I'm Becoming Afraid To Walk My Dogs

[Loving my Oldies]

I don't wish for new laws, just that the current laws are complied with. Those who breach leash laws can in no way be considered responsible owners. There is no more room for a loose dog on our suburban and city footpaths than there is for a drunk driver on our freeways, it is that fundamental a public safety issue. If people continue to think they are above such rules, we will end up with more and more outright bans, and they will be deserved.

Exactly. There is plenty of legislation, but until councils step up to the plate and regulate and enforce them, we will still be having this conversation in 50 years time.

[RazorBlade]

Are you seriously comparing taking your dog for a walk without a lead to driving a 2tonne steel box at 110kmh whilst drunk?

[Rocketeer]

I don't wish for new laws, just that the current laws are complied with. Those who breach leash laws can in no way be considered responsible owners. There is no more room for a loose dog on our suburban and city footpaths than there is for a drunk driver on our freeways, it is that fundamental a public safety issue. If people continue to think they are above such rules, we will end up with more and more outright bans, and they will be deserved.

Exactly. There is plenty of legislation, but until councils step up to the plate and regulate and enforce them, we will still be having this conversation in 50 years time.

I agree. Amend the existing laws. Because right now some people think it's s Joke when their dogs escape the yard, walk through the gate/door, run onto the road, run up to other dogs etc. Councils need to stamp down on off-lead, strays, and roaming dogs. This alone can make a difference.

[Diva]

Are you seriously comparing taking your dog for a walk without a lead to driving a 2tonne steel box at 110kmh whilst drunk?

[/quote

I am saying that both drink driving and deliberately breaching leash laws are selfish, irresponsible acts by those who think the 'good old days' still apply to them, and they don't have to comply with the law.

[Rocketeer]

I'm actually pretty shocked at the number of people here who have reactive dogs - and are advocating everyone else lock theirs up so they can take them for walks wherever and whenever...

Most dogs I have met running loose in my area have been friendly - in some cases way too friendly with anyone and anything approaching them. If I come across a loose dog, I'm likely to knock on it's owner's door and return it to them (in the case of the dog getting out accidentally), or popping them into my car and taking them to the local vet/pound for scanning and return to same. In more cases than not, the dog has been a first time offender in getting out of the yard and has been off having a lovely adventure looking for someone to give them attention/pats.

I live in an area where the number of staffy/mixes completely outnumbers any other breed mix, yet we don't seem to have incidents warranting any media (or ranger) attention around here... go figure?

T.

Your experience is similar to my own. I'm also amazed at how many people on a dog forum are so passionately advocating greater restrictions on dogs instead of better education, training and promoting responsible ownership.

Sent from my iPhone while sipping my morning coffee at my local cafe with my dog asleep under the table.

Education, Training and Promotion- we can use the same 'ideas' towards Drunken Violence in the CBD, Dangerous driving, DUI, Gun violence etc. But until there is a shift in awareness regarding these things do we need legislation to reduce the risk of these things in the immediate moment? Yes we do. OR should we lift the legislations on speeding, drinking, guns, violence etc and ONLY focus on education, training and promotion?? I don't think so.

The same goes for dog ownership. Until there is a shift in awareness towards dog ownership do we need legislation to reduce risks?? Yes we do.

[dee lee]

I don't wish for new laws, just that the current laws are complied with. Those who breach leash laws can in no way be considered responsible owners. There is no more room for a loose dog on our suburban and city footpaths than there is for a drunk driver on our freeways, it is that fundamental a public safety issue. If people continue to think they are above such rules, we will end up with more and more outright bans, and they will be deserved.

Exactly. There is plenty of legislation, but until councils step up to the plate and regulate and enforce them, we will still be having this conversation in 50 years time.

AND- I will say it again- it's up to the general public to report instances. The council don't know unless we inform them.

In my situation, after my dog was attacked, I asked around the local dog park (which many dog walkers would have to walk past the roaming dog to get to) if anyone else had had any issues with the Dally. I was unsurprised to discover yes, several other dogs had been bitten by it. Had any of the owners reported it? Nope.

It's the old "someone else's problem", which then means the council never finds out.

My council was very supportive when I contacted them, but still had to rely on my constant reporting to actually fine the owner & subsequently slap a nuisance order on the dog. Following that, the guy still insisted on sneakily let the dog off, so every time I saw it, I reported it & he got fined. (Much to his disgust- he tried to intimidate me too, but I'm a lot tougher than I look.)

It took about a year, but t's been a while now since I've seen the dog unleashed.

So we can't blame the councils if we don't report these dogs. And if at first you don't see much action, keep reporting & keep records that tou can email the mayor if you still get no joy. Squeaky wheels & all that.

[Steph M]

Perhaps a large degree of it, as I've seen on here, is that often reported incidents don't yield any change.

I personally have reported this little asshat of a terrier across the road maybe 4, 5 times? The woman next door has done the same as he actually bailed her up in her own yard once and voila, nothing has happened, he still wanders and I doubt they've even visited. I don't bother now. I turn the hose on the little sh*t and accept that one day it will be run over on one of it's many dashes across the court to harass someone, I just hope it isn't by me.

The saddest part of the whole thing is no one is enforcing the rules, no one is even pretending to and everyone doing the wrong thing is being inadvertently rewarded. I can only speak for our suburb but as I said earlier, I don't walk my dog around here any more. It's not worth it.

Perhaps more people would be likely to report it if something was actually done.

The only time of late that I was unable to get close to a wandering dog (growling and bared teeth tend to tell one to stay away :D ), when I finally reached a real person to talk to in the Council, I was informed that the rangers had given instructions not to be called for wandering dogs .

This is alarming in itself!

I really do see a difference between suburbs though, it's incredible.

[melzawelza]

I don't wish for new laws, just that the current laws are complied with. Those who breach leash laws can in no way be considered responsible owners. There is no more room for a loose dog on our suburban and city footpaths than there is for a drunk driver on our freeways, it is that fundamental a public safety issue. If people continue to think they are above such rules, we will end up with more and more outright bans, and they will be deserved.

Exactly. There is plenty of legislation, but until councils step up to the plate and regulate and enforce them, we will still be having this conversation in 50 years time.

AND- I will say it again- it's up to the general public to report instances. The council don't know unless we inform them.

In my situation, after my dog was attacked, I asked around the local dog park (which many dog walkers would have to walk past the roaming dog to get to) if anyone else had had any issues with the Dally. I was unsurprised to discover yes, several other dogs had been bitten by it. Had any of the owners reported it? Nope.

It's the old "someone else's problem", which then means the council never finds out.

My council was very supportive when I contacted them, but still had to rely on my constant reporting to actually fine the owner & subsequently slap a nuisance order on the dog. Following that, the guy still insisted on sneakily let the dog off, so every time I saw it, I reported it & he got fined. (Much to his disgust- he tried to intimidate me too, but I'm a lot tougher than I look.)

It took about a year, but t's been a while now since I've seen the dog unleashed.

So we can't blame the councils if we don't report these dogs. And if at first you don't see much action, keep reporting & keep records that tou can email the mayor if you still get no joy. Squeaky wheels & all that.

This.

Council officers can't be everywhere at once and are very unlikely to know about a problem dog unless residents report it.

Last time we were rushed by a small off leash dog on a busy road, who's owner refused to leash it when I told him to, I reported it and the Council went out not too long after and he was still there with the dog off leash. They didn't fine him to my disgust but he at least got a talking to by someone in uniform and knows that he won't necessarily get away with it again in the future.

[HazyWal]

Oh Stan's mum, a fractured skull?!!? I hope he is ok.

He is getting there Aussie thanks for asking.

[Loving my Oldies]

The last time I opened my car door and in hopped the wandering Labrador, it transpired that her owners had been burgled and naturally the gates had been left open. Thank god I happened along because, although the dog was having a lovely time being out and free, she was heading towards a six lane highway

[kayla1]

I'm actually pretty shocked at the number of people here who have reactive dogs - and are advocating everyone else lock theirs up so they can take them for walks wherever and whenever...

Most dogs I have met running loose in my area have been friendly - in some cases way too friendly with anyone and anything approaching them. If I come across a loose dog, I'm likely to knock on it's owner's door and return it to them (in the case of the dog getting out accidentally), or popping them into my car and taking them to the local vet/pound for scanning and return to same. In more cases than not, the dog has been a first time offender in getting out of the yard and has been off having a lovely adventure looking for someone to give them attention/pats.

I live in an area where the number of staffy/mixes completely outnumbers any other breed mix, yet we don't seem to have incidents warranting any media (or ranger) attention around here... go figure?

T.

These people with reactive dogs are doing the RESPONSIBLE thing by not walking their dogs OFF-lead.

Yes, and you only have to read the reactive dog thread to see the enormous amount of training put in by owners of reactive dogs, only to have it all go pear shaped because of an off lead dog.

Whether it's off lead in an on lead area or wandering about in an unfenced front yard, the attitude of 'my dog never goes anywhere' seems to be quite common. Until one day the dog does go somewhere, like underneath a car.

[Steph M]

I do let Gus come out in the front yard with me occasionally to get the mail or put the bins out, we have a fence but no gate. My thinking behind this is so I can put him in the car or do these things without him thinking it's anything special or different when the front door is opened, or having him breaking his neck to get out there.

He's never just wandering, he has a sniff and hops in the car or goes back inside with a pilfered stick or has a wee and comes back in with me. I hardly feel like I'm the problem here though.

I feel like making the front yard less mysterious and exciting is making it more likely he'll come back in when asked, and less likely he will take off like an excited dervish if the door happens to be left open for a split second. I know this is as much a training issue as any, but I don't think exposure to our yard at the end of a quiet court of 6 houses is a bad idea.

Having said that, I certainly don't leave him out there alone or leave him wandering out of the yard. He has left it once to sniff the nature strip and was promptly called back inside.

[dee lee]

Perhaps a large degree of it, as I've seen on here, is that often reported incidents don't yield any change.

I personally have reported this little asshat of a terrier across the road maybe 4, 5 times? The woman next door has done the same as he actually bailed her up in her own yard once and voila, nothing has happened, he still wanders and I doubt they've even visited. I don't bother now. I turn the hose on the little sh*t and accept that one day it will be run over on one of it's many dashes across the court to harass someone, I just hope it isn't by me.

The saddest part of the whole thing is no one is enforcing the rules, no one is even pretending to and everyone doing the wrong thing is being inadvertently rewarded. I can only speak for our suburb but as I said earlier, I don't walk my dog around here any more. It's not worth it.

Perhaps more people would be likely to report it if something was actually done.

The only time of late that I was unable to get close to a wandering dog (growling and bared teeth tend to tell one to stay away :D ), when I finally reached a real person to talk to in the Council, I was informed that the rangers had given instructions not to be called for wandering dogs .

This is alarming in itself!

I really do see a difference between suburbs though, it's incredible.

Did you get incident report numbers each time? Make sure you do.

Keep notes, details etc & then take it further by emailing (which is an official document) the Head Ranger of your Council, CC-ing the mayor & anyone else you can think of, everytime your report is not followed up. Be sure to emphasise that the dog is behaving aggressively & get your neighbour to do it too. The more people who complain the more weight it has.

It's a legal requirement for dogs to be onlead & if said dog has rushed at you, then they can be declared a nuisance, which has further ramifications for the owner.

Be persistent, don't give up. :)

If everyone complained when it was warranted & kept records then the council will be forced to take action.

[Loving my Oldies]

It's a legal requirement for dogs to be onlead & if said dog has rushed at you, then they can be declared a nuisance, which has further ramifications for the owner.

Be persistent, don't give up. :)

If everyone complained when it was warranted & kept records then the council will be forced to take action.

Part of my recent letter to my council:

"...... and 2) councils are not interested in regulating and enforcing the laws we already have in place.

"While Councils ignore their own laws, the community will do the same and the result will be more dog attacks, more people hurt, traumatised and killed with lives forever ruined. It is about time Councils did what they are elected and paid to do."

I await with interest and (sadly) scepticism their response.

Edited August 31, 2013 by Danny's Darling

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Are you seriously comparing taking your dog for a walk without a lead to driving a 2tonne steel box at 110kmh whilst drunk?

I am saying that both drink driving and deliberately breaching leash laws are selfish, irresponsible acts by those who think the 'good old days' still apply to them, and they don't have to comply with the law.

Exactly. Lovely if your dog can lie down at an outdoor cafe without getting stressed or bothering anyone, but that's not the point. The point is that just as not everyone wants to be monstered by the "friendly" guy down at the local pub, not everyone wants a "friendly" dog to monster their dog either.

And TBH, a lot of them are not friendly. Basic body language skills are missing even in people who call themselves dog savvy. The clueless owner calling after their stiff tailed, hard eyed, stalking dog "oh he's friendly!" is so common as to be a cliche.

[sandgrubber]

The only good thing I can say about out over-liberal gun laws in the USA is that they are good at preventing wandering nuisance dogs. If you don't confine an aggressive dog in my neighborhood, it WILL be shot by the neighbors. So....people don't let their dogs wander. Sadly, a lot of them end up chained.

[Alison03]

I'm new to this forum and I'm hoping I've picked the right way to post to this thread. ????

Last year I walked onto the nature strip of my house preparing to take my small non reactive dog for a walk, we were charged by two large off leash dogs that had just escaped from their garden when their owner opened the gates to drive in. One of the dogs picked up my little dog and started to shake her, I had an open umbrella ( it was raining lightly) which I clobbered the large dog with to make it drop her. My dog being covered in rain and dog saliva slipped her collar and ran back into my garden, I had no idea how badly hurt she was, whether she was lying in my garden injured, so I had to stop the large dogs following her, they were absolutely focussed on doing that, I was knocked to the ground as they tried to follow her, my large open umbrella was a big help as it confused them. Some neighbors ran out in answer to my screams and took charge of the large dogs, so I could check on my little girl, she'd run back in the house through her pet door, she was in shock and pain. I took her to the vets immediately.

I also rang the police, this is the crucial part of the story, don't ring council ring the local police station, and not triple 0 unless there are bad injuries of course, tell them you've been menaced, knocked over, bitten whatever has happened, the first thing they ask is "Where are the dogs now" they ring Animal Control for you, all councils are hopeless, they are all on tight budgets, they get no help from the state government to help them cope with the increasing dog attacks. The police turned up at my door and animal control were there the next day, the owners of the large dogs were fined over a $1000 and had to replace their garden fences as they were deemed inadequate and provide a fenced off area so their dogs couldn't get out of the front gates if they were left open. I'm not really popular with them but I don't give a flying whats it about that.

If you can't walk the streets with your leashed dog something has gone very wrong in Australia. If you get attacked don't think for a minute that your neighbors won't like you ring the police, I'm a middle aged woman that got knocked to the ground, what if I'd been elderly or very young. If I hadn't rung the cops those dogs would still be wandering.

[Alison03]

I'm actually pretty shocked at the number of people here who have reactive dogs - and are advocating everyone else lock theirs up so they can take them for walks wherever and whenever...

Most dogs I have met running loose in my area have been friendly - in some cases way too friendly with anyone and anything approaching them. If I come across a loose dog, I'm likely to knock on it's owner's door and return it to them (in the case of the dog getting out accidentally), or popping them into my car and taking them to the local vet/pound for scanning and return to same. In more cases than not, the dog has been a first time offender in getting out of the yard and has been off having a lovely adventure looking for someone to give them attention/pats.

I live in an area where the number of staffy/mixes completely outnumbers any other breed mix, yet we don't seem to have incidents warranting any media (or ranger) attention around here... go figure?

T.

These people with reactive dogs are doing the RESPONSIBLE thing by not walking their dogs OFF-lead.

Yes, and you only have to read the reactive dog thread to see the enormous amount of training put in by owners of reactive dogs, only to have it all go pear shaped because of an off lead dog.

Whether it's off lead in an on lead area or wandering about in an unfenced front yard, the attitude of 'my dog never goes anywhere' seems to be quite common. Until one day the dog does go somewhere, like underneath a car.

I think it's a huge over reaction to suggest that all the people with reactive dogs are wanting everyone else's dogs locked up so they can go wherever they want. Most reactive dog owners just want to be able to walk their dogs in areas where all dogs are required by law to be on a leash, and have owners abide by those laws. It's not about making off leash areas in to on leash areas but being able to safely and without incident, walk in your local neighbourhood or along paths, trails and in parks that are currently on leash only by law, and not be fearful of off leash dogs rushing them.

Kayla is right about the amount of work a lot of reactive dog owners put in to their dogs and I'm one of them. I don't want to restrict others any more than the law currently requires and if I'm in an empty designated off leash area with my dog and someone else turns up with their dog, I leash my dog and leave. On many occasions I've had the other person say that it's okay and they'll come back later but I always insist that they stay and that they shouldn't be unable to use an area just because my dog is reactive. I am very lucky by the sound of things in that it is very rare for us to encounter an off leash dog when walking in our local area but I do get sick of going to reserves and trails that are supposed to be on leash only and people have their dogs running off leash with no recall who just do the "oh but they're friendly" thing when you ask them to call their dog back and slowly start wandering over, if they even move at all. It's amazing how fast they can suddenly move to collect their dogs though if I can't keep Justice under threshold and he starts with one of his barking and snarling displays.

[Alison03]

I haven't got a reactive dog, she is fairly bomb proof on leash and off leash she is respectful with other dogs, in an off leash area she will stop a good 4 meters from a new dog, so she can gauge the other dogs reaction, if it charges her she comes straight back to me. I've had to step in many times to stop charging dogs in off leash areas. Most owners are cooperative. I have had the "he's friendly" thing shouted at me when he obviously isn't it, stiff upright tail, top lip drawn up.

My dog is small (6 kgs) I don't take any chances with large dogs because she's been attacked in the past. When walking her I come across many large dog owners doing what I call "dog skiing" which is being dragged in a zig zag fashion behind their dogs, that's when I cross the road. I know the owner can only slow them down but not stop them. This method of dog walking can not be enjoyable at all and it must be embarrassing.

My dog completely ignores excitable behavior, just keeps on walking at heel, this doesn't seem to stop these reactive dogs coming after her. I've seen dogs writhing on the floor in an effort to get away from their owners, I even had one dog snap it's collar caused by its violent lunging, fortunately it's owner tackled it to the ground before it got to us. I can't imagine how mortifying that must have been.

I'm a fairly fit middle aged women, it's the older people with large dogs whose eyes just about spin around like pinballs when they see us, they do not have a chance in controlling them and tackling them to the ground isn't going to happen for them.

I just wish people would chose their dogs to fit their physical abilities.

[persephone]

I think keeping dogs under control at all times is a good start.

So does most of the population, councils, etc. It's not a new concept ;) That's why there are leash laws, and restrictions.