Bloody dogs offlead!!!

catkins

adouglasmhor wrote: »

It is an offence on any road classed as a highway unless the dog is herding.

No its not. People always think that. It has to be a designated road and the local council designate roads. My local council say it is not an offence. I have rung them at least 8 different times and the same for the dog warden.


It makes me furious because there are so many owners in my area walking dogs they have no control whatsoever over off lead. I have seen some run into the road and only pure luck has prevented an accident. Buses run along part of my road so pretty busy road as well

Person_one

catkins wrote: »

It would have been nice too if the walker had hurried a bit more to collect the dog she was walking!

Not entirely relevant to your situation, but did you read Elsien's thread about how she managed when 'gitdog' accidentally got loose and legged it? Running towards the dog can be the worst thing to do sometimes!

lostinrates

Person_one wrote: »

Not entirely relevant to your situation, but did you read Elsien's thread about how she managed when 'gitdog' accidentally got loose and legged it? Running towards the dog can be the worst thing to do sometimes!

This is totally true IME . Btw, the same is often true of horses. Sometimes with errant dogs of a friend I used to walk in an enclosed space but difficult to re catch I used to sit down, then they would all come over for a cuddle . Otherwise I'd just head towards gate and they'd bomb after me. Playing 'tag' for a while can work too, so they don't think every catch is a 'catch for good. (Those dogs were nightmares.)

adouglasmhor

lostinrates wrote: »

Mine are also sight hounds, but not ex racers. Mine have decent recall, but also travel at the same speeds.

The upshot is they can be a great distance away from me.

I consider it important that they are well socialised so that I can let them off lead.

Interestingly just this morning one of mine suffered a broken catch on a lead this morning in a town centre (not a normal environment for mine) and did skip forward a bit. Everyone around her panicked her bit, which excited her a bit. And frustratingly she was standing for me to loop it like a slip lead when some idiot lunged towards her from the front to try and hold her so she jumped back and slipped the loop.

In this instance I decided she was safer NOT being pursued and jumping about feeling edgy, and turned and told her, common, back to the car (we were in the car park) and she trotted behind me.

Ideal, no, certainly not, under control? Hmm, no. But best of a bad job.

In this instance in OP it sounds like the problem was that at least both the first dogs, oh's and the westy, aren't well socialised with good 'dog manners' and body language. The westy, if off lead should be clearly understanding, 'go away, I don't play' if hats what her dog is saying.

However, as an offload walker, I see a lot of dogs on leads whose owners are saying they don't play but whose dogs seem to be to be saying 'yeah, but I'd bloody well like to'. I've also seen so many complaints about 'aggressive' behaviour that is normal dog play.


I keep thinking I might start a meet up group for dog walkers whose dogs want to play off lead so mine are guaranteed someone to play with when we go for walks. Mine will run up to about twenty feet out of dogs on leads, see they are on leads and not approach further, but might watch wistfully, especially if he dog in the lead is saying 'I want to play' . If the dog is saying 'go away' they do.

Mine do get off lead in enclosed spaces with other dogs. Sometimes only in the garden, sometimes in bigger spaces (I am always on the look out for them). As I have already lost one dog due to someone acidently letting it off lead I am not putting myself through it again. One of mine would love to play with every dog he meets, the other not so bothered - but one sight of a fox or rabbit and they are off - totally prey driven.

gettingready

Yup -walk away and call the dog to follow rather than chase the dog and try to catch it.

adouglasmhor

catkins wrote: »

No its not. People always think that. It has to be a designated road and the local council designate roads. My local council say it is not an offence. I have rung them at least 8 different times and the same for the dog warden.


It makes me furious because there are so many owners in my area walking dogs they have no control whatsoever over off lead. I have seen some run into the road and only pure luck has prevented an accident. Buses run along part of my road so pretty busy road as well

Wrong - local councils do not designate highways at random but have to by statute, but some of the jobsworths they employ are very good at dodging responsibilies.

lostinrates

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Mine do get off lead in enclosed spaces with other dogs. Sometimes only in the garden, sometimes in bigger spaces (I am always on the look out for them). As I have already lost one dog due to someone acidently letting it off lead I am not putting myself through it again. One of mine would love to play with every dog he meets, the other not so bothered - but one sight of a fox or rabbit and they are off - totally prey driven.

Mine go.....but then come back... I have found with mine ( obviously v different as not trained to race) that the timing of the command is important. I always describe it as they just cannot think to listen when they are 'seeing' as sight is really everything to them, so while the sight is in first flush you almost weaken the strength of command by wailing at them. Like a mother saying no and not meaning it and the kid learning no is meaningless. You've got to get in before or let them lurch then call, fight the first 'sight' and its self defeating.


Obviously, this means I would never have dogs I could walk off lead to heel down a pavement on the side of an a road. But I can walk them off lead in unfenced in areas.

catkins

gettingready wrote: »

Zara is on a lead while walking on pavements but off the lead when on the field (just across the road) and chasing her ball.

It is not natural for a dog to be on a lead all the time, all his/her life.

But on the pavement, near a road - all dogs should be on leads.

I agree that its not natural for a dog to be on lead all the time and am working on my dog's recall so I can let him off. I do think though if you have a dog who doesn't like other dogs you should either keep it on lead or muzzle it.


The dogs offlead on the pavement is the thing that annoys me the most hence all my calls to the local council and dog warden.

gettingready wrote: »

Yup -walk away and call the dog to follow rather than chase the dog and try to catch it.

I agree when I want my dog to come back I walk away but as the westie was attacking my dog and ignoring the girl's calls it was pretty obvious she was going to have come and get it so that is why I said she could have hurried a bit more. For all she knew her dog could have been actually causing damage to mine

adouglasmhor

gettingready wrote: »

Yup -walk away and call the dog to follow rather than chase the dog and try to catch it.

On of mine got out the back gate while I was loading the car (someoen in the house saw him standing at the back door and thought he wanted in the garden for a pee, he was just waiting for me). I just opened the back of the car and he jumped in. But as I have stated before - one sight of prey and nothing distracts them. I would also rather not have to tell a neighbour they now own an ex moggie.

catkins

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Wrong - local councils do not designate highways at random but have to by statute, but some of the jobsworths they employ are very good at dodging responsibilies.

Well I have rung them numerous times, speaking to different people and have been told every time that it is perfectly ok to walk a dog offlead along a pavement.


I have also written and emailed and received email replies and letters and they all say the same.


The dog warden also says the same.


My dog trainer was adamant that it is an offence (she doesn't live in my area) and contacted my council only to tell me that it's not offence where I live