OT: Unleashed dogs at parks

[Anonymous]

Um. If I am in my yard you have no say. For all you know they have an invisible fence, anyway.

[Anonymous]

If someone had instructed me to "Just keep walking," I would have told her to go fu*k herself. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um. If I am in my yard you have no say. For all you know they have an invisible fence, anyway.

We have neighbors whose dogs are behind an invisible fence. Every time you walk by, they charge to its perimeter and bark at you like you are on fire. Day or night. On a narrow street. It's really unneighborly of them to allow their animals to bark incessantly at passersby for the crime of walking on the OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET at 8 am on a Sunday.

[Anonymous]

I'm with you about the park. But my yard?? C'mon.

[Anonymous]

The same reason parents take their kids inside dog parks when its clearly stated children under 12 aren't allowed. I saw a three or four year old get bowled over at the dog park last weekend and her mom was yelling at everyone to control their dogs....

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the support! I love dogs, so I mean no harm to them and would never wish anything bad for them. Probably most of these dogs are very nice dogs, but I just think it's incredibly irresponsible to keep them off leash.

I allow my dog to go from back door to car unleashed, but that is about 6 feet away and in the back of our house, nowhere near the street or in view of the street. Your own yard IS yours, but you shouldn't let your dogs run around in your yard unleashed and with no fence. There's just no guarantee they won't run out of the yard for one reason or another (they get scared by thunder, a ball rolls out, the one dog in the world they bark at walks by, etc.). It's so unfair to the dog and to the public!

[Anonymous]

DC has a leash law.

[Anonymous]

OP, I sympathize. Leash laws exist for a reason-the dogs need to be restrained. I feel sorry for the dogs who have human companions who don't follow the laws, its the dogs who suffer.

[Anonymous]

I live next to a park and these off leash dogs run over when I take my dog out in our front yard. Some are not that nice and even though my dog is on a leash - it doesn't help if the other dog isn't.

I also often have a young child with me and I tell him to get inside ASAP because you never know what could happen.

We were attacked by an off leash dog in our old neighborhood. He tipped my son's umbrella stroller over. I left my son like that because at least he was protected from the off leash dog who was going after my dog and then me! The owners acted like it was no big deal because we didn't have anything more than scratches (and a screaming kid).

Owners didn't change. They still kept the dog off leash and our community had its own park so we just couldn't ever use it.

[Anonymous]

I reminded one guy who had his dog off leash every day at a park with kids (it was a big dog too). I told him it was the law and not just my request. He told me that there are a lot of ridiculous laws and he doesn't obey them either.

Animal control is slow to respond too unless the dog is alone. I usually say the dog is alone though anyway because it's the only way to get help and if the dog isn't on a leash - it is the same as a runaway in my book.

I feel bad for the dogs but I have a dog and obey the law so why should I have to modify my behavior?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd totally kick the dog in the face.

If you kicked my dog in the face, I'd kick you in the face.

That being said, I would never let my dog wonder without a leash. Don't be an asshole to the dog, be an asshole to the owners.

If you kicked my dog in the face I would kick you in the face, too. Furthermore, don't be an asshole to the dog or the owner. Why is it so hard just to have a conversation with someone? If your kid is feeling threatened, just ask the owner if he or she can leash up the dog while you're at the park. Is that really so hard? We live in a crowded place. We're all doing the best we can to live nice lives without interrupting other people's lives too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep a biscuit or tennis ball in your pocket. When unleashed dog comes near, throw it towards the street. The owner will quickly find out jut how "trained" their dog really is. I hate a$$holes who think the can control their dog from far away.

You are a monster. Just a horrible, horrible monster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um. If I am in my yard you have no say. For all you know they have an invisible fence, anyway.

We have neighbors whose dogs are behind an invisible fence. Every time you walk by, they charge to its perimeter and bark at you like you are on fire. Day or night. On a narrow street. It's really unneighborly of them to allow their animals to bark incessantly at passersby for the crime of walking on the OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET at 8 am on a Sunday.

That happens with fenced yards too. Not really great in either csae, but of course more unnerving with the invisible fence. We have an invisible fence and our line is far from the street to not freak people out. (Our dog isn't terretorial anyways, and is not left outside unwatched, but still.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our backyard borders a park where people used to allow their dogs off leash as an informal dog park. After some heavy applications of rat poison (we did see rats once), this area is no longer used by off-leash dogs.

This is a crime.

You're sort of a sociopath, aren't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Building off the post about people who bring their dogs to the playgrounds -- Why do people feel it's appropriate to let their dogs go unleashed in public spaces, or even outside their home? What's the appropriate response to this?

We live near a park with a large grassy area. There's a sign that says you must keep your dog on leash and clean up after him/her, but people regularly take their dogs off leash and play catch with them. I don't have a big issue with the people who take their dogs to the far side of the park, very far away from the pathway and playground, and keep them extremely engaged in a game of chase-the-ball. I do have a problem with people who allow their dogs to go play willy-nilly and/or have more than one dog. This makes it very hard for my dog, who is on a leash, and is very threatening to my toddler.

People also often let their dogs go in their yards without leashes. I know they don't think they'll run off, but it's totally inappropriate. My dog was attacked by two dogs like this, and last week, we were walking as a family with my dog and toddler, and an unleashed dog ran out of a yard, barking hysterically and growling at my dog. If it had just been me, the dog, and toddler (without DH), I don't know how I would have dealt with the situation -- holding DS to protect him while hurrying away and pulling my dog along. It was a small dog, but it was still being vicious and could cause pain to my dog and/or toddler. My dog responded great (mostly he was shocked), but if he had barked and pulled more, it could have been really ugly.

The owners were standing in their yard with the dog and even saw us coming. They didn't reach down to restrain their dog (although she was right next to them) but yelled out, "Just keep walking," before their dog even noticed ours. As their dog was freaking out on my dog, the owner did come out and grab the dog, but she was also just telling us, "Just keep walking." She did apologize, but since this is the second time this dog has been off leash and run out to growl at my dog, I wanted to say something to her (but I didn't want to be nasty!). Why shouldn't I be able to walk my dog and kid on a public street without fear of a dog running out?

I never know what to say to these people because many are not doing this maliciously, but they just don't understand the problems that could arise. Furthermore, having a dog off-leash is really scary for anyone who has a fear of dogs.

It's completely appropriate to let a dog run free in its own yard. If you are afraid, don't walk there. Go to a public space that isn't in a residential neighborhood that may have dogs.