How do you handle unleashed dogs at a park?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dog owner here. We have two huge German Shepherd Dogs. They were raised around kids and are fantastic with my children and their friends. They have never shown even a hint of aggression towards anyone. My kids play rough with them, chase them, pull sticks out of their mouths..... I can walk up and take food out of their mouths without any resistance.. They are well trained and well socialized.

Having said all that, they are NEVER off leash in public unless we are at the dog park or out in the middle of the country. I am continually amazed at the parents who will allow their toddlers to run up and try to hug my 140 pound German Shepherd. Teach your kids not to do that. My dogs are friendly. Many are not. And it would be really difficult to stop a bite if your child is charging at a scared dog.

Also, the question is always- "Does your dog bite?". My dog is an animal. He does not think or act like a human. He has never bitten anyone before. But he is a dog. Yes, he could bite.

+1

I ADORE dogs, have had them as a child and an adult and I am flabbergasted at the posters who think that dogs should be allowed off-leash where it is not legal (or if not allowed, asked very politely and gently to comply with the law as opposed to threatened) and that parents trying to keep their kids away from dogs are overzealous. WTF. If I was out with my dog and he wasn't on the leash, and a parent yelled "Hey, leash your fucking dog!" I'd do it and they'd be right.

[Anonymous]

I read the AU park thread.

I feel terrible for the mother whose child was attacked, having been attacked by a dog myself when I was younger.

But one of the posters on that thread was shockingly 'in your face' and aggressive, and wrote a very confrontational message to another woman who was reasonable and diplomatic, and simply presented her point of view, which was not outrageous. I found this woman's tone ("no one is going to walk an unleashed dog in front of MY house" or something like that) in really poor taste, reactionary, un-neighborly (to smack someone down like that on a public forum) - in a word, obnoxious. And I am NOT someone who also posted to that thread, I was just a reader of the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the AU park thread.

I feel terrible for the mother whose child was attacked, having been attacked by a dog myself when I was younger.

But one of the posters on that thread was shockingly 'in your face' and aggressive, and wrote a very confrontational message to another woman who was reasonable and diplomatic, and simply presented her point of view, which was not outrageous. I found this woman's tone ("no one is going to walk an unleashed dog in front of MY house" or something like that) in really poor taste, reactionary, un-neighborly (to smack someone down like that on a public forum) - in a word, obnoxious. And I am NOT someone who also posted to that thread, I was just a reader of the thread.

Thanks for posting this. People can act terribly on all sides when something like this happens, for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our dogs are always leashed unless they're in the dog park. We get so many kids running up lunging at them to touch them without ever asking. Either my husband or myself will use our bodies to physically block the kids. It amazes me how few parents teach their kids how to ask before trying to touch dogs. We just joined a private dog park to avoid all of the kids who go to the neighborhood dog park even though the sign clearly states no children under 12. Not every dog loves children

I will say that as someone who lives in an apartment and keeps my dog on a leash 100% of the time except for those rare occasions when we either make it to a dog park or to a friend's house with a fenced in back yard, people who let their little kids loose in the dog park drive me nuts.

My dog is the sweetest thing with kids. He'll be very calm, and sit there and let them pat him, but when he's in a dog park and allowed to freely chase a ball, he's moving fast. Once he collided with a German Shorthair Pointer (a midsized dog, maybe twice as big as my 25 lb dog) and both dogs walked away limping. If he hit a toddler at that speed he could send him or her flying, which is a chance I'm not willing to take. So when a parent brings their 2 or 3 year old to the dog park to "see" the dogs, I call him over and keep him close. If someone has a dog and a kid, I can kind of understand it, and if your kid is in a carrier or your arms, that's fine, but I often see people come in with a toddler and it pisses me off.

[Anonymous]

Pepper spray 'em (the off-leash dogs, not the kids)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the AU park thread.

I feel terrible for the mother whose child was attacked, having been attacked by a dog myself when I was younger.

But one of the posters on that thread was shockingly 'in your face' and aggressive, and wrote a very confrontational message to another woman who was reasonable and diplomatic, and simply presented her point of view, which was not outrageous. I found this woman's tone ("no one is going to walk an unleashed dog in front of MY house" or something like that) in really poor taste, reactionary, un-neighborly (to smack someone down like that on a public forum) - in a word, obnoxious. And I am NOT someone who also posted to that thread, I was just a reader of the thread. [/quote
]

Yes, this is the woman who made an ass of herself. She was rude and hostile and sounded completely crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's been a discussion on this recently on the AU Park listserve. A poor toddler was bitten in the face in a neighborhood park.

It is NOT okay for a dog (any dog) to be off a leash except in marked areas.

The local police apparently advise taking a video and calling them.

Personally, I would say something to the dog owner. I hope everyone else does the same. They need to know that they are breaking the law, and there are no exceptions.

I hope the owner will face some serious charges.

But nothing will ever be enough for that poor toddler or the parents of that poor toddler.

I have been walking my dogs on a leash many time and small children have coming running up to them in the park. I wonder where the hell the parents are because although I have them on a leash, I can't hold the leashes and grab the kids at the same time. For the love of God, teach your children how to act around dogs instead of complaining about the dogs. Instead of getting hysterical about dogs, do something to educate your kids!

Have you ever tried to reason with a toddler? Sometimes kids move quicker than parents which is why leashes are so important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dog owners are the worst. Spoiled, self absorbed and think the law doesn't apply to them. Happily letting their dogs foul up the sidewalk and public parks. Call the police or animal control straightaway.

People who choose not to have children and obsess over dogs are pathetic and selfish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog owner here. We have two huge German Shepherd Dogs. They were raised around kids and are fantastic with my children and their friends. They have never shown even a hint of aggression towards anyone. My kids play rough with them, chase them, pull sticks out of their mouths..... I can walk up and take food out of their mouths without any resistance.. They are well trained and well socialized.

Having said all that, they are NEVER off leash in public unless we are at the dog park or out in the middle of the country. I am continually amazed at the parents who will allow their toddlers to run up and try to hug my 140 pound German Shepherd. Teach your kids not to do that. My dogs are friendly. Many are not. And it would be really difficult to stop a bite if your child is charging at a scared dog.

Also, the question is always- "Does your dog bite?". My dog is an animal. He does not think or act like a human. He has never bitten anyone before. But he is a dog. Yes, he could bite.

+1

I ADORE dogs, have had them as a child and an adult and I am flabbergasted at the posters who think that dogs should be allowed off-leash where it is not legal (or if not allowed, asked very politely and gently to comply with the law as opposed to threatened) and that parents trying to keep their kids away from dogs are overzealous. WTF. If I was out with my dog and he wasn't on the leash, and a parent yelled "Hey, leash your fucking dog!" I'd do it and they'd be right.

Thank you. I wish all dog owners were as reasonable as you two are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I guess part of my question was also how other non-dog owner parents feel about the situation and whether I'm overly sensitive, but after what happened in AU Park, I think I'm not nuts if I think there is a risk.

OP, I live in CCDC near Lafayette and recently had a very pleasant email communication with our police commander, asking him to have an officer patrol the upper park duing high kid traffic hours (weekend mornings). The CCDC listserv has the same crazy arguments as this thread about once a year so I didnt bother to post there first. same experience as you - playful dogs chasing balls or sticks, noy looking to eat children, but on the playground where my kids are. They run down from the field where there is sort of a neighborhood truce about off leash dogs, and the owners stand there halfhartedly calling the dogs. I got taken out at the knees once, and we've had plenty of hand sniffers, owner nowhere around. My older kid is afraid of dogs, and while I'm om with the 'truce' on the firle, when the dogs creep down to the swings and climbers, i draw the line.

Dog owners, if you let them run free at Lafayette, Commander Reese is on the task. Oh, and he also told me to all 911 if i see it.

[Anonymous]

Ok with the truce on the upper field, that should say!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, nobody came straight out and said that, but there were several who were trying to shift the blame to the parents, just like you are. Nobody should ever have to approach a dog owner to put their dog on a leash where it's the law. People shouldn't have to deal with this, and they wouldn't if everybody behaved reasonably (i.e. put their dog on a leash). That's why there's dog parks.

I'm one of the PP dog owners. And I do agree with you that dog owners should follow the rules. I wish that all dog owners were responsible, because those that are not give the rest of us a bad name. That being said, these rude people do exist (just like rude people exist in all walks of life, unfortunately), and the OP asked how to approach someone when she encountered the situation. I think there was a great suggestion by another PP with a reasonable response on how to confront someone without looking like a crazy or causing unnecessary trouble. I don't understand why people are getting all riled-up, rather than just helping out OP with her question.

I'll tell you why, I was bitten in the face by "super friendly" dog when I was 5. The dog was off leash and told my parents how "friendly" the dog was. I'm sure she was. However, when I was playing with my ball and the dog wanted to play with it, she went to grab it from me. The dog was off leash and her owner couldn't control her. When I saw what the dog was going for, I grabbed my ball and the dog bit me. In the face.

Sure, the dog was just doing what dogs do.

However, if the owner had the dog on the leash, she could have pulled the dog back. But, no....it was a "friendly" dog who never bit anyone.

Two things I learned:

1. If a dog bites a child you can have that dog "put down" (which means you can have the dog killed)

2. If your dog comes at my child and it's not on a leash I will kick your dog. You are breaking the law and I will be in my rights to protect my child.

I'm sure it would make you very happy if this were true, but it's not. Usually there is a warning and a requirement that the dog be muzzled when going out in public. If the owner cannot satisfy the requirements, then the dog might be put down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I guess part of my question was also how other non-dog owner parents feel about the situation and whether I'm overly sensitive, but after what happened in AU Park, I think I'm not nuts if I think there is a risk.

OP, I live in CCDC near Lafayette and recently had a very pleasant email communication with our police commander, asking him to have an officer patrol the upper park duing high kid traffic hours (weekend mornings). The CCDC listserv has the same crazy arguments as this thread about once a year so I didnt bother to post there first. same experience as you - playful dogs chasing balls or sticks, noy looking to eat children, but on the playground where my kids are. They run down from the field where there is sort of a neighborhood truce about off leash dogs, and the owners stand there halfhartedly calling the dogs. I got taken out at the knees once, and we've had plenty of hand sniffers, owner nowhere around. My older kid is afraid of dogs, and while I'm om with the 'truce' on the firle, when the dogs creep down to the swings and climbers, i draw the line.

Dog owners, if you let them run free at Lafayette, Commander Reese is on the task. Oh, and he also told me to all 911 if i see it.

Would be great if Commander Reese could also police Lincoln and Garfield parks in Capitol Hill. PP, you describe Lincoln Park as, "a bit of a de facto dog park", and it is exactly this mushy attitude toward unleashed dogs there that has resulted in many many unleashed dogs there at all times of the day. We just quit going there altogether.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who called lincoln park a bit of a de facto dog park. I keep my dog leashed at all times and believe leash laws are there for a reason. So I'm not sure what you mean about my mushy attitude - I'm just observing that there are dogs there constantly.

I wonder, though, if you realize that the dogs were there first? It was "a bit of a de facto dog park" long before the playgrounds were built and mommies from the Hill started to deign to go into those NE nabes. So.....I get it, I do, and I don't leave my dog unleased, ever, but I also don't get this hysteria over sharing the park with the dogs who were THERE FIRST.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who called lincoln park a bit of a de facto dog park. I keep my dog leashed at all times and believe leash laws are there for a reason. So I'm not sure what you mean about my mushy attitude - I'm just observing that there are dogs there constantly.

I wonder, though, if you realize that the dogs were there first? It was "a bit of a de facto dog park" long before the playgrounds were built and mommies from the Hill started to deign to go into those NE nabes. So.....I get it, I do, and I don't leave my dog unleased, ever, but I also don't get this hysteria over sharing the park with the dogs who were THERE FIRST.

How does it matter if the dogs were there first? The park was never a dog park. And even if it had been - functions change. If a street was converted into a pedestrian zone you also wouldn't defend people continuing to drive through it, saying "the cars were there FIRST!".