Dogs must be on a lead?

[jules77]

A question and a moan - even though there are signs saying dogs must be on a lead, who enforces this rule, and if you dont know where the dogs live, how can you do anything about it. I am absolutely sick of owners who have their dogs out in the front garden with them, running free, or who insist on taking them a walk, without a lead, and have no control over them when they see another dog. I am particularly referring to SBT's who dont like other dogs, and the ones by me are also deaf when their owners call them!

[kempie]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/I nYourHome/AnimalsAndPets/DG_10025980

[CheekyChops]

I don't think you can do anything about dogs being loose on their own property although I think they should be behind a fence/gate and not be able to get out if someone passes with another dog.

[leelapops]

jules, you don't happen to live round my bit do you?!

I must say, I let my dog off in the park (in the field area, not by the flowers and shrubs), but I am always watching for other dogs, and Jack doesn't go far from me. Also, I tend to go early in the morning, so there is no-one else about really.

When you say their front garden, do you mean gardens without a wall or a fence? Because if they're contained by a wall, then I guess it is their garden...if not and they run into the pavement, well that's a different story!

I can't stand it when people have dogs off leads by a road, or when people have no control whatsoever-it's so intimidating to be approached by a dog with either no owner in sight, or with an owner who has no intention of calling their dog back to them. I can't even wear flip-flops to the park, I have to wear big trainers so I know that I could protect my dog and myself if I had to. Isn't that sad? That we can't just go for a nice quiet walk in the park?

I am sure fans of the breed will contradict me, and that's cool, and I know it's a broad generalisation, but certainly in my area the amount of times me and my dog have been approached by Bull Terriers (which I am terrified of, their heads are just so HUGE and powerful!) owned by blase (sp?!) young men who I have had to shout at to control their surly, macho, "intact" dogs, because I absolutely know there would be no way in hell that I could fight one of those off!

I like staffies: but there are two up the back lane that sit out front with their owners, and at least once an hour I'll hear them snarl and bark at dogs passing by. Their owners make no attempt to calm them or reprimand them. I have to walk round to avoid them 'cos I can't be done with the hassle.

*Sigh* gotta love them responsible dog owners, hey!

[leelapops]

Oops, forgot to add people who let their dogs out unsupervised: I don't see them walking round and picking their dogs t*rds up later on...And how intimidating is it to have some random loose dog follow you round the roads, with no knowledge of its character and temperament.
Anyway...
Lisa x

God what a rant that was! Sorry everyone...

[jules77]

I live in SBT world, 50% of the 'pedigree' dogs in the West Midlands are SBT's. I know they are 'generally' good with people and children, but not with other dogs. By loose on front garden I mean, not contained within a fence - and it is sooooooo annoying when the owners say, 'oh they wont hurt them', and they are standing there with their hackles up, and growling', and mine are trying to crawl up their own bottoms! One ran across the road at me tonight, and the owner came strolling across, picked it up and it growled at him. He did apologise though, but he was in the monority. As they are so popular around here, many see them as a status symbol and are breeding them willy nilly with the dog next door for money, without a care in the world as to who the dog is sold to.

[Psychick]

Do you feel better leelapops? lol

Im pretty lucky in that we dont seem to get to many loose dogs around here. But the mess!!! I have no front garden and some owners allow their dogs to mess right along the path and dont bother picking it up! I dont think the owners even bother to stand still while the dog is doing its business!!

Im so tempted to sit at my window one day and wait for it to happen...then run outside and make such a racket about it they wouldnt dare come past my house again!

Oooops....I started going off on one there myself!! lol

[leelapops]

Psychick, I think I went a bit purple!

Yeah, that's truly foul-a total disrespect for other's space! If ever I catch anyone not picking their dog's cack from outside my front door, or back gate, you'll probably hear me from your house!

Give them a good telling!

Lisa x

[meltoadhall]

I am so lucky that where I live there are very few people never mind dogs.
Very rural Lincolnshire, on the rare occasions we take our setter into the nearest town (10 miles away) he is always on a lead, although I have to admit that in parks etc where it says dogs must be on a lead if we are on holiday somewhere, I have a 30 foot lunge rein that I use for recall training!!
And I always pick up his leavings when we are in a built up area, nappy sacks in all pockets and in the car.

[horsestache1]

Not an answer just something that happened to me many years ago.

I was playing with my Retriever (now long gone) in the park early on a sunday morning. Along came a man and his three kids who started playing with a ball, before I could grab the dog, she went running off after the stray ball. Retrieving it nicely she returned it to its owner, complete with two holes it!!!

I apologised profusely and offered the chap the money for a new ball, but he saw red, started shouting and hurling abuse at me (the kids were now playing with the dog!!!)
He then demanded that I stay where I was whilst he called the police, to cut a long story short. The police arrived and the chap started shouting and pointing at the sign saying "dogs must be kept on a lead". The officer looked him in the eye and said " Yes Sir, but that sign (pointing )also says no ball games, the diferance is the dog can't read"

I now live in the sticks, so don't take my dogs to the town unless to the vets on a lead.

[leelapops]

horsestache, well said on the policeman's part!
What a rude and stupid man, I must say I wouldn't have stuck around! However, I have to be super careful because Jack just isn't a kiddy-friendly dog...hence the early morning/late eve walks in the park!

Lisa x

[leelapops]

or policewoman's. I somehow got the impression the officer was a chap!

Lisa x