Dogs off leash....

[recycled sixtie]

How do you handle a dog off leash when the owner is with it? Do you say anything to the owner like put your dog on a leash please or just avoid the situation by crossing the road.?

I have been bitten by a dog off leash once and dogs have taken a run at me. In the last few years of my dog's life I had her on a leash all the time as I could not trust her.

Our bylaws state that once your dog is outside of your fenced yard and house it must be on a leash. Makes sense to me but there are those who think they are exempt. What do you do when you are out for a walk, cycling or taking your dog for a walk(hopefully on leash) and you encounter a dog off leash and the owner is with it?

Guy

[GH85Carrera]

It totally depends on the dog, and how it is acting. If it is just walking along side of the owner and not looking around at everything with ears up, just ignore it.

I have had several friends over the years that had cool dogs that went everywhere with them. The dog was never more than a couple of feet from the owner and would sit down instantly if told to. They were relaxed dogs and zero threat.

When I see a dog with ears up and intently looking at everything that moves I pay attention to the dog and the owner.

[911SauCy]

With my dogs, make them sit and wait for unleashed animal to pass, with my body between them.

By myself, ignore the dog unless its obviously friendly and I'll ask the owner for the "ok" to pet.

One time I kicked a German Shepherd in the throat, as it ran/jumped toward my sitting dogs in an attempt to attack...it's owners were running down the walking trail with a broken leash screaming "hold our dog" as it ran and tried to bite every person and animal on its way. It was like a dog zombie movie

[Icemaster]

What Glen said. Assess each situation individually and trust instincts. I've told owners politely to leash their dog as they approach if the body language is off, most do so.

I did punt a fluffy dust mop dog about 20 feet one time when the owner was too engrossed in talking on the phone and the dog charged. Never had a big dog charge, always seems to be the ones with the Napoleon complexes.

[Rikao4]

I could as their very socialized & trained..
but I don't..
1 law..
2 I'm moving with 3 big boys..
once clear of the hood, which takes only a few minutes..
I release the hounds...

Rika

[LeeH]

We encounter quite a few off leash dogs on the desert hiking trails near us. Never had a problem with any of the dogs. Seems the owners know their dogs well enough. Most just pass by without even slowing down. My wife will release our dog on some trails, too. Depends on location and traffic.

There's been a daily "dog party" happening on one of the ball fields at the park next to our house for many years. 6-8 dogs gather to play ball and play with each other. They always stay on the same field and all respond well to owner's voice commands. Periodically someone will freak out and yell at the owners. Recently the cops were called. They arrived and told the caller they had better things to do.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by LeeH

We encounter quite a few off leash dogs on the desert hiking trails near us. Never had a problem with any of the dogs. Seems the owners know their dogs well enough. Most just pass by without even slowing down. My wife will release our dog on some trails, too. Depends on location and traffic.

There's been a daily "dog party" happening on one of the ball fields at the park next to our house for many years. 6-8 dogs gather to play ball and play with each other. They always stay on the same field and all respond well to owner's voice commands. Periodically someone will freak out and yell at the owners. Recently the cops were called. They arrived and told the caller they had better things to do.

And do the dog owners pick up the dog po-p?

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

And do the dog owners pick up the dog po-p?

Absolutely. City of Phoenix has bag dispensers all around the park.

[Rickysa]

Only responsible dog owners that have taken the time to train their dogs to behave off-lead should allow their dogs off-lead.

That means, "heel" and the dog stays on heel, "come" and the dog returns to the heel position, "stay" and the dog sits in the heel position and stays there regardless.

If not, keep your damn dog on a leash....

[Miguel Antonett]

No reason for it!

It should be against the law.. IS IT?

[ckelly78z]

20 years ago, we raised wolf hybrids that had 50-75 % arctic tundra wolf with the remainder being malamute. These animals were well acclimated with other people and dogs, but one time I was walking down the alley near our house (we lived in town for a year before buying a country place) and a woman let her little yappy poodlesque type dog out the back door as we were walking past. This leashless 15 lb wonderdog came charging out into the alley and tried to bite my 125lb (7' long from tip of nose to the tip of her tail) wolf hybrid. My dog caught hers mid bite and shook the poor little thing once before I was able to yank the leash/collar so hard that she let go and that dog traveled about 10 feet into the air while yipping. After it landed it ran back to momma's arms who by then, had a look of total horror on her face (mouth open). I told my wife who was also walking a slightly smaller wolf hybrid, "let's get out of here" and split the scene.

It would have been a blown up new story about a savage wolf attacking a poor innocent puppy, if we would have stayed.

[look 171]

I hate people who walk their dogs off leash that's for sure. I have to drive through the canyons with really narrow streets (one car can pass at a time for some of the areas). These very same people are screaming their freaking heads off telling drivers to watch out for their animals or to slow down so they can dodge out of the way with their godamndog 50' up front in the middle of the street. I am pretty sick of it. It seem that their dog is more important then anything else. thankfully, there are only a few who do that. When my little boy was about 3, the same dog who came up to him to investigate, I suppose? I started to scream and try to get the dog away from him and picked up my little boy only to hear this crazy btich telling me to not scream at her dog and it was not going to bite anyone. Why can't these people (small percentage thankfully) understand that not everyone like their dogs or be around them? I just couldn't take that chance having that dog so close to him. I know they like to bite the face of little kids.

[look 171]

I think it is the law to have dogs on leash? At the beach for sure.

[emcon5]

Originally Posted by look 171

I hate people who walk their dogs off leash that's for sure. I have to drive through the canyons with really narrow streets (one car can pass at a time for some of the areas). These very same people are screaming their freaking heads off telling drivers to watch out for their animals or to slow down so they can dodge out of the way with their godamndog 50' up front in the middle of the street. I am pretty sick of it. It seem that their dog is more important then anything else. thankfully, there are only a few who do that. When my little boy was about 3, the same dog who came up to him to investigate, I suppose? I started to scream and try to get the dog away from him and picked up my little boy only to hear this crazy btich telling me to not scream at her dog and it was not going to bite anyone. Why can't these people (small percentage thankfully) understand that not everyone like their dogs or be around them? I just couldn't take that chance having that dog so close to him. I know they like to bite the face of little kids.

Wow. Overreact much?

[look 171]

Originally Posted by emcon5

Wow. Overreact much?

me or the other owner?

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by Rickysa

Only responsible dog owners that have taken the time to train their dogs to behave off-lead should allow their dogs off-lead.

That means, "heel" and the dog stays on heel, "come" and the dog returns to the heel position, "stay" and the dog sits in the heel position and stays there regardless.

If not, keep your damn dog on a leash....

^this

But we live in the real world folks. IMO most dogs have never been properly trained to be trusted off leash. Many years ago we had a GSD that I would take on my daily runs - always leashed. We spent much time socializing him with neighbor dogs. Despite that he was a constant target for unleashed dogs on my runs in the hills. After the 4th or 5th attack he developed a very hostile attitude to other dogs which, despite attempts with professional trainers, never got resolved.

[recycled sixtie]

As I said before it is a bylaw here to have a dog on leash. How is this enforced? That is the problem. Get on the cell phone and call the bylaw officer? Call the pound?

Our mailmen have twice been run at by the same dog in the neighborhood. A couple of years ago the dog escaped from the back yard. Dog was run over and leg had to be amputated. The three legged dog lived a couple more years- it went to the off leash area which is adjacent to the mostly frozen river. Recently the dog was supervised but went on the river ice only to fall through the thin ice. It drowned and was never to be seen again...

It is mostly the owners who should get the blame. Obedience lessons and a leash.
As I said it was many year before I put my dog on the leash all the time outside the house.
Fortunately I was never sued for my dog knocking people over. I consider myself lucky. In a way I don't miss having a dog.

Guy

[Rikao4]

it is the owners responsibility for sure..
but some common sense from folks nearby would be appreciate..
like joggers who insist on running towards me..
while I have 3 large dogs on the leash..
or the kid that runs toward me going..
doggy doggy...with no parent in sight..

Rika

[Daves911L]

Depends on the dog, the dog's owner, and the other party. Every possible variation of scenarios. Most dog's are good. Most owners are conscientious. Most passer-by are reasonable. We have a large, gentle, and very well behaved dog (Great Pyrenees, a breed which really doesn't ever become "trained" ). Sometimes he is leashed, sometimes not, depending on the environment around us (physical/animal/human), but rarely paying attention to leash laws. Some people can't wait to meet him. Some people are afraid of him. I understand and am respectful of both perspectives.

Occasionally we get yelled at by someone for not having him on a leash, though he is walking calmly beside us. That's just a busybody, on a power trip the same as the school crossing guards who blow their whistles at you as you cruise past 5mph under the limit. You mention bylaws, which makes me think HOA. HOA's seem to be a fertile breeding ground for those who feel the need to tell others how to behave. If there is a real problem with an unleashed dog, by all means speak to the owners. If its not a real problem and just bugs you because it violates some rule, smile, say hello, and walk on past.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by Daves911L

Most dog's are good. Most owners are conscientious. Most passer-by are reasonable.

Your assumptions not supportable.