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!

Thank you. Yes, naturally your and your horse’s welfare are the paramount concern, and if the dog could be held off without injury to it all the better.

I’m always surprised, though, that a dog would harass a horse. I know they do; it just seems so stupid for a dog to bark and leap at such a big animal. I’ve been kicked by a horse and had my foot stood on. Neither was a fun experience.

I’m probably the biggest dog-lover you’ll ever meet, and of course you aren’t being unreasonable! She’s endangering both people and her pets and I’d be really mad with her. I think you handled it very well.

I absolutely agree that people with no control over their dogs should not let them off in public spaces, but I also think local councils could do more to help prevent these problems.
In my nearest city (not in the UK), there are some parks where dogs are allowed off leash, some where they are only allowed on leash, and some where they are not permitted to enter full stop. This seems to work really well. People who want to avoid dogs altogether can do so, people with reactive dogs have somewhere safe to take them for on-leash sniffy walks, and people who want to give their dogs more freedom also have somewhere to take their dogs, safe in the knowledge that people who don’t want to be around dogs, or people with reactive dogs, won’t be there. Elsewhere in the country I live in, the same rules apply to beaches.

Sorry didn’t mean it to sound like that, but it does doesn’t it. I was just trying to be nice, bit of a blind spot I suppose. Thanks for the heads up

So your dog has no recall at all then and therefore should be on a lead.

Once he goes out of your line of sight whilst he’s busy in his ‘own little world’ you have no idea what he’s doing. Neither can you guarantee he isn’t and won’t ever be harassing another dog, horse, child etc.

And you can never possibly know for sure if your dog will decide one day, that he doesn’t want to be in his own little world and instead decides to pursue another dog, child etc.

Yet another dog owner who thinks that their dog is great and would never cause an issue 🙄

And that’s the problem. Too many dog owners are irresponsible, don’t train their dogs and don’t think their dog will ever pose a problem.

So yes, there absolutely IS a need for one rule that applies to ALL dog owners.

In the same way blanket laws have been made for humans, because the minority spoil things for the majority. The irresponsible, selfish dog owners spoil it for the all the great dog owners out there.

Those retractable leads are bloody dangerous too!

People taking dog for a walk in built up areas, wander along with the noses glued to their phones, just randomly extending the lead without paying attention to what the dog is doing. I've had a couple of instances where I've been driving and have had to do emergency stops because the dog has enough lead to wander into the road.
You also end up having to jump over the lead when walking along as again too long a lead stretched along/across the pavement.

My dog is well trained, but he's inquisitive and will go have a look and a sniff if something is interesting to him. I can normally call him back easily if needed, or employ some tactics if he doesn't listen first time!

So your dog is not well trained! Being able to call him back 'normally' is not good enough. I don't want to be interesting to a dog, but there seems to be no way to avoid it. If you dog can't resist something he is interested in, he should be on a lead - always.

Sending you love, OP - I'm sorry your exercise efforts have been marred by crappy people. You're NBU at all.

This is the problem!

A stranger has no idea that your dog is not dangerous and just sniffing about. It appears it has no recall either.

Keep it on a bloody lead!

Aw thanks, I’m hoping for better luck with my exercising next week! 🙂

Today a stupid woman dog walker unfit looking , huffing, elderly) had a pack of SEVEN milling out of control dogs in Weston Super Mare

An aggressive Bull breed ( female, red coloured)
various merle Daschunds and motely cockapoo types
was on Worlebury Camp. ( we were visiting friends )

Her horrible Bull breed went for someone’s dog and all the stupid woman could say was Soreeeee
Soreeeee

A man demanded she control her dogs, but she seemed incapable.

Why oh why do incompetents exercise more than one off lead dog??

I would be inclined to dial 999 and ask her to wait for the Police to arrive.

I suggest that in 'public' spaces there should be a limit of 1 dog per adult

YANBU - though everyone’s very perfect here in their judgement of only dogs with perfect recall are allowed to be off lead. I wouldn’t commit to saying any of my dogs had 100% recall - 98% because I’m allowing for a hare popping up unexpectedly and there being a delayed reaction to the whistle. I also have a young terrier bitch who is learning, and while has full recall at home, in the garden, in group classes and dog fields, and weirdly the beach - real life is an extra layer of distraction and she’s probably on 70% in open farmland. She has improved because we practice her recall off lead!! Long lines aren’t the same as true off lead, they are a useful training tool.

We live very rurally and I walk them off lead most of the time and rarely bump into anyone (recall always excellent towards the end when they’re tired from being off lead) but if I ever do, I ask if they would like me to put my dogs on the lead, inevitably they say no, because dogs have a much better meeting experience when they are off lead - and we chat for a few minutes about friendliness and ages of dogs, make jokes about their imperfect behaviour, and agree if we see each other again we won’t worry about leads.

I just don’t experience the attitudes of a lot of people on this thread - there are a lot of imperfections in training different kinds of dogs and it massively depends where they are. In London, I never let them off the lead much but in the middle of nowhere, Off they go!

I was bitten by a dog off its lead whilst sitting with our dog (who was on a lead). Owner did nothing. Reported to the police who seemed interested. Photo of dog walker taken later when dh was out with our dog and photo sent to the police. Hopefully a successful outcome.
Call the police and at the least get it reported and an incident number.

I would be outraged your DH was disciplined for saying that. OK he shouldn't be rude in general but if you fear for your safety you don't always use the naicest language!

I see you've been given some good advice above.

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

Yes and it's time dog owners understood this. Just because you think they are cute fur babies who wouldn't hurt a fly (they probably WOULD hurt a fly ;) ) doesn't mean everyone else knows that.

As a dog owner I do understand this. It's just like a poster above who don't seem to care.

I suggest that in 'public' spaces there should be a limit of 1 dog per adult

Dog walkers are allowed four where I am. But then they meet up and you have a pack of them.

What does annoy me is when you see a frail elderly couple with three of them. There's no way they are picking up the poo.

(I know someone is going to come and call me ageist and ableist, but I really don't think they were remotely capable of looking after three dogs (they were only little ones).

Thank you @JohnofWessex

Dogs are allowed to be off the lead in this particular area.

He's spoken to his union. Currently this is a meeting with the staffing committee (it's a local town council) but I'm assuming that they will make any decisions on any disciplinary process based on this. The union will then get involved if it goes to this.

Regardless, I've told him to make sure he reiterates that the dog was out of control and he could, if he wanted to, report to the Police and the dog warden. As you say, this might make them rethink.

The pack of aggressive dogs the overweight huffing older woman had whose nasty Bull breed caused trouble
She could barely bend down to put the aggressive dog on it’s lead

No way was she picking up
poo for seven dogs.

A man asked if they were all hers
she said “ Not all”

She was completely out of her depth, putting nice dogs walkers and , children in danger.

I was in a hurry the other day as we were going on holiday and was just putting the last of our stuff in the boot. This large friendly dog came right up to me and the owners saying ‘he’s coming to say hi to you’ as he started to jump up with his paws on my car boot and sniffing the life out of me.

I didn’t have time for small talk as I was trying to fit everything in to close it and the dog was distracting. I get the impression that some owners think everyone loves their dog! Well I don’t and I don’t want it jumping up on me or my car. I was in my clean holiday clothes and don’t want dog snot, saliva and hairs on me!

Whilst owners seem friendly it’s just self indulgent to assume it’s ok. Some people are dog daft and that’s different, if they come up to you and start stroking the dog, but don’t assume that everyone wants a connection with your dog - they don’t!

@DonkeyyDoo Agree completely.
People assume strangers are going to love their dog as much as they do
I had a dog leap up in the woods yesterday and it muddied my trousers and set off my post shingles neuralgia by raking the old blister site with it’s long claws.

I’ve had the pain triggered by clawing jumping dogs before
It’s bloody infuriating.

The chasing livestock is terrible. In te UK I don't think people realise that a farmer is legally allowed to shoot a dog that is causing harm to their livestock (as a last resort) Over where my family live in rural Ireland this is quite a regular occurrence with out of control dogs as pregnant sheep can spontaneously miscarry if chased by dogs.

Edit: Lots of dogs have claw like nails because the owners don’t clip
the nails short.
They can really hurt, especially with weight behind the claws.

Be much better if it was the first resort

https://nationalsheep.org.uk/for-the-public/culture/sheep-worrying/advice-for-farmers/destroying-dogs-that-attack/