Loose dog, numpty owner, pity...

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by timwilky

No there isn't. A dog is still a dog. I just happen to have a small one that was bred specifically for killing smaller animals.

Dogs in crowds SHOULD be controlled.

End of.

[dizzyblonde]

I don't walk my dogs without a lead on roads. See cat, will run, be squashed! Once on the moors they are let off and are a pair of hooligans who like to go and say hello to any dog they please...they are a bit naughty running away though, but they ae within sight.
If Bob escapes from home, I wander the streets shouting til he comes back. I would never intentionally walk them with out a lead near a road or a school. even going to school i warn the kids not to come too close as Bob and Honey love attention, but like to jump up at them for more.
I think under the circumstances I'd do exactly the same as you Baph. Before xmas the was a very young golden retriever running around school, he was loving it, but was ultimately going to get hit by a bus, as he was so happy to have escaped. I put a makeshift lead round him, and another mum took him home as he'd followed her from there. He was reunited later that day with the owner via a dog warden. He'd escaped from their garden as they'd got ready for work. BUT, they had gone to work and hoped for him to come back or something????? thought it was a tad irresponsible that way.

Originally Posted by carlos

I remember when I was in my mid-teens and lived with my parents we had a German Shepherd that hated other dogs invading its personal space, it didn't give a monkeys if they were a distance away from it but if another dog came up close then there was always trouble. I used to hate seeing other dogs off the lead, running over and the usual shout from the owners "Its alright, he/she is good with other dogs" followed by me replying "Mine isn't" as he was ripping shreds out of the other dog. Ended up buying a muzzle, which was great because people would see it and actually cross the road in fear.

EXACTLY my take on things! We ended up getting a muzzle for our hound, even though I was the only one who could get him to stick his nose in it, he hated it but it did the trick. I'd put it on as soon as I saw a dog and owner approaching (whether their dog was on the lead or not) then stop while they went past and if he was good and didn't make a sound then I'd lavish praise on him and take it off. He'd get told off if he barked though

He is never let off the lead in a public place, although he's fine with children and all animals apart from dogs its really not worth the risk. (He gets a good run at 4 in the morning when noone is about instead)

You definitely did the right thing Baph, she should know better in a school area.

Originally Posted by carlos

Tim, there is a difference between a supervised Jack Russel in a field and an unsupervised Rotty wandering around outside a school.

+1, she has no excuse IMO!

Originally Posted by timwilky

No there isn't. A dog is still a dog. I just happen to have a small one that was bred specifically for killing smaller animals.

Ok yes a dog is a dog no matter what breed, and to be fair Jack Russels are aggressive little trosuser biters who have small-man syndrome, but my point still stands - your dog is supervised in a field, hardly a risk to crowds of people or road traffic, but that rotty was a good 300m away from its owner who happened to be around the corner. What if somehting HAD happened she would have no control at that distance out of eye-sight, how long would it take her to run over 300m? Dog owners who take control of their dogs, on a lead or not, are not in question, its the ones who don't. Sorry but in this situation the dog owner was irresponsible end of.

Originally Posted by timwilky

You miserable spoilsport. The dog was having a fun time and you give yourself the power to halt it progress. It had not threatened nor was it a threat to you or anyone else.

Since when have you had the self appointed rights to do your local dog wardens job.

If you like the job so much, apply for it.


My little Jack Russell runs round on the fields without a lead. My son does not even own a lead for his Patterdale. The other day they had a wonderful time playing with two little kids (about 5 & 8 who ran upto them). Their parents were not bothered, the kids had no fear even when the dogs knocked them over. Granted the kids parents had two German shepherds with them.


Over protective parents instil an irrational fear of dogs in kids. Let the dogs/kids interact. Both benefit.

Tim, did you bother to even read either post I made in this thread?

I'm guessing not, so I'll repeat myself.

When I got out of the car, my thought was simply "loose dog, secure it & return it to it's home if possible because when it's owner finds out it's missing, no doubt there'll be panic."

The copper was considered because he'd have a better ability to trace the rightful owners than I would.

You say I "halted the dogs progress" and you're right, I did. Now, would you thank someone for returning your Jack Russell should it escape, or would you give them a slap for having the cheek to halt your dogs progress?

In case you haven't heard, there's been no jobs as a Dog Warden for years, you'll probably find that people like the RSPCA do this on a call-out basis these days.

Over protective parent? All the kids were in school, and in order to find that dogs owners (or at the very least leave the dog somewhere safe & secure) I'd of had to leave my child in school, who would of no doubt got upset wondering where I was.

If I'm such an over protective parent, whilst thinking I'm a dog warden, I suggest you read Shelly's thread in the BP section for my comments. That's not the first dog I've volunteered to come into our home for a short term if needed. We've also looked at getting a dog for the family quite a number of times.

Would you like to retract/amend your opinion?

[gruntygiggles]

I absolutely agree with Tim that dogs need to be given time and freedom to just be dogs, do dog things, sniff around etc. However, there is a time and place for this and public streets are not the place and school closing is not the time. Dogs should only be allowed to play and roam off lead in a safe place where they can't get hurt or hurt anyone else, whether intentional or not. Fields, parks etc are perfect for this, the streets are not.

Personally, the four dogs Stretchie and I have are walked on a lead for the 200 yards up the road to the fields and then they are off lead and free to do they're own thing. They follow us where we go and never go very far away, but we don't impose that on them, they just know to follow us, all the while sniffing, playing, jumping in puddles, chasing each other around etc.

When you have a dog though, any dog regardless of size, temperament, age, sex etc, you the owner are ultimately responsible for it. Now, that Rottie that Baph stopped was probably not going to do anyone any harm. BUT, Baph was right to stop the dog just wandering the streets. There are so many things that can happen that Baph may well have prevented.

As a final note, dogs are unpredictable...that cannot be disputed. The two dogs that killed the baby boy in South Wales last month had never shown any form of aggression before towards any child, adult or other dogs. For whatever reason, when the grandmother left the room, they attacked. We as humas will never be able to fully understand what triggers set dogs off, so surely we are better to use caution and prevent anything bad happening by controlling and making safe the times that we allow our dogs to run freely so that no harm can come to the dog or others.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Baph

Would you like to retract/amend your opinion?

Lol!!

[timwilky]

Baph

Read my opening post again and look at the winks and other smilies, I was attempting to be on my high horse a touch tongue in cheek. Obviously too high as it went over your head.

Dogs need lots of exercise, they need to run wild in open fields, not strolled on the pavement. I trust my dog but I would never let anybody (adult or child) near him unsupervised.

[Biker Biggles]

Hook line and sinker