Washington DC needs places for dogs to run off leash

[Anonymous]

Responsible dog owner here. Please stop letting your dogs off leash in Rock Creek Park, Meridian Hill, and Fort Reno. There are children, runners, and others trying to use the park without being chased or approached. Not everyone loves dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is stupid. I have a big dog and live in an apartment. I bring him to the dog park and walk/run him. He gets plenty of exercise.

+1

What's wrong with the dog parks?

Dog parks can be dangerous and not every dog does well in them. These issues can develop later in life and are not always known when the dog is adopted/purchased.

So "not every dog does well in dog parks" translates to the city should set aside 10-20 acres for dogs to run off leash?

That's idiotic.

No. New York allows it in Central Park. San Francisco allows off leash several unfenced areas. No reason there couldn’t be similar arrangements in dc which has a lot of park. NYC allows dogs off leash during restricted hours. That could work all over dc too. But keep your mind closed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that's cool--you should definitely buy some land in DC and make it happen! you can get almost an acre on Linnean St. NW for about $3.6 million, or this in upper NW https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/5738-Oregon-Ave-NW-20015/home/9993474

Or there are two smaller parcels in Lily Ponds for a total of $185k--if you got 200 dog owners to chip in $1000 each you'd be set including transfer and property taxes.

OR we can keep doing what we are doing and use every park in the city as a place to walk off leash. I'm trying to acknowledge reality. There are several parks that are defacto dog parks where dogs run off leash. Im' just suggesting that some order be brought to the situation. but what ever, if nobody wants to have a rational discussion, I will keep letting my dogs off leash where they will freak you all out. Because 90 percent of you all don't even go outside and are terrified of the animals of all kinds including squirrels and turtles.

Oh, we see you now, OP. You are already an owner who doesn’t use a leash. Why does that not surprise.

Yep. And since the city won't buy you a backyard, you're threatening to break the law even more, and insulting people who think you should follow the leash laws. Definitely a persuasive argument.

I have a large backyard. And I still need a spot to walk dogs off leash.

[Anonymous]

Sniffspot.

[Anonymous]

I've kicked no less than 20 of leash dogs in the last two years. Once in Shennadoah NP I beat one over the head with a large stick as it's owner screamed "It's friendly". Split its head wide open.

IDGAF if you think it's friendly. My kids don't know that and don't have to suffer fear because youre an asshat.

Enjoy paying for the stiches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've kicked no less than 20 of leash dogs in the last two years. Once in Shennadoah NP I beat one over the head with a large stick as it's owner screamed "It's friendly". Split its head wide open.

IDGAF if you think it's friendly. My kids don't know that and don't have to suffer fear because youre an asshat.

Enjoy paying for the stiches.

Liar, liar pants on fire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've kicked no less than 20 of leash dogs in the last two years. Once in Shennadoah NP I beat one over the head with a large stick as it's owner screamed "It's friendly". Split its head wide open.

IDGAF if you think it's friendly. My kids don't know that and don't have to suffer fear because youre an asshat.

Enjoy paying for the stiches.

Liar, liar pants on fire.

I believe him. I've seen plenty of hikers in SNP kick off leash dogs and yell at their owners. Like, literally every time I've been there. The offender is always some white, 20s college age kid that just reeks of privilege.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've kicked no less than 20 of leash dogs in the last two years. Once in Shennadoah NP I beat one over the head with a large stick as it's owner screamed "It's friendly". Split its head wide open.

IDGAF if you think it's friendly. My kids don't know that and don't have to suffer fear because youre an asshat.

Enjoy paying for the stiches.

Liar, liar pants on fire.

I believe him. I've seen plenty of hikers in SNP kick off leash dogs and yell at their owners. Like, literally every time I've been there. The offender is always some white, 20s college age kid that just reeks of privilege.

You are a sock puppet. In decades of walking dogs, I have never seen anyone kick a dog. If you kick my dog, I will kick you and i promise you don’t want that if you have far to walk.

[Anonymous]

you live in a city. you dont have a right to let your dogs run off leash anywhere. move to the countryside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is stupid. I have a big dog and live in an apartment. I bring him to the dog park and walk/run him. He gets plenty of exercise.

+1

What's wrong with the dog parks?

Dog parks can be dangerous and not every dog does well in them. These issues can develop later in life and are not always known when the dog is adopted/purchased.

Lol at a dog that doesn’t “do well” in a dog park that will somehow be safer for the community running off leash around children, etc

[Anonymous]

Last year an off leash dog sprinted up to my running around 5 year old and bit him straight through his pants, he was bleeding and screaming. “He has always been so friendly!!”

Now I carry mace and if an off leash dog approaches my kids I mace it. I don’t care how friendly you say he is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year an off leash dog sprinted up to my running around 5 year old and bit him straight through his pants, he was bleeding and screaming. “He has always been so friendly!!”

Now I carry mace and if an off leash dog approaches my kids I mace it. I don’t care how friendly you say he is.

This right here I did kick the dog who jumped on my 2 year old. I also carry mace and pick up a stick in case I see an off the leash dog. These experiences have made me despise dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've kicked no less than 20 of leash dogs in the last two years. Once in Shennadoah NP I beat one over the head with a large stick as it's owner screamed "It's friendly". Split its head wide open.

IDGAF if you think it's friendly. My kids don't know that and don't have to suffer fear because youre an asshat.

Enjoy paying for the stiches.

Liar, liar pants on fire.

I believe him. I've seen plenty of hikers in SNP kick off leash dogs and yell at their owners. Like, literally every time I've been there. The offender is always some white, 20s college age kid that just reeks of privilege.

You are a sock puppet. In decades of walking dogs, I have never seen anyone kick a dog. If you kick my dog, I will kick you and i promise you don’t want that if you have far to walk.

If your dog is off leash and comes running at me, you better believe I will kick it.

[Anonymous]

I’m a little surprised by all the vitriol towards this idea. I live in NYC, a much more densely populated urban area than DC, and the two main parks, Central and Prospect, both have off leash hours in certain areas of the park, 6 am to 9 am, and after 9 pm, I believe (though I never take my dog into the park that late).

For all the people complaining about DC residents letting their dogs run off leash at all hours and locations, I think this would actually alleviate that problem. I only let my dog off leash in the designated times and locations, but if there were no place for him to truly stretch his legs (and a small fenced dog park is not the same), I would probably occasionally take my chances just whenever. Offering dogs a specific time to let their zoomies out cuts down on round the clock loose dogs.

Is there no park large enough in DC to allow an area for dogs to run early in the morning, before it gets busy?

[Anonymous]

protip...don't own a dog in a city where it cannot live the way it was intended.