put my face up anyone’s arse, my hands rarely touch the ground and when they do they are washed immediately. Oh, and adult humans rarely bite other humans, and certainly not without there being some dispute.

It’s the sheer entitlement that gets to me but don’t worry, I no longer expect other people to pay attention to my interests. I’m developing strategies to deal with unruly dogs. Biscuit and the likes of him (and their owners) better watch out.

LAKIELADY
I commute on cycle track every day there are loads of dogs not a lead in site wandering all over the place

Is the track solely for cyclists, or is it "shared space", @rwalker? If the latter, I think the onus is on the cyclist to look out for dogs or kids running into their path.

The onus is on everyone to be responsible and considerate. If a dog on a lead wonders in your direction fine if a kid walking with parent suddenly sprint off fine.
But dog on no lead owner paying no attention running uncontrolled all over the place and kids unsupervised out of site of parents zig zagging all over the place where is the onus on them .Rather than the cyclist riding in a straight line on the cycle side of the CYCLE PATH.
If everyone was responsible there would be no problem in all the year of computing on cycle track I have never seen a cyclist zig zagging all over the place out of control and not paying attention the rules apply to everyone . I alway told my kids to respect cycle path the same as you would respect a road .
You wouldn't let kids wonder into the path of a car why would you with a bike .

bring back the dog licence. £1000 per dog should cover the costs of the QUARTER OF A MILLION dog bite injuries a year, the shit bins, the council officers dealing with the barking and so on.

free for assistance dogs of course, the only essential ones. And peanuts compared to the costs of food, vet care, day care (hah!) and so on over its lifetime.

I'd have no issue with paying for a dog license.

I walk my dog off lead in some places. We'll walk along the canal quite happily. She walks to heel and I'll put her back on lead whenever we see other dogs we don't know as whilst she won't approach people, she sometimes does want to approach dogs and I don't know them so don't trust them. Likewise when we go to the beach etc.

If we go somewhere with signposted rules, we follow them.

A dog being 30ft ahead of it's owner doesn't automatically equate to being out of control, it depends on how its trained.

Just walked our dog. Put her on the lead as I saw someone approaching. When he got closer it turned out to be a guy with two offlead dogs and reading a bloody book! I despair.

@mencken - I like you!

Atm , in lockdown, yanbu, the guidance is for dogs to be on leads.
She may well always walk her dogs off lead there and has been caught out by extra people using the reserve, lots of normally deserted places are now much busier.
After lockdown is lifted its trickier, dogs often need more exercise than walking to heel on a lead and if they generally have good recall and are friendly I think walking off lead is fine in quiet spots.
Ive been in both camps, when my ds was small he was terrified of dogs, they were attracted to him like bees to a honeypot, owners always said "don't worry he's only being friendly" but when you're 2 or 3, a dog bigger than you bounding up to you is terrifying and tbf i did get really cross- later as a dog owner i realised that my sons love of carrying sticks around probably didnt help, nor did the food spills on his t- shirt🤣
Now I have 2 dogs ( my son loves them) and i do walk them off lead in the countryside and fields around our house. Right now if I see someone approach i always put them on a lead, before lockdown I judged it on a case by case basis , generally they have good recall but I was caught out earlier today by a cyclist silently approaching from behind and one dog did bound up to her as she cycled past us before i had a chance to put her on a lead.
I think there has to be a bit of tolerance and understanding on both sides.

I love dogs, work with them and have five. Would never have thought I would have this point of view but lately I do feel all dogs should be on a lead unless on private land . People are just so much more entitled and so much less considerate of others and the attitude of it's my dog and it's just being friendly far too prevalent.
There are increasing numbers of dog bite injuries to other dogs and of dogs being traumatised by off lead dogs so even dogs themselves are suffering .
Last year we had a pet sheep killed by someone who knew their dogs had zero recall yet still had them off leash on a footpath through livestock
Twice this week a friends horses have been chased and bitten in their fields , one was lying down asleep at the time
I was out on a bridleway at the weekend and three off lead terriers came hurtling round the corner , no owner visible and bogged off into the woods, not a right of way , whilst owner's plaintive cries of please come back rang out. All three had bells attached to them so obviously bogging off is a common thing yet still off lead with horses using the oath and livestock in fields either side.
It's worse at the minute as so many more people out walking but it's generally becoming an issue .

Old thread but yes five dogs should, however if you don’t like dogs there are kid only playgrounds where dogs aren’t allowed.

Wonder if op is still around?