RANT: Leashes!!!!

[BadgerGirl]

I enjoy allowing my dog to run without a leash, but not to anyone's expense. I have even gone as far as getting a waistband leash for running. I agree, most people don't have the slightest training for their "wonderful" dog. My dog has been to ALOT of training classes and I still don't trust him completely. When he is off-leash, in an unpopulated area, he has an e-collar on.

I also have been attacked by dogs who are off leash. I get in front of my 75lb German Shepherd and actually kick at the other dogs and say "no" really loud. I know he can eat most dogs, but it is my job to be the pack leader and engage in fights.

I hope you are feeling better MP and enjoy the wine.

[coyote]

I enjoy allowing my dog to run without a leash, but not to anyone's expense. I have even gone as far as getting a waistband leash for running. I agree, most people don't have the slightest training for their "wonderful" dog. My dog has been to ALOT of training classes and I still don't trust him completely. When he is off-leash, in an unpopulated area, he has an e-collar on.

All too true! Its good to hear. My dogs have been to a lot of training also. One of them is a service dog. I do not have them off leash ever. I used to not be that way until the service dog almost got hit by a car when he suddenly chased a cat. His loss would have been devastating to my SO. So, for my safety and my dogs I always keep them on a leash. You just never know, they do have a mind of their own and it can happen so fast.

[Trek420]

Jobob, Leebob and late Bozo kitty,

That is so sad. On behalf of all pits and pit-mixes Mae sends a tail wag. She likes cats if she considers them "her cat" that is knows them. If I could only get her to behave with dogs as she does with cats.

Unfortunately with most pits it's the *&^ owner not the dog.

And yes, that Simon is the best'est smile'y wiggle-butt dog ever

[bmccasland]

Yesterday evening I was walking my dog, almost home when a neighbor's dog streaked from it's front yard and attacked my dog. I saw the attack coming, and managed to yank Nala's leash to pull her away from the other dog just as it was trying to bite her neck. I twisted around, and came an inch from planting a swift kick on the dog. Meanwhile the owner has opened her door and called it back. Fortunately for all, the free dog trotted off, and returned home.

So I continue home, but stop at a neighbor's house, who had seen the whole thing. Her son checks Nala over, but other than a bit of saliva, no harm done. Her wooly coat around her neck has saved it again - Nala is an Aussie shepherd / border collie mix and has a rather thick ruff (and since it hasn't turned permanently hot yet, she hasn't been shaved for the summer). Anyway as we humans were talking, man drives up, turns out he's the owner of the dog. He appologizes, and says his dog is "always in the back yard, and always on a teather". Yeah, right. What really got me was he said his dog didn't mean any harm. Right, I just imagined the attempt to bite my dog on her neck. There was no butt sniffing, the dog was in attack mode.

I'm just thankful that the dog went home when called. So at least part of it's brain was listening.

[Tuckervill]

Of course in most cities the law assumes that dogs are not well-trained (and that is unfortunately true of many), and so we all have to walk our dogs on a lead. But the real issue is not the leash: some dogs on a leash are more dangerous than a well-trained dog walking free. The key is control and proper training. The leash is one of the tools available to control a dog, like voice, electric collar, etc... the main problem is that many owners have no idea how to control their dogs, with a leash or without.

It is an impossibly high standard to expect every owner to be able to control their dog as you do and provide homes for the millions of dogs in our country who are lucky enough to have one.

Do you think only competent, highly skilled people should have dogs? Well no. So that's what the leash law is for.

Karen

[roadie gal]

It is an impossibly high standard to expect every owner to be able to control their dog as you do and provide homes for the millions of dogs in our country who are lucky enough to have one.

Do you think only competent, highly skilled people should have dogs? Well no. So that's what the leash law is for.

Karen

So leash laws are an excuse for people to not train their dogs? I agree, it's much easier to just drag your dog around on a leash than to spend the large amount of time and effort training it. And I agree that most people don't want to spend that time. I just think that those of us who do put in the effort shouldn't suffer for those who don't.

Just giving a bit more thought here... There are certain breeds that can't be trusted off leash like sighthounds, but most can if you put in the time and effort.

[Tuckervill]

Think about the elderly, the infirm, children with a new puppy. There are all kinds of variations on dog+owner. Not everyone has the time, inclination or ability to train their dog as you would. A leash protects us all.

I'm not saying that every dog should never be off leash ever. I just think most people who think they have ultimate control over their dog off-leash have just not been in the right circumstances to be proven wrong, yet.

THANK YOU for being a responsible dog owner. There are varying degrees of what that means. There's room for everyone, and there are plenty of places where it's legal for your dog to be off-leash. If it's illegal, put the leash on.

Karen

[Eden]

I'd like to say a big thanks to Rij73 - she is my definition of a responsible dog owner. Sometimes its not just about how well behaved the dog is - its about the other people who are potentially around you. While it may be perfectly safe to walk your perfectly trained, unleashed dog down the path I ride to work - *I don't know that*. I don't know the person or their unleashed dog, I don't know if the dog is prone to chase or bite, I don't know if the dog is prone to jump and beyond any of that, the dog could easliy just accidentally walk out in front of me or appear suddenly around a corner. It's disrespectful to others to not leash your dogs in areas that it is required - and dare I say, even areas that are highly public, even if it is not required. So give us all peace of mind and please leash your dogs, even the perfect ones.