Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on September 7, 2009 at 9:32pm

The soft bite floppy disc is Lances favorite outside toy to play with. He would love to just chew it to pieces if I let him, but seeing I dont he loves to play fetch with him or tug...lol I have to bribe him to drop it with pieces of dog food. I eventually leave out the treats and he knows just to drop it.

Permalink Reply by Valerie and Simon on September 7, 2009 at 9:44pm

I don't walk my dogs in my neighborhood. Haven't for YEARS. Too many idiots around here let their dogs run amok. We go to nearby parks, and there's a very nice outdoor mall near me that allows dogs -- they love it there. They meet people and some stores even let them in. All of the security people there know us and come talk to us. It's just MUCH more fun for them than a walk through the neighborhood anyway.

You wouldn't believe the idiots in my neighborhood. A few weeks ago, three TIMES in one week, I saw this adorable golden retriever puppy running loose with kids on a bike. THEN one day I see the puppy loose and a van chasing it. Three kids get out of the van and try to lure the puppy in -- puppy thinks they're just playing. Finally, the 'brilliant' parent decides the thing to do is to turn around and let the puppy FOLLOW them home. Cause yeah, nothing is smarter than teaching your puppy how to chase cars!!!!!


UGH People like this irritate me to no end.

Permalink Reply by Nicole, Stanley and STELLA! on September 7, 2009 at 11:15pm

You know, I almost posted something similar on here a little while ago. I walk Stella on the trail and it just AMAZES me how many people walk their dogs off leash and are irresponsible! And if you say something, they always say "Oh, he/she is good, trained, etc." Yet everyone with dogs knows that there are so many unpredictable factors that can make them behave differently or also put them in danger. One of my friends had a good analogy. She said it's like someone saying that they'll NEVER be in an accident just because they're a safe driver. Some people need to watch more episodes of Judge Judy! :)

Permalink Reply by Boo Buchheit on September 8, 2009 at 6:41am

I agree that dogs should not be allowed off leash outside of a fenced yard. I don't walk the boys around here for the same reason, too many loose dogs.

Permalink Reply by Amanda on September 8, 2009 at 7:42am

Ohh I HATE that. It's bad enough when a dog follows you around, but I had this one (rather large) dog actually come up and jump on Dax! There was a group of people walking a little ways behind us and at this point I really wasn't sure if it was their dog or not, but no one said anything. This dog would NOT leave Dax alone. I finally had to literally grab the dog by the scruff of it's neck and almost throw it in the other direction, and it walked right back over to them! Of course, me being the extremely impatient person that I am had to yell "IS THAT YOUR #@$##! DOG?!?!" Good thing it wasn't TRYING to hurt Dax, though he easily could have accidentally because he literally jumped on top of him and would NOT leave him alone!

There was also this pug mix that would chase after us and bark CONSTANTLY for about a block past his house. One time he actually attacked Dax and my boyfriend had to pretty much kick him to get him off. Never heard a peep from him after that.

I hate doing things like that because it's not the dog's fault, but when it comes to them jumping on my dog, I'm more worried about keeping Dax from getting hurt than I am of hurting the other dog...it's just the way it is...

Permalink Reply by christy fry on September 8, 2009 at 1:46pm

I agree that dogs shouldn't roam even if their OK Just the otherday I was putting Jordan in the car and my neighbors lab pup came running over and tried to go bye-bye to =( Which just freaked Jordan out he wanted to kill lab puppy for trying to get in his car. I had to holler at my boyfriend to come out and get the puppy since I had both of them by the collars. Then the owner sheepishly shows up telling me she was sorry he's learning not to leave the front yard. Just a little setback oops huh???

Permalink Reply by Avyon on September 8, 2009 at 2:43pm

Just throwing my two cents in here. Ive lived in a lot of very woodsy areas along with city areas where I've seen both extremes.

I understand the crazies and stupids that are out there but at the same time I've always lived with dogs that were rarely leashed.

In VT we would just walk down main st with Roxi following along from store to store. Yet now - its a toss up. Depending on the time of day and what day it is, ill walk her with Charlie with no leash.

Charlie will always be on a leash because he didnt grow up like Roxi did.

Its also hard in a suburb area because everyone lives so close to one another you can't train your dog without bugging someone else. So yea...... I guess Im saying there is a time and place for everything. If the dog is unleashed and calm.. I say why not... if your next to an extremely busy road.. Hell no.

Its all those idiots that don't have a trained dog unleashed that piss me off.. it ruins it for the rest of us who take the time to train ours.

I would rather see a dog free and happy but its always safety first.

Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on September 8, 2009 at 4:19pm

Hi Kerry,

Thanks for your perspective. I didnt say I was mad at folks who have well behaved and mannerly dogs unleashed. Im not going to take someones word that I dont know saying their dog is good with other dogs unless I personally know them.

Lance loves playing with other dogs so that isnt the issue, but when we are out on a walk, its just that a walk. Why would I stop to let Lance play if we were out walking for training?

I didnt know the neighbor sitting in the driveway as he lived several blocks away from me. ( My mistake, maybe I led you to believe he was someone I knew)

Lance was trained in our backyard to be off leash since he was a pup. We dont have a completely fenced in yard at this time and we wanted to be able to let him run around as we have a decent size lot, not a farm by any means though. We live in the suburbs which is completely different than being out in the country on acres of land.

I guess my biggest question is how is a complete stranger suppose to know that the dog that is unleashed in the front yard is friendly?? I have no way of knowing until maybe its too late, dont really want to put Lance in harms way. I guess his safety is my biggest concern.

There are many people out there that dont have a clue on how to deal with dogs that bring dogs to the dog park, so once again I would rather let Lance play with his buddies that he already knows. He has quite a few dogs he plays with, that we dont have to go to a dog park to play. :) Yes, Lance has been socialized and loves playing with other dogs I cant walk Lance off leash as we live in the suburbs and do have leash laws, and it is unbelieable how many people are ignorant of this rule or just choose not to follow it!

I wish everyone in the world could be respectful of others, it would make it a better place. Yes, I do let Lance off leash in our backyard and he does very well :)

There are lots of pictures of Lance on my page playing with his friends and having a blast at the last corgi meet up. :)

Permalink Reply by Beth on September 8, 2009 at 6:17pm

I won't let my dog off-leash on the sidewalk because he is an idiot with traffic and will gleefully walk in front of a car.

However, in a nearby park I do let him off-leash in areas well away from cars. He is very good and will never run off. He does not approach other people unless they speak to him and invite him in. If they are eating that might be a different situation, but I scout out the area carefully for that before letting him off lead.

He is bombproof with other dogs, and has had other dogs try to initiate a fight to which his reaction is to leave. Has had other dogs try to steal toys to which his reaction is to leave. Has had other dogs persistently hump him, and his reaction is to leave. If he has a problem with another dog, he comes and sits on my feet. I lack a fenced yard and yes I do like to let my dog play off his leash when we are in safe areas.

Our neighbor has a Golden who will not leave the front porch without an ok from them. She will wag her tail when she sees someone she knows, but she will not leave the porch and I have almost never seen her on a leash. They can walk her off leash and she stays right with them.

I have had aggressive dogs approach us off-leash and I agree that is rude, and some people are oblivious to their own dogs real personality. But there are a generous handful of us who let our dogs play off-leash in a relatively sparsely used area of a local park that does not have a "dog park" and it's really wonderful and fun for all the dogs. I know people will say "what if", but I need to balance keeping my dog happy and entertained with any myriad of remote risks that he might run into.

Permalink Reply by Beth on September 8, 2009 at 6:22pm

Oh, and yes I have let my dog play with strange dogs after sizing up how they greet each other on leash and asking the owner questions about their dog.

I trust my dog's judgement. Due to where we live, he has met hundreds of dogs. If a dog is barking and growling and Jack continues to waggle and approach, I know it's all bluster. There are other dogs that are stone silent that Jack won't get within 10 yards of, as they are giving off strong body-language signals to "back off." I exposed him to lots of dogs, not all of them especially dog-friendly, so that he would learn how to react to many situations. How do I know if a dog who looks interested wants to play or wants to fight? I ask my own dog; he always tells me. He will even lie down so as not to threaten the timid ones.

Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on September 8, 2009 at 8:43pm

Sorry Kerry, wasnt trying to put a bee in your bonnet, I should have phrased that differently. lol....I guess I meant to say that it is intimidating when your walking by someones house and you dont know if the dog is friendly or not.

If a dog is well behaved and likes playing with other dogs, I dont have a problem with that. :)

Permalink Reply by Linsey & Grissom on September 16, 2009 at 3:17pm

I understand your concern about off leash dogs, as a lot of people are idiots and will let their dogs off leash who really have no business doing so. IMO, it's a matter of knowing your dog, and trusting him and having faith in your training ability.
Champ is very rarely on a leash. he's my 2 1/2 year old shepherd mix. In fact, I have no idea where his leash is. Max, my 13 year old Beagle is always leashed. He was never reliable enough to be off leash. Grissom, my 10 month old Corgi is testing the waters with being off leash, but only on my property, which is an acre of land. He has a ways to go.
I don't understand why you would be upset about about the man on his OWN property, with his dog sitting calmly beside him. What is wrong with that?? Can a man not hae his own dog off leash on his own property because someone with an ill-trained dog might walk by. (not that yours is ill-trained)
I will never, ever leash champ on my own property. If someone elses untrained dog comes on my property and causes trouble, legally, it's going to be on them. Owners with untrained dogs are not about to put unnecessary limits on my well-behaved boy on my own property.
In my experience, owners who get so nervous about running into other dogs are the same people whose dogs become anxious around other dogs, sometimes turning into aggression. When I walk my dogs and approach another person with their dogs, I read their dogs body language, and generally have a retty darn good idea of if this dog means trouble. At which time, I calmly call Champ back to me, and he comes-every single time, calmly, grasp his collar, and smile at whoever walks by. I believe that by being calm and collected in such situations, no anxiety has ever been passed to Champ, and it improves his recall abilities.
I once was wlking champ around at about 11:30pm off leash. I passed man and his dog on leash. The man was yanking his dog back, yelling at him to "leave it" and causing huge commotion. In response, the dog, from a football fiend away, was aggressively pulling at his chain, snarling and groweling at my dog. Calmly, with about 50 yeards between me adn the stranger, I gave champ the command to come to me, which he did immediately. As we passed the man, champ hardly noticed he was there, and the man wa yelling at me threatening a "citizen's arrest" for MY dog being a threat..
But, like I said, it's a matter of training, nd trust. Max never gained my trust enough to be an off leash dog, and Grissom is too young and has not prooved himself enough.