Off Leash Dog Conviction

[Santo66]

I am not one to dob people in for breaches of dog managment compliance, we can all make unintended mistakes, but on one of our regular walks, there is a house side on to a pathway who have a dog aggressive smallish Terrier X who twice now has been out the front with it's owners, seen my dog on leash and charged over trying to bite at the legs of my big dog.........suffice to say the owners chase the dog and try and catch it but ultimately have not one scrap of control.

The second time this dog ran at us, my dog became aggressive at this dog snapping at his front legs and the owners who I gave a piece of my mind in no uncertain terms blamed me suggesting my dog should be muzzled as the size difference could cause their dog at large not under effective control some injury or worse?

A week before Xmas I am walking down the pathway and could see the owner and a couple kids on their front lawn and blow me down, this dog comes charging out for the 3rd time, kids and owner chasing it and......I pull my dog around sort of behind me and kick my foot out at the dog yelling at it to piss off, and the dog lunges in and grabs me by the leg of my pants, I kicked it off and the onwner had got there by that stage and grabbed the dog........my dog is going off his rocker at that stage, the woman who owns this dog is abusing me WTF??......to cut a long story short, I had enough after 3 times being pestered by this dog and copping abuse from the owners, I reported the incident to council.

Yesterday, the local ranger called me telling me that the owners of the dog were fined on multiple breaches and with a warning in place that if the dog reported again for rushing in an aggressive manner will be declared a dangerous dog........ranger pointed out that a dog is a dog whether it be small medium or large, in this case was a small dog, if they are at large and rushing in an aggressive manner, they are potentially dangerous and will be declared regardless of size.

Hopefully now these people will learn to keep their damn dog in and further more the ranger said the error I made was not reporting the first incident 12 months ago. I think most of us have had incidents with off leash dogs which can be rather scary ruining the aura of what was a pleasant walk and that council in this case did something about it, I think it was a good result. :D

Edited January 5, 2013 by Santo66

[Kavik]

One thing I do if I know the dog is a pest and can see that it is in the front yard or loose is to avoid going past the house so I don't have to deal with the stress of it rushing me. Either by crossing the road or changing my route. There is a little JRT a couple of houses down from me that does this.

[Zug Zug]

Definitely reporting them is a good thing.

Next thing the dog will be charging at a child walking past, or a young person walking with their own dog.

Avoiding the dog is fair, but the problem goes on and the risk is still there for other people. I avoid houses with dogs in front yards if I can, even if the dog is fenced in. It's too stressful for me and my dogs.

But I would report a dog that habitually charged out beyond the fenceline, and have done this before when a dog chased and grabbed the trouser leg of a child who was cycling with me and my family a few years ago.

Dog owner's excuse: the dog doesn't like aboriginal children!!!

So why keep it in the front yard I asked??? Given there was a house of aboriginal kids only 3 doors down from this house.

Some people are idiots and need the Council involved.

[Santo66]

One thing I do if I know the dog is a pest and can see that it is in the front yard or loose is to avoid going past the house so I don't have to deal with the stress of it rushing me. Either by crossing the road or changing my route. There is a little JRT a couple of houses down from me that does this.

Yes, I did exactly that the second time I spotted this dog and it chased us to the next corner. Having words with the owner on that occassion I thought may have sunken in that playing on the front lawn with that dog they have no control over was a bad idea, but they don't learn and surely I am not the only one that dog has chased as there are dog walkers commonly using the pathway. I was worried more about my dog eating this little dog when mine became hostile and the little dog in full bravado wouldn't back off

[Santo66]

Next thing the dog will be charging at a child walking past, or a young person walking with their own dog.

Actually a freind of mine was charged by council a couple of years ago when her Golden Retriever a lovely but silly dog with not much training knocked a kid over when off leash where it shouldn't have been......kid bumped his head on the bitumen from the fall and grazed his forehead, my friend was devistated given her dog is a friendly and gentle dog, but boisterous and she learned quickly what can happen with lack of off lash control where especially kids are involved.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Santo66

[sausy.dog]

Next thing the dog will be charging at a child walking past, or a young person walking with their own dog.

Actually a freind of mine was charged by council a couple of years ago when her Golden Retriever a lovely but silly dog with not much training knocked a kid over when off leash where it shouldn't have been......kid bumped his head on the bitumen from the fall and grazed his forehead, my friend was devistated given her dog is a friendly and gentle dog, but boisterous and she learned quickly what can happen with lack of off lash control where especially kids are involved.

Wow, what a terribly hard way to learn a lesson.

Recently I was walking with one of my teenage children and usually I walk all three of my dogs but I gave him the cocker to walk. He was just in front of me and they were passing a lady and her husband looking in a shop window who didn't realise he was behind them and as he went past them our cocker jumped up on the back of the lady's legs. The lady got such a fright she nearly fell over. Luckily she was very understanding but if she wasn't or had actually fallen it might have been a different story.

I do tend to avoid problem dogs but really shouldn't have to and we have so many people in our town who either let dogs into front yards with either no gate or unsuitable dog fencing there is no way I can walk without passing some of these dogs. Crossing the street sure, but many of them just run across the street!

[kima]

I reckon good on you for reporting them :) some people just have no idea when it comes to their dogs sometimes.

We have a lady round my area who walks her tiny fluffy dog off leash on the streets. Last time we saw them the dog rushed my Stafford and started growling and snapping at him. Lucky my dog is the biggest sook and just hid behind me. They may not be so lucky with the next dog it goes for. Worst part was that when I told her to control her dog and keep it on leash she just laughed and said her dog had never done that before. I feel sorry for that dog, its not its fault it has an idiot owner!

[mantis]

I reckon good on you for reporting them :) some people just have no idea when it comes to their dogs sometimes.

We have a lady round my area who walks her tiny fluffy dog off leash on the streets. Last time we saw them the dog rushed my Stafford and started growling and snapping at him. Lucky my dog is the biggest sook and just hid behind me. They may not be so lucky with the next dog it goes for. Worst part was that when I told her to control her dog and keep it on leash she just laughed and said her dog had never done that before. I feel sorry for that dog, its not its fault it has an idiot owner!

Yes I have that problem with a little dog in my block of units. He refuses to leash her, she charges every dog she sees, I can't believe she hasn't been attacked. I can't walk my Staffy, except very late at night, as I don't know what she will do if this little bugger rushes & has a go at her, I don't want his dog being hurt.

I have just reported him for the second time, he put her on a lead after the first report, but that only lasted two weeks, now it's constantly off leash again.

I'm getting to the stage where I'm just going to walk my dog & if his dog gets hurt, he's to blame. While I will be upset if that happens, I am sick of my dog being kept a prisoner because of this moron.

[rubyroo]

Good on you for reporting them. Their are laws to keep people and animals safe, can't possibly imagine why some people think they are exempt from them!!!!

[mantis]

Good on you for reporting them. Their are laws to keep people and animals safe, can't possibly imagine why some people think they are exempt from them!!!!

Because they are selfish morons.

[Brookestar]

I'm amazed that the council actually did something about it. I have been walking with my friend and her guide dog and videoed the same dog from the same property, charging at her Guide Dog, 5 times in 12 months. Once the council has called the owners of the dog and asked them to keep it under control!!! The response was to tell my friend that she should simply not walk down the street. Would be nice if it was that simple, it is on the way to the bus stop, the local shops and the like. She cannot get to ANY other bus stop or the like without going past this house. She always walks on the other side of the road, but it does nothing. She is looking for a new place to live, not many other options left to her.

Fines are about the only thing that will teach most people, but if councils wont issue them, very little that can be done.

Well done for reporting it, and I do agree with the council, the more you report, the more they can know what is going on. THey cannot fix the problem if they don't know.

People can and do make mistakes, but once your dog does something once, like rushing out, when you think they wont, any half decent owner would not allow it to happen again. The fact that they have no control over the dog, that it ignores them, etc is also a sign of it. Once off is one thing, repeating the same behaviour is not an accident. It is something they are clearly not learning from.

[mantis]

I'm amazed that the council actually did something about it. I have been walking with my friend and her guide dog and videoed the same dog from the same property, charging at her Guide Dog, 5 times in 12 months. Once the council has called the owners of the dog and asked them to keep it under control!!! The response was to tell my friend that she should simply not walk down the street. Would be nice if it was that simple, it is on the way to the bus stop, the local shops and the like. She cannot get to ANY other bus stop or the like without going past this house. She always walks on the other side of the road, but it does nothing. She is looking for a new place to live, not many other options left to her.

Fines are about the only thing that will teach most people, but if councils wont issue them, very little that can be done.

Well done for reporting it, and I do agree with the council, the more you report, the more they can know what is going on. THey cannot fix the problem if they don't know.

People can and do make mistakes, but once your dog does something once, like rushing out, when you think they wont, any half decent owner would not allow it to happen again. The fact that they have no control over the dog, that it ignores them, etc is also a sign of it. Once off is one thing, repeating the same behaviour is not an accident. It is something they are clearly not learning from.

Or they think it's amusing, that their little dog attacks bigger dogs.

[raineth]

I'm amazed that the council actually did something about it. I have been walking with my friend and her guide dog and videoed the same dog from the same property, charging at her Guide Dog, 5 times in 12 months. Once the council has called the owners of the dog and asked them to keep it under control!!! The response was to tell my friend that she should simply not walk down the street. Would be nice if it was that simple, it is on the way to the bus stop, the local shops and the like. She cannot get to ANY other bus stop or the like without going past this house. She always walks on the other side of the road, but it does nothing. She is looking for a new place to live, not many other options left to her.

That is really awful! I reccommend she contact her local member about the problem if the rangers aren't taking it seriously.

OP, good on you for reporting and I'm glad you got a good result

[kima]

And I think the mentality that because their dogs are small and can't do as much damage it's ok. Know a someone with an aggressive chihuahua but because its so small they dont see it as a big problem..

[hankdog]

The way I see it all dogs are potentially dangerous, some more than others but its how they are managed by their owners that ultimately sets their danger level. I own a potentially dangerous highly reactive bull breed and micromanage him and am trying to retrain him. He has progressed very well to the point where some days on walks I will let him see a dog, up until yesterday. Most walkers in my area are very understanding about giving me space to cross the road and get behind a bin, car or bush but numpty couple who walk their "friendly so walked off leash and allowed to rush up to other dogs" mutt quietly allowed their dog to rush us from behind. Meaning I had to drag my barking dog across the road on a prong collar whilst yelling at their mutt. Abandoned walk, headed for home and about 50m down the road had to pass a lovely on leash lab who copped the worst barking at from my now badly aroused dog. So probably set us back about 2 months in training and if I was the lab owner I would probably report me. If you're a Doler my apologies!! Since I walk where I'm unlikely to see other dogs I have also had a lot of chats with some elderly people who whilst loving dogs walk in these same places because they are fearful of being knocked over by off-leashers. One lady told me she has a lovely dog that she no longer walks because she is fearful of being rushed at by off leash dogs. Good on your council for being on the ball.

Edited January 5, 2013 by hankdog

[rubiton]

I'll give a rushing dog one chance if the owner is chasing after it and reacts as I would if one of mine got away.

But if they find it funny or just dont bother to retrieve their dog (or I have to actually threaten or actually do kick it in self defence) I'll report them.

If the same dog or dogs menaces me gaain a second time I'll send an email to the council - if they attack and try to contact my dog Ill call it a dog attack and ask to report that and will fill in their form (as I did when one rushed out and had a go and only missed my dog as I got it inthe shoulder - I felt sorry for it though as I dont thin kit had a happy life with the way it looked at me and the story the council found out was the woman who had no control and no fences was looking after it for her son. She was advised of her responsibilites and given a warning which was fine by me as it didnt contact my dog - I however got a sorethroat from the yelling that led to being sick which I didnt need. I never went that way again but then we moved within a coupleof mnths.

[J...]

I'm amazed that the council actually did something about it. I have been walking with my friend and her guide dog and videoed the same dog from the same property, charging at her Guide Dog, 5 times in 12 months. Once the council has called the owners of the dog and asked them to keep it under control!!! The response was to tell my friend that she should simply not walk down the street. Would be nice if it was that simple, it is on the way to the bus stop, the local shops and the like. She cannot get to ANY other bus stop or the like without going past this house. She always walks on the other side of the road, but it does nothing. She is looking for a new place to live, not many other options left to her.

Fines are about the only thing that will teach most people, but if councils wont issue them, very little that can be done.

That was my first thought, good on the council for doing something about it because our local council certainly wouldn't. If the councils enforced the rules we already had instead of adding further restrictions then we'd see some action. Those who already ignore the regulations will continue to do so, no matter how strict they are.

Your poor friend, what an absolute disgrace. I agree with whoever suggested taking it further, keep going up the chain until you find someone who'll get off their butt and do something about it.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

One thing I do if I know the dog is a pest and can see that it is in the front yard or loose is to avoid going past the house so I don't have to deal with the stress of it rushing me. Either by crossing the road or changing my route. There is a little JRT a couple of houses down from me that does this.

Report it to the council, it's against the law in NSW.

[mantis]

Gawd I'm furious. the moron who won't keep his dog on lead, has obviously been contacted by the council again & is pissed off. The last few days, I have been putting out a dish of water for the local birds, as they are walking around with their beaks open, obviously thirsty. He has gone out & emptied the bowl & thrown it into the garden, this guy is a sociopath, I am getting so angry.

[rubiton]

mantis - isnt that called trespass (ie a police matter) if he comes into you yard and messes with your stuff?