Unleashed Dogs: Should I Keep Confronting Owners, and If So, How? (Arlington: law, safe)

[ICS67]

Originally Posted by guilliam

Carlingtonian, if the dog is not being a nuisance and the owner appears to be able to control the dog, what business is it of yours whether it's on a leash or not? WHy are you such a busybody? Don't you have more important things to worry about than hassling someone out playing with their dog? Sheeesh.

How, exactly, is anybody else supposed to know whether a dog off the leash is able to be controlled or not? Whether you want to admit it or not, there are a lot of people who are afraid of dogs.

If anyone wants their dog off the leash, that's what dog parks are for.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by ICS67

How, exactly, is anybody else supposed to know whether a dog off the leash is able to be controlled or not? Whether you want to admit it or not, there are a lot of people who are afraid of dogs.

If anyone wants their dog off the leash, that's what dog parks are for.

And even if they're not afraid, that dog would have to be 100% perfect to never walk in anyone's planters, not chase the squirrel across the street, not come towards my dog when she's barking her head off 'cause she's a reactive brat, not freak out when a non-monitored child runs up to the dog and throws his/her arms around it, etc.

Most dogs aren't there.

I teach dog training classes, and am shocked how many people can't read stress or anxiety or "rude" behavior in their own dog.

[jillabean]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

My dog is absolutely treated as a "person in a fur suit" (my fur-baby!) but that's WHY i walk her on a leash. Because I'd be devastated if anything happened to her.

It helps that she's reactive, too. I know if a motorcycle or large truck drives by, she'll be at the end of the leash barking trying to chase down the offender (though if she ever got close she'd just cower in fear). I just don't trust my surroundings enough to believe that none of her trigger objects will be around the next corner.

I envy people who have their dog under 100% voice control. Unfortunately, I believe most dogs are under 90% (or 70%) voice control, and eventually the limit will be tested.

But you understand your person in a fur suit is a different animal than us and they don't exactly think and react the same way as we do (you demonstrate that knowledge with your example). I am talking about the people out there who just don't realize that dogs just think differently than people--despite our anthropomorphism of them.

And you are right about voice control too. Even highly trained police dogs get out of control once in a while (not often, and action is usually taken afterwards). But even if these professionally trained, very intelligent dogs can "lose control" so can regular house pets. No dog is perfect.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/poli...er-1376724.php

Greenwich woman was attacked by a Stamford police dog while jogging by a Stamford police officer's home in the Glenville section of town early Monday evening, police said.

The police dog named McGee, has been taken out of service and will never return to the Stamford police department, Chief Robert Nivakoff said.



As the 140-pound woman was running by the officer's home on Stonehedge Drive, in Greenwich at about 6:45 p.m., Stamford police dog McGee was unleashed and being put in the patrol cruiser of Stamford police Sgt. Richard Phelan, according to a Greenwich police report of the incident.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by jillabean

But you understand your person in a fur suit is a different animal than us and they don't exactly think and react the same way as we do (you demonstrate that knowledge with your example). I am talking about the people out there who just don't realize that dogs just think differently than people--despite our anthropomorphism of them.

Ah, yes, that makes sense.

[VACollegeStudent]

I don’t know if this law can ever be fully enforced I know from experience that unleashed dogs can be Dangerous. My dad took my whole family on a trip walking through the forest somewhere close to DC. My family and I were having the time of our lives bonding, talking, and just enjoying nature. We start walking up this hill and all of a sudden a pit bull with no leash comes charging at us! The owners were on horses and it was a family of three. The dog was growling and barking my sister stood behind me shaking i scared and shaking but felt i needed to protect her, so i didnt move or run! My mom was almost in tears thinking this dog was going to kill one of us, my dad former military had a huge stick and wasn’t going to let this dog harm any of his family without getting harmed also. The owners sat on their horses telling the dog "calm down" "he is friendly don’t worry" etc. I didn’t even have the energy to be angry at their pure ignorance because the dog was FOAMING at the mouth barking. This went on for 5 minutes and FINALLY the pit bull ran past us and they said sorry and followed the dog with their horses. So lets analyze the situation, maybe the dog thought he was the pack leader and wanted to show us, maybe the dog thought we were a threat, maybe the dog was just saying hello in a angry tone? In the end I don’t care what the dog was doing and I will never know because I don’t speak dog. So now I have a fear of unleashed dogs, heck have a fear of leashed dogs.....so if you think (two posters defended having their dogs unleashed) you are okay because YOU trained your dog what about me? I don’t know if you are a ! Student, what if you trained your dog to a C standard and he acts up some of the time but not all so he is trained. You need not be selfish, and know that animals come with a great amount of responsibility, one of the many are leashing them in public ALWAYS! I am not a victim though trust me i jog avidly 3 times a week and always look for a escape route if I come across a dog, and also sticks or my legs are a great defense! If you want to walk your dog without a leash i will not be threated just aware and ready to kick your dog in the face if he trys harming me! This is so sad though because its not the dogs fault(i wont kick unless i feel i will be harmed, reference the instance above ^^^)!

lol dont even get me started on the owners not picking up there poop, i may write another book like this post lol

[roninsedge]

I had an unleashed small to mid-sized dog run barking up to my daughter just last night as I was taking her out of the car to go home. I didn't recognize the dog, so guess who got a boot to the face? The owner of said dog came up to me highly agitated and wanted to know why I kicked their dog. I told them calmly, I didn't know them or their dog and would do it again if I felt my daughter was threatened. They wanted to call the police about the animal abuse that I perpetrated and I gave them my phone and said go for it. I also reminded them that there is a leash law in PWC and in our development. After a few choice words from them about how I could ever harm such a sweet dog and a couple of my neighbors who were taking their pits, on leashes, for their evening stroll coming by to see the commotion. They calmed down and drug their dog away before the pits went to town on their little yippy dog. I find it highly ironic that this happened while this thread was popular.

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

I glanced at this thread,
saw "my person in a fur suit"
and could not go any further.

Ugh.
Hoping the "my pet is my furbaby" thing will come to an end in the near future.
I've had pets and yes, they are like family and you love them,
but the "furbaby" phrase and general idea is just awful and silly.

You have a pet. There ya go.

Topic? I too get tongue-tied when I see a dog off its leash, especially around my kids.
I want to say "Hey, why isn't your dog on a leash?? There are kids over here!" but I just feel mumbly. Must get over that.

(well, I would get over it REALLY quickly if the dog were acting aggressive, of course,
but to be safe I should come up with something regardless, I know.)

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by roninsedge

I had an unleashed small to mid-sized dog run barking up to my daughter just last night as I was taking her out of the car to go home. I didn't recognize the dog, so guess who got a boot to the face? The owner of said dog came up to me highly agitated and wanted to know why I kicked their dog. I told them calmly, I didn't know them or their dog and would do it again if I felt my daughter was threatened. They wanted to call the police about the animal abuse that I perpetrated and I gave them my phone and said go for it. I also reminded them that there is a leash law in PWC and in our development. After a few choice words from them about how I could ever harm such a sweet dog and a couple of my neighbors who were taking their pits, on leashes, for their evening stroll coming by to see the commotion. They calmed down and drug their dog away before the pits went to town on their little yippy dog. I find it highly ironic that this happened while this thread was popular.

Applause! Applause!

My sentiments exactly. I've had to do this in the past and will not hesitate to do it again if threatened by an unleashed dog.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

I'm amazed at the naivete of anyone who would ever utter the words "my dog would never."

That is the basic justification that the "live wild and free" crowd use for not using a leash.

I don't care how well trained a dog is, or what their average disposition may be. Under the right circumstances even the most seemingly "mellow" beginner dog can react in some new way to a set of stimuli. You just never know.

[stpickrell]

Leash laws are part of the price of living in high density housing. You want your dog leash-free? Go and buy 5+ acres out in Linden.