Walking off lead on pavement.

[MarcoPoloCX]

Do you or would you?
Do you only do it on quiet residential streets? And how do you feel about off lead walking on pavements?
Are they well trained dogs or well trained until something happens?

I wouldn't with mine because there are plenty of cats on my street and they'd be off.
But I experienced dogs that are normally good darted across the road. Or a dominant dog felt threatened from an on lead dog and it cross the road. It only takes a second for something to go wrong.

[Bleubelle]

Mine are never on leads. Both jump out of the car and sit and wait on me closing the boot, no sniffing etc, they sit and wait until I signal to walk. They walk at heel and if on a narrow pavement sit and wait until anyone passes (including people with dogs) if I’m in town visiting. I don’t take them to parks as I walk them on our land and in nearby woods. It’s no biggie if dogs are well trained.

[wheelwarrior]

No mine on lead on path but off lead fields etc but always goes back on when spot other dogs on lead or unknown children (small town so know most those that are fine with dogs rest I leash until passed or told is fine .Fortunate his recall is good will recall even when deer are spotted
On lead by livestock he is fine but don't want to risk it

[WindsweptEgret]

Surely rural areas are more dangerous though, as the roads don’t always have pavements, and roads will often have a 60mph speed limit You would clip a short lead on when you heard a car. There would be fewer people around to be frightened of an off lead dog, and those you did meet should be more used to seeing off lead dogs on walks. You would spend a lot of time on public footpaths through fields (taking care around livestock) and woods, not just the country lanes though.

[longearedbat]

We had a collie when I was a teenager who you could walk off lead (and she would follow the horses loose as well) on roads. But there wasn't much traffic where we lived and if was 40 years ago. Times have changed. It is against the law now I think?
Many years ago I was walking my two Yorkies off the lead along a quiet path on the way to the common, about 100 yards away from a quiet road.. I stopped to talk to someone and one of them, unnoticed by me, wandered back the way we had come. She was a bit deaf, so I ran after her. She got to the end of the path, trotted out into the road and went straight under the wheels of a car. It just happened so quickly. It was such a shock, made even worse by me knowing the car driver, who was also terribly distressed. I never let my dog off the lead unless I am a long way from a road. It really only takes a second for them to get run over.

[bluetongue]

Flourescentorange I do think most dogs enjoy a good run around off lead. Some of us don’t have large back gardens and it would have to be a pretty jolly big garden to allow my whippet to run at full speed. I think for him it’s important for his mental and physical health to be able to run properly at least a couple of times a week. The rest of the time he gets regular on lead walks.

[Nonnymum]

The really sad thing is now he freezes whenever he sees a dog. Yes it was a park but it was on the pavement in the park near the playground I think dogs should be on leads anywhere where there are crowds of people or traffic. Fine to let them free on large open spaces but only if the owners can control them

[tenbob]

windswept
Surely rural areas are more dangerous though, as the roads don’t always have pavements, and roads will often have a 60mph speed limit

In urban areas, there will always be a pavement, and the speed limit will be 30mph, if not 20mph

If the argument against dogs being off a lead is the risk of causing an accident, then it’s presumably a bigger risk in a rural area?

nonny
It’s shit that your grandson has had this happen to him twice but both times, it was in a park, not on a pavement

[Doggydoggydoggy]

Hardly fair to expect all dogs to be leashed based on the actions of a few nonny

I virtually never leash my dog, she doesn’t approach people and I would not be at all impressed if I was expected to remove her freedom to run about off leash just because a few selfish individuals had no control over their dogs.

[Nonnymum]

My young grandson is scared of dogs because a dog not on a lead bounded up to him and knocked him ovebwhen he was a toddler it was terrifying for him. it happened again the other day this time it was a small dog but it jumped up and licked his legs he was completely distraught. So I think dogs should be kept on a lead. On both occasions we were just walking through a park not bothering or even engaging with the dogs.

[WindsweptEgret]

I think dogs should only be off lead in rural areas, and only if they are under close control with perfect recall.

[tenbob]

What is the point in this, if she is that good tie her lead to the pram

See, to me, that seems pointless when she is happy to potter alongside me without taking up as much of the pavement. When we get to a narrow bit, she drops back behind me and the pram and then comes back to heel when the pavement widens

She is also trained to always be on the inside of me away from the road, so if she was tied on, I’d be untying and moving her whenever we crossed a road

Same when I’ve got a child in each hand. Alongside us when there is space and just behind when their isn’t

[tenbob]

And there is no UK law requiring dogs to be on a lead on pavements
There is a requirement for dogs to be under control though.

Some councils have by-laws requiring dogs to be on leads either on roads, or in parks but they need to display signs informing people

[fluorescentorange]

Mine is nearly always off-lead on pavements on familiar roads but with the caveat that she is very trained and has faultless heel work, and isn’t easily spooked. I trust her completely and see it as part of our ongoing training. Her being off the lead is a lot easier when I’ve got DC holding my hands, or if I’m pushing the pram

What is the point in this, if she is that good tie her lead to the pram. I find dogs off lead a nightmare and it should be illegal.

[tenbob]

Mine is nearly always off-lead on pavements on familiar roads but with the caveat that she is very trained and has faultless heel work, and isn’t easily spooked. I trust her completely and see it as part of our ongoing training

Her being off the lead is a lot easier when I’ve got DC holding my hands, or if I’m pushing the pram

[fluorescentorange]

Can’t see the benefit of having a dog off lead at all, it is just laziness IMO. What possible benefit would there be to having your dog off lead if he is walking by your side let alone running riot round some park!

[babyblackbird]

Just to clarify I am commenting in the context of towns / cities not rural deserted back lanes

[babyblackbird]

I find it quite arrogant behaviour to be honest. No dog is 100% bomb proof and it could cause an rta if spooked and I am always surprised by the number of people who do it who then allow their off lead dogs to approach on lead dogs. If they walk at heel by your side then what's the harm or hassle in clipping a lead on ?

[RedRiverHog]

I live in a village with a public field at the end of my road. Occasionally I will walk there with my old dog off lead. My allotment is there and if I have my wheelbarrow I run out of hands. She's an arthritic golden retriever but takes her obedience very seriously and enjoys the 45 second walk to heel! Never anywhere else though.
My young dog, no chance.

[Alwaysgrey]

We currently only do off lead around the fields. But he’s only 5 months and is into everything! We’ve got a big green space next to a park and a lot of dogs go off lead but I know he’d be off and into seeing everyone. He’s very friendly and loves everyone and at the moment has very little manners.

[EllenRach]

I don't around the town I live in as my dogs aren't reliable enough but in the very quiet country lanes near my parents where we occasionally see 1 or 2 cars on a 4 mile walk, then they are off lead (no pavements though)

[FrazzledCareerWoman]

I am in south London though. So maybe a bit different from rural places

[FrazzledCareerWoman]

I thought it was illegal. Anyway if I see someone with dog off lead on pavement coming towards me (as opposed to in the park) I immediately become very wary about the person and the dog, as it's not responsible. The only people I see do it are Staffy owners who want to look tough and that is a whole other thread...

[BitOfFun]

The only dogs I've ever noticed off-lead on pavements have been mega-docile elderly shufflers with similar owners.

[AJPTaylor]

My friend has a German shepherd. Beautifully trained. She often walks him along the streets off lead. Seems utterly oblivious to people crossing the road to avoid her and picking up their small children.