Do you let your dog off leash ever?

[Anonymous]

Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.

[Anonymous]

There is no such thing as an "informal dog run". There may be a group of dog owners regularly breaking the law. That doesn't make it legal. The park is not your personal or collective doggy socialization zone. They do have dog parks for this, if you're interested. That's the appropriate location (or your backyard, but something tells me you'll see the liability issue there, in which case, just apply it to the potential disaster you're creating in a public park and you can answer your own question).

Yes, you should immediately begin following the laws that say you must not only have your dog leashed, but under your control. Do not let your dog approach, sniff, or bark at people without their consent. It's not "being friendly" or "socializing", it's illegal. If you use a retractable leash, STOP. They break, they're dangerous, and they don't allow for sufficient control of your animal.

While you're at it, put your phone away, and make sure your dog's license is visible and their shots are up to date (just in case).

The BS logic of "my dog would never hurt a flea" makes you sound like an idiot, BTW. You know this. I don't. My dog definitely doesn't. And, most importantly, it's not the responsibility of every other person at the public park to learn and know this about you/your dog. It's your job, as a responsible owner, to keep your dog fully under your control at all times.

You've been lucky up until now. Don't push it. You know better, so do better, and tell "all your neighbors" so they can suck less, too.

[Anonymous]

There is no such thing as an "informal dog run". There may be a group of dog owners regularly breaking the law. That doesn't make it legal.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:... I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.

That's what you think about your dog if you're letting it off leash in a public park. Your dog deserves your attention and protection. If you're being irresponsible, you're saying you don't care enough about your dog to offer it the best protection from problems you might encounter in public (like other people's unleashed dogs). You're literally putting your dog in the middle of a problem and hoping for the best.

The dog will never deserve harm. The dog is an innocent, and deserves better, more responsible care.

You might be seen as deserving the wake-up call, especially after making a whole thread with your weird melodrama about how you don't want to be perceived as a clownass while doing clownass things.

The rules exist for a reason. Flaunt them at your own risk (and your dog's potential peril).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as an "informal dog run". There may be a group of dog owners regularly breaking the law. That doesn't make it legal. The park is not your personal or collective doggy socialization zone. They do have dog parks for this, if you're interested. That's the appropriate location (or your backyard, but something tells me you'll see the liability issue there, in which case, just apply it to the potential disaster you're creating in a public park and you can answer your own question).

Yes, you should immediately begin following the laws that say you must not only have your dog leashed, but under your control. Do not let your dog approach, sniff, or bark at people without their consent. It's not "being friendly" or "socializing", it's illegal. If you use a retractable leash, STOP. They break, they're dangerous, and they don't allow for sufficient control of your animal.

While you're at it, put your phone away, and make sure your dog's license is visible and their shots are up to date (just in case).

The BS logic of "my dog would never hurt a flea" makes you sound like an idiot, BTW. You know this. I don't. My dog definitely doesn't. And, most importantly, it's not the responsibility of every other person at the public park to learn and know this about you/your dog. It's your job, as a responsible owner, to keep your dog fully under your control at all times.

You've been lucky up until now. Don't push it. You know better, so do better, and tell "all your neighbors" so they can suck less, too.

Relax, lady. Yes it’s an informal dog run. Obviously I know it’s not official, but it’s a small section of a park where dog owners convene. I didn’t create it.

No backyards, but thanks for assuming.

Somehow I think you might be a pit bull owner and frankly we all hope you don’t come around with your dog and ruin it for the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as an "informal dog run". There may be a group of dog owners regularly breaking the law. That doesn't make it legal. The park is not your personal or collective doggy socialization zone. They do have dog parks for this, if you're interested. That's the appropriate location (or your backyard, but something tells me you'll see the liability issue there, in which case, just apply it to the potential disaster you're creating in a public park and you can answer your own question).

Yes, you should immediately begin following the laws that say you must not only have your dog leashed, but under your control. Do not let your dog approach, sniff, or bark at people without their consent. It's not "being friendly" or "socializing", it's illegal. If you use a retractable leash, STOP. They break, they're dangerous, and they don't allow for sufficient control of your animal.

While you're at it, put your phone away, and make sure your dog's license is visible and their shots are up to date (just in case).

The BS logic of "my dog would never hurt a flea" makes you sound like an idiot, BTW. You know this. I don't. My dog definitely doesn't. And, most importantly, it's not the responsibility of every other person at the public park to learn and know this about you/your dog. It's your job, as a responsible owner, to keep your dog fully under your control at all times.

You've been lucky up until now. Don't push it. You know better, so do better, and tell "all your neighbors" so they can suck less, too.

Thank you. That was also my first response.

There's a park in our neighborhood that people have turned into an "informal dog run." It's actually a playground with a field for sports practice, and the field is a material that dogs aren't supposed to be on at all (like it's a municipal rule that dogs are not supposed to go on this field, it's some kind of special turf that will get ruined by dogs). So the park is just not for dogs at all, but a bunch of owners decided it was an "informal dog run."

The annoying thing is that I would 100% support the creation of an actual dog park within this park. There are a lot of dogs in the neighborhood and I think it would be great for people to have a place to take them to socialize and be off leash. I have suggested this to several dog owners in the neighborhood and they just shrug and say "the park works fine for us as is." Like they don't understand that their dogs shouldn't be wandering around the playground/field at all, much less off leash. I've explained this and they just shrug it off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as an "informal dog run". There may be a group of dog owners regularly breaking the law. That doesn't make it legal. The park is not your personal or collective doggy socialization zone. They do have dog parks for this, if you're interested. That's the appropriate location (or your backyard, but something tells me you'll see the liability issue there, in which case, just apply it to the potential disaster you're creating in a public park and you can answer your own question).

Yes, you should immediately begin following the laws that say you must not only have your dog leashed, but under your control. Do not let your dog approach, sniff, or bark at people without their consent. It's not "being friendly" or "socializing", it's illegal. If you use a retractable leash, STOP. They break, they're dangerous, and they don't allow for sufficient control of your animal.

While you're at it, put your phone away, and make sure your dog's license is visible and their shots are up to date (just in case).

The BS logic of "my dog would never hurt a flea" makes you sound like an idiot, BTW. You know this. I don't. My dog definitely doesn't. And, most importantly, it's not the responsibility of every other person at the public park to learn and know this about you/your dog. It's your job, as a responsible owner, to keep your dog fully under your control at all times.

You've been lucky up until now. Don't push it. You know better, so do better, and tell "all your neighbors" so they can suck less, too.

Relax, lady. Yes it’s an informal dog run. Obviously I know it’s not official, but it’s a small section of a park where dog owners convene. I didn’t create it.

No backyards, but thanks for assuming.

Somehow I think you might be a pit bull owner and frankly we all hope you don’t come around with your dog and ruin it for the rest of us.

The PP is completely correct. What you have is an illegal dog run. It doesn't matter if you created it or not. You're letting your dog off leash in a park where it is not allowed. It doesn't matter that other people are doing it too. It doesn't make it more okay for you.

Why did you get a dog if you don't have a backyard and there were no FORMAL dog runs nearby? So you got a dog in an apartment or small row house with no yard, and now you have colonized a public park as a yard replacement because you are incapable of thinking through the logistics of dog ownership?

[Anonymous]

Nah, this isn’t by a playing field.

Are you always this much of a scrooge? People love this little area, and I can see why, and the people and dogs who use it are well behaved, and the dogs get much needed socialization and exercise.

But reading the posts on here makes me think there’s a group of dog owners who think it would be acceptable for their dog to attack and kill the dogs in this area because they ‘provoked’ them or something.

[Anonymous]

No, and I feel guilty that my dog can't run free.

He loves all humans and small critters, but is aggressive towards large dogs like himself - and that would be a recipe for disaster.

You can do what you want, OP, as long as you assume the risks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as an "informal dog run". There may be a group of dog owners regularly breaking the law. That doesn't make it legal. The park is not your personal or collective doggy socialization zone. They do have dog parks for this, if you're interested. That's the appropriate location (or your backyard, but something tells me you'll see the liability issue there, in which case, just apply it to the potential disaster you're creating in a public park and you can answer your own question).

Yes, you should immediately begin following the laws that say you must not only have your dog leashed, but under your control. Do not let your dog approach, sniff, or bark at people without their consent. It's not "being friendly" or "socializing", it's illegal. If you use a retractable leash, STOP. They break, they're dangerous, and they don't allow for sufficient control of your animal.

While you're at it, put your phone away, and make sure your dog's license is visible and their shots are up to date (just in case).

The BS logic of "my dog would never hurt a flea" makes you sound like an idiot, BTW. You know this. I don't. My dog definitely doesn't. And, most importantly, it's not the responsibility of every other person at the public park to learn and know this about you/your dog. It's your job, as a responsible owner, to keep your dog fully under your control at all times.

You've been lucky up until now. Don't push it. You know better, so do better, and tell "all your neighbors" so they can suck less, too.

Relax, lady. Yes it’s an informal dog run. Obviously I know it’s not official, but it’s a small section of a park where dog owners convene. I didn’t create it.

No backyards, but thanks for assuming.

Somehow I think you might be a pit bull owner and frankly we all hope you don’t come around with your dog and ruin it for the rest of us.

5 posts in and we're already here. "relax, lady" said the hapless idiot breaking the law. "Obviously I know..." but you're still doing it wrong? "I didn't create it" Well, "it" doesn't actually exists. You do break the law there, as do your friends/neighbors. Too bad "they did it first isn't a defense, eh?

You're not entitled to a backyard, so that's a nothingburger. Let's get to the best part:

"Somehow I think you might be a pit bull owner and frankly we all hope you don’t come around with your dog and ruin it for the rest of us."

You already ruined it for yourself. If I come through with my on-leash pit bull, and one of your "friendly" off-leash dogs gets too close and gets bit, guess who's liable? You. Doesn't matter if I have a pit bull. Doesn't matter if my pit bull (or any other breed) kills your dog. I owned an Akita who would've absolutely shredded your golden. You want to see that? Because that's what you're inviting when you play this stupid game. You think your dog is safe because the dog on leash isn't a pit bull? You know what makes almost all breeds of dogs defensive and bitey? Being approached by a strange, off-leash dog while they're leashed. You are literally asking for a bite encounter.

I'm relaxed. My dog doesn't go anywhere off-leash, she has excellent recall, and I carry bear spray when I'm on trails because of the number of times I encounter idiots with dogs just like you/yours. I'm on duty when I'm walking my dog, so I'll probably see yours coming. If your dog is close enough to me to get bear sprayed? I'm not liable for your dog's pain and suffering. I don't wait to see if they're friendly, so if you haven't protected your dog, well, I guess you don't really care about your dog then, do you?

I tried to take your first post as 'clueless but trying' but it seems like you're just the new standard dog owner: entitled, smug, and stupid. I really hope you (and your poor, sweet, innocent dog) don't have to live through a tragedy to learn and do better, but you seem hellbent on your stupidity so...

Best of luck, I guess?

[Anonymous]

We have a highly trained dog (years and thousands of dollars of training) and we let her off leash, but only in areas that we know are safe and we are alone. Even trained, if we see anyone else, we immediately leash her so the others will feel comfortable. Frankly, I get p*ssed when I see other dogs off leash because I don't believe for a second any of those dogs are trained. They are just running around and you just have to hope they aren't any sort of aggressive. Plenty of seemingly sweet dogs are fear aggressive.

[Anonymous]

In the house. In a fenced in area outdoors. Dog parks without fencing are ... no.

[Anonymous]

I never do! But I regularly see people doing this, which makes it so difficult when I’m walking my dog. Their dog inevitably comes after mine.

People get so testy if you ask “is that your dog?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as an "informal dog run". There may be a group of dog owners regularly breaking the law. That doesn't make it legal. The park is not your personal or collective doggy socialization zone. They do have dog parks for this, if you're interested. That's the appropriate location (or your backyard, but something tells me you'll see the liability issue there, in which case, just apply it to the potential disaster you're creating in a public park and you can answer your own question).

Yes, you should immediately begin following the laws that say you must not only have your dog leashed, but under your control. Do not let your dog approach, sniff, or bark at people without their consent. It's not "being friendly" or "socializing", it's illegal. If you use a retractable leash, STOP. They break, they're dangerous, and they don't allow for sufficient control of your animal.

While you're at it, put your phone away, and make sure your dog's license is visible and their shots are up to date (just in case).

The BS logic of "my dog would never hurt a flea" makes you sound like an idiot, BTW. You know this. I don't. My dog definitely doesn't. And, most importantly, it's not the responsibility of every other person at the public park to learn and know this about you/your dog. It's your job, as a responsible owner, to keep your dog fully under your control at all times.

You've been lucky up until now. Don't push it. You know better, so do better, and tell "all your neighbors" so they can suck less, too.

Have you ever met a golden retriever who bites? I have not. I do know Pitt bulls who have maimed and killed other animals, and various other breeds who have attacked but not with the same lethality as pitts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nah, this isn’t by a playing field.

Are you always this much of a scrooge? People love this little area, and I can see why, and the people and dogs who use it are well behaved, and the dogs get much needed socialization and exercise.

But reading the posts on here makes me think there’s a group of dog owners who think it would be acceptable for their dog to attack and kill the dogs in this area because they ‘provoked’ them or something.

We're "scrooges" because we answered your question honestly? You're breaking the law, but we're the risk?

I pity your poor dog. You are a massive liability, and a horrible person.