Aggressive off lead dogs - wwyd?

Moobli said:
Why should those of us who work hard to train our dogs to be obedient be penalised for those who don't, can't or won't do the same?
Click to expand...
Because sadly responsible owners seem to be in the minority now.

There are just far too many idiot owners with dogs with little or no recall, and the owners have no idea of how it is acceptable for their dogs to behave, hence all the bouncing up to on lead dogs.

There are so many attacks on sheep happening here locally, too.
 
paddy555 said:
horses, except semi ferals, are not wandering around the roads loose and able to cause an accident. The vast majority of horses in public places are under control and riders seem to take far more care than dog owners.

We have latch key dogs in my area.. Many are farm collies. They cause accidents and my neighbour"s collie bit a child and hospitalised him. He did live but was scarred.

I no longer walk my dog out. I am just so fed up with loose dogs. I cannot seem to manage any walk out without at least 2 loose dog incidents and that is simply not fair on my dog.
There is one road I wouldn't dare walk down and neither does anyone else. You get 4 loose farm dogs straight over the wall at you. There is no way I could get past them. My GSD is double leaded back to my waist band. He couldn't get loose from me and if he pulled me over he would simply be pulling a dead weight. However he would be traumatised trying to get through them, He is a quiet well behaved dog when we sit to let dogs go past us. I want him to stay that way.

I made great steps to solving the dog problem when riding. I taught the horse that when dogs come at us and owner's don't call them back we go on the attack. The last horse got very confident at this. He learnt to enjoy it. The owner's learnt to panic when they realised half a ton of horse really was going to march over their dog.

If dog's won't walk to heel past anything get them on a lead. Your choice. Train them or lead them. No one should allow their dog to make a nuisance of itself.
Click to expand...

latch key dogs surround my area - every farm and most houses have a dog loose in the garden. Most are well behaved considering how many there are!

The worst ones are the type that love car wheels...they shoot out of their garden onto the road as you’re driving by the house and they run at your car wheels and try to chase the car! There’s one JRT lives at a house on a sharp blind bend going steeply downhill that always shoots out like a rocket into the road and chases the car. Its so shocking those drivers who dont know the house are very likely to drive into oncoming traffic if there was some, or into the ditch - as you think youre going to run the small thing over as it goes right close to your wheels going by at 40mph.

Its amazing that dog is alive tbh and if i was the owner of a dog doing that, running out into the road at traffic, i’d fence it in to stop it.

We had a loose pack - 2 rottweilers and an old white sheepdogxpoodle turn up at my place, wondering round my farm, no owners passing by walking, they had got loose. I put my dogs away immediately as the white older dog had blood spatters on it, so i was concerned what had happened. I was afraid of the rotties initially, but talked to them friendly-tone “good boy’ and it wagged its tail...the rotties were friendlier than the old sheep dog. OH shooed them off like he was herding cattle with a stick - they complied. Found out later the household they came from they were always getting loose and patrolling other houses attacking chickens - hence the blood on the collie - eventually they were shot by a farmer after another incident. Its sad for the dogs.

My 2 are loose on the farm but only when im out and i have them with me. Trigger-happy farmers can always make them victims. Theyre friendly to all but i know that if they get attacked by passing loose aggressive dogs, they’ll try to defend themselves too. I therefore keep them close by me, loose. When i’m in, theyre in. When on walks outside the farm theyre on a lead at all times, even though theyre safe loose. Its always those ‘just in case’ unpredictable moments. We can train but never for every eventuality.
 
Moobli said:
There is a petition currently doing the rounds asking for a law to make it compulsory for all dogs to be on a lead in public places. I understand the sentiment but it isn't something I could ever support. Why should those of us who work hard to train our dogs to be obedient be penalised for those who don't, can't or won't do the same?
Click to expand...

Whether a dog is on lead or not doesn't say anything about whether it is under control or not.
Why bother with tedious training, buy a retractable lead, and start shouting "Don't worry, she's on a lead!"
 
PurBee said:
latch key dogs surround my area - every farm and most houses have a dog loose in the garden. Most are well behaved considering how many there are!

The worst ones are the type that love car wheels...they shoot out of their garden onto the road as you’re driving by the house and they run at your car wheels and try to chase the car! There’s one JRT lives at a house on a sharp blind bend going steeply downhill that always shoots out like a rocket into the road and chases the car. Its so shocking those drivers who dont know the house are very likely to drive into oncoming traffic if there was some, or into the ditch - as you think youre going to run the small thing over as it goes right close to your wheels going by at 40mph.

Its amazing that dog is alive tbh and if i was the owner of a dog doing that, running out into the road at traffic, i’d fence it in to stop it.

We had a loose pack - 2 rottweilers and an old white sheepdogxpoodle turn up at my place, wondering round my farm, no owners passing by walking, they had got loose. I put my dogs away immediately as the white older dog had blood spatters on it, so i was concerned what had happened. I was afraid of the rotties initially, but talked to them friendly-tone “good boy’ and it wagged its tail...the rotties were friendlier than the old sheep dog. OH shooed them off like he was herding cattle with a stick - they complied. Found out later the household they came from they were always getting loose and patrolling other houses attacking chickens - hence the blood on the collie - eventually they were shot by a farmer after another incident. Its sad for the dogs.

My 2 are loose on the farm but only when im out and i have them with me. Trigger-happy farmers can always make them victims. Theyre friendly to all but i know that if they get attacked by passing loose aggressive dogs, they’ll try to defend themselves too. I therefore keep them close by me, loose. When i’m in, theyre in. When on walks outside the farm theyre on a lead at all times, even though theyre safe loose. Its always those ‘just in case’ unpredictable moments. We can train but never for every eventuality.
Click to expand...

leaving aside your own dogs none of the above is to do with training. It is the fact that dog owners are not taking responsibility and are allowing their dogs to wander loose, run out at cars etc etc
 
Clodagh said:
I don't think muzzling would save many sheep. It is more stress IMO and I think loads died last year when they suffocated each other after being cornered by a dog.
Click to expand...
Ah no, I'm not convinced about muzzling either, it's compulsorily having a dog on a lead I was meaning.

Poor sheep :(.
 
Moobli said:
There is a petition currently doing the rounds asking for a law to make it compulsory for all dogs to be on a lead in public places. I understand the sentiment but it isn't something I could ever support. Why should those of us who work hard to train our dogs to be obedient be penalised for those who don't, can't or won't do the same?
Click to expand...


I see where you are coming from but I think I would probably support compulsory leading. All the incidents I have had with dogs would have been prevented if the dog had been on a lead. Two incidents of dogs hanging onto horses hind legs. Both were in the air as the horses tried to kick them off. A staffie and a golden retriever.
Numerous times of dogs running at and chasing the ridden horses wouldn't have happened if the dogs had been leaded.
Endless incidents on our bikes with dogs running at them, having a dog hanging onto my jeans trying to pull me off my bike, nearly coming off the bike as loose dogs ran under the front wheels.

I think the time is coming now when something needs to be done. I appreciate it is unfair on the owners of well trained dogs. However life is unfair. We all jump through hoops to get our firearms/shotgun certs yet we are not the problem, it is unlicensed gun holders. We insure, tax and MOT our vehicles (potential killing machines) yet some are unwilling to comply. It penalises the good owners/drivers/shooters because the bad ones won't comply.

Dog owners need to realise that firstly not all other dog owners like dogs. They may like their own but they don't want other dogs coming at them or their dogs. Secondly not everyone likes dogs. Some are afraid of them. They don't wish to have loose dogs running up to them. Dog owners seem to miss that point.
 
paddy555 said:
Endless incidents on our bikes with dogs running at them, having a dog hanging onto my jeans trying to pull me off my bike, nearly coming off the bike as loose dogs ran under the front wheels.

I think the time is coming now when something needs to be done. I appreciate it is unfair on the owners of well trained dogs. However life is unfair. We all jump through hoops to get our firearms/shotgun certs yet we are not the problem, it is unlicensed gun holders. We insure, tax and MOT our vehicles (potential killing machines) yet some are unwilling to comply. It penalises the good owners/drivers/shooters because the bad ones won't comply.

Dog owners need to realise that firstly not all other dog owners like dogs. They may like their own but they don't want other dogs coming at them or their dogs. Secondly not everyone likes dogs. Some are afraid of them. They don't wish to have loose dogs running up to them. Dog owners seem to miss that point.
Click to expand...

Agree with you completely paddy555.

On shared paths I have been attacked by a Doberman running alongside and lunging at me. Terrifying. I couldn't understand why the walkers ahead didn't call the dog. Eventually someone else called the dog. Not the people on the shared path but a woman in an adjoining field. The dog obviously had some restraint because it didn't bite me but bit the back wheel as it left.

Run into by a very large 'oodle that probably weighed the same as I do. Owner yelled 'no' so dog took off and ran into my now stopped bike. No apology from the owner.

Solidly built black Labrador wrapped round my stationary front wheel. Went to set off to find its identical twin now in front of me. Owner said she can't have them on lead because they pull her over.

And most recently I was taken down by a springer which was out of my sight in bushes/ditch behind its owners who had a dog on lead so I didn't anticipate another dog. I saw it in front of my wheel, no time to use brakes, bike stopped dead and I rolled along the tarmac. I was very lucky. I have osteopenia and really don't need this. The owners were apologetic and offered to pay for the damage to my bike.

I no longer trust any dog/owner and my default is to stop if I see any movement in my direction. I scrutinise every walker to see if they are carrying a lead just in case there's a chance of a dog ambush ahead.

I now rarely go on these 'out of control dog trails' preferring to take my chance on lanes and roads where so far none of the above has happened to me.

I realise that some cyclists are not as considerate as others would like. I am not one of them. I slow down, I stop pedalling, I use my bell, I say thank you literally every time etc etc. I call out to horse riders and once they hear me I ask if it's ok for me to pass them. Rarely do I get a response for my consideration from dog owners and pedestrians. I am generally thanked by the horse riders.

The shared trails are now too unsafe due to loose dogs that I think dogs on them should be on lead just as on a road. Many cyclists are, like me, choosing not to be on the off road shared paths and to risk instead the impatience, anger and 'punishment passes' of some motorists.
 
I can understand the argument for a dogs on lead in public places law tbh. And I say this as someone who lost my last dog lead at christmas and haven't bothered replacing it (yet), because my dog has been trained to walk immaculately at heel when needed and therefore doesn't need one wherever she goes at the mo I will buy a new one for when the pubs open!

I still maintain that any person who owns dogs who can be aggressive should think really hard about walking them in public without a muzzle.

As proven, just because your dog is on a lead, doesn't mean you can't be found at fault if it then bites someone.
 
Arzada said:
And most recently I was taken down by a springer which was out of my sight in bushes/ditch behind its owners who had a dog on lead so I didn't anticipate another dog. I saw it in front of my wheel, no time to use brakes, bike stopped dead and I rolled along the tarmac. I was very lucky. I have osteopenia and really don't need this. The owners were apologetic and offered to pay for the damage to my bike.

I no longer trust any dog/owner and my default is to stop if I see any movement in my direction. I scrutinise every walker to see if they are carrying a lead just in case there's a chance of a dog ambush ahead.



I realise that some cyclists are not as considerate as others would like. I am not one of them. I slow down, I stop pedalling, I use my bell, I say thank you literally every time etc etc. I call out to horse riders and once they hear me I ask if it's ok for me to pass them. Rarely do I get a response for my consideration from dog owners and pedestrians. I am generally thanked by the horse riders.
Click to expand...

me too on all of that. Some of our shared paths go through dense woodland. I don't even see the path in front of me I am too busy looking for that springer who is going to come flying out of the wood straight across the front of me. Always springers. :)

I look at every owner for a lead. I look at every retractable lead to wonder if the owner is going to winch the dog in.

As for biking with a dog then no way. It is a shame. Mine is trained to trot to heel with the bike. Too much risk when a loose dog comes at us. I have ended up on the ground. My dog is still sitting and the loose dog is all over us.
 
Michen said:
I still maintain that any person who owns dogs who can be aggressive should think really hard about walking them in public without a muzzle.
Click to expand...

problem is how do you identify them? if the owner was able to (or willing to) then they would have either trained them/ muzzled them or not taken them out in public.

A JRT can bite as nastily as an Akita. The staffie that hung onto my haflinger's hind leg was the sweetest dog when I watched him playing with his owners and their kids. When he was attached to the horse he became a demon. Couldn't get him off as there was too much danger of being kicked. If I could have got close safely I would have twisted his collar in the hope of strangling him. Nothing else would have worked. His jaw was just locked on.
 
paddy555 said:
problem is how do you identify them? if the owner was able to (or willing to) then they would have either trained them/ muzzled them or not taken them out in public.

A JRT can bite as nastily as an Akita. The staffie that hung onto my haflinger's hind leg was the sweetest dog when I watched him playing with his owners and their kids. When he was attached to the horse he became a demon. Couldn't get him off as there was too much danger of being kicked. If I could have got close safely I would have twisted his collar in the hope of strangling him. Nothing else would have worked. His jaw was just locked on.
Click to expand...

What do you mean? The owners need to take responsibility. If they own an aggressive animal and can’t train it then control it. Muzzle and lead. Or even better- put it down.

It’s not good enough to just do one or the other.
 
I can actually see the pluses to dogs in say parks and busy places being leashed. I also am lucky enough not to have to walk in parks or on crowded beaches. I hate leads and never use them but am very priveleged not to have to put up with the dog behaviours so many of you describe. Went for a 2 hour walk this morning and only saw one vehicle, and that was a tractor! No people with or without dogs at all.
 
Michen said:
What do you mean? The owners need to take responsibility. If they own an aggressive animal and can’t train it then control it. Muzzle and lead. Or even better- put it down.

It’s not good enough to just do one or the other.
Click to expand...

to be fair the owner's don't always know. In the example I gave of the staffie going for my horse the owners never realised that is what it would do.
 
I keep mine on leash in public/where I am likely to meet anyone as a matter of course anyway, even the one with lovely recall; no one actually wants to see big dogs off leash running around.
They can do competition heelwork/stare adoringly into my eyes but I don't see the point in making them do that when they are out for a walk.
 
paddy555 said:
to be fair the owner's don't always know. In the example I gave of the staffie going for my horse the owners never realised that is what it would do.
Click to expand...

Perhaps they should. This list tells me all I need to know about certain types of dogs. I KNOW there are plenty within the breeds who are lovely, gentle and well trained. But we can't deny some breeds are more likely to attack than others, or show aggression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_Kingdom
 
CorvusCorax said:
I keep mine on leash in public/where I am likely to meet anyone as a matter of course anyway, even the one with lovely recall; no one actually wants to see big dogs off leash running around.
They can do competition heelwork/stare adoringly into my eyes but I don't see the point in making them do that when they are out for a walk.
Click to expand...

Making them heel when out for a walk? Why not? I see it as good bits of training for mine, dog/person approaches and she has to heel for the 2 minutes or so as we pass them. Then off she goes.

Different in a park for sure so depends on your walking I guess, my local 1 hr loop I will prob meet 1/2 dogs max if any.
 
Michen said:
Making them heel when out for a walk? Why not? I see it as good bits of training for mine, dog/person approaches and she has to heel for the 2 minutes or so as we pass them. Then off she goes.

Different in a park for sure so depends on your walking I guess, my local 1 hr loop I will prob meet 1/2 dogs max if any.
Click to expand...

Multiple reasons, far too boring to go into here, but mainly because they're retired. At the very most if I can see a tricky dog approaching I might ask for a behaviour but it's rare TBH.
 
Tiddlypom said:
However well your dog is trained, surely it's good practice to at least take a lead when walking in a public area? Just in case?
Click to expand...

In case of what? I'd pick her up if there was some sort of emergency but not sure what that could be, other than someone elses dog harrassing her.

She comes out all the time with me on horseback, sometimes I'm riding and leading another horse. Should I not do that?
 
If I'm walking my dogs off lead I always carry a lead for each. I always keep an eye out for other dogs and call my dogs to me if needed. Often I just veer off to a side path or turn and go the opposite way. Sometimes we walk in a busy park with my neighbor. We rarely see an off lead dog. If we have someone or a group of someones walking towards us we walk very close to the side of the path. If the people look afraid of the dogs we step over and have the dogs sit until the people have passed us. To me this is just being polite and considerate.
 
Clodagh said:
Went for a 2 hour walk this morning and only saw one vehicle, and that was a tractor! No people with or without dogs at all.
Click to expand...

Where is this paradise and please may I come and live in a tent there? ?

I can go out on a weekday lunchtime and not necessarily see anyone but weekends are like running a gauntlet of unruly dogs and this BH weekend has been a complete write-off. The irresponsible actions of other dog owners are seriously affecting my enjoyment of dog ownership at the moment. I could be sympathetic to a leash law, though I don’t think it’s anywhere near a complete solution.
 
Clodagh said:
I can actually see the pluses to dogs in say parks and busy places being leashed. I also am lucky enough not to have to walk in parks or on crowded beaches. I hate leads and never use them but am very priveleged not to have to put up with the dog behaviours so many of you describe. Went for a 2 hour walk this morning and only saw one vehicle, and that was a tractor! No people with or without dogs at all.
Click to expand...

I definitely take the point about leads when walking in crowded parks or busy beaches but the knock-on effect that can happen when anything is banned concerns me. I’d hate to see the UK go down the route of the US with just designated “dog parks” for off lead exercise.
 
blackcob said:
I can go out on a weekday lunchtime and not necessarily see anyone but weekends are like running a gauntlet of unruly dogs and this BH weekend has been a complete write-off. The irresponsible actions of other dog owners are seriously affecting my enjoyment of dog ownership at the moment. I could be sympathetic to a leash law, though I don’t think it’s anywhere near a complete solution.
Click to expand...

The dogs who need a leash law tend to be owned by the idiots who would ignore it.
 
Moobli said:
Any dog has the potential to act aggressively.
Click to expand...

Sure, but it’s undeniable that some breeds are more prone to it than others, and some dogs will have already shown aggression but still owners won’t take responsibility. And I’d be surprised if most of the time their owners weren’t aware of it.

Look at the list I posted of fatal Uk dog attacks. It’s the same sort of breeds mostly over and over again.

So why is that? Every dog breed has useless owners who don’t train them. But you don’t see labradors mauling people to death (yes I’m aware they are responsible for the most “bite” claims). But in some breeds there is far more capacity for it to go really wrong if they aren’t trained or socialised. And it’s there in black and white in the stats.
 
Last edited:
blackcob said:
Where is this paradise and please may I come and live in a tent there? ?

I can go out on a weekday lunchtime and not necessarily see anyone but weekends are like running a gauntlet of unruly dogs and this BH weekend has been a complete write-off. The irresponsible actions of other dog owners are seriously affecting my enjoyment of dog ownership at the moment. I could be sympathetic to a leash law, though I don’t think it’s anywhere near a complete solution.
Click to expand...

You need to go 'urban', I walk near Stansted airport, so as long as you don't mind planes taking the tops of the trees off you don't see a sole. If we ever move somewhere more beauty spot I suspect I'll have a horrible shock.

I absolutely cannot see, and I say this so many times, why we can't have a license law like Australia.

1. Annual dog reg, expensive for entires, cheap for neutered.
2. Coloured dog tag so wardens can see at a glance if you are up to date.
3. Leads on in town.
4. Strict enforcement, on the spot fines, aggressive dogs removed and big fines to get stray dogs back if they wander.
5. Dog wardens everywhere, they are like the police.

On the downside there is no where to walk your dogs, or nowhere near as good as over here, the proper bush is either no dogs or full of dingo bait.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top