Walking dogs off leash?

Today when I was walking Misha in between showers, a man passed us with his little dog running at his side. He didn't have a leash on. My dog was furious and I had to restrain her until they passed. His dog stayed with him which is a good thing. Even small dogs can fight each other pretty well.

We have leash laws in my county. Unless the dog is on your property, they must be on leash.

It bothers me when someone does this. All I can think is a squirrel will go by, the dog runs out, and get hit by a car. Or, another dog approaches and they get into a fight. You don't have a leash so you can't pull your dog out of harm in time. So many unpredictable things can happen.

What do you think of leash laws? Are their leash laws in your area? Do you think it's right to walk your dog off leash even if it is well behaved?

 

I can walk my dog off the leash because he listen to me 24/7. If your dog is trained then you could walk him off it but if not I would not try it.

 

We don't have leash laws because our country is a bit conservative when it comes to treating pets like part of the family. My mom's dog, which I call "BD" walks with her whenever she leaves the house. He will escort her until she reaches the road. After that, he'd walk home by himself. He only does this to my mom. He never does it to anybody else in the family.

I, on the other hand, do not trust my dogs to do the same because two of them are very rambunctious and dogs here are left to wander outside without any form of supervision. So whenever we walk near a house with dogs, they'd charge at us because they consider the road still part of their territory.

 

I have seen people taking their dogs for walk unleashed. Personally I don't have that kind of confidence to do it.

It's not that I don't trust my dogs. I know for a fact that Dark Lady, for example, can be told not to chase a cat but there are too many unknown factors when going for a walk. The only time I take my dogs off the leash outside is when I am in a area which I know is deserted of both humans and dogs.

 

In New Zealand dogs must be kept on a leash in most public areas. Although there are specifically designed dog parks and beaches where dogs can roam around freely without a leash. Every suburb or neighbourhood has at least one of these areas and they are clearly marked so that people who feel uncomfotable around dogs need not enter. I think this is a great idea and a win win situation. Where dogs can be exercised without leashes but are controlled at all times in public areas where there are children, cars ect..

 

I think it is better to walk dogs on leash specially if there are stray dogs in the community.
It is also for the safety of the people around since we cannot all the times say that we can control our dog's behavior.

 

If it's law and in a public place where you're likely to encounter other people and animals, then yes, I think it's really important to leash your dog. I don't have a huge issue with someone taking their dog to a lesser used park and letting them run free for a while so long as they're well trained. Yes, it still has the potential to be a problem, but hey, so does a leashed dog.

 

Agreed. Even a leashed dog can be a problem. However, in such a case, the problem usually stops at the end of the leash. And as far as well-trained dogs are concerned, I think we must never forget that dogs are still animals no matter how well-trained they are.

 

I think leash laws sound like a good idea. We may know the temperament of our own dog but sometimes things can go wrong.If you love your dog and care for its welfare then why not keep it under supervision. As taznz mentioned, we also have dog areas where dogs can exercise off leashes in Tasmania. Everyone knows what can be expected in these areas so you do it with that in mind.

 

That's interesting. Is that what they call a dog park? I have never been to a dog park before but I have read about the concept of a dog park. It's a good idea.