Do you abide by the leash law?

[SuperLab123]

Leash Law??? for my dogs and i (around our neighborhood) thats an unheard of crazy law that no one follows? sure we'll put the leashes on when we get to a main road (if were taking a long walk downtown or something) but for the daily walks around the neighborhood we would never use a leash! i dont know if its just because we live in a small town or what i just wanted to get a consensus on who follows the leash law or not.. thanks !feel free to state your opinion about it here too!:D

[Moose]

Normally, yes. Whenever we go into town or whatever, we always put a leash on the dogs. But if we are out in the backyard, no...it is fenced, so go figure. ;):p If we are just going for a walk around the neighborhood where there are not many cars or too many people, I'll always start with them on leashes and if they are acting well-behaved I'll take their leashes off but keep them in my hands just in case something happens. Usually, if I plan on taking a walk off-leash, I'll try to just go with one of the dogs at a time. The two of them can be quite a handful. :p

[Cincy'sMom]

Most of the time yes. Occasionaly we will let the dog walk out front with us (one at a time) or will not leash them to and from the car here, at my mom's or Ralph's mom's. We also let them off leash occasionaly at the school by our house if their is no one else there (it is fenced on three side and the school forms the 4th.) We watch to make sure no one is coming and as soon as we see someone, we call the dog to us and leash them until we are alone again.

[micki76]

Ours are always leashed for their safety. :)

[Aspen and Misty]

Exept when in the back yard (wooden fence, 7 or 8 feet high) or going from the front door to the vehicle, then we hold there collars.

We ALWAYS use the leash. I would never indanger my dog's like that. We live on a road where not many people walk with no cars, but there is always that one time. I would never, ever, let my dog's off leash anywhere there are people, cars or animals. I don't think that letting your dog off leash is respecting otehr owners. For instance. If you have your dog off leash and I have mine on leash. But my dog is NOT good with other dog's and your dog comes running up to him, who's fault is it that my dog kills your dog? YOURS, because you didn't have a leash on him. I don't think people who have there dog off leash have reson to complain when there dog is attacked. Yes, maybe these dog's shouldn't be out in public, but they, like every other dog have to get exersise. With Chewy [RB] (who was not good with dog's or people) whenever we would aproach someone who was walking, I would cross the street, or if that was not possible yell ahead to them to tell them he didn't like people or other dog's. BUT, if your dog was off leash and came running up to him, yes, most likly, he would have attacked your dog, BUT, I do NOT think it would be his fault. YOU should controlle your dog, I should be able to walk my dog down the street and not have to worry about people who have there dog's off leash.

This also makes me VERY angry because Julian (bunny) was almost eaten by a dog and it's owner who let there dog off leash and there dog came running up into MY YARD up to the fence of the play pen and cirlced it. MY DAD had to stop that dog because the lady wasn't close enough. If not he could have knocked down the fence (little puppy play pen) and hurt me or Julian.

Also, how do you think so many dog's get lost in the woods? Because people think they are in the middle of no-where so they let there dog's off leash and the dog goes chaseing a deer, or squirlle or something. Then you loose your dog and never see him again. Even with my Mom's Sheltie Teddy, who has never chased a squirle and who listens beautifully, I always use a leash, even at my Gram's who lives in the middle of no-where where there are NO cars and no people. I STILL use a leash, why, because I protect my dog's.

I feel very strongly about this. I think that we, as pet owners, need to make the world safe for other people's dogs and our own. How would you like it if someone who let there dog off leash passed by you and there dog ran over to you and got in your dog's face? Or attacked your dog? In my opnion letting your dog off leash is down right irresponsible. Laws are made to be followed!

Ash

Side Note: I am NOT calling your guys irresponsible or bad owners. We all have our views. I know that everyone here loves there dog's VERY much. I hope this doesn't come off as mean, it's just my strong opnion.

[Chris J]

I live on a very long court "no traffic" so I don't have a leash on Holly but when we leave our court I put one on her.

[micki76]

Ash, I couldn't agree more. I get very angry when I see people out with their dogs off leash. I guess I feel even more strongly since I have an aggressive dog. Chester could entice the nicest, most obedient dog to attack him with the way he acts sometimes, especially in his own neighborhood.

We usually don't go for walks cause there's a lot of dogs that run loose in our town. I just don't feel it's safe enough for my little ones. We just play in the yard most of the time, or in the house. We have a nice, long hallway that's perfect for fetch. :)

[Lissa]

I have a large unfenced area next to me with no road so if the nieghbor dog is out, she gets to go off leash. The other dog knows what the 'bountries' are and Layla doesn't leave her side. Otherwise she always has her leash on because she is rather unpredictable with cars, other people and dogs. She's a car/bike/runner/roller blade chaser. Oh and when we are at the lake she is off leash being in the water and all. Only places where she knows the boundries

[popcornbird]

I agree with you Ashley, 100%. You have no idea how much it bothers me when people walk around the neighborhood with unleashed dogs. We live in a quiet neighborhood, and during the day, there are not too many people outside as they are all at work until evening. Several times I have gone out for a walk and ended up running home because a certain unleashed dog with his owners took off after me. I think its very disrespectful to others to let your dogs walk without a leash in neighborhoods where other people also live and walk. Not only is it putting your own dog in harms way, but its also disrespectful to others, who may get frightened if a dog suddenly starts to chase them or their smaller pets. I think dogs should ALWAYS be leashed when out in public, unless they are at a dog park, or other place where dogs are allowed off-leash and can be off-leash safely and respectfully. I also hate when we go to parks where there are signs everywhere saying all dogs *must* be on leash at all times, yet you see several dogs unleashed, running around and chasing others, and having their owners chasing after them and yelling. For heavens sake leash them so you won't have to go through that, or go to one of the MANY area's dog parks!

[Aspen and Misty]

Glad others agree with me!

BTW: What about people who are deathly afreid of dogs? isn't it un-fare for them to not be able to walk in there own neighborhood? Or go biking out in the woods because of people and there dogs. I dunno, but I personally feel this is one law that NEEDS to be obeyed, at ALL times, no exeptions.

Ash

[Moose]

I fully agree with what all of you are saying, so I'm not trying to fight what you're saying. But I do believe that there are responsible, respectful dog owners and those who are not. I believe that the responsible owners know when it is appropriate to leash your dog and when it isn't necessary. I like to think that I am a responsible owner. I let the dogs off their leashes under the following circumstances: A] We are at a dog park, in the backyard, or other fenced area...or B] No cars or people are around and the dogs are being well-behaved.

However, if I have the dogs off their leashes and I see someone coming [with or without a dog], I grab the dogs' collars and either leash them or keep a steady hold on their collars until everything is "clear" once again.

But each person will have a different opinion and different thought on this...so hey, far be it for me to say what is right and wrong. :)

[Kfamr]

YES, ALWAYS.


I really do not like when people have their dogs off leashes.
I don't care how well trained an animal is, it still is an animal and will/can do anything at anytime. Simba is one of the greatest, most trained dogs I know.. I wouldn't trust him without a leash though.


The only time they are off leash is when they are in their own backyard or places, like the dog park, where they are allowed to be.

[ramanth]

I'm not sure about Williamston and Okemos, but Lansing/East Lansing has leash laws. I hardly ever walk her in Lansing, but there is this unofficial Dog Park near MSU and everyone lets their dogs run offleash. It's only fenced in on three sides but it's 30 + acres so the dogs have plenty of room to run. :)

At my apartment complex, dogs have to be leashed and so I keep Kia leashed till we get to the woods and then I let her run loose.

Same with the wooded park in Okemos. We've been practicing 'come' and her recall is getting better and better. So if we ever come across someone else walking in the woods (which is rare), she comes when I call.

Kia is always leashed when we walk along a street or road.

[amoore]

I always have have a leash on mine outside but only for their safety.

[PJ's Mom]

Originally posted by micki76
Ours are always leashed for their safety. :)

Ours too...unless you count that one time I let them off the leash to run around the field. That was a mistake! :eek: It's amazing how deaf dogs can be when they want to. :rolleyes:

[ParNone]

I personally like to start right off the bat working with my puppy to be off leash in certain situations and continue that on throughout adulthood, for their safety. The reality is, that it would be a rare case, that at some point in their life your dog didn't get loose off leash. I want to be prepared for that eventually. Of my 3, Murph is the only one I didn't do this with, and he's the only one I get panicked about if he gets loose. He is never purposefully off leash.

With Maddie and Oz, I took a different approach and it's made for not only a happier dog, but for a less panicked me.

Now would I let them off leash around heavy traffic of cars or people or other animals? No. But one thing I do, that I honestly believe saved Oz's life the other night, is play an off leash racing game with him. We do this whenever we go walking through the neighborhood. When we get about 50 yards from the house, if there's no cars or people in sight, I let go of the leash, yell out "Home" and then race him to the front door. The other night I was putting out the garbage and didn't realize I didn't shut the door all the way. Oz used his nose to open it and came running out behind me. He was racing towards the street, just as a car came barrelling around the corner. There was collision written all over the situation. I dropped the garbage, yelled out "Oz, Come!" and took off as fast as I could for the front door and sure enough he beat me to the door. Doubtful, if we hadn't practiced this, that he would have known what to do or that he would have just been so overcome with excitement from a lil' taste of the fun of freedom, that he would have come either.

Do I let them harass other people or animals? No. I only let them off leash in an area devoid of others, and as soon as I see someone heading our way, I call them back to me and snap the leash back on. But while no one else is around, they get some freedom and the shear pleasure of exploring and getting to be a dog, that unfortunately Murph has never gotten to experience. When I lived in Florida, I use to take Maddie to the beach and let her off leash to chase the birds into the surf. I wouldn't trade for one moment of the shear joy she experienced during those romps. I sure wish Murph could have one of those moments too.

Is there risk? Sure. There's always risk in living. You can try to cocoon yourself in a completely safe existance, but is it really achievable? My philosophy on life is that if it's meant to be, it's going to happen. So I'm not willing to give up a certain fun and happiness, to strive for a safety that's not even attainable. Would I be upset if something happened? Well of course. I was upset when Murph, supposedly safely tucked away inside the house, jumped off the bed and hurt his leg. But that's how life is. Unfortunate things are going to happen, when it's meant to, no matter how much you try to protect against it. You keep them shut inside, for fear of what will happen if they're left outside unsupervised and they could end up dying because the house burns down. You put a collar on them in case they get loose, and they could die getting it hung on something. You can make yourself crazy and your dog too, trying to always be safe. That's just not how I want to live my life. Not telling other people how to live their lives, but I am going to live mine, my way.

If I had an aggressive dog, would I let him off leash? No. I would not put other people's animals at risk. That's one of the reasons I got a Collie, so I could have a nice, trustworthy dog to be able to enjoy some off leash excursions. I got a small taste of it with Maddie, because she could care less about approaching other dogs, but I didn't trust her in the woods around wildlife, like rabbits or squirrels. Oz has an extremely low prey drive, so I get to have some really fun hiking experiences with him. What's the point of having a breed, like a Collie, if you have to treat them exactly like a terrier?

Am I breaking the law? Yes. So if I was cited and fined, I'd pay the ticket without complaint, but it wouldn't stop me from letting my dogs off leash when the situation's right.

Par...

[Moose]

Wow, Par...I don't think that could have been said better...and I agree with every word of it! :D

[lv4dogs]

I agree w/ par exactly, thats what i do too!

I use leashes when walking my dogs on sidewalks, in towns, cities etc... but if we go for a hike, camping or to the park & there are no aggressive dogs there then they are off leash. They both are gentle & have a VERY good recall!!!!!
When we are hanging out in the yard they are both off leash as long as I am there supervising, If I am inside or something, one is leashed, the other one is rarely leashed. He never leaves my yard. He is old & trips over his tie out, he has arthritis etc. I live in a trailer park away from the road, not even a main road no neighbors on either side of me. Friendly dogs through the whole park.

[binka_nugget]

Mine are always on leash unless they're in the (fenced) backyard or at the dog park. But even at the dog park, I think I may need to leash Kaedyn because he can slip out from under the fencing and we've only had him for a half a year so he's still a bit unpredictable with lots of other dogs. So next time, Kai will be off leash at the dog park and Kaedyn will be on leash to socialize a bit more.

Other than that, they're always on leash. We're surrounded by busy roads full of trucks, buses, car, people, dogs, etc. I don't think I could ever trust two herding dogs off leash with a bunch of 'sheep'. But, I've been doing something with the two that is a bit like what Par's doing. I've started using the flexi-leash so that I could have them come during any time of the walk and so that I could teach them to 'go home' but still be within my control, just in case I ever needed to use that command.

[ParNone]

moose writes:

Wow, Par...I don't think that could have been said better...and I agree with every word of it!
ah well, I had a momentary channeling of Julia Sugarbaker, I think.;)

Par...

[catnapper]

I'm one of the ones who voted occasionally. I had a LOT of problems with Nicki when we didn't leash her. She was actually hit by a car once because she sprinted when we opened the door.... she went flying whenever she got out of the house without a leash. We moved to a house right off a busy road. If she went running, she'd most certainly run into the road and get hit. We spent a lot of time learning to trust each other and learning where the boundaries are. She knows the people she can greet and those she can't. She has the 6th sense of people that are afraid of dogs and I have to watch her because she has taken it as her duty to greet them in her extra special way to prove she's nice.:rolleyes: But since I'm out there with her, I say "no" and she wags her tail with her whole body ready to greet if the person shows signs of welcoming her greeting (they never do)

As for being off our property, she is ALWAYS leashed. But we also play the "home" game ParNone talked about.

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

There is no leash law here in Germany. But I still keep Drake on a leash at all times unless we are at the nature park. When we were in America, Drake would go unleashed if we were hiking or out in the woods. The leash if for his safety and my peace of mind!

[Shelteez2]

My dogs are rarely leashed on walks through the neighborhood. If I am walking near busy roads then I will throw a leash around their necks. My dogs are curb trained, which means that they are trained not to step off the curb until I tell them it's okay. They also have a command for crossing roads that I give them if it's all clear, which is go get up and means that they are to run across the street and jump up onto the sidewalk and wait for me to finish crossing. We also have a go home command that I can give from half way down the block and sends them tearing into the yard. Clipse actually runs up the steps to the door and waits there.

If another dog or person is coming I call my dogs to me and put them in sit stays out of the way until that dog and/or person passes. I always carry my leashes with me in case I need to swat at an off leash dog that won't leave us alone. Personally I'd rather have my dogs meet strange ones off leash, I think it's a bit safer.

I agree with what ParNone wrote. If I was caught and fined, then I would pay with no complaints.

Also, one final thing is that I don't take my dogs on regular walks around the neighborhood. I instead walk them straight to an open field and let them run.

[micki76]

But see, the whole reason I don't take my dogs for regular walks is because when we encounter an off leash dog, how am I supposed to know whether the dog is going to try to kill mine or not? Granted if I saw Par & her boys I wouldn't be scared, but what about the morons who aren't training their dogs, but just think it's ok to let them off leash anyway. I have one very small dog and for some of these dogs it would just be one bite and Chester could be dead.

I guess I've always had bad experiences with off leash dogs. Our Chihuahua was nearly killed when I was 12 and I also had a foster dog that was attacked years ago by someone who said their dog was "friendly & under control".

All I'm saying that not all those off leash dogs out there belong to Pet Talkers, and I don't think it's right to endanger others, not to mention prevent them from walking their own dogs comfortably & without stress.

I know there are always strays & escapees that can be just as harmful, but I still think it's rude to disrespect others and cause stress to them by not leashing your dog, IMO.

[Cheshirekatt]

Always, always always!

We have a leash law here in my town and I seem to be the only one to abides by it.

Number one, I got most of my dogs because they were strays. What that says to me is that they like to run.

Number two, I have a dog aggressive dog. He can't be trusted if another strange dog runs up to him. He's fine if all dogs are leashed and walking by. It's not like he'll lunge and grab a dog I think he's just very protective of me. It's gotten to the point where I cannot walk Buford in our neighborhood. Too many off-leash dogs.

Number three, I don't want to take the risk of one being HBC.

Number four, the bloodhound can NEVER be off-leash.

Plus, it's the law. It's not like me or my dogs are so special that the law doesn't apply to us.

Plus there's the unfortunate incident where the lady had her dog off leash and Buford and her dog got into a fight and I broke my wrist trying to break it up. Stupid lady.

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by micki76
But see, the whole reason I don't take my dogs for regular walks is because when we encounter an off leash dog, how am I supposed to know whether the dog is going to try to kill mine or not? Granted if I saw Par & her boys I wouldn't be scared, but what about the morons who aren't training their dogs, but just think it's ok to let them off leash anyway. I have one very small dog and for some of these dogs it would just be one bite and Chester could be dead.

I guess I've always had bad experiences with off leash dogs. Our Chihuahua was nearly killed when I was 12 and I also had a foster dog that was attacked years ago by someone who said their dog was "friendly & under control".

All I'm saying that not all those off leash dogs out there belong to Pet Talkers, and I don't think it's right to endanger others, not to mention prevent them from walking their own dogs comfortably & without stress.

I know there are always strays & escapees that can be just as harmful, but I still think it's rude to disrespect others and cause stress to them by not leashing your dog, IMO.

I know exactly what your talkking about & how you feel, I have ran across many many idiots out there that say the same & the next thing that happens is their dog is out of control. My one dog was attacked twice by *friendly, well behaved, obedient* dogs, both times my dog was on a leash, she was over friendly before that but after the second attack that made her turn on stray dogs, she was then not out of control but would not hesitate to fight back & be very cautious. This took years of work & she is now once again her old self.
But like I said (or copied from par as I didnt want to type much lol) I only have them off leash in the country, park, woods etc.. & even then as soon as I see an unleashed dog, their leashes go on. unless it's a friends dog that they already know.

[Moose]

Originally posted by micki76
All I'm saying that not all those off leash dogs out there belong to Pet Talkers

Unfortunately. :p

[ParNone]

micki writes:

But see, the whole reason I don't take my dogs for regular walks is because when we encounter an off leash dog, how am I supposed to know whether the dog is going to try to kill mine or not? Granted if I saw Par & her boys I wouldn't be scared, but what about the morons who aren't training their dogs, but just think it's ok to let them off leash anyway. I have one very small dog and for some of these dogs it would just be one bite and Chester could be dead.

I guess I've always had bad experiences with off leash dogs. Our Chihuahua was nearly killed when I was 12 and I also had a foster dog that was attacked years ago by someone who said their dog was "friendly & under control".

All I'm saying that not all those off leash dogs out there belong to Pet Talkers, and I don't think it's right to endanger others, not to mention prevent them from walking their own dogs comfortably & without stress.

I know there are always strays & escapees that can be just as harmful, but I still think it's rude to disrespect others and cause stress to them by not leashing your dog, IMO.

Hey micki, having small dogs, that I do pick up off the ground when we encounter unleashed dogs and Oz actually being attacked by 2 unleashed Great Pyrenees, I can totally understand where you're coming from. And I would not want my off leash activity to cause somebody else undo stress. So If I was to encounter you and Chester walking, I would automatically leash Oz. Even when he's leashed, I won't infringe on people's space. I'll walk him wide of other people out walking or jogging. I see many a leashed dog that's out of control though, to the point that I've picked Murph or Maddie up off the ground until they're away from us. Unfortunately I can't do that with Oz, so we just walk by as quick as possible, before they get the chance to break free of their owner. Anyway, I do understand the need for the leash law, and again I would not protest paying the fine, just as I wouldn't if caught speeding.

Oh and Murph you should be wary of, I can just see him wanting to eat Chester. :)


Par...

[primabella]

Yes, Mickey is always on leash. The only time he isn't is when (during the summer) we'd sit out in the front and he'd usually come join us outside. He'd sit quietly. He's an obediant dog but he is still a dog with natural instincts that I don't trust. For example, he loves to chase birds. He could easily run off into the streets chasing a bird. That's what I'm afraid of.

I know one man who walks his dog without a leash. The dog is VERY obediant. But I still wouldn't use than as an excuse to take my dog without a leash. What about other dogs who are offleash that are dog agressive? You just have less control of your dog. I just wouldn't feel comfortable. :)

[isis]

There isn't any leash law here. It's just a small town where nobody puts there dog on a leash. The only people that put there dogs on a leash is my guitar teacher and me. Ofcourse my guitar teacher loves her dogs to death. They have two Bloodhounds and one Border Collie so they kinda have to keep them on a leash so they won't run off. I keep my dogs on a leash because of the way people drive down here. It'
s just for there own protection.

[RobiLee]

Yes, I always follow the leash law.

I do have to say though that I have to keep Katie on her leash. She is a runner. Even if it is just from the door to the car. Zoom....she is gone. Even if she were the type that always stays with me, I still think I would even use her leash even if we were just walking down the street. We have a lot of childern and dogs around here and I would never take a chance. Especially since it seems that most people are intimadated by her because she is a big dog.

Robin

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by micki76
But see, the whole reason I don't take my dogs for regular walks is because when we encounter an off leash dog, how am I supposed to know whether the dog is going to try to kill mine or not? Granted if I saw Par & her boys I wouldn't be scared, but what about the morons who aren't training their dogs, but just think it's ok to let them off leash anyway. I have one very small dog and for some of these dogs it would just be one bite and Chester could be dead.

I guess I've always had bad experiences with off leash dogs. Our Chihuahua was nearly killed when I was 12 and I also had a foster dog that was attacked years ago by someone who said their dog was "friendly & under control".

All I'm saying that not all those off leash dogs out there belong to Pet Talkers, and I don't think it's right to endanger others, not to mention prevent them from walking their own dogs comfortably & without stress.

I know there are always strays & escapees that can be just as harmful, but I still think it's rude to disrespect others and cause stress to them by not leashing your dog, IMO.

I agree 120% No matter how hard you train your dog, they still may not listen, expesially in a exiting situation like another dog aproaching. I agree with you Micki when you also say that it iss rude to disrespect others and cause them stress by not leashing your dog. Not everyone, beleave it or not, likes dog's. My friend Erin has a friend who is DEATHLY afred of them. If one walks by she will get all scared and scream, she doesn't like them, one bit. What if she was running and came around a corner and incountred your dog, who was off leash. Your dog would most likly go up and say Hi to her, she would freak out.

I personally, would not indanger my dog by not doing something as simple as useing a Leash. Yes some thigns are ment to happen, but your dog (who was off leash) who runs into the street and gets hit could have been avoided with something as simple as a leash. I also would not disrespect other owners by allowing my dog off leash, it's just my personal opinion and I was taught to always obey the law and personally I think they should get tuffer (SP) about this one!

Ash