***Leash Law Enforcement Brings Complaints From Dog Owners!!!*** - YorkieTalk.com Forums

yorkietalkjilly · 08-22-2011, 06:58 PM

The complainers this article talks about are why we have so many dog attacks and why city/county official are so loathe to put "teeth" in leash laws:

County cracks down on dogs off a leash on Forge school properties - baltimoresun.com

The mindset of so many people who want the "right" to let their dog run loose off their property within city limits just astounds me! So many of them take that mindset into walking their dog and allowing their dog free run of the neighborhood, too, no doubt. Would be great if dogs would not attack and bite other dogs, cats and people but sometimes they do and it is getting costly in every way due to some of the owners we seem to have these days. They don't seem to want any boundaries anywhere.

BaileysOwner · 08-23-2011, 08:47 AM

I thought this would be like "Walking my obedient Yorkie without a leash." But seriously? That's horrible.

Teresa Ford · 08-23-2011, 09:22 AM

IMHO, We can't have it both ways. ALL dogs (including our own small obedient ones) should be on a leash in public. Period.

BaileysOwner · 08-23-2011, 09:51 AM

No, I mean if you have a trained dog that walks with you and won't run off. Even if you have a aggressive chihuahua, it needs to be on a leash. A loyal pitbull that walks with you and won't run off and fight could be off leash. There are thousands of dogs in the US that walk off leash and stay with thier owner. My yorkie is one of them.

yorkietalkjilly · 08-23-2011, 09:57 AM

Any trained dog can bolt - that is just the nature of dogs. Ask any soldier or policeman who trains their dog to absolute obedience over and over in strict training programs. They NEVER trust the dog off leash when outside except under 2 circumstances. They are allowed off leash for their job and training only.

QuickSilver · 08-23-2011, 10:02 AM

I think it depends on the area. SF is pretty terrible with regard to off-leash parks. There are very few, and none specifically for small dogs. I go to several parks where people basically ignore leash laws, and honestly, it seems to work well.

There are some areas where people allow their dogs to walk off-leash by them on the sidewalk. I have no objections to that as long as the dogs are calm. It's a calculated risk that I think can be reasonable with the right dog on a quiet street. Not all of them are, unfortunately.

ragincajun · 08-23-2011, 10:04 AM

I am split on this. I have a golden retriever and she just loves to run and there is no way I can run far enough or fast enough to get her the exercise she is longing for. I'm not sure a world class sprinter could..lol.

If I bring her to an enclosed area like a school playground (or better yet) a dog park then I love for her to be let loose to stretch her legs. But anytime I am going beyond the mailbox with her (she is trained) she is on a leash with the exception of the two aforementioned places.

That said, if there are other dogs around in a non-park environment then I keep my dog leashed and want the others leashed too; just for safety if nothing else.

yorkietalkjilly · 08-23-2011, 10:07 AM

If it is an off-leash park and one is comfortable with their dog and the others, that is different. It is an exception to me when talking about a dogpark or approved site since most people know of those and are watchful when around them. I say let them have fun but you have to be so vigilant still of the aggressive dog. But I think this article is talking about public, non-approved off-leash places such as a school park and I think unless it is an approved site, dogs should be on leash in public.

slthoeny · 08-23-2011, 12:10 PM

I can certainly understand both sides of the problem. I find it interesting that they are talking about a new dog park. I wonder what came first. The leash law being enforced or the desire for an official dogpark. Having the leash law enforced effectively closes an unofficial dog park. The support for an official one will be much greater now. I wonder if someone in command was devious enough to realize the only way to get enough local support for a dog park was to close the school grounds.

xoxStephie · 08-23-2011, 12:10 PM

I think dogs should always be on a leash unless in the confines of their own home or a fenced in yard. I've oly known two dogs who knew where their property line ended and who knew not to go beyond it. They live across the street from me and they are very well trained. One of the owners has come across the street to say high on more than one occasion and all she has to do is tell them to stay and they will. It's amazing how well they listen. Once in a while I've taken them out during the day when. They had to go away and couldn't bring the dogs with them. I open the door and they go out and they stay with in sight and then you tell them after a while to go inside and they go. The only issued I had was the fact that they wouldn't leave leave when I brought them inside.
Every other dog I know cant resist the temptation of going off and exploring. This past weekend I was next door at my grandparents house and three huge dogs (one possible two were labs and another breed) were just having a blast walking through people's yards and playing. I am one of those people who if they see a dog wandering I am will call the dog officer.
I have a 30 pound beagle. He is always on a leash or a runner. Always. Only when he is inside is he off one. He was trained to hunt so his instincts are to find the scent of a rabbit and round it in. Just today when I took him out I was down in the way back of the yard and it's a bit wooded and my back was to my neighbors yard and Lucas (at 12 years old) almost pulled my arm off going after a squirrel. It's a dogs instincts.
Yesterday my neighbors dog got loose and it's a big chocolate lab and it immediately went across the street and luckily my neighbor was outside and held the dog for him. We live near a busy road and if you don't keep track of doors/leashes your dog could easily get hit by a car. I've seen it happen. My dog was in his old kennel/fenced in area out back and I came inside to do or get something and all of a sudden I hear barking. At first I thought maybe he had heard my mom come home or something and I look out back and there is a huge massive dog just doing his own thing in my yard. I went outside to try and see what I could do and the neighbor was walking to my backyard to get his dog. He apologized and it was fine. I went to get my dog and bring him up on the porch since he was excited/bit frazzled since he doesn't get to play with dogs often. The guy didn't have a leash for his dog and nice he got close to his yard wasn't paying attention and the dog came back over and some kid flying down our road hit it. Luckily he was only a bit bruised.
I lived in Newport, RI for a little while and if any of you are familiar with the area you probably know about the cliff walk. On the cliff walk there are people there every day with their dogs walking and jogging. I never met an aggressive dog while walking their almost daily but many let their dogs run free. That's fine for the dogs who stay close to the owner and don't go ahead/lag behind and go up to people and other dogs. I grew up with my cousin having a Rottweiler who I loved and it was well trained and never once was aggressive toward me so I don't have a fear of big dogs but I felt bad bringing my grandmother who is scared of big dogs on the cliff walk. She would have been uncomfortable with the dogs that are let loose.
Overall I think in public places dog should be on a leash and owners need to be a bit more thoughtful and toward others.
The last thing I will go off about are those people who have leashes but ey are the ones that are 20 feet and they don't control how much the dog gets. I've had a guy walk by our house his dog was half way between the street and the house. My house is very set back to the point that most people miss it when driving by. Not to mention if my dog is outside and going crazy then keep walking. Don't just stand there like an idiot. Obviously my dog is going to start barking and trying to get to the dog if there I another dog on his property. There is another woman who walks her dog around here and she was in front of my neighbors house letting her dog go to the bathroom and everything and my neighbor comes out and was like I hope your cleaning that and basically said she wasn't. And was very rude and he was like if I wanted to clean up after a dog I would get one etc.
I really think that people need better manners when walking their dogs. I could keep going on about dogs who need to be on leashes and aren't. It's a subject that annoys me. My uncle in Italy owns a huge vineyard with acres and acres of land. I only remember one of his dogs not being in fenced in area/on a runner and that dog ended up getting hit by a car.

yorkietalkjilly · 08-23-2011, 02:18 PM

This area wasn't an official dog park and apparently the dogs were running everywhere, even onto the athletic fields since the police were having complaints from the users of those fields, so I think they should be leashed on that property for public safety. If it is a fenced dog park, sanctioned by the city/county and one wants to go there and take their dog off leash, that is entirely another thing to me.

Belle Noir · 08-24-2011, 06:03 AM

When dogs and dog owners are not good neighbors, that is when the complaints come rolling in.
Too many times I have heard of complaints about official dog parks.. why? Because owners don't clean after their dogs, or they bring unruly dogs they can't control to the park.
If these are problems with official dog parks, they are definitely going to be a problem with unofficial dog parks.
I can sympathize with wanting to work off the excess energy that some dogs have and certainly off leash time to run and stretch is a good way, but if you don't have a place to run your dog, teach them to run next to a bike.
One trick that I have learned biking my dogs is the dual leashing them.
I attach to the flat collar one leash. This leash is tied to under the bike seat and your weight acts as a stabilizer. You want to tie this leash to that the dogs nose is BEHIND the leading edge of the front wheel. This keeps the dog from going in front of you. I always make sure this leash lays over my leg.
The next leash is attached to a choker that goes above the flat collar and high up on the neck, behind the ears. You hold this leash and it controls the dog movement away from you.
With the dog not able to go in front, and not able to run off to the side, they are under control, and learn to watch the direction of the wheel so they don't get run over.
I have had many miles of enjoyment running my dogs like this. Mind you, I am talking about bigger dogs, 30-40 plus lbs, not toys.

We have to innovate with our dogs sometimes, to stay legal. If there is no place to let my dogs off leash, (no matter how well behaved they may be, and no matter how well I clean after them), I do what I must to make sure my dogs have the chance to let loose and stretch their bodies.

08-22-2011, 06:58 PM	#1
yorkietalkjilly ♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas Posts: 22,140	*Leash Law Enforcement Brings Complaints From Dog Owners!!!* The complainers this article talks about are why we have so many dog attacks and why city/county official are so loathe to put "teeth" in leash laws: County cracks down on dogs off a leash on Forge school properties - baltimoresun.com The mindset of so many people who want the "right" to let their dog run loose off their property within city limits just astounds me! So many of them take that mindset into walking their dog and allowing their dog free run of the neighborhood, too, no doubt. Would be great if dogs would not attack and bite other dogs, cats and people but sometimes they do and it is getting costly in every way due to some of the owners we seem to have these days. They don't seem to want any boundaries anywhere. __________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis

08-23-2011, 09:57 AM	#5
yorkietalkjilly ♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas Posts: 22,140	Any trained dog can bolt - that is just the nature of dogs. Ask any soldier or policeman who trains their dog to absolute obedience over and over in strict training programs. They NEVER trust the dog off leash when outside except under 2 circumstances. They are allowed off leash for their job and training only. __________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis

08-23-2011, 10:02 AM	#6
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	I think it depends on the area. SF is pretty terrible with regard to off-leash parks. There are very few, and none specifically for small dogs. I go to several parks where people basically ignore leash laws, and honestly, it seems to work well. There are some areas where people allow their dogs to walk off-leash by them on the sidewalk. I have no objections to that as long as the dogs are calm. It's a calculated risk that I think can be reasonable with the right dog on a quiet street. Not all of them are, unfortunately. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger. Last edited by QuickSilver; 08-23-2011 at 10:04 AM.

08-23-2011, 10:07 AM	#8
yorkietalkjilly ♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas Posts: 22,140	If it is an off-leash park and one is comfortable with their dog and the others, that is different. It is an exception to me when talking about a dogpark or approved site since most people know of those and are watchful when around them. I say let them have fun but you have to be so vigilant still of the aggressive dog. But I think this article is talking about public, non-approved off-leash places such as a school park and I think unless it is an approved site, dogs should be on leash in public. __________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis

08-23-2011, 12:10 PM	#10
xoxStephie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: MA Posts: 200	I think dogs should always be on a leash unless in the confines of their own home or a fenced in yard. I've oly known two dogs who knew where their property line ended and who knew not to go beyond it. They live across the street from me and they are very well trained. One of the owners has come across the street to say high on more than one occasion and all she has to do is tell them to stay and they will. It's amazing how well they listen. Once in a while I've taken them out during the day when. They had to go away and couldn't bring the dogs with them. I open the door and they go out and they stay with in sight and then you tell them after a while to go inside and they go. The only issued I had was the fact that they wouldn't leave leave when I brought them inside. Every other dog I know cant resist the temptation of going off and exploring. This past weekend I was next door at my grandparents house and three huge dogs (one possible two were labs and another breed) were just having a blast walking through people's yards and playing. I am one of those people who if they see a dog wandering I am will call the dog officer. I have a 30 pound beagle. He is always on a leash or a runner. Always. Only when he is inside is he off one. He was trained to hunt so his instincts are to find the scent of a rabbit and round it in. Just today when I took him out I was down in the way back of the yard and it's a bit wooded and my back was to my neighbors yard and Lucas (at 12 years old) almost pulled my arm off going after a squirrel. It's a dogs instincts. Yesterday my neighbors dog got loose and it's a big chocolate lab and it immediately went across the street and luckily my neighbor was outside and held the dog for him. We live near a busy road and if you don't keep track of doors/leashes your dog could easily get hit by a car. I've seen it happen. My dog was in his old kennel/fenced in area out back and I came inside to do or get something and all of a sudden I hear barking. At first I thought maybe he had heard my mom come home or something and I look out back and there is a huge massive dog just doing his own thing in my yard. I went outside to try and see what I could do and the neighbor was walking to my backyard to get his dog. He apologized and it was fine. I went to get my dog and bring him up on the porch since he was excited/bit frazzled since he doesn't get to play with dogs often. The guy didn't have a leash for his dog and nice he got close to his yard wasn't paying attention and the dog came back over and some kid flying down our road hit it. Luckily he was only a bit bruised. I lived in Newport, RI for a little while and if any of you are familiar with the area you probably know about the cliff walk. On the cliff walk there are people there every day with their dogs walking and jogging. I never met an aggressive dog while walking their almost daily but many let their dogs run free. That's fine for the dogs who stay close to the owner and don't go ahead/lag behind and go up to people and other dogs. I grew up with my cousin having a Rottweiler who I loved and it was well trained and never once was aggressive toward me so I don't have a fear of big dogs but I felt bad bringing my grandmother who is scared of big dogs on the cliff walk. She would have been uncomfortable with the dogs that are let loose. Overall I think in public places dog should be on a leash and owners need to be a bit more thoughtful and toward others. The last thing I will go off about are those people who have leashes but ey are the ones that are 20 feet and they don't control how much the dog gets. I've had a guy walk by our house his dog was half way between the street and the house. My house is very set back to the point that most people miss it when driving by. Not to mention if my dog is outside and going crazy then keep walking. Don't just stand there like an idiot. Obviously my dog is going to start barking and trying to get to the dog if there I another dog on his property. There is another woman who walks her dog around here and she was in front of my neighbors house letting her dog go to the bathroom and everything and my neighbor comes out and was like I hope your cleaning that and basically said she wasn't. And was very rude and he was like if I wanted to clean up after a dog I would get one etc. I really think that people need better manners when walking their dogs. I could keep going on about dogs who need to be on leashes and aren't. It's a subject that annoys me. My uncle in Italy owns a huge vineyard with acres and acres of land. I only remember one of his dogs not being in fenced in area/on a runner and that dog ended up getting hit by a car. __________________ Lucas Tori & Dean RIP Pumpkin 10/31/98-10/25/08

08-23-2011, 08:47 AM	#2
BaileysOwner Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Milwaukee, WI, United States of America Posts: 99	I thought this would be like "Walking my obedient Yorkie without a leash." But seriously? That's horrible.

08-23-2011, 09:22 AM	#3
Teresa Ford Therapy Yorkies Work Donating Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Central, Florida Posts: 3,863	IMHO, We can't have it both ways. ALL dogs (including our own small obedient ones) should be on a leash in public. Period.

08-23-2011, 09:51 AM	#4
BaileysOwner Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Milwaukee, WI, United States of America Posts: 99	No, I mean if you have a trained dog that walks with you and won't run off. Even if you have a aggressive chihuahua, it needs to be on a leash. A loyal pitbull that walks with you and won't run off and fight could be off leash. There are thousands of dogs in the US that walk off leash and stay with thier owner. My yorkie is one of them.

08-23-2011, 10:04 AM	#7
ragincajun Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Atascocita, TX Posts: 109	I am split on this. I have a golden retriever and she just loves to run and there is no way I can run far enough or fast enough to get her the exercise she is longing for. I'm not sure a world class sprinter could..lol. If I bring her to an enclosed area like a school playground (or better yet) a dog park then I love for her to be let loose to stretch her legs. But anytime I am going beyond the mailbox with her (she is trained) she is on a leash with the exception of the two aforementioned places. That said, if there are other dogs around in a non-park environment then I keep my dog leashed and want the others leashed too; just for safety if nothing else.

08-23-2011, 12:10 PM	#9
slthoeny Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: arkadelphia, ar usa Posts: 73 Blog Entries: 2	I can certainly understand both sides of the problem. I find it interesting that they are talking about a new dog park. I wonder what came first. The leash law being enforced or the desire for an official dogpark. Having the leash law enforced effectively closes an unofficial dog park. The support for an official one will be much greater now. I wonder if someone in command was devious enough to realize the only way to get enough local support for a dog park was to close the school grounds.

08-23-2011, 02:18 PM	#11
yorkietalkjilly ♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas Posts: 22,140	This area wasn't an official dog park and apparently the dogs were running everywhere, even onto the athletic fields since the police were having complaints from the users of those fields, so I think they should be leashed on that property for public safety. If it is a fenced dog park, sanctioned by the city/county and one wants to go there and take their dog off leash, that is entirely another thing to me. __________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis

08-24-2011, 06:03 AM	#12
Belle Noir YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Reading, PA, USA Posts: 258	When dogs and dog owners are not good neighbors, that is when the complaints come rolling in. Too many times I have heard of complaints about official dog parks.. why? Because owners don't clean after their dogs, or they bring unruly dogs they can't control to the park. If these are problems with official dog parks, they are definitely going to be a problem with unofficial dog parks. I can sympathize with wanting to work off the excess energy that some dogs have and certainly off leash time to run and stretch is a good way, but if you don't have a place to run your dog, teach them to run next to a bike. One trick that I have learned biking my dogs is the dual leashing them. I attach to the flat collar one leash. This leash is tied to under the bike seat and your weight acts as a stabilizer. You want to tie this leash to that the dogs nose is BEHIND the leading edge of the front wheel. This keeps the dog from going in front of you. I always make sure this leash lays over my leg. The next leash is attached to a choker that goes above the flat collar and high up on the neck, behind the ears. You hold this leash and it controls the dog movement away from you. With the dog not able to go in front, and not able to run off to the side, they are under control, and learn to watch the direction of the wheel so they don't get run over. I have had many miles of enjoyment running my dogs like this. Mind you, I am talking about bigger dogs, 30-40 plus lbs, not toys. We have to innovate with our dogs sometimes, to stay legal. If there is no place to let my dogs off leash, (no matter how well behaved they may be, and no matter how well I clean after them), I do what I must to make sure my dogs have the chance to let loose and stretch their bodies.