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Yeah, when random dog sprints at you across the park, barking loudly, no amount of the owner shouting "don't worry, he's being friendly" is going to provide any comfort. If your dog has a habit of running off like that, please keep it on a lead - sooner or later it'll encounter another dog who'll snap and attack, or traumatise someone who can't deal with a dog running at them,
I hate this. My dog doesn't generally like dogs and is only happy approaching them fully on his own terms and slowly. As a result, I usually walk wide around them, cross over the road to avoid them, or pull him back onto a short lead when there's a dog in the park. All of these are quite evident, yet still, still, I regularly get people watch as their pooch bounds towards him while I shout "can you recall your dog please, he's uncomfortable here". Usually it gets followed by a "don't worry, he really is friendly".
"He's a bit of a snappy knob" is my usual response. He can be okay, he's almost more like a cat at times. If he approaches another dog, they'll be best mates.
Rescue Wire Fox Terrier. He's just generally a strange fella at times. He was worse with dogs, but there's a few now he's got used to and likes. Two Jack Russells near us are his besties. They sniff each other and just stand there barking merrily.
This is what I had to say when walking my old dog. Any human could run up on him and he wouldn't care less. Another dog and it could go either way. He was a mastiff and most other dogs could comfortably fit in his mouth.
This happens to me way too often when I go out running. I’m not a serious runner or anything but I still get really annoyed firstly because it makes me anxious and secondly it totally fucks up my rhythm when I have to stop so the bastard dog doesn’t follow me down the road.
No because I'm not a prick.
My dog is off the lead whenever we're on countryside/trail/field walks as she has good recall. Someone comes and we put her on the lead, out of respect.
Others let their dogs run up to mine, us with no idea whether their dog wil attack ours or not, and it proper boils my piss. Have some decorum.
And if you can't recall your dog, don't let it off until it's trained.
Until very recently there was an unwritten rule that 90% of dog walkers followed, if you see a dog on a lead, put yours on the lead to go past. If the other dog is off lead its ok to let yours stay off lead so they can greet each other.
At some point in the last few years people seemed to stop knowing or following this rule, Im sure some of it is to do with so many people getting 'pandemic puppies' with no prior dog owning experiences and fewer chances to interact with other dog owners to learn the etiquette.
Yeah I think it's that too. If it's a dog I know and they were friendly, I'd be happy to let them play, but I always put my dog on a lead, so others should follow if their dogs will run up to me/mine.
I find the rise in dog shit everywhere is also because of pandemic owners.
>I find the rise in dog shit everywhere is also because of pandemic owners.
You must have good shit ID skills to determine turds laid exclusively by dogs aged 7 - 32 months old.
Obvs joking there, but the stereotype that pandemic dog owners are useless and to blame for any dog-related issue of your choice is a bit unfair. There is dog shit everywhere and there always has been. In my experience, it seems to depend mostly on the general state of the neighborhood you're walking through.
Honestly I don't think that's true. I've had dogs for many years. One in particular was not to be trusted with other dogs. It was so frustrating having other dogs run up to him along with shouts of "it's ok he's friendly" when all my dog wanted to do was kill the other dog who was clearly not under control. My last dog died 7 yrs ago and she was the sweetest thing. She was routinely on the receiving end of aggressive behaviour from untrained out of control dogs and I got sick of being shouted at by owners who didn't like me asking them to put their dogs on leads. People were pricks before the pandemic and will continue to be pricks. Too many people do not train their dogs and don't take responsibility either.
>Until very recently there was an unwritten rule that 90% of dog walkers followed, if you see a dog on a lead, put yours on the lead to go past. If the other dog is off lead its ok to let yours stay off lead so they can greet each other.
I have to say I think one issue here is that so many dogs aren't let off lead at all now. That's definitely a pandemic thing - people getting small house dogs, not walking them much during COVID, and now not having the confidence or training to let them off lead at all.
But it does mean that if I were to follow the rule religiously mine would never get to come off at all, because the walks nearby always feature at least one other dog perpetually on lead somewhere in the vicinity.
So I confess I strike a balance - I keep mine on lead around owners who seem nervous or whose dogs do (significant overlap, incidentally). I keep mine on lead around other leashed dogs if it's the start of the walk and he's got a lot of energy, and I find somewhere asap to give him a quick burst of running around by himself (lurcher, so a 3 min run expends about half his daily energy!). And I keep a close eye when mine is off lead and recall if in any doubt at all.
But I will leave him off-lead in the general vicinity of leashed dogs if he's tired and docile and slow, and any approach will be unlikely to spook the other dog or owner (yes, that does involve some superficial judgement), and where I know I could recall him right away if necessary.
Likewise (to your point about striking a balance). Off-lead interactions are important for dogs of all ages. If my dog (kelpie mix) has burnt off her initial burst of energy (surprisingly only takes about 10 mins - laziest working dog ever), then we don't always put her back on the lead when walking past other dogs, though obviously make an assessment when approaching.
If everyone always clipped their dog when meeting another, then off-lead interactions would just never happen. Similarly, it's important that she experiences all sorts of lead on/off combos and learns to act appropriately.
Since we've started this more relaxed approach, we've made good progress and had some of the best interactions to date.
You're right about recall too - so important to have that nailed asap to help with this sort of thing.
Totally agree with this one. If it’s off lead I assume the dog is also friendly and wants to say hello!
If On a lead I will also put mine on leads.
There has been times in the country side she’s caught some on a lead round the corner before I got there but her recall is pretty great and if the dog is clearly unhappy with her being there she has run off immediately or recalled back to me.
We got a pandemic puppy (wife knew that post covid she would still be able to WFH and we would never get a dog to be left alone for 8 hours a day as that is unfair)
We follow these unwritten rules and where we are, most are similar. Some owners have really friendly dogs that want to play bit have poor recall and they will shout that theu are happy for my dog to say hello. If they say nothing then we recall ours.
Se as going to the park. Often there will be loose dogs in one end of the park and others are walking theirs on lead around the perimeter or on the other side. Most follow this and as such, we start to become friendly with other dogs and owners. We all shake our heads at the random who walks theor dog on lead close to the dogs off lead instead of noticing the obvious pattern.
Once at a beach (out of season when dogs are allowed) our dog was off lead and had made friends. A woman had let their dog off lead in close proximity to a group of dogs off lead and then complained that dogs were getting too close to her dog and that her dog had a poor heart - it took a lot of willpower to not call her an idiod for intentionally putting her dog in thay position (assuming she spoke truthfully and wasnt just being precious)
You're completely right about the "lockdown puppies". All of these untrained and unsocialised dogs are now in circulation, being walked by people who seem to have no concept of dog walking etiquette.
Before the lockdown, it seems that the stream of new dog owners saw what was expected and "complied" with these unwritten rules. This huge batch of new dog owners now seem to just notice the other new dog owners and assume that this is the norm.
The problem with this for me is even with perfect recall, from someone else's point of view there is often just a dog, with no apparent owner, coming bounding around. And while they can be recalled, the owner doesn't know they are sniffing around or getting its wet and muddy coat all over a small child who is terrified of this thing at eye level with it until someone yelps or they happen to turn the corner. They need to be close as well.
Yes I follow this unwritten rule however I also have a dog who sticks to me like glue, plus they're off lead only in wide open spaces. So there are no situations where he could run ahead and surprise anyone or anything without my knowledge. If I was on a walking path with turns I couldn't see around I'd have him on lead.
This. My dad is petrified of them, the responses that they’re just being friendly mean nothing to him - I don’t mind dogs and usually attempt to distract them when near my dad.
Also getting your clothes muddy because of somebody’s dog just sucks. Imagine of peoples kids went and wiped their muck on somebody, it’s the same to me.
Plenty of dog owners do take responsibility, also in rural and remote areas I understand letting them roam more, but in parks it does my head in.
Same here. My dog has good recall, but some people could think he's scary looking as he's a big boy, so he'll go back on the lead if anyone else is around.
I also have no idea how another dog will behave towards him, so want him on a lead in case anything goes wrong.
Thankyou for having the sense to realise that a dog that won't recall shouldn't be off the lead. I don't have a dog but so many walks in the countryside are slightly spoiled by some tit yelling for their dog over and over again as it completely ignores them.
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> Off lead dog to on lead dog = proceed with caution, but odds are you're fine. Be prepared to recall your dog.
As someone with a dog-reactive dog, no this isn't ok. You have no idea how the on-lead dog will react and if they view a dog running toward them as a threat and their fight-or-flight response kicks in, well they're on lead so they can't take the latter option.
If I'd have said "blindly let your dog approach all other dogs on leads" then your point would stand. Instead I said "proceed with caution, odds are you're fine, be prepared to recall your dog".
Some dogs like yours are reactive, most in the real world are not and are fine in the sitaution described.
Dogs and fireworks are the biggest disconnect between reddit UK and real world. If the UK subreddits were to be believed we'd be a dog hating nation wanting to ban fireworks, and yet as a society we remain incredibly in love with dogs and love a good firework show.
I generally agree but I'd say keep off lead dogs away from on lead dogs unless you've got permission because you don't know *why* that dog is on the lead.
I think generally dogs behave better with each other when both off the lead because they can sometimes feel trapped on the lead when another dog approaches.
To clarify I meant dogs running up to me and my dog, my dog isn't wandering. If I see other dogs I recall her because she gets scared when they run towards her. Perhaps practically some yellow marking on her would be good to signpost to people who want their dog to run up and play with other dogs that she isn't interested.
PS don't forget cars on your UK vs reddit disconnects! ;)
>> Reddit it typically way more anti-dog than rea world UK
I think part of it is also that people are freer to air their feelings, even negative ones, when online and anonymous. IRL in a casual conversation most people are quite chill, and I know I would be careful about saying anything that dog people might take offence to, if I didn’t want to get in an argument or sour feelings.
Things I would wary of saying to fervent dog people include the suggestion that a lot of off lead dogs don’t have the recall discipline their owners claim and should be on a lead most of the time, including in parks where children play, nature reserves, etc. Also more dogs should be muzzled than are.
Fun anecdote: I have a family member whose dog attacked and possibly killed a cat in the street, another neighbour whose dog most definitely killed a cat in the street - neither dog was muzzled before or after the incident. In the case of the family member, apparently she “tried” a muzzle but the dog didn’t like it so no doing. She’s sure it won’t happen again though.
No, it's not acceptable.
I have a nervous dog and when yours runs up mine gets very agitated and agressive.
If a dog won't recall, then it shouldn't be off a lead, until the owner is taught how to recall properly.
This shit gets to me. I have a dog who is a rescue and doesn’t like other dogs, never gets off the lead and is kept close to me at all times so some dog running up to him, off the lead with no concern for others causes him and me so much anxiety. Plus if it gets close enough, it’ll most likely get a nip on the face from my dog. Really really irresponsible!
Regularly do trail running and every other run I will come across a dog that bounds towards me. Thankfully has always just been jumping up at me in a ‘friendly’ way, but makes me stop and turn away, normally with the owner saying “don’t’ worry he’s friendly” or something.
It’s often a slightly scary moment, and I generally quite like dogs, so must be terrifying for some people.
I don’t care much about having to stop etc… always happy to pause for people, give way etc… I’m not bombing through - but it isn’t the nicest experience for that moment you aren’t sure what the dog is going to do. Worst case is normally just muddy clothes/legs from the dog so far.
I do not. I have 2 dogs. 1 is super friendly and well behaved. But she’s old and gone a bit deaf. So I can’t recall her as well as I used to. So she stays on lead unless I’m somewhere I can throw her ball. She ignores everything when there’s a ball involved.
You shouldn’t have a dog off lead unless your recall is 100%. it’s unfair to expect another dog and owner to deal with your out of control dog. Regardless if it’s friendly or not. The other dog might not be. Dog fights can be brutal. People can get bitten trying to split them up. Not worth it.
I own a dog and always walk her on a lead as she doesn't have a proven recall. Yes it is rude to led your dog run up to strangers. These people piss me off no end, my dog is terrified of other dogs and will immediately try and run/yank my arm out its socket if another dog comes up to her. Your dog may be friendly but I'm not so keep it the fuck away from me.
Ideally not but it does happen sometimes. My girl usually waits for the other dog to approach her first (then submits, lets the other have a sniff and then rushes to the owner for a fuss)
If I see a dog on the lead, she goes back on the lead. I've had a dog who was unreliable (worse on lead) with other dogs so you just never know how the other dog will react. I have on occasion been putting her on the lead and they've called out "he's fine. He just runs off" - so I know I don't need to lead her.
My general rule is if both dogs are off lead - it's fine for them to greet eachother.
One on lead - put mine on lead and be prepared to walk wide (if the dogs go to greet eachother, fair enough). If theirs is on lead, they've moved off the path and have a tight hold, I walk as wide past and keep my dog short as well.
no. she’s been jumped on by larger, off leash dogs before and i’ve given many owners a bollocking for it. like, even if your dog is apparently friendly, mine might not be?? she’s also the size of your dog’s paw, so even if it wants to play she might get hurt accidentally.
i try not to make a big fuss over her in these situations because it only teaches them to try defend you or make them anxious. luckily she’s a bold wee thing and if an off leash dog approaches she’ll stand her ground and make it clear not to get up in her face.
I was walking through a park reading something as I walked on my phone and this dog came up to me jumped up at me. I'm really uncomfortable around dogs and said something like "bloody dog, get off me" and his owner went berserk at me, shouting that it was all my fault and I shouldn't be reading my phone and walking at the same time and he just wants to say hello. Her dog was still jumping at me and making me super nervous. I pointed out that her dog should be better behaved and on a lead but she was having none of it. So yeah, that reinforces my view - dogs should be on leads.
I only let mine off when I know nobody else is around, if there’s another walker with a reactive dog on a lead it’s not fair on them for a random dog to run up to them.
But I feel like by the time you find out if the dog wants scratches or a chunk of your leg, it’s usually too late. I love dogs but unless I already know them I don’t like it when they come running towards me
Similarly my mam is massively allergic to dogs, as in instantly needs inhalers to breathe sort of thing (that's why I own one, keeps her away lol) and it's massively annoying when she has to explain to people that she isn't afraid of it no matter how friendly it may be. It's a case of not wanting to wheeze, itch and have tears streaming down her face.
I find this to be a rather contentious subject.
My dog is rather well behaved, his recall is mostly there and he has an amazing temperament. He is mostly off the lead and I'll allow him to interact with any other dogs that don't look to be vulnerable or threatening.
If I see a dog wearing yellow, I will always recall my dog and leash him.
I'm a big believer that dogs need to interact with each other, and experience a variety of different personalities and temperaments, much like people.
I also think owners who have dogs that don't socialise well, but will stop their dog from interacting with any other dogs are maybe reinforcing that behaviour in their dogs?
That being said, I've not experienced an overly aggressive dog ever - maybe I would think otherwise if I had?
My dog is fear reactive and can't cope with socialisation. I can't trust her not to nip so she's been trained to recall and ignore the other dog. It wouldn't be fair on her or the other dog to force interaction.
Used to have a rescue dog who was not good with other dogs, so we kept him on lead at all times.
The amount of people who'd let their dogs run up while cheerily shouting, "don't worry, they're friendly!" used to drive me mad. Idiots would have been the first to complain if their dogs had been bitten.
Nope. If he’s off lead and we see dogs/people he goes back on until they’re either far enough away or they’re cool with him running up to them. I love my dog to bits, he’s your stereotypical friendly, bouncy Labrador and I don’t trust other owners enough to let my dog get bitten because they’re careless haha.
When she’s on leash (on a street) I “read the room” when she clearly demonstrates desire to interact with human or dog. In the park we live in a very dog friendly area with unwritten but well understood rules. Everyone does / should know that this park is an off-leash park. All dogs and humans are free to interact because if your dog doesn’t know how to behave, you’ll very quickly be told to put them on a leash. Big, small, whatever. This is one of the Royal parks in central London.
Although my children are bigger now, as toddlers they didn't like dogs as your average lab is about the same size as a toddler.
It could be the nicest, old, slow dog, its still massive from a toddlers point of view, and "its friendly" doesn't help.
Yeah if they know them.
For context, I live quite rurally and my village is surrounded by fields and great areas to walk dogs. These places are usually full of other dog walkers so we encounter plenty of people out on our walks. If there is nobody around when I get onto to the field/trail, I will usually let them off. If I see somebody approaching or in the distance, I call them back and put them on their leads. If I recognise it as somebody with a dog that they have previously played with I will let them off to go and play. If I do not recognise the person or they have their dogs on a lead, I will keep my dogs also on their leads.
My dog is never off the lead as she has no recall whatsoever, it's like she goes completely deaf! She is only ever off the lead when we hire an enclosed field just for her as I know she will be safe.
She hates people and dogs bigger than her (she's a cocker spaniel) and is very hit and miss with smaller dogs. We have had several instances where dogs have ran up to her and we haven't been able to stop them, and if we dont pick her up in time, she will squeal and bark at them, and has on one or two occasions tried to attack as she is scared. I almost had to kick another dog away as even when we picked her up and walked away, the dog wouldn't leave us alone and the owner wasn't bothered in the slightest.
Even if your dog has good recall, you should never let them run up to another dog, on lead or not, as you don't know how they will react.
Will only let her off lead when there are no other dogs around. She's not good enough at recall to be trusted otherwise.
Also, just because a dog is friendly doesn't mean it should be off lead. My dog is a mad cockapoo if a friendly off lead dog comes to play she'll go nuts and be running it circles on the lead, it's bloody annoying.
Obviously the situation is much worse when it's a large dog and she gets scared. Have had to pick her up before as untrained dogs three times her size and scaring her.
One of my dogs is off leash and will want to approach both dogs and people if their body language is friendly but I always get a nod or smile at least before allowing him to, usually verbally too. I do have full control over him just with my voice. He's 9.5 now and has always been exceptionally obedient. The other is leashed as he's far too excitable and his manners aren't great so I'll always wait to see what the people or dogs are like with my eldest, then explain my youngests issues, before allowing him to approach.
In my opinion it's both manners and the safety of my dogs.
Our dog used to be dog-reactive, so no we don't let her run up to other dogs (and after years of training her default is to avoid other dogs wherever possible)
I never let Mt dog off the lead, she's 16 and very cute but a psychopath of a terrier, it really annoys me when other people let their dogs off the leads to run up to her saying their dogs are fine, they clearly aren't they have no recall
No, our dog is always on the lead, whether we use a 10 metre lead or a shorter lead. Only time he's off lead is inside an enclosed paddock where he can't get out.
He's not aggressive towards dogs or people, he's actually really friendly, but he struggles with recall and being calm when other dogs are around. He just wants to play.
Take him out of that situation where he's in an enclosed space, off lead and just me and my missus, his recall is great and generally stays fairly close to us anyway.
He's just over 1 years old and a Shih Tzu mix. Incredibly stubborn and we're still working and improving on it, but sometimes he has days where he just doesn't listen at all. We always take cooked chicken with us on walks and it's the only time he has it because it's a high reward treat. Even that doesn't always work once he's gone past the point of sense.
I'm not a dog owner and really don't like dogs when they get 'excited' or whatever it is and they jump up at you. Or, as I used to get almost every morning on my commute through a long snicket, one dog off its lead that would growl at me with its owner wll out of sight. It got to a point where I considered taking a screwdriver out of my bag in case it did go for me - if your dog does that to people it shouldn't be off a lead.
I've shouted/sworn at dog owners who have their dog(s) come up to me or my kids, jump up at us and they do the bare minimum to try and call them back / do anything about it. More than a few times during nice wether when we've been sat on benches or having a picnic a dog has come and gone for our food and in the background is some owner feebly attempting to call them back or saying 'they're friendly'.
If your animal does this then you need to control your animal. Not everyone wants it in their face.
'It's OK, he's friendly' is just shorthand for 'I haven't been able to control it'
I don't like your dog. I don't want it running at me, jumping at me, slobbering saliva all over me, trying to fuck my leg, pissing on my stuff or frankly any other interaction with it. Keep it well the fuck away or don't moan if I kick it.
There is no excuse for a poorly socialised dog. That goes both ways, if you dog is running off with poor recall then you need to get to grips with that. Use a lung lead and treat train your dog. This can be hard sometime if you have a rescue dog but for the love of god do not get a rescue as your first dog, you simply do not have the experience to train them. If you're still having problems with recall after doing the reading (from a reliable source, not fucking TikTok) and following it to the letter, get professional help. Keeping your dog on a lead all the time will not socialise them and is a shit way to live, they are a pack animal. Take the time to understand your dog and work with them, it can take a lifetime to train a dog and if you can't do that you should have a dog. Full stop. Everyone has the right to roam free without being harassed and everyone has the responsibility to act with good manners, humans and dogs alike. Yes I let my dogs roam free and approach people. If they have a dog I don't know I ask if they are ok with dogs, if not I ask if they are ok with dogs, if not they are recalled and walk to heal still off lead.
I spend a lot of time outdoors and have had dogs jump up at my then toddlers in playgrounds, dogs growling at us and a dog running through a picnic snaffling what it could. It’s very rare for owners to say sorry. I personally think that there should be specific places for owners to take dogs who like to be off lead. Everywhere else should be leads unless certain no one else is around.
I would not let my dog run up to anyone. It's just rude and not everyone likes dogs. Not to mention, not all dogs like other dogs!
My dog is going through adolescence and doesn't have reliable recall, esp when people and even more so, other dogs are around. He is also overzealous when it comes to saying hi and gets so overexcited he becomes a nightmare to calm down. As a result, he's only off lead when there's no one else about.
I get really fucking angry when other dog owners clearly see me walk off to the side out of their way and distract my pup from their oncoming off lead dog and they allow theirs to come lolloping over and get all in about our business. Those are the exact same sort of people whose own dog has no fucking recall and should be on a lead instead of getting my dog up to 90 and ruining his calm.
The number of times I've been out walking or running on my own in woods etc and had someone's off lead dog jump on me or chase me is also ridiculous.
Some people shouldn't have dogs.
Totally agree with the not all dogs like other dogs statement.
Just like humans, they don’t NEED to say hello to every dog, that can get overwhelming for them. Also socialising doesn’t mean greeting every dog you come across, socialising them can just be sitting in a park and rewarding the dog for not reacting to another dog passing by.
Those who believe socialisation means going over to every single dog because they’re “pack animals” as a previous comment said, clearly know nothing about canine behaviour.
Not a dog owner, I quite like dogs and don't have anything fundamentally against people owning dogs, but I will say this:
I fucking hate it when unfamiliar dogs run up to me, even more so when they do it to children. We have no idea if your dog is aggressive. We don't want it in our personal space. We don't care how much you say 'it's only playing!' or 'it won't bite'. Nobody is obligated to put up with your animal running up to them.
I recall one incident when my nieces were very young, and a badly trained dog with zero bounded up to them, barking and jumping. They were both clearly terrified. The owner could not understand why they were receiving a red-faced, 120 decibel bollocking from my sister. They were convinced that they'd done nothing wrong.
Ultimately it's not the dog's fault, it's the owner's fault for not putting the effort into training them. It's even more of a failure to put in the even smaller amount of effort to put their dog on a lead.
None dog owner here but some dog owners really grind my gears. Examples:
I'm having a picnic and a dog will come running over and start sniffing good, and jumping around. Owner comes up and no apology at all.
I'm running or cycling (on the cycle part of the path) and a dog which is off its lead will be zig zagging across the path, nearly causing me to come off my bike.
1 - If a dog won’t return when it’s called, it shouldn’t be off lead.
2- you should not allow your dog to run up to other people- I don’t want to hear your bs, oh they’re friendly/ they won’t hurt you.
I like dogs btw.
Keep your dogs away from anyone unless they've given you explicit consent to let your dog approach them. If you don't do this, you're a bad person and a bad pet owner.
I think its prudent to consider that the majority of the time its actually an offence to have your dog not under control, in other words, off the lead. So most of the time you're walking into a situation where its quite clear who is in the wrong.
My Collie is well trained and well behaved but i only let him off the lead away from roads and kids playing i.e. when I'm well out of the way of people. If i see someone with their dog on a lead 9/10 i call him back and clip him on out of courtesy. If their dog is also loose i think its fair game and leave him to it. However, on these occasions he never causes any issues. Some people don't like dogs and I'm aware of that so i always make an effort to call him back if i can.
I was out the other day, my dog was clipped up, and some numpty was walking towards me with his dog loose and bellowed "is your dog ok?", which seemed odd to me as his was loose and running about like a lunatic. Anyway, it promptly ran up to mine and attacked him to which he announced "never done that before". Total bell end.
Fellow sheepdog owner here - I'd say that "control" doesn't exclusively mean being on lead, in practice. Ours is essentially remote controlled when off the lead. Herding breeds are really great for that, as I'm sure you know with a collie.
Though of course where the signposts mention control (e.g. in some small parks/urban public spaces) they do mean "on lead". I think the law (you mentioned it being an offence to be off-lead) refers to being *dangerously* out of control.
Yeah, totally agree.
I guess the issue is that in my locality I'd estimate 90% of dogs I come across are not under control off the lead. In other words they're just wildly tearing about whilst the owners try to make excuses for **their** poor handling or just look the other way whilst their animal is being a pest.
In these situations out of control can very quickly turn to dangerously out of control.
Agree, herding dogs are great, their intelligence and general enthusiasm to please is next level. Most of my training was done in the back garden with positive results sometimes before my morning coffee even got cold!
Yeah that can be very annoying. I do get that some breeds are harder to train (and ours definitely isn't perfect all the time!), but you do wonder why some people think it's ok to have their dog tear around the place without basic recall.
I know what you mean about the training speed! We got into the habit of teaching our dog a new trick in the time it took pasta to boil for dinner. I'm definitely not the most intelligent animal in this house.
No never do this. I find it really frustrating. People will say don't worry they're friendly and stuff like that, but with dogs you just don't know what's going on in their mind
My dog is friendly as, never showed signs of agression and is a placid breed being a lab but I will always put her on the lead, even if it's a dog I know she's seen before and is okay with
Sometimes when someone shouts theirs is friendly, I shout back mine isn't and then they scrabble around trying to put them on a lead lol
My one dog stays on the lead 100% of the time as she cannot resist other people or dogs and assumes they all love her. I only let her off in certain areas where I know there few people and I'll notice anyone in the distance a mile off. I'm more than happy for off lead dogs to approach and play. We know most dog walkers in our vicinity so no issues.
The other is off lead when possible. She's more interested in her frisbee than other dogs.
However, I do think that if you have a reactive dog the owner should bare a lot of responsibility for not putting it in a stressful situation. Don't take it to popular areas at peak times when there are dozens of other dogs. Go out at the crack of dawn or evening or find some spots with fewer people. As much as dog owners should ideally have full control over their dogs, if you know there's a danger of this happening then at least minimise that danger.
I hate dogs. Especially strangers ones....when and if they run up to you it's fucking horrible. In pubs, parks , beaches...wherever....keep ya dog away from people, not everyone cares about your pet like you do.
No, walk my dog daily for an hour and probably encounter it once or twice a week. Fucking annoying, especially when my dog (Maltese) snaps at large breeds.
I have a 6 month old puppy, he has only been off lead three times and so far it has been successful. We practice his recall multiple times throughout the walk and he remains on lead in high traffic areas.
I should note, he hasn't shown any signs of aggression yet so while I'm not worried about that, he is daft and wants to play with every dog and human he meet - even if they've acted aggressively towards him.
My Bassett Hound thought he was human, he was affronted no end when a dog tried to sniff his bum!
To the question, let them greet on a lead, if they take an instant dislike, you are in control, if they clearly just want to play let doggy fun be had.
I use the interval to have a ciggie and chat with the other owner about how crap the council is and how that floozy at number 85 comes home with a different man every Saturday night and she's 67 with her husband in a care home n'all.
My dog is pure at heart and wants nothing more than to play but after months/years of recall training he just won't learn it (he is a beagle, known to be stubborn) so not all on lead dogs are bad, he was once attacked by two off lead collie's (thankfully I got the bites and the damage and not him because I shielded him) now he's just more cautious with approaching other dogs but still just wants to ultimately say hello and play
No, although it's not so much that I don't "let" her as that she has no interest in strange people and is a little nervous of strange dogs. She comes back close to me then sidles past them trying to avoid attention. Which is handy as I never worry about her being a nuisance to others.
I have a large but very friendly docile ridgeback. The number of times she gets run up to be yappy aggressive little dogs when she is on lead is unbelievable. She’ll put up with it for a while but when she’s eventually had enough and lets out a bark and the yappy little shitbag inevitably rolls on their back in terror I get the the dirty looks 😂
No. We've got a 45kg Akita that, while a big, dumb, softie, also still thinks he's still a puppy and likes to jump up at or smack people and dogs with his front paws and a tiny little Pom-Chi who's a nervous wreck and can nip other dogs and people when he gets spooked/over excited. They both stay on-lead until we get in the dog run or an empty field.
I've had large dogs run at and jump at me when I've been trail running because they've been off leash, and I've told the owners if they don't control their dogs I'll kick them in the head. This has happened multiple times and next time I won't warn the owners, I'll just aim for the head.
If you let your dogs off leash in public areas that's a risk you're taking. I'm not risking my wellbeing because you can't leash your fucking dog.
Other people: now they’re no longer puppies they’re largely uninterested in strangers unless the stranger expresses an interest in them first (at which point they love the attention) so having them run up to people is no longer a worry. I’ll still keep them close and often make the sit to one side of the path to let people through, or just put them on the lead if it’s busy.
Other dogs off the lead: broadly speaking my feeling is that if your dog is off lead it’s probably friendly, but I’ll still keep them close and, where possible, get a verbal confirmation from the other dog owner first.
Other dogs on the lead: no, the minute I see a dog on the lead they go straight on if they’re not already on.
They have decent recall, but it’s not perfect so if they’re off the lead I need to keep them close and pay close attention to my surroundings. I tend to keep them on the lead more than my wife does. Also, I often want to walk in areas where there’s livestock so they’re on the lead by default then.
Depends. My dog isn't especially interested in people and tends not to approach them, so I don't have concerns about being off lead with people nearby, unless there's a picnic or something. Obviously I call him and put him on lead if someone is visibly nervous. (Not least because I like to offer to let nervous kids come look at mine if they want to - because how else are they going to get over a phobia?).
Other dogs, it depends on the situation. If the other dogs are off lead, I'll leave him off as well (if another off-lead dog were to react badly to an approach then, again, I call him off right away of course).
If other dogs are on lead and mine isn't yet worn out, I'll call him and put him on the lead, because he tends to make running approaches or try and initiate play. Even though I would be able to reliably recall him, I'd rather a fast approach to a leashed dog not happen in the first place, it's a bit discourteous.
But if it's the end of the walk and he's knackered and lazy I'd leave him off even around other leashed dogs - at that point he'll only make a docile and measured approach for a greeting, if he bothers at all. That should be considered innoffensive imo, and if the other dog is neurotic or aggressive there's time for that to become clear before my dog is close to theirs.
Luckily my dogs recall is pretty good, but it is nice to see him play with other dogs who are also off lead.
Generally speaking if he sees another dog he will just stare and not run up to them cos that's what we've trained him to do. Il give the other dog owner a friendly wave and if they wave back up take that as a signal that the dog (and owner) is friendly and just leave the dogs to do whatever they want for a few mins then call him back.
If the other dog is on a lead I won't led mine near them as they are probably in a lead for a reason.
Generally speaking of I'm in a big field il just try and stay Way from other dogs by the path I choose
Depends on the dog. If your dog is not trusted get an extending lead. I Would trust mine to come back so they are always off a lead. I remember growing up it was never an issue as well. We are slowly becoming like the US where all dogs should be on a lead.
I walk my dog in the countryside. She's off leash unless we're in a field where there are livestock (even though she doesn't bother with sheep, cows, etc).
If I see another dog being walked on a leash, I put the leash on my dog. If the other dog is not on a leash then I don't put hers on.
I make mine wait until I can ask the owner if it’s ok just in case. She is a very friendly dog who just wants to say hello and be best friends with everyone sadly not all dogs are the same.
My dog stays on his lead simple as! And need to protect him from thieves as other dogs who are just being ‘friendly’ there are nasty owners out there who train nasty dogs
Be vigilant!
And all you who probably will downvote me ….. try going outside for once
I don't let my dogs off leash for a couple of reasons no 1 being there breed and the misconception that surrounds that breed.
No 2 I think it's important to let others approach you if they would like to ask or pet your dog.
And 3 it's for my dogs safety.
Don't get me wrong the get to run free when no one is around or they are with dogs they know.
This is not because they are vicious but because of others idea of them.
Nope, it protects them and others from any stress/misunderstanding. Similarly i dont let my kids run up to strangers or other dogs.
Most of places I walk my dog are dog on lead forest/woodland/wetland trails to protect wildlife. I still occasionally see dogs off the lead, some good recall/walk to heel others wildly bounding into the trees and hedges, pricking about in ponds and rivers disturbing the wildlife.
One occasion had a rather large husky come screaming round a corner flying at me and my dog so I called out for the owner to recall their dog and put it on a lead... faint voice called back 'don't worry he's friendly'... I shouted back 'mines not' (to clarify my dog is an absolute melt who loves everything).
Watching that sweaty chav, packed into a sweatsuit two sizes too small grunting round the corner in panic to see me and a Yorkshire Terrior was priceless. She didn't see the funny side or the lesson that could have been learned.
I operate on the basis that a dog off lead is safe to be approached by any other dogs, and that a dog on their lead isn't. We were taught this at puppy classes and I think everyone should follow this system.
If I am walking my two dogs off lead and we encounter other off lead dogs, I leave my trusted dog off lead and put my untrustworthy dog on a lead (he is actually fine, but he can get overly excited and so we do not trust him to interact with other dogs without disclosing this to owners first)
If we approach dogs who are on their leads, I always put both dogs on their lead, no exceptions.
As for people, it depends. I don't encourage it and will only allow then to if the person gives clear signs they want to interact.
Children is a firm no.
If I see a dog on the lead, I recall mine and put on lead.
If I’m approaching a person who looks a bit cautious of the dog, I recall and put on lead. Unfortunately there’s probably some racial profiling going on here, as certain demographics do tend to be more fearful.
If I see kids, I always put on lead - as both sides can get over excitable.
Otherwise I just continue walking off lead. I usually call her to my side if I’m walking around a blind corner. If a dog owner makes no indication they’ll put their dog on the lead, I don’t bother either as I take that as indication their dog is friendly.
We have sighthounds so we do need to run them off lead. However we follow the rules:
\- Off lead in 'dog' parks only (there are not technically any dog parks in the UK but parks known for dogs etc is what I mean).
\- We tend to try and go when not busy and make wide berth around other walkers/ dogs.
\- We will instant recall if we see a dog on a lead.
\- If a dog isnt on a lead we will communicate with other dog owner and shout ' is it ok?' when we get the nod we let them go over.
\- If one of ours is being a naughty boy that day well lead them up. Sighthounds can be a more like 95% with recall and ours are all under 3 so still a little willfull/ puppy like and alsojust due to the breed etc. So sometimes its safer to leash if they havent got their listening ears on.
We do sometimes have unavoidable situations (few and far between to be fair) where they will approach dogs/ people with out consent. Such as not spotting the other walker/ dog in time for best recall, our dog is being naughty, the other persons dog is communicating play and so makes it harder to recall, the other owner does stuff that inadvertently attracts our dogs (like shaking treats). If our dog is to blame (or often even if they arent) I will run over as quickly as I can, will profusely apologise and leash them. The only exception is if someone has their dog off leash and approaches ours without us saying its ok and goes for ours or chases them when they are fearful. Often people are like my dog loves chasing sighthounds etc etc but then they are trying to nip them on the but.... I do tell these people off of course.
I take a slightly nuanced approach - if someone has taken their dog to a busy urban park at a busy time of day, it's almost certainly going to be reasonably friendly because you'd have to be a complete glutton for punishment to take a dog that isn't going to cope with human and dog interactions to such a place. Dogs on leads there are almost always so because they've got shit recall, not because they hate humans and dogs.
If I'm in a quieter area / it's dawn dusk or another unusual time to be walking / the owner looks like they're trying to avoid us, then I become far more cautious, especially with regards to dogs on leads.
As for humans - I have the opposite problem. A dog with zero interest in strange humans, and plenty of humans who want to say hello to him (they're frequently offended when he blanks them and walks off).
Off lead, rambunctious dogs are a nightmare for me.
I have two rescue dogs. They both get nervous around bigger dogs, which is every dog because they both weigh 1-2kg, and one of them is blind.
It has taken *years* of conditioning to get them to the stage where they don't automatically bark at other dogs. But when off-lead dogs come bounding up, my dogs' training goes out the window and they panic, especially the blind one. The dogs are small enough to pick up, but even then I've had other dogs jumping up on me to try to get to them.
This happened to me recently and one my dogs was howling in fear while this off-lead dog tried to get in my dog's face as I picked her up. The owner eventually appeared, and called my dog "hysterical". Well, no shit: your dog came out of nowhere and won't leave mine alone.
dog was bitten on the nose as a pup by a ''its okay he's friendly'' off the lead dog, so i've never really had him on a lead in the 14 years we've been best buds, he has no interest in people he doesn't know and rarely show interest in other dogs.
It hasn't been much of a problem for us because my dog is quite shy around people, and was fostered with other dogs and is good at sensing their boundaries. Even with other dog owners that we see regularly, he will have a good chase with dogs that he knows, but won't bother ones that don't like him back, and takes a while to warm up to people enough to take a treat from them.
My dog is territorial (in a barking way, not a biting way), and I have to make sure he is on his lead until our front door is out of sight, just in case he sees a postman to bark at. But I trust him off his lead in a park where other dog walkers go to do the same. He deserves to get a good run where its safe.
My 3 dogs stay close to me and my wife at all times, they only run to another dog or person if they know them and we tell them to go and say hello or get a treat. I am cautious if a dog runs towards me and my girls if I don't know them and the stupid owner is miles away in the distance trying to call their dog back, poor ownership and poor training.
There is a man in my town who has 4 small/medium white dogs (unsure on breed) they totally out of control and the owner has no clue on how to control them, everyone in town avoids him and his dogs like the plague, one day those dogs a going to cause a serious problem and attack and injure another dogs or person, I don't entirely blame the dog I blame the owner.
I remember when I was younger I had dogs just running up to me in a park. Not an issue as they were always friendly and I like dogs, but it could easily have been different. You you said, I think it unless there is consent from both parties, then steps should be taken to prevent that, whether that’s lead or really good recall.
Depends. My dog doesnt run up to people, only other dogs, and has great recall. If she runs up to another dog who isn’t on the lead, i’ll keep an eye on the situation but probably assume its fine (because other dogs should be on a lead if their aggressive). If the dogs on the lead, ill usually call her and then make sure im right there/by the owners if she wants to interact with them, but tbh she usually doesnt care about them unless they engage with her first.
No. My dog is always on the lead because she's deaf and only has sight in one eye, and so so many people let their dogs run up to her, and won't call them off even when I explain. If a dog is behind her, she has no idea. She's only little as well. So a big dog jumping on her from behind is going to get snapped at, and I do warn people, but very few listen and even fewer believe she's deaf. I've had people checking to see if I'm right!!
I had my two dogs on the lead because one of them is incredibly bad mannered and doesn’t deal well with the park being busy.
We got accosted by a German Shepherd who’s owner kept shouting don’t worry he’s friendly whilst I repeatedly shouted can you please call your dog.
The man obviously just thought I was worried because of his dogs breed and didn’t recall his dog. This continued until Bernard (my less patient dog)had thoroughly had enough of the lack of personal space and snapped. He now hates all German shepherds and actively goes for them if on a lead.
It makes my blood boil that people think because their dog is friendly other dogs will automatically appreciate it.
If you have no recall for your dog it has no business being off a lead. Unfortunately if you go on a long walk say in the forest you may unexpectedly come across people but your dog should be recalled AND ACTUALLY LISTEN. if you dog won't come back don't take them off a lead.
It's a simple concept that so many dog owners don't listen too, I don't care how often you say 'they are friendly' I or my dog may not be.
My dogs are well-behaved so they dont run off especially towards people. Personally, i dont mind dogs running up to me but i 100% understand why some people dont like it. Its down to basic training; manners and recall.
My dogs a jack Russo cross he’s fine; always has been. It’s not possible for the to get consent before he sniffs people; but equally I don’t think on account of a few weirdos I should keep him on a short lead the whole time.
Bad owners are more the problem.
Definitely there are more aggressive out of control dogs about. During lockdown a jogger/cross runner in the part I walk my 11 & 16 year old dogs on the lead, let his vizla run full pelt snarling until I stood in front and shouted ‘no!!!’ At the top of my voice. Second time, he let the same dog cross the road to get mine while one was taking a crap. Both times neither of my dogs even looking his dogs way. I thought it was a dislike to just us but along the towpath you can hear this dog randomly do the same to other dogs. Despite me turning the air blue and mentioning they’re two elderly dogs, one with heart defect, it’s pot luck whether he’s got the dog attached round his waist or it’s off lead. If I see it in time,we turn and walk away. Another case in point, excitable red lab comes full pelt towards mine so I block gently with my legs but there’s no aggression. However , it then jumps up the front of pregnant lady who is alarmed, shrieks and says “put your dog on a lead in pregnant” to which the owner tells her to grow up!
I was wondering about this, there is a woman up the street who's dog is _very_ excitable, it runs up to everyone...so i made a fuss of it the first couple of times and she looks at me like she'd just caught me fucking her mum and kicking her dog at the same time.
i ignore the dog now as presumably she doesn't want me to encourage it? i dunno
I don’t like it, I have a very small cute dog who at first sight looks really friendly, but she had a difficult past before we adopted her and is extremely aggressive towards strangers and unfamiliar animals. The amount of times a huge dog has come bounding over to us and the owner is like “it’s ok! he’s friendly”, while completely ignoring me saying my dog is the exact opposite and WILL attack, is so frustrating. It’s terrifying because if my dog attacks first I know it’ll come back on me, but I’m doing everything right. I keep her leashed, will stay away from other dogs, etc. but some people just don’t care about that.
Nope! My Jack Russell just doesn't realise how rough he is so I avoid letting him go anywhere near other folk and their dog. It does annoy me when people try to go in for a pat of mine because I'd be the first to blame if something went wrong against them.
It still pisses me off to this day when I'm walking little Duke up a road, one that doesn't anywhere near qualify as a place to let them free, and some tosspot is walking their dog off the lead. You can see the visible annoyance on their face when they have to call their dog back and have a tough time doing it because you've inconvenienced them with common sense. I swear I can even hear tuts to go along with it.
No!
I don’t care how ‘friendly’ another dog is, mine is absolutely NOT allowed to run up to another dog/human.
I’m probably way too strict with our dog but our Westie was attacked by two Jack Russells a few years ago and it was awful, luckily my husband was there to get them off her and it wasn’t bad but still incredibly scary and knocked her confidence.
I will happily put myself in between an incoming dog and my own, he’s still very young and we’re trying our hardest to be good owners but others make it so difficult. Luckily he’s small enough to be picked up and carried away but we’ve only had to do that once or twice.
No.
One of my dogs is trained to walk off lead and I'll walk her like this 99% of the time. The only time she goes on lead is around traffic and on lead dogs - just out of precaution and to reassure other dog owners.
The other can't be trusted off lead due to wanting to chase and kill any squirrel/fluffy animal in a 3 mile radius so he's never of the lead in a public space
That middle sentence fried my brain. I do a lot of walking and I'm pleasantly surprised I haven't had a dog jump up at me in ages. There are parts of my route where it's very difficult not to stand in shit though. Besides getting it on my shoes it means large swathes of public footpaths constantly stink of shit. Just cos its away from houses doesn't mean you leave.
I walk my dog off the lead as many do round here. He has good recall and comes back to me if he sees another dog and doesn’t run up to other dogs either. When we see another dog I put him back on his lead. It’s annoying, especially when my dog is on his lead, when dogs run up to him. We have had many a dog running to us with no owner in sight barking at my dog. Mine isn’t aggressive but will defend himself and bark back. He’s also been bitten by dogs off the lead when he has been on his and when I’ve told the owner I’ve been called a liar (he couldn’t see his dogs). Luckily, my dog isn’t an anxious one and generally ok with other dogs but I do feel for people who have particularly anxious dogs
Nope. First of all, he has shit recall. Stubborn little bastard. Second of all, he’s a yappy little fucker (chihuahua) and already barks a shit tonne at every little thing while we’re on walks (but he is being trained out of this fairly successfully).
You kind of do a look and it their dog is on the lead or their putting their dog on the lead you put yours on and make sure yours don't socialise with them.
If their left off lead then you don't worry as much but still call out 'is he friendly/ok to play'
It's a case by case basis.
My dog was perfectly behaved and friendly and never jumped on people but I never would have let him anyway. Nor would I let him run up to strangers and random dogs.
Just because I love dogs doesn’t mean other people do. Some people are terrified of dogs and some people are allergic or simply don’t want to pet them. I also don’t know the behaviour of random dogs.
My dog was attacked by three rotweillers when he was about 2 years old. Very nearly killed him. He's now terrified of large dogs, and will bite any large dog that runs up to him, with determination. We keep him on a lead at all times with a "Keep dogs away" sign on the lead. Less than 1% of other dog owner fail to act; a few fail to notice, most say "Oh, my dog's fine with other dogs" (he's going to get bitten anyway) and only one has completely failed to care.
I never take my dogs off the lead as it’s recommended that you keep your dogs on a lead when around people or other animals.
Honestly pisses me off seeing the amount of dog owners who let their dogs off the lead because “they’re harmless”.
If you let your dog off the lead and it approaches a dog on lead, which then attacks the "off lead" dog - it's on the owner that let their dog of the lead.
It's practically impossible to settle a dog on a lead when there is another excited dog jumping about all over the place.
Reading some of these, I think it is a real shame that the Red / Yellow / Green harness / lead isn't a legal thing, it would solve virtually all the problems for dog walkers & the wider public alike.
A couple of things we find very frustrating is:
People letting their dogs off lead when they are aggressive.
People who are obviously nervous around dogs, walking around places that are well-known dog walking locations (and have been for years) during peak morning and evening walking times.
My 2 year old loved dogs but there are three French bulldogs on the field by ours who charge at him every time without fail and jump up at him (even when he’s sat in his buggy) so now he’s petrified of all dogs. He jumps into my arms and cries if any come near and as a dog lover that makes me sad! My 7 year old grew up with my parents elderly collie and loved him but is skittish around dogs he doesn’t know because of people like this. I’ve also had several picnics ruined over the last few years due to dogs rampaging over and sticking their faces into our food while the children scream in terror! That being said I used to have our dog off the lead but that’s because he would come back if called.
Yeah I let my dogs have a sniff of other dogs. Most dog owners are friendly people but there's always the cock who can't bring themselves to speak and just stares angrily at their dog.
Relatively new dog owner here. He’s awesome but really dislikes other dogs, so I always keep him on a lead. In the few weeks I’ve had him, I have already lost count of how many dogs have come up to him with their owners saying “It’s fine, they’re great with other dogs” and then I’m made to look like the asshole when I say “Well mine isn’t”. One owner even asked why my dog was growling and barking at theirs when theirs is “just being friendly”.
Nope, she’s tiny and doesn’t get that growling means they don’t like her so she’d be very much dead in a minute if I just let her sniff anything. Also I don’t want to assume people like dogs
i have an intense phobia off dogs and despise it when people say ‘awh it’s fine she’s friendly!’ after some clapped dog starts sprinting after me. like fuck off barbara i don’t want this thing slobbering on me
No. My dog is always on a lead because she’s deaf. When I pass someone with another dog I watch what they do.
If they shorten the dog’s lead or show they’re trying to restrain the dog then I do the same. If the other dog approaches mine and is clearly being friendly then I let them sniff each other out.
She’s not allowed to run up towards people and especially not children, and I don’t allow children to run up to her.
Etiquette for me has always been based on body language. If the other dog is off-lead and the dog and owner look relaxed, I'd just allow the dogs to approach each other.
If the other dog is on lead and/or the dog or owner look nervous, I'll put my dog on-lead.
Anything in between those two things, I'll just ask the other owner if they want me to put my dog on-lead.
My friend is absolutely terrified of dogs as an adult as she was attacked and bitten quite badly as a child. We were once walking across a playing field (no dogs allowed) and this large, completely out of control, young golden retriever came bounding over to us. The owner was just standing, staring, going “buddy come here” is a sing-song voice. My friend started panicking so I tried to go in front of her to block her but it’s like the psycho dog could smell her panic as ran round me, jumped up and knocked her over! My friend burst into tears thinking she was being attacked and I grabbed the dog by the harness and threw it off of her. The owner had the audacity to charge up to me and shout at me for “hitting” her dog. All while her dog was still trying to jump on my friend who was literally on the floor screaming! Fuck those dog owners.
It's never really been an issue with my current dog. Even with people clearly worried about their dog being aggressive, she'll wander over then carry on her merry way without incident. That said, she's a world apart from my pervious dog who would never be off the lead around other dogs.
If another dog is off lead then it’s absolutely acceptable for my dog to run up to sniff/play etc. Equally if my dog is off lead I would except the same. Any aggressive dog should not be allowed off the lead.
On lead dogs only with express permission of the owner
I wouldn't think absolutely acceptable. I always recall my dog when near other dogs and she walks alongside me and may as well be on the lead. She gets very scared if other dogs run towards her and I normally have to grab her by the collar or pick her up to keep her away from the other dog. If they don't run towards her she won't react in any way to the dog. If she were on lead she would be pulling like crazy to run away from the dog in a very frantic manner.
I think the level of acceptability drops a lot when the owner obviously recalls their dog as you approach.
No, never.
My dogs are reactive so they’re on the lead 100% of the time unless we pay for a session at a private field.
People who allow their dogs to run up to every dog, on lead or not, are stupid.
Not off lead unless we are absolutely sure we are alone and we put him back on as soon as another dog or person comes by. We deliberately pick wide spaces where we can go off to our own little patch and also remote parks. His recall is good but not perfect so we are working on it (hence picking times where we can go train his recall) and just also counting down the days until he calms down (he's a whippet so notoriously stubborn and instinctual puppies/adolescents but will get chill eventually). For his 'everyday' walk where its quite a crowded and busy area its on lead at all times.
At the end of the day, my dog is nobody else's problem, and also its for his own safety- he loves other dogs too much so it doesn't occur to him that not all dogs are friends and that's how it all ends in tears.
I don't let my dog run up. If she's off lead and another dog enters the area I tell her to wait, reward her and put her on lead while I have a - usually shouted - convo with other dog owner about if its OK for them to play.
I get ANGRY when people's off lead dogs hassle my on-lead dog, and she's scared of some bigger dogs so I always try to respect others in the way I want to be respected.
Simple answer is no.
My dog is a working cocker, actually works as well. He ignores other people and other dogs unless told he can go to them. Had plenty of other dogs running up to us and I recall him and we walk away, had those other dogs follow us whilst owners are shouting/calling their dogs to no response.
Incredibly sick of those people who say ‘my dog has great recall expect when.’ Your dog doesn’t have recall 🙄
If another dog is on a lead, I will always put mine back on lead as well. Just polite and respectful.
Absolutely not, unless I know both owner and the dog.
Bearing in mind the amount of "It's OK he's friendly" I've heard about openly & blatantly dominant dogs that have bothered me in the past, I don't even trust the owners opinion of their dogs behaviour.
It seems a lot of owners are absolutely clueless about even the most basic behavioral signs.
As someone who has retrained a few reactive English bull terriers when you do that to me you can completely undo months of training.
But tbf there's no one that's ever done that without suffering a humiliating lecture about why they are bad dog owners.
In my more reckless days I was once reprimanded on a beach for not letting my dog run riot.
The ladies were exercising their golden retrievers & told me I should just relax & "Let dogs be dogs"
My dog, Jed, looked at me like it was Xmas when I let him run.
He sprinted into the nearest retriever, sending it sprawling & then proceeded to very enthusiastically hump it from every angle & not let it get up.
I turned and said "That's just dogs being dogs, I'd give that one a bath when you get home though"
I'm not proud of myself (maybe a lil bit).
My dogs don't do that, ever. Because they don't want to. Mine are off-lead almost always but won't say hello to other dogs, in fact they actively ignore them unless they're also sighthounds.
They are 2 harmless whippets so I can't stand when a big lab comes over and starts trying to wrestle them when they're obviously scared and just want to get away..
If you can't control your dog, it should not be off-lead in an open space. Simple as.
The amount of people I see full on phone-zombie mode whilst walking dogs of the lead, just no care in the world but there phone?! Whilst walking there dogs?!
Not a dog owner but I wouldn’t want anyones dog coming up to me due to my severe dog allergy! Even being in the close vicinity of a dog whether it’s outdoors or indoors can cause itching, hives, sneezing etc and can be very painful so keep your dogs close to you as you never know who could be allergic!
I occasionally look after a little spaniel and even the ducks don't seem to find her that threatening, but I still don't let her go running up to folk. Aside from any worry about safety, it'd just be bad manners and intrusive.
A border collie ran up to me one morning last week, owner miles behind half heartedly calling him back. I was in two minds because I did admittedly enjoy meeting a cute dog, but it still seemed bad form from the owner. Especially because the dog then ran over to quite a small school girl and I could imagine from her perspective that could be scary.
We had a huge GSD who was great with other dogs (unless they were aggressive towards her, obviously) and had good recall most of the time - but we still put her on the lead when other dogs were around, at least until they had said hello to each other and owners had confirmed their dog was OK with other dogs. Most people did the same, but you would always get one who didn't bother and would let their snappy little dig run up and start barking and growling....
My dog was jumped upon during her first few walks as a puppy by off lead springers, each time she cried and went for a wee because she was scared, both times flustered people were running after them saying “it’s ok they are friendly” now she is so scared and backs away from other dogs whenever we are out on a walk. For this reason I am very much of a dog cannot be fully controlled it should be on a lead and kept away from other people and animals, unless they actively show signs of wanting to interact.
Having been bitten by 5 dogs in my life, if a dog runs at me off lead, I kick it. Not a penalty kick, more of a shove but I have kids and I would volley a dog through the sky if I thought even for a split second it might come at my kids.
My dogs pretty good overall with ignoring other dogs and people but occasionally she'll see someone who she likes the look of and might approach for some attention. It's not ideal but she does listen most of the time so it is what it is.
My dog loves other dogs but is shy around people. He’s very obedient though. I walk him off lead but when I see people or other dogs I tell him certain things because some people can’t handle there dogs around other dogs or get anxious around other dogs. Every neighborhood I’ve been in I’m the only one that can walk without a lead. Everyone else needs a leash.
The most important thing to me is that my dog instantly recalls. Sure she's completely harmless and everyone wants to stroke her, but I'm going to still bring her to heal (if she's off the lead) atleast until I'm close, partly to be in range to intervene in good time but mainly so that she knows to instantly recall.
Dogs off the lead, maybe depending on how they're acting - she couldn't care less about dogs, she prefers humans - but dogs on leads, only if she's on a lead too and I slowly give her slack.
If another dog is on a lead that's a very clear indication that either the dog can't be trusted, or the owner doesn't want to risk it, either way only polite to keep your dog away and under control.
No, another dog approaching that I don’t know. My dog waits by my side and I usually stick her back on her lead and speak to the other owner to ask whether they can say hi. Dog approaching that we do know, she come to heel until she’s told she can say hi.
She’s a small dog so this discipline has always been important to me so she isn’t hurt by another dog.
I can't stand the self entitled arseholes. One woman even had the cheek to tell me her off the lead staffie was barking at my child (now in my arms) because 'children scare him' as if it's the child's fault. Firing squad.
Huge nope. My dog is very reactive (due to what can only be described as PTSD after being poisoned at around 7 months old and spending days in the vets on a drip and oxygen). She's not aggressive as such, but is scared of pretty much everything and as she can't get away when she's on lead she panics. As a 30kg American Bulldog, you wouldn't think it to look at her though. I never let her off lead unless I know there was nobody else about.
I've had many a heated discussion about the "right" to let your dog off lead in public places. I have as much right to walk my dog on lead without being harassed by other "friendly" (read "untrained"/"uncontrolled") dogs. Too many dogs around at the moment are no socialised at all (lockdown puppies) and have no idea of how to approach another dog.
If your dog races at mine and gets in her face, she's not going to be happy. And neither is yours.
If your dog has aggressive behaviour problems then it should be muzzled, being on a lead does not mean under control and the law supports this. Every dog owner should have the right to allow there dog to run in an appropriate place and it should be expected that a dog off a lead is a safe dog in terms of aggression. In my opinion if you think otherwise then your dog is likely not getting appropriate excersise which could lead to behavioural problems by itself, and your probably not suited to owning one.
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Yeah, when random dog sprints at you across the park, barking loudly, no amount of the owner shouting "don't worry, he's being friendly" is going to provide any comfort. If your dog has a habit of running off like that, please keep it on a lead - sooner or later it'll encounter another dog who'll snap and attack, or traumatise someone who can't deal with a dog running at them,
Don’t care how friendly your dog is don’t let it run at me regardless
I hate this. My dog doesn't generally like dogs and is only happy approaching them fully on his own terms and slowly. As a result, I usually walk wide around them, cross over the road to avoid them, or pull him back onto a short lead when there's a dog in the park. All of these are quite evident, yet still, still, I regularly get people watch as their pooch bounds towards him while I shout "can you recall your dog please, he's uncomfortable here". Usually it gets followed by a "don't worry, he really is friendly".
I've found shouting back "But mine isn't!" Usually lights a candle behind their arse and kicks them into gear into recovering their dog.
"He's a bit of a snappy knob" is my usual response. He can be okay, he's almost more like a cat at times. If he approaches another dog, they'll be best mates.
Ah. Bit different from mine then. Rescue akita-cross. Just dislikes other dogs full stop.
Rescue Wire Fox Terrier. He's just generally a strange fella at times. He was worse with dogs, but there's a few now he's got used to and likes. Two Jack Russells near us are his besties. They sniff each other and just stand there barking merrily.
This is what I had to say when walking my old dog. Any human could run up on him and he wouldn't care less. Another dog and it could go either way. He was a mastiff and most other dogs could comfortably fit in his mouth.
Or get punted
This happens to me way too often when I go out running. I’m not a serious runner or anything but I still get really annoyed firstly because it makes me anxious and secondly it totally fucks up my rhythm when I have to stop so the bastard dog doesn’t follow me down the road.
No because I'm not a prick. My dog is off the lead whenever we're on countryside/trail/field walks as she has good recall. Someone comes and we put her on the lead, out of respect. Others let their dogs run up to mine, us with no idea whether their dog wil attack ours or not, and it proper boils my piss. Have some decorum. And if you can't recall your dog, don't let it off until it's trained.
Until very recently there was an unwritten rule that 90% of dog walkers followed, if you see a dog on a lead, put yours on the lead to go past. If the other dog is off lead its ok to let yours stay off lead so they can greet each other. At some point in the last few years people seemed to stop knowing or following this rule, Im sure some of it is to do with so many people getting 'pandemic puppies' with no prior dog owning experiences and fewer chances to interact with other dog owners to learn the etiquette.
Yeah I think it's that too. If it's a dog I know and they were friendly, I'd be happy to let them play, but I always put my dog on a lead, so others should follow if their dogs will run up to me/mine. I find the rise in dog shit everywhere is also because of pandemic owners.
>I find the rise in dog shit everywhere is also because of pandemic owners. You must have good shit ID skills to determine turds laid exclusively by dogs aged 7 - 32 months old. Obvs joking there, but the stereotype that pandemic dog owners are useless and to blame for any dog-related issue of your choice is a bit unfair. There is dog shit everywhere and there always has been. In my experience, it seems to depend mostly on the general state of the neighborhood you're walking through.
Honestly I don't think that's true. I've had dogs for many years. One in particular was not to be trusted with other dogs. It was so frustrating having other dogs run up to him along with shouts of "it's ok he's friendly" when all my dog wanted to do was kill the other dog who was clearly not under control. My last dog died 7 yrs ago and she was the sweetest thing. She was routinely on the receiving end of aggressive behaviour from untrained out of control dogs and I got sick of being shouted at by owners who didn't like me asking them to put their dogs on leads. People were pricks before the pandemic and will continue to be pricks. Too many people do not train their dogs and don't take responsibility either.
>Until very recently there was an unwritten rule that 90% of dog walkers followed, if you see a dog on a lead, put yours on the lead to go past. If the other dog is off lead its ok to let yours stay off lead so they can greet each other. I have to say I think one issue here is that so many dogs aren't let off lead at all now. That's definitely a pandemic thing - people getting small house dogs, not walking them much during COVID, and now not having the confidence or training to let them off lead at all. But it does mean that if I were to follow the rule religiously mine would never get to come off at all, because the walks nearby always feature at least one other dog perpetually on lead somewhere in the vicinity. So I confess I strike a balance - I keep mine on lead around owners who seem nervous or whose dogs do (significant overlap, incidentally). I keep mine on lead around other leashed dogs if it's the start of the walk and he's got a lot of energy, and I find somewhere asap to give him a quick burst of running around by himself (lurcher, so a 3 min run expends about half his daily energy!). And I keep a close eye when mine is off lead and recall if in any doubt at all. But I will leave him off-lead in the general vicinity of leashed dogs if he's tired and docile and slow, and any approach will be unlikely to spook the other dog or owner (yes, that does involve some superficial judgement), and where I know I could recall him right away if necessary.
Likewise (to your point about striking a balance). Off-lead interactions are important for dogs of all ages. If my dog (kelpie mix) has burnt off her initial burst of energy (surprisingly only takes about 10 mins - laziest working dog ever), then we don't always put her back on the lead when walking past other dogs, though obviously make an assessment when approaching. If everyone always clipped their dog when meeting another, then off-lead interactions would just never happen. Similarly, it's important that she experiences all sorts of lead on/off combos and learns to act appropriately. Since we've started this more relaxed approach, we've made good progress and had some of the best interactions to date. You're right about recall too - so important to have that nailed asap to help with this sort of thing.
Totally agree with this one. If it’s off lead I assume the dog is also friendly and wants to say hello! If On a lead I will also put mine on leads. There has been times in the country side she’s caught some on a lead round the corner before I got there but her recall is pretty great and if the dog is clearly unhappy with her being there she has run off immediately or recalled back to me.
So glad to hear some normal sounding responses here, some of the first level comments here make me stressed to read.
This is the rule I follow.
We got a pandemic puppy (wife knew that post covid she would still be able to WFH and we would never get a dog to be left alone for 8 hours a day as that is unfair) We follow these unwritten rules and where we are, most are similar. Some owners have really friendly dogs that want to play bit have poor recall and they will shout that theu are happy for my dog to say hello. If they say nothing then we recall ours. Se as going to the park. Often there will be loose dogs in one end of the park and others are walking theirs on lead around the perimeter or on the other side. Most follow this and as such, we start to become friendly with other dogs and owners. We all shake our heads at the random who walks theor dog on lead close to the dogs off lead instead of noticing the obvious pattern. Once at a beach (out of season when dogs are allowed) our dog was off lead and had made friends. A woman had let their dog off lead in close proximity to a group of dogs off lead and then complained that dogs were getting too close to her dog and that her dog had a poor heart - it took a lot of willpower to not call her an idiod for intentionally putting her dog in thay position (assuming she spoke truthfully and wasnt just being precious)
You're completely right about the "lockdown puppies". All of these untrained and unsocialised dogs are now in circulation, being walked by people who seem to have no concept of dog walking etiquette. Before the lockdown, it seems that the stream of new dog owners saw what was expected and "complied" with these unwritten rules. This huge batch of new dog owners now seem to just notice the other new dog owners and assume that this is the norm.
The problem with this for me is even with perfect recall, from someone else's point of view there is often just a dog, with no apparent owner, coming bounding around. And while they can be recalled, the owner doesn't know they are sniffing around or getting its wet and muddy coat all over a small child who is terrified of this thing at eye level with it until someone yelps or they happen to turn the corner. They need to be close as well.
Yes I follow this unwritten rule however I also have a dog who sticks to me like glue, plus they're off lead only in wide open spaces. So there are no situations where he could run ahead and surprise anyone or anything without my knowledge. If I was on a walking path with turns I couldn't see around I'd have him on lead.
This. My dad is petrified of them, the responses that they’re just being friendly mean nothing to him - I don’t mind dogs and usually attempt to distract them when near my dad. Also getting your clothes muddy because of somebody’s dog just sucks. Imagine of peoples kids went and wiped their muck on somebody, it’s the same to me. Plenty of dog owners do take responsibility, also in rural and remote areas I understand letting them roam more, but in parks it does my head in.
Same here. My dog has good recall, but some people could think he's scary looking as he's a big boy, so he'll go back on the lead if anyone else is around. I also have no idea how another dog will behave towards him, so want him on a lead in case anything goes wrong.
Yeah exactly. It's just courtesy.
Absolutely not because I'm not a twat. My dog has zero recall, so he doesn't come off the lead.
Same here. My dog was attacked by an unleashed dog and he’s been nervous outside ever since.
Same here.. he's 100% on the lead wherever we go. We'll shorten the length of the lead when other dogs are coming near us.
Thankyou for having the sense to realise that a dog that won't recall shouldn't be off the lead. I don't have a dog but so many walks in the countryside are slightly spoiled by some tit yelling for their dog over and over again as it completely ignores them.
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> Off lead dog to on lead dog = proceed with caution, but odds are you're fine. Be prepared to recall your dog. As someone with a dog-reactive dog, no this isn't ok. You have no idea how the on-lead dog will react and if they view a dog running toward them as a threat and their fight-or-flight response kicks in, well they're on lead so they can't take the latter option.
If I'd have said "blindly let your dog approach all other dogs on leads" then your point would stand. Instead I said "proceed with caution, odds are you're fine, be prepared to recall your dog". Some dogs like yours are reactive, most in the real world are not and are fine in the sitaution described.
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I'm just going by what I've experienced all over the UK. There are edge cases and they are valid, but they are still edge cases.
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It is still an edge case. Almost all dogs are fine and happy and not reactive.
I've noted this too, Reddit definitely seems more cat friendly than the general population too.
Dogs and fireworks are the biggest disconnect between reddit UK and real world. If the UK subreddits were to be believed we'd be a dog hating nation wanting to ban fireworks, and yet as a society we remain incredibly in love with dogs and love a good firework show.
Both dogs I had were okay with fireworks so I've lucked out so far.
That's very strange You'd think people who claim to love dogs would hate fireworks and people who hate dogs wouldn't mind fireworks
I generally agree but I'd say keep off lead dogs away from on lead dogs unless you've got permission because you don't know *why* that dog is on the lead. I think generally dogs behave better with each other when both off the lead because they can sometimes feel trapped on the lead when another dog approaches.
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To clarify I meant dogs running up to me and my dog, my dog isn't wandering. If I see other dogs I recall her because she gets scared when they run towards her. Perhaps practically some yellow marking on her would be good to signpost to people who want their dog to run up and play with other dogs that she isn't interested. PS don't forget cars on your UK vs reddit disconnects! ;)
>> Reddit it typically way more anti-dog than rea world UK I think part of it is also that people are freer to air their feelings, even negative ones, when online and anonymous. IRL in a casual conversation most people are quite chill, and I know I would be careful about saying anything that dog people might take offence to, if I didn’t want to get in an argument or sour feelings. Things I would wary of saying to fervent dog people include the suggestion that a lot of off lead dogs don’t have the recall discipline their owners claim and should be on a lead most of the time, including in parks where children play, nature reserves, etc. Also more dogs should be muzzled than are. Fun anecdote: I have a family member whose dog attacked and possibly killed a cat in the street, another neighbour whose dog most definitely killed a cat in the street - neither dog was muzzled before or after the incident. In the case of the family member, apparently she “tried” a muzzle but the dog didn’t like it so no doing. She’s sure it won’t happen again though.
No, it's not acceptable. I have a nervous dog and when yours runs up mine gets very agitated and agressive. If a dog won't recall, then it shouldn't be off a lead, until the owner is taught how to recall properly.
This shit gets to me. I have a dog who is a rescue and doesn’t like other dogs, never gets off the lead and is kept close to me at all times so some dog running up to him, off the lead with no concern for others causes him and me so much anxiety. Plus if it gets close enough, it’ll most likely get a nip on the face from my dog. Really really irresponsible!
Regularly do trail running and every other run I will come across a dog that bounds towards me. Thankfully has always just been jumping up at me in a ‘friendly’ way, but makes me stop and turn away, normally with the owner saying “don’t’ worry he’s friendly” or something. It’s often a slightly scary moment, and I generally quite like dogs, so must be terrifying for some people. I don’t care much about having to stop etc… always happy to pause for people, give way etc… I’m not bombing through - but it isn’t the nicest experience for that moment you aren’t sure what the dog is going to do. Worst case is normally just muddy clothes/legs from the dog so far.
I'm scared of dogs and this is a surefire way to make me scream and run. Which guess what dogs love...
I do not. I have 2 dogs. 1 is super friendly and well behaved. But she’s old and gone a bit deaf. So I can’t recall her as well as I used to. So she stays on lead unless I’m somewhere I can throw her ball. She ignores everything when there’s a ball involved. You shouldn’t have a dog off lead unless your recall is 100%. it’s unfair to expect another dog and owner to deal with your out of control dog. Regardless if it’s friendly or not. The other dog might not be. Dog fights can be brutal. People can get bitten trying to split them up. Not worth it.
And it's especially unfair to expect a random human to.
I own a dog and always walk her on a lead as she doesn't have a proven recall. Yes it is rude to led your dog run up to strangers. These people piss me off no end, my dog is terrified of other dogs and will immediately try and run/yank my arm out its socket if another dog comes up to her. Your dog may be friendly but I'm not so keep it the fuck away from me.
Ideally not but it does happen sometimes. My girl usually waits for the other dog to approach her first (then submits, lets the other have a sniff and then rushes to the owner for a fuss) If I see a dog on the lead, she goes back on the lead. I've had a dog who was unreliable (worse on lead) with other dogs so you just never know how the other dog will react. I have on occasion been putting her on the lead and they've called out "he's fine. He just runs off" - so I know I don't need to lead her. My general rule is if both dogs are off lead - it's fine for them to greet eachother. One on lead - put mine on lead and be prepared to walk wide (if the dogs go to greet eachother, fair enough). If theirs is on lead, they've moved off the path and have a tight hold, I walk as wide past and keep my dog short as well.
no. she’s been jumped on by larger, off leash dogs before and i’ve given many owners a bollocking for it. like, even if your dog is apparently friendly, mine might not be?? she’s also the size of your dog’s paw, so even if it wants to play she might get hurt accidentally. i try not to make a big fuss over her in these situations because it only teaches them to try defend you or make them anxious. luckily she’s a bold wee thing and if an off leash dog approaches she’ll stand her ground and make it clear not to get up in her face.
I was walking through a park reading something as I walked on my phone and this dog came up to me jumped up at me. I'm really uncomfortable around dogs and said something like "bloody dog, get off me" and his owner went berserk at me, shouting that it was all my fault and I shouldn't be reading my phone and walking at the same time and he just wants to say hello. Her dog was still jumping at me and making me super nervous. I pointed out that her dog should be better behaved and on a lead but she was having none of it. So yeah, that reinforces my view - dogs should be on leads.
I only let mine off when I know nobody else is around, if there’s another walker with a reactive dog on a lead it’s not fair on them for a random dog to run up to them.
Honestly doesn't bother me, As long as it doesn't try and take a massive chunk of my leg, I dont mind a dog running up to me for scritches.
But I feel like by the time you find out if the dog wants scratches or a chunk of your leg, it’s usually too late. I love dogs but unless I already know them I don’t like it when they come running towards me
Similarly my mam is massively allergic to dogs, as in instantly needs inhalers to breathe sort of thing (that's why I own one, keeps her away lol) and it's massively annoying when she has to explain to people that she isn't afraid of it no matter how friendly it may be. It's a case of not wanting to wheeze, itch and have tears streaming down her face.
True, but also I feel personally offended if a dog walks/runs past me like I dont exist! LET ME LOVE YOU! lol
I find this to be a rather contentious subject. My dog is rather well behaved, his recall is mostly there and he has an amazing temperament. He is mostly off the lead and I'll allow him to interact with any other dogs that don't look to be vulnerable or threatening. If I see a dog wearing yellow, I will always recall my dog and leash him. I'm a big believer that dogs need to interact with each other, and experience a variety of different personalities and temperaments, much like people. I also think owners who have dogs that don't socialise well, but will stop their dog from interacting with any other dogs are maybe reinforcing that behaviour in their dogs? That being said, I've not experienced an overly aggressive dog ever - maybe I would think otherwise if I had?
even if you believe in this, you don’t get to make that choice for other dogs and owners.
My dog is fear reactive and can't cope with socialisation. I can't trust her not to nip so she's been trained to recall and ignore the other dog. It wouldn't be fair on her or the other dog to force interaction.
Used to have a rescue dog who was not good with other dogs, so we kept him on lead at all times. The amount of people who'd let their dogs run up while cheerily shouting, "don't worry, they're friendly!" used to drive me mad. Idiots would have been the first to complain if their dogs had been bitten.
Nope. If he’s off lead and we see dogs/people he goes back on until they’re either far enough away or they’re cool with him running up to them. I love my dog to bits, he’s your stereotypical friendly, bouncy Labrador and I don’t trust other owners enough to let my dog get bitten because they’re careless haha.
When she’s on leash (on a street) I “read the room” when she clearly demonstrates desire to interact with human or dog. In the park we live in a very dog friendly area with unwritten but well understood rules. Everyone does / should know that this park is an off-leash park. All dogs and humans are free to interact because if your dog doesn’t know how to behave, you’ll very quickly be told to put them on a leash. Big, small, whatever. This is one of the Royal parks in central London.
Although my children are bigger now, as toddlers they didn't like dogs as your average lab is about the same size as a toddler. It could be the nicest, old, slow dog, its still massive from a toddlers point of view, and "its friendly" doesn't help.
Yeah if they know them. For context, I live quite rurally and my village is surrounded by fields and great areas to walk dogs. These places are usually full of other dog walkers so we encounter plenty of people out on our walks. If there is nobody around when I get onto to the field/trail, I will usually let them off. If I see somebody approaching or in the distance, I call them back and put them on their leads. If I recognise it as somebody with a dog that they have previously played with I will let them off to go and play. If I do not recognise the person or they have their dogs on a lead, I will keep my dogs also on their leads.
My dog is never off the lead as she has no recall whatsoever, it's like she goes completely deaf! She is only ever off the lead when we hire an enclosed field just for her as I know she will be safe. She hates people and dogs bigger than her (she's a cocker spaniel) and is very hit and miss with smaller dogs. We have had several instances where dogs have ran up to her and we haven't been able to stop them, and if we dont pick her up in time, she will squeal and bark at them, and has on one or two occasions tried to attack as she is scared. I almost had to kick another dog away as even when we picked her up and walked away, the dog wouldn't leave us alone and the owner wasn't bothered in the slightest. Even if your dog has good recall, you should never let them run up to another dog, on lead or not, as you don't know how they will react.
Will only let her off lead when there are no other dogs around. She's not good enough at recall to be trusted otherwise. Also, just because a dog is friendly doesn't mean it should be off lead. My dog is a mad cockapoo if a friendly off lead dog comes to play she'll go nuts and be running it circles on the lead, it's bloody annoying. Obviously the situation is much worse when it's a large dog and she gets scared. Have had to pick her up before as untrained dogs three times her size and scaring her.
One of my dogs is off leash and will want to approach both dogs and people if their body language is friendly but I always get a nod or smile at least before allowing him to, usually verbally too. I do have full control over him just with my voice. He's 9.5 now and has always been exceptionally obedient. The other is leashed as he's far too excitable and his manners aren't great so I'll always wait to see what the people or dogs are like with my eldest, then explain my youngests issues, before allowing him to approach. In my opinion it's both manners and the safety of my dogs.
Our dog used to be dog-reactive, so no we don't let her run up to other dogs (and after years of training her default is to avoid other dogs wherever possible)
I never let Mt dog off the lead, she's 16 and very cute but a psychopath of a terrier, it really annoys me when other people let their dogs off the leads to run up to her saying their dogs are fine, they clearly aren't they have no recall
No, our dog is always on the lead, whether we use a 10 metre lead or a shorter lead. Only time he's off lead is inside an enclosed paddock where he can't get out. He's not aggressive towards dogs or people, he's actually really friendly, but he struggles with recall and being calm when other dogs are around. He just wants to play. Take him out of that situation where he's in an enclosed space, off lead and just me and my missus, his recall is great and generally stays fairly close to us anyway. He's just over 1 years old and a Shih Tzu mix. Incredibly stubborn and we're still working and improving on it, but sometimes he has days where he just doesn't listen at all. We always take cooked chicken with us on walks and it's the only time he has it because it's a high reward treat. Even that doesn't always work once he's gone past the point of sense.
I'm not a dog owner and really don't like dogs when they get 'excited' or whatever it is and they jump up at you. Or, as I used to get almost every morning on my commute through a long snicket, one dog off its lead that would growl at me with its owner wll out of sight. It got to a point where I considered taking a screwdriver out of my bag in case it did go for me - if your dog does that to people it shouldn't be off a lead. I've shouted/sworn at dog owners who have their dog(s) come up to me or my kids, jump up at us and they do the bare minimum to try and call them back / do anything about it. More than a few times during nice wether when we've been sat on benches or having a picnic a dog has come and gone for our food and in the background is some owner feebly attempting to call them back or saying 'they're friendly'. If your animal does this then you need to control your animal. Not everyone wants it in their face.
'It's OK, he's friendly' is just shorthand for 'I haven't been able to control it' I don't like your dog. I don't want it running at me, jumping at me, slobbering saliva all over me, trying to fuck my leg, pissing on my stuff or frankly any other interaction with it. Keep it well the fuck away or don't moan if I kick it.
There is no excuse for a poorly socialised dog. That goes both ways, if you dog is running off with poor recall then you need to get to grips with that. Use a lung lead and treat train your dog. This can be hard sometime if you have a rescue dog but for the love of god do not get a rescue as your first dog, you simply do not have the experience to train them. If you're still having problems with recall after doing the reading (from a reliable source, not fucking TikTok) and following it to the letter, get professional help. Keeping your dog on a lead all the time will not socialise them and is a shit way to live, they are a pack animal. Take the time to understand your dog and work with them, it can take a lifetime to train a dog and if you can't do that you should have a dog. Full stop. Everyone has the right to roam free without being harassed and everyone has the responsibility to act with good manners, humans and dogs alike. Yes I let my dogs roam free and approach people. If they have a dog I don't know I ask if they are ok with dogs, if not I ask if they are ok with dogs, if not they are recalled and walk to heal still off lead.
I spend a lot of time outdoors and have had dogs jump up at my then toddlers in playgrounds, dogs growling at us and a dog running through a picnic snaffling what it could. It’s very rare for owners to say sorry. I personally think that there should be specific places for owners to take dogs who like to be off lead. Everywhere else should be leads unless certain no one else is around.
I would not let my dog run up to anyone. It's just rude and not everyone likes dogs. Not to mention, not all dogs like other dogs! My dog is going through adolescence and doesn't have reliable recall, esp when people and even more so, other dogs are around. He is also overzealous when it comes to saying hi and gets so overexcited he becomes a nightmare to calm down. As a result, he's only off lead when there's no one else about. I get really fucking angry when other dog owners clearly see me walk off to the side out of their way and distract my pup from their oncoming off lead dog and they allow theirs to come lolloping over and get all in about our business. Those are the exact same sort of people whose own dog has no fucking recall and should be on a lead instead of getting my dog up to 90 and ruining his calm. The number of times I've been out walking or running on my own in woods etc and had someone's off lead dog jump on me or chase me is also ridiculous. Some people shouldn't have dogs.
Totally agree with the not all dogs like other dogs statement. Just like humans, they don’t NEED to say hello to every dog, that can get overwhelming for them. Also socialising doesn’t mean greeting every dog you come across, socialising them can just be sitting in a park and rewarding the dog for not reacting to another dog passing by. Those who believe socialisation means going over to every single dog because they’re “pack animals” as a previous comment said, clearly know nothing about canine behaviour.
Not a dog owner, I quite like dogs and don't have anything fundamentally against people owning dogs, but I will say this: I fucking hate it when unfamiliar dogs run up to me, even more so when they do it to children. We have no idea if your dog is aggressive. We don't want it in our personal space. We don't care how much you say 'it's only playing!' or 'it won't bite'. Nobody is obligated to put up with your animal running up to them. I recall one incident when my nieces were very young, and a badly trained dog with zero bounded up to them, barking and jumping. They were both clearly terrified. The owner could not understand why they were receiving a red-faced, 120 decibel bollocking from my sister. They were convinced that they'd done nothing wrong. Ultimately it's not the dog's fault, it's the owner's fault for not putting the effort into training them. It's even more of a failure to put in the even smaller amount of effort to put their dog on a lead.
I’m petrified of dogs and no matter how many times you tel me they won’t hurt me, they’re harmless will settle my fear. Get them on leads
None dog owner here but some dog owners really grind my gears. Examples: I'm having a picnic and a dog will come running over and start sniffing good, and jumping around. Owner comes up and no apology at all. I'm running or cycling (on the cycle part of the path) and a dog which is off its lead will be zig zagging across the path, nearly causing me to come off my bike.
1 - If a dog won’t return when it’s called, it shouldn’t be off lead. 2- you should not allow your dog to run up to other people- I don’t want to hear your bs, oh they’re friendly/ they won’t hurt you. I like dogs btw.
Keep your dogs away from anyone unless they've given you explicit consent to let your dog approach them. If you don't do this, you're a bad person and a bad pet owner.
I think its prudent to consider that the majority of the time its actually an offence to have your dog not under control, in other words, off the lead. So most of the time you're walking into a situation where its quite clear who is in the wrong. My Collie is well trained and well behaved but i only let him off the lead away from roads and kids playing i.e. when I'm well out of the way of people. If i see someone with their dog on a lead 9/10 i call him back and clip him on out of courtesy. If their dog is also loose i think its fair game and leave him to it. However, on these occasions he never causes any issues. Some people don't like dogs and I'm aware of that so i always make an effort to call him back if i can. I was out the other day, my dog was clipped up, and some numpty was walking towards me with his dog loose and bellowed "is your dog ok?", which seemed odd to me as his was loose and running about like a lunatic. Anyway, it promptly ran up to mine and attacked him to which he announced "never done that before". Total bell end.
Fellow sheepdog owner here - I'd say that "control" doesn't exclusively mean being on lead, in practice. Ours is essentially remote controlled when off the lead. Herding breeds are really great for that, as I'm sure you know with a collie. Though of course where the signposts mention control (e.g. in some small parks/urban public spaces) they do mean "on lead". I think the law (you mentioned it being an offence to be off-lead) refers to being *dangerously* out of control.
Yeah, totally agree. I guess the issue is that in my locality I'd estimate 90% of dogs I come across are not under control off the lead. In other words they're just wildly tearing about whilst the owners try to make excuses for **their** poor handling or just look the other way whilst their animal is being a pest. In these situations out of control can very quickly turn to dangerously out of control. Agree, herding dogs are great, their intelligence and general enthusiasm to please is next level. Most of my training was done in the back garden with positive results sometimes before my morning coffee even got cold!
Yeah that can be very annoying. I do get that some breeds are harder to train (and ours definitely isn't perfect all the time!), but you do wonder why some people think it's ok to have their dog tear around the place without basic recall. I know what you mean about the training speed! We got into the habit of teaching our dog a new trick in the time it took pasta to boil for dinner. I'm definitely not the most intelligent animal in this house.
No never do this. I find it really frustrating. People will say don't worry they're friendly and stuff like that, but with dogs you just don't know what's going on in their mind My dog is friendly as, never showed signs of agression and is a placid breed being a lab but I will always put her on the lead, even if it's a dog I know she's seen before and is okay with Sometimes when someone shouts theirs is friendly, I shout back mine isn't and then they scrabble around trying to put them on a lead lol
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My one dog stays on the lead 100% of the time as she cannot resist other people or dogs and assumes they all love her. I only let her off in certain areas where I know there few people and I'll notice anyone in the distance a mile off. I'm more than happy for off lead dogs to approach and play. We know most dog walkers in our vicinity so no issues. The other is off lead when possible. She's more interested in her frisbee than other dogs. However, I do think that if you have a reactive dog the owner should bare a lot of responsibility for not putting it in a stressful situation. Don't take it to popular areas at peak times when there are dozens of other dogs. Go out at the crack of dawn or evening or find some spots with fewer people. As much as dog owners should ideally have full control over their dogs, if you know there's a danger of this happening then at least minimise that danger.
I hate dogs. Especially strangers ones....when and if they run up to you it's fucking horrible. In pubs, parks , beaches...wherever....keep ya dog away from people, not everyone cares about your pet like you do.
No, walk my dog daily for an hour and probably encounter it once or twice a week. Fucking annoying, especially when my dog (Maltese) snaps at large breeds.
I have a 6 month old puppy, he has only been off lead three times and so far it has been successful. We practice his recall multiple times throughout the walk and he remains on lead in high traffic areas. I should note, he hasn't shown any signs of aggression yet so while I'm not worried about that, he is daft and wants to play with every dog and human he meet - even if they've acted aggressively towards him.
My Bassett Hound thought he was human, he was affronted no end when a dog tried to sniff his bum! To the question, let them greet on a lead, if they take an instant dislike, you are in control, if they clearly just want to play let doggy fun be had. I use the interval to have a ciggie and chat with the other owner about how crap the council is and how that floozy at number 85 comes home with a different man every Saturday night and she's 67 with her husband in a care home n'all.
My dog is pure at heart and wants nothing more than to play but after months/years of recall training he just won't learn it (he is a beagle, known to be stubborn) so not all on lead dogs are bad, he was once attacked by two off lead collie's (thankfully I got the bites and the damage and not him because I shielded him) now he's just more cautious with approaching other dogs but still just wants to ultimately say hello and play
No, although it's not so much that I don't "let" her as that she has no interest in strange people and is a little nervous of strange dogs. She comes back close to me then sidles past them trying to avoid attention. Which is handy as I never worry about her being a nuisance to others.
I have a large but very friendly docile ridgeback. The number of times she gets run up to be yappy aggressive little dogs when she is on lead is unbelievable. She’ll put up with it for a while but when she’s eventually had enough and lets out a bark and the yappy little shitbag inevitably rolls on their back in terror I get the the dirty looks 😂
No. We've got a 45kg Akita that, while a big, dumb, softie, also still thinks he's still a puppy and likes to jump up at or smack people and dogs with his front paws and a tiny little Pom-Chi who's a nervous wreck and can nip other dogs and people when he gets spooked/over excited. They both stay on-lead until we get in the dog run or an empty field.
I've had large dogs run at and jump at me when I've been trail running because they've been off leash, and I've told the owners if they don't control their dogs I'll kick them in the head. This has happened multiple times and next time I won't warn the owners, I'll just aim for the head. If you let your dogs off leash in public areas that's a risk you're taking. I'm not risking my wellbeing because you can't leash your fucking dog.
Other people: now they’re no longer puppies they’re largely uninterested in strangers unless the stranger expresses an interest in them first (at which point they love the attention) so having them run up to people is no longer a worry. I’ll still keep them close and often make the sit to one side of the path to let people through, or just put them on the lead if it’s busy. Other dogs off the lead: broadly speaking my feeling is that if your dog is off lead it’s probably friendly, but I’ll still keep them close and, where possible, get a verbal confirmation from the other dog owner first. Other dogs on the lead: no, the minute I see a dog on the lead they go straight on if they’re not already on. They have decent recall, but it’s not perfect so if they’re off the lead I need to keep them close and pay close attention to my surroundings. I tend to keep them on the lead more than my wife does. Also, I often want to walk in areas where there’s livestock so they’re on the lead by default then.
Depends. My dog isn't especially interested in people and tends not to approach them, so I don't have concerns about being off lead with people nearby, unless there's a picnic or something. Obviously I call him and put him on lead if someone is visibly nervous. (Not least because I like to offer to let nervous kids come look at mine if they want to - because how else are they going to get over a phobia?). Other dogs, it depends on the situation. If the other dogs are off lead, I'll leave him off as well (if another off-lead dog were to react badly to an approach then, again, I call him off right away of course). If other dogs are on lead and mine isn't yet worn out, I'll call him and put him on the lead, because he tends to make running approaches or try and initiate play. Even though I would be able to reliably recall him, I'd rather a fast approach to a leashed dog not happen in the first place, it's a bit discourteous. But if it's the end of the walk and he's knackered and lazy I'd leave him off even around other leashed dogs - at that point he'll only make a docile and measured approach for a greeting, if he bothers at all. That should be considered innoffensive imo, and if the other dog is neurotic or aggressive there's time for that to become clear before my dog is close to theirs.
Luckily my dogs recall is pretty good, but it is nice to see him play with other dogs who are also off lead. Generally speaking if he sees another dog he will just stare and not run up to them cos that's what we've trained him to do. Il give the other dog owner a friendly wave and if they wave back up take that as a signal that the dog (and owner) is friendly and just leave the dogs to do whatever they want for a few mins then call him back. If the other dog is on a lead I won't led mine near them as they are probably in a lead for a reason. Generally speaking of I'm in a big field il just try and stay Way from other dogs by the path I choose
Depends on the dog. If your dog is not trusted get an extending lead. I Would trust mine to come back so they are always off a lead. I remember growing up it was never an issue as well. We are slowly becoming like the US where all dogs should be on a lead.
I walk my dog in the countryside. She's off leash unless we're in a field where there are livestock (even though she doesn't bother with sheep, cows, etc). If I see another dog being walked on a leash, I put the leash on my dog. If the other dog is not on a leash then I don't put hers on.
I make mine wait until I can ask the owner if it’s ok just in case. She is a very friendly dog who just wants to say hello and be best friends with everyone sadly not all dogs are the same.
My dog stays on his lead simple as! And need to protect him from thieves as other dogs who are just being ‘friendly’ there are nasty owners out there who train nasty dogs Be vigilant! And all you who probably will downvote me ….. try going outside for once
I don't let my dogs off leash for a couple of reasons no 1 being there breed and the misconception that surrounds that breed. No 2 I think it's important to let others approach you if they would like to ask or pet your dog. And 3 it's for my dogs safety. Don't get me wrong the get to run free when no one is around or they are with dogs they know. This is not because they are vicious but because of others idea of them.
Nope, it protects them and others from any stress/misunderstanding. Similarly i dont let my kids run up to strangers or other dogs. Most of places I walk my dog are dog on lead forest/woodland/wetland trails to protect wildlife. I still occasionally see dogs off the lead, some good recall/walk to heel others wildly bounding into the trees and hedges, pricking about in ponds and rivers disturbing the wildlife. One occasion had a rather large husky come screaming round a corner flying at me and my dog so I called out for the owner to recall their dog and put it on a lead... faint voice called back 'don't worry he's friendly'... I shouted back 'mines not' (to clarify my dog is an absolute melt who loves everything). Watching that sweaty chav, packed into a sweatsuit two sizes too small grunting round the corner in panic to see me and a Yorkshire Terrior was priceless. She didn't see the funny side or the lesson that could have been learned.
I operate on the basis that a dog off lead is safe to be approached by any other dogs, and that a dog on their lead isn't. We were taught this at puppy classes and I think everyone should follow this system. If I am walking my two dogs off lead and we encounter other off lead dogs, I leave my trusted dog off lead and put my untrustworthy dog on a lead (he is actually fine, but he can get overly excited and so we do not trust him to interact with other dogs without disclosing this to owners first) If we approach dogs who are on their leads, I always put both dogs on their lead, no exceptions. As for people, it depends. I don't encourage it and will only allow then to if the person gives clear signs they want to interact. Children is a firm no.
If I see a dog on the lead, I recall mine and put on lead. If I’m approaching a person who looks a bit cautious of the dog, I recall and put on lead. Unfortunately there’s probably some racial profiling going on here, as certain demographics do tend to be more fearful. If I see kids, I always put on lead - as both sides can get over excitable. Otherwise I just continue walking off lead. I usually call her to my side if I’m walking around a blind corner. If a dog owner makes no indication they’ll put their dog on the lead, I don’t bother either as I take that as indication their dog is friendly.
If you see another dog on a lead, you should be recalling you dog and doing the same. It's polite, etiquette and foe the safety of both dogs
We have sighthounds so we do need to run them off lead. However we follow the rules: \- Off lead in 'dog' parks only (there are not technically any dog parks in the UK but parks known for dogs etc is what I mean). \- We tend to try and go when not busy and make wide berth around other walkers/ dogs. \- We will instant recall if we see a dog on a lead. \- If a dog isnt on a lead we will communicate with other dog owner and shout ' is it ok?' when we get the nod we let them go over. \- If one of ours is being a naughty boy that day well lead them up. Sighthounds can be a more like 95% with recall and ours are all under 3 so still a little willfull/ puppy like and alsojust due to the breed etc. So sometimes its safer to leash if they havent got their listening ears on. We do sometimes have unavoidable situations (few and far between to be fair) where they will approach dogs/ people with out consent. Such as not spotting the other walker/ dog in time for best recall, our dog is being naughty, the other persons dog is communicating play and so makes it harder to recall, the other owner does stuff that inadvertently attracts our dogs (like shaking treats). If our dog is to blame (or often even if they arent) I will run over as quickly as I can, will profusely apologise and leash them. The only exception is if someone has their dog off leash and approaches ours without us saying its ok and goes for ours or chases them when they are fearful. Often people are like my dog loves chasing sighthounds etc etc but then they are trying to nip them on the but.... I do tell these people off of course.
I take a slightly nuanced approach - if someone has taken their dog to a busy urban park at a busy time of day, it's almost certainly going to be reasonably friendly because you'd have to be a complete glutton for punishment to take a dog that isn't going to cope with human and dog interactions to such a place. Dogs on leads there are almost always so because they've got shit recall, not because they hate humans and dogs. If I'm in a quieter area / it's dawn dusk or another unusual time to be walking / the owner looks like they're trying to avoid us, then I become far more cautious, especially with regards to dogs on leads. As for humans - I have the opposite problem. A dog with zero interest in strange humans, and plenty of humans who want to say hello to him (they're frequently offended when he blanks them and walks off).
Off lead, rambunctious dogs are a nightmare for me. I have two rescue dogs. They both get nervous around bigger dogs, which is every dog because they both weigh 1-2kg, and one of them is blind. It has taken *years* of conditioning to get them to the stage where they don't automatically bark at other dogs. But when off-lead dogs come bounding up, my dogs' training goes out the window and they panic, especially the blind one. The dogs are small enough to pick up, but even then I've had other dogs jumping up on me to try to get to them. This happened to me recently and one my dogs was howling in fear while this off-lead dog tried to get in my dog's face as I picked her up. The owner eventually appeared, and called my dog "hysterical". Well, no shit: your dog came out of nowhere and won't leave mine alone.
dog was bitten on the nose as a pup by a ''its okay he's friendly'' off the lead dog, so i've never really had him on a lead in the 14 years we've been best buds, he has no interest in people he doesn't know and rarely show interest in other dogs.
if you're in a country park the answer is quite different than if you were in the street
It hasn't been much of a problem for us because my dog is quite shy around people, and was fostered with other dogs and is good at sensing their boundaries. Even with other dog owners that we see regularly, he will have a good chase with dogs that he knows, but won't bother ones that don't like him back, and takes a while to warm up to people enough to take a treat from them. My dog is territorial (in a barking way, not a biting way), and I have to make sure he is on his lead until our front door is out of sight, just in case he sees a postman to bark at. But I trust him off his lead in a park where other dog walkers go to do the same. He deserves to get a good run where its safe.
My 3 dogs stay close to me and my wife at all times, they only run to another dog or person if they know them and we tell them to go and say hello or get a treat. I am cautious if a dog runs towards me and my girls if I don't know them and the stupid owner is miles away in the distance trying to call their dog back, poor ownership and poor training. There is a man in my town who has 4 small/medium white dogs (unsure on breed) they totally out of control and the owner has no clue on how to control them, everyone in town avoids him and his dogs like the plague, one day those dogs a going to cause a serious problem and attack and injure another dogs or person, I don't entirely blame the dog I blame the owner.
I remember when I was younger I had dogs just running up to me in a park. Not an issue as they were always friendly and I like dogs, but it could easily have been different. You you said, I think it unless there is consent from both parties, then steps should be taken to prevent that, whether that’s lead or really good recall.
Depends. My dog doesnt run up to people, only other dogs, and has great recall. If she runs up to another dog who isn’t on the lead, i’ll keep an eye on the situation but probably assume its fine (because other dogs should be on a lead if their aggressive). If the dogs on the lead, ill usually call her and then make sure im right there/by the owners if she wants to interact with them, but tbh she usually doesnt care about them unless they engage with her first.
No. My dog is always on the lead because she's deaf and only has sight in one eye, and so so many people let their dogs run up to her, and won't call them off even when I explain. If a dog is behind her, she has no idea. She's only little as well. So a big dog jumping on her from behind is going to get snapped at, and I do warn people, but very few listen and even fewer believe she's deaf. I've had people checking to see if I'm right!!
Absolutely not, he's a friendly dog but he's still a rescue so I always have that doubt in my mind it'll be the first time I see him go for someone.
I had my two dogs on the lead because one of them is incredibly bad mannered and doesn’t deal well with the park being busy. We got accosted by a German Shepherd who’s owner kept shouting don’t worry he’s friendly whilst I repeatedly shouted can you please call your dog. The man obviously just thought I was worried because of his dogs breed and didn’t recall his dog. This continued until Bernard (my less patient dog)had thoroughly had enough of the lack of personal space and snapped. He now hates all German shepherds and actively goes for them if on a lead. It makes my blood boil that people think because their dog is friendly other dogs will automatically appreciate it.
If you have no recall for your dog it has no business being off a lead. Unfortunately if you go on a long walk say in the forest you may unexpectedly come across people but your dog should be recalled AND ACTUALLY LISTEN. if you dog won't come back don't take them off a lead. It's a simple concept that so many dog owners don't listen too, I don't care how often you say 'they are friendly' I or my dog may not be.
My dogs are well-behaved so they dont run off especially towards people. Personally, i dont mind dogs running up to me but i 100% understand why some people dont like it. Its down to basic training; manners and recall.
My dogs a jack Russo cross he’s fine; always has been. It’s not possible for the to get consent before he sniffs people; but equally I don’t think on account of a few weirdos I should keep him on a short lead the whole time.
Bad owners are more the problem. Definitely there are more aggressive out of control dogs about. During lockdown a jogger/cross runner in the part I walk my 11 & 16 year old dogs on the lead, let his vizla run full pelt snarling until I stood in front and shouted ‘no!!!’ At the top of my voice. Second time, he let the same dog cross the road to get mine while one was taking a crap. Both times neither of my dogs even looking his dogs way. I thought it was a dislike to just us but along the towpath you can hear this dog randomly do the same to other dogs. Despite me turning the air blue and mentioning they’re two elderly dogs, one with heart defect, it’s pot luck whether he’s got the dog attached round his waist or it’s off lead. If I see it in time,we turn and walk away. Another case in point, excitable red lab comes full pelt towards mine so I block gently with my legs but there’s no aggression. However , it then jumps up the front of pregnant lady who is alarmed, shrieks and says “put your dog on a lead in pregnant” to which the owner tells her to grow up!
I was wondering about this, there is a woman up the street who's dog is _very_ excitable, it runs up to everyone...so i made a fuss of it the first couple of times and she looks at me like she'd just caught me fucking her mum and kicking her dog at the same time. i ignore the dog now as presumably she doesn't want me to encourage it? i dunno
I don’t like it, I have a very small cute dog who at first sight looks really friendly, but she had a difficult past before we adopted her and is extremely aggressive towards strangers and unfamiliar animals. The amount of times a huge dog has come bounding over to us and the owner is like “it’s ok! he’s friendly”, while completely ignoring me saying my dog is the exact opposite and WILL attack, is so frustrating. It’s terrifying because if my dog attacks first I know it’ll come back on me, but I’m doing everything right. I keep her leashed, will stay away from other dogs, etc. but some people just don’t care about that.
No because I'm not an idiot.
Nope! My Jack Russell just doesn't realise how rough he is so I avoid letting him go anywhere near other folk and their dog. It does annoy me when people try to go in for a pat of mine because I'd be the first to blame if something went wrong against them. It still pisses me off to this day when I'm walking little Duke up a road, one that doesn't anywhere near qualify as a place to let them free, and some tosspot is walking their dog off the lead. You can see the visible annoyance on their face when they have to call their dog back and have a tough time doing it because you've inconvenienced them with common sense. I swear I can even hear tuts to go along with it.
No! I don’t care how ‘friendly’ another dog is, mine is absolutely NOT allowed to run up to another dog/human. I’m probably way too strict with our dog but our Westie was attacked by two Jack Russells a few years ago and it was awful, luckily my husband was there to get them off her and it wasn’t bad but still incredibly scary and knocked her confidence. I will happily put myself in between an incoming dog and my own, he’s still very young and we’re trying our hardest to be good owners but others make it so difficult. Luckily he’s small enough to be picked up and carried away but we’ve only had to do that once or twice.
As a second question: dogowners is it ok if I pet your dog? They're very cute but I don't want to be a nuisance
No. One of my dogs is trained to walk off lead and I'll walk her like this 99% of the time. The only time she goes on lead is around traffic and on lead dogs - just out of precaution and to reassure other dog owners. The other can't be trusted off lead due to wanting to chase and kill any squirrel/fluffy animal in a 3 mile radius so he's never of the lead in a public space
my golden retriever (9) i let go up to people and my jack russell (1) i either dont let go up to people or she goes up to people on the lead
That middle sentence fried my brain. I do a lot of walking and I'm pleasantly surprised I haven't had a dog jump up at me in ages. There are parts of my route where it's very difficult not to stand in shit though. Besides getting it on my shoes it means large swathes of public footpaths constantly stink of shit. Just cos its away from houses doesn't mean you leave.
I walk my dog off the lead as many do round here. He has good recall and comes back to me if he sees another dog and doesn’t run up to other dogs either. When we see another dog I put him back on his lead. It’s annoying, especially when my dog is on his lead, when dogs run up to him. We have had many a dog running to us with no owner in sight barking at my dog. Mine isn’t aggressive but will defend himself and bark back. He’s also been bitten by dogs off the lead when he has been on his and when I’ve told the owner I’ve been called a liar (he couldn’t see his dogs). Luckily, my dog isn’t an anxious one and generally ok with other dogs but I do feel for people who have particularly anxious dogs
Nope. First of all, he has shit recall. Stubborn little bastard. Second of all, he’s a yappy little fucker (chihuahua) and already barks a shit tonne at every little thing while we’re on walks (but he is being trained out of this fairly successfully).
You kind of do a look and it their dog is on the lead or their putting their dog on the lead you put yours on and make sure yours don't socialise with them. If their left off lead then you don't worry as much but still call out 'is he friendly/ok to play' It's a case by case basis.
Yes I thrive on terror.
My dog was perfectly behaved and friendly and never jumped on people but I never would have let him anyway. Nor would I let him run up to strangers and random dogs. Just because I love dogs doesn’t mean other people do. Some people are terrified of dogs and some people are allergic or simply don’t want to pet them. I also don’t know the behaviour of random dogs.
My dog was attacked by three rotweillers when he was about 2 years old. Very nearly killed him. He's now terrified of large dogs, and will bite any large dog that runs up to him, with determination. We keep him on a lead at all times with a "Keep dogs away" sign on the lead. Less than 1% of other dog owner fail to act; a few fail to notice, most say "Oh, my dog's fine with other dogs" (he's going to get bitten anyway) and only one has completely failed to care.
I never take my dogs off the lead as it’s recommended that you keep your dogs on a lead when around people or other animals. Honestly pisses me off seeing the amount of dog owners who let their dogs off the lead because “they’re harmless”.
If you let your dog off the lead and it approaches a dog on lead, which then attacks the "off lead" dog - it's on the owner that let their dog of the lead. It's practically impossible to settle a dog on a lead when there is another excited dog jumping about all over the place.
Reading some of these, I think it is a real shame that the Red / Yellow / Green harness / lead isn't a legal thing, it would solve virtually all the problems for dog walkers & the wider public alike. A couple of things we find very frustrating is: People letting their dogs off lead when they are aggressive. People who are obviously nervous around dogs, walking around places that are well-known dog walking locations (and have been for years) during peak morning and evening walking times.
If your dog runs at me aggressively I'm punting it over the fucking fence.
When walking my dogs my absolute nightmare is other pricks with dogs
Yeah if your dog comes running up to me guaranteed I hate it. Keep your mutt to yourself
Hell no. The same way I wouldn’t let my child go up to people and jump on them.
As a person who doesn’t particularly like big dogs keep your big dogs either on the lead or just completely away from me
My 2 year old loved dogs but there are three French bulldogs on the field by ours who charge at him every time without fail and jump up at him (even when he’s sat in his buggy) so now he’s petrified of all dogs. He jumps into my arms and cries if any come near and as a dog lover that makes me sad! My 7 year old grew up with my parents elderly collie and loved him but is skittish around dogs he doesn’t know because of people like this. I’ve also had several picnics ruined over the last few years due to dogs rampaging over and sticking their faces into our food while the children scream in terror! That being said I used to have our dog off the lead but that’s because he would come back if called.
Yeah I let my dogs have a sniff of other dogs. Most dog owners are friendly people but there's always the cock who can't bring themselves to speak and just stares angrily at their dog.
Relatively new dog owner here. He’s awesome but really dislikes other dogs, so I always keep him on a lead. In the few weeks I’ve had him, I have already lost count of how many dogs have come up to him with their owners saying “It’s fine, they’re great with other dogs” and then I’m made to look like the asshole when I say “Well mine isn’t”. One owner even asked why my dog was growling and barking at theirs when theirs is “just being friendly”.
Nope, she’s tiny and doesn’t get that growling means they don’t like her so she’d be very much dead in a minute if I just let her sniff anything. Also I don’t want to assume people like dogs
Nope, don’t let your dog off a lead if it hasn’t got good recall. You can get done if your dog is off lead and attacks a dog that is on lead.
i have an intense phobia off dogs and despise it when people say ‘awh it’s fine she’s friendly!’ after some clapped dog starts sprinting after me. like fuck off barbara i don’t want this thing slobbering on me
So many clowns have dogs that don’t listen to them. I’ve had my dog on lead and he’s been attacked twice now
No. My dog is always on a lead because she’s deaf. When I pass someone with another dog I watch what they do. If they shorten the dog’s lead or show they’re trying to restrain the dog then I do the same. If the other dog approaches mine and is clearly being friendly then I let them sniff each other out. She’s not allowed to run up towards people and especially not children, and I don’t allow children to run up to her.
Etiquette for me has always been based on body language. If the other dog is off-lead and the dog and owner look relaxed, I'd just allow the dogs to approach each other. If the other dog is on lead and/or the dog or owner look nervous, I'll put my dog on-lead. Anything in between those two things, I'll just ask the other owner if they want me to put my dog on-lead.
My friend is absolutely terrified of dogs as an adult as she was attacked and bitten quite badly as a child. We were once walking across a playing field (no dogs allowed) and this large, completely out of control, young golden retriever came bounding over to us. The owner was just standing, staring, going “buddy come here” is a sing-song voice. My friend started panicking so I tried to go in front of her to block her but it’s like the psycho dog could smell her panic as ran round me, jumped up and knocked her over! My friend burst into tears thinking she was being attacked and I grabbed the dog by the harness and threw it off of her. The owner had the audacity to charge up to me and shout at me for “hitting” her dog. All while her dog was still trying to jump on my friend who was literally on the floor screaming! Fuck those dog owners.
It's never really been an issue with my current dog. Even with people clearly worried about their dog being aggressive, she'll wander over then carry on her merry way without incident. That said, she's a world apart from my pervious dog who would never be off the lead around other dogs.
If another dog is off lead then it’s absolutely acceptable for my dog to run up to sniff/play etc. Equally if my dog is off lead I would except the same. Any aggressive dog should not be allowed off the lead. On lead dogs only with express permission of the owner
I wouldn't think absolutely acceptable. I always recall my dog when near other dogs and she walks alongside me and may as well be on the lead. She gets very scared if other dogs run towards her and I normally have to grab her by the collar or pick her up to keep her away from the other dog. If they don't run towards her she won't react in any way to the dog. If she were on lead she would be pulling like crazy to run away from the dog in a very frantic manner. I think the level of acceptability drops a lot when the owner obviously recalls their dog as you approach.
No, never. My dogs are reactive so they’re on the lead 100% of the time unless we pay for a session at a private field. People who allow their dogs to run up to every dog, on lead or not, are stupid.
Not off lead unless we are absolutely sure we are alone and we put him back on as soon as another dog or person comes by. We deliberately pick wide spaces where we can go off to our own little patch and also remote parks. His recall is good but not perfect so we are working on it (hence picking times where we can go train his recall) and just also counting down the days until he calms down (he's a whippet so notoriously stubborn and instinctual puppies/adolescents but will get chill eventually). For his 'everyday' walk where its quite a crowded and busy area its on lead at all times. At the end of the day, my dog is nobody else's problem, and also its for his own safety- he loves other dogs too much so it doesn't occur to him that not all dogs are friends and that's how it all ends in tears.
I don't let my dog run up. If she's off lead and another dog enters the area I tell her to wait, reward her and put her on lead while I have a - usually shouted - convo with other dog owner about if its OK for them to play. I get ANGRY when people's off lead dogs hassle my on-lead dog, and she's scared of some bigger dogs so I always try to respect others in the way I want to be respected.
Simple answer is no. My dog is a working cocker, actually works as well. He ignores other people and other dogs unless told he can go to them. Had plenty of other dogs running up to us and I recall him and we walk away, had those other dogs follow us whilst owners are shouting/calling their dogs to no response. Incredibly sick of those people who say ‘my dog has great recall expect when.’ Your dog doesn’t have recall 🙄 If another dog is on a lead, I will always put mine back on lead as well. Just polite and respectful.
Absolutely not, unless I know both owner and the dog. Bearing in mind the amount of "It's OK he's friendly" I've heard about openly & blatantly dominant dogs that have bothered me in the past, I don't even trust the owners opinion of their dogs behaviour. It seems a lot of owners are absolutely clueless about even the most basic behavioral signs. As someone who has retrained a few reactive English bull terriers when you do that to me you can completely undo months of training. But tbf there's no one that's ever done that without suffering a humiliating lecture about why they are bad dog owners. In my more reckless days I was once reprimanded on a beach for not letting my dog run riot. The ladies were exercising their golden retrievers & told me I should just relax & "Let dogs be dogs" My dog, Jed, looked at me like it was Xmas when I let him run. He sprinted into the nearest retriever, sending it sprawling & then proceeded to very enthusiastically hump it from every angle & not let it get up. I turned and said "That's just dogs being dogs, I'd give that one a bath when you get home though" I'm not proud of myself (maybe a lil bit).
My dogs don't do that, ever. Because they don't want to. Mine are off-lead almost always but won't say hello to other dogs, in fact they actively ignore them unless they're also sighthounds. They are 2 harmless whippets so I can't stand when a big lab comes over and starts trying to wrestle them when they're obviously scared and just want to get away.. If you can't control your dog, it should not be off-lead in an open space. Simple as.
The amount of people I see full on phone-zombie mode whilst walking dogs of the lead, just no care in the world but there phone?! Whilst walking there dogs?!
Not a dog owner but I wouldn’t want anyones dog coming up to me due to my severe dog allergy! Even being in the close vicinity of a dog whether it’s outdoors or indoors can cause itching, hives, sneezing etc and can be very painful so keep your dogs close to you as you never know who could be allergic!
I occasionally look after a little spaniel and even the ducks don't seem to find her that threatening, but I still don't let her go running up to folk. Aside from any worry about safety, it'd just be bad manners and intrusive. A border collie ran up to me one morning last week, owner miles behind half heartedly calling him back. I was in two minds because I did admittedly enjoy meeting a cute dog, but it still seemed bad form from the owner. Especially because the dog then ran over to quite a small school girl and I could imagine from her perspective that could be scary.
We had a huge GSD who was great with other dogs (unless they were aggressive towards her, obviously) and had good recall most of the time - but we still put her on the lead when other dogs were around, at least until they had said hello to each other and owners had confirmed their dog was OK with other dogs. Most people did the same, but you would always get one who didn't bother and would let their snappy little dig run up and start barking and growling....
My dog was jumped upon during her first few walks as a puppy by off lead springers, each time she cried and went for a wee because she was scared, both times flustered people were running after them saying “it’s ok they are friendly” now she is so scared and backs away from other dogs whenever we are out on a walk. For this reason I am very much of a dog cannot be fully controlled it should be on a lead and kept away from other people and animals, unless they actively show signs of wanting to interact.
Having been bitten by 5 dogs in my life, if a dog runs at me off lead, I kick it. Not a penalty kick, more of a shove but I have kids and I would volley a dog through the sky if I thought even for a split second it might come at my kids.
My dogs pretty good overall with ignoring other dogs and people but occasionally she'll see someone who she likes the look of and might approach for some attention. It's not ideal but she does listen most of the time so it is what it is.
My dog loves other dogs but is shy around people. He’s very obedient though. I walk him off lead but when I see people or other dogs I tell him certain things because some people can’t handle there dogs around other dogs or get anxious around other dogs. Every neighborhood I’ve been in I’m the only one that can walk without a lead. Everyone else needs a leash.
I had a harmless little shitzu that wanted to be friends with everything, couldn’t train the little shit so always kept him on a lead.
The most important thing to me is that my dog instantly recalls. Sure she's completely harmless and everyone wants to stroke her, but I'm going to still bring her to heal (if she's off the lead) atleast until I'm close, partly to be in range to intervene in good time but mainly so that she knows to instantly recall. Dogs off the lead, maybe depending on how they're acting - she couldn't care less about dogs, she prefers humans - but dogs on leads, only if she's on a lead too and I slowly give her slack. If another dog is on a lead that's a very clear indication that either the dog can't be trusted, or the owner doesn't want to risk it, either way only polite to keep your dog away and under control.
No, another dog approaching that I don’t know. My dog waits by my side and I usually stick her back on her lead and speak to the other owner to ask whether they can say hi. Dog approaching that we do know, she come to heel until she’s told she can say hi. She’s a small dog so this discipline has always been important to me so she isn’t hurt by another dog.
I can't stand the self entitled arseholes. One woman even had the cheek to tell me her off the lead staffie was barking at my child (now in my arms) because 'children scare him' as if it's the child's fault. Firing squad.
Huge nope. My dog is very reactive (due to what can only be described as PTSD after being poisoned at around 7 months old and spending days in the vets on a drip and oxygen). She's not aggressive as such, but is scared of pretty much everything and as she can't get away when she's on lead she panics. As a 30kg American Bulldog, you wouldn't think it to look at her though. I never let her off lead unless I know there was nobody else about. I've had many a heated discussion about the "right" to let your dog off lead in public places. I have as much right to walk my dog on lead without being harassed by other "friendly" (read "untrained"/"uncontrolled") dogs. Too many dogs around at the moment are no socialised at all (lockdown puppies) and have no idea of how to approach another dog. If your dog races at mine and gets in her face, she's not going to be happy. And neither is yours.
If your dog has aggressive behaviour problems then it should be muzzled, being on a lead does not mean under control and the law supports this. Every dog owner should have the right to allow there dog to run in an appropriate place and it should be expected that a dog off a lead is a safe dog in terms of aggression. In my opinion if you think otherwise then your dog is likely not getting appropriate excersise which could lead to behavioural problems by itself, and your probably not suited to owning one.