Walking your dogs

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Sandstone1

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Do you keep your dog's on lead all the time?
Had a couple of incidents recently that make me question people's expectations.
First incident. Walking my two well behaved dogs on a public footpath when a cyclist rides up behind me shouting put your dog's on a lead.
I said it's ok they won't chase you. His response I've heard that before.
My dogs don't chase cyclists.
Why should cyclists expect people to get out of the way on a public footpath.
Do they have right of way? There was plenty of room for him to get past safely.

Second incident. Walking on a different footpath. No livestock safely fenced well away from the road.
Walking along minding my own businesses. Dogs mouching along sniffing minding there own businesses.
A man popped out from behind the hedge, telling me my dogs should be under control.
Now both dogs did nothing wrong. Didn't jump up bark growl nothing.
I even asked him what they had done and he said nothing.
Now if I see some one approach. With or with out dogs I usually put my dogs on leads out of courtesy.
In both these cases people suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Neither dog did anything at all wrong I'm feeling as if I wrong to let my dogs off lead now.
They are both well behaved, not in the least aggressive. I always carry poo bags and pick up. Is it just me that feels harnessed walking my dogs these days!
 
Cyclist shouldn't have been on a footpath but it wouldn't have helped to have pointed that out I expect. :)
Second incident, your dogs were under control - it's not defined by being on lead.

I can see both sides - oooh the splinters in my @rse from sitting on the fence;) - there are so many dog walkers who let their dogs romp all over randoms and I say that as a dog owner. Most cyclists/runners/walkers have at one point or another been hassled by loose dogs while an ineffectual owner shouts from a distance that 'it's ok, they're friendly' so you can understand their cynicism.

At the same time, if your dogs aren't causing a problem why should you be tarred with the same brush? I tend to call the dog to heel passing others but will hold his collar on put him back on lead if it's a busy area or a tight space. Mine doesn't take any notice of other dogs or people as long as they ignore him though, too busy sniffing! Rude people who tell me what I should be doing do tend to get a curt ' he IS under control, thank you' as I walk on.

TBH I have more problems with the people who insist on trying to fuss the dog - he really doesn't like that.
 
In Scotland we all have to share-cyclists, riders, walkers-anything non-motorised. The general rule is that you give way to the slower thing, so really your cyclist should have given way to you. Seeing just how many badly behaved dogs there are around, I don't entirely blame him for not believing you but then he shouldn't be on a footpath in England.

I am fortunate in that I have a fair amount of walking where I am unlikely to meet anything. When I do venture to more populous spots then I mainly keep on leads-mostly long lines attached to a walking belt -saves any hassle and besides, this time of year round here there are just too many sheep so I keep them close.
 
Thankfully I live in a pretty remote area and so can walk the dogs for days without seeing another soul. I do sometimes venture into busier places though as I think it does us all good and have to make the special effort at this time of year because of lambing and also ground nesting birds, but never really get hassle from anyone.

It sounds like you were pretty unlucky with the people you have met recently Sandstone, although from reading dog related stuff online and speaking to friends, anti-dog feeling does seem to be on the rise in certain areas and with certain people. Your dogs were not doing anything wrong and so I would just let their comments wash right on over! Of course there are unfortunately plenty of dogs who are out of their owners control, but why should responsible dog owners and well behaved dogs be penalised for the rest.
 
Sandstone1 said:
Second incident. Walking on a different footpath. No livestock safely fenced well away from the road.
Walking along minding my own businesses. Dogs mouching along sniffing minding there own businesses.
A man popped out from behind the hedge, telling me my dogs should be under control.
Now both dogs did nothing wrong. Didn't jump up bark growl nothing.
I even asked him what they had done and he said nothing.
Now if I see some one approach. With or with out dogs I usually put my dogs on leads out of courtesy.
In both these cases people suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Neither dog did anything at all wrong I'm feeling as if I wrong to let my dogs off lead now.
They are both well behaved, not in the least aggressive. I always carry poo bags and pick up. Is it just me that feels harnessed walking my dogs these days!
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If we saw someone walking off lead dogs that were 'sniffing and doing their own thing' we would ask them to put them on a lead. The dog should be on the footpath with you, it isn't a case of you on the footpath and your dog hunting a hedge the other side of the field. It is nesting season now and off lead sniffy dogs are a PITA.

The cyclist should not have been on a footpath and I would have told him so, if it was a byway or similar I would have bought my dogs to heel and made them sit while he went past.
 
Clodagh said:
If we saw someone walking off lead dogs that were 'sniffing and doing their own thing' we would ask them to put them on a lead. The dog should be on the footpath with you, it isn't a case of you on the footpath and your dog hunting a hedge the other side of the field. It is nesting season now and off lead sniffy dogs are a PITA.

The cyclist should not have been on a footpath and I would have told him so, if it was a byway or similar I would have bought my dogs to heel and made them sit while he went past.
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I didn't read Sandstone's post as the dogs being "hunting a hedge on the other side of the field" but rather just off lead mooching along by her side.
 
WorkingGSD said:
I didn't read Sandstone's post as the dogs being "hunting a hedge on the other side of the field" but rather just off lead mooching along by her side.
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I exaggerated, but even hunting the hedge next to the footpath is technically wrong, it is picky but if the footpath is 1.5m wide the dogs should be on that width too.
 
WorkingGSD said:
Yes that's being picky imo :p
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And mine .
OP ignore them there's a fair few cyclists who are complete prats and in England he's squarely in the wrong unless the land owner has given him permission to cycle on his land .
As for the other guy I just would smiled vaguely and kept walking you're not required to talk to people if you don't want to.
 
They were alongside me on the footpath. Close by not in other fields or in anyway off the footpath.

I feel that there is a lot of anti dog feeling partly caused by bad dog owners not having control and not picking up etc.

It's very annoying to be approached by a complete stranger telling you what to do!
 
Sandstone1 said:
They were alongside me on the footpath. Close by not in other fields or in anyway off the footpath.
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In that case the man was an idiot and ignore him, some people set themselves up as policemen of the world. I wonder if he has had problems with other dogs so you copped it? Still not fair though.
 
Clodagh said:
If we saw someone walking off lead dogs that were 'sniffing and doing their own thing' we would ask them to put them on a lead. The dog should be on the footpath with you, it isn't a case of you on the footpath and your dog hunting a hedge the other side of the field. It is nesting season now and off lead sniffy dogs are a PITA.

The cyclist should not have been on a footpath and I would have told him so, if it was a byway or similar I would have bought my dogs to heel and made them sit while he went past.
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I do understand your point of view but in my case my dogs were most definitely on the footpath.
 
On shared paths my dog is always on lead and I put him in a sit or down for passing cyclists and runners.
It's more of a reassurance thing. Not everybody is comfortable with loose dogs.
 
If I see a cyclist dog goes on a lead - safer for all. The majority of the time she's off lead though where it's safe and no livestock. If someone approaches me with a dog on the lead I usually reciprocate. Not always though
 
Yes that's what I normally do. This cyclist came up behind me and I didn't see or hear him til he shouted at me to put my dogs on a lead and get out of his way.

He would easily have got past but wanted dogs on lead.

The man who told me to put them on a lead popped out from behind a hedge right in front of me.
Had I seen him before I most likely would have put them on lead.
I always put them on lead if I see another walker with a dog on lead.
I sometimes leave them off if he other dog walker does too as I assume that they are friendly.
My issue in both these incidents is even though my dogs were off lead they were both under control and did nothing wrong.
I wouldn't dream of telling someone to get out of my way or tell them what they should be doing.
 
The same paths I walk dogs on are often the same ones I ride, cycle and run on and I've been inconvenienced by loose dogs (sometimes dangerously so - flashbacks to a bloody huge great dane...) while doing those things so can absolutely see both sides of the argument. More fence splinters here.

FWIW my reasonably big, potentially scary looking dogs stay on a lead. The small and not at all scary spaniel is kept close enough, and checks in often enough, to be directed to sit at the side of the path to let others pass. It's a courtesy, I'd hate to think they were the source of someone else's fear or inconvenience, not everybody likes them. I do wish the same courtesy would be extended from the 'my dog is friendly' off-lead brigade, but that's a rant for another thread and nowt to do with the OP. :)
 
My dogs spend the majority of their walks off lead, just doing a little lead work to keep them in mind of it.
If I see people ahead with dogs on lead, I call mine back and have them to heal. If people see me and don't put their dogs on lead, I leave mine loose too. People without dogs, I call mine to heel until we are past.
If I see a cyclist ahead, I call the dogs close and if narrow, step to the side so that they can keep riding.
If a cyclist came up behind and I was unaware, I wouldn't be impressed with being told to get out of the way, but on the odd occasion one has come from behind they have usually called a cheery hello and we let them pass.
 
Mine are on lead on footpaths etc coz although friendly and generally no bother i cant hand on heart say they have good enough "close control" so lead is safer, if there's a field with no livestock they get to go off lead and then i am happy for them to just do their own thing. They both have good recall but the girl who we adopted when she was 6 can be a little unpredictable if she spots another dog before we do to put her back on the lead. She is very friendly and only approaches dogs to play but as a large Malamute she is intimidating to strangers so even if the other dog is off lead we still recall her and put her on a lead. Before we got her i always left the dogs off lead if the other dogs were off lead as they both tend to ignore others and are really friendly if approached. If my dog was good enough on paths to be off lead i would still put them on a lead or recall and hold onto for passing cycles just to avoid them getting distracted and tripping them up.
 
Thanks for all your views. As I've said I do normally put them on leads but these two people appeared out of nowhere.
My point is that my dogs even not on lead did absolutely nothing wrong.
My fear is that the way things are going with anti dog feeling we soon won't be able to let dogs off lead at all.
I can understand people being worried by dogs but it s unfair when we'll behaved dogs get penalised.
 
Funnily enough, I have more trouble with people being too friendly! They make fuss of the dogs and then the younger one goes to jump up, I discourage her and the person says 'I don't mind!' ....sigh! But I do!! Shouldn't grumble should I, better than being to told to get out of the way or keep them on a lead!
 
amymay said:
I don't share that view or experience.
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I haven't had any direct experience of anti-dog feeling but from reading forums and the dog press it does seem to be on the increase with more dogs out of control, being a nuisance to others, livestock being worried etc. Some councils have even imposed limits on the amount of dogs that one person can walk on their land.
 
Personally I think there should be more designated areas that dogs can run free - mine stay on the lead and that's my choice but there is a large % of irresponsible dog owners that just feel they can let their dogs go wherever and certainly zero control; thus spoiling it for others. With all the recent press and negativity I do not think it will be long before all dogs will have to stay on a lead in public spaces.
 
We are in arable Lincolnshire. It is beyond annoying that each weekend there are a lot of people out walking on the footpaths who think it is acceptable to allow their dogs to run through crops. I understand that not everyone understands about farming and winter wheat at this time of year can be mistaken for grass so we do have signs up. But today I had to explain to a chap why he couldn't just let his dogs run through the rape. "They're wild flowers aren't they". It's not on, and frankly it's infuriating. Knocking hedges about is also annoying but I've become quite used to everyone else thinking that is acceptable.
 
Mine are on lead only between car and park/woods. Two run free, one will be on lead if we're in the woods, he's very DA: he stays on until we reach the river where he goes off lead to do water retrieves if there are no other dogs around. They don't go anywhere that needs them to be on lead. I might pop Bear on the lead if other dogs look over friendly, he can be defensive, but he's pretty dog neutral.

This thread has me thinking, tho. I HATE people allowing their dogs to approach mine when I'm training, it's rude and they don't know if my dogs are friendly, yet I usually let my two friendly/neutral dogs roam round. If I see an on lead dog, I'll heel mine past.

There was a lady struggling with an on lead/muzzled very loud mastiff type in the woods the other day: I sent Bear away and past hers at a distance. I think there's an unwritten rule in the woods: only friendly dogs should go there and be loose. I accept its very difficult to allow a DA dog freedom to run/exercise properly.

I encounter very few cyclists: for horses, my lot are called in and made to sit in plain sight.
 
RunToEarth said:
But today I had to explain to a chap why he couldn't just let his dogs run through the rape. "They're wild flowers aren't they". It's not on, and frankly it's infuriating. Knocking hedges about is also annoying but I've become quite used to everyone else thinking that is acceptable.
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That would drive me nuts. A local farmer has become so fed up with dog walkers that he's sown a crop right up to the edge and left no footpath. Guess what? Some dog walkers have flattened a path round the perimeter! So rude! I've told off runners going over a crop before, pretty poor of them.
 
Meandtheboys said:
Personally I think there should be more designated areas that dogs can run free - mine stay on the lead and that's my choice but there is a large % of irresponsible dog owners that just feel they can let their dogs go wherever and certainly zero control; thus spoiling it for others. With all the recent press and negativity I do not think it will be long before all dogs will have to stay on a lead in public spaces.
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I don't like the idea of designated spaces if it means reducing access to other areas where dogs are normally allowed to run free. American style dog parks fill me with absolute dread.
 
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