Rant Time! Leash your dog!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Yesterday, I went to the park with my two dogs and had just gotten out of our car and making our way down to where we walk and I spotted a woman with a dog. As we walked forward, I could see the dog was not on a leash and it began to approach us.  I told the woman to get her dog as my dogs were not friendly (my standard response in this situation) and of course, she continued to call the dog and the dog wouldn't listen. I am so fed up with people walking their dogs off leash, I could scream. In almost all of the dogs we have encountered off leash, their owners had absolutely no control over them. My favorite thing of all is when the owner yells, "Don't worry, he or she is friendly!" As far as I am concerned, I don't care if your dog is a good will ambassador for the world, put it on a leash. We have leash laws in our state and they apply to everyone!

Vern would probably be fine, but Fudge is not fine and especially not on a leash. Many dogs are leash aggressive and won't care if your dog is friendly as it approaches. I also don't know if your dog has parasites, etc. and I don't want it near my dogs. Once, I turned a corner and coming up the path was an unleashed dog and the owner was a good quarter mile down the road.  The dog would not listen and she apologized profusely and I stated emphatically that her dog should be on a leash and I still see her wandering about with her dog unleashed. Another time I saw a woman with young children and an unleashed dog let her young daughter walk the dog all about the park, across the road, with no leash in hand, and far enough away from the mom that she could not see the daughter or the dog. What are these people thinking? I could go on and on with these stories about rude dog owners and every chance I get I report them to the park ranger.  Oh, and you and I both know that these are the same owners who do not pick up after their dogs, because rules do not apply to them.

Yesterday when I told the woman her dog should be leashed, she said, "oh, your dogs aren't friendly?" as if my dogs were the problem and not hers. I don't even attempt to be friendly in these situations because I have had it. Leash your dog!! It is my job to protect MY dogs and keep them from harm's way.  You are taking a huge risk to allow your dog to walk up to any dog on a leash!  My dogs made me proud yesterday. They reacted a bit initially and then calmed right down, but if that dog had been leashed our encounter could have been avoided. Rant over!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Like!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Marie, Yes, I agree...how scary and doesn't she realize even a "friendly" dog can knock you right over. Stupid people irritate me so much :) LOL

[Richard Crowe]

Years ago I had a wonderful Springer Spaniel named Joy.  We were both attacked by a pit bull running free (but this is not about pit bulls).  I got my hand pretty well chewed up and Joy had her rear area torn up. As a result, Joy became aggressive towards any dog who sniffed her rear. Even if the other dog was doing it in a friendly manner.

I cannot count how many times that I was walking (with Joy on a leash, as always) when a person with an unleashed dog would approach.  I would call out - please leash your dog.  The normal answer would be, "My dog is friendly!" Well, Joy wasn't friendly even to the innocent sniffing of  her rear end!

Another time we were traveling in our motorhome along with two Maltese.  Judy and I were walking the two dogs (both on leads) with Judy about 20 feet ahead of me.  A large unleashed dog (possibly a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix) lunged out from between two RV's and had Judy's Maltese in the air between its teeth.  I don't know how Judy got the Maltese away from the Ridgeback and she says that she doesn't know either.  The Maltese had several puncture wounds from the teeth but, luckily did not sustain any serious damage to his internal organs.

After getting the Maltese treated at a local vet, I visited the park office and said (my steam was really up!) "you really ought to enforce the leash laws in this park." The manager's answer was "We do enforce the leash laws!"

I replied, "Apparently you don't there is a large yellow dog loose in the park!"  The manager said, "Oh, that's Old Joe, he's friendly!"

In the interest of civility, I won't repeat what I said in reply.....

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I hope you handed that manager a very large bill!

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

I so agree Laurie with you and it makes me sooooo darn mad.  The other day my DH and I were walking and all of a sudden from behind us a Pitbull came up and started towards Libby, my DH yelled at it and jumped forward at it and luckily the dog was scared and ran off.  If he had not been with me I don't think I could have made the noise or even able to jump at it!   I totally froze when the dog came up to us.  Now I am afraid to walk Libby alone.  I need to get some pepper spray or what ever they make to spray at a dog.  Honestly, I froze and did not know how to react.  We also have a leash law in California and why do people ignore it is beyond me!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

They ignore it because they are lazy, IMO. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lonnie, I am so glad Libby was not hurt. It is hard to know what to do when this stuff happens.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My mom's cat was killed by a dog who ran across the street and attacked it while we were standing there. It was an indoor cat that we were just letting get some fresh air.  The owners were  walking by with the dog (a pit) off-leash. They had zero control over it. No apologies, no offer to pay vet bills, nothing. This was in an urban setting and with leash laws.

On the other hand, we are guilty of letting our dogs loose in a moderate way.  My dh thinks it is fine to let them out of the RV at night for last pee break in our campsite when he thinks no one is about.  I don't, but then I don't want to always be on late night potty duty, so I let it happen. Would they chase a duck or wild kitty? Might.  Would they go after a dog or person? No.   We also let them run to/from the car or RV in front of our house. Could they take off? Yes. Have they ever? No. 

Can I justify my off leash time?  Not really

So, I deserve the rant.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Nancy, I am sure if someone asked you to leash your dogs, you would. That is the difference. Most of the people I have encountered act like I am offending them by suggesting they leash their dog.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You are right, Laurie.  We would.  We don't knowingly let them out when others are present, but we are guilty.  I would never go walking with them without leashes.  I want to keep them safe.....

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I've come to the conclusion, many dog owners have NO common sense, let alone recall of their dogs. And hearing, don't worry, he/she is friendly, as their dog, teeth barred, growling, proves it! We were out walking a section by the beach the other day and met up with a couple with a huge Rotty mix. They had passed us earlier in their car and the dog was hanging out the window barking and growling. I said then, it will be just our luck we meet up with them....sure enough, here they come walking, dog off leash and he's charging us. The guy yelling, go he's friendly as long as your dog doesn't move and she's yelling he won't hurt you. Tell your dog to stay! WTH? My dog is leashed, the way it's suppose to be...I unlocked my mace and was ready to use it! The dog ran at us, Enzo, being submissive laid down and crouched on fear....the dog stood over her and barred it's teeth and growled until the owners got there...he started to wag his tail and the owner says...see, he's a happy boy! . I asked, do you know about leash laws? She says, yes, but he's fine . I said he is not fine, leash him! I was furious...she grabbed the leash from the husband and hooked the dog up and the start it's growling at her! And the says..see what you've done? SMH...the stupidity! Stu said a few choice words and we left. As we were driving out.....here they are again.....dog unleashed, about to pass a playground. We looked for a Officer, but sadly did not pass any.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Idiots....my daughter, years ago, was at the park with my husband and our puppy. All she did was lift up her arms to get on the swing and this huge Rottweiler attacked her. Of course, the owners claimed it was not mean and had never done anything like this before. Luckily, her cuts did not require stitches, but she still has the scars from this incident on her arm. I think I would have maced the owners :) LOL Luckily, Enzo was submissive, but my Fudge would not have been. I am livid on your behalf just thinking about these idiots.