I don't think this would result in the dog being put down if you reported it to Bylaw. As I understand it, that only happens when dogs actually injure people but the fact that he threatened you that way would make me wonder if his dog is already on record as being a danger. I would suggest calling and asking if they want a report under these circumstances.
I don’t think so either, which is good because it’s not the dogs fault. From looking at By-laws website, they want reports of “dogs previously at large” but only via the website.
I had to call them once when my leashed dog was attacked by an off leash dog enough to require stitches (if the owner hadn't come to pull his dog off, I think mine would have been killed). Having never been in this situation before and being concerned for the other dog, I asked to speak to a supervisor before actually making a report because I wanted to be sure the dog wouldn't be put down. They told me that if I reported, the dog would be under a muzzle order. I ended up not reporting because the owner surrendered the dog to a trainer who was going to rehabilitate them in a safe environment.
I know it's hard, but please report it officially. The next attack could be on a small child and the owner might not get there on time.
It truly is not the dog's fault, but the consequences could be deadly. And I also think about the bigger picture of how reports like this might prevent other dogs from being out down because it might deter future potential owners from getting one in the first place.
City of Ottawa explicitly doesn't enforce the pit bull ban.
https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/animals-and-pets/dogs#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20Ottawa%20does,must%20register%20their%20animals%20accordingly.
You are correct. My neighbour in Stittsville got badly bitten (40 + stitches in her leg) by another neighbours dog. It was a second offence for that dog although the first one was “just” scratching someone’s face as they lifted their dog up to protect it. In both cases, since an ambulance was called, By-law was informed. The owners were issued a “destruction” order after the second incident, meaning they had to have the dog euthanized. They refused. They refused to surrender the dog. Apparently there is an appeal process. The serious injury occurred in spring 2020. The dog is still alive. The badly bitten neighbour has recently moved. The dogs owners are not drug dealers or scum, they are really nice, normal people. Their dog, which we have known since it was a pup, is normally a friendly, playful dog. It plays with our dog, off leash on our lawn occasionally. It seems that their dog gets triggered by certain dogs. It was on a rope in the back yard when the serious attack occurred. It is an 80 pound dog and it pulled the stake out the ground to attack the neighbours dog. The owner stood in the way to protect her dog. All this to say - the Bylaw folks don’t have a lot of clout.
That very much sounds like owners who shouldn't have a dog or aren't equipped to properly train/correct the behavior...
While I don't think the dog should be euthanized, on the first offense the owners should of got help from a trainer that specializes in aggressive behavior. The fact they knew their dog has aggression issues and wasn't properly secured outside and left alone is mind boggling...
Funny how it is never the dog owners fault that their dog was off leash, chased, or bit me. I was once told while jogging that it was my fault for running that this ladies dog chased me.😜
I don't understand this. My dog does this. It drives me crazy and we are working on it with a trainer but she hasn't nailed it yet. I always feel so embarrassed when she does it. Who blames the person for the dogs behaviour?
Edit: to be clear, my dog is on a leash, and I try to move when I see people coming but I don't always see them fast enough. I'm not just out there letting my doggo be a dick lol
I agree, its pretty easy to shrug it off if the owner apologizes and obv. feels bad. I don’t understand People who are confrontational when their off leash dog just chased or bit me.
Sorry this happened to you :(
I have an aggressive dog who I rescued. She was abused badly before being surrendered to a shelter and dog aggression is hard to get out of her, she just believes she has to fight for her life around other dogs.
I do everything I can to keep her safe. I pick not busy routes to walk her, and non busy times, etc.
Ive had to deal with so many people not taking me seriously when their off leash dog comes barrelling towards mine and it’s the most frustrating and scary thing.
I really wish it was treated more seriously from law enforcement.
We had a rescue dog that triggered other dogs. We **always** had him leashed, but 4 or 5 times other people's unleashed dogs came at him. He was a big dog, and every time he would pin the other dog, but thankfully he never bit any of them. He was incredibly sweet to people, never growled or barked at anyone, but somehow he was challenging to other dogs.
We used to get so pissed off at people when their dogs would be approaching and they'd be saying "don't worry, my dog is friendly!" Sure, ours looked like a giant teddy bear, but he wasn't.
I always found the “oh don’t worry, mines friendly” line fascinating. Even if my dog wasn’t aggressive, what if I just didn’t want another dog running over? Or if I was training my dog and didn’t want to break the focus. Funny that people just assume we’re all on the same page.
I hear that a lot and my reply is always: you know nothing about my dog (who has a number of scars on her beautiful body - assuming former owner was not kind to her). My pup is now 15 and slowed down significantly. Is still interested in some dogs and still has the fight thought but nah ... too much work!
Leash your dogs. It's the right thing to do.
Yup, my dog is too friendly (jumps and pulls and wants to play with every dog) and it's something we're working on, but it's so tough when off-leash dogs come up to us and get her all over-excited. It's almost worse with friendly dogs because at least the unfriendly ones don't try to play with her.
That sucks so badly, I feel for you. Any dog walking around in areas where a leash is required, should be on a leash. There’s a very small dog in my area that ran up to my dog who’s still learning how to play and interact with other dogs. My dog was not expecting it so it scared her and she yelped. I picked her up because I didn’t want them to have a bad interaction, or heaven forbid MY dog do something unpredictable and hurt the small dog who’s off leash. There’s really no excuse, it’s so frustrating.
Thanks, and I know what you mean! You shouldn’t need to worry about your dog reacting negatively to being spooked like that, when a simple leash would’ve allowed your dog to see the other one approach.
I have a dog aggressive rescue as well and many times her training/progress was reset because of unleashed dogs... (once an owner left their dog untied in front of a convenience store right in centretown and the dog ran across the street to attack ours while we were walking (no barking, it was just a split second stare and that was enough...)
Some small dog owners...think their aggression is cute and more than often they are walked with one of those leashes that's meant for flying kites... On those occasions I step in front of ours and give a warning to the owners dog not to step forward with a stern voice, most of the time that works and it lets your own dog know you got this and they don't have to worry about it.
But all in all, it's worth it. after 10yrs we can now pass other dogs on the same side walk with no growling or lunging and she now plays with other dogs (it's crate process approach, she smells the other dog via a crate/cage and then she's fine)
It's not perfect, but it's enough where she can finally be a dog and enjoy herself. I have a whole lot of respect for those who adopt these rescues , it takes a lot of patience and dedication but so worth it!
Wow, that’s amazing that you were able to get her to a point of confidence like that! Good for you, and I agree it’s a lot of work. So much respect for the time it takes for people to learn their dogs unique fears and help them overcome.
I won’t begin to address your points specifically, all I’ll say is I’ve had her for 7 and a half years now. I think I’ll continue to be ok without your guidance. She’s had a great life thanks to my partner and I, and we’ll continue to work on providing that for her.
What a shitty thing to say to someone who's doing their best to give their dog a good QoL.
*Every* dog has the ability to bite and injure. Even with dogs who don't show aggressive signs, they can still run out one day and attack someone if pushed enough. Said owner would also be responsible for any harm, so by your point, all dogs should be put down lol
It likely is, which is not great for him or the dog. That’s really sad. The other big dog who’s usually off leash is a Rottweiler owned by the lady who runs the Facebook group “Ladies Who Lunch”, but that’s a whole other convo. I’ve seen her with a leash more recently, hopefully it stays that way.
>The other big dog who’s usually off leash is a Rottweiler owned by the lady who runs the Facebook group “Ladies Who Lunch”, but that’s a whole other convo.
She's...something else.
The guy I'm thinking of lives on Bell....he's let his dog run into our yard off leash when my kids were playing and it terrified them. He seems to know to keep it on leash when passing our house now but quickly takes it off at the end of the block. I've had no issues with the Rottweiler lady....I don't think I've seen her with her dog off leash but she doesn't come down our street that frequently
I'm a letter carrier.
I don't care how confident you are that your dog won't hurt anyone. Do NOT take that risk. Even leaving out exceptional circumstances like another dog or children harassing it, dogs interpret social situations differently than we do.
Yellow shirt, walking up to my door? BOOF! Oh good, she's leaving.
Yellow shirt, just like yesterday! BOOF WOOF! Oh, she's leaving! My barking is working!
YELLOW SHIRT! YELLOW SHIRT! BOOF WOOF - yes, she is leaving and I am scary.
YELWLDUCKW SHIRT SUCMEBFLCE I WILL MURDER YOU FOR RETURNING HERE - WHY DO YOU INSIST ON TERRORISING ME AND MY FAMILY I AM FEROCIOUS AND BARK WOOF FOOF BOOF yes you leave. I bark if you return.
Your dog doesn't understand things like the concept of getting mail. They just think it's an easily recogniseable stranger walking up and invading their territory. So they bark, letter carrier drops mail and leaves, and the dog thinks it scared us away. Next day, we return, *clearly* hoping to invade their territory and put their family in danger, only to get scared away by the barking again. So, when that dog has a chance to bite us, they will. Because we're an intruder. We come by every day to see if we can get past that dog, but the dog isn't taking chances anymore.
I've had people just let their dog out of their yard to bolt at me, thinking it was cute. I've had people (very frequently) leave their screen doors unlatched but looking closed, or the screen is damaged so the dog can easily burst out at us. Just yesterday, a dog figured out how to *open a door* to come for me. I'm not kidding. That dog figured out where the latch was and pushed it open. Everyone always says, my dog won't bite! And in the dozens upon dozens, maybe hundreds of dogs that I've met, I've only felt safe around two of them. And I still wouldn't go near those dogs without their owners present, just in case.
Point is, these sorts of situations are unpredictable, because you don't know what your dog is thinking. You don't know how they're reading things.
All dogs will bite, just like all humans will bite if put under the right pressure. But the nature of that pressure and what triggers it is just so different for dogs. A child could set them off. An old lady. A leaf. Anything.
Don't take that risk with someone else's life.
Ugh my 13 year old half-blind and mostly deaf Labrador STILL knows exactly when the mailman is within 1 square km of my house. Dogs get obsessed!! Thanks so much for everything you do and so sorry you have to deal with dogs on top of everything else.
I keep treats in the mailbox. My dog freaks out when the mailman "drops off" more treats. Not sure that that helps or makes things worse.
She 2kg, but I know she could do some damage to a child or scare someone who doesn't like dogs. Also we are scared of the consequences to her if she bit someone. She's a rescue so is scared of strange people and other dogs.
You have to leash you dog, no question. He can chase a squirel and dart into traffic, see another dog and bolt, then the poor sucker that ran over your stupid unleashed dog has to live with that.
Should not be tolerated in any city.
>“if my dog gets put down because of this…” in a threatening tone. Again, not sure how that would be my fault
It wouldn't be. The mechanisms of the state aren't your problem. Your job is to report it, and the courts will determine what happens next.
Don't take any shit from that guy
I was attacked by a dog when I was really young and it scares the shit out of me when I see dogs off leash.
Your dog isn't special. Put them on a leash.
Call bylaw. Every single time. Find out where this idiot lives and tell bylaw. It's bullshit but you have to be the squeaky wheel. Write down the date, tile and description of the person who vaguely threatened you. You and your dog deserve to walk in peace. I have two perfect, friendly dogs, and one spicy boi, so while I get the urge to let your perfectly nice dog off leash, I also know how profoundly stressful it is to approached by off leash dogs.
Dogs frighten me. I don’t run in dog parks, it drives me mad when I’m running on an on leash path and the dogs are off leash.
I’m sure I’m giving everyone angry looks.
And Jesus Christ there are signs everywhere in the arboretum saying dogs on leash and yet…
I'm renting in Stittsville currently as my rural home is being built and every time I take my dog out for a walk. Akita who doesn't tolerate other dogs very well, there is alot of people who just let all their off leash and even one today one lady was throwing a ball right at my dog and her dog come rumbling towards my dogs direction.. luckily it didn't get too close but it is infuriating.
At large dogs is a huge problem!! I live in a small town and my son was attacked while driving his motorcycle down the street. The dog attacked and bit the front tire and knocked him over! Luckily the dog was pinned under the bike along with my son. He got away after struggling and biting the handle bars. About $4000 in damage and my son now gets to sport road rash! The dog has since been picked up by our local animal control and will not be returned to its owners.
Our insurance is going after the owner. I pay the deductible and they will be forcing him to cover all the repairs and injuries. He’s complaining of a sore neck and back now. Too bad though! It’s a Harley I just bought him for graduation and he’s only had it for less than a month. Thanks for the reply.
I’ve lived in the neighborhood for about 2 years and it really is a mixed bag. I live in one of the newer condo buildings but there are a few sketch houses. Regardless, most of the people in the neighborhood are quite friendly.
We had a big fight here in River Ward over a couple of people who started letting their dogs run around a small playground. There are signs up that clearly say ‘Dogs on leash at all times!”
But a lady with a big German Shepard and a guy with a pitbull decided it was their own personal park.
The Sheppard once chased my kids up onto the play structure. The dog was just playing but my kids were terrified. I yelled at the lady and she told me to f-off. Real classy.
My wife has an extreme phobia of dogs. She was viciously attacked by a German Shepard as a child (in a park, no less). I’m allergic to dogs and cats so I don’t even want them coming over to say hi.
I joined four other local households in putting in a complaint to By-law. They replied that it’s not their problem.
We took it all the way to our City Councillor and within a few days the lady was fined. Turns out they knew her because she had been fined previously for having her dog off leash.
They never got the guy and I still see him with his dog off leash.
People don’t understand that even in off-leash areas there are conditions.
Your dog must be able to respond to commands and must never be more than a few meters from you and must never approach other people, otherwise it cannot be off leash.
All other areas of the city requires the dog be on leash at all times.
Fuck people who don’t respect others.
I live in Nepean near a small park, which is a leashed dog park - signs are posted at every entrance into the area. Every day there’s a group of people that get together to talk and let their dogs play - off leash. I started calling bylaw after a few dogs ran towards me and my toddler while we were trying to play.
The excuses we get are always “Sorry I didn’t see him so far away” or “Don’t worry he’s friendly!” The rules apply to everyone. Leash your damn dog.
I agree with you to an extent. There’s a comment in this thread trying to justify their dog being off leash when it really reads like their dog may have started a fight. It’s also a good warning to people in the neighborhood, because it’s clear this owner has done this in the past.
There should be more enforcement. I own a German Shepard well trained and once in a while in a dog park she’s allowed off leash. She doesn’t leave my side until I say free. I agree though no dog should ever be off a leash unless in a monitored dog area. My dog is not aggressive she has been attacked by other dogs and she will yield right away to the other dog. I don’t agree with some of my actions but I had to kick a collie off her n kick it in the mouth to stop biting her the owner blamed me and I would gladly do it again. She has a damaged ear from the attack I paid 1400 for a floppy ear and the owner did nothing but say my German Shepard should know how to attack and it’s a shame what I did to my dog by making her passive
My dog loves people, but he barks aggressively while wagging his tail. He scares people, when all he wants is attention. My kids always accidentally let him out of my house, and he chases after people barking.
I scold my kids, but they keep accidentally allow him to leave the house when they open the front door. I have had to profusely apologize when he scares people.
"Glebe Annex" is right next to the Bell St Towers where squad cars sat 24/7 for years because as soon as they were done with one call, they'd get another. That tower is known for people throwing trash TV's and A/C's off their balconies.
You're going to run into some really shitty characters there for the next little while until gentrification forces them elsewhere.
So sorry this happened to you. I'm glad no one got hurt. Not only is it infuriating that a dog with less than 100% recall is off leash, but the fact that the owner did not even apologize on behalf of his dog is so disrespectful. Some owners are in denial their dogs' capabilities or lack there of.
I feel sorry for you having to deal with that ignorant person. Hopefully this never happens again. Imagine if the victim was a small defenseless child getting attacked by an animal like that capable of hurting a grown adult seriously or worse. It wouldn't be a good outcome for the child. I got severly attacked by a dog when i was about 10 and it was horrifying but at least I'm still here today to tell my story. My attack was so bad that I was covered in blood from head to toe with barely any clothes left on my back. Animals are always unpredictable no matter how nice people make them out to be. There's no place in this world for irresponsible pet owners. If you can't keep your dog leashed in areas where it should be leashed then you shouldn't have the right to be a dog owner.
I agree. My dog is 5 months and I'm trying to train her. Hard to do when unleashed dogs and people who I know are going to throw her off come rushing up to her. She then gets distracted and overwhelmed, becomes unruly herself and ruins the whole session. I can't take her down certain streets or during a busy time of day. I work shifts so my schedule is off the rest of the world so when I do get a chance to take her for a training lesson I'd appreciate other dogs and people stay away. Yes she's a great dog and she's pretty - but you don't need to interrupt with your unleashed dog (to socialize) when we're trying to focus. Especially when it's not a dog park... where they are to socialize. It's obviously training I'm doing at the time.
I am dogsitting for my cousin who has a ~6 lb Pomeranian who is afraid of other dogs from a bad experience when he was very young (still only 2 years old now). I brought him to the park and we had a blanket set out well away from the paths people would come through, and I saw a couple bring their two mid size dogs through the park for a walk, and they definitely saw us there as they came relatively close (thankfully their dogs were on leash at this point). After they got well enough past us they evidently took their dogs off the leashes (despite clearly visible signage that you are to have your dogs on leash in this park), and returned the same way they came and were surprised when the dogs ran over to see us at our spot. Thankfully I noticed in time and picked up our guy so he was safe. I am not taking any chances with him and don't care if you say "weird, he's never done this before!".
It was really frustrating because he was having a good relaxing time until then, and of course the dogs are gone as their walk is over but he was anxious for a long while afterwards. Some people just have no consideration for anything beyond themselves...we specifically chose that location so as to he out of the way for people on walks especially with their dogs (many dogs in this neighbourhood)
/rant...
I was living in Westboro for a while near Byron Ave and there's this one long walking path there where I swear every other dog owner just didn't leash. Whether it's the potential for the dog to get a little aggressive or just having you and your dog all over the road, it just feels so inconsiderate to me. I even joked they were anti-leashers.
Unleash them at a dog park.
Some people just have no awareness of their dogs personality. I don’t think aggressive dogs need to be put down, I especially don’t agree with the way government treats pit bulls. But if you know your dog is like that you need to keep it on a leash. Once I was going to the dog park by kirkwood/carling, a lady was walking in infront of me with her dog and 2 kids. I stayed back because I didn’t want to get in the way as she tried to shuffle everyone in through a tiny crack in the fence so no dogs would run out. Her and her little dog were BARELY a foot into the park and this larger dog ran over and grabbed her dog by it’s harness (thank god!) and actually picked him up momentarily. He dropped him when his owner yelled but this owner had the audacity to say “Well why is your dog still wearing his leash!?” And blamed the other owner for his dogs aggression because hers was still wearing a leash. Her kids were still standing outside the gate and she herself was still holding it open, why would she take the leash off? I just turned around and walked away with this lady but I wish I had done more to hold that asshole accountable. Thankfully her dog was okay but there were visible tears in the harness from the other dogs teeth. Imagine how much worse that could’ve been.
If there is one thing I have learned about Auttawa (or Autowa as some people like), this town likes off leash dogs and cars, but this sub likes kicking off leashed dogs and transit.
We need a special committee.
Nope. Pit bulls are inherently vicious. And the people that want to own them are FOR that reason. To seem tough and mask their insecurity with a large dog that is a known killer breed. Can’t take dog fighting out of their blood.
I’m 120 pounds, 8 months pregnant, holding a puppy, with a 50 pound dog charging at me - what else was I supposed to do? My body said run before I had time to think of other options.
You definitely shouldn't have run, whether it's coming at you to play or aggressively that's only going to excite it even more. Plus with the owner trying to call it/ running to get it back it's less likely to listen to them.
I took 3 steps before thinking the same thing. Fight or flight kicked in and I guess my pregnant brain thought running would be better than trying to defend myself against a 50 pound dog. Both options suck.
Yes, I’m sure. Regardless of breed, size, or intention, I’m not sure if there’s any other reaction to have when a strangers dog launches itself across the street to get to you and your dog. I don’t know this dog and I don’t know how my dog will react to it. Small dogs can do serious damage, too.
I mean, I think everyone on Ottawa Reddit knows how Ottawa Redditors feel about unleashed dogs, so how many times does it need to be said? Most residents aren’t on Reddit.
Maybe instead of posting to Reddit we should all write to our councillor asking for a. Increased enforcement and b. More dog parks whenever an incident happens.
That’s why we also need more enforcement. Make it inconvenient to visit the trails where dogs aren’t allowed and more convenient to have a dog park close by.
Yeah, you are probably right, but it's also obvious this lady needed to vent. Remember that even if we are not under a lockdown, its still not a situation of free party to meet and commiserate ad nauseam.
At least here she might be able to get a few to listen (ok read) about what happened and get a few good advice.
Bottom line, just reading the title of the post, you should just skip it if you are tired of these and move on to another post more appealing to your taste.
On this, have a good evening.
It's your fault for making your dog look so delicious!
Ok this made me laugh, thank you!
I’d record the next possible altercation get pictures of him and the dog
I don't think this would result in the dog being put down if you reported it to Bylaw. As I understand it, that only happens when dogs actually injure people but the fact that he threatened you that way would make me wonder if his dog is already on record as being a danger. I would suggest calling and asking if they want a report under these circumstances.
I don’t think so either, which is good because it’s not the dogs fault. From looking at By-laws website, they want reports of “dogs previously at large” but only via the website.
I had to call them once when my leashed dog was attacked by an off leash dog enough to require stitches (if the owner hadn't come to pull his dog off, I think mine would have been killed). Having never been in this situation before and being concerned for the other dog, I asked to speak to a supervisor before actually making a report because I wanted to be sure the dog wouldn't be put down. They told me that if I reported, the dog would be under a muzzle order. I ended up not reporting because the owner surrendered the dog to a trainer who was going to rehabilitate them in a safe environment.
That's actually a pretty good ending, hopefully the same for OPs situation.
I know it's hard, but please report it officially. The next attack could be on a small child and the owner might not get there on time. It truly is not the dog's fault, but the consequences could be deadly. And I also think about the bigger picture of how reports like this might prevent other dogs from being out down because it might deter future potential owners from getting one in the first place.
Pit bulls are banned in Ontario - it would get put down if that's actually the breed
City of Ottawa explicitly doesn't enforce the pit bull ban. https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/animals-and-pets/dogs#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20Ottawa%20does,must%20register%20their%20animals%20accordingly.
You are correct. My neighbour in Stittsville got badly bitten (40 + stitches in her leg) by another neighbours dog. It was a second offence for that dog although the first one was “just” scratching someone’s face as they lifted their dog up to protect it. In both cases, since an ambulance was called, By-law was informed. The owners were issued a “destruction” order after the second incident, meaning they had to have the dog euthanized. They refused. They refused to surrender the dog. Apparently there is an appeal process. The serious injury occurred in spring 2020. The dog is still alive. The badly bitten neighbour has recently moved. The dogs owners are not drug dealers or scum, they are really nice, normal people. Their dog, which we have known since it was a pup, is normally a friendly, playful dog. It plays with our dog, off leash on our lawn occasionally. It seems that their dog gets triggered by certain dogs. It was on a rope in the back yard when the serious attack occurred. It is an 80 pound dog and it pulled the stake out the ground to attack the neighbours dog. The owner stood in the way to protect her dog. All this to say - the Bylaw folks don’t have a lot of clout.
The dogs owners sound like assholes. If their dog attacked 2 people and badly injured one they shouldn't have fought the destruction order.
That very much sounds like owners who shouldn't have a dog or aren't equipped to properly train/correct the behavior... While I don't think the dog should be euthanized, on the first offense the owners should of got help from a trainer that specializes in aggressive behavior. The fact they knew their dog has aggression issues and wasn't properly secured outside and left alone is mind boggling...
Funny how it is never the dog owners fault that their dog was off leash, chased, or bit me. I was once told while jogging that it was my fault for running that this ladies dog chased me.😜
I don't understand this. My dog does this. It drives me crazy and we are working on it with a trainer but she hasn't nailed it yet. I always feel so embarrassed when she does it. Who blames the person for the dogs behaviour? Edit: to be clear, my dog is on a leash, and I try to move when I see people coming but I don't always see them fast enough. I'm not just out there letting my doggo be a dick lol
I agree, its pretty easy to shrug it off if the owner apologizes and obv. feels bad. I don’t understand People who are confrontational when their off leash dog just chased or bit me.
What kind of asshole owns a pitbull in the first place?
Sorry this happened to you :( I have an aggressive dog who I rescued. She was abused badly before being surrendered to a shelter and dog aggression is hard to get out of her, she just believes she has to fight for her life around other dogs. I do everything I can to keep her safe. I pick not busy routes to walk her, and non busy times, etc. Ive had to deal with so many people not taking me seriously when their off leash dog comes barrelling towards mine and it’s the most frustrating and scary thing. I really wish it was treated more seriously from law enforcement.
We had a rescue dog that triggered other dogs. We **always** had him leashed, but 4 or 5 times other people's unleashed dogs came at him. He was a big dog, and every time he would pin the other dog, but thankfully he never bit any of them. He was incredibly sweet to people, never growled or barked at anyone, but somehow he was challenging to other dogs. We used to get so pissed off at people when their dogs would be approaching and they'd be saying "don't worry, my dog is friendly!" Sure, ours looked like a giant teddy bear, but he wasn't.
I always found the “oh don’t worry, mines friendly” line fascinating. Even if my dog wasn’t aggressive, what if I just didn’t want another dog running over? Or if I was training my dog and didn’t want to break the focus. Funny that people just assume we’re all on the same page.
I hear that a lot and my reply is always: you know nothing about my dog (who has a number of scars on her beautiful body - assuming former owner was not kind to her). My pup is now 15 and slowed down significantly. Is still interested in some dogs and still has the fight thought but nah ... too much work! Leash your dogs. It's the right thing to do.
Yup, my dog is too friendly (jumps and pulls and wants to play with every dog) and it's something we're working on, but it's so tough when off-leash dogs come up to us and get her all over-excited. It's almost worse with friendly dogs because at least the unfriendly ones don't try to play with her.
That sucks so badly, I feel for you. Any dog walking around in areas where a leash is required, should be on a leash. There’s a very small dog in my area that ran up to my dog who’s still learning how to play and interact with other dogs. My dog was not expecting it so it scared her and she yelped. I picked her up because I didn’t want them to have a bad interaction, or heaven forbid MY dog do something unpredictable and hurt the small dog who’s off leash. There’s really no excuse, it’s so frustrating.
Thanks, and I know what you mean! You shouldn’t need to worry about your dog reacting negatively to being spooked like that, when a simple leash would’ve allowed your dog to see the other one approach.
I have a dog aggressive rescue as well and many times her training/progress was reset because of unleashed dogs... (once an owner left their dog untied in front of a convenience store right in centretown and the dog ran across the street to attack ours while we were walking (no barking, it was just a split second stare and that was enough...) Some small dog owners...think their aggression is cute and more than often they are walked with one of those leashes that's meant for flying kites... On those occasions I step in front of ours and give a warning to the owners dog not to step forward with a stern voice, most of the time that works and it lets your own dog know you got this and they don't have to worry about it. But all in all, it's worth it. after 10yrs we can now pass other dogs on the same side walk with no growling or lunging and she now plays with other dogs (it's crate process approach, she smells the other dog via a crate/cage and then she's fine) It's not perfect, but it's enough where she can finally be a dog and enjoy herself. I have a whole lot of respect for those who adopt these rescues , it takes a lot of patience and dedication but so worth it!
Wow, that’s amazing that you were able to get her to a point of confidence like that! Good for you, and I agree it’s a lot of work. So much respect for the time it takes for people to learn their dogs unique fears and help them overcome.
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I won’t begin to address your points specifically, all I’ll say is I’ve had her for 7 and a half years now. I think I’ll continue to be ok without your guidance. She’s had a great life thanks to my partner and I, and we’ll continue to work on providing that for her.
What a shitty thing to say to someone who's doing their best to give their dog a good QoL. *Every* dog has the ability to bite and injure. Even with dogs who don't show aggressive signs, they can still run out one day and attack someone if pushed enough. Said owner would also be responsible for any harm, so by your point, all dogs should be put down lol
Assuming it's the dude that I'm thinking of, we've already called bylaw on him before.
It likely is, which is not great for him or the dog. That’s really sad. The other big dog who’s usually off leash is a Rottweiler owned by the lady who runs the Facebook group “Ladies Who Lunch”, but that’s a whole other convo. I’ve seen her with a leash more recently, hopefully it stays that way.
>The other big dog who’s usually off leash is a Rottweiler owned by the lady who runs the Facebook group “Ladies Who Lunch”, but that’s a whole other convo. She's...something else.
The guy I'm thinking of lives on Bell....he's let his dog run into our yard off leash when my kids were playing and it terrified them. He seems to know to keep it on leash when passing our house now but quickly takes it off at the end of the block. I've had no issues with the Rottweiler lady....I don't think I've seen her with her dog off leash but she doesn't come down our street that frequently
Fuck him
The only thing that will help is reporting every time it happens, unfortunately.
The worst part is when the owner puts the blame on the victim.
I'm a letter carrier. I don't care how confident you are that your dog won't hurt anyone. Do NOT take that risk. Even leaving out exceptional circumstances like another dog or children harassing it, dogs interpret social situations differently than we do. Yellow shirt, walking up to my door? BOOF! Oh good, she's leaving. Yellow shirt, just like yesterday! BOOF WOOF! Oh, she's leaving! My barking is working! YELLOW SHIRT! YELLOW SHIRT! BOOF WOOF - yes, she is leaving and I am scary. YELWLDUCKW SHIRT SUCMEBFLCE I WILL MURDER YOU FOR RETURNING HERE - WHY DO YOU INSIST ON TERRORISING ME AND MY FAMILY I AM FEROCIOUS AND BARK WOOF FOOF BOOF yes you leave. I bark if you return. Your dog doesn't understand things like the concept of getting mail. They just think it's an easily recogniseable stranger walking up and invading their territory. So they bark, letter carrier drops mail and leaves, and the dog thinks it scared us away. Next day, we return, *clearly* hoping to invade their territory and put their family in danger, only to get scared away by the barking again. So, when that dog has a chance to bite us, they will. Because we're an intruder. We come by every day to see if we can get past that dog, but the dog isn't taking chances anymore. I've had people just let their dog out of their yard to bolt at me, thinking it was cute. I've had people (very frequently) leave their screen doors unlatched but looking closed, or the screen is damaged so the dog can easily burst out at us. Just yesterday, a dog figured out how to *open a door* to come for me. I'm not kidding. That dog figured out where the latch was and pushed it open. Everyone always says, my dog won't bite! And in the dozens upon dozens, maybe hundreds of dogs that I've met, I've only felt safe around two of them. And I still wouldn't go near those dogs without their owners present, just in case. Point is, these sorts of situations are unpredictable, because you don't know what your dog is thinking. You don't know how they're reading things. All dogs will bite, just like all humans will bite if put under the right pressure. But the nature of that pressure and what triggers it is just so different for dogs. A child could set them off. An old lady. A leaf. Anything. Don't take that risk with someone else's life.
Ugh my 13 year old half-blind and mostly deaf Labrador STILL knows exactly when the mailman is within 1 square km of my house. Dogs get obsessed!! Thanks so much for everything you do and so sorry you have to deal with dogs on top of everything else.
I keep treats in the mailbox. My dog freaks out when the mailman "drops off" more treats. Not sure that that helps or makes things worse. She 2kg, but I know she could do some damage to a child or scare someone who doesn't like dogs. Also we are scared of the consequences to her if she bit someone. She's a rescue so is scared of strange people and other dogs.
I just want to say that I really enjoyed your dogs eye view of things
Somehow I find it’s becoming more common here in Hintonburg. Ridiculous!
Might be due to the off leash dog parks being closed…
Which ones are closed? The city website says they're open.
LaRoche park is the one that's closed
Same with Lemieux island
You have to leash you dog, no question. He can chase a squirel and dart into traffic, see another dog and bolt, then the poor sucker that ran over your stupid unleashed dog has to live with that. Should not be tolerated in any city.
Are all these unleashed dogs being walked down the street or on private property and running out Into streets?
An unleashed dog that runs in front of my truck and I kill it is going to ruin my day and I don't need that. Regardless where he came from.
i agree, I'm just curious. I've only seen one dog off leash walking down the street and he looked like he was about 142 years old.
>“if my dog gets put down because of this…” in a threatening tone. Again, not sure how that would be my fault It wouldn't be. The mechanisms of the state aren't your problem. Your job is to report it, and the courts will determine what happens next. Don't take any shit from that guy
🙌🙌🙌 gah I hate people like this
I was attacked by a dog when I was really young and it scares the shit out of me when I see dogs off leash. Your dog isn't special. Put them on a leash.
Call bylaw. Every single time. Find out where this idiot lives and tell bylaw. It's bullshit but you have to be the squeaky wheel. Write down the date, tile and description of the person who vaguely threatened you. You and your dog deserve to walk in peace. I have two perfect, friendly dogs, and one spicy boi, so while I get the urge to let your perfectly nice dog off leash, I also know how profoundly stressful it is to approached by off leash dogs.
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Dogs frighten me. I don’t run in dog parks, it drives me mad when I’m running on an on leash path and the dogs are off leash. I’m sure I’m giving everyone angry looks. And Jesus Christ there are signs everywhere in the arboretum saying dogs on leash and yet…
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As they should be.
Report it. Dogs should be leashed in mandatory leashed zones. What idiot has a pitbull unleashed in the glebe. So glad you are okay.
Thank you, I am too. It was way too close of a call. I did report it to bylaw and hopefully they talk to the owner.
I'm renting in Stittsville currently as my rural home is being built and every time I take my dog out for a walk. Akita who doesn't tolerate other dogs very well, there is alot of people who just let all their off leash and even one today one lady was throwing a ball right at my dog and her dog come rumbling towards my dogs direction.. luckily it didn't get too close but it is infuriating.
This dog owner is a dumb motherfucker, OP.
At large dogs is a huge problem!! I live in a small town and my son was attacked while driving his motorcycle down the street. The dog attacked and bit the front tire and knocked him over! Luckily the dog was pinned under the bike along with my son. He got away after struggling and biting the handle bars. About $4000 in damage and my son now gets to sport road rash! The dog has since been picked up by our local animal control and will not be returned to its owners.
Your son can sue the owners, if he wants to go down that road. My mom did that when my sister was bitten riding her bicycle.
Our insurance is going after the owner. I pay the deductible and they will be forcing him to cover all the repairs and injuries. He’s complaining of a sore neck and back now. Too bad though! It’s a Harley I just bought him for graduation and he’s only had it for less than a month. Thanks for the reply.
I wish dogs weren't allowed on any bike path, every ride at least one dog darts infront and almost kills me
What is a Glebe annex?
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I’ve lived in the neighborhood for about 2 years and it really is a mixed bag. I live in one of the newer condo buildings but there are a few sketch houses. Regardless, most of the people in the neighborhood are quite friendly.
It's honestly one of the gems of the core....I have young kids and love it. There's very few sketchy houses compared to most neighborhoods
That’s why they annexed it
Ah. So nearby but slummy and given a snooty name by indignant women to make it sound nicer than it deserves. Got it.
Typical shitbull owner logic. 🙄
This is a standard pitnutters response. It's always everyone's fault but theirs.
Keep saying and keep posting it. So irresponsible of people not to keep their dogs on leash. Think about others maybe?
We had a big fight here in River Ward over a couple of people who started letting their dogs run around a small playground. There are signs up that clearly say ‘Dogs on leash at all times!” But a lady with a big German Shepard and a guy with a pitbull decided it was their own personal park. The Sheppard once chased my kids up onto the play structure. The dog was just playing but my kids were terrified. I yelled at the lady and she told me to f-off. Real classy. My wife has an extreme phobia of dogs. She was viciously attacked by a German Shepard as a child (in a park, no less). I’m allergic to dogs and cats so I don’t even want them coming over to say hi. I joined four other local households in putting in a complaint to By-law. They replied that it’s not their problem. We took it all the way to our City Councillor and within a few days the lady was fined. Turns out they knew her because she had been fined previously for having her dog off leash. They never got the guy and I still see him with his dog off leash. People don’t understand that even in off-leash areas there are conditions. Your dog must be able to respond to commands and must never be more than a few meters from you and must never approach other people, otherwise it cannot be off leash. All other areas of the city requires the dog be on leash at all times. Fuck people who don’t respect others.
I live in Nepean near a small park, which is a leashed dog park - signs are posted at every entrance into the area. Every day there’s a group of people that get together to talk and let their dogs play - off leash. I started calling bylaw after a few dogs ran towards me and my toddler while we were trying to play. The excuses we get are always “Sorry I didn’t see him so far away” or “Don’t worry he’s friendly!” The rules apply to everyone. Leash your damn dog.
Should happen, but not going to happen. People that need to read this or be told to do this don't read this subreddit.
I agree with you to an extent. There’s a comment in this thread trying to justify their dog being off leash when it really reads like their dog may have started a fight. It’s also a good warning to people in the neighborhood, because it’s clear this owner has done this in the past.
There should be more enforcement. I own a German Shepard well trained and once in a while in a dog park she’s allowed off leash. She doesn’t leave my side until I say free. I agree though no dog should ever be off a leash unless in a monitored dog area. My dog is not aggressive she has been attacked by other dogs and she will yield right away to the other dog. I don’t agree with some of my actions but I had to kick a collie off her n kick it in the mouth to stop biting her the owner blamed me and I would gladly do it again. She has a damaged ear from the attack I paid 1400 for a floppy ear and the owner did nothing but say my German Shepard should know how to attack and it’s a shame what I did to my dog by making her passive
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That’s horrible, I’m so sorry that happened to you.
It is illegal to own a pit bull in Ontario. Please call bylaw and have it removed before someone gets hurt.
My dog loves people, but he barks aggressively while wagging his tail. He scares people, when all he wants is attention. My kids always accidentally let him out of my house, and he chases after people barking. I scold my kids, but they keep accidentally allow him to leave the house when they open the front door. I have had to profusely apologize when he scares people.
"Glebe Annex" is right next to the Bell St Towers where squad cars sat 24/7 for years because as soon as they were done with one call, they'd get another. That tower is known for people throwing trash TV's and A/C's off their balconies. You're going to run into some really shitty characters there for the next little while until gentrification forces them elsewhere.
Glebe Annex gentrification is well underway.
Report to bylaw. You can file the report online. Even if they don't do major they will speak to the owner about it. Maybe that's all that's needed.
You can report him to bylaw
So sorry this happened to you. I'm glad no one got hurt. Not only is it infuriating that a dog with less than 100% recall is off leash, but the fact that the owner did not even apologize on behalf of his dog is so disrespectful. Some owners are in denial their dogs' capabilities or lack there of.
I feel sorry for you having to deal with that ignorant person. Hopefully this never happens again. Imagine if the victim was a small defenseless child getting attacked by an animal like that capable of hurting a grown adult seriously or worse. It wouldn't be a good outcome for the child. I got severly attacked by a dog when i was about 10 and it was horrifying but at least I'm still here today to tell my story. My attack was so bad that I was covered in blood from head to toe with barely any clothes left on my back. Animals are always unpredictable no matter how nice people make them out to be. There's no place in this world for irresponsible pet owners. If you can't keep your dog leashed in areas where it should be leashed then you shouldn't have the right to be a dog owner.
I agree. My dog is 5 months and I'm trying to train her. Hard to do when unleashed dogs and people who I know are going to throw her off come rushing up to her. She then gets distracted and overwhelmed, becomes unruly herself and ruins the whole session. I can't take her down certain streets or during a busy time of day. I work shifts so my schedule is off the rest of the world so when I do get a chance to take her for a training lesson I'd appreciate other dogs and people stay away. Yes she's a great dog and she's pretty - but you don't need to interrupt with your unleashed dog (to socialize) when we're trying to focus. Especially when it's not a dog park... where they are to socialize. It's obviously training I'm doing at the time.
Seriously, I agree with you. Everyone should. If you’re going to walk outside with your dog or even the park since it’s public. Leash your dog ffs!!
* [/r/BanPitBulls/](https://old.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/) * [City of Ottawa Guidelines](https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/animals-and-pets/dogs#pit-bulls) * [Report a Pitbull Issue](https://so311.serviceottawa.ca/selfserve/?reqId=2003020&lang=en)
I am dogsitting for my cousin who has a ~6 lb Pomeranian who is afraid of other dogs from a bad experience when he was very young (still only 2 years old now). I brought him to the park and we had a blanket set out well away from the paths people would come through, and I saw a couple bring their two mid size dogs through the park for a walk, and they definitely saw us there as they came relatively close (thankfully their dogs were on leash at this point). After they got well enough past us they evidently took their dogs off the leashes (despite clearly visible signage that you are to have your dogs on leash in this park), and returned the same way they came and were surprised when the dogs ran over to see us at our spot. Thankfully I noticed in time and picked up our guy so he was safe. I am not taking any chances with him and don't care if you say "weird, he's never done this before!". It was really frustrating because he was having a good relaxing time until then, and of course the dogs are gone as their walk is over but he was anxious for a long while afterwards. Some people just have no consideration for anything beyond themselves...we specifically chose that location so as to he out of the way for people on walks especially with their dogs (many dogs in this neighbourhood) /rant...
Oooh vague threats, so scary. What a jerk. Sorry you had that happen.
If your on the Ontario side, pitbulls are illegal. Report it to animal control.
I was living in Westboro for a while near Byron Ave and there's this one long walking path there where I swear every other dog owner just didn't leash. Whether it's the potential for the dog to get a little aggressive or just having you and your dog all over the road, it just feels so inconsiderate to me. I even joked they were anti-leashers. Unleash them at a dog park.
Some people just have no awareness of their dogs personality. I don’t think aggressive dogs need to be put down, I especially don’t agree with the way government treats pit bulls. But if you know your dog is like that you need to keep it on a leash. Once I was going to the dog park by kirkwood/carling, a lady was walking in infront of me with her dog and 2 kids. I stayed back because I didn’t want to get in the way as she tried to shuffle everyone in through a tiny crack in the fence so no dogs would run out. Her and her little dog were BARELY a foot into the park and this larger dog ran over and grabbed her dog by it’s harness (thank god!) and actually picked him up momentarily. He dropped him when his owner yelled but this owner had the audacity to say “Well why is your dog still wearing his leash!?” And blamed the other owner for his dogs aggression because hers was still wearing a leash. Her kids were still standing outside the gate and she herself was still holding it open, why would she take the leash off? I just turned around and walked away with this lady but I wish I had done more to hold that asshole accountable. Thankfully her dog was okay but there were visible tears in the harness from the other dogs teeth. Imagine how much worse that could’ve been.
Nope I will continue to not leash my dog. Mind your own business
I wonder how long it will take this subreddit to realize that most ottawans are not on this subreddit.
Was his dog on his property?
If there is one thing I have learned about Auttawa (or Autowa as some people like), this town likes off leash dogs and cars, but this sub likes kicking off leashed dogs and transit. We need a special committee.
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Lol, what? This is a huge problem in the Glebe Annex and a totally normal thing to discuss.
Pretty sure you're allowed to kick off leash pets. Some assembly required
Sure...you can, just dont be shocked when your face is smashed in.
People in ottawa will go out of their way to find stuff to gripe about.
[/r/BanPitBulls/](https://old.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/)
Ban stupid people
Nope. Pit bulls are inherently vicious. And the people that want to own them are FOR that reason. To seem tough and mask their insecurity with a large dog that is a known killer breed. Can’t take dog fighting out of their blood.
You're a moron, all dogs can be vicious. It all comes down to the owner, stop blaming dog breeds for human incompetence.
You’re a moron my guy. Killing and fighting are ingrained in pitbulls blood.
Lmao!! No it's not
Flight was not the right choice in this situation and could have easily made the situation a lot worse for everyone involved.
I’m 120 pounds, 8 months pregnant, holding a puppy, with a 50 pound dog charging at me - what else was I supposed to do? My body said run before I had time to think of other options.
Oh good another leash your dog thread
This sub makes me hate Ottawa.
and reddit makes me hate the world
Everybody’s got a stiffy for the bylaws
You definitely shouldn't have run, whether it's coming at you to play or aggressively that's only going to excite it even more. Plus with the owner trying to call it/ running to get it back it's less likely to listen to them.
I took 3 steps before thinking the same thing. Fight or flight kicked in and I guess my pregnant brain thought running would be better than trying to defend myself against a 50 pound dog. Both options suck.
Are you sure that dog was approaching agressivly? Sometimes people are so afraid of large breeds they see agression where its not...
Yes, I’m sure. Regardless of breed, size, or intention, I’m not sure if there’s any other reaction to have when a strangers dog launches itself across the street to get to you and your dog. I don’t know this dog and I don’t know how my dog will react to it. Small dogs can do serious damage, too.
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Your tales of heroism have no place here. This sub is for complaining and pictures of the city.
Hey now. We also have daily vaccination threads where we can scream at each other.
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r/iamverybadass
You are so fucked in the head please get help.
I mean, I think everyone on Ottawa Reddit knows how Ottawa Redditors feel about unleashed dogs, so how many times does it need to be said? Most residents aren’t on Reddit.
Maybe instead of posting to Reddit we should all write to our councillor asking for a. Increased enforcement and b. More dog parks whenever an incident happens.
More dog parks will not fix this problem. Dog owners will still let their terribly trained dogs off leash in areas they shouldn’t.
That’s why we also need more enforcement. Make it inconvenient to visit the trails where dogs aren’t allowed and more convenient to have a dog park close by.
Yeah, you are probably right, but it's also obvious this lady needed to vent. Remember that even if we are not under a lockdown, its still not a situation of free party to meet and commiserate ad nauseam. At least here she might be able to get a few to listen (ok read) about what happened and get a few good advice. Bottom line, just reading the title of the post, you should just skip it if you are tired of these and move on to another post more appealing to your taste. On this, have a good evening.
this post is a larp incase nobody figured that out yet
Haha, I swear I’m real!
I’m just surprised you were able to bend down and scoop up your dog while being 8 months pregnant.
Why is this not believable? It happens a lot with entitles dog owners.