Should dogs be kept on a lead?

[Meltinthemiddle]

After the recent story I've heard lots of people saying dogs should be on leads. Whilst the seal story is upsetting, hearing the dog should be put down because it was acting on its own animal instinct is wrong. My puppy is 9mths old and is happiest when off the lead and nose to the ground in the woods. Generally her recall is good, however she likes chasing birds so I do worry what she would do if she caught one. She is the most loving dog though.

The one that attacked the seal was probably a loving family pet too.
I just dont know. The feckless owners give the sensible owners a bad name. I agree that dogs are happiest running free but a lot of them (NOT ALL) are out of control.
I live right near the beach and badly behaved dogs often spoil our trip.

I always worry about other dogs too. It's so hard isn't it. Most of the time I can call my dog back and will put on her lead when other dogs are near by. She would never attack another human or dog but smaller animals like birds or squirrels she might chase as that's what she was breed for so it would be natural instinct.

My boy is not off lead unless in the dog park (he’s a sighthound and his recall is selective at best). I personally don’t have an issue with off lead dogs IF under control and their recall is good, but so many owners don’t seem to care.

Dogs should be kept under control and what that means will depend on dog, place and distractions.

The dog who attacked the seal should certainly been under close control- there were signs up, it’s unlikely the dog had interacted with a seal before, and therefore it was unpredictable.

My trainer would tell us that a dog worrying sheep should be euthanised ( if the farmer did not shoot it) as once it had that bloodlust it would do the same again. I don’t know if that’s true, but I think I would look at mine differently if I had seen them maul something like that.

My dogs are on leads around traffic, children’s play parks, the part of the beach that’s home to seals and anywhere there are farm animals or birds nesting etc.
But they have lots of opportunity to run around, swim etc where it’s safe for them ( and others)

I have to keep my whippet on a lead as he has a very very strong prey drive. I don't think other dogs should be kept on a lead though, and I accept that if I go to an off lead area, like the woods, that dogs may run up to mine.

However, I do get annoyed when people make absolutely no attempt to get their dog to recall when they are bothering mine, I've even been blamed for this because apparently it wouldn't happen if my dog was off the lead

This argument always seems to come down to all dogs and owners having to be regulated and curtailed to prevent the minority creating a nuisance.
Surely the answer is to fix the actual problem (feckless owners who wouldn’t comply with any new rule anyway) rather than penalise everyone else

Of course no dog should be offlead around livestock or anywhere else where they don’t have a reliable recall for that matter, but that shouldn’t have to mean all dogs in all places get restricted

All dogs must legally be under control. That means either on a lead or with exceptional recall. The number of sheep attacks has rocketed over lockdown because people think their dog won't do anything.

We were told by a trainer that Under the control of dogs act, if you are unable to guarantee your dog has basically perfect recall in a public place, then a dog should be on a leash. It is considered out of control if it cannot be recalled away from other dogs, people and difficult situations. This is my understanding and it makes sense imho.

if her recall is not 100% rather than 'good' , why is she off lead? (it's a genuine question not one designed to provoke)

if you can only recall her 'most of the time', I would not have her off lead tbh

Yes they should.
Our local council in 2019 brought in a fine of your dog was not wearing a collar with an ID tag.
They also made the beaches cycle/dog free in the busy summer months. If your dog is on a lead you can go walk the whole stretch of beach but if not you can only walk about a mile of it. They're hot on it too.

I think unless in a dog park dogs do in fact belong on leads.

I think most dogs should be on lead a lot more than they are tbh...

If recall is not 100% then the dog isn't under control. I've lost count of how many dogs and sheep I've read about being attacked in the last twelve months, sheep even killed

Dogs should be kept under control and what that means will depend on dog, place and distractions
This,but I'm totally aware that lots on here seem to think that anything other than a short lead at all times is out of control.

I think they should be yes, unless in a dog park or dog specified area.

I'm a dog owner, love them being off lead but not down the local park with little kids, people having picnics, trying to play ball games etc without my dog ruining their fun.

@LindsayDenton79

If recall is not 100% then the dog isn't under control. I've lost count of how many dogs and sheep I've read about being attacked in the last twelve months, sheep even killed

You can never trust recall to be 100% though.

There needs to be some joined up thinking and real effort put into regulating the dog industry in the UK. As long as anyone can buy or sell dogs without any requirement to demonstrate that they are competent to look after a dog and that the dog has been bred responsibly, feckless and ignorant owners will continue to tar the decent law abiding considerate majority with their brush.

I have had somebody's dog run up to me and jump up with muddy paws all over my outfit when I was on my way to a night out - on the street, not a park or field. I have also had somebody's dog run right through our picnic blanket trampling all over the food and over my 12 month old child and me on a beach.

I am not a dog person but I don't hate dogs but yes I think they should be kept on a lead unless in a dog park

“You can never trust recall to be 100% though.”

Dogs aren’t robots... but if you recall your dog and it doesn’t come back, and you’re not shocked - then it shouldn’t be off.

@LindsayDenton79

If recall is not 100% then the dog isn't under control. I've lost count of how many dogs and sheep I've read about being attacked in the last twelve months, sheep even killed

around livestock they should always be on lead, no matter how good you think their recall is

I do think dog owners kid themselves. 100% recall I would regard as being totally reliable at home, in the garden and out of the garden with distractions. Though I know you can't guarantee recall, I think a lot of people 'think' their dog has great recall but in actual fact, with distractions is often unreliable.

One friend we walk the dog with lets their dog off lead but if there are other dogs around, they are hard to recall but ask them to describe how good the recall is and they will say it's great. In the park yesterday, a bouncy 14 month old boxer approached us and would not go back. The owner said 'her recall's good except when she wants to play with other dogs'.

In that case, that is not good recall, it's not even passable recall, it's actually no recall!

These kinds of stories really piss me off tbh.
There is a really dangerous ‘furbaby’ culture, a viewing of dogs as sweet little people in furry coats.

The reality is they are predatory animals.
Most will chase birds, cats, squirrels etc and some will kill them.
No different to a cat hunting mice or birds.
But because of the culture we have when a dog does maul something, which is horrific, I’m not saying it isn’t, suddenly the dog is ‘savage’, ‘dangerous’, ‘has blood lust’ etc.
It’s absolute bollocks.

I find the double standards appalling aswell, a dog that savagely kills a rat is a hero, a squirrel people are indifferent but a seal and people are up in arms and there are calls to have the dog PTS.

The answer is to train your dog properly in combination with common sense according to your dogs temperament, if you know it will chase, for example, deer, then either you don’t take it where you know there are deer or keep it leashed.
But also understand that dogs are predatory animals and dogs that maul seals or rabbits or whatever are not bad dogs nor dangerous dogs, they are just regular dogs acting on perfectly normal, if socially unacceptable, dog instincts

Dogs should be kept under control. If they are properly trained, with absolutely failsafe recall, single command down-stays at distance etc etc, it’s fine for them to be off the lead. Otherwise, they should be kept on leads.

All dogs should be on the lead at all times - unless you are in a specific dog run or exercise field. It's only the exceptional dog owner that can truly recall. IME, most dog owners don't spend enough time and energy training their dogs.

@Susie477

Dogs should be kept under control. If they are properly trained, with absolutely failsafe recall, single command down-stays at distance etc etc, it’s fine for them to be off the lead. Otherwise, they should be kept on leads.

There's no such thing as failsafe recall.

Dogs aren't robots.

@RedNovember

if her recall is not 100% rather than 'good' , why is she off lead? (it's a genuine question not one designed to provoke)

if you can only recall her 'most of the time', I would not have her off lead tbh

She's 9mths old and still learning but her recall is better then most adult dogs. Her recall is better out then in the garden where she blantantly ignores me because she doesn't want to come in! Not every dogs recall is 100% surely?? All animals are unpredictable.

I don’t think all dogs should be on leads but I do think that most dog owners need to be more selective about where they let their dog off . My dog has good recall but I don’t allow him off anywhere near livestock , rivers , lakes or in woods because he would chase and kill ducks / geese etc and would also be likely to disappear into a fox hole / rabbit warren and get himself lost . That still leaves us lots of places he does get to have a good run .