Off leash hiking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. There are various sanctioned dog parks in the area, but there are no off-leash hiking spots in Maryland, DC, or VA. Please do not do this.

If we encounter your dog hiking on any trails or paths, we will pepper spray it. If you want to travel with your dog, that's fine, but it does not mean others want to encounter your animal on our outing.

If a dog was just gently walking by you on a trail, in a very obviously non-aggressive way, off leash, you would pepper spray it?

[Anonymous]

I'm sooooo glad I live where we have trails where it's happily accepted to walk our well behaved, trained dogs off leash. The joy I get seeing my dog play with her dog and people friends is so precious. She is a lab and loves to run and swim!! Pepper spray, really???

Dogs can be very therapeutic! My dog makes the day for alot of people with her smile and wiggle

[Anonymous]

Sorry that people on this forum are rude and obnoxious, OP. Your post was neither. We take our gentle, well-trained lab mix for hikes off leash all the time. If we are on a crowded trail, the leash goes back on. The PP who said that this forum is often visited by posters unsupportive of pets. Bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. There are various sanctioned dog parks in the area, but there are no off-leash hiking spots in Maryland, DC, or VA. Please do not do this.

If we encounter your dog hiking on any trails or paths, we will pepper spray it. If you want to travel with your dog, that's fine, but it does not mean others want to encounter your animal on our outing.

If a dog was just gently walking by you on a trail, in a very obviously non-aggressive way, off leash, you would pepper spray it?

If it came up to me? Yes, I would. I'm not psychic and don't know your dog, or what it's capable of doing. I wouldn't hesitate to pepper spray strange animals approaching me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. There are various sanctioned dog parks in the area, but there are no off-leash hiking spots in Maryland, DC, or VA. Please do not do this.

If we encounter your dog hiking on any trails or paths, we will pepper spray it. If you want to travel with your dog, that's fine, but it does not mean others want to encounter your animal on our outing.

If a dog was just gently walking by you on a trail, in a very obviously non-aggressive way, off leash, you would pepper spray it?

If it came up to me? Yes, I would. I'm not psychic and don't know your dog, or what it's capable of doing. I wouldn't hesitate to pepper spray strange animals approaching me.

Good for you. Seriously. You should not have to worry about someone else's animal harming you. If they want to have it off-leash, they can accept the dangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the responses! Just as a point of reference, where I live it's actually more uncommon to see a dog on a leash in the woods with their owner than it is for the dog to be on leash. There are some areas designated as off leash, but most are "unofficial" in that dog owners know it's an area where owners frequently let their dogs off leash. It's a word of mouth thing, which is why I thought this would be a good resource. Obviously, you have to know your dog and the area since the dogs tend to run up to each other and interact. Is it 100% safe? No, but we do everything possible to minimize the risks and everyone has fun. FWIW, there's lots of dogs out there that aren't safe to be around humans whether on or off leash.

Minimizing the risks would be having the dog on a leash.

"Unofficial" off leash areas means officially it is not allowed but you all are down with breaking the law. That's really, deeply uncool.

[Anonymous]

Typical DC, full of rule followers, unless it is about their husband letting bad mortgages and crashing the economy.... Or taking bribes for votes, or hiring lawyers to get their teens out of trouble.

Run along .. Our dogs might sniff you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Typical DC, full of rule followers, unless it is about their husband letting bad mortgages and crashing the economy.... Or taking bribes for votes, or hiring lawyers to get their teens out of trouble.

Run along .. Our dogs might sniff you.

Security clearances are the reason.

[Anonymous]

We hike all the time with our dog off leash. We just hook the leash back on if we see someone coming who also doesn't have an off leash dog. Just go at off time, (eg early) or to uncrowded trails. We have done this all over, but close in at Rachel Carson conservation park in olney, Scott's run in VA (the less crowded parts). tregaron/klingle road in woodley park is short but dogs are often off leash there so it's good for quick exercise.

[Anonymous]

There are no official off leash places, but we take our dog off leash in many of the parks along the Potomac. Our dog is well-behaved and gentle, and we hike where we don't see other people too often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Typical DC, full of rule followers, unless it is about their husband letting bad mortgages and crashing the economy.... Or taking bribes for votes, or hiring lawyers to get their teens out of trouble.

Run along .. Our dogs might sniff you.

Security clearances are the reason.

That does not affect my leaching decisions.

[Anonymous]

OP, the National Mall is a great place to go off-leash.

[Anonymous]

No off-leash in Fairfax County
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/animal/dangerous-vicous-dogs.htm#AredogsinallowedtorunfreeinFairfaxCounty

I used to solo hike here on trails with one of my dogs on-leash. After several bad experiences we stopped. With another dog we went as a group and I carried a heavy walking stick.

In our yard I carry a metal baseball bat. Obviously mine are off leash in their yard and so are bad ass strays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are no official off leash places, but we take our dog off leash in many of the parks along the Potomac. Our dog is well-behaved and gentle, and we hike where we don't see other people too often.

Be careful. We got a ticket at Riverbend park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No off-leash in Fairfax County
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/animal/dangerous-vicous-dogs.htm#AredogsinallowedtorunfreeinFairfaxCounty

I used to solo hike here on trails with one of my dogs on-leash. After several bad experiences we stopped. With another dog we went as a group and I carried a heavy walking stick.

In our yard I carry a metal baseball bat. Obviously mine are off leash in their yard and so are bad ass strays.

Where the F do you live? Do banjos play as you enter the woods?