Vent About Kids Walking Dogs

[Greytmate]

What if a dog got a fright and slipped is collar, was let out somebody's front door by accident, the owner was not there to re-call it or control it. Wouldn't you feel terrible if that dog was injured by your aggressive dog?

Speaking as a previous owner of an aggressive dog, no I would not. I'd feel furious that the other owner's negligence had probably put back my dog's training and rehabilitation by weeks if not months.

my point was that the case did not involve owner's negligence

not much point me arguing the case though when you view the world as you do

The owner is responsible for their dogs actions even if it was an accident or unintentional. If a dog slipped it's collar or broke a leash fastner and bit someone with the incident reported, you don't get excused because the incident was an accident, the dog is either under effective control or it isn't and if the dog gets away from you and gets into strife, you have failed your ownership obligation is how it's formally viewed.

It's only in extreme circumstances with well witnessed evidence of wrong doing will charges be laid against a leashed dog and owner against an unleashed dog even at an off leash area and if a dog is on leash handled by an adult regardless of what it did, it's 99% safe in avoiding a prosecution of negligence.

Prosecutions of negligence against dog owners are rare even when there is negligence.

How bad would you feel if your dog killed another dog that approached it?

Most dogs won't attack that approach in a friendly manner. But there are some that do, and I think they should be muzzled in public. There are different levels of dog aggression, some of which go beyond simple defence.

[Roxy Lady]

I don't like seeing kids walking dogs. You just don't know whether there will be another dog to come up and attack their dog, and most of the time the kids have little to no control over their dogs. When i lived at Weethalle,it wasn't a problem, Lana (6-7yo) would often take Roxy running (on lead) or have her running next to her bike (also on lead), the town has a pop.of 150 and we knew what dogs were around and it was unlikely for other peopleto be walking in close proximity.

But now, we live in a fairly large town where i don't know what dogs are around and we use footpaths instead of the road to walk on, so people are more likely to pass close by. Not that Roxy is at all aggressive, but I can't risk another dog coming up and expect Lana or Jasmin to be able to read another dog and know what to do if they see another approaching dog. Not only that but if someone wants to pat Roxy she may jump on them (she does it softly, but i think its rude) and the kids wouldn't pull her back before she does it or they mightn't keep her in close enough so that she can't go to sniff someone as they go past, i don't let her get close enough to sniff anyone, i also think its rude. Plus the kids can be rough with her, she has a choke chain, she doesn't really need it, but i don't want them yanking her around either.

I do let them walk her when i am there but if i see another dog or someone approaching i take over and tell the kids to run ahead in case its an offlead dog and there in an attack. I also walk next to them so that if Roxy needs a check i can do it without Lana ripping her head off LOL.

When i was about 10/11yo, i was in weethalle, walking our 2 blue heelers and bully X off lead, the dogs were very obedeient and were running up ahead of me but as i was walking i heard yapping and a lady yelling to her dog, so i started running towards my dogs and stupidly called the dogs, and because i did this the dogs immediatly ran back to me seeing a little sausage dog chasing me barking its head off. So of couse my dogs jumped straight onto the little dog, i managed to call off the 2 blue heelers pretty much straight away and told them to get home (which to their credit they did, running past the woman holding her other dog) but the bully x was more stubborn and just kept going and i had to get in and pull her off, once i did i give her a boot and told her also to get home which she also did. The woman had stayed up on the road holding her other dog (cocker spaniel) ihad a quick look at the sausage dog (which i was terrified of) who suprisingly was not too badly injured and told the lady that her dog was ok and ran home to tell mum what happened. Mind you, the woman was my friends mum and the sausage dog was the most vicious little dog i've ever known. I was 'lucky' though as kids we were used to dogs fighting, the neighbours dogs (labs and blue heelers) would constantly come into our yard and would get into fights with our dogs, so i had seen what to do. But my kids have not had any experience with anything like that, and it could have been a very bad situation, had our dogs been less obedient. Kids should not be put into a potentially dangerous situation that they don't have the ability to control or deal with properly.

Nothing happened over the fight between our dogs and the sausage dog, as both parties were in the wrong by not having leads on the dogs.

[Dory the Doted One]

Hmmm...times change don't they?

My parents used to let me walk our DA dog to obedience when I was 12yrs (that's over 20yrs ago) old and I would say he weighed if not more than me, then about the same.

He was also an over protective sod too. Only time he ever tried it on...I gave him a good correction and we went on our merry way again. I titled that dog in obedience and won numerous awards at club level too. None of which I would EVER have got to do, if my parents had never let me take him for a walk to our local club. Because they sure weren't interested in taking him or me and if he had never gone, he would've ended up DEAD.

[W Sibs]

Funny.. growing up one of my chore was walking the dogs. Often I always had a dog or 2 following me around while I went skateboarding or something. Never had an issue.