Dogs on or off lead.

So, I am a firm believer in dogs always being on a leash unless they are in a securely fenced area. Even with great training, it is hard to overcome instinct if a cat or squirrel runs by. We are smarter than our dogs, and they depend on us to keep them safe and protected. I have seen and heard of too many lost, hurt and killed dogs who are allowed to run free.
Anyone else share this sentiment?

 

You are responsible for your animals. If you let them run free, you are responsible for what happens to them.

 

My german shepherds will always be on-leash unless they are in the house or back yard which is fenced in.

Don't let me catch your dogs going after my dogs or family. I have stuff that bites harder.

 

If you always have your dog tied or fenced in, when they get free they're gonna buck IMO Train em.

 

My dogs are trained. They get out the door every once in a while, but they always stay in the immediate area and come back. Unfortunately, it's the other dogs that concern me. I don't know them, so I don't know how they're trained.

 

Yup..I have 2 indoor cats now but I've had dogs.

It's not just what if they do something to another (which matters too of course) as it is I also don't want my dog getting hit by a car or something.

 

Glad to see support. Keep those animals safe, or don't get them.

 

Being a pitbull owner I always have my dog on a leash when out. Like stated before its for their own safety whether it be traffic, or other dogs..

 

Yes! It kills me that cat owners seem to think their animals can "take care of themselves". Anytime I hear a cat owner concerned that their cat didn't come home, a have to bite my tongue and not say, "Well, if you kept your cat in the house and didn't just open the door to let them out for the day, this wouldn't have happened. Good luck explaining this to your 6 year old child!!"

 

I think it depends on the environment, the owner & to a degree the dog...

At home, unless they are out for an extended period and I'm not out with them, they are not leased or on a cable. When I run, if it's the trail on my property, they are not leased and run the loop with me. When I run the public cross country trails they are leased though only one at a time can go.

I live in a dog friendly area where you see dogs at the outdoor diners, dog parks, disc golf courses etc mine are leased whenever I am eating out or playing disc golf. We don't do dog parks as we have ample outside area at home. Mine also travel with me, on average 1,200 to 1,500 miles a month, they are leased until we reach a safe, controlled environment.

Mine are chipped which is nice if someone who cares finds them but otherwise worthless.

 

It depends where you are at..

Public park ,in town , etc - yes

Open fields out in the country and places where there are no hazards -no


My dog is better off leash the on. Just beacause we spend more time in the open places.

 

Like the above said, it depends on the area. Anywhere near a road at all and it's on leash, I don't care how well trained your dog is, it is still an animal and doesn't full understand roads and cars. When I take my lab hiking in the state forest she stays on leash until we are well away from the parking area and then she can be let off.

 

Off most of the time for me, but that's how she's trained because that's how they hunt. If she's unsure about anything she looks to me for direction. I should also add i don't walk her at all. She goes to a daycare while I'm at work and only allowed in the front yard when I'm with her. We also go to the fenced in dog park regularly, so really not much exposure for her.

 

Dog park? Off leash. I don't go there often because too many people sit at the bench and have no clue what their dogs are up to.

I walk my dog along a public trail which has a leash requirement. There's a woman who walks a GSD along the same trail and a) claims her dog is "under control" off-lead. and b) is "completely friendly". Neither of these statements is true as we've walked by her with the dog on-leash and it barks & lunges. It bolts from her to chase squirrels as well. What she does risks access for all dogs and she runs the real risk of having her dog attack another.

There are very few places dogs can (legally) be off-leash. Aside from the dog parks, maybe two or three places. I wish there were more.

 

I think it completely depends on the dog and the area. If it's a public area with people around, then on leash (most places around here have leash laws mandating it anyways). I have seen dogs trained well enough to walk with their owner regardless of the surroundings though, takes a LOT of training for most dogs though, mine can't do that. If I'm in the open, or even on a lightly traveled public hiking trail, I let my dog off leash. He stays within 50 feet of me but likes to run into the woods and sniff things. I hold his collar if I see other people on the trail and he comes back to me when he's called.

In my opinion, if you can't control your dog, then you should keep him on a leash 100% of the time unless he's fenced in or far enough away from any other people/cars/etc so he can't do anything dumb.

 

Sadly, most people are not realistic by what it means to be "in control" of their dogs. Leashed or otherwise. Riley has been attacked twice by dogs their owners could not control.

 

You are correct about that.

 

You are soo right. My ex's roommate in college just had to have a large dog, but once she got it she completely ignored it and locked it up in her bathroom everyday. Pissed me off to no end. I always let him out and played with him when I was over. That's why I waited till I grad. to get mine. As owners you have to be responsible and know what your getting into.

Seen this happen way to many times. If dogs come after mine I just get in the between and do whatever needs to be done to keep them off her. I've had several owners mad at me but I could care less. What really gets under my skin is when you have dogs out of control and their owner just shouts at it as if all of sudden it will start listening to its owner.

 

There are a lot of people that are afraid of or just plain don't like dogs it is the owners job to respect that. I have 2 Great Danes and 80 acres of land they run free and people that come to visit have to deal with that after all it is their home. I have no fear of them causing harm. That being said beyond that it is my responsibility to control them in whatever means it takes once we encroach in others space. It is all about respect for others and dogs know nothing about that.

 

I think its been covered here already but my dogs are on a lead when we go for a walk or somewhere in public. But in the backyard they are off the lead but I also use e-collars with them and have used them on occasion to teach them when I so No it mean it. I havnt actually pushed the button on he remote for a long long time but its a good reminder for them. I have a moderate sized back yard and the neighbors dont mind if the dogs wander into their yards just the same as I dont mind if there dogs wander through my yard.