Should all dogs be kept on leads when they are outside?

[hollie1586]

i really think they should! what do you guys think?

[REDHEAD24]

if in a empty field then no i think they dhould have freedom , if they are a danger they would have a muzzle anyhow .

if along the street then ye s i think its the law and should happen

[jelly.belly.]

I do, because I'm terrified of them to be honest.

But I think everything should just fit together... Everybody who has a dog should have an acre for it to run around in. And everybody and everything will be HAPPY.

Shurrup, I know I don't live in the real world. Haha.

[jules77]

Definitely, unless the owners have FULL control.

Fortunately I have a large garden for mine to have some freedom, and have access to a public footpath through woods that other dog owners rarely use due to the location and parking.

I get annoyed when dogs come up to mine who are on the lead and the owners say 'oh they wont hurt them, they only want to say hello' and my lot are crawling up their own bottoms, it makes it extremely difficult to walk three medium/large dogs at once.

Even more frustrating when there are signs everywhere saying dogs must be kept on leads.

[Illyria54]

Depends where you are and how obedient the dog is, I am lucky in as much as I live on a 160acre farm so the dogs are running off lead in the empty fields, I also have access to 100's more acres of common land owned by the MoD so again my dogs run free most of the time, I lead walk them for part of their walk but mostly I run them off lead, they are called back when horses are about also cyclists and joggers, I also call them in if we see dogs they have never met because I have 4 dogs and it must be scary, not only for a single dog but for their owner as well to have 4 big dogs running towards them.

[123everton]

For me it depends on the type of dog you own. If you have large dog like a Rottweiller or one of those pit bull type dogs (or a head on legs as I call them) then yes it should always be on a lead because if it gets into a fight (and most dogs do from time to time) they can do some real damage to another dog or a person.
I let mine off the lead in the park but if i see another dog coming then I put her back on it, the other owner usually follows suit, unless they know each other and they can have a play.

[brionon]

Any Dog-small or large can cause a traffic accident-so yes .

[lankeela]

Free running goes a long way to keeping a dog in good condition both physically and mentally, but unless they are under complete control or in an enclosed area then they should be kept on a lead. Also anywhere near public roads or footpaths.

I run mine on a disused airfield, with long runways and fields either side, but I still put them on a lead if I see another dog owner approaching. I can see a long way off
and they come back to have their leads on as soon as I call them.

In most cases dogs are less inclined to fight if off the lead, as they tend to rely on the owners to pull them out of trouble with the lead, but you cannot rely on this and if you have a dog that is not friendly with others you should make sure your dog does not get the opportunity to start anything, as the other dog could end up finishing it as we have seen on here recently.

[garner]

It depends on the dog.I have two dogs they are brother and sister now Peggy my little girl is good as gold when off the lead she will do as she is told and is not interested in other dogs other then the ones she knows and will have a play with them.Mickey my boy is a schizophrenic and cannot be trusted at all so its a pull in lead for him, we cannot trust him at all with children,wildlife other dogs hes so unpredicable but loved just the same.I get upset of people who just do not know their dog at all and this is when problems start.Mickey is ok with my grandchilden but we know when enough is enough and hes sent to bed lol.There is one dog he meets on his walk which he will be ok with but then its a GSD so he could be a coward to boot.

[legend758duo]

yes always

[gelda]

Two very sensible answers Lankeela and Garner.

[bednobs]

its difficult to answer. I have 2 dogs, and live in the coutry. When they are being walked round the lake etc i like to let them off. I also find my littlest one is much less aggressive off the lead than on - have no idea why. However i used to be a dog hater and could never understand why dog owners let their dogs come up to people who were distressed about it!

[gucciman]

i have a samoyed which is a working sledge dog and she needs loads of exercise, we go up to our local country park and she loves to be let off the lead so she can have a run around and go exploring. i totally trust the dog, she loves people and other dogs so never causes any bother. it seems cruel to keep her on a lead all the time, would however never let her off the lead in town near to roads.