Dog owners in Alexandria - control your damn dogs

[Anonymous]

We went to many dog training classes. The standard is to walk the dog on your left. Just like you mount the horse on it's left side. So when I used to take a leashed dog to a park I would walk on the left side on a path or trail.

I stopped going to such places due to problems with off leash dogs. I also stopped going to the parks. No need to be approached by an off leash pitbull again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to many dog training classes. The standard is to walk the dog on your left. Just like you mount the horse on it's left side. So when I used to take a leashed dog to a park I would walk on the left side on a path or trail.

I stopped going to such places due to problems with off leash dogs. I also stopped going to the parks. No need to be approached by an off leash pitbull again.

I don't have a dog and have never trained one, but can someone explain the rational behind walking your dog on your left? This goes against any common sense I can think of. Walking/jogging/cycling is a lot like driving - stay on the right, pass on the left. With a dog on your left, or you walking on the left side, it makes it much more difficult to pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to many dog training classes. The standard is to walk the dog on your left. Just like you mount the horse on it's left side. So when I used to take a leashed dog to a park I would walk on the left side on a path or trail.

I stopped going to such places due to problems with off leash dogs. I also stopped going to the parks. No need to be approached by an off leash pitbull again.

I don't have a dog and have never trained one, but can someone explain the rational behind walking your dog on your left? This goes against any common sense I can think of. Walking/jogging/cycling is a lot like driving - stay on the right, pass on the left. With a dog on your left, or you walking on the left side, it makes it much more difficult to pass.

It has become a rules of the road beginning with the fact that most people are right handed and for military etc that is important. Guide dogs are trained on the left. We had a dog who knew heel meant left and side meant right. On the left she sat when I stopped on the right she just halted unless we told her to sit. On sidewalks the dog was on the curbside while the stroller was in front and any child not in the stroller was to the right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to many dog training classes. The standard is to walk the dog on your left. Just like you mount the horse on it's left side. So when I used to take a leashed dog to a park I would walk on the left side on a path or trail.

I stopped going to such places due to problems with off leash dogs. I also stopped going to the parks. No need to be approached by an off leash pitbull again.

I don't have a dog and have never trained one, but can someone explain the rational behind walking your dog on your left? This goes against any common sense I can think of. Walking/jogging/cycling is a lot like driving - stay on the right, pass on the left. With a dog on your left, or you walking on the left side, it makes it much more difficult to pass.

It has become a rules of the road beginning with the fact that most people are right handed and for military etc that is important. Guide dogs are trained on the left. We had a dog who knew heel meant left and side meant right. On the left she sat when I stopped on the right she just halted unless we told her to sit. On sidewalks the dog was on the curbside while the stroller was in front and any child not in the stroller was to the right.

Right. Another reason why it makes sense to walk your dog on the right. So why train on the left? The standard is to pass on your left, and thus better to be further away from a dog - with an owner in between a jogging stranger and dog.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:My dog is on a perfectly reasonable 5 foot leash. I have PTSD and a bad startle reflex: if she doesn't warn me that you are there, when you brush past me, I'm probably going to hit you. Get some manners and quit crowding people, dammit.

Why does your dog need to "warn" you on public and well-traveled paths? If your PTSD is so bad, you should probably stick to areas where there are not other people. Additionally, your dog doesn't need to "warn" you - unless this is a seeing eye dog, you need to pay attention to your own surroundings.

Because people often come up quickly and from behind. That's her job. If you are close enough for her to reach you, you are passing too close to do so without saying something. And I'm quite likely to hit you, if I'm startled.

Seriously. If you sneak up behind me while you are running and pass within 5' boundary of me, I am assuming you are a mugger/rapist. Maybe I should pepper spray you!

If you think everyone on a very well traveled path in total daylight is a rapist, you are welcome to avoid going on such a path.

Those paths by the way, while for everyone, are primarily for human beings - not dogs.

Yes, but you don't need to pass by so closely that a dog on a short leash could touch you. It's common courtesy. By the same thought process, if you think my docile leashed dog might attack you, you are free to avoid the area, too.

This whole conversation is stupid.

Most paths aren't 5+ feet wide. furthermore, if you're walking on the right but your dog is to the left of you, you're not using common sense or thoughtful etiquette to walk your dog. Or, you have not trained your dog to walk properly alongside an owner/caretaker.

I agree with you that this whole conversation is stupid. There are some considerate dog owners - this thread isn't about them. This is about the selfish assholes that thinks others ought to accommodate their personal pet, instead of understanding the world and public community does not revolve around your pet. The former understand, and aren't replying. The latter know they're assholes, and are defensive about it.

No, I am not an asshole. I leash my current dog and she's too skittish to go to parks with strangers and bicycles so it's really not an issue for us. BUT the OP was being totally irrational by saying s/he would pepper spray a dog that was off-leash but not doing anything to harm/threaten/notice him or her. The OP is the asshole, even though I agree that dogs shouldn't be off leash where it's not permitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to many dog training classes. The standard is to walk the dog on your left. Just like you mount the horse on it's left side. So when I used to take a leashed dog to a park I would walk on the left side on a path or trail.

I stopped going to such places due to problems with off leash dogs. I also stopped going to the parks. No need to be approached by an off leash pitbull again.

I don't have a dog and have never trained one, but can someone explain the rational behind walking your dog on your left? This goes against any common sense I can think of. Walking/jogging/cycling is a lot like driving - stay on the right, pass on the left. With a dog on your left, or you walking on the left side, it makes it much more difficult to pass.

It has become a rules of the road beginning with the fact that most people are right handed and for military etc that is important. Guide dogs are trained on the left. We had a dog who knew heel meant left and side meant right. On the left she sat when I stopped on the right she just halted unless we told her to sit. On sidewalks the dog was on the curbside while the stroller was in front and any child not in the stroller was to the right.

Right. Another reason why it makes sense to walk your dog on the right. So why train on the left? The standard is to pass on your left, and thus better to be further away from a dog - with an owner in between a jogging stranger and dog.

I preferred my child on the right. Perhaps call a police K-nine unit, the military, or guide dogs etc. I wish many people used muzzles or wrapped the snouts. That would be a nice law for dog parks. I know a person whose pit bull got evicted from Pet Smart.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:My dog is on a perfectly reasonable 5 foot leash. I have PTSD and a bad startle reflex: if she doesn't warn me that you are there, when you brush past me, I'm probably going to hit you. Get some manners and quit crowding people, dammit.

Why does your dog need to "warn" you on public and well-traveled paths? If your PTSD is so bad, you should probably stick to areas where there are not other people. Additionally, your dog doesn't need to "warn" you - unless this is a seeing eye dog, you need to pay attention to your own surroundings.

Because people often come up quickly and from behind. That's her job. If you are close enough for her to reach you, you are passing too close to do so without saying something. And I'm quite likely to hit you, if I'm startled.

Seriously. If you sneak up behind me while you are running and pass within 5' boundary of me, I am assuming you are a mugger/rapist. Maybe I should pepper spray you!

If you think everyone on a very well traveled path in total daylight is a rapist, you are welcome to avoid going on such a path.

Those paths by the way, while for everyone, are primarily for human beings - not dogs.

Yes, but you don't need to pass by so closely that a dog on a short leash could touch you. It's common courtesy. By the same thought process, if you think my docile leashed dog might attack you, you are free to avoid the area, too.

This whole conversation is stupid.

Most paths aren't 5+ feet wide. furthermore, if you're walking on the right but your dog is to the left of you, you're not using common sense or thoughtful etiquette to walk your dog. Or, you have not trained your dog to walk properly alongside an owner/caretaker.

I agree with you that this whole conversation is stupid. There are some considerate dog owners - this thread isn't about them. This is about the selfish assholes that thinks others ought to accommodate their personal pet, instead of understanding the world and public community does not revolve around your pet. The former understand, and aren't replying. The latter know they're assholes, and are defensive about it.

No, I am not an asshole. I leash my current dog and she's too skittish to go to parks with strangers and bicycles so it's really not an issue for us. BUT the OP was being totally irrational by saying s/he would pepper spray a dog that was off-leash but not doing anything to harm/threaten/notice him or her. The OP is the asshole, even though I agree that dogs shouldn't be off leash where it's not permitted.

Incorrect. A dog off leash IS doing something wrong- they are illegal and unrestrained. Or rather, the owner is doing something wrong. Agin, it is not the responsibility of everyone else around to know and accommodate your pet. the other day, a saw a dog off leash weaving in and out of people, causing one person to fall. An unleashed dog is illegal, a menace, and danger to others.

Op isn't saying they're going to dog parks to pepper spray unleashed dogs, but most areas prohibit them to be leashed. That responsibility fall on no one else to deal with, but the owner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to many dog training classes. The standard is to walk the dog on your left. Just like you mount the horse on it's left side. So when I used to take a leashed dog to a park I would walk on the left side on a path or trail.

I stopped going to such places due to problems with off leash dogs. I also stopped going to the parks. No need to be approached by an off leash pitbull again.

I grew up with hunting dogs - trained lots of them myself. Yes, it is standard in obedience class to walk the dog on the left but a well trained dog will walk nicely on either side - just as a well trained horse will allow you to mount on either side (we also had horses, I grew up on a large farm. Hunted with the horses and dogs). Everyone I grew up with, and hunted/rode with, made sure their animals were equally comfortable working on left and the right side. It only makes sense because there are many reasons why you wouldn't want to be restricted to using an animal on one side only. Can't speak to service animals.

In this area, most people don't train their dogs at all so I can see why those who do attend an obedience class are told to keep the dog on the left. Consistency is an important part of training and the with the minimal amount people in this area do, it's easier to tell them to keep the dog on the left. I would find it really annoying to have someone walking on the left side of the sidewalk/trail. You're not conforming to trail rules. Just train your dog to walk on the right. It's not hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:My dog is on a perfectly reasonable 5 foot leash. I have PTSD and a bad startle reflex: if she doesn't warn me that you are there, when you brush past me, I'm probably going to hit you. Get some manners and quit crowding people, dammit.

Why does your dog need to "warn" you on public and well-traveled paths? If your PTSD is so bad, you should probably stick to areas where there are not other people. Additionally, your dog doesn't need to "warn" you - unless this is a seeing eye dog, you need to pay attention to your own surroundings.

Because people often come up quickly and from behind. That's her job. If you are close enough for her to reach you, you are passing too close to do so without saying something. And I'm quite likely to hit you, if I'm startled.

Seriously. If you sneak up behind me while you are running and pass within 5' boundary of me, I am assuming you are a mugger/rapist. Maybe I should pepper spray you!

If you think everyone on a very well traveled path in total daylight is a rapist, you are welcome to avoid going on such a path.

Those paths by the way, while for everyone, are primarily for human beings - not dogs.

Yes, but you don't need to pass by so closely that a dog on a short leash could touch you. It's common courtesy. By the same thought process, if you think my docile leashed dog might attack you, you are free to avoid the area, too.

This whole conversation is stupid.

Most paths aren't 5+ feet wide. furthermore, if you're walking on the right but your dog is to the left of you, you're not using common sense or thoughtful etiquette to walk your dog. Or, you have not trained your dog to walk properly alongside an owner/caretaker.

I agree with you that this whole conversation is stupid. There are some considerate dog owners - this thread isn't about them. This is about the selfish assholes that thinks others ought to accommodate their personal pet, instead of understanding the world and public community does not revolve around your pet. The former understand, and aren't replying. The latter know they're assholes, and are defensive about it.

No, I am not an asshole. I leash my current dog and she's too skittish to go to parks with strangers and bicycles so it's really not an issue for us. BUT the OP was being totally irrational by saying s/he would pepper spray a dog that was off-leash but not doing anything to harm/threaten/notice him or her. The OP is the asshole, even though I agree that dogs shouldn't be off leash where it's not permitted.

Incorrect. A dog off leash IS doing something wrong- they are illegal and unrestrained. Or rather, the owner is doing something wrong. Agin, it is not the responsibility of everyone else around to know and accommodate your pet. the other day, a saw a dog off leash weaving in and out of people, causing one person to fall. An unleashed dog is illegal, a menace, and danger to others.

Op isn't saying they're going to dog parks to pepper spray unleashed dogs, but most areas prohibit them to be leashed. That responsibility fall on no one else to deal with, but the owner.

Again, if the dog isn't doing anything offensive, other than being illegally off leash, it is cruel to pepper spray it. I don't understand why you don't get that. Maybe you need to look up what menace means....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you are just gonna go u to dogs minding their own business and mace them? LOL... Let me know how well that works out for ya asshole.

Dogs off their leash are not "minding their own business" - they are a distraction and danger to others.

My mom took DS out for a walk when he was 3. An off-leash dog pounced from behind and bit him. If I was there, I would have killed that dog.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:You're a dick OP. PS dogs can sense your fear and will attack. Stay away.

Huh? So people are not allowed to go out in public if they are afraid of dogs, because then they will be inviting attack? Does that include my 4 yo? Should she "stay away" from public areas until she toughens up?

Or maybe dog owners should take the time to train their dogs.

My 4yo is also really afraid of dogs, and many dog owners just. Do. Not. Get. It. When their dogs bark at her or suddenly move quickly toward her, she gets scared and sometimes starts crying, and the owners' reactions range from amusement to being offended (like their precious pooch would never harm anyone and how could anyone suggest otherwise). One recently told my child "it's just a dog; it's not a big deal." For some reason that really pissed me off. It IS a big deal to my daughter, who is 3.5 feet tall and doesn't understand that a dog barking and lunging toward you doesn't necessarily mean it's going to bite you.

I grew up with dogs. I know they are territorial and they bark. But if you take your dog into public spaces, then you have an obligation to make sure it's trained not to bark and lunge at strange humans. If you're out with your dog, jiggers may come by. It's not up to the jogger to assess your dog's sensitivity; it's up to you to make sure your dog can be around random and unexpected human activity. If the dog can't, then stick to dog parks.

My dog was abused by kids in her former home, so it goes both ways. Toddler and older kids have run toward her without asking permission to approach to pet her and she freaks out. I will control my dog, and you control your kids.

+1. This is my dog exactly. Yes, he looks like a toy & weighs 12 lbs, but I have him on a tight leash for a reason. I can't tell you how many times people, especially kids, dive in to pet him w/o asking. For a dog who was once abused, that is terrifying. We have had him trained multiple times and still work on it, but he'll never get over the abuse so behavior like that seems aggressive to him. Please set an example for your kids by asking if you can pet him & teach your kids to never run up & grab an unknown dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dog is on a perfectly reasonable 5 foot leash. I have PTSD and a bad startle reflex: if she doesn't warn me that you are there, when you brush past me, I'm probably going to hit you. Get some manners and quit crowding people, dammit.

Why does your dog need to "warn" you on public and well-traveled paths? If your PTSD is so bad, you should probably stick to areas where there are not other people. Additionally, your dog doesn't need to "warn" you - unless this is a seeing eye dog, you need to pay attention to your own surroundings.

Because people often come up quickly and from behind. That's her job. If you are close enough for her to reach you, you are passing too close to do so without saying something. And I'm quite likely to hit you, if I'm startled.

Seriously. If you sneak up behind me while you are running and pass within 5' boundary of me, I am assuming you are a mugger/rapist. Maybe I should pepper spray you!

If you think everyone on a very well traveled path in total daylight is a rapist, you are welcome to avoid going on such a path.

Those paths by the way, while for everyone, are primarily for human beings - not dogs.

Yes, but you don't need to pass by so closely that a dog on a short leash could touch you. It's common courtesy. By the same thought process, if you think my docile leashed dog might attack you, you are free to avoid the area, too.

This whole conversation is stupid.

Most paths aren't 5+ feet wide. furthermore, if you're walking on the right but your dog is to the left of you, you're not using common sense or thoughtful etiquette to walk your dog. Or, you have not trained your dog to walk properly alongside an owner/caretaker.

I agree with you that this whole conversation is stupid. There are some considerate dog owners - this thread isn't about them. This is about the selfish assholes that thinks others ought to accommodate their personal pet, instead of understanding the world and public community does not revolve around your pet. The former understand, and aren't replying. The latter know they're assholes, and are defensive about it.

No, I am not an asshole. I leash my current dog and she's too skittish to go to parks with strangers and bicycles so it's really not an issue for us. BUT the OP was being totally irrational by saying s/he would pepper spray a dog that was off-leash but not doing anything to harm/threaten/notice him or her. The OP is the asshole, even though I agree that dogs shouldn't be off leash where it's not permitted.

Incorrect. A dog off leash IS doing something wrong- they are illegal and unrestrained. Or rather, the owner is doing something wrong. Agin, it is not the responsibility of everyone else around to know and accommodate your pet. the other day, a saw a dog off leash weaving in and out of people, causing one person to fall. An unleashed dog is illegal, a menace, and danger to others.

Op isn't saying they're going to dog parks to pepper spray unleashed dogs, but most areas prohibit them to be leashed. That responsibility fall on no one else to deal with, but the owner.

Again, if the dog isn't doing anything offensive, other than being illegally off leash, it is cruel to pepper spray it. I don't understand why you don't get that. Maybe you need to look up what menace means....

Again, your priorities are misplaced. No one needs to wait until a dog snaps or gets super wily before an injury happens. The law is the law. Obey it. There's no reason anyone else has to put up with your risk.