Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:16     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.


Not Op, but my neighborhood has an informal dog park (well area of a park off to the side that owners convene at in the AM on weekdays when kids are not there) and we wouldn’t blame OP, assuming her breed wasn’t aggressive. We’d blame the person who had an aggressive dog. There are no signs banning dogs fwiw, but yes, it’s not an official dog park section.

I’m not sure why some people on here are getting so angry over people using public spaces, and I find it interesting that people can’t think in context. Running your dog with some other well behaved dogs in an area of a park that is empty at certain times of day is not something to get this excited about.


The problem is the dogs being off leash.

It's fine to gather with other dog owners in a park so your dogs can socialize. I don't know anyone who has a problem with this.

OP is wrong for letting her dog off leash (it's against the law) which will make it harder for her to get her dog away if someone tried to attack it. Also, by participating in a group of dog owners letting dogs off leash, this provides cover to someone with an aggressive dog who will do the same. Everyone is doing it, right? Well then what do you do about the idiots with the aggressive, untrained dog who also want to participate in the "informal dog park"? You can't do anything because you are engaging in the exact same behavior.

If everyone leashes their dog, none of these problems exist. Leash your dog.


The problem is people who insist on owning aggressive breed dogs.


THIS
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:15     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.



I think this says more about others than it does OP. If your dog being too close to another dog could result in a ‘blood bath’ then that’s probably not a dog you should own. Why is this so hard for people to admit?


PP here and I don't even have a dog. Off leash dogs create dangerous situations because the owners can't control the dogs if something goes wrong. I have encountered off leash dogs where an aggressive dog is chasing another dog (who is presumably not aggressive since it's running away) and that is a stressful and dangerous situation for all involved. It's terrifying for kids and honestly pretty scary for adults too because it just feels out of control. These are animals.

You might think "oh that's just the fault of the owner of the aggressive dog" but most other people don't view it that way. Yeah, that person sucks but the other owner is also breaking the law and creating a situation where a full on dog fight can happen in a public park. And if the owner of the non-aggressive dog is letting their dog off leash, that creates a situation where the owner of the aggressive dog feels they can get away with it too. It's creating a permissive environment that people will try to take advantage of.

Leash laws exist for a reason and no ones dog is the exception. Just leash your dog. Even your sweet dog could knock over or terrify a little kid if they were startled or excited, so just put your dog on a leash and spare everyone the trouble.


And dog breed bans exist for a reason. Frankly there should be more of them, and shelters should be held liable for letting these aggressive dogs into communities with other pets and children.


You can't solve this problem with breed bans.

Even if you ban the breeds you want to ban, off leash dogs are still a problem because any dog can become aggressive and dangerous if abused or trained into it.

So if you want support for breed bans, that's a separate issue. Make that argument but make it somewhere else. All dogs should be leashed in public parks (and any public area) unless it's a designated dog run (NOT an "informal dog run" that is actually an unfenced part of a multi-use park). It's the law and people who let their dogs off leash in public spaces are putting other people, other dogs, AND their own dog at risk. They are breaking the law.

Leash. Your. Dog. There is no argument here.


No, you can’t fix every issue with breed bans. All dogs may bite. What you continually ignore is that some dog bites are worse than others. You can greatly reduce violent attacks with breed bans. Pretty sure my municipality knows better than you and that is why they banned certain breeds from densely packed housing.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:14     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
A horrible dog owner that did not have his dog on a leash, allowed his large aggressive dog to attack my puppy. And then me as well. He could not get his dog under control, for years my dog was scared of any dog.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:13     Subject: Re:Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Nope. But my dog is a reactive lunatic.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:12     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
I used to let my golden off the leash where it was allowed or in a deep forest. It is not generally allowed in MoCo.
But, we would go a huge nature walks and he would go into a creek nearby and run in the water and then come out. Nobody was ever around us.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:10     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.



I think this says more about others than it does OP. If your dog being too close to another dog could result in a ‘blood bath’ then that’s probably not a dog you should own. Why is this so hard for people to admit?


PP here and I don't even have a dog. Off leash dogs create dangerous situations because the owners can't control the dogs if something goes wrong. I have encountered off leash dogs where an aggressive dog is chasing another dog (who is presumably not aggressive since it's running away) and that is a stressful and dangerous situation for all involved. It's terrifying for kids and honestly pretty scary for adults too because it just feels out of control. These are animals.

You might think "oh that's just the fault of the owner of the aggressive dog" but most other people don't view it that way. Yeah, that person sucks but the other owner is also breaking the law and creating a situation where a full on dog fight can happen in a public park. And if the owner of the non-aggressive dog is letting their dog off leash, that creates a situation where the owner of the aggressive dog feels they can get away with it too. It's creating a permissive environment that people will try to take advantage of.

Leash laws exist for a reason and no ones dog is the exception. Just leash your dog. Even your sweet dog could knock over or terrify a little kid if they were startled or excited, so just put your dog on a leash and spare everyone the trouble.


And dog breed bans exist for a reason. Frankly there should be more of them, and shelters should be held liable for letting these aggressive dogs into communities with other pets and children.


You can't solve this problem with breed bans.

Even if you ban the breeds you want to ban, off leash dogs are still a problem because any dog can become aggressive and dangerous if abused or trained into it.

So if you want support for breed bans, that's a separate issue. Make that argument but make it somewhere else. All dogs should be leashed in public parks (and any public area) unless it's a designated dog run (NOT an "informal dog run" that is actually an unfenced part of a multi-use park). It's the law and people who let their dogs off leash in public spaces are putting other people, other dogs, AND their own dog at risk. They are breaking the law.

Leash. Your. Dog. There is no argument here.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:08     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.


Not Op, but my neighborhood has an informal dog park (well area of a park off to the side that owners convene at in the AM on weekdays when kids are not there) and we wouldn’t blame OP, assuming her breed wasn’t aggressive. We’d blame the person who had an aggressive dog. There are no signs banning dogs fwiw, but yes, it’s not an official dog park section.

I’m not sure why some people on here are getting so angry over people using public spaces, and I find it interesting that people can’t think in context. Running your dog with some other well behaved dogs in an area of a park that is empty at certain times of day is not something to get this excited about.


The problem is the dogs being off leash.

It's fine to gather with other dog owners in a park so your dogs can socialize. I don't know anyone who has a problem with this.

OP is wrong for letting her dog off leash (it's against the law) which will make it harder for her to get her dog away if someone tried to attack it. Also, by participating in a group of dog owners letting dogs off leash, this provides cover to someone with an aggressive dog who will do the same. Everyone is doing it, right? Well then what do you do about the idiots with the aggressive, untrained dog who also want to participate in the "informal dog park"? You can't do anything because you are engaging in the exact same behavior.

If everyone leashes their dog, none of these problems exist. Leash your dog.


The problem is people who insist on owning aggressive breed dogs.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:07     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.



I think this says more about others than it does OP. If your dog being too close to another dog could result in a ‘blood bath’ then that’s probably not a dog you should own. Why is this so hard for people to admit?


PP here and I don't even have a dog. Off leash dogs create dangerous situations because the owners can't control the dogs if something goes wrong. I have encountered off leash dogs where an aggressive dog is chasing another dog (who is presumably not aggressive since it's running away) and that is a stressful and dangerous situation for all involved. It's terrifying for kids and honestly pretty scary for adults too because it just feels out of control. These are animals.

You might think "oh that's just the fault of the owner of the aggressive dog" but most other people don't view it that way. Yeah, that person sucks but the other owner is also breaking the law and creating a situation where a full on dog fight can happen in a public park. And if the owner of the non-aggressive dog is letting their dog off leash, that creates a situation where the owner of the aggressive dog feels they can get away with it too. It's creating a permissive environment that people will try to take advantage of.

Leash laws exist for a reason and no ones dog is the exception. Just leash your dog. Even your sweet dog could knock over or terrify a little kid if they were startled or excited, so just put your dog on a leash and spare everyone the trouble.


And dog breed bans exist for a reason. Frankly there should be more of them, and shelters should be held liable for letting these aggressive dogs into communities with other pets and children.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 10:05     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.



I think this says more about others than it does OP. If your dog being too close to another dog could result in a ‘blood bath’ then that’s probably not a dog you should own. Why is this so hard for people to admit?


I'm confused, if my dog is dangerous to other dogs but I keep them on a leash away from other dogs and your off the leash dog approaches us and my dog attacks, you think it's my fault for owning a dog that will attack a dog that approaches it?


Are you reading what you wrote?? You have a dangerous dog. You shouldn’t own that dog, period. People make mistakes, you will probably make a mistake. And if that mistake is likely to result in blood shed, then no YOU are wrong to have that dog. My neighbors havinese might be annoying to you, but she doesn’t deserve to die bc she got too close to your pit bull.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 09:55     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.



I think this says more about others than it does OP. If your dog being too close to another dog could result in a ‘blood bath’ then that’s probably not a dog you should own. Why is this so hard for people to admit?


PP here and I don't even have a dog. Off leash dogs create dangerous situations because the owners can't control the dogs if something goes wrong. I have encountered off leash dogs where an aggressive dog is chasing another dog (who is presumably not aggressive since it's running away) and that is a stressful and dangerous situation for all involved. It's terrifying for kids and honestly pretty scary for adults too because it just feels out of control. These are animals.

You might think "oh that's just the fault of the owner of the aggressive dog" but most other people don't view it that way. Yeah, that person sucks but the other owner is also breaking the law and creating a situation where a full on dog fight can happen in a public park. And if the owner of the non-aggressive dog is letting their dog off leash, that creates a situation where the owner of the aggressive dog feels they can get away with it too. It's creating a permissive environment that people will try to take advantage of.

Leash laws exist for a reason and no ones dog is the exception. Just leash your dog. Even your sweet dog could knock over or terrify a little kid if they were startled or excited, so just put your dog on a leash and spare everyone the trouble.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 09:50     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.


Not Op, but my neighborhood has an informal dog park (well area of a park off to the side that owners convene at in the AM on weekdays when kids are not there) and we wouldn’t blame OP, assuming her breed wasn’t aggressive. We’d blame the person who had an aggressive dog. There are no signs banning dogs fwiw, but yes, it’s not an official dog park section.

I’m not sure why some people on here are getting so angry over people using public spaces, and I find it interesting that people can’t think in context. Running your dog with some other well behaved dogs in an area of a park that is empty at certain times of day is not something to get this excited about.


The problem is the dogs being off leash.

It's fine to gather with other dog owners in a park so your dogs can socialize. I don't know anyone who has a problem with this.

OP is wrong for letting her dog off leash (it's against the law) which will make it harder for her to get her dog away if someone tried to attack it. Also, by participating in a group of dog owners letting dogs off leash, this provides cover to someone with an aggressive dog who will do the same. Everyone is doing it, right? Well then what do you do about the idiots with the aggressive, untrained dog who also want to participate in the "informal dog park"? You can't do anything because you are engaging in the exact same behavior.

If everyone leashes their dog, none of these problems exist. Leash your dog.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 09:25     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Nope. Never. I've had my dogs attacked twice (over 20 years, so not common, but still not fun). I walk my dog on leash, I hike with him on leash. With pepper spray.

I send him to a farm based doggie day care to romp around and get that freedom.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 09:18     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.



I think this says more about others than it does OP. If your dog being too close to another dog could result in a ‘blood bath’ then that’s probably not a dog you should own. Why is this so hard for people to admit?


I'm confused, if my dog is dangerous to other dogs but I keep them on a leash away from other dogs and your off the leash dog approaches us and my dog attacks, you think it's my fault for owning a dog that will attack a dog that approaches it?
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 09:14     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dh and I do with our dog in a section of a park nearby our home, it’s an informal dog run that all of our neighbors with dogs use. They love the socialization.

But reading the other threads about dog attacks makes me think we should stop.

We have a golden retriever who would never hurt a flea, but I don’t want someone to think because I had my dog off leash that she deserved to be attacked.


OP the answer to your question is that yes, if your dog get attacked at this "informal" (meaning illegal) dog park while off leash, people will blame YOU for your dog being attacked. No one will blame your dog, who isn't making any of these [terrible] choices -- you are. And yes there will also be blame for the owner of the aggressive dog who attacks your dog. But it will be shared with you for doing an irresponsible and illegal thing and leaving your dog off leash.

You are contributing to a potentially dangerous situation by letting your dog off leash, even if your dog is not aggressive. This is on you.



I think this says more about others than it does OP. If your dog being too close to another dog could result in a ‘blood bath’ then that’s probably not a dog you should own. Why is this so hard for people to admit?
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2024 09:13     Subject: Do you let your dog off leash ever?
Np
I take my dog to off leash parks and a trail. He loves to exchange sniffs with all dogs but is too mellow for them, so they are sweet but the strong ones don't initiate play. The tiny ones will want to play and jump around him even though their owners say they are usually not playful. He brings it out in them and just wiggles a bit but still doesn't play as much as socialize sniffing. They are all respectful of each other. There have only been issues with some young massive dogs who don't know how to mix with assorted sizes yet.