This one is for dog owners...
So, I've given this much thought as it's bound to open up a "healthy" debate 
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Specifically thinking about the "dog walk" at Moreton, Knaresborough...so really where there is an enclosed field rather than a walk around the site which is more open...why do some dog owners take umbrage when dogs are running merrily and freely around the said field, off-lead and approach their own dogs who are on lead?
Every day recently at Moreton I witnessed one owner who almost had blind panic when lots of dogs (who were clearly enjoying themselves) running free approached her own tethered dog.
She waved her full poo bag wildly at them to shoo them away (which in itself was comedy gold) and of course, dogs being dogs and wanting to sniff other dogs, they didn't really comply so this must have made it even more of a stressful experience for her. 
I completely understand that dogs must be tethered on site and outside vans etc...but if there IS an enclosed dog field and you don't want to take your dog off the lead, why would you use it or more to the point, put yourself through that level of stress every single time you use it?
Interestingly there are lots of lovely other spaces at Moreton that she could have taken Muttley to allowing him his privacy.
Comments
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Kdee, dog lover and owner here. There are some folks, fellow owners who for one reason or another choose not to let their dog off a lead. It could be elderly, infirm, a rescue with problems, won't respond to call back due to deafness, etc....
We tend to steer clear with our untethered dogs if we can, or put ours briefly onto leads if we can't. Just a bit of respect for someone else who might have problems really. My SIL has had her lovely little friendly terrier attacked twice by other folks dogs, for reasons unknown, so we have come to our decision by experience. Interestingly, we do find dogs on leads more aggressive, probably guarding their owners. And small dogs seem to nip first, say hello after!
There's no real answer, it is just another foible of being part of dog ownership. I feel really sorry for dogs that seldom socialise with others, but nothing much I can do about it.
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Hello, thanks for this considered post
- I suppose (and I can't really articulate it properly) - I completely get that some people, for whatever reason, don't/can't let their dog off lead so what I'm trying to say - badly - is why use a field where there are (and at one point there were 12 dogs running free) lots of dogs who by their doggy nature are going to approach your dog and put yourself through all that stress?I'd avoid like the plague and take my dogs somewhere else where all the dogs were on leads.
As a separate point, we saw said owner later feeding her dog sausages STRAIGHT FROM THE BBQ!
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I agree with TD although some owners are very"protective" of their dogs, which, as most dog owners know,can cause more stress for the dog if it not allowed to socialise,as they want ,being pack animals,last week we were on a site in Dorset with a field for dogs to exersize,and our rescue collie was off lead ,when several small terrier? type dogs off lead came running at her barking and so she decided that she could round them all up, the "owner" was most put out ,and calling them to "come to mummy" and then carried them off the field
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How do you know that your dog would automatically be welcome by the dog on the lead, the owner may what to keep control of the dog for their own reasons. For instance we were setting off on a walk 10 years ago with our dog on the lead, un be known to us a neighbor's dog was running free which then saw our dog and promptly attacked it, l didn't have time to react it was to late the yorkie was savaged severely and late died from the attack, after spending a considerable sum to save her, The law states that owners must be in control of their dogs and if other dogs are present then it should be on a lead
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Some folk just don't train & socialise the Dogs KD, I always let my Dogs run free to let their daft out. They never go far or go wild. They do the Dog thing of checking other Dogs out then it's all over & good. I understand your ideas perfectly. If I couldn't/wouldn't let my Dog run free I'd not go to a place that almost guaranteed loose Dogs. Training-that's the answer to most Dog things, I've not got a real answer to Human training I'm afraid
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Because most of us want to allow our Dogs a bit of freedom to be Dogs. If folk know their Dog is anti social then it shouldn't be allowed to roam free. As for the control question-some folk should never be allowed the responsibility & pleasure of Dog ownership.
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How do you know that your dog would automatically be welcome by the dog on the lead,
I don't so as the owner I'd only take my dog to somewhere if I knew there were other dogs free, that if approached they'd be comfortable. Otherwise I wouldn't take them there.
The law states that owners must be in control of their dogs and if other dogs are present then it should be on a lead
So re the last sentence, does this mean that on the CMC dog walks such as I am referencing, all dogs should be on leads when there is another dog present by law?
The official guide states this:
Please keep your dog on a lead less than 3m long at all times when on site (other than in a designated free roaming area).
JVB66 - ah, the "come to mummy" owner...
. I confess I do unfortunately ask my two to "go to daddy"when they are full of mud As an extra addition and diversifying slightly, there was a man there with an 18 month old hound (not sure what type but it was HUGE) with boundless energy. An absolutely gorgeous dog. He was trying to train him with a whistle, which he was telling us had gone really well at home. His words to us were "forty two bloody times I've blown this thing today and Henry's not having any of it". I really felt for him as I have certainly been there with the selectively deaf dog
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I have just read your OP again kdee, and realised that you are talking more about dog walks on sites or close to sites. We are usually very wary of other dog owners who may be walking their dogs on these kind of sites, always on the look out for those still leashed, those going mad as it may be their only walk of the day! We only use facilities on site/close to site for first thing/ last thing. Tend to take ours for a long off Site walk, (two, three hours) each day we are away, leashing them if we come across another dog still on a lead. So in reality I suppose we do avoid such walks ourselves close to Sites. It's just our preference.
We ended up on the doggiest beach ever last Wednesday, pooches everywhere all playing together and with owners. Quite a walk to get there, and pleased to say didn't see any dog poo left around at all. Genuine decent dog owners, taking responsibility and giving their Canine chums a very special day out!
For some owners, even the most loving ones, contemplating a walk of a good length, giving the dog some time untethered either cannot be done (perhaps owner cannot walk far) or it is just too much trouble. Hence fat dogs, unsocial dogs, dogs still full of energy being a bit of a nuisance on Sites. It's all linked....
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Kdee, some dogs are kept on leads because they do not socialise well with other dogs. Their owners act responsibly by keeping them on leads and it's a shame that owners of untethered dogs don't act equally responsibly by using common sense and keeping their dogs away. They must surely accept the dog is on a lead for a reason so why not react accordingly?
We had such a dog and owners lacking control and letting their dogs run up to him made our lives very difficult. This is a plea for people to keep their dogs away and under control!
As for why dogs on leads are exercised in the dog walk, I'm amazed you should ask!
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I completely agree that some dogs need to be kept on leads but in a designated area where dogs are not required to be kept on leads, doesn't this make life all the more stressful for the dog on the lead and its owner?
A dog will bound up to another dog in those situations.
As for why dogs on leads are exercised in the dog walk, I'm amazed you should ask!
I think what I'm saying is that if a dog is on a lead then they could be exercised in other places where dogs were not allowed to be free. You indicate that dogs that approached your dogs in potentially these situations made your lives very difficult, so I wonder why other places wouldn't be a preferred option? And I mean preferred by the owner so that it wasn't felt that it was difficult for them and their four legged friend.
I'm trying to think about how I would feel in this situation if I had a dog who needed to be kept on a lead and I didn't want other dogs approaching it, then I'd probably not take them to a an area where dogs were running free
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I walk my dog lead free unless I am on a campsite, a dog walk or an area where there are "dogs on leads" signs. Never have any problems with other dogs which are off lead.
If on a footpath and being approached by an owner with a dog on a lead, I slip the lead on my dog out of courtesy until we pass.
It is a natural instinct for two dogs meeting for the first time to sniff each other out. Good owners generally allow this to happen.
K
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It is lovely to see dogs having a good old tear around, playing with other dogs, and well socialised, good natured dogs will do this. But not all dogs are like this, and some allowed to run around don't always heed the commands of their owners! If they have been trained in the first place.
We have a loving and gentle rehomed Lab who spent the first few years of her life on a big estate, seldom met other dogs, hence terrified when we first got her. She now plays lovely with our other dog, but is still wary of strange dogs and runs off to avoid them occasionally if they are over boisterous and frighten her. We don't leash her, because she is learning and getting better. She has been chased aggressively, we have intervened on a couple of occasions making sure she isn't hurt. Very rare, but does happen. I think on a space used to a lot of dogs, respect needs to go to those who have to leash their dogs for one reason or another, rather than the other way around. It may be the only place that owner can get to with their dog, so we choose to walk in less doggy dense areas! Would hate to think of another dog or owner unduly stressed if we can help it.
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Kdee, sometimes there are no places where dogs aren't running free.
Imagine this scenario. You have a dog that will fly at others. You act responsibly by keeping it on a lead. You enter a park, or wherever, cautiously and discover it's almost empty. You head for the most remote area and let your dog do what dogs do. Suddenly six dogs enter the park, all off leads, and the owners are too busy talking to notice you doing your best to stay out of the way of the loose dogs. Eventually they heed your calls for them to call their dogs back but either the dogs ignore their owners or the owners just shrug and say "he won't hurt".
You draw your own conclusions as to which owner is acting responsibly and whose dog is under control. Good owners will take whatever steps they can to avoid a bad situation whilst irresponsible owners will not.
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If owners allow their dogs to run free, which I agree is a good thing in the right area, they should also train them to respond to the return call and not allow them to approach a leashed dog. We live near a beach were dogs are allowed, most owners have their dogs trained to return but many don't. My friend rides her horse on the beach, he is very well behaved and used to dogs, however when dogs run up to him barking he doesn't like it. Recently my friend asked an owner to call his dog away from the horse, the reply was, oh he won't hurt the horse. The horse eventually had enough of the barking dog at his heels and sent it flying with a backward kick.Poor badly trained dog but I doubt the owner learnt a lesson. People who can't control their dogs should keep them on long leads.
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Good post, DEBSC. That's exactly what I'm attempting to outline.
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If you have ever lost a dog through an attack then you would understand why you would prefer dogs to be under control on a lead. We would love to allow dogs the freedom of being off the lead but its the unknown factor that some dogs are naturally aggressive and normally the owner of this type of dog don't care. So l say again the club allow dogs on the dog walk on a lead under control, to many times have l heard owners say don't worry he's friendly, then in the next breath, he's never done that before.
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We always take our working dogs on holiday as we consider them part of the family. However, the one thing we never do is allow them to run up to other dogs when we are out.
They are always called to side if we see other dogs and if we have youngsters they are kept on a training line.
We do have an old dog at the moment who is deaf and a bit doddery so is kept on a line.
I do think it is wonderful to see a dog running free, but this should only be done if the owner can control it. If you can't turn the dog around or recall, its not ready to go off lead
My poor old dog has been knocked over several times by other dogs running up out of control.
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We live near a beach were dogs are allowed, most owners have their dogs trained to return but many don't
Must be a special beach, every beach I have been on most of the dogs are free to do whatever takes their fancy, with no recalls in sight.
I marvel at the excellent ownership on this forum, great stuff you are all first class
In reality I expect most to be normal, caring owners who love their dogs but not 100% in control as portrayed.How does the saying go, "talk the talk" I believe. Myself I am a loving, caring dog owner and do my utmost to follow rules and be considerate but I have my failings as does my dog.
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Apart from showing a dog affection and caring for its everyday needs one of the most important things to teach it is recall,IMO any dog that fails to return just once should start its training again. And by this I mean a long training lead and a reward for the return. Not as I have seen, shouting at the animal for not returning! Our Springer, sadly now passed away, only once ignored her recall, so back to the beginning and two months more training, she never failed again, whatever she was up to. When she became old and deaf she was taught to respond to signs - and she did.It's in the dogs interest, May stop it getting lost, hurt etc. However, some dog breeds just never learn this. Drspite the same amount of time spent trying to train my brothers Afgan Hound in this way, it only responded half of the time. Then a breeder told me it is in the breed to just run. The outcome was that this dog was never let off a very long leash. I could never let a dog off a lead if I had any concerns about it obeying a recall.
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Debsc, 'taught to respond to signs,' did your springer keep looking over its shoulder as it ran with its back to you?
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She became deaf with old age and at this time she couldn't run far, more of a quick waddle. And yes, on the beach where exercised she would keep a good constant eye on me. She could be told to go to the left or to the right in general and if becond she came straight away. I don't think I would ever get such a close relationship with any other dog again.
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kd, sorry to go against your concept of the dog walk, it is a place to exercise ones dog(s), whether off or on a lead. Respect should be duly given to any owner who, for reasons not known, keeps their dog on a lead.
Did you engage in conversation with this owner? Or were you quite happy to inwardly chuckle to yourself at her distress?
I have met many owners on dog walks and conversed with the majority of them, in doing so, we have seen similar instances and offered help. If one dog is recalled, normally others will follow, so leaving the dog and owner alone. There are a million and one reasons why owners keep their dogs on leads, conversing with them enlightens other owners to the problem and this in turn leads to a happier dog walk.
My dog is my pride and joy and not without fault, he loves the freedom of meeting new friends, he recalls very well, has selective hearing sometimes, but persistence and patience invariably succeed. I have put him on a lead a few times on a dog walk after noticing another dog on a lead in the same walk, it's no big deal and normally leads to a thank you and a conversation.
It's all a matter of choice and respect......
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My Retriever got like that in old age, She reminded me of my Grandma, the both of them would ignore the World at times, but the both of them were never short of love & affection, both very much missed by all who knew them.
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Did you engage in conversation with this owner? Or were you quite happy to inwardly chuckle to yourself at her distress?
Actually, I did engage with her, thanks for asking. Two other owners also engaged with her. Though she didn't say this to me, but to another walker who said her reason was that she couldn't guarantee the other dogs in the field hadn't been vaccinated. Against what I have no idea.
It was the dog I felt most for, not her actually, his tail was wagging off with excitement.
And Briantimber, this is not a thread about the rights or wrongs of keeping dogs on leads it's to ask the question, why take your dog to a place where if you know there will be dogs off leads, and rightly or wrongly they will approach your dog - a fact that you clearly cannot control as some dogs don't come back, won't come back, some owners don't make them come back etc...why would you put yourself and the dog through that?
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I agree with the OP, to me the dog exercise area is a safe (as it can be) off lead area for them. I let my two off lead as much as possible wherever we go/walk but respect any rules that may be in place. they are both well trained with excellent recall so 99% of the time when walking in woods and another dog(s) are met I let them great each other as dogs do unless asked not to by the owner. I normally find that if the owner has reasons they will politely explain and I either put them on lead or tell them to stay.
I firmly believe there is no such thing as a bad dog, its traits, issues or general behavior are a result of the owner, be it lack of training and understanding and more often than not treating them as a human being.
For instance, putting dogs in cloths and carrying them around in bags, whats that all about
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