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.

We let our 8 month old female cocker off, her recall is probably 95% now, the only time she ignores is when she chases pigeons. We do call her back to go on lead when there are other people and dogs around though. Occasionally we let her play off lead with a neighbours dog in the park.

It would be great if there were fenced in areas in parks for dogs, as long as they weren’t too small.

All dogs should be on leash in public places. Every day without fail I have to shout at some numpty to recall their " well trained " dog. My dogs are on leash for a reason. I've witnessed dogs killing sheep its awful. It gets all dog owners a bad name.

@Sitdowncupoftea

All dogs should be on leash in public places. Every day without fail I have to shout at some numpty to recall their " well trained " dog. My dogs are on leash for a reason. I've witnessed dogs killing sheep its awful. It gets all dog owners a bad name.

Thats your opinion. Until it becomes law (which it won't) my dog is not going to be leashed because of the arseholes that can't control their dogs

@Sitdowncupoftea

All dogs should be on leash in public places. Every day without fail I have to shout at some numpty to recall their " well trained " dog. My dogs are on leash for a reason. I've witnessed dogs killing sheep its awful. It gets all dog owners a bad name.

But why should all dogs be subjected to life on a lead, just because some owners are totally irresponsible?

Every day without fail I have to shout at some numpty to recall their " well trained " dog
Every day? A unleashed dog coming very close to yours? Where do you live? Unless you take him to a park for unleashed dogs where the expectations is that u leashed dogs get together for fun, you must live in a very odd area!

I've witnessed dogs killing sheep its awful
Even this is incredible! More than once? I walk over 80k a week, most in the countryside where sheep are abundant. Have been doing so for over 15 years and not once witnessed a dog running after a sheep, let alone kill it!

Agreed. I'm on a couple of local FB pages, where people will complain about poor parking, noisy teenagers etc. There are fairly frequent moans about dog shit, often from dog owners, and the local OOC wildlife-chasing menace features every year or so, but other than that...

On a side note, I have a personal theory that the more complaints there are about dog shit in a local area, the nicer the area is.

It's an opinion formed after living in a fairly wide variety of areas in four cities, from a village on the outskirts to the rough inner city.

In the rough inner city where people are now, people have much bigger concerns. The local needle exchange is closing down, for instance, several of my neighbours have been raided by armed police in the last year, and so on. Dog shit doesn't feature in the top ten of local issues.

In the village where a parent still lives, it's a lot naicer. The local concerns are around things like planning permission for a handful of new houses, and the village hall's naice activities. I can't remember the last time I saw a copper there - let alone armed ones. Dog shit complaints are rife, because it there's not much else to worry about.

Anyway, my theory is that people always need something to complain about in the local area, and once everything else is quite nice, dog shit is always a good thing to moan about.

@sunflowersandbuttercups I do completely agree. My dog will never be allowed off lead in a public space. It's rare an Akita is so obedient that they should be allowed and they have an extremely high prey drive which is what stops me. If a squirrel is nearby, I know I'd have no chance. I won't risk it.

If you're dog isn't like that and you've taken the time to train them then you absolutely should be able to have them off lead where safe. The problem is too many people seem to think their dog is the best ever but in reality they have no idea. If there was a licence or test to stop this I think it would help but ultimately, how could you police it?!

If there was a licence or test to stop this I think it would help but ultimately, how could you police it?!

I think this is a huge problem, tbh. You could argue for a dog license but ultimately, how are you going to manage it? I imagine there are loads of dogs out there who aren't chipped and have never seen a vet, or who went for their original jabs and that's it.

I walk rurally and see nobody on most of my walks - I'm sure many rural owners are the same.

I think it is about knowing your dog.
When we were out in some woodland a small deer ran past us I think in fear of humans and dogs. Ddog was more upset that the deer didn’t stop to play. She wouldn’t ever go far from me if I didn’t say she could. If she saw another animal or bird struggling she would alert me to their plight and look on watching. I freed a rabbit from a wire trap that ddog had spotted in the undergrowth.

Faced with the seal she would more than likely have wanted to make friends than attack.
I think you have to have a deep bond with your dog and know their personality. I knew ddog had no road sense at all so would never have her off lead when walking in the street
If you know they can turn or don’t know what their reaction would be when faced with any animal then you keep them on a lead unless out in an area where there isn’t wildlife

@Bythemillpond what breed is ddog?

Everything from Staffie to Labrador to Alsatian and a bit of whippet we think thrown in
She was a rescue dog.

Nice breeds. My question was because most dogs (and there's a chance yours would be different) will not want to be friends with a creature in another species. I've had several breeds inc staff x lab and none have wanted to be friends with a rabbit. They have definitely wanted to eat rabbit.

@AyyMacarena

Nice breeds. My question was because most dogs (and there's a chance yours would be different) will not want to be friends with a creature in another species. I've had several breeds inc staff x lab and none have wanted to be friends with a rabbit. They have definitely wanted to eat rabbit.

My collie is quite happy to be friends with other species. He is ok with other dogs as long as they respect his 'dont jump all over me'. He has never shown any ill will towards anything ever.

My question was because most dogs (and there's a chance yours would be different) will not want to be friends with a creature in another species.

I think this is a huge generalisation.

I have a hunting hound (beagle) and he lives quite happily with three cats. Two we had before we got him, one is still a kitten. He bathes them, sleeps with them, shares his water bowls with them and even his treats. He's never shown once ounce of aggression towards them.

Cats outside the house are a different matter and he will chase them, but I do think most dogs can co-exist quite happily with cats and other animals as long as you introduce them properly and take appropriate precautions.

Dogs should be 100% under owner control, so unless they are in a fenced area designated for off-lead use, they should be on a lead.

They should never have a chance to approach another person let alone jump up on someone while the irresponsible owner shouts out from a distance “he’s friendly”

@MixedUpFiles

Dogs should be 100% under owner control, so unless they are in a fenced area designated for off-lead use, they should be on a lead.

They should never have a chance to approach another person let alone jump up on someone while the irresponsible owner shouts out from a distance “he’s friendly”

Mine has been 100% under my control for the past 9 years. So the odds are pretty good. I will continue to let him off his lead.

They should never have a chance to approach another person let alone jump up on someone while the irresponsible owner shouts out from a distance “he’s friendly”

I agree. But they don't need to be kept on a lead for that to happen.

AyyMacarena I have had 2 cats that thought birds were friends. Lay out on the patio in the sun with their bird friends chirruping away to them. I saw a blackbird hop alongside one of them like they were going for a walk together.

@Bythemillpond

AyyMacarena I have had 2 cats that thought birds were friends. Lay out on the patio in the sun with their bird friends chirruping away to them. I saw a blackbird hop alongside one of them like they were going for a walk together.

I love this!

I do thing lots of species can co-exist just fine if the circumstances are right, to be honest. Our dog regularly bathes our cat and they sleep together/share food and play together everyday.

I'm surprised at the answers here.

What is the point of being a dog if you're not off-lead for a bit?

My pup is still learning. I wouldn't take him to a busy place and expect him to recall perfectly. I do however take him through the woods, off the beaten track. His recall is good, but largely untested with distractions. I know the route has no livestock anywhere near. I know that I can keep his attention on me enough so he won't bother on-lead dogs, and he's well natured enough to approach off-lead dogs.

But most of you think that isn't acceptable? We pass maybe 2-3 other people / dogs on the whole of a walk. I think that would be a shame for the dog to not enjoy it properly! We do use a long-line at times, but he pulls it all the way to the end and it gets wrapped around trees!

@Doje - MN hates dogs, especially when they're behaving like dogs

We took our 2 year old grandson to the park today - it was packed out with cyclists, runners, families and dogs. I’d guess about 1/2 the dogs were off lead, running all over the place. My GS got licked by a Boxer, and then tripped up by another dog on a long lead that ran round him. It was bloody mayhem!!!

The more dogs there are, the bigger this problem will become.

I know dogs do not have 100% recall. That means 10, 20, 30% of the time they don't come when called. You walk twice a day, every day. That is quite a times when the dog would be classed as out of control.

If things continue as they are, I wouldn't be surprised if there were legislation.

Which would be really sad for the dogs. But probably a relief for a lot on non dog owners.

[quote sunflowersandbuttercups]@Doje - MN hates dogs, especially when they're behaving like dogs [/quote]
I see very few posts which could qualify as hating. Most are frustrated and cheesed off.

I love dogs. Bit like I love my kids. I love my own, just not everybody else's. Am pleased to see them etc but doesn't mean I want a full cuddle and face lick.