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Old 04-11-2008, 01:06 PM
 
221 posts, read 748,696 times
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In the on vs. off leash debate, I see both sides. My dog is a border collie who just needs to run her instinctual herding circles in a large area. I like to go somewhere where we can let her run without worrying about other folks she might bother. She is well-trained, very friendly, and never goes far from her own-people-herd, but we have to respect one another, do we not? Dogs scare some people--for good reason, like those incidents mentioned above. My own three-year-old daughter was bitten by a dog allowed to run loose in our neighborhood in another city--for absolutely no reason. She knew the dog, wasn't even near it, when it came into our yard and bit her while she was with the dog's owner. And this was a small dog (thank God!) All this to say that even the most apparently well-behaved dogs can be unpredictable.

I haven't found a place for my dog to run much in this city. We hate the dog park at Frick because our dog is definitely not an alpha dog, and she's scared of some of the aggressive dogs she's met there. It's just too unpredictable for her. She can run so fast she can get away from these dogs, but then she comes and cowers under my legs. It's just too stressful for her, so we don't go there with her. We end up taking her to secluded rural areas where she can have a good run.

There need to be more dog run areas in Pgh, IMO. That might solve a lot of problems.

Dog off leash on a city street? Are ya just asking for a dead dog? Not to mention a potential lawsuit. And wherever there are bicyclists--no way! A herding dog might try to herd them and a dangerous crash could ensue. Same holds for groups of children as well.
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Old 04-11-2008, 01:28 PM
 
13 posts, read 50,955 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover View Post
. (That said, those bicyclists could do well to show a little bit of courtesy themselves. I can't remember how many times I almost got mowed down on a Frick Park trail by some a-hole barreling around a blind corner like he was in the race for his life.)
.
And I can't tell you how many times I've been riding in the park and try to be courteous by yelling out "passing on the left" and people move to the left. If you would stay on your own side of the trail there wouldn't be a problem.
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Old 04-11-2008, 01:28 PM
 
675 posts, read 2,089,550 times
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Originally Posted by Windwalker View Post
There need to be more dog run areas in Pgh, IMO. That might solve a lot of problems.
Personally, I think there are tons of off-leash dog areas in Pittsburgh for a city its size. In the immediate Pittsburgh area you have the following options:

2 in Frick Park
West Park
Riverview Park
Green Tree Borough Park
North Park
South Park
Sewickley Heights Borough Park

Not-to-mention the private dog parks like Misty Pines and K9 Kingdom, both in Wexford.

As for Frick Park being a problem, Frick definitely seems to be the gathering place for people with agressive dogs. Other dog parks in the area aren't nearly as bad. I think the reason Frick is so bad is because no one there seems to follow any kind of common dog-park courtesy. The rule at most dog gathering places is, any time your dog is involved in an altercation, you must leave immediately. At Frick, this just simply does not happen. I watched last week as a women's Pitt-bull attacked a bull-dog until its face was gushing blood, and the women had the nerve to stay in the dog-park afterwards. It seems as though these people have seen one too many episodes of "The Dog Whisperer" and think that their neglected, aggressive-as-hell Pitt-bull will become Mr. Sociable if they just take it to the dog-park a couple times.

Anyway, enough ranting about Frick. If you are looking for a good place to roam with your dog, check out the Sewickley Heights Borough Park. Its a nice wooded park with trails and such, and the entire park is off-leash. There is a large meadow at the center where many times dog owners gather, but you can stick to the trails if you so desire.
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Old 04-11-2008, 01:30 PM
 
675 posts, read 2,089,550 times
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Originally Posted by pghcyclist View Post
And I can't tell you how many times I've been riding in the park and try to be courteous by yelling out "passing on the left" and people move to the left. If you would stay on your own side of the trail there wouldn't be a problem.
Lets face it, vwscottie, Frick is definitely not the world's best place to be Mt. Biking. Your fighting an uphill battle here, the place is much too crowded to be conducive to good riding.
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Old 04-11-2008, 01:42 PM
 
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Originally Posted by gallacus View Post
Lets face it, vwscottie, Frick is definitely not the world's best place to be Mt. Biking. Your fighting an uphill battle here, the place is much too crowded to be conducive to good riding.
You actually quoted me, but Frick Park is listed in many publications and on many websites as one of the top parks in a major US city to ride in. Most other bikers I encounter are vaery good about following the rules of the trail. When others aren't paying attention, it makes things hard for all of of us.
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Old 04-11-2008, 01:45 PM
 
221 posts, read 748,696 times
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Originally Posted by gallacus View Post
If you are looking for a good place to roam with your dog, check out the Sewickley Heights Borough Park. Its a nice wooded park with trails and such, and the entire park is off-leash. There is a large meadow at the center where many times dog owners gather, but you can stick to the trails if you so desire.

Thanks for these. I'll check them out.

And God bless you, pghcyclist, if you're trying to ride in Frick Park.
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Old 04-11-2008, 06:48 PM
 
114 posts, read 349,227 times
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Okay...I'm sorry but I really don't see how anyone can justify having their dog off leash in a public place. It is inexcusable and irresponsible to everyone else. Just because you know your dog is "well-behaved" doesn't mean anyone else does or that something won't happen accidentally. When my dog weighs 6 pounds, it doesn't take much. I shouldn't have to worry about owning a small dog because people don't follow the LAW and decide their dog needs to run. Take your dog somewhere where it is legal for it to run and respect the rest of us. Yes accidents can happen as mentioned above where the dogs are on their leashes but I guarantee a leash helps the problem in almost every situation. A simple leash would have saved my dog's life It's as easy as that- think about other people ... I never get to see my puppy again because their dog didn't "like" being on a leash. I just don't see why people can't understand and just follow the rules. I do not think there is any debate here. If your dog needs to run, find somewhere safe such as a designated dog park or get a smaller dog that doesn't need that if you can't find a proper area. Again, be responsible to others. It's very upsetting how some people try to justify it being OKAY to let your dog off a leash!
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Old 04-11-2008, 06:53 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 102,751,145 times
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Holy cow. It would at least be nice to discuss the mere POSSIBILITY of allowing dogs off-leash or whether or not leash laws always make sense without lunatic ranting harangues.

I don't have any patience for this kind of flaming intolerance, and it sure isn't going to persuade me to reconsider my position on the subject.
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Old 04-13-2008, 10:48 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,877,652 times
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Frick Park does have a couple official off-leash areas, but they seem really inadequate to me given the sheer number of dogs in the park.

And I agree dogs should be kept on-leash except in designated off-leash areas, but when the available off-leash areas are inadequate, I do think it is more or less inevitable that dog owners will decide to informally designate more off-leash areas.
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Old 04-13-2008, 11:17 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 102,751,145 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pghcyclist View Post
And I can't tell you how many times I've been riding in the park and try to be courteous by yelling out "passing on the left" and people move to the left. If you would stay on your own side of the trail there wouldn't be a problem.
Excuse me, but I was on "my side" of the trail to the extent possible, thank you very much. But some of those trails are too narrow for there to actually be any "side," and bicyclists shouldn't be barreling down those trails at warp speed with their helmets on fire. It's not a mountain bike racing circuit. It's a set of multiple-use paths.
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