Do Not Walk Your Dog Off Lead!

[toy dog]

I think the reason some people do this is a bit of a chest beating thing. Makes them feel good and in control parading around with a dog off lead. If only they knew what irresponsible idiots they looked.

actually saw this with a guy down carrum station with his SWF down thompson road one of the busiest roads. i was pretty angry to see him do it, poor little dog. he put a lead on the dog when he went across the pedestrian crossing though but then took it off. i feel like going up to people like that and saying "excuse me, do you realise its a $200 or more fine for having your dog off lead like that?"

[W Sibs]

RIP Cooper

[InspectorRex]

RIP Cooper

Mine are never walked off leash. The ONLY time they are off lead is at home or at an oval nearby that has only one gate that you can close and they are safe in there as it is fully fenced or if we go to a friend's place who has fenced acreage so they can have a hoon there.

I do not believe off -leash areas are safe. JMHO

[Bilbo Baggins]

RIP Cooper. Gone too soon because of your stupid owners.

There is a guy I see every morning jogging with a lab off lead.

If I ever am able to be close I will yell at him to get an extenda lead if he wants to give the dog freedom. :)

[Quickasyoucan]

So many dogs and so many people are affected by people who don't follow the law and keep their dogs on leashes. Its not just what can happen to their own dogs it what their dogs can unexpected do to ours. The laws are there, never enforced and always scoffed at.

i reckon its this one we should be standing on the steps of parliament house about and getting petitions on the move.

How many of us don't go for walks any more with our dogs ? How many of wont take one route or another in case we meet up with one we know will be there ?

How many laws have been made which restrict where we can take our dogs because people do this?

Steve so so well said.

It does my head in to see unleashed dogs walking along the street with their owners. Not to mention my poor friend who is trying to rehabilitate her DA dog and is constantly having to deal with idiots who let their dogs rush up to hers on the street. Not to mention the poor drivers who have to deal with having run over someones pet when it rushes across the road having spotted something that takes its fancy. Everyone suffers potentially, the dog, the owner and the the poor unsuspecting motorist.

Then if you try and tell people to put their dog on a lead they just tell you to f** off. I wish I could on the spot fine everyone I found walking their dog off leash on the street. Drives me mental.

Not to mention these idiots give dog owners a bad name and mean yet more laws get introduced.

[WreckitWhippet]

So many dogs and so many people are affected by people who don't follow the law and keep their dogs on leashes. Its not just what can happen to their own dogs it what their dogs can unexpected do to ours. The laws are there, never enforced and always scoffed at.

i reckon its this one we should be standing on the steps of parliament house about and getting petitions on the move.

How many of us don't go for walks any more with our dogs ? How many of wont take one route or another in case we meet up with one we know will be there ?

How many laws have been made which restrict where we can take our dogs because people do this?

Me, I have a mapped out walking route that I cannot deviate from, due to dogs off leash. The one I do walk is a calculated risk, I brave the smaller off leash dogs and hope to hell that one of them doesn't seriously offend what i have on the end of my leash.

I would LOVE to be able to pop some music on and go for a brisk walk, without the fear of unleashed dogs, without front gates or adequate fencing, causing a menace.

I'm not sure which is worse, the unleashed dog wandering on its own or the one with the owner who yells " ohh he won't hurt "

[Crazy Daisy]

RIP Cooper

I can't stand people who put their dogs at such unnecessary risk. Mum was telling me tonight about the builder on the site next to her unit (they're building townhouses) who takes his 18 month old dog to work with him every day. She said it runs up to everyone who goes past and is the sweetest thing but has absolutely no recall. His owner tries to call him back every time and is never successful. She said the dog dashes around the building site and constantly goes up near the main road that the property is on and today she heard them using nail guns and all of a sudden the poor dog was screaming and screaming. She has no idea what happened but with all the hazards of a building site it could have been anything. Why are people so freaking stupid!

We are in a new estate and there are constantly builders dogs roaming around free. They cause such disturbance to the street as they run up and down in front of our fences and heaven forbid I don't shut the gate the moment I get home, they are running around my front yard and up to the dog run to annoy my dogs. The neighbour has shut their gate and called the council a couple of times to come and pick them up. I would much prefer the owners learn their lesson by getting a fine and have them on a lead when they are on a building site than getting run over by a passing car or truck.

[megan_]

A woman down my road now walks her staffy on a muzzle. She only walks him on-leash at on-leash areas (no parks etc) but due to the number of "friendly" off leash dogs that approach him (he is very reactive) HE now needs a muzzle. How unfair is that?

[WreckitWhippet]

A woman down my road now walks her staffy on a muzzle. She only walks him on-leash at on-leash areas (no parks etc) but due to the number of "friendly" off leash dogs that approach him (he is very reactive) HE now needs a muzzle. How unfair is that?

I know how she feels Megan and it's not fair. She should be able to enjoy her walk, regardless of her dog being reactive. Her reactive dog wouldn't cause any problems if others kept their dogs on leash.

I had a very tolerant male, that I walked every night with the two girls. He was a great dog, with recall and he bascially minded his own business his whole life. We had an incident one evening returning from our walk, where a couple of yap yaps were roaming the front of their house, they circled around my girls who were out in front of me, on their leashes and got between us. One of them bit my youngest girl on the hock and that was it for my dog, he grabbed it by the throat and neck.

He did let go when told to, although he'd already done quite a bit of damage to the other dog.

I like to walk my guys as a pack, but due to off leash dogs, I'm down to walking two at a time, although I would like to and can legally walk four at a time

[aussielover]

So many dogs and so many people are affected by people who don't follow the law and keep their dogs on leashes. Its not just what can happen to their own dogs it what their dogs can unexpected do to ours. The laws are there, never enforced and always scoffed at.

i reckon its this one we should be standing on the steps of parliament house about and getting petitions on the move.

How many of us don't go for walks any more with our dogs ? How many of wont take one route or another in case we meet up with one we know will be there ?

How many laws have been made which restrict where we can take our dogs because people do this?

Steve so so well said.

It does my head in to see unleashed dogs walking along the street with their owners. Not to mention my poor friend who is trying to rehabilitate her DA dog and is constantly having to deal with idiots who let their dogs rush up to hers on the street. Not to mention the poor drivers who have to deal with having run over someones pet when it rushes across the road having spotted something that takes its fancy. Everyone suffers potentially, the dog, the owner and the the poor unsuspecting motorist.

Then if you try and tell people to put their dog on a lead they just tell you to f** off. I wish I could on the spot fine everyone I found walking their dog off leash on the street. Drives me mental.

Not to mention these idiots give dog owners a bad name and mean yet more laws get introduced.

Well said by both you guys

I am currently experiencing some difficulty in training my dog to ignore other dog whilst on leash and "working" because all these idiotic people let their dogs run up to mine (both on leash and off leash).

I get lots of rude comments about how my dog will become aggressive etc if she is not allowed to socialise or how i am a "mean mum" for not letting her get harrassed by a "friendly" dogs, most of whoms approach is so dominant and confrontational I actually have to step between the dogs to stop mine from becoming freaked out and intimidated

I really feel for people with DA dogs. I think they should be able to walk on the street without being under constant stress.

[Bundyburger]

People do this near our house all the time, it makes me so angry. We had a dog run in front of our car one night, luckily i'd already told OH to slow down because it was running over the road further up, cos we nearly hit it when it ran in front of the car

Our offlead park is right near the edge of a road and I'm always worried that my boy will manage to find the gate out and run onto the road, so I tend to not take him anymore

Edited September 16, 2010 by Bundy's Mum

[westielover]

Off lead dogs being walked around busy and non busy streets make me feel extremely uncomfortable and I can never understand why people do it. Does my head in!

RIP Cooper :D

One thing I don't think people realise is that dog's owner is liaible for damages caused by their dog being hit. For example - if a car hits a dog and the car is damaged - the dog's owner is liaible. If a car hits a dog and then crashes into a house - the dog's owner is liaible. Perhaps if people realised that they were liabile for these types of damages - then they may choose to walk their dogs on lead!

Years ago a dog ran out in front of my father's car. Unfortunately, my father hit the dog as he had no time to react. The dog sustained an injury which required vet treatment but was otherwise ok. The bumper bar on my father's car was damaged and came off. My father sourced a second hand bumper to replace it at a cost of $95. He approached the owner about this and was told to f@*# off. Dad then reported it to the police. In the end it went to court. The dog's owner lost the case and ended up paying over $1500. He could have saved himself $1405 had he a) kept his dog off the street and b) agreed to do the right thing and pay the original $95.

So - those people who walk their dogs off lead - be aware of the potential costs!!

[aussielover]

Yes, I often find that people whose dogs have been hit by cars are outraged that the driver didn't stop. Though having said that, if I hit an animal I would most definitely stop.

They should actually be thankful the driver isn't suing them for any damages.

Of course it is very sad and upsetting when a beloved family pet is injured or killed (even more sad when it is preventable).

[Lollipup]

I think the reason some people do this is a bit of a chest beating thing. Makes them feel good and in control parading around with a dog off lead. If only they knew what irresponsible idiots they looked.

I get that impression with the ones I have seen as well. I'm sure they could still feel good about themselves for having their dogs walking on a loose leash by their side, that in itself is a beautiful thing.

[Souff]

I think the reason some people do this is a bit of a chest beating thing. Makes them feel good and in control parading around with a dog off lead. If only they knew what irresponsible idiots they looked.

I get that impression with the ones I have seen as well. I'm sure they could still feel good about themselves for having their dogs walking on a loose leash by their side, that in itself is a beautiful thing.

It is extremely selfish.

Not only does a good dog pay for 1 mistake with its life, but the person who hit the dog is affected badly too, and anyone who is unfortunate enough to witness such an accident.

I don't care how much training a dog has had and how good their recall is supposed to be, they MUST be on leash when near roads.

End of story.

Souff

[CJay]

So many dogs and so many people are affected by people who don't follow the law and keep their dogs on leashes. Its not just what can happen to their own dogs it what their dogs can unexpected do to ours. The laws are there, never enforced and always scoffed at.

i reckon its this one we should be standing on the steps of parliament house about and getting petitions on the move.

How many of us don't go for walks any more with our dogs ? How many of wont take one route or another in case we meet up with one we know will be there ?

How many laws have been made which restrict where we can take our dogs because people do this?

I didn't even know the law existed, its common sense, my guys are allowed off-leash, in off-leash areas, the yard (we're lucky to have a 2.5acre yard) or ther fenced areas. Its not hard. I must agree though with the chest beating, our dogs would propably be happy to walk by our sides off leash, doesn't mean its going to happen, my pup needs leash training yes, but i personally think she'd look better walking at my side on a loose leash, it shows off her training and makes me look good not to mention gives me peace of mind if in case a rabbit does pop up out of nowhere, i still have control

Maybe we should start looking at getting a bit of a proposal together, although we're in different states it will still be relevent for all of us. It seems that everyone here is agrees that something needs to be done, we've all had situations which could have been avoided if dogs were correctly restrained. I'm happy to start throwing a few words together over the next few days.

RIP Cooper

[Adnil444]

A woman down my road now walks her staffy on a muzzle. She only walks him on-leash at on-leash areas (no parks etc) but due to the number of "friendly" off leash dogs that approach him (he is very reactive) HE now needs a muzzle. How unfair is that?

I know how she feels Megan and it's not fair. She should be able to enjoy her walk, regardless of her dog being reactive. Her reactive dog wouldn't cause any problems if others kept their dogs on leash.

I had a very tolerant male, that I walked every night with the two girls. He was a great dog, with recall and he bascially minded his own business his whole life. We had an incident one evening returning from our walk, where a couple of yap yaps were roaming the front of their house, they circled around my girls who were out in front of me, on their leashes and got between us. One of them bit my youngest girl on the hock and that was it for my dog, he grabbed it by the throat and neck.

He did let go when told to, although he'd already done quite a bit of damage to the other dog.

I like to walk my guys as a pack, but due to off leash dogs, I'm down to walking two at a time, although I would like to and can legally walk four at a time

This is just so unfair for all the responsible dog owners. I know exactly how you feel. One of mine is a bit reactive with the swfs - though I have worked on her and she is much better and she can "almost" walk past them without any reaction (lots of praise and treats) all the while the swfs owners do nothing. I hope you can get back to a stage where you can walk all of yours together, enjoying yourselves. Maybe it's me, but I would think seeing someone walking several dogs at once, all on lead, that I would automatically give a bit of a wide berth - meaning move to the side of the path and let you pass, then we can continue on. That's what I do now - I move to the side so other people, joggers, bikers can pass easily. There is just so much ignorance and stupidity out there, it really does amaze me.

[lovemesideways]

So many dogs and so many people are affected by people who don't follow the law and keep their dogs on leashes. Its not just what can happen to their own dogs it what their dogs can unexpected do to ours. The laws are there, never enforced and always scoffed at.

i reckon its this one we should be standing on the steps of parliament house about and getting petitions on the move.

How many of us don't go for walks any more with our dogs ? How many of wont take one route or another in case we meet up with one we know will be there ?

How many laws have been made which restrict where we can take our dogs because people do this?

How do we go about changing something like this? It is a law I would love to see enforced. But this and several other laws are so hard to report.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Had someone stupid telling me they walked their two dogs off lead today but they had no road sense. They are sighthounds for God's sake. Anyhow I said to the person that it only takes one car, one time and that's it. I told them I work in rescue and am forever getting people looking for a new dog as they lost the last one in a similar accident to that described in this thread. WTF is the matter with people? Aren't dogs precious to them? I cannot believe they deliberately take these risks.

Edited September 16, 2010 by dogmad