Off leash dogs at non off leash parks (like Hiawatha)

[guidosmom]

For the third time this week I have been walking my small dog on a leash at Hiawatha park and have been approached by large off leash dogs who are not at all under voice control. My small dog was attacked several years ago by a large dog and nearly died. Since the incident he has been cautious of larger dogs. I never know how he will react to a large off leash dog approaching him. When I see a large dog coming towards us and ask the owners to call the dog most of the time they yell “oh, my dog’s friendly.” I am glad your dog is friendly, but if you can’t call it back to you please be respectful of other dogs/people and keep your dog on a leash or take it to an off leash park.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I am constantly amazed, with how many threads we start on this forum, at the amount of dogs OFF LEASH!

Just driving around, I will see about 3 -4 dogs off leash in my immediate area a week.

Why can’t people understand that there are no exceptions! It’s not cute! Leash your dog!

guidosmom – Thank you for the reminder and glad to hear your dog recovered!

[AlkiKmac]

Here’s another number to keep in your cell phone. Try reporting off-leash dogs right in front of the owner. Call Seattle Animal Shelter, 206-386-7387, option 7 to file a report. Of course, if you’re in immediate danger, call 911.

[Anonymous]

AlkiKmac – Thank you, thank you! Putting in phone now!

[JimmyG]

Lazy people let their dogs run off leash. They figure it’s easier to let Fido run free in the park than actually hooking it to a leash and taking it for a walk.

And if you’re comfortable with it, carry a weapon of some kind to keep charging off leash dogs at bay. Pepper spray, a baseball bat, or if legal for you, a handgun.

Ever since a Rottie came out of it’s yard and crossed the street to rip into my elderly Golden Retriever I don’t go on a dog walk without protection.

[walfredo]

Dogs like to run around not on a leash. It’s not just lazy people that let them do it. My dog gets a big smile and starts running like a lunatic in circles the second you let him off the leash. Maybe its just me, but the laws seem a little strict. No walking on the beach at all, no walking w/out a leash anywhere in West Seattle but way up in White Center?

That sucks. I grew up walking my dogs on the beach in California- happy dogs run around off leash. If they attack people or other animals that is a different much more serious crime, and obviously that shouldn’t be tolerated. Calling 9-11 because a dog is off-leash but causing no harm seems more then a little hysterical to me.

[austin]

I’m of the opinion that responsible dog ownership includes providing the dog with space to run and play off-leash in private. Private yards and dog runs are perfectly acceptable places to have a dog play without the restriction of a leash without imposing on the general public or other dog owners.

[guidosmom]

I honestly don’t have a problem with dogs running off leash if it is under 100% voice control and can be called back if needed, and as long as the owner picks up after it. Alkimac, thanks for the number! I am putting it in my cell.

[Ken]

There are no dogs (perhaps a service dog can reach 90%) that are under 100% voice control in all situations.

My two older dogs are obedient. The young one is not.

None of them go anywhere but the back yard without a pinch collar.

We live in a city. If you think you have a right to let your dog run free, use the dog park or flee to the outer burbs.

[walfredo]

Austin-

So you are of the opinion that anyone who lives in a condo or an apartment is by definition not a responsible dog owner? That’s a little harsh…

[austin]

I think that it depends on the breed, or more specifically the size, of the dog. Smaller dogs are better suited to living in an apartment but I do think that it is irresponsible to keep a large breed dog confined to a small space for a majority of the time. There are exceptions with regards to particularly dedicated dog owners who don’t spend 8+ hours out of the house at a time, at work or otherwise, and who regularly take their dog to an off leash park.

[Anonymous]

I just wanted to point out that the 9-11 suggestion was if you were in “immediate danger”. Which I took to mean that if a large dog, off leash, were about to attack you. The OTHER number (non-emergency) would be to report an off leash dog.

Unfortunately, this isn’t California with miles and miles of beach (even there I think there are only certain dog beaches) and there is a leash law here.

All dogs love to run around and be free of their leash and that is why there are dog parks, for that purpose. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough of them here in WS!

[JoB]

walfredo…

how would you feel if your off leash dog ran up to another on-leash dog who then attacked your dog?

how would you feel if your off leash dog ran out in front of a bicycle or car or ????

how would you feel if your off leash dog found goodies left by those who don’t like dogs so much and got very sick or died as a result?

how would you feel if your off leash dog ran up to a child whose parents kicked or hit your dog to make it go away?

keeping your dog on leash in parks isn’t always about the safety of others in the park.. it can be about your dog’s safety too…

[JoB]

walfredo…

one other thing…

i think one of the largest hazards to all dogs in our parks in the summertime isn’t mentioned often.

chicken bones…

you wouldn’t believe how many people fail to stash their trash in trashcans after picnicking.

i have a big problem with this and my dogs are leashed.

a chicken bone can easily kill a dog….

something to think about next time you are tempted to let your dog run in the park…

[Irukandji]

I have a GREAT off leash story here. In our neighborhood, we have a neighbor with a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback. The only time I’ve ever seen this dog walked on leash was by the family’s 5- or 6-year-old daughter (who just can’t pick up the poop and never has a bag).

The only time I’ve seen the dog out with an adult, twice actually, is when the woman of the house was driving up and thru the neighborhood, down the alleys, thru the residential streets. She was in car talking on her cell phone. The dog, unleashed, was running ahead of the car, around the car, darting thru intersections ahead of her. Seh claims to have ‘trained’ the dog to walk as such :).

For the love – if you can afford to build a home from scratch in North Admiral, hire a competent dog walker.

Animal control was contacted. As yet we haven’t seen any more ‘walking’ by the adult(s). Just little kids with no real control and an inability to clean up feces.

[walfredo]

NewRes-

Maybe I’m skewed in my thinking. I grew up in Santa Cruz, and always took my dogs for walks/runs on the beach. It is okay to have dogs on state beaches, but illegal to have them off leash. So it’s different, but not that different.

My point, or thought, would be that if something doesn’t harm me, I really don’t see a problem. Calling 9-11 to report an offleash dog not harming anyone, would be equivalent to calling 9-11 everytime you saw a car speed- sure it’s illegal, sure every once in awhile someone will be ticketed, but is it reckless driving?

Isn’t it completely different to see someone drive recklessly, or a dog to act viciously towards another dog or person? That obviously is an urgent and immediate problem. A responsible pet owner, who wants to let his dog run? Someone driving up Admiral at 35 instead of 30 mph? Come on! What’s the harm? Technically against the law, but shoot what isn’t these days?

I agree with the breed type maybe. Don’t let big scary dogs off the leash. My guys 30 pounds, and would be easy to beat in a fight if it came down to it…

JoB- so because potentially bad things could happen you should restrict yourself from what you enjoy? I don’t think I could get out of bed in the morning if I used that type of thinking… What if my car doesn’t start, what if my tire goes flat, what if I crash into the embunkment, what if someone breaks into my house while I’m gone? What if the sky falls?

[inactive]

lrukandji –

GREAT story! LOL!!! That is so funny.

Good grief, people are ridiculous!

[Anonymous]

Irukandji – There is a guy who “walks” his dog up and down our street almost everyday

I’m surprised this dog is still alive!

Basically, the human is on a bike, and the dog does the same thing that you witnessed with the car. He’s running around the bike, running into traffic, running into people…. it’s so ridiculous!

We are actually convinced that the owner of this dog is trying to kill it. Now that I have that number, I will definitely be sure to use it!!!

[JayDee]

So I am watching my bosses’ Labrador/Dachshund mix dog while they are on vacation for two weeks. The dog is a little skitzy, but OK if you know her. I take her for walks (ok, sniffs) because she likes walks — on leash; what dog doesn’t? She likes other dogs but only in the abstract–smelling their presence. If we are walking, we cross the road when other leashed dogs approach. So good, so far.

So we go to Alki Mail for an errand and are wandering through the hood on the way home–Admiral isn’t that exciting for a dog walk. We come upon a homeowner walking his unleashed Rottwieler and carrying a 6 month old baby in his arms. He reassures me as the large dog comes near: “Oh, don’t worry, he’s friendly…” Well, the unleashed Rott might be, but my temporary leashed dog is not. The Rott comes sniffing around and my dog goes trembley and shakey and snaps, trying to bite the other dog.

Fortunately, it works out–we separate the dogs, and the “dad” doesn’t drop the kid or get bit by either dog.

I pet the bosses’ dog a couple hundred feet away and her heart is going like 120 beats a minute. So we sit down (still on leash) and calm off, with me reassuring her that she is OK.

I just think of all the bad outcomes that could’ve happened because one ignorant owner/dad says “It’s OK, he’s friendly…” without being troubled to walk his dog on a leash…ummm…like the law requires, oh, and with a helpless baby in his arms…

You don’t even have to stretch your imagination.

[Anonymous]

walfredo – I’m with about the beaches!

I wish dogs were allowed on the beach!!!!

Dogs and beaches seem to go hand in hand!

[Anonymous]

sorry, with YOU about the beaches!

[miws]

The problem with the thinking “let’s just let dogs run off-leash, and then if there IS a problem, deal with it at that time”, is that by the time that “problem” occurs, somebody’s leashed dog may be severly injured or dead, after being attaked by the off leash dog.

.

By then, it’s too late to just simply “deal with it”, because the leashed dog will have a possibly painful recovery, or, obviously, no recovery at all, if dead.

.

Mike

[guidosmom]

Ken, you are SO right, there is really no dog who can be under 100% total voice control at any time, which is why I say I have no problem with a dog that can do this… since there is no such dog, or EXTREMELY rare.

I also have a horse that I keep very close to West Seattle. While she’s not in the city exactly,yshe is still in a fairly well populated area that is could be considered West Seattle (near the mounted police facility). I can’t even begin to tell you how many times dogs have wondered onto the property and chased the horses, or cats or chicken. When I’ve ridden my horse through the neighborhood to the trails at Westcrest in the past, I’ve been chased many times by dog who “are friendly, don’t worry.” My horse kicks out at the dogs as they bite at her feed, and I am sure could easily kill any one of them. She could care less if they are “friendly”, if they are biting at her, she will kick them.

[littlebrowndog]

My 19 pound, 15 1/4″ tall Sheltie will snarl and snap at any “don’t worry, he’s friendly” dog that comes running up to him. That easily can elicit a hostile or aggressive response from that “friendly” dog. My dog is a well-trained service dog who responds in a completely appropriate manner when he does that. He is not normally a snappy dog; each weekend at agility trials he is around a couple of hundred other dogs, all on leash and well-controlled and often only 6-12 inches from him, and there is not a single growl or snap. Woe unto the person whose “don’t worry, he’s friendly” dog ever harms mine, as there is a $1000 fine for harming a service dog and believe me, that will happen plus vet fees plus any other legal recourse I can avail myself of. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs. I tolerate but watch very cautiously off-leash dogs that do not approach. While on walks I often meet and greet other on-leash dogs. To exercise our dogs off-leash a couple of times a week we drive to Auburn to a dog ranch so they can run free in their 20 acres of fields.

[AlkiKmac]

Walfredo – you are misreading. The suggestion to call 911 is if you’re in immediate danger. For example, when an off-leash pit bull recently attacked Myrtle, our Shar-Pei, while being walked on a leash in Leavenworth. (Yes, the PetFest winner) Otherwise, it’s completely reasonable to report off-leash dogs to Animal Control, which IS NOT 911.

I’m a life long dog owner and former professional pet sitter. To think the law should only apply sometimes is ignorant and and dangerous.

[Author]

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