This happened once, when my mini australian slipped his leash and ran up to a dog agressive lab. The owner was trying to control his dog I was grabbing for mine. It was mortifying, I haven't been that embarassed and scared in awhile. Tara could have been seriously hurt but of course it would have been my fault.
i hate off-leash dogs.
- Thread starter elegy
- Start date
Off leash dogs drive me nuts. I understand people like to think the best of their dog but just because your dog has never done anything before doesn't mean it isn't going to. Especially because you never know if someone else's dog is friendly. Just because your pooch is doesn't mean my dog is going to be happy to greet it. Spanky has been attacked twice.
My dogs walk off leash everyday, and I believe that's an important part of their lifes. But I also understand from the postings here that here in Holland there is quite a different mentality towards offleash dogs. It's legal to walk your dog off-leash outside the built-up areas and some nature areas. It's illegal in city's but in most city's nobody cares as long as you have your dog under control.
It's different in nature areas with lots of wildlife (and I absolutely agree on that) and swimming lakes, where there are leash laws for the summer period. You can get fined there.
I never have problems here. I meet some dogagressive dogs during my walks but I just leash my dogs and the other owner leashes their dogs, we greet and unleash our dogs again. There's an unwritten rule that you don't let your dogs go to leashed dogs, and keeping your dogs close until it's clear that the dogs can meet (or not, in which case, both owners make sure that doesn't happen)
Of course there are the occasional irresponsable owners who don't care and let their dogs run to every other dog, leashed or not, because their dog only 'wants to play'. I really hate those people, because they don't take into consideration that someone else's dog maybe doesn't want to play.
TS: I absolutely agree that the owners of the pittbull where wrong, it's really bad that something like that happens when it could have been easily prevented.
I was just suprised by the contrast from my situation in Holland and from what I read in this topic, as I see more offleash dogs then onleash here.
It's different in nature areas with lots of wildlife (and I absolutely agree on that) and swimming lakes, where there are leash laws for the summer period. You can get fined there.
I never have problems here. I meet some dogagressive dogs during my walks but I just leash my dogs and the other owner leashes their dogs, we greet and unleash our dogs again. There's an unwritten rule that you don't let your dogs go to leashed dogs, and keeping your dogs close until it's clear that the dogs can meet (or not, in which case, both owners make sure that doesn't happen)
Of course there are the occasional irresponsable owners who don't care and let their dogs run to every other dog, leashed or not, because their dog only 'wants to play'. I really hate those people, because they don't take into consideration that someone else's dog maybe doesn't want to play.
TS: I absolutely agree that the owners of the pittbull where wrong, it's really bad that something like that happens when it could have been easily prevented.
I was just suprised by the contrast from my situation in Holland and from what I read in this topic, as I see more offleash dogs then onleash here.
I am so sorry that happened to you 
. This has been happening so often to me at the "leashed dog friendly park", I can't even go and enjoy it anymore.
I've called the cops 4 times, and only once have they shown up. They don't fine, they just give warnings and by the time they get there the damage is done or the offenders are gone.
It is really sad and I've gotten into so many arguments with the other dog owners there who think it's okay to allow "fluffy" and "fido" the entire run of the park as they come charging up on children and other dogs. Lovely.
. This has been happening so often to me at the "leashed dog friendly park", I can't even go and enjoy it anymore.I've called the cops 4 times, and only once have they shown up. They don't fine, they just give warnings and by the time they get there the damage is done or the offenders are gone.
It is really sad and I've gotten into so many arguments with the other dog owners there who think it's okay to allow "fluffy" and "fido" the entire run of the park as they come charging up on children and other dogs. Lovely.
Poor Mushroom. =( I really hope this hasn't had a negative affect on how he feels towards other dogs. A similar situation happened with Gonzo, and a neighborhood Golden Retriever that is allowed to wander up & down an entire street unsupervised! I noticed he was much more wary of other dogs on walks, after that.
The other owners sound stuuuupid! I hope you told them what's up.
The other owners sound stuuuupid! I hope you told them what's up.