To think dogs shouldn't be off lead in public if they don't come when you call

[ladylasagne]

So I should start by saying I love dogs, I think they're great. I generally have no issue with them being off lead in public if they are well behaved and obey a call to heel.

Today I was out doing my morning run. I was running along a well used footpath, that is popular with lots of people. I saw a lady with two dogs off lead (fairly little terriers) running all over the place, paying no mind to her shouts for them to come. I slowed right down as I approached (I was already pretty slow as I'm really not fast runner). When I was about 10 meters away (or 30-40 ft if you're old school), these dogs start running full speed towards me. Whichever way I moved, they would change direction to still be heading for me, so I just stopped and stood still hoping to avoid an accident, and both dogs crashed into my legs. It really hurt, but luckily I'm pretty solid because it was a hard enough impact that it could've done damage to anyone frail or vulnerable using that path. I dread to think how painful it must have been for the poor dogs. I stepped around the dogs and walked on until I was far enough away to start running again.

As I walked passed this lady, she said sorry (so she obviously knew she was in the wrong on some level!). Maybe I should have left it at that, but I couldn't bite tongue and so I said to her "don't let them off the lead if they don't come when you call", she replied "yeahhhh sorry". I didn't swear, I didn't shout, but I just couldn't let it pass without saying something. Whenever I see people doing this with dogs, I just think it's a matter of time before the dog runs in front of a car or ends up getting hurt as a result of irresponsible dog ownership, and it really upsets me.

20 minutes later, I'm running back along the path in the other direction. Surprise surprise, same dogs running around off lead, same lady pointlessly shouting at them. I slowed down to a walk and just walked past because I didn't want a repeat of the incident. The dogs were running up to me, I had to repeatedly step over and around them while trying to get past again. I said nothing to this woman (what more can I say really?!?) but I was shaking my head (very british) and just held my arms up in the air (half in despair, half to demonstrate to the dogs that I have nothing on me of interest - it works sometimes, not this time). This lady obviously recognised me, and just starts shouting "they have as much right to be here as you". I continued to say nothing, walked passed, and eventually was able to start running again.

So my question is, was I wrong to say to her that her dogs shouldn't be off lead if they don't come when you call? Should I have just keep my mouth shut, and accepted that I now have a bruise on my leg because of her dogs being allowed to run all over the place?

Thanks in advance ladies. I want opinions but please be kind, I do feel quite sensitive at the moment. The woman really shouted at me, I'm a very delicate, sensitive person inside and I did find it quite intimidating. Also, I ran a different route today because last week a lovely man in a van who is now regularly parked along my usual route shouted something out the window at me (didn't hear it fully but it involved the word 'chunky', so probabaly not a compliment) and I was really upset. He still parks there sitting in his van eating his Ginsters pasty for breakfast, and I still don't feel up to running past him again yet. I just want to be able to run in peace, I'm fat and it's a cheap way to exercise!

Because there is plenty of fields to hire at ant time, not all empty fields are available to hire for dogs

It's my pet hate!! Only walk our dog on his lead as l would be totally stressed if he didn't come back when l called although he is very obedient but excitement can get the better of him. I can happily walk then without a car. Why do people put themselves through it not to talk about others around them?

One of my dogs is going rather deaf so her recall is terrible. BUT... she does NOT approach people or other dogs. She knows to stand still.

They're working dogs so NEED to be walked off lead as they need to exercise properly.

It's not so much the recall but people need to train dogs NOT to approach other people or dogs unless they are told they can.

Oh that's awful. My MIL has a very nervous and reactive dog. I love her dearly but she can't be near other dogs she doesn't know. Whenever we walk her, we have to be on the lookout for other dogs and be ready to make a quick turn if need be. My MIL has spent over a decade doing different activites to help her be less reactive, and she is mellowing a bit in her old age now (she's 14). There's a few dogs that she tolerates, but the only way to let her off lead anywhere is to rent one of those little fenced off paddock areas for an hour a few times a week so she can have a nice run around without worrying about it. We've had exactly the same situation with off lead dogs running up to her on a daily walk and it's horrible, there's nothing you can really do except try to get her away. One time a man walking his off lead dog wasn't even looking at it and was just staring at his phone! That was the only time I've properly 'lost it' at another dog walker. It was just so irresponsible.

You train recall and start small in the house, then use a long line and move out and about. You can then move to a secure field. You ask a dog trainer for help.

What you don't do is let them off the lead and shout their name into the wind, while other people have to deal with your untrained off lead dog.

So find one that is. It is so relaxing to have a dog which comes back when you call and you only get that with training.

No dog should be off the lead in public ..

Spot on.

We used to stay with family in the Lakes when I was little and used to take another family member's dog out walking with us. We often walked on/near farmland and that dog was never off lead. My dad used to work on a farm and knew what farm animals are like. People don't realise that livestock can be really dangerous! They won't think twice about trampling over a dog they feel threatened by.

All dogs on leads at all times in public places.

I do not want your twatty dog anywhere near me. Least of all running up to me, or appearing suddenly between my child’s legs at a picnic table. The owners always seem to be dicking around with their phones while the dogs behave like twats. Probably posting #furbaby shots to social media.

My absolute pet peeve (excuse the pun!) & then people get super defensive and claim their dog does have recall when they've been calling it repeatedly and it's jumping all over my dog.

That sounds horrible and I don't blame you for getting angry. I've had similar when walking my MIL's reactive dog and had off lead dogs running up to her. I can stay cool when it's just me, but I feel so defensive of her when I walk her (maybe more so that my MIL because she's not my dog and it feels like a huge responsibility). The only time I've flown off the handle at a dog walker about an off-lead dog, it was with her.

YANBU! I would class my good friend as a responsible dog owner. We were walking on the beach not that long ago and she let her dog off the lead (it's an area where they can go). He was completely overexcited and would not come back when called. He then ran over to a family's stuff (they were playing beach cricket or similar) and cocked his leg on a backpack. She literally just said "Oops, I don't think they noticed" and laughed.
I was horrified. I happened to have wipes on me so made her go and clean it off and apologise then we finished our walk in frosty silence. I genuinely think some dog owners don't really grasp the impact their dogs have on others.

No YANBU. I’d have said to her she was in breach of the dangerous dogs act and everyone has a right to run or walk without her dogs jumping up or tripping them up and if happens again she will be reported.
It must be even worse for visually or mobility impaired people when things like that happen.

I had to complain to my housing developer about off lead dogs in my flat building. I was coming back in from somewhere and a woman who was heading out was sauntering behind her hyper dog which ran full pelt and jumped up at me which resulted in scratching my upper thigh. She didn’t apologise.

I told her to make sure it didn’t happen again and she tried to argue with me. I was like listen it’s not up for debate, your clearly isn’t trained enough to be off lead and I reported her. They spoke to her and a letter was sent to all dog owners asking them to keep dogs on a lead in the building. It’s absolutely ridiculous that they had to be told this though.

I’ve also had two picnics interrupted by dogs in recent years and I’m not someone who even eats in parks a lot.

I think we need some completely dog free spaces because even if you request leads on or for owners to pick up after their dog a lot of them won’t comply. So an outright ban in some (NOT ALL) open spaces would be good .

highlight are those who let their dogs off lead in fenced off play parks...

And we need to specify the length and type of leads. A woman in a train i was on had her dog roaming the carriage sniffing people and it was on a lead - but a long lead. Thankfully it wasn’t a super busy train so I was able to move carriage altogether.

I emailed the train companies suggesting they provide dog- free carriages like they do in some European countries, but they just said they’ll pass it on as customer feedback or whatever 🙄

Thank you, yeah I hadn't thought that she might have been pretty stressed in that situation too, maybe hadn't really thought through what she was doing...we all make mistakes. Might explain why she felt so defensive about it, especially when she saw me coming back the other way. Hopefully it will sit on her mind and she'll think about it as much as I have...probably not though, as you say "some people just don’t care about anyone else". Maybe I just shouldn't care so much lol

It is against the law for dogs to be out of control in public which means if they dont come when you call, they are considered out of control. One of my dogs is rarely on the lead - she is very obedient and follows instructions immediately. The other is put on the lead around other people, as she has form for not listening when she gets excited. Its not rocket science. But there have always been poor owners, and increasingly so since lock down when a lot of muppets took on pets with no real consideration of what that entails. Have said before, and will say again, dogs should be licensed and part of that should be undertaking training or showing that you can train to an equivalent standard yourself.

YANBU there are far too many out of control dogs. It's a nuisance, and often dangerous. I've had dogs piss on my rucksack on the beach, take snacks from toddlers hand in the pushchair, like said toddlers face, shake river water all over us. It's such a pain. Oh and, none of those stupid extending leads. Why bother if you're going to pay no attention to what the dog is doing on the end of it?

I see these threads all the time but I honestly have no experience of this at all.

I live in a NE town and work in Newcastle city centre and I don't think I've encountered an out of control dog in about 10 years. The only dogs I ever see off lead walk perfectly alongside their owners (usually older dogs tbf).

I don't doubt it happens but I do think dog owners are much better these days.

Good on you for saying something! Unfortunately I’ve found the type of people who do this don’t care about what their dogs are doing, just that “they’re friendly”. But what if the dog they are running up to isn’t? Who’s fault would it be if the off lead dog got mauled?
Our dogs don’t have good recall so we just don’t let them off, except in a private hired field. But we so often have dogs running up to us and the owners couldn’t care less.

Dogs shouldn’t be off lead in public.

I love dogs and have always been a pet owner but the dog walker was completely out of order. No recall then they should be walking on the lead!

I have encountered numerous selfish dog walkers, I remember taking my child to the children's park on his bike and an off lead dog jumped up and knocked him off, no sorry or anything just scurried off! He wasn't hurt thankfully but still angers me now when I think how selfish some people can be.

The fact is, the sort of person who willingly lets their uncontrollable dog off the lead in public doesn’t care about their dog or other people.

So, whilst we can rant away and be annoyed - and I understand OPs frustration - it’s a tad pointless yelling at the woman.

Thank you. Those secure fields are great, my MIL takes her reactive dog to use them quite regularly. There's loads around nowadays as well, I know they cost money but in the grand scheme of dog ownership it's a drop in the ocean. It's nice to be able to take them somewhere and not worry, and also a great space for training off lead....I should have recommended to this lady, though it might have made it worse lol.