Off leash dogs at public playgrounds – anyone tackled this problem?

[Anonymous]

hmmmm, i'm a dogowner who loves to let the dog offleash. i've been known to let the dog offleash where it's not strictly legal, but i would never in a million years do it where there might be kids around who aren't socialized to dogs. i occasionally let kids play with my dog in the dogpark if i can closely supervise, and i now know exactly how she behaves with them. my dog is definitely NOT perfectly responsive to voice commands when excited and will definitely chase a running, squealing kid (who, to her doggie mind, OBVIOUSLY wants to play). so, i tend to think this is pretty irresponsible behavior for all but the most sedate and well-trained dogs. if i were you, OP, i would try politely asking first - bringing it up at community meeting or something if there is an appropriate forum? or just approaching people individually. if that doesn't work, start calling the nonemergency number for the cops.

I agree with this for the most part, except, of course, I never let my dog off leash in a playground area where kids are expected to play. If she is off leash, it is in a dogpark or area empty of any play area. If another dog, or human, that we don't know very well, comes into the area, I immediately leash my people-and-animal-loving-dog because, well, no matter how well you want to know your dog, they are still animals and I don't wish to take a chance on anyone's safety.

That said, I don't have much sympathy for people who hate that dogs relieve themselves outside. They do. I pick up, every time. If your kid wanders in the woods where the essence of my dog was, well, that's the price of living on planet Earth. As long as I'm not allowing my dog to leave her business in the playground, you have nothing to complain about.

[Anonymous]

Man, my sympathy. My dog loves kids and would probably fall on his back and wiggle his belly for scratches if he encountered them off leash...but is rather scared of off leash dogs and loses his little doggy mind when they run up to him, barks and lunges etc. As dogs approach I always say, "mine's scared of off leash dogs, could you call yours back" and the owners pretty much NEVER are able to recall their dogs. So, I entirely get why one wouldn't trust the "voice control" part of the MoCo rule. (Although, given what a large county it it, it kind of makes sense. I can see some rural areas where it's probably not that big a deal.)