Why do you walk your dog off leash?

[Anonymous]

I didn't care too much about this until my neighbor's unleashed German Shepherd lunged off of his front porch and attacked my Yorkie on the sidewalk. After a week in the hospital my dog is lucky to be alive but it was extremely traumatic to have witnessed. Now I am wary of any unleashed dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't care too much about this until my neighbor's unleashed German Shepherd lunged off of his front porch and attacked my Yorkie on the sidewalk. After a week in the hospital my dog is lucky to be alive but it was extremely traumatic to have witnessed. Now I am wary of any unleashed dog.

Makes sense. GS have a really high prey drive. I wanted one, but not with my cat.

I'm the poster with the e-collar. My parents have a house in the mountains down near Charlottesville. We are there at least 2 weekends a month. I'm also a runner and it is a bit redneck down there so I do run with a gun, plus I also run alone on some isolated trails. For the first time EVER I had to discharge my firearm. I was running and there was a pit bull on a porch. It was a big dog with cropped ears. I was like "Oh shit, here we go, lets hope he stays on his porch". sure enough he got into an aggressive stance and bolted towards my way. In a split second I pulled out my gun and fired a warning shot and the dog tucked tail and hauled ass away from me. Well then I was more worried about the redneck that was about to run out the front door. Thank god he understood and I did not have to shoot his dog and he did not shoot me, but it ended well.

So, I run all over DC and log about 20-25 miles a week and have NEVER EVER in the city had a dog come after me, but out in the country yes, and I was grateful that I did have a gun and very grateful I did not have to kill the animal. If a dog came after me in DC, I would not have the luxury of shooting a gun! And do runs with spray, but you have to get so close to your attacker with spray and make sure the wind is right, that is sure is a scary situation. I don't think I would run with my dog off leash if I did not own a goofy lab, but instead owned a "scary breed" not because I don't think I could control the animal, but mainly because they are very scary looking and I do get where people are fearful, even if it might be irrational.

The owner of the GS should know better about small animals and GS…they notoriously don't go together, unless by exception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

this. I am not afraid of dogs, but my own dog is very aggressive w/r/t other dogs when leashed. I hate it when we enoucnter other people's unleashed dogs: I can keep my leashed dog from going up to other leashed dogs and growling or fighting with them, but obviously i can't keep someone else's unleashed dog from approaching my leashed dog, leading to bad things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

this. I am not afraid of dogs, but my own dog is very aggressive w/r/t other dogs when leashed. I hate it when we enoucnter other people's unleashed dogs: I can keep my leashed dog from going up to other leashed dogs and growling or fighting with them, but obviously i can't keep someone else's unleashed dog from approaching my leashed dog, leading to bad things.

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

I've had dogs chase me on my runs and walks, and my daughter got bitten once. So I get pretty nervous when I (frequently) see off-leash dogs - it would suck to get bitten when I'm on a trail inaccessible to cars, and then have to somehow cover 3-5 miles back to my car on foot with a dog bite. Wouldn't be much fun on a normal street either.

Most of the time, the dogs are bigger, mellow dogs who pay me no notice at all - I can usually sense when a dog is tame/good with strangers from far away. But a few times, I've been scared. (and another danger - people who walk leashed dogs they really can't control - an older woman used to walk her very aggressive dog near VA Square and the dog came after me and she could barely control it. it was terrifying for me.)

Dog owners - please recognize that other people don't know your dog, don't know if he's friendly or aggressive, and having your dogs off-leash can make us nervous.

[Anonymous]

German Shepard owners just love to scare people with their dogs. And then say, oh he is sooo sweet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:German Shepard owners just love to scare people with their dogs. And then say, oh he is sooo sweet.

german shepherds are great dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:German Shepard owners just love to scare people with their dogs. And then say, oh he is sooo sweet.

german shepherds are great dogs.

I agree, but they are intimidating. I had one who died 5 years ago who nearly killed an intruder. She actually waited silent until the intruder got the door open and went berserk. Only evidence was some blood.

[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?

Open your mouth and trash talk him. 4 pound old dog can be prey. Show him some kills after a google search.

[Anonymous]

I walk my dog off leash. I really don't care what other people think. I feel sorry for dogs that have never had any freedom. That's just cruelty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

this. I am not afraid of dogs, but my own dog is very aggressive w/r/t other dogs when leashed. I hate it when we enoucnter other people's unleashed dogs: I can keep my leashed dog from going up to other leashed dogs and growling or fighting with them, but obviously i can't keep someone else's unleashed dog from approaching my leashed dog, leading to bad things.

+10000

If my dog eats your unleashed dog, oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I walk my dog off leash. I really don't care what other people think. I feel sorry for dogs that have never had any freedom. That's just cruelty

How thick are you? This isn't a matter of opinion; you're breaking the law and I'll see to it that you have consequences.

[Anonymous]

I am always a little wary of people who just care. so. much. about things like this. It's like the private school posters who have an axe to grind. It's really a little scary. I don't think I've actively noticed a dog off leash in years. But upon reflection there's plenty of them in NWDC and when they wander over I scratch their ears. Big deal.

I haven't seen an off leash dog in NWDC in years, outside of the two fenced in dog parks. Mostly, I think the over reacting, fearful, posters have likely had a single experience and they come here generalizing like this is a REAL and SERIOUS PROBLEM. It really isn't.

(Dog owner who never lets her dog off leash, because I think the law is a good one for everyone.)