Why do you walk your dog off leash?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have no fantasies about hurting any animals. I don't want a dog to put their jaw on my leg again. I'm not going to wait for that to happen next time - if your dog comes right up to me, I will pepper spray it. My safety comes before your dog, always. If you don't care about your dog, if you don't care about others, if you think your laziness and incompetence comes above your own dog or other people, you are a horrible, horrible person.

Well, you know what you narcissistic psycho - it's an assault if you attack my dog unprovoked. And "coming up to you" without more is not a sufficient provocation. So you and your little gaggle of prissy rotten peaches can tut and clutch your pearls all you like about the four pound dog being walked unleashed, but guess who is actually going to get the cops called on them?

No, it's not an assault if I pepper spray your off-leash dog. I have no way of predicting your animal - your legal responsibility is to be in control of your animal at all times. If you're not in control of your animal, good luck trying to explain that to any police officer or animal control officer. Both have explicitly told me that I am well within my rights to pepper spray an unleashed or unrestrained dog if it comes up to me.

Good luck explaining your illegal behavior to the cops - I would love, love to see you try.

It's like hitting somebody with a car because they are jaywalking... you will look lovely in handcuffs.

[Anonymous]

I love dogs. I grew up always owning a dog. And yes, I will hurt your dog if it is off-leash and it comes up to my toddler. She is scared of dogs. Also, she is a toddler, and toddlers and dogs are an incredibly unpredictable combination. We have a field in our local park that little kids can't play on because it has been taken over by people who let their dogs run off-leash illegally.

I don't know your dog. I don't know that they won't bite my kid. And you don't know that, either. So be a responsible dog owner and follow the law and keep your dog on-leash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have no fantasies about hurting any animals. I don't want a dog to put their jaw on my leg again. I'm not going to wait for that to happen next time - if your dog comes right up to me, I will pepper spray it. My safety comes before your dog, always. If you don't care about your dog, if you don't care about others, if you think your laziness and incompetence comes above your own dog or other people, you are a horrible, horrible person.

Well, you know what you narcissistic psycho - it's an assault if you attack my dog unprovoked. And "coming up to you" without more is not a sufficient provocation. So you and your little gaggle of prissy rotten peaches can tut and clutch your pearls all you like about the four pound dog being walked unleashed, but guess who is actually going to get the cops called on them?

No, it's not an assault if I pepper spray your off-leash dog. I have no way of predicting your animal - your legal responsibility is to be in control of your animal at all times. If you're not in control of your animal, good luck trying to explain that to any police officer or animal control officer. Both have explicitly told me that I am well within my rights to pepper spray an unleashed or unrestrained dog if it comes up to me.

Good luck explaining your illegal behavior to the cops - I would love, love to see you try.

It's like hitting somebody with a car because they are jaywalking... you will look lovely in handcuffs.

Dogs are not humans, numbskull.

When you break the law and do something illegal that puts others at danger, you don't think others should be allowed to protect themselves? But you think others are narcissists? Something tells me your entitled attitude persists in other areas of your life, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate this, too. It is unfair to my dog when she is leashed and cannot get away when a strange dog comes charging up at her, friendly or not. You are much more likely to get a defensive/aggressive greeting when one dog is leashed and one is not, than two leashed dogs or two off-leash dogs.

People think they are above the law, or that their dog is good enough to be only under voice command. Perhaps their dog is well-behaved, but I can make no guarantees that my dog won't act aggressively when your dog comes charging up to us (my dog is a friendly Golden Retriever, FWIW) unimpeded.

I'd like to add that I consider dogs at the end of a fully-extended 20' retractable leash are as good as offleashed dogs when you are letting them run up to people and (properly) leashed dogs, all over the sidewalk/trail, and even into the road.

I'm pretty sure most places require nothing more than a 6' leash, and I think in DC it's actually 4'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs. I grew up always owning a dog. And yes, I will hurt your dog if it is off-leash and it comes up to my toddler. She is scared of dogs. Also, she is a toddler, and toddlers and dogs are an incredibly unpredictable combination. We have a field in our local park that little kids can't play on because it has been taken over by people who let their dogs run off-leash illegally.

I don't know your dog. I don't know that they won't bite my kid. And you don't know that, either. So be a responsible dog owner and follow the law and keep your dog on-leash.

So, look, you people are really getting into this "I'm going to hurt your dog" thing. And I think that not only are you a little unclear about what your legal right are. But you're also really stupid about dogs. If a dog approaches your toddler, and scares your toddler, but isn't doing anything other than BEING A DOG - then why don't you guys just get out of the dog's way? What point are you trying to make, being all brave and mamma macho here on DCUM, talking about beating up dogs who haven't done anything except exist nearby to you?

You understand that the best way to avoid getting hurt is to move out of the way, right? If you start acting like a fucking crazy person around my dog, then he is way way more likely to hurt you and your toddler back. You understand this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ But the dog couldn't come up to this poster if you had it responsibly leashed. I will kick any unleashed dog who approaches me. The onus is on the owner for not keeping it leashed and away from others.

No, you morons. It's not. You don't get to just go around kicking and pepper spraying dogs because they are unleashed. THAT IS NOT HOW IT WORKS. You have to have reasonable fear. And the dog existing does not make your fear reasonable.

For the love of society, go talk to your lawyers before leaving the house next. I'm afraid you are going to be characters on season 3 of Orange is the New Black otherwise, you idiots.

Actually, you are the one who's a moron.

If your dog is not on a leash, it is a danger. If you want your dog unleashed, go to the dog park. You are not supposed to be walking your dog around the neighborhood unleashed.

Yes, it's true that I'm not supposed to walk my dog unleashed. (And I don't. I walk my dog on a leash, except in dog parks.)

But let's say that I am walking my dog off-leash. That does not entitle you to take whatever action you want. You understand? You can't go hit my dog with a car on purpose, because you see him walking around off-leash. You can't shoot him with a gun, just because he's off leash. And you're a goddamn idiot if you kick my dog, just because you see him off-leash. You understand? Just like you can't kick me if you see me jaywalking, you can't kick my dog because you see him off leash.

Perhaps the word "approach" hasn't been defined closely enough here, for us to be having an actual conversation. You said you'd kick a dog who "approached" you. Someone else was planning to pepper spray any dog who "approached" her. If by approach you mean is lunging at you, teeth bared, then yes, of course, defend yourself. If you mean that the dog is simply walking around, unleashed, and comes within two feet of you - then no, you are not legally entitled to kick a dog.

You're a moron and cops will laugh at you.

An owner is responsible for their dog at all times. A cop will dismiss you entirely if your dog is off leash. A dog is not a protected class, like human beings. If I pepper spray a raccoon coming towards me, do you think a cop will cite me? Of course not. Your off-leash, unrestrained dog is not different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs. I grew up always owning a dog. And yes, I will hurt your dog if it is off-leash and it comes up to my toddler. She is scared of dogs. Also, she is a toddler, and toddlers and dogs are an incredibly unpredictable combination. We have a field in our local park that little kids can't play on because it has been taken over by people who let their dogs run off-leash illegally.

I don't know your dog. I don't know that they won't bite my kid. And you don't know that, either. So be a responsible dog owner and follow the law and keep your dog on-leash.

So, look, you people are really getting into this "I'm going to hurt your dog" thing. And I think that not only are you a little unclear about what your legal right are. But you're also really stupid about dogs. If a dog approaches your toddler, and scares your toddler, but isn't doing anything other than BEING A DOG - then why don't you guys just get out of the dog's way? What point are you trying to make, being all brave and mamma macho here on DCUM, talking about beating up dogs who haven't done anything except exist nearby to you?

You understand that the best way to avoid getting hurt is to move out of the way, right? If you start acting like a fucking crazy person around my dog, then he is way way more likely to hurt you and your toddler back. You understand this?

Please tell me you're not a dog owner with this careless attitude. You're not cut out for the responsibility of having an animal in your care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs. I grew up always owning a dog. And yes, I will hurt your dog if it is off-leash and it comes up to my toddler. She is scared of dogs. Also, she is a toddler, and toddlers and dogs are an incredibly unpredictable combination. We have a field in our local park that little kids can't play on because it has been taken over by people who let their dogs run off-leash illegally.

I don't know your dog. I don't know that they won't bite my kid. And you don't know that, either. So be a responsible dog owner and follow the law and keep your dog on-leash.

So, look, you people are really getting into this "I'm going to hurt your dog" thing. And I think that not only are you a little unclear about what your legal right are. But you're also really stupid about dogs. If a dog approaches your toddler, and scares your toddler, but isn't doing anything other than BEING A DOG - then why don't you guys just get out of the dog's way? What point are you trying to make, being all brave and mamma macho here on DCUM, talking about beating up dogs who haven't done anything except exist nearby to you?

You understand that the best way to avoid getting hurt is to move out of the way, right? If you start acting like a fucking crazy person around my dog, then he is way way more likely to hurt you and your toddler back. You understand this?

Please tell me you're not a dog owner with this careless attitude. You're not cut out for the responsibility of having an animal in your care.

I am a dog owner. A very responsible one. Who is trying to describe a good way to avoid getting bitten, to a bunch of people who don't seem to know anything about dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering. I don't think the leash will help though. I find my dog on a leash scares the crap out of people even if we are a football field away.

Some people are just afraid of dogs and a leash really does not help with that.

Have you ever heard the phrase you can only control your own reaction to a situation, you can't control others. You may want to work on your own fears, you won't change others.

Except hopefully by having your dog on a leash I know there's at least a chance that your dog can't get to me since you'll hold him back. Even a dog that the owner swears is under voice control can ignore their owner whenever they feel like it and take off if not leashed.

Still does not stop you from being scared. You get the initial gut reaction of "Crap!" when the dog barks and pulls on the leash. The thing is off the leash trained dogs (which use to be legal) are often trained to just sit when they see people, on the leash dogs are never really trained and do that crazy barking pulling thing.

You may want to just learn to be less scared of dogs.

I'm not scared of dogs - I own one. I am scared of unleashed dogs that I don't know. Your off-leash dog may be wonderfully trained, but it only takes once for him to ignore your commands.

Having a dog run off the leash has never been legal in DC or the suburbs in any dog's lifetime. Keep your damn dog on its leash.

It was legal in moco 10 years ago.

And it's legal in New York City--including Central Park--until 9 a.m.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have no fantasies about hurting any animals. I don't want a dog to put their jaw on my leg again. I'm not going to wait for that to happen next time - if your dog comes right up to me, I will pepper spray it. My safety comes before your dog, always. If you don't care about your dog, if you don't care about others, if you think your laziness and incompetence comes above your own dog or other people, you are a horrible, horrible person.

Well, you know what you narcissistic psycho - it's an assault if you attack my dog unprovoked. And "coming up to you" without more is not a sufficient provocation. So you and your little gaggle of prissy rotten peaches can tut and clutch your pearls all you like about the four pound dog being walked unleashed, but guess who is actually going to get the cops called on them?

No, it's not an assault if I pepper spray your off-leash dog. I have no way of predicting your animal - your legal responsibility is to be in control of your animal at all times. If you're not in control of your animal, good luck trying to explain that to any police officer or animal control officer. Both have explicitly told me that I am well within my rights to pepper spray an unleashed or unrestrained dog if it comes up to me.

Good luck explaining your illegal behavior to the cops - I would love, love to see you try.

What kind of person is so adamanat about their right to pepper spray a dog who comes up to them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs. I grew up always owning a dog. And yes, I will hurt your dog if it is off-leash and it comes up to my toddler. She is scared of dogs. Also, she is a toddler, and toddlers and dogs are an incredibly unpredictable combination. We have a field in our local park that little kids can't play on because it has been taken over by people who let their dogs run off-leash illegally.

I don't know your dog. I don't know that they won't bite my kid. And you don't know that, either. So be a responsible dog owner and follow the law and keep your dog on-leash.

So, look, you people are really getting into this "I'm going to hurt your dog" thing. And I think that not only are you a little unclear about what your legal right are. But you're also really stupid about dogs. If a dog approaches your toddler, and scares your toddler, but isn't doing anything other than BEING A DOG - then why don't you guys just get out of the dog's way? What point are you trying to make, being all brave and mamma macho here on DCUM, talking about beating up dogs who haven't done anything except exist nearby to you?

You understand that the best way to avoid getting hurt is to move out of the way, right? If you start acting like a fucking crazy person around my dog, then he is way way more likely to hurt you and your toddler back. You understand this?

Please tell me you're not a dog owner with this careless attitude. You're not cut out for the responsibility of having an animal in your care.

I am a dog owner. A very responsible one. Who is trying to describe a good way to avoid getting bitten, to a bunch of people who don't seem to know anything about dogs.

The responsibility of not getting bitten falls 1000% on a dog owner, 1000% of the time. Get a good dog trainer, be in total command of your animal at all times, and stop making your pet the burden of others. Dogs are NEVER the burden of someone else, no matter what excuses you want to make. It's the responsibility of the owner/caretaker to get out of the way, restrain their dog, and change their route. Owning a dog is a big responsibility, not a right to go wherever you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have no fantasies about hurting any animals. I don't want a dog to put their jaw on my leg again. I'm not going to wait for that to happen next time - if your dog comes right up to me, I will pepper spray it. My safety comes before your dog, always. If you don't care about your dog, if you don't care about others, if you think your laziness and incompetence comes above your own dog or other people, you are a horrible, horrible person.

Well, you know what you narcissistic psycho - it's an assault if you attack my dog unprovoked. And "coming up to you" without more is not a sufficient provocation. So you and your little gaggle of prissy rotten peaches can tut and clutch your pearls all you like about the four pound dog being walked unleashed, but guess who is actually going to get the cops called on them?

No, it's not an assault if I pepper spray your off-leash dog. I have no way of predicting your animal - your legal responsibility is to be in control of your animal at all times. If you're not in control of your animal, good luck trying to explain that to any police officer or animal control officer. Both have explicitly told me that I am well within my rights to pepper spray an unleashed or unrestrained dog if it comes up to me.

Good luck explaining your illegal behavior to the cops - I would love, love to see you try.

It's like hitting somebody with a car because they are jaywalking... you will look lovely in handcuffs.

Dogs are not humans, numbskull.

When you break the law and do something illegal that puts others at danger, you don't think others should be allowed to protect themselves? But you think others are narcissists? Something tells me your entitled attitude persists in other areas of your life, too.

No. I work for a state park, I have to deal with nut jobs like you every day. The State Trooper will arrest you if you abuse a dog. Sorry!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have no fantasies about hurting any animals. I don't want a dog to put their jaw on my leg again. I'm not going to wait for that to happen next time - if your dog comes right up to me, I will pepper spray it. My safety comes before your dog, always. If you don't care about your dog, if you don't care about others, if you think your laziness and incompetence comes above your own dog or other people, you are a horrible, horrible person.

Well, you know what you narcissistic psycho - it's an assault if you attack my dog unprovoked. And "coming up to you" without more is not a sufficient provocation. So you and your little gaggle of prissy rotten peaches can tut and clutch your pearls all you like about the four pound dog being walked unleashed, but guess who is actually going to get the cops called on them?

No, it's not an assault if I pepper spray your off-leash dog. I have no way of predicting your animal - your legal responsibility is to be in control of your animal at all times. If you're not in control of your animal, good luck trying to explain that to any police officer or animal control officer. Both have explicitly told me that I am well within my rights to pepper spray an unleashed or unrestrained dog if it comes up to me.

Good luck explaining your illegal behavior to the cops - I would love, love to see you try.

What kind of person is so adamanat about their right to pepper spray a dog who comes up to them?

People who've had dogs lunge at them or leap on them or put teeth on them. I'd never just go up to a dog and pepper spray it. But if it comes up to me, against the responsibility of its owner, especially when the owner is breaking the law, I have a right to be proactive about protecting myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have no fantasies about hurting any animals. I don't want a dog to put their jaw on my leg again. I'm not going to wait for that to happen next time - if your dog comes right up to me, I will pepper spray it. My safety comes before your dog, always. If you don't care about your dog, if you don't care about others, if you think your laziness and incompetence comes above your own dog or other people, you are a horrible, horrible person.

Well, you know what you narcissistic psycho - it's an assault if you attack my dog unprovoked. And "coming up to you" without more is not a sufficient provocation. So you and your little gaggle of prissy rotten peaches can tut and clutch your pearls all you like about the four pound dog being walked unleashed, but guess who is actually going to get the cops called on them?

No, it's not an assault if I pepper spray your off-leash dog. I have no way of predicting your animal - your legal responsibility is to be in control of your animal at all times. If you're not in control of your animal, good luck trying to explain that to any police officer or animal control officer. Both have explicitly told me that I am well within my rights to pepper spray an unleashed or unrestrained dog if it comes up to me.

Good luck explaining your illegal behavior to the cops - I would love, love to see you try.

It's like hitting somebody with a car because they are jaywalking... you will look lovely in handcuffs.

Dogs are not humans, numbskull.

When you break the law and do something illegal that puts others at danger, you don't think others should be allowed to protect themselves? But you think others are narcissists? Something tells me your entitled attitude persists in other areas of your life, too.

No. I work for a state park, I have to deal with nut jobs like you every day. The State Trooper will arrest you if you abuse a dog. Sorry!

Protecting yourself against freely roaming animals coming up to you is not "abuse." There is no state trooper that will ever enforce something so absurd.

[Anonymous]

A lunging dog is one thing. But a dog that just comes up to you?

People need to get a grip.