Hi

Thought I'd get some opinions on your thoughts around on lead and off lead walks with your dogs.

Yesterday I had the dogs out in a large woodland park, I go there everyday and meet some really nice people who have their dogs running around off lead and on. I had the misfortune to meet a very unpleasant woman with an older Jack Russell, one of the dogs ( a 6 month old Saluki) ran up to the dog and tried to introduce herself and wanted a bit of a play. The JR started yelping like it was being mauled! the woman then let out a torrent of abuse at me accusing me of being irresponsible for letting dogs off the lead to 'harass' other peoples dogs.

The 6month old was not harrasing her dog it was doing what dogs do, having a sniff and wanting to play. I got the dog back and continued on my walk. I was so angry with this woman, it is obvious that her dog had never been socialised hence the over reaction. I had to use all my self control not to use strong language to tell her what I think

How does everyone else feel about letting their dogs off? I am always very careful that they are only let off away from roads, one of the dogs I walk is very dominant so she always goes back on the lead if other dogs are near.

Most owners are completely fine (the ones that understand dogs) it's always the ignorant ones that get you thinking your doing something wrong.

Look forward to your thoughts.

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Graham Walker
Dog Steady Glasgow

Our town has a very strict policy of off lead areas..

There are off lead areas in town but most are unfenced bordering main roads so no I dont use them ,, everywhere else the dog must be on the lead..

I have them on the lead unless we go to the common where there is a designated off lead dog walking area.

My rules are: dogs offlead, you can leave yours off (with a few exceptions - a man near us walks a very DA pointer off lead but he stays perfectly to heel and the man does warn you not to let your dog approach or if I can see a dog is elderly, tiny, injured etc); dogs onlead, leave yours on.

The JRT today may well not be totally unsocialised - maybe he was in pain, in some way compromised eg poor eyesight, or had been subject to an attack by a dog in the past and nervous?

If the JRT was onlead I wouldn't have let my dog approach if possible, offlead I would.

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I did a similar thread about this the other day, prepare yourself for 'you are an irresponsible owner' answers because your dog went up to an on lead dog.

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Owner of:
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This subject comes up a lot on here.

My basic rule is, if approaching an on lead dog, I put my dog on lead. If approaching an off lead dog I leave mine off.

This is for my dog's safety as well as out of respect for the other dog/owner.

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I don't think people are irresponsible as dogs are dogs and despite best intentions will not always obey like robots....I think it irresponsibe when folk don't try and rectify a situation which I believe you did if I remember your thread correctly.

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My dog goes to the beach every day and I tend to know most of the local doggy people and which dogs will happily play and which dogs wont. However, being a seaside town we get busy times when visitors bring their dogs and of course we don't know them.

Whenever I have Poppy off lead (or long line that I let her drag at the moment as she lost her recall and we're working on getting it back), if I see anyone I don't know with a dog I always call and ask them if they are OK to play together. The majority of people are fine, they know if their dogs are going to be friendly and happy to play.

However the other morning I say a stranger who had two Westies off lead. Poppy saw them and did her usual thing of lying down waiting to see what was going to happen and hoping they would play with her. The owner called his dogs back and changed direction. This happened a couple of times. We were quite a way away but I picked up her long line about half way down so that I had good control of her and called over to the owner "Would you like me to keep her away?" His answer was "Yes, they're typical terriers I'm afraid". All very friendly, no-one got upset other than probably Poppy. She thinks every dog wants to be her friend and play with her .

I don't know what "typical terriers" are I'm afraid, every Westie we've come across before has been friendly. Maybe because he had two they just liked being with each other and didn't want any strangers joining in their fun .

Although I generally feel that if a dog is on lead then it's probably for a reason, and if it's off lead then it's fine to play, but there are always exceptions. I just find it best, if I don't know the dog, to call and ask to prevent any upset.

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Poppy's blog: Poppy's Puppy Tales

If I come across off lead dogs my dogs are left off lead to do what dogs do (unless the off lead dog in question is obviously partaking in a training sesion or the owner is clearly taking steps to avoid us)
If I come across a dog onlead I make attempts to call my dogs back to me. There are all sorts of reasons why a dog would be on lead from little or no recall, a dog recovering from surgery, a dog that has been previously atttacked and is therefore scared of other dogs.
Most owners accept that dogs are not robots and do not always do what we expect/ask especially young dogs as long as the owner is making the effort and apologises if their dog makes a mistake I don't have an issue.

Zipper can sometimes be lead aggressive - the number of times I've told owners that he will not tolerate their dog approaching him on lead and for them to be suprised when he snaps at their dog. He's 95% fine off lead - he's been well socialised but when it come to being on lead if he feels threatened he has no option to fight as by having him onlead I've taken away the flight option.

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A dog Possesses Beauty without Vanity,Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.

My dogs are walked off lead in areas, however I make sure they come back to me if I see another dog, unless that other dog owner says its OK.

When I am walking down the street I wouldn't appreciate someone I didn't know trying to join me so I don't see how it's any different with dogs.

If your dogs don't have reliable recall, don't let them off the lead.

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I'm older, a bit stiff and hate dancing, if I was at a wedding party and the younger participants tried to drag me onto the dance floor I'd snap at them.

If the young pup was trying to force an oldie to play, it needs to learn some manners.

Play is only play if both dogs think it is and both are interested and offering to play. If one dog says 'no thank you' the other should recognise it and leave it alone, doesn't sound as though the young saluki did.

You should have apologised to the lady and then taken the dog away, not wanted to swear at her.