Petition to keep dogs on leads

[Mansbestfriend2023]

Petition for all dogs to be kept on leads in public. let’s keep our parks and beaches safe

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/621613

Not a chance

I imagine your fear of dogs is transferred on to your kids OP

I won't be signing. My dog has 100% recall and is trained daily.

If such a law was passed we'd have to employ dog wardens to enforce it. But many councils already have by-laws about dogs - and these are never enforced. I've never seen a dog warden patrolling a park or a beach. Maybe if we had dog wardens now the problem if uncontrolled dogs would diminish?

Simply banning off lead walking will not fix the problem of irresponsible dog owners. Those who are responsible already walk with a lead as appropriate. Those who aren't won't care because there's almost zero chance of anyone doing anything to enforce the law.

Plus, an outright ban is daft. Dogs need to run, they need to do it in appropriate places is all. I'd focus on getting existing laws enforced not bringing in new ones.

You obviously don't realise that the majority of working dogs are owned by non-professionals eg myself who just work their dog at weekends during the season? Every other dog owner on our shoot is the same as myself, so if you limit ownership of working dogs to professionals you exclude 90% of working dog owners?? Working dogs are the most highly trained of dogs, even with amateurs as handlers, so this just doesn't make sense.

That’s a no from me. I always walk my dog/a on a lead (when I had two). But that’s because they are/were beagles who won’t come back.
Not all dogs are aggressive and they aren’t battery hens you know

So I shouldn’t be able to own a cocker spaniel? Why on earth not?

Can we also have some scary pictures of what parents have done to children, or men to women, or women to men.....??? Yes, some people need to exercise more responsibility (probably in many areas of their lives), but having dogs on lead all the time is not the answer.

My dog is a service dog, although I have had many dogs in the past too, all working dogs. He is immaculately trained, and that training continues on a daily basis. He does not need to be on a lead, although he is unless he is in the park / having free time / playing. But there is a big assumption here that having one's dog on a lead means the dog doesn't cause trouble. The ONLY time I have been injured by a dog the dog was on a lead - which it promptly ripped out of the owners hands and attacked my dog and me.

A few months ago a new group appeared in the park - they walk their dogs on a Sunday, around 10am, only when it is nice (nobody has ever seen them or the dogs before or at any other time). There are 8 adults, two pushchairs and 10 dogs varying in size from small to medium. They are always on the lead (extending leads). They are ALWAYS lunging at other dogs, barking, growling and trying to attack most other dogs they see. The owners appear to believe that "on the lead" means "under control" This is a common misconception. The owners compound the aggression by screaming at other dog owners to "get their dogs under control" (i.e. on a lead) when is is their dogs that are causing the havoc.

Leads do not equate to control. Training equates to control.

Well done on this op! I've signed already and there are so many comments from dog owners who are just being defensive over what you say! This is the problem we face!! People thinking their dogs are more important! Dogs are just an animal, that can be unpredictable, in no way are they more important than humans,and the safety of humans, some of the comments I've read on here are ridiculous implying that they are. Yes many dog owners are responsible but for the owners that aren't, all dogs should be kept on a lead in a public place, to reduce the risk to others!
My child has developed a fear of dogs from occasions where a dog has bounded over off a lead! The number of times I've had to put my tongue! He has asd and is now terrified of parks where there are dogs! One stole his ball while he was playing football, and he was so anxious about this, due to high levels of anxiety he has anyway!
The problem is selfish dog owners who let their dogs run up to others, why is this acceptable!!

I won't be signing. This is not the solution to the problem.

How about accountability and/or licensing of dog owners. How about mandatory training for owners and their dogs. How about mandatory insurance. How about banning selling dogs on bloody Gum Tree/Facebook.

We are a large breed household and would very happily advocate for these things. My dogs don't need to be on leads on the beach, and they won't be.

Woof off.

It wouldn't work. Dick heads will always be dick heads regardless of laws and legislation. I won't be keeping my trained dog on a lead on the beach or open areas where he has always been allowed

I can guarantee these dogs weren't owned by responsible people and a law keeping dogs on leads wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference

Disagreeing with something stupid and unenforceable is not "being defensive".

So all dogs and dog owners should be punished because of the actions of a few? What about all parents? Shall we enforce curfews on all under-18's because of the actions of a few - they go to school, come home and stay in, or must be supervised whilst out by a responsible adult? I want to see much more responsible dog ownership, for the sake of the dogs. But I will not be putting my dog on a lead when it is hos playtime, because he earns that time playing and exploring, and is constantly supervised by me. Probably more supervised that most children. And whilst on that subject, in our local park there are two platgrounds where dogs are not allowed. There are always dogs on the playgrounds. They are with the parents of the children palying there! Apparently, dog bans for the sake of children don't apply to parents who have dogs. Not a single "dog only" person allows their dogs on the playgrounds.

There are always idiots, and you can't legislate on the basis of idiots. Dog owners or parents.

The criminal law already addresses the issue. Dog owners must by law have our dogs ‘under control’ in public places. It’s a criminal offence to allow our dog to be ‘dangerously out of control’, either in public or private (such as inside someone's home). A dog is deemed dangerously out of control for this purpose not just if it physically hurts a person or another animal, but if someone feels at risk of being injured by the dog.

Being under control, and being on lead, are totally different things, so mandating leads doesn't fix the problem of individual non-compliance with the present law.

An off lead GSD or mastiff can be under perfect control, and recall or stop and wait instantly on cue. An on-lead pug or cockapoo can be a complete menace. It's not about the presence or absence of a lead.

The recent tragic death of the dog walker reportedly happened while the dogs were being walked on lead.

And most injuries in the stats happen in the home.

My cocker spaniel is currently on a lead or longline in public places at all times, unless he's practising a long retrieve or similar, because he is an adolescent over-friendly k**bhead atm who's still learning impulse control so I can't guarantee he won't become selectively deaf if he sees another dog he wants to play with or a pigeon he thinks he should be chasing. But my long term aim is to be able to have him off lead in situations where we currently use a longline.

And exempting "working dogs" wouldn't help most people. Most working breed dogs aren't owned by professionals. Mine is a working breed and a pet, who does gundog training on dummies to give him a "job". He would have a miserable, frustrated and confined existence if I had to restrict him to on-lead walks only, and would I'm sure end up pretty neurotic, and probably on meds for his resulting behaviour/mental health issues. Do we really think it's proportionate to have all the spaniels, cockapoos (those cute wee teddy bears are gundog breeds on both sides...), labradors, goldies, collies etc confined to 2m leads for life unless they are owned by professionals who work them professionally, or by the very few lucky privileged people with their own broad acres of private land?

And exempting "working dogs" wouldn't help most people. Most working breed dogs aren't owned by professionals. Mine is a working breed and a pet, who does gundog training on dummies to give him a "job"

what counts as “working” dog as well. Despite mine being small and cute he is a terrier to his bones and his main purpose in life is hunting small rodents. There is no point to walks for him if he can’t bugger off into the undergrowth now and again to investigate a potential interest..

Won't be signing, my old girl loves a walk off lead she bothers nobody not dogs or humans, she just wants to pootle round and sniff and she never strays far from my side. She stops dead if I call wait and comes to me when I recall her she's five inches tall and has barely any teeth so no danger to anyone.

@Cileymyrus totally. When you think about it, with the exception of a few toy dog/lapdog breeds, they're pretty much all "working dogs" designed to do a particular job, aren't they, it's just most individuals are employed as companions these days and not in their breed's original job role.

No thanks. Responsible dog ownership is what's needed.
People that know very little about dogs misinterpret their behaviour regularly ( it can all get a bit hysterical). By all means sanction problem dog owners but let's not be silly about it.

This

absolutely

❤️

No. Love seeing my well brought up, sociable, well trained dog run along the beach. She needs it. I'd happily take an ownership test though.

Agree with everything you've said here. I'd happily take an 'ownership test' and online selling should be banned. More emphasis would be put on understanding canine psychology/behaviour in general.