Leash Laws
- Thread starter crazedACD
- Start date
Linds, I'm constantly grumbling hatred of las Vegas because of the lack of appropriate off leash areas. It's one of the bigger reasons we would like to move to rural Oregon.
I exercise my dogs now though with the pool in the yard, at agility, at IPO, on our treadmill, on walks, with the spring pole, and occasional games of fetch in the most remote parks I can find. Some of our parks do allow off leash "voice control" dogs but that's all very hazy.
Where we train IPO is a park that is 30-45 mins away but we use it because it's edging on the desert and tucked behind the university football stadium and is rarely used. There are no posted leash law signs and we are actively training with the dogs and working them. We're not letting the dogs roam aimlessly and they're never, ever allowed to interact with strange humans or dogs.
I wish we had more options for off leash fetch but I don't trust dog parks, ours are not like yours & how mine in Oregon was, and for such a huge population we're pretty **** crowded here.
I used to hike with the dogs offleash all the time and barely even kept tabs on them but 8 years later we're straining to find a hiking location that we feel confident in.
It's a bummer sometimes but I must add its not hard to have happy, healthy, and fit dogs that don't get much by way of unstructured offleash exercise.
I exercise my dogs now though with the pool in the yard, at agility, at IPO, on our treadmill, on walks, with the spring pole, and occasional games of fetch in the most remote parks I can find. Some of our parks do allow off leash "voice control" dogs but that's all very hazy.
Where we train IPO is a park that is 30-45 mins away but we use it because it's edging on the desert and tucked behind the university football stadium and is rarely used. There are no posted leash law signs and we are actively training with the dogs and working them. We're not letting the dogs roam aimlessly and they're never, ever allowed to interact with strange humans or dogs.
I wish we had more options for off leash fetch but I don't trust dog parks, ours are not like yours & how mine in Oregon was, and for such a huge population we're pretty **** crowded here.
I used to hike with the dogs offleash all the time and barely even kept tabs on them but 8 years later we're straining to find a hiking location that we feel confident in.
It's a bummer sometimes but I must add its not hard to have happy, healthy, and fit dogs that don't get much by way of unstructured offleash exercise.
I think having a pool helps a lot too. God, if I had my own pool for the dogs to swim I think I would be SO much more law abiding :rofl1: Most of my breaking the law is to let Traveler swim since that's the best exercise I can give him. Honestly for the most part I don't let him off illegally to do anything other than swim.
So jealous of your pool everytime you post pictures.
So jealous of your pool everytime you post pictures.
The only explicitly stated rules about pets in the park is that they have to be leashed and can't harass wildlife, and you have to clean up poop. I suppose it could be argued either way whether a tugline is or isn't a "leash". I'm sure if they wanted to, they could easily say it doesn't count and kick me out, so I'm extremely careful not to bother anyone or give them a reason to complain about us. There are a lot of bicyclists and walkers there even though we stick to "off" hours, and there are a lot of school and day care field trips during warmer weather. I don't want to **** anyone off.
Fortunately, mostly people who see us seem slightly bewildered but highly entertained. I've never had anyone seem alarmed or angry or seem bothered. There's a lot of pointing and staring - the airport is right across the highway, so there's a lot of law enforcement and airport personnel in and out of the park all the time, and even Homeland Security from time to time. Even most of them point and wave. There's even one sweet older guy that I see walking there all the time who always gives me a trail report if I'm getting ready as he's leaving. So everyone seems to be cool with the whole thing so far (knock wood).
Fortunately, mostly people who see us seem slightly bewildered but highly entertained. I've never had anyone seem alarmed or angry or seem bothered. There's a lot of pointing and staring - the airport is right across the highway, so there's a lot of law enforcement and airport personnel in and out of the park all the time, and even Homeland Security from time to time. Even most of them point and wave. There's even one sweet older guy that I see walking there all the time who always gives me a trail report if I'm getting ready as he's leaving. So everyone seems to be cool with the whole thing so far (knock wood).
I'm not sure, because in our area so few places have strict leash laws. I do know it varies a lot by town around here. Options may be as simple as finding spots in nearby towns.
Privately owned places? One of our favorite places is the hay fields where Tristan lives. 89 acres of open land. Deer poop to roll in, wild turkeys to chase, birds to hunt. Gusto especially likes to go with me when I hack my horse out there, but both dogs get walked out there a few times a week. I can bring a book and the horse and handgraze him, read, and let the dogs tire themselves.
Plus places like training centers, which often have large fenced in areas.
I also know plenty of people, including those who own herding breeds, who simply don't run their dogs off-leash. They play in the yard with them and do a lot of training, and they are absolutely happy, well-adjusted dogs. It isn't for me - half the reason I have dogs is that I like taking them out hiking. But it works perfectly for them.
Privately owned places? One of our favorite places is the hay fields where Tristan lives. 89 acres of open land. Deer poop to roll in, wild turkeys to chase, birds to hunt. Gusto especially likes to go with me when I hack my horse out there, but both dogs get walked out there a few times a week. I can bring a book and the horse and handgraze him, read, and let the dogs tire themselves.
Plus places like training centers, which often have large fenced in areas.
I also know plenty of people, including those who own herding breeds, who simply don't run their dogs off-leash. They play in the yard with them and do a lot of training, and they are absolutely happy, well-adjusted dogs. It isn't for me - half the reason I have dogs is that I like taking them out hiking. But it works perfectly for them.
I do a lot of jumping around and training at home with my dog... I mean I don't even necessarily walk her every day and she does okay. But most dogs need more than that and I consider myself lucky 
So I also think that leash laws are silly if the dog is behaving. And I don't necessarily follow them because I can get her to just do a sit stay while I pump gas at the gas station for instance... Good mental exercise!
So I also think that leash laws are silly if the dog is behaving. And I don't necessarily follow them because I can get her to just do a sit stay while I pump gas at the gas station for instance... Good mental exercise!I am lucky to have a friend on a nice, well-fenced private property and to have a great yard myself. Most of our running and off-lead training is done there.
Nothing in the law stops me from using a long line which I do quite often, but it's by no means the same as the real thing, but it's the best I can do.
I don't feel my dogs are under-exercised or under-stimulated in any way. We go exploring in lots of new places with lots of new smells, I don't just go walking around the block, boring all our brains out. I try for interesting places and rotate and add new places.
We are lucky to have some lovely beaches a few minutes away. My dogs personal favourite is the wetlands reserve... oh they love it.
Abby will never be let offlead, no matter how good her recall is. Too big of a risk. She is a Chi x by the way, so this exercise is clearly enough for her, as it is for my older Stafford girl, Grace.
Nothing in the law stops me from using a long line which I do quite often, but it's by no means the same as the real thing, but it's the best I can do.
I don't feel my dogs are under-exercised or under-stimulated in any way. We go exploring in lots of new places with lots of new smells, I don't just go walking around the block, boring all our brains out. I try for interesting places and rotate and add new places.
We are lucky to have some lovely beaches a few minutes away. My dogs personal favourite is the wetlands reserve... oh they love it.
Abby will never be let offlead, no matter how good her recall is. Too big of a risk. She is a Chi x by the way, so this exercise is clearly enough for her, as it is for my older Stafford girl, Grace.
I have a ridiculously energetic dog. At 7 or 8, she's finally calmed down to a normal dog level, but the first 3-4 years we had her (we adopted her when she was ~3 years old), we were going to the dog park every. single. day. I was really lucky in that there was a park 10 minutes from our apartment. Before I left work in the morning I'd set out clothes for the evening, and when I came home it'd be a 30 second change, then I'd immediately leash Lucy, hop in the car, and go to the park for 1-2 hours where she would literally run circles and chase other dogs for a solid hour straight. In the winter time, when it got dark early, I'd drive 25-30 minutes to the next town over to use their dog park that had lights until 10 pm.
She also got 3 walks a day through a park near our apartment. I woke up at 6 am to get her a 2 mile walk before work. DH walked her another 2 miles when he got home from work. I took her to the dog park when I got home, and then she'd get a quick 10 minute walk before bed.
On rainy days, we sent her to doggy day care to try to mentally wear her out.
Her energy level is also why we started doing agility. 1-2 nights a week we were in classes, which allowed me not to have to go to the dog park those days!
When we were doing work in the evenings or watching tv, we'd be training her to try to wear her out. We'd alternate who got to sit on the couch, and who had to sit on the floor working her stays and her relaxation protocol.
Now, at 7 or 8, she is content with an hour at the dog park 2-3 times a week, day care once a week (the day we both work late), agility twice a week, and a long daily walk (45 minutes or so). We also have a small suburban yard where she can chase the birds and squirrels that dare to land inside the fence.
She also got 3 walks a day through a park near our apartment. I woke up at 6 am to get her a 2 mile walk before work. DH walked her another 2 miles when he got home from work. I took her to the dog park when I got home, and then she'd get a quick 10 minute walk before bed.
On rainy days, we sent her to doggy day care to try to mentally wear her out.
Her energy level is also why we started doing agility. 1-2 nights a week we were in classes, which allowed me not to have to go to the dog park those days!
When we were doing work in the evenings or watching tv, we'd be training her to try to wear her out. We'd alternate who got to sit on the couch, and who had to sit on the floor working her stays and her relaxation protocol.
Now, at 7 or 8, she is content with an hour at the dog park 2-3 times a week, day care once a week (the day we both work late), agility twice a week, and a long daily walk (45 minutes or so). We also have a small suburban yard where she can chase the birds and squirrels that dare to land inside the fence.
Pen and Bubbles are fine with a long, leashed walk a day and a bit of training and some play in the yard. Kimma, OTOH, is crazy.
For her, I try to find new places to walk constantly (helps us both to not get bored), we do training while walking (calling in to heel randomly, about turns, asking for attention, random commands during the walk, asking her to jump on things, etc.), and she goes with both dogs for their normal walks. We do off leash training in the yard every day, and sometimes in the nearby dog park (I don't like the park itself for playing with others, but occasionally I will let her play with dogs if there isn't a huge group/they look like her play style), and long lead training in the front yard/random places. I'm lucky to live near some nice parks and areas with open fields. She goes swimming when we can and we do other training inside. And when she was younger, I took her to daycare maybe once a week (unfortunately I cannot afford to take her to daycare anymore, plus I haven't found one that I really like anyway).
Finnish Spitz aren't known for being super energetic, but Kimma is certainly an exception. And I am personally confident that I would be able to give an adequate amount of mental/physical exercise with most (notice I'm saying most not all) other high-energy breeds without ever having them off leash (i.e. long leads only).
For her, I try to find new places to walk constantly (helps us both to not get bored), we do training while walking (calling in to heel randomly, about turns, asking for attention, random commands during the walk, asking her to jump on things, etc.), and she goes with both dogs for their normal walks. We do off leash training in the yard every day, and sometimes in the nearby dog park (I don't like the park itself for playing with others, but occasionally I will let her play with dogs if there isn't a huge group/they look like her play style), and long lead training in the front yard/random places. I'm lucky to live near some nice parks and areas with open fields. She goes swimming when we can and we do other training inside. And when she was younger, I took her to daycare maybe once a week (unfortunately I cannot afford to take her to daycare anymore, plus I haven't found one that I really like anyway).
Finnish Spitz aren't known for being super energetic, but Kimma is certainly an exception. And I am personally confident that I would be able to give an adequate amount of mental/physical exercise with most (notice I'm saying most not all
) other high-energy breeds without ever having them off leash (i.e. long leads only).
Caliterp, what about dogs who are not suitable for the dog park? Not aggressive dogs... just not dog park dogs?
Gonzo has competed in Obedience at a high level. He has a perfect recall and I only let him off-leash with complete visibility and no dogs/people around. He loves some dogs, but many dogs especially Labs, he detests. The dog park consists of 90% Labs here. He's never bitten a dog but he's been attacked twice at the dog park to the point that he needed stitches. I do not want to bring him back there, unless there are no dogs there or a few... and even then, more dogs could come in.
I'm glad that your dog does well at the dog park and gets out her energy there, but some of us don't have appropriate dog park dogs, don't have dog parks in our area, or don't want to expose our dogs to being attacked or getting sick. Does that mean our dogs should NEVER get out and run?
Gonzo has competed in Obedience at a high level. He has a perfect recall and I only let him off-leash with complete visibility and no dogs/people around. He loves some dogs, but many dogs especially Labs, he detests. The dog park consists of 90% Labs here. He's never bitten a dog but he's been attacked twice at the dog park to the point that he needed stitches. I do not want to bring him back there, unless there are no dogs there or a few... and even then, more dogs could come in.
I'm glad that your dog does well at the dog park and gets out her energy there, but some of us don't have appropriate dog park dogs, don't have dog parks in our area, or don't want to expose our dogs to being attacked or getting sick. Does that mean our dogs should NEVER get out and run?
No, but that doesn't mean it's appropriate to let them loose on public property with leash laws and a population lending itself to unfortunate run-ins.
Honestly my not-dog-park-appropriate-dogs are the reason I don't allow my dogs to run loose at public parks for the most part because I don't need an accidental encounter where my dog could be out of my range for safety.
I still run my dogs here and there but it's very, very unlikely you'll find me allowing any of my dogs and especially my "not so good with other dogs" dogs loose in an area that holds the potential for an off leash encounter. The thought alone makes me shudder.
ETA: Dog parks during low use times are an option, or nice long runs/hikes on flexi or long lines are an option, or finding places where off leash dogs are not only legal but safe is an option.
Again, I don't think my dogs are by any means unhappy. I just spent the past hour with them in the pool and they're now chewing toys, bones, and well... backup is pacing. Later today I will go to run some agility and then tomorrow we'll run agility, treadmill, walk, and play fetch at my work. Tuesday we'll swim, run agility, walk, and then train IPO at night. Etc, meaning, I don't think I have dogs lacking in much just because we rarely just let loose and roam and well, I have two young malinois, nuff said. lol
Yes, but you have a ton more opportunities for exercising your dogs than a lot of people. I have no pool, a very small yard, and do not have regular access to a training club with room to run. One of my training clubs does not have any exercise area. The other we use on Tuesdays, but it's a 45 minute drive and I have a full-time job. I am fortunate in that my parents live nearby and allow us to use their yard. If it weren't for that, things would be much harder than they are.
My agility options and pool are a blessing, the IPO isn't a club it's me, the other half, and a friend. That said I do agree we are at an advantage, I just don't feel it's fair to assume dogs that don't break leash laws are somehow mistreated. In our last rental before we bought we had a small yard:
We often drove to lake mead, searched high and low (or far away) for hiking and camping options, dog parks when they were empty, did lots of walking, built a spring pole, bought Egges, went tracking, lots of formal obed and other activities that worked their minds, and so forth.
Again, I'm not hugely against law breaking I just feel there are other options and I worry that dogs that are not dog park appropriate may be the worst options for off leash roaming if there is a potential for another dog in the vicinity.
We often drove to lake mead, searched high and low (or far away) for hiking and camping options, dog parks when they were empty, did lots of walking, built a spring pole, bought Egges, went tracking, lots of formal obed and other activities that worked their minds, and so forth.
Again, I'm not hugely against law breaking I just feel there are other options and I worry that dogs that are not dog park appropriate may be the worst options for off leash roaming if there is a potential for another dog in the vicinity.
This! I have a tiny yard, no pool, and there is literally NO time in the day that there are no dogs at the dog parks... they get locked at dusk and unlocked at like 8 am. I do sometimes take him to the dog park anyway, and he does fine, on small dog side. But then some people get upset about a 35 lb dog being on the small side even though he's friendly.
He used to be in Agility & Flyball, and I had a big yard, so he was able to run around daily. He's too old for dog sports now. It's not as if I'm letting a DA dog off-leash and allowing him to run to his heart's content. (He isn't DA, he's never harmed another dog even while being mauled.) We're practicing obedience, fetching, doing recalls, or he's playing with Fozzie, not roaming around. My dogs stay without 20 feet of me without ever telling them to, unless they're fetching and coming right back. And this is in an area that's FAR away from any road or people, with complete visibility of any people/dogs approaching from a mile away. He has never approached another dog or person at the park in the thousands of times we've been there, and I've never been warned or asked to put him on-leash because I do that way ahead of time if any soul is nearby. I don't see how this is ANY less safe than a person walking their dog around on a leash? Leashes fail, I've seen it countless times. Obedient, responsive dogs and a vigilant owner do not fail. I'm not going to say there aren't any d-bags who put their dogs in danger letting them off leash, there are! But there are also great, responsible owners who want the best for their dogs.
In eastern Europe... basically most of Europe, actually... there are few leash laws. And dogs are well socialized and well behaved. Most of them are also intact. And they also don't have a fraction of the over-population and stray dog issues that we have in this country. I think people need to be accountable and responsible for their dogs, a leash doesn't make a dog owner responsible.
I guess there's no exceptions to the rule and no way of doing it responsibly, though. SIGH
He used to be in Agility & Flyball, and I had a big yard, so he was able to run around daily. He's too old for dog sports now. It's not as if I'm letting a DA dog off-leash and allowing him to run to his heart's content. (He isn't DA, he's never harmed another dog even while being mauled.) We're practicing obedience, fetching, doing recalls, or he's playing with Fozzie, not roaming around. My dogs stay without 20 feet of me without ever telling them to, unless they're fetching and coming right back. And this is in an area that's FAR away from any road or people, with complete visibility of any people/dogs approaching from a mile away. He has never approached another dog or person at the park in the thousands of times we've been there, and I've never been warned or asked to put him on-leash because I do that way ahead of time if any soul is nearby. I don't see how this is ANY less safe than a person walking their dog around on a leash? Leashes fail, I've seen it countless times. Obedient, responsive dogs and a vigilant owner do not fail. I'm not going to say there aren't any d-bags who put their dogs in danger letting them off leash, there are! But there are also great, responsible owners who want the best for their dogs.
In eastern Europe... basically most of Europe, actually... there are few leash laws. And dogs are well socialized and well behaved. Most of them are also intact. And they also don't have a fraction of the over-population and stray dog issues that we have in this country. I think people need to be accountable and responsible for their dogs, a leash doesn't make a dog owner responsible.
I guess there's no exceptions to the rule and no way of doing it responsibly, though. SIGH
We do train our long downs and sits and off leash obed at parks when we can but we're very quick to collect dogs if people come close, out of respect. I think honestly it's the roaming, exploring, potentially bothering strangers scenarios that bothers most people. My biggest pet peeve are dogs walking next to their owners in an urban setting sans leash, like really? Just attach a leash and then I won't have to kick your dog when they get distracted and wander my way.