Washington DC needs places for dogs to run off leash

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

I go to NYC often andi don’t think I’ve run into off leash dogs in the middle of the street. DC has its own special ring level of hell owners and nasty dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

The problem with this is, that those of us who own smaller dogs and also walk during those time - 6am to 9am - now do not feel safe walking the dog. Not to mention leash reactivity when an unleashed dog bounds up. We would like to enjoy the park during those before work hours as well. This is not a solution in a city. Your dog can still get exercise on a leash (but for the love of God not a retractable).

[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.

Not a sock puppet is neither is the other guy. I promise you I will break your face if you step towards me after I kick your POS. I will enjoy it tremendously too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

The problem with this is, that those of us who own smaller dogs and also walk during those time - 6am to 9am - now do not feel safe walking the dog. Not to mention leash reactivity when an unleashed dog bounds up. We would like to enjoy the park during those before work hours as well. This is not a solution in a city. Your dog can still get exercise on a leash (but for the love of God not a retractable).

But in NYC its entirely possible to avoid the off leash areas and still enjoy the park. I don't know DC's park system, maybe there truly isn't a park large enough to accommodate everyone--off-leash dogs, on-leash dogs, runners, cyclists, etc., but it works here, in a much more populous city than DC.

[Anonymous]

"Pets must be on a physical leash no longer than six feet at all times"-- National Park Service policy at SNP

Please leash your dogs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The chain fence dog parks don’t work. Other big cities like New York and San Francisco have places where dogs can run free. Central Park is open to dogs off leash in the morning and the evening. There are tens of thousands of dog owners in dc and they deserve a place to legally run their dogs. I wish someone in dc government would coordinate with the feds to set aside a 10 or 20 acres somewhere in this green city

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I love all the people who think I moved to dc. I was born and raised in this city and lived here my whole life. I walk my dog off leash and always will. And thanks for all the insufferable responses. Now when someone yells at me to put my dog on a leash, I’ll feel more comfortable telling them/you to stfu.

And this is why people hate "dog people"
so entitled
so obnoxious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come out to the burbs on the weekends... or find a quiet area of rock creek park to walk your dog off leash.

No, don't. Rock Creek park users DO NOT want your dog off leash. Plus, it's illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I love all the people who think I moved to dc. I was born and raised in this city and lived here my whole life. I walk my dog off leash and always will. And thanks for all the insufferable responses. Now when someone yells at me to put my dog on a leash, I’ll feel more comfortable telling them/you to stfu.

And this is why people hate "dog people"
so entitled
so obnoxious

+1
we all hate dog owners like this. You are in the wrong.

[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.

If there was a designated area for dogs to be off-leash, it would effectively be a dog park. You wouldn't be alone with your reactive dog in this spot that OP is envisioning. If your dog can't handle a dog park it can't handle an off-leash area inside a densely populated city either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

The problem with this is, that those of us who own smaller dogs and also walk during those time - 6am to 9am - now do not feel safe walking the dog. Not to mention leash reactivity when an unleashed dog bounds up. We would like to enjoy the park during those before work hours as well. This is not a solution in a city. Your dog can still get exercise on a leash (but for the love of God not a retractable).

But in NYC its entirely possible to avoid the off leash areas and still enjoy the park. I don't know DC's park system, maybe there truly isn't a park large enough to accommodate everyone--off-leash dogs, on-leash dogs, runners, cyclists, etc., but it works here, in a much more populous city than DC.

I think the density of NYC is a reason why you can argue in favor of designating more areas as off-leash at certain times. If you live in a super dense city with a dog, where you almost certainly live in an apartment on a densely populated street, having an outlet like a Central Park to take your dog off-leash, even if only in a designated area at a designated time, is a godsend.

DC is simply not that dense and there are tons of dog parks in the city. Most of DC looks more like Queens in terms of density. -- it's only a few places where the density even comes close to approximating Manhattan.

And even in denser areas, people sort it out in a way that satisfies 99% of people. I live in Capitol Hill, which is comprised of tightly packed row homes and small apartment buildings, but few real yards. Lots of people bring their dogs to Lincoln Park, which is multi-use. People will let their dogs off leash in a judicious way, especially during that post-work dog walking hour. Everyone is respectful and I've never heard anyone complain about the off leash dogs. Sometimes a dog is a little more excitable or aggressive, and people will politely ask that the owner leash him, and usually they will! It's very respectful.

I think OP needs to try harder. DC is a great place to have a dog, but you have to put some effort into figuring out where to take the dog and how to get the most out of the city. You can't just assume everyone is going to accommodate you. Having a dog is personal lifestyle choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

I go to NYC often andi don’t think I’ve run into off leash dogs in the middle of the street. DC has its own special ring level of hell owners and nasty dogs.

You are dumb. And you can’t read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

The problem with this is, that those of us who own smaller dogs and also walk during those time - 6am to 9am - now do not feel safe walking the dog. Not to mention leash reactivity when an unleashed dog bounds up. We would like to enjoy the park during those before work hours as well. This is not a solution in a city. Your dog can still get exercise on a leash (but for the love of God not a retractable).
But in NYC its entirely possible to avoid the off leash areas and still enjoy the park. I don't know DC's park system, maybe there truly isn't a park large enough to accommodate everyone--off-leash dogs, on-leash dogs, runners, cyclists, etc., but it works here, in a much more populous city than DC.

I think the density of NYC is a reason why you can argue in favor of designating more areas as off-leash at certain times. If you live in a super dense city with a dog, where you almost certainly live in an apartment on a densely populated street, having an outlet like a Central Park to take your dog off-leash, even if only in a designated area at a designated time, is a godsend.

DC is simply not that dense and there are tons of dog parks in the city. Most of DC looks more like Queens in terms of density. -- it's only a few places where the density even comes close to approximating Manhattan.

And even in denser areas, people sort it out in a way that satisfies 99% of people. I live in Capitol Hill, which is comprised of tightly packed row homes and small apartment buildings, but few real yards. Lots of people bring their dogs to Lincoln Park, which is multi-use. People will let their dogs off leash in a judicious way, especially during that post-work dog walking hour. Everyone is respectful and I've never heard anyone complain about the off leash dogs. Sometimes a dog is a little more excitable or aggressive, and people will politely ask that the owner leash him, and usually they will! It's very respectful.

I think OP needs to try harder. DC is a great place to have a dog, but you have to put some effort into figuring out where to take the dog and how to get the most out of the city. You can't just assume everyone is going to accommodate you. Having a dog is personal lifestyle choice.

Right now it works for me. I walk my dog in many parks,
Almost always off leash. I was only suggesting that we should bring some rationale to the current situation by acknowledging hundreds of dogs are walkingg off leash every day. Why not set up hours like they do in NYC or places like they do in SF where dogs can really run off leash. There is plenty of room here.

[Anonymous]

Every time my neighbor let his dog outside off lease, I reported him. I only had to do it a couple times and the neighbor stopped doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Thank you. I am not a fan of dogs and hate dogs off leash. I appreciate you being a responsible dog owner.