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!

“on the beach at Barmouth, Wallasey, and Blackpool etc, many people have their dogs off the lead - dozens of people do, and you know this when you go…”

Sorry, I’m not accepting this.
I do not like dogs interacting with me in any way whatsoever at the beach.

Why should my enjoyment of the beach be compromised by unruly out-of-control dogs?

Third time lucky! Sounds like he had a tricky start in life. Glad you were able to give him a good home.

Nope!

In fact both my DP and I have been far less restrained than you in our comments!

I get thoroughly pissed off with dog owners that have no control over their dogs and allow them off lead in public places. Many make the effort to train their dogs the basics. Some just get a dog and don’t even think of doing any recall training. They just want a nice doggy.

The amount of dogs we’ve had jump up us, chase after us etc. No response at all to their owners calls.

We always say the same thing. What if it was a child the dogs were jumping all over?

I love dogs, but I can’t abide irresponsible, lazy, ignorant dog owners.

Oh I’ve had the piss. Bright yellow stinking alsation piss all over a white hotel towel. I threw a stone at it (near it) to warn it off but nope. Piss on my towel.

I had to leave the towel in the hotel bath and christ knows what the housekeeping staff thought of me.

I wished I’d had a fucking harpoon that day.

I'm glad I found this thread.

My DH is facing an investigation at work - he works for the LA - as he was carrying out some duties in a public park last week when two Labradors raced over to him barking and growling. He waved a stick at them and the owner called them back. Initially they went back but then came over again and DH was quite scared.

He's not a dog lover, we don't have a dog and in the past he has been bitten by an out of control dog. Unfortunately DH may have said something along the lines of 'get your pissing dogs away from me' and the owner has put in a formal complaint to the LA.

Until I read this, I had no idea, not being a dog owner, that a dog doesn't have to attack to be considered 'dangerously out of control' just that it has to make someone afraid that it might attack.

Hopefully armed with this new knowledge nothing further will happen as he's worried that work might discipline him for blurting out something he probably shouldn't have done in the heat of the moment.

FWIW, I don't think dogs should be allowed off the lead in public places at all.

Yeah nice try.

You didn't say 'always' but you didn't say 'sometimes' either.

You said

"Dogs are allowed off lead in public if they are under control. I am far far from an irresponsible dog owner."

So basically you were saying that dogs are allowed off lead in public, which is incorrect!!! There are times when they're not, as has been explained many times during this thread.

Nice try though. 😆 D minus.

.

As others have said I honestly think dogs shouldn't be off the lead anywhere in public - in an enclosed dog park area yes, otherwise No.

I had a large dog bounding wildly up to me when out recently and the owner just shouted over "don't let him jump up at you!" WTF??? I was so stunned, and busy avoiding the hound I couldn't compose myself enough to ask him how the hell I was supposed to be the one stopping his dog jumping at me!! 🙄

And there are times where they are.

My dog is never off lead where he is not allowed.

@ladylasagne He had a great personality despite his rocky start. I just worked around the sticky areas and made sure he was safe. He died last year at around 15 years. I tried to give him the best life I could, which is all you can do for a dog really.

if the owner of an out of control dog is with their kids I always state that if it attacks me I will make sure the dog is pts. I like to think this helps the kids see what a feckless idiot their parent is.

This is a major hate of mine. But it isn’t just off lead dogs - I was on the beach the other day and walked past some people who had an Alsatian on a long lead. They were standing talking to each other, I walked past the dog giving him plenty of space and he leapt up at me barking. It gave me the rage.

What an idiot. Of course they have a right to be there, but ON LEAD.

I have a dog and she has no recall, despite repeated attempts to train her, and, as such, she remains on the lead at all times.

Since my stuff was peed on I bought a dry bag style backpack which was a lot more expensive than the one that I had to throw away 🙄I seal it up before I set off. Cheaper solution is an extra thick bin bag closed with a peg.

Thanks for the tip! I’ve gotten away with it so far, but my luck won’t hold forever.

I think dogs should be on leads at all times in public whether they respond to being called or not.

It's wrong and it drives me crackers.

My highly intelligent, high drive working dog has iron clad recall. I can recall him from sheep, horses, hares, other dogs, people, anything... so he's allowed off lead. I don't take risks with my dog, he's 100%.

He's trained, he doesn't go running up to other people and dogs. So what really grinds my gears is when other peoples untrained off lead dogs (usually small dogs but not always) come running up to us / him. He hates it, I hate it.

Ultimately if your dog is off lead and doesn't have recall it's not under control... that's a criminal offence. There's no defending it and no excuse. Wish it was enforced.

This 100 times. I have a border collie and his recall is bullet proof too.

When we're out his soul interest is me and DP nothing else.

Thinking about it, any old dry bag including the very cheapest would work because it's not being relied on at sea, it's just for keeping dog pee out. Home Bargains and Lidl both had very cheap ones but probably not now summer's over.

Horse rider here so dogs with no recall massively piss me off and are potentially bloody dangerous.
I've been chased several times.
Woman doing yoga on the common (where cattle and horses freely graze) bum in the air and absolutely no clue what her two dogs were up to or that they'd gone pell mell 200m across a road to get to my horse.....she then complained the thundering hooves and bad language made her jump...... I'd just gone from 0 to 30mph sideways and towards a road....I was very lucky to stop in time.
Husky completely out of control (again on common land). Owner no attempt to even call it as it barked and circled the horse for nearly 10 minutes. I just kept bellowing (I'm loud) for the owner of the husky to collect his dog until Every.Single. Dog Walker had stopped to watch him catch it in shame.

The countless ones who put the dog on the lead (well done) and then release it 2.5 seconds once I've gone past and act surprised when it runs straight back up the horses bum and we both shoot forward at speed because we weren't expecting it and I'm not best pleased.
Ones who have a dog that has never seen a horse before and leave it off the lead to "see what it will do". Well what I will do is give you an ear full!!
The ones who get upset when I say "this horse will kick". If your dog was on a lead and not under his feet you would not have this issue!
The ones who say "don't worry he's busy chasing the birds he won't bother the horse" those will be the protected ground nesting birds subject to the bylaw which requires dogs kept on leads March to August....which apparently doesn't apply to them.
Most dog owners are actually very good and I always say thank you, smile and try and be lovely. The irresponsible owners spoil it. Ahhh that was cathartic!!

What them dogs did is out of order and yes they should be on lead. But not all dogs need to be on lead in public. My dog takes no notice of anybody and wouldn't get in anybody's way. He won't come straight back to me his in his own world but he doesn't bother anyone else atall. It's up to the owner to be responsible for the dog they have. They are all so different. No need for one rule for all

Will have a look, thanks.
might just use a rubble bag in the mean time.

First I hope he's got assistance from his Union.

Secondly I would have a look at any rules, bylaws or Public Space Protection Orders or whatever they are called that relate to the area. As his employer is The Local Authority just go straight to them and ask that they are provided.

I suggest that as you know the identity of the dog owner a complaint should be made to The Police and the Dog Warden. I would ask that the hearing should be adjourned until such time as they have made their investigations. I would also suggest that in view of the complaint that they should be pushed to take action if appropriate.

I would suggest that having The Police and The Dog Warden on their case might discourage the complainant.

Finally there is at least the threat of a private prosecution against the complainant if he can get legal help from his Union.

Christ. How patronising.

Just out of interest, if a horse is bothered and spooked by an out of control dog would it naturally trample or kick the dog?

If it did, that would seem a fitting outcome.

The horse is in flight mode it just wants to get away. If the dog gets under its feet then there is a risk it will trample anything in its path or kick out. It's certainly NOT an outcome I would want for the dog or one I could control in those circumstances. The ones most at risk of serious injury are myself if I fall off and my horse if we part company and he runs off without me onto a road or jumps something/falls over trying to escape