Why do you walk your dog off leash?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These same people must also set off fireworks 3 weeks before the 4th of July, bring their children's siblings uninvited to birthday parties in parks, have illegal basement apartments, say "Let's get together soon." but never actually make plans, and refuse to use washcloths.

OMG This HAS to be someone who knows me. This is me exactly. Except the party in a park thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fear of dogs?

I've had dogs lunge and aggressively jump on me, so yes, I view all strange animals as the unpredictable creatures they are. I know not all dogs are aggressive, but it's not up to me to decipher that - it's the dog owner/caretaker's responsibility to be in control of their animal at all times.

Just wondering. I don't think the leash will help though. I find my dog on a leash scares the crap out of people even if we are a football field away.

Some people are just afraid of dogs and a leash really does not help with that.

Have you ever heard the phrase you can only control your own reaction to a situation, you can't control others. You may want to work on your own fears, you won't change others.

Except hopefully by having your dog on a leash I know there's at least a chance that your dog can't get to me since you'll hold him back. Even a dog that the owner swears is under voice control can ignore their owner whenever they feel like it and take off if not leashed.

[Anonymous]

why they do it: because it allows the dog to explore more and get in a little more exercise than they would on a leash. They do it because they are so confident in their own dog, but oblivious to the stress it puts on leashed dogs.

We used to let our dog off leash. I admit it, we were oblivious. We thought because he was so friendly and gentle it wouldn't be a problem.

We now have a rescue dog that is great with the family, but defensive around other dogs until she has gotten used to them. She feels very threatened by dogs that approach her when she is on a leash. Even if that dog is a little 4 lbs overgrown rat. Until someone has tried to handle a fearful, leashed dog around an unleashed dog, they don't get it.

When we go to my parents' home in the country, she gets to run through the woods and jump in the lake. In the city, she is on a leash if she is not in our home or fenced yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fear of dogs?

I've had dogs lunge and aggressively jump on me, so yes, I view all strange animals as the unpredictable creatures they are. I know not all dogs are aggressive, but it's not up to me to decipher that - it's the dog owner/caretaker's responsibility to be in control of their animal at all times.

Just wondering. I don't think the leash will help though. I find my dog on a leash scares the crap out of people even if we are a football field away.

Some people are just afraid of dogs and a leash really does not help with that.

Have you ever heard the phrase you can only control your own reaction to a situation, you can't control others. You may want to work on your own fears, you won't change others.

That's where pepper spray comes in hand. If your dog comes up to me, I will pepper spray it. I'm not going to wait for it to jump or lunge. Many owners will be irresponsible and not keep their animal by their side. I can't control bad dog owners, but I can be proactive about it and pepper spray it if it comes close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fear of dogs?

I've had dogs lunge and aggressively jump on me, so yes, I view all strange animals as the unpredictable creatures they are. I know not all dogs are aggressive, but it's not up to me to decipher that - it's the dog owner/caretaker's responsibility to be in control of their animal at all times.

+1. Also, even the friendliest of dogs might want to walk up to my leashed dog. Mine's leashed partly because it's the law and partly because he isn't very social with other animals and gets stressed when strange dogs approach him. My dog is trained to heel and ignores other dogs that pass us on the trail, but a dog heading straight for us is upsetting for him. By keeping your dog off-leash you are trusting him not to needlessly upset my leashed dog or scare my child since you don't have him fully under control.

We had a woman in our neighborhood who for years refused to leash her dog. Her dog would race towards other dogs on leashes barking and growling and then stop 5ft away, never actually attacking. But every single one of those leashed dogs themselves ended up growling, barking, straining on their leash thinking they were about to be attacked. Finally after this happened when I was six months pregnant, it scared me and I'd had enough, so I called animal control and they issued her a citation and warning and she stopped. Unreal and selfish.

It's definitely a thoughtless and me-first behavior.

Thank you for being a considerate, respectful, and responsible dog owner!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fear of dogs?

I've had dogs lunge and aggressively jump on me, so yes, I view all strange animals as the unpredictable creatures they are. I know not all dogs are aggressive, but it's not up to me to decipher that - it's the dog owner/caretaker's responsibility to be in control of their animal at all times.

Just wondering. I don't think the leash will help though. I find my dog on a leash scares the crap out of people even if we are a football field away.

Some people are just afraid of dogs and a leash really does not help with that.

Have you ever heard the phrase you can only control your own reaction to a situation, you can't control others. You may want to work on your own fears, you won't change others.

Except hopefully by having your dog on a leash I know there's at least a chance that your dog can't get to me since you'll hold him back. Even a dog that the owner swears is under voice control can ignore their owner whenever they feel like it and take off if not leashed.

Still does not stop you from being scared. You get the initial gut reaction of "Crap!" when the dog barks and pulls on the leash. The thing is off the leash trained dogs (which use to be legal) are often trained to just sit when they see people, on the leash dogs are never really trained and do that crazy barking pulling thing.

You may want to just learn to be less scared of dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering. I don't think the leash will help though. I find my dog on a leash scares the crap out of people even if we are a football field away.

Some people are just afraid of dogs and a leash really does not help with that.

Have you ever heard the phrase you can only control your own reaction to a situation, you can't control others. You may want to work on your own fears, you won't change others.

Except hopefully by having your dog on a leash I know there's at least a chance that your dog can't get to me since you'll hold him back. Even a dog that the owner swears is under voice control can ignore their owner whenever they feel like it and take off if not leashed.

Still does not stop you from being scared. You get the initial gut reaction of "Crap!" when the dog barks and pulls on the leash. The thing is off the leash trained dogs (which use to be legal) are often trained to just sit when they see people, on the leash dogs are never really trained and do that crazy barking pulling thing.

You may want to just learn to be less scared of dogs.

I'm not scared of dogs - I own one. I am scared of unleashed dogs that I don't know. Your off-leash dog may be wonderfully trained, but it only takes once for him to ignore your commands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fear of dogs?

I've had dogs lunge and aggressively jump on me, so yes, I view all strange animals as the unpredictable creatures they are. I know not all dogs are aggressive, but it's not up to me to decipher that - it's the dog owner/caretaker's responsibility to be in control of their animal at all times.

Just wondering. I don't think the leash will help though. I find my dog on a leash scares the crap out of people even if we are a football field away.

Some people are just afraid of dogs and a leash really does not help with that.

Have you ever heard the phrase you can only control your own reaction to a situation, you can't control others. You may want to work on your own fears, you won't change others.

That's where pepper spray comes in hand. If your dog comes up to me, I will pepper spray it. I'm not going to wait for it to jump or lunge. Many owners will be irresponsible and not keep their animal by their side. I can't control bad dog owners, but I can be proactive about it and pepper spray it if it comes close.

Still does not help with your fear. You are afraid even when the dog does not jump or lunge. It is ruining your ability to enjoy places where dogs are allowed. You imagine these unleashed dogs will run and jump and lunge. You actually hope they do so you can spray them, but it never happens. Yet you still have this deep anxiety over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fear of dogs?

I've had dogs lunge and aggressively jump on me, so yes, I view all strange animals as the unpredictable creatures they are. I know not all dogs are aggressive, but it's not up to me to decipher that - it's the dog owner/caretaker's responsibility to be in control of their animal at all times.

Just wondering. I don't think the leash will help though. I find my dog on a leash scares the crap out of people even if we are a football field away.

Some people are just afraid of dogs and a leash really does not help with that.

Have you ever heard the phrase you can only control your own reaction to a situation, you can't control others. You may want to work on your own fears, you won't change others.

That's where pepper spray comes in hand. If your dog comes up to me, I will pepper spray it. I'm not going to wait for it to jump or lunge. Many owners will be irresponsible and not keep their animal by their side. I can't control bad dog owners, but I can be proactive about it and pepper spray it if it comes close.

Still does not help with your fear. You are afraid even when the dog does not jump or lunge. It is ruining your ability to enjoy places where dogs are allowed. You imagine these unleashed dogs will run and jump and lunge. You actually hope they do so you can spray them, but it never happens. Yet you still have this deep anxiety over it.

Actually it does help with my fear, because it allows me to take responsibility into my own hands. I still enjoy places where there are dogs around - I don't mind well behaved, leashed dogs with alert owners. I'm not terrified of dogs, but I am healthily cautious of them. I will continue to jog, walk, run, hike in parks with a sense of safety knowing I have some measure of safety in my own hands.

And I will pepper spray your dog if it comes up to me. I'll enjoy the park, but do what I have to, to enjoy my time outdoors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH does this. He thinks it's cute. Drives me nuts. To be fair, the dog weighs 4lbs. and is as old as Methuselah, so not a danger to anyone but himself.

To be fair, and not an idiot..., there is not a weight limit to leash laws. It doesn't drive you nuts if you allow him to keep breaking the law.

Allow him? He's 57 years old, you jackass. What should I do? Send him to time out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH does this. He thinks it's cute. Drives me nuts. To be fair, the dog weighs 4lbs. and is as old as Methuselah, so not a danger to anyone but himself.

To be fair, and not an idiot..., there is not a weight limit to leash laws. It doesn't drive you nuts if you allow him to keep breaking the law.

Allow him? He's 57 years old, you jackass. What should I do? Send him to time out?

NP here. Maybe report your DH to animal control? It's better than allowing him to be an un-neighborly jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you snap a picture of the owner and dog, off leash and then strike up a convo about why the dog isn't on a leash and remind them that it's the law?

OP here. I've asked people "please leash your dog" - politely and nicely, but have had dog owners bluntly say "no" or "go fuck yourself." These aren't trashy people, but people dressed nice, professionally, and in suits. They don't care about the law.

I'm so tired of it. I don't want to be the crazy lady that takes pictures of the bad dog owner or carries pepper spray to warn the owner - but I'm so damned fed up. I don't understand what's so difficult about keeping your dog by your side on a leash in public, it seems like the normal, decent thing to do, and not a lot to ask.

OP I agree with you 100 percent. I've been attacked/chased by dogs and so am always slightly tense when I go by an unleashed one. People who think it doesn't apply to them are rude and self-absorbed. This goes for those of you on hiking trails that require dogs to be leashed, yet you let them come tearing through the woods at other people. Sure your dog may be friendly but I don't know that, and animals are animals: there's always going to be a level of unpredictability no matter how small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH does this. He thinks it's cute. Drives me nuts. To be fair, the dog weighs 4lbs. and is as old as Methuselah, so not a danger to anyone but himself.

To be fair, and not an idiot..., there is not a weight limit to leash laws. It doesn't drive you nuts if you allow him to keep breaking the law.

Allow him? He's 57 years old, you jackass. What should I do? Send him to time out?

NP here. Maybe report your DH to animal control? It's better than allowing him to be an un-neighborly jerk.

You people are first class idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH does this. He thinks it's cute. Drives me nuts. To be fair, the dog weighs 4lbs. and is as old as Methuselah, so not a danger to anyone but himself.

To be fair, and not an idiot..., there is not a weight limit to leash laws. It doesn't drive you nuts if you allow him to keep breaking the law.

Allow him? He's 57 years old, you jackass. What should I do? Send him to time out?

NP. What would you do if he were breaking another law? say, driving drunk?

[Anonymous]

NP. I'm not afraid of dogs. I'm afraid of what my leashed dog will do to your unleashed dog when your unleashed dog runs up to her. As PPs point out, the leashed dog is at a disadvantage and all bets are off on the best trained dogs when primal dog instinct kicks in. Our dogs could fight, and my dog will have the advantage, even leashed. So don't even tempt these unnecessary scenarios. Please leash it.