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I'm getting really sick and tired of the idiots around here not putting their dogs on leash when out with their dogs. It makes it really difficult for me to walk my boy dog who does not like other dogs. He's had dogs his own size run up on him, he's had little dogs run up on him, and so far he's only mouthed, never broke skin, but why must his limits be tested by morons who shouldn't own dogs?
Three times in this week alone I've encountered idiots in my complex walking their dogs around with no leash. Not one of those dogs is trained. I talked to the apartment asst. manager about it, but it doesn't matter how many times they put out the rule in their monthly flyer thing that they give to everyone, people continue to let their dogs off leash here.
The first one was an older dog, probably very friendly, and after he defecated all over my yard, he caught up to his owner who was paying absolutely no attention to him. Meanwhile, inside, my boy dog is about to break the front window. Had a conversation with her, and the response I got was the typical whining bs that I'm sick to death of hearing. I have to tell these idiots that not every dog likes other dogs, and if their dog comes up to mine, while he's on a leash, their dog will get attacked. It has already happened with two little chihuahuas from a neighbor who used to open the door and let her little dogs out, unsupervised, no fence, nothing. One of the little midget dogs decided he was big enough to take on my boy, and despite my best efforts to avoid this confrontation, when a little dog runs circles around and around you, it's hard to keep a fight from happening. So he got his fight. Thankfully my dog has learned some bite control along the way and did not break skin, and the neighbor apologized profusely (at least they owned up to it being their fault), but are their dogs on leash now?
No.
Because people are stupid.
Today, I got to experience another moron. I was getting out of my car, and there's a husky pup (teen really) wandering around on his own, no collar, no tags, nothing. Out of the laundry room comes the owner. I ask if that was his dog, did he know that they are supposed to be on leash, etc, and he actually said;
"My dog is licensed not to be on a leash."
I mean, he just pulled that fresh out of his backside.
I told him, as I do everyone else, not all dogs like other dogs, and if your dog comes up to my dog, there's going to be a fight.
"My dog wouldn't do that. And he would never fight another dog."
Uh, have you never had a dog before? Do you know nothing about dogs? This is a puppy/teen, he's going to get curious. I reiterate to the idiot that there's going to be a fight.
"That's why your dog should be on a leash."
I reiterated yet again, that if I'm walking my dog, on leash, as I always do, and his dog comes up to mine, there's going to be a fight. Get your damn dog on a leash. It's the rules of the complex, it's the rules in the city, and it's safer for his dog.
His reply? "It's fine, my dog knows how to fight."
You know, after telling me his dog would never fight another dog.
As I walked away, I once again repeated that his dog needs to be on leash, and if I'm walking my dog and his approaches mine, there's going to be a fight, and it will be on him, not me.
As I was walking away, his dog followed me. I heard the idiot calling for his dog to come back. He kept calling, even yelled, 'LISTEN!'
I said, loudly, without turning around, "Yeah, GREAT recall there. Your dog doesn't even listen to you, you fricken moron."
And it absolutely justified what I was saying.
Why this irritates me to no end: It makes me apprehensive when I need to take my dog for a walk and dogs can feel that. I feel like he doesn't get as much walking time as I'd like him to have because I never know when we are going to encounter yet another off leash dog. Even when I go out of my neighborhood, these stupid people can't keep their dogs on leash.
Second, if there is a fight, the other dog pays for it, my dog pays for it, all because someone is too damn lazy to spend $15 on a fricken leash.
Since the apartment complex doesn't seem willing to do much more besides write the rule again and again in the flyer, (despite the fact that I give them descriptions of the dog and the owner every time), what else can be done?
I don't want to have to wait until AFTER the fact, I'd like to be proactive....
And right in the middle of typing out that sentence, my dogs about lost their damn minds and were hurling themselves at the front window. I opened the door to see what the hell, and guess what. The pup/teen dog was still roaming around all by itself, all over the complex, and came up to my yard.
Anyway, I could call the police but they don't seem to care about anything that is small. I could call animal control, but by the time they get anywhere, the stupid owner has usually taken care of the roaming dog, plus I don't know the guy's name or his dog's name or even what apartment he lives in. But maybe I'm unaware of something I can do. Does anyone have any suggestions or know what can be done?
Yeah that will not work as just try to find a place where you do not have people that seem to feel their dog(s) do not need to be on leash. I will walk my dogs off leash when we are up in the empty pasture or beach but when around other people, dogs or traffic they are on leash and unlike so many off leash dogs mine do have a good recall.
I really do not mind off leash dogs that are under control and do not rush up to leashed dogs but rather stay at their owners sides but those tend to be rare. Usually it is the person calling. then threatening their dog and the dog does not even glance at them but instead keeps moving towards the leashed dog. Then the owners start in with" I do not know why Fido is not listening as he always comes back when I call" Yeah right!
I have friends that will not put leashes on their dogs and their dogs do not have good recalls and do wander up and get in other dogs faces and run across roads chasing cats or squirrels. I will tell these friends why they should be on leash and why they should not allow them to get in other dogs faces. I even tell them when Jazz was alive if I had a penny for every time It asked an owner to leash their dog or at very least to call it back as it came running up to us and heard the "Oh it is ok my dog is friendly" I could have retired years ago. I do tell them how irritating that is and how pissed I would get. They say yeah I hear you but...
I never quite get the but except they seem to feel what I have just said applies to all dogs but theirs. Go figure.
We have leash laws here and yet very few seem to follow them and if they get ticket it is no big deal to them. It is really difficult to find a place where you do not run into the off leash dogs. I think some of them may never understand until their dog gets hit by a car and killed or the owner of the leashed dog allows it to injure their dog when it gets in their space. Too many clueless folks and folks who just do not give a crap out there.
Three Wolves in the snow I feel your pain and wish I could give you an answer as to what to do about it but I do not know.
There's always going to be trouble when someone demands change for something others don't see as a priority. The complex manager isn't going to start 24/7 patrols to catch loose dogs or fine their owners. The other residents who own dogs obviously don't see this as a big problem either. Same problem for every public place where you will encounter other people's dogs. It's a no-win situation to demand that every other dog respect YOUR REACTIVE DOG'S space. So, you have to do whatever you can do for yourself. Work on his reactivity and find a place to live that minimizes encounters.
There's always going to be trouble when someone demands change for something others don't see as a priority. The complex manager isn't going to start 24/7 patrols to catch loose dogs or fine their owners. The other residents who own dogs obviously don't see this as a big problem either. Same problem for every public place where you will encounter other people's dogs. It's a no-win situation to demand that every other dog respect YOUR REACTIVE DOG'S space. So, you have to do whatever you can do for yourself. Work on his reactivity and find a place to live that minimizes encounters.
It is the law in this city. It's not me "demanding" jack squat, it's me telling them it's the fricken law, one, and two, at this complex, it is also a rule. One of these days, there's going to be an all out fight because of these fricken IDIOTS with attitudes like the one you displayed. And you bet your butt I'm going to sue the ever loving snot out of the complex AND the other dog's owner. That, unfortunately, will do nothing for my dog and their dog who will get hurt...and that's what pi$$es me off with people with a crap attitude about putting their dog on a leash. It's about being respectful not only to my dog, but every other dog, every cat, every animal, and every human, including the small children who play outside around this complex.
Why you feel the need to make your snide attacks on me is a question I'm asking, because it makes no sense. I can only imagine that you are, perhaps, one of those who doesn't leash their dog.
At one point I had two foster papillon dogs and when I'd walk them around my neighborhood, I'd encounter a lot of large dogs who weren't on leash who saw them as prey.
I started carrying pepper spray that had orange paint in it. So, if their dogs came at my dogs, I'd first yell to the owners that if they don't call off their dogs, I was going to mace them -- and then I'd mace the dogs. And, as I said, this also sprayed an orange paint all over their dogs, as well as the pepper spray in the mace.
I had one pit bull owner yell at me about her dog now being covered in orange paint. I told her, well, put a dang leash on your dog and your dog won't get pepper sprayed.
I had the owner of two german shepherds yell at me after I pepper sprayed his dogs who actually had gotten on their hind legs and had their forelegs on my shoulders and their teeth in my face before I sprayed them - and complained that I'd sprayed them with mace and orange dye. Of course, I screamed at him that it was city policy that your dang dogs were supposed to be on leash.
But, these dog owners definitely kept their dogs away from mine after they learned that I'd spray their dogs with mace that had orange dye in it.
Another benefit of using this type of mace, is that if you did have to call a cop about their dog, and the dog was covered in orange dye, it would be impossible for them to claim it wasn't their dog.
I don’t live in that neighborhood anymore, thank goodness, but when I did, there were many people who let their dogs roam free. My dog was large, strong, and intolerant of dogs running up on her. I wasn’t about to get hurt, so if an unleashed dog came up on her, I let go of her leash and let her protect herself. I also carried a Louisville Slugger and cracked more than one dog over the head, including several pit bulls, as they were very popular in that ‘hood. My dog was never hurt, I was never hurt, and no dog owner complained...ever
Sorry to those who think the OP should move because others rudely don't see the need to leash their dogs while walking them.
While not a whole lot can be done about dogs using someone else's lawn for their terlet, a LOT can be done about keeping the dog at your side with a leash.
My dogs run on our 25 acres but if I were to take them street walking, they know how to be on a leash and they know the rules ---- I have given them Dog Obedience Training 101 --- something every dog owner should know.
For safety reasons alone, I would NEVER consider allowing my dog to walk beside me at liberty, on a sidewalk --- never ---
Let me tell all of you non-leash believing people how I cringe when I'm driving down a street in town and see some fool, who thinks their cool, walking their dog without a leash "because it listens to me".
Here's a news flash --- if it has a heart and pumps blood, it's unpredictable.
It would only take some city squirrel or a challenging cat to make that dog run into the road and get hit by a car --- then how cool would you feel ---
The OP is spot on --- leash your dogs when walking if for nothing more than valuing that dog's safety. If you can't stand seeing the dog "not have its freedom", take it to a dog park; I hear dog parks are becoming more and more popular even in small communities.
I am 200% on the side of the OP.
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Yeah right!
