To ask dog walkers to keep them on a lead

[HyacynthBucket]

It seems that although dogs cannot catch Covid-19, they can carry it on their fur if they pick it up from someone say sneezing. Therefore dogs need to be kept well clear of other people when out. Please dog owners, put others first, not your pet and do not allow contact between them and people. Only yesterday someone's dog bounded up to me, jumped up, and I heard the usual "He won't hurt you" from the distant owner. This sort of fatuous self-indulgence by dog owners has got to stop now PLEASE, for everyone's sake.

Before you lose the plot @flaxmeadow can you explain where you got your info from? Genuinely interested.

’You're supposed to keep your dog on a lead at all times. It doesn't matter if it's in the countryside or an urban area. This was true before the crisis.’

If any dog comes within 2 metres or looks like it will be about to, of my young relatives.

Good to see everyone is staying calm and sensible.

All dogs in public places must be kept on leads. If they are not on leads then any member of the public can tell a dog owner to immediately put their dog on a lead and the dog owner must comply

Coronavirus can live on surfaces for anyrhing up to 3 days. This includes cloth and fur

Dogs can pass this virus on

I've always kept my dog on a lead in unenclosed spaces as she has a high prey drive and her recall isn't always 100% reliable.

This should be the standard.

She's very nervous of other dogs and can get aggressive, especially when it's a small yappy one. I've received some filthy looks from halfwit owners who cannot control their over excitable dog. It's always up to me to control both dogs, when mine is on a leash and quite rightly feeling threatened.

If your dog has a reliable recall then absolutely fair enough.

For everyone else dogs should be kept on a leash.

Hopefully they bring this into force and don't take it away when the lockdowns are over!

What would be good would be a lead of about 2.5m (so allowing for angle it's held, your dog is c.2m away from you)

Then no one who is practising adequate social distancing is going to have an issue with your dog. And anyone who is reckless and antisocial enough to breach 2m might be effectively fended off

Dogs should always be under control and that is more true now than ever.

Ex military trained type dogs are under total control off lead.

Most pets are not - including my own whose recall is around 95% - he'll be on a lead for the foreseeable. The length of lead will be determined by the environment he is being walked in.

• All dogs in public places must be kept on leads. If they are not on leads then any member of the public can tell a dog owner to immediately put their dog on a lead and the dog owner must comply

I'd have liked to tell that to the owner of a 'just a puppy' a couple of weeks ago.
Have you got a link to official advice on that? I thought it was 'close control' - which for most dogs and owners does equate to a leash, but not to a well trained dog and responsible owner.

Tens of thousands of people are dying and the selfish, so-special idiots here are defending their 'right' to allow dogs off leads.

Even when there isn't a pandemic many people don't want your animal running up to them, however friendly they're being.

Keep your dogs on leads, whether you're on a busy street or in the back of beyond. And for the love of God stop being to fucking selfish.

Keep the dog on a lead. It does not harm dogs to walk on a lead. We must all play our part. If people won't keep dog on lead then before long dog walking will be banned. There has been a dog who tested positive for Covid 19 in China.

I'd have liked to tell that to the owner of a 'just a puppy' a couple of weeks ago.
Have you got a link to official advice on that? I thought it was 'close control' - which for most dogs and owners does equate to a leash, but not to a well trained dog and responsible owner.

Go to your local council page. Any member of the public who believes a dog off a lead is dangerous can direct that dog owner to put the dog on a lead immediately . This is the law and it was the law before this crisis

Any dog can potentially carry this virus on their fur. Judging by the amount of dog owners who say things like " my fur baby loves cuddles" then I must now conclude that all dogs are potentially dangerous. They were before but even more so now

Just keep it on a lead. What is so hard to to understand

@Flaxmeadow out of interest where are you citing that from?

@QuimJongUn why is it necessary to keep a dog with good recall who is literally in the middle of no where with no one around them on a lead?
I was up a hill in the downs the other day and could see all around me: there was literally no one around. In that situation how is it selfish to let them off lead?

Xpost Flax. I see you’re referring to dangerous dogs.

Go to your local council page.

My local council page doesn't say anything about it. I'm not an extensive expert on the DDA 1991 but have read and studied large parts of it and cannot recall anything about being able to request someone put their dog on a lead (vs a right to epect to keep it under control).

I too would like a proper citation or source.

It applies to all dogs

I cannot believe the sheer ignorance and selfishness on here. Its frightening

Yesterday an 8 year old child was savaged to death by 2 rottweilers in Ireland

Keep your dog away from me and my family. Keep it at least 2 metres away and on a lead at all times or I will report you and i encourage others to do so too

It applies to all dogs. I cannot believe the sheer ignorance

Perhaps if you cited this underappreciated law then people's ignorance would be alleviated.

If you keep making this proclamation without evidence some cynics (not me obviously) may dismiss you as a delusional nutter.

Better to spell it out for them, so they learn the error of their ways.

Flax I think this goes deeper than the original OP for you. I’m sorry you have such a fear of dogs.

Honestly, and I say this with kindness, I think you should step away from this thread and go and do something grounding and calming for a while.

It applies to all dogs. I cannot believe the sheer ignorance and selfishness on here

There is none. Just people asking to you quote sources so they can understand better.

If you keep making this proclamation without evidence some cynics (not me obviously) may dismiss you as a delusional nutter.

I might not use the insult but I agree tha without evidence, I would just assume it's not true.

Ultimately, it doesn't make a difference to my own behaviour beause my dog is on lead around people at all times. But I still get suspicious when people quotes laws without citation.

It is called by direction. It is on your local council page. If a warden or official is not available to direct, then a member of the public can order someone to put a dog on a lead by direction. I am not your personal google servant. Look it up yourself.

I'm utterly sickened by this selfishness

Dogs can carry the virus on their fur
There is some evidence from China that dogs can even have the virus themselves.

Getting called a 'delusional nutter' now for asking people to keep their dog on a 2 metre lead at all times.

Wow just wow

RedRed 9 You are out of order and your views about walking dogs off leads are the ones that are extreme in this crisis. FlaxMeadow is quite right to be super concerned given the millions of dogs in this country, a large proportion of which are owned by unbelievably self-indulgent, irrational owners who can think of nothing but the dog's point of view,and do not consider other people. That has to stop in the present emergency. Please get it - other people's lives are at risk, this is an emergency, a fact that has to trump your preference for letting your dog do its own thing. It will not hurt dogs to be walked on a lead for a few weeks, but it could hurt people very much if they come into contact. Please for once dog people, get a sense of proportion.

Please get it - other people's lives are at risk, this is an emergency, a fact that has to trump your preference for letting your dog do its own thing

This.

Honestly, and I say this with kindness, I think you should step away from this thread and go and do something grounding and calming for a while.

Someone starts a topic asking people to keep dogs on leads. What happens? The entitled dog owners tell people concerned about dogs off leads to leave the topic.

There may come a time when if people do not comply with the 2 metre distancing rule, then their dogs will be impounded and put down. Think about that

OP:
Please do / don't do XYZ as it increases the risk of spreading the pandemic

cue 30 people who excuse themselves from following the advice because they are special.

This pretty much sums up every thread on MN for the last 4 weeks and this is why lockdown in the UK is going to last for a bloody long time.

It is not just about how well trained your dog is. What if you get a phone call or are distracted by something else so you fail to recall your dog? What if another dog attacks your dog and you have to separate them without having a lead to pull on?

What if your dog approaches another dog and transfers the virus from one to the other?

There is no point in taking the measures which risk tanking the world economy if people are going to consistently be unable to see past what is convenient or normal or comfortable for them.

You can choose to save lives or you can choose to prioritise your own comfort.

your views about walking dogs off leads are the ones that are extreme in this crisis.

My view that a well trained dog with good recall is fine off the lead in an open area where no one else is even remotely nearby.... this is an extreme view?

dogs will be impounded and put down.
My view is extreme but this is perfectly rational thought.

Getting called a 'delusional nutter' now for asking people to keep their dog on a 2 metre lead at all times.

I think you misread my post.

Firstly I was referring to you claim about a law allowing anyone to order a dog to be put on a lead, I said nothing about 2 meters.

Secondly, no one has called you anything. I suggested hypothetical people might think that, in reference to your claims.