Your responsibilities in off-lead areas - an interesting newspaper article

This lady was fined by police because her dog licked a baby that was lying on the ground in an off-lead dog exercise area. Discuss

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/nat...way-answer-not-your-dogs-20171008-gywu1g.html

 

Annoying! She’s lucky all her baby got was a lick...and I do wonder, would her response be the same if it wasn’t a Staffy?

 

Difficult.

If I saw the baby first mine would be straight on the lead as they would definitely have trotted up for a sniff and a lick. But how very stupid to put a baby on the ground in an off lead area

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Irrespective of dog park or not, I would always be on the look out for potential issues. One is always young children, people with walking sticks, or that look nervous/different. Even in a dedicated dog area. It is a good habit to get into.
The law will always err on the side of the parent, not the dog owner. That's an indisputable fact.

 

Loaded comment if ever

 

Most of the beaches near us in the U.K. do not allow dogs at all between April to October.

There's one that does so that is the one we usually use. It's not a seaside beach, there's pretty much nothing there except sometimes an ice cream van which I assume is why they're not bothered about dogs.

Last time we went there was a family on the beach who had set up a tent. Stanley usually doesn't go up to other people (unless they have dogs) and he was playing fetch with OH so we thought he would be OK. But he ran up to them - turns out they were having a picnic and he wanted in.

Well this woman started pushing him away, flapping around etc - her child looked rather happy to see Stanners. OH ran up and grabbed Stanley and apologised. The woman had a big go at us and told us Stanley should be on a lead or not on the beach at all.

She didn't get a very nice response from me to be honest. I basically told her that there were atleast 4 other beaches in the area that didn't allow dogs - so why come to the only one that does and complain that there's dogs on the beach.

I always try and be a considerate dog owner, but she really riled me up.

 

Good on you!

 

It is odd to me that parents would allow their children to crawl on the ground where hundreds have dogs have been in a dog park - yukk. I always put my dogs on lead whenever I see young children or anyone I don't know as it's the right thing to do and good training for good doggie manners

I wonder if it had been a "friendly" Labrador would the lady have made such a fuss about the lick. The law is too ambiguous and this is what happens, she shouts "attack" when it was a lick the Police are involved, owner gets a fine, owner feels bad, it's crap Get a grip lady xx

 

I smell litigation

 

The dog beach in CA where I used to take my dogs was fairly small (a little cove under the lighthouse) and only allowed dogs at certain times of the day (before 10 and after 4). At about 3:45pm every day it was like an avalanche of dogs pouring down the stairs and onto the beach. It always made me laugh, the number of tourists who would - despite visual evidence that it was a poor idea - leave all their stuff on the ground and/or continue to sunbathe with dozens of dogs frolicking around them.

I know it is the owner's responsibility to prevent this, but inevitably either the tourists' stuff or their persons would get weed on. The worst was actually the unattended stuff, because once one dog did it, they ALL did it. Can you imagine coming back in from a swim and having your bag soaked in wee? I shouldn't laugh but...heh heh.

 

In the US (at least in Oregon) the areas labeled "Dog Parks" are pretty much a doggy free-for-all area, intended for dogs, not people. The only people there are dog owners with their pets. No one in their right mind would put a baby or small child down there, and the dog owners are mostly watching our playing with dogs (their or others) and watch out to be sure they don't get run down by racing dogs. Dogs that don't play well are not allowed, but there is considerable rough housing among the dogs some times.

National Forests, Beaches, State parks, and BLM land where dogs are allowed to be off leash are quite different, and here the area clearly belongs to the people and wildlife. Dogs may be off leash, but they are expected to be well behaved and under their owners control. I don't think most people would be upset by being greeted by a friendly dog, but there are always some folks that really don't like dogs. It is quite possible to go to some beaches in Oregon and not see anyone else, or at least only a few people. The same is true of a lot of hiking trails.

 

I had no idea how many people were afraid of dogs until we bought a beach front condo in Myrtle Beach, SC. The condo situation is pretty unique. As owners we are allowed to bring Murphy with us. People renting are not. Our unit is on the 14th floor so we ride the elevator. I have lost count of how many times the door opens, they see Murphy and then will not get on the elevator. I dunno, maybe there a lot of people allergic to dogs, but not from the look on their faces.

That said, some people go way overboard in their "I must protect my child!" In their minds any contact with a dog must have been attack. It makes them feel all good about themselves for having protected the child from a vicious dog.

Murphy is a scoundrel around small kids. He just loves them all to pieces. He is careful, he does not knock them down, but boy, if he can sneak a lick in. . . .in a flash. Some people just laugh and if the child gets a little scared looking they explain to the child that Murphy likes them a lot.

I guess we can blame the media for some of this attitude, a dog licking a child is not good news, a dog attacking one is GREAT news to them. Same old story, all we hear is heaps of negative.

 

And another article in follow up to the other one I posted....No new info in it really, just echoing the sentiments in this thread. There are so many places that humans can enjoy...non-dog people really need to understand that dogs need their open spaces too.

I've been screamed at by a parent who had brought her two kids to swim at a off-lead swimming spot at a local river (the only off lead place on this river). My dog was there first, then she turned up with her kids and yelled at me to get my dog on lead NOW because her kids were afraid of dogs.


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/com...tly-leaves-me-gobsmacked-20171011-gyyp2y.html

 

I think part of the problem is us that we forget that although we may be on a beach where dogs are allowed, or a park where dogs are allowed off leash, or at a river with an area for dogs but these remain public areas and do not exclude people without dogs - even if dog owners think it unfair. Dogs are allowed off lead in fewer public places all the time so where allowed it is important to keep in mind that there are many people who would happily see dogs excluded from those areas. Even where off lead is permitted owners have a responsibility to keep their dog 'under close control' as it is described in the UK. As a dog owner if in any doubt I clip leads on - dog permitted area or not

 

I think its an over-reaction because of the breed, myself.
Agree if it was a fluffy puppy it would likely not have happened.
As owners we probably all weigh up the situations when "keep your dog under control" means On Lead, or just close-ish and with reasonable recall.

 

Any situation which I see as risky for my dog I clip him on his lead I just don't trust any body anymore. I've had some horrible things happen to me and my dogs over the years.

 

I think this bit says it perfectly:

" The law is of course the law and all these parents were within their rights but sometimes, surely, being a good citizen, a good neighbour, just a decent human being is more important"

 

I do understand what you're saying but I also feel that the 'dog landscape' in Melbourne (where this particular article is from and where I live) is quite different to other parts of the world. In our state there is over 2,500km of coastline. Only a tiny portion of this allows dogs and an even smaller portion allows dogs to be off lead. When you approach an off-lead dog beach, or dog park, there is always a big sign that states that the area is an off-lead dog area. You know that if you enter this area there is a high chance that you will encounter dogs running off lead. There is a chance that they will run up to you, there is a chance they may jump up, lick you etc. I'm not saying that these behaviours are desirable but there is a reasonable expectation that you may encounter them.

Just like if you walk through a kids playground, you may encounter kids running around. You may hear them screaming, they may scream at you, throw something (ball, bark, stone) that may hit you, you may encounter various unpleasant bodily excretions. Again, this is generally not desirable. However there is a reasonable expectation that you will come across these examples in a kids playground and generally, you cut them a bit if slack when their parents come running, apologise and try to work on the behaviour.

Shouldn't we expect the same kind of reaction in a dog park?

 

Could not agree more, Emily.

 

We might expect but we don't usually get it. I happy to share and give and take but I find a some of people with kids to be selfish unthinking and unkind.most people are fine but some make my blood run cold. I end up feeling sorry for their kids. Then you come across the children who are trainee sociopaths who tell you that they are going to tell the police your dog bit them and make it get put down and worse.The more time I spend dog walking the more I realise people can be monsters