Dogs on leads? Am I being unreasonable to think this is a great idea?

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Is this a good solution to reduce attacks? https://petition.parliament.uk/signatures/134395215/verify?token=TumpZbrvZuzo-auFASlw

but who will enforce it? the idiots with out of control dogs aren't going to follow this rule are they?

Possibly not but making owning a dog more tricky and less appealing to prospective dog owners may help 🤐

Spamming the main boards with petitions isn't allowed OP.

Teenagers attack more people than dogs. Why don't we keep them on reins all the time? Exactly, that's a ridiculous suggestion, too.
Where are dogs meant to have a run if they can't run in a public space?

Great idea - no idea why we don't insist owners have dog licenses, keep their dogs registered and on leashes in public places and introduce huge fines for owners who allow their dogs to foul public areas. Dog wardens can be funded from license payments.

Is that petition no 2?

Ban all owning of dogs.

Only for the ones who would have their dogs under control anyway. The ones you really want to target wouldn't give a monkey's.

It depends on the breed for me. Some breeds need specific off leash work to maintain an appropriate level of stimulation. Our dog needs to do scent work and flushing because he's a working dog so that's his instinct. I can't do that on a long leash. Also what constitutes a public place? We have a dog park near us- that's a public place but it's designed for dogs and has loads of open space so it's specifically where we go to work our dog off leash. Not everyone can afford to pay for private field use etc. I understand and agree with not letting dogs off leash around small children/ dogs who are on leads, traffic and livestock but a quiet corner of a park early in the morning for a dog with excellent recall who's well socialised and trained to ignore other people and dogs? I see no issue with that at all. A better solution for me would be requiring dogs and owners to do training classes before they can get a licence so you know the owner is aware of their responsibilities and the dog has been socialised and recall basics have been set from the get go. Then for me it's the owners responsibility to maintain that.

@Haywirecity I'd be happy if the dog owners payed a license and the fees generated went towards doggy parks 😄

You then run the risk of people turning to puppy farms and cheap breeders to mitigate. Most dog attacks come from people who let their dogs off leash not understanding their dogs nature and temperament, prey drive etc etc. Education needs to be more accessible.

Having a lisence requirement may mean that a dog is removed from a shitty owner before something happens though.

Lack of lisence would mean the dog is removed. Those who don't have a licence would more likely be the ones who don't control their dogs, and encourage aggressive behaviour.

Do all dog owners not already pay a licence? I know we pay a yearly licence?

Obviously dog parks that are fenced off should be excluded and you should be able to rent a field for off leash work (fenced in appropriately) but I see no reason for dogs to be publicly off lead

Saying that a lot of dog attacks occur in the home

Vet bills do that lol

People do that anyway because rescue dogs are hard to get hold of

I have encountered many a nuisance and very nippy dogs recently. The owners were what you would call responsible ones. So many people have got dogs that they treat as humans, in cafes, children's play areas etc so if course accidents will happen. We kept a dog as kids, would never dreamt of taking him to a restaurant. It's ludicrous.

Because it’s been done and it didn’t work.

I totally agree with you OP. I think it's a great idea.

My dog loves to play fetch. She needs the exercise she gets doing this. If she was never allowed off-lead she could no longer run after her ball. Or no longer run. Extending leads are dangerous to people & the dog.
I can't jog with her so she can run, now I have St 4 cancer I cant even walk her that far. I could never run as fast as her anyway. Our garden is fairly small.
When I got my dog, 8 years ago, I didn't have cancer. Plus it didn't matter that my garden isn't huge as I live next next to fields I can play fetch with her on.
If a dogs on lead only law comes in people getting new dogs after that could plan accordingly. But there must be lots of people like me, whose dogs (they already have) would suffer with this law.
The nearest dog park to me is a 20 minute drive away. The dog park bit is not near the car park, so a long way for someone with a disability to walk. It's quite small, & often full of huskies, which my dog is scared of.
I don't want to hear of people being attacked. Or other dogs. But some of the most dangerous dogs may be owned by people who wouldn't keep leads on even if it was the law.
If a leads only law is passed we need a lot more dog parks. Dogs who don't get enough exercise could possibly become aggressive.

The result would be that the responsible dog owners (who aren't the problem) would obey the law, but the irresponsible ones wouldn't, because they're irresponsible and because they (probably quite correctly) assume they won't gat caught - because where is the money coming from to employ the loads of people you'd need to enforce this?

I think most dogs on a lead look utterly depressed and miserable, we as humans have succeeded in breaking their natural spirit in forcing them to confirm to our unrealistic expectations. We should have left them wild and free, not shackled, isolated for long parts of the day and extremely bored. We have created this problem, no wonder it has backfired.

As someone who was around when dog licences actually existed, I can tell you that it made no difference. Dogs, weren't removed and they wouldn't be removed now. You're suggesting immediate PTS because otherwise where would they go? That's not going to happen. The bad publicity for the govt would be huge, so you'd just get a warning to go buy one.

And actually a lot of dogs that are involved in these attacks are very well looked after...by the thugs that own them. So paying for a licence wouldn't bother them.

Part of the problem with poor dog behaviour is that most pet dogs don’t get anywhere near enough exercise and mental stimulation, and too many people seem to pick a breed simply because they like the way it looks. Huskies, shepherding dogs, bullies, mastiffs etc are working breeds and they aren’t suited to being cooped up in urban homes all day whilst owners work with barely a stroll twice a day as exercise. The number of fucking huskies and malamutes I see being brought out of blocks of flats in the hands of people who from their own physiques are clearly not taking their dogs out for long daily hikes or trail runs is ludicrous.

But I don’t think that leash laws would actually solve this.

If you don't have the facilities, don't have a dog.

What, do I just buy a wood or a field next to my house for the dogs to have a run? How's that going to work for millions of homes? 🤔