Dogs on lead - your thoughts?

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tamsinkb

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If you came across someone walking their dog on a lead in the middle of a field, and yours was off lead, what would you think / do? I'm curious as to whether I am being unreasonable, but don't want to influence responses so will explain later......if anyone answers!!
 
If I had time, I would call out and ask if their dog is OK with other dogs and if not, recall the dog, if I had no time, I would just recall the dog.
The dog could be bad with other dogs, could be injured etc, my own older dog HATES rude dogs bouncing up to him ('just saying hello' :p) so if I see offlead dogs approaching I usually shout a warning.
If he bit or was aggressive towards another dog I would consider myself in the right because mine was on a lead, I called a warning and the other dog approached mine.
 
I would call mine to heel or put on lead, and not allow it to approach the other dog. However having been the person with the dog on lead I know quite a few people do absolutely nothing and let their dog run up to the one on lead.:mad:
 
I would call my dogs and go in the opposite direction, as I walk in our own fields with no public footpaths Ive only ever met my own friends whose dogs are my dogs friends anyway.

I would assume anyone who had their dog on a lead had either a recall problem or a dog which wasnt happy with other dogs.
 
I call him straight back and put him on a lead. I would assume the dog was either not friendly with other dogs or injured and needed to be under controlled exercise.

Having had the case of the later and trying to give my dog controlled exercise due to injury. There is nothing worse than ignorant owners allowing their dog to try and play and jump all over with your on lead dog!
 
Normally put Henry on a lead if we are passing another dog on lead as we are stil learning to leave them alone and then if other owner ok with it they can say hello, however in a field likely we would be playing ball which is an obesession he ignores everything else so I would just carry on as was.
 
Depends on how big the field was. Mine aren't interested in other dogs so if the field was big enough that my dogs could run and not upset theirs then I would do nothing but if not I will put mine on a lead
 
See, I'm a bit on the fence with this one as we have a dog who can be a bit of a grump with other dogs so, if I meet/see other dogs i tend to put him on the lead BUT he then anticipates there must be another dog so immediately goes on the defensive. If he's off the lead then 9 times out of 10 he is fine. IF someone has their dog on the lead then I generally assume it may not be good with other dogs and will try and recall ours. However, the older dog is pretty deaf so it can be difficult plus, if you get close to him and the strange dog he is more likely to approach the strange dog aggressively!

Our GSD x is a big wimp and, although i will call her back i won't always put her on a lead as she avoids confrontation anyway. My new dog is a bit tricky as her recall is not 100% yet so currently she is only being let off the lead on 'safe' walks. She does need to socialise more with other dogs but if she's on the lead she's more reactive and barks at other dogs so it's almost better for her to be off the lead Also, most of the people that walk the particular walks we know and know their dogs.

I do think it's tricky. It doesn't actually bother me if a giddy dog comes running up to mine whether I have them on the lead or not. I appreciate that dogs will be dogs and they can all be a little ignorant sometimes and can embarrass you by ignoring your attempts to get them back! I would have an issue with an aggressive dog coming up to mine though and the owner making no attempt to get them back.
 
Wow! Thanks for the prompt responses.....am feeling vindicated!

Long story short - My working cocker (4yrs) has spent most of his life off lead, with excellent recall and obedience.....5 months ago he went lame on his left fore......cue shoulder operation and long slow rehab including hydrotherapy, physio and gradually increasing lead walks (very tedious for us both but with good progress) Just before Christmas he was allowed to start tiny bits of off lead walking - on a flat surface only. Last thursday he was off lead for 4 mins when a large 'Labradoodle' (mutt) literally bowled him over and aggrevated his injury.....ok, Bruce was off lead but the mutt's owners were clueless, but lesson learnt by me to put Bruce back on lead as soon as I see another dog, as I would always assume that there was a reason for a dog being on lead in a field etc. After that incident Bruce was very sore and lovely vet prescribed some tramadol for a few days and we went back to same routine as 6 weeks ago.

This morning was lead walking Bruce along the riverbank when a local young collie flew over and literally jumped on Bruce...owner completely oblivious..I managed to 'block' the collie and took the force of her flying leap.......it then tried 5 more times with the owner (who knows all about Bruce's issues) laughing... she wasn't laughing after I let rip.....but, apparently I am unreasonable for being upset by her totally out of control dog jumping on my injured dog on the lead. As I walked away, said collie ignored owners calls and followed me most the way home.

My view has always been if you do not have a semblance of control, you keep your dog on a lead and that if you see a dog on a lead there has to be a reason for it...be it aggression or other issue - I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Thanks
Tamsin
 
I always recall to heel or put on lead and expect others to do the same. I get pretty cross if I get a loose dog approach mine when on lead and would be very embarrassed and apologetic if one of mine did it to someone elses dog(s).
 
You were totally in the right

My GSP was on the lead for 4 weeks with a broken toe nail and after a week didn't take much to wind him up and he is pretty strong even on a Gentle Leader to hold onto when other dogs were flying around him! One owner said "dogs always have to say hello" err... no they don't not if it is not an appropriate situation! That was a stupid designer cross too!
 
I get Henry back on the lead, if he does have one of his Henry deafness moments and goes to say hello I go and get him PDQ and am always very apologetic! Fortunately he tends to say hello politely, rather than leaping right in there, but I still don't want him saying hello to on-lead dogs at all.
 
I would put my dog on a lead also and keep a distance.

Being on the other end of it. I always put Pixel on a lead when i see another dog. She is almost completely blind and he recall isn't 100% (not for lack of training, purely because she can struggle with direction and finding her way back to me bless her). At the same time, though she isn't a nervous dog generally, when a big loveable mess of full grown male vizsla came bouncing over the top of her (as far as she can tell out of no where) is scared her & has taken some time to get her over this.

Its not just for the safety of your own dog, but that of the potentially reactive/nervous/injured dog on the other end of the lead which the owner has under control.

Of course accidents happen though...sometimes dog walkers seem to appear out of nowhere!

eta Yes you were completely right! If not for just your dogs safety but yours. I wouldn't just want a dog flying at me also :( Hope he's on the mend. Had a similar thing happen to my mums lab when he was recovering from his hip replacement. So scary after weeks of rehab and hard work :(
 
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tamsinkb said:
If you came across someone walking their dog on a lead in the middle of a field, and yours was off lead, what would you think / do? I'm curious as to whether I am being unreasonable, but don't want to influence responses so will explain later......if anyone answers!![/QUOTe

I often come across people walking dogs on and off lead in large fields. If mine started to show an interest in introducing themselves to a dog on lead, they would be recalled immediately. Not because my dogs could be aggressive or even if I suspect the other dog could be aggressive, but because there are too many dog owners that get their knickers in a twist if another dog so much as looks at their dog.:)
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I've nothing against dogs being allowed to run/play together BS, I let my younger one run with any old dog so long as it is friendly, (especially when I am sick like I am now, means they can gallop up and down and I can stand still :p) even if it is a bit sharp, he can handle himself, he was screeching up and down the beach last night with a friend's 'aggressive' GSD bitch, they are just both a bit mouthy and like the sounds of their own voices.

He also has a great time with Spencer the doberman when they meet and even the collie with the owner who says her dog is OK with all other dogs except 'Alsayshuns' which she is scared of (I haven't had the heart to tell her yet as they get on so well :p)

It's just polite to check first :)
 
Hey, my post wasn't directed at anyone on this thread, CC! :p I agree with what other posters have said (miracles do happen;)) just get a bit peeved with some dog owners I meet, who have a nervous breakdown the moment they spot another dog off-lead - and they wonder why their dog's is aggressive with strange dogs!:)
 
galaxy said:
I call him straight back and put him on a lead. I would assume the dog was either not friendly with other dogs or injured and needed to be under controlled exercise.

Having had the case of the later and trying to give my dog controlled exercise due to injury. There is nothing worse than ignorant owners allowing their dog to try and play and jump all over with your on lead dog!
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This, exactly. Got sick of idiots allowing their bouncy dogs to jump on Jake after his TPLs. :mad:
 
As someone whose dogs are on leads at all times (except in the blissfully fenced confines of the training field and a few other safe spaces) I have to deal with this a lot. Best summary I've seen:

dinos-by-lili.jpg
 
I would carry on walking around the field with my dogs, they will not approach, and any rescue I had with no recall would be already on a leash or swiftly placed on a leash, I never let my dogs approach others, I find it bad manners. I actually don't mind dogs approaching mine (even though it's not good) because all mine when they are off running as all are fine BUT if the dog is coming for a fight it has to be prepared to be minced;) as much as my lot welcome a neutral/friendly dog and will even let them play ball, they won't take no ****:D
If I have a/my dog on a lead then I do prefer people kept theirs from approaching.
 
Slightly related to this, there was a piece in our local paper yesterday about a dog behaviourist . It showed her with a dog with a hi viz coat on saying "dog in training". I thought it was quite a good idea and might just encourage people to keep their own dogs under control under dogs that are undergoing socialisation training, or even just have a problem with other dogs in their face.
 
I was vaguely considering getting one of those MM but specifically for when we go out on the scooter, I deliberately choose tracks with few dog walkers and go at anti social times of day but I am still dreading the day we get chased by an off lead dog, I'm thinking that hi viz (and maybe a bell? :o) might give people more opportunity to call their dogs back.

Most days we don't see anyone at all, maybe I'm overthinking it. More concerned about unexpected squirrels. :p
 
BC - I have a lovely vision of a squirrel up a tree with two huskies under it with you and a scooter going up the trunk too...is that what happens!?
 
If their dog is put on/already on lead then my dog goes on the lead if they leave it off then I leave my dog off simple as that! He likes to play rough though but I do warn them lol! My bitch on the otherhand she is put straight on the lead when I see someone. I don't actually let her off unless I can see quite far around me that nothing is there she is a bit of a shrew!
 
With a dog on lead approaching I always call ours back and either get them to heel or more likely put them on lead too.

With loose dogs I always make sure they wait and stick with me until we're level with the other dog as otherwise they're apt to go belting up at top speed (which is quite speedy being a whippet and a whippet x), they never make contact but it's still something some dogs and more owners find a bit unnerving so unless their dog is already on it's way to say hi to us I stop them doing it.
 
Absolutely detest dog walkers exactly as in the cartoon,so many bull terrier peaceful field walks have been ruined by these turnips. Personally I have no wish to meet other mutts,friendly or not..and nor does my dog/s.
Luckily we now have enough of our own fields for us not to worry about this nuisance any more.
 
OH and I took 2 small kids (5&2) to a country park, along with pup, who was on the lead as I didn't know the area and her recall is a work in progress.

We met the fattest boxer imaginable who came tearing over to meet her, almost sitting on pup and all over her. No barking or growling, but absolutely no choice for either us, or the pup, who was clearly intimidated.

Where was the owner? 100 metres away, doing *od all. Not even calling it.

It makes me really cross actually. You can spend ages socialising, training and doing all you can for your mutt and then it can all be undone by an entirely preventable incident.
 
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