Irresponsible Dog Owners

[Gavin]

I thought I was over-reacting. Are they really dangerous? I'm not a dog person ... haven't got a lot of familiarity with them.

Not to be an ass, but it shows.

Reacting like you did is about the worst thing you can do. If you act excited and/or aggressive, there's a better chance that the dog will mirror your behaviour because it thinks there's a reason to. Dogs look to people for cues. It's in their evolution.

I'm not saying that the dog should have been off leash in an on leash area, especially if the owner saw that there were kids around...but at the same time, the best thing you can do (especially for your kids) is to learn how to behave around and treat dogs...and to teach your kids as young as possible as well! Ideally, the onus shouldn't necessarily be on you of course...but in a city where people and dogs co-exist, and where there are some shitty dog owners, it's the best way to have the best chance of safe and positive interactions.

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Not to be an ass, but it shows.

Reacting like you did is about the worst thing you can do. If you act excited and/or aggressive, there's a better chance that the dog will mirror your behaviour because it thinks there's a reason to. Dogs look to people for cues. It's in their evolution.

I'm not saying that the dog should have been off leash in an on leash area, especially if the owner saw that there were kids around...but at the same time, the best thing you can do (especially for your kids) is to learn how to behave around and treat dogs...and to teach your kids as young as possible as well! Ideally, the onus shouldn't necessarily be on you of course...but in a city where people and dogs co-exist, and where there are some shitty dog owners, it's the best way to have the best chance of safe and positive interactions.

Agreed. You should not have to worry about your children in an area where dogs must be on leash and under control. The dog owner is wrong on all levels. And even if the dog is friendly, loves kids, and just wants to play, it can still knock over a small child and unintentionally cause injury.

You said that the dog moved so fast. Let me tell you, a dog will ALWAYS move faster than you can. Even a smallish dog will outrun you and be able to jump up fast enough and high enough to bite a child in a significant place.

Finally, if you kick a dog that is not attacking, you will be charged with animal cruelty. If it were my dog (although it wouldn't be, but I am just saying) I would also take you to court.

The point is this: There are way too many people who own dogs that are just as ignorant about them as you seem to be. This is not meant to be an insult but a statement of fact. This is how tragedies happen. Idiot owners have been more responsible for dogs being seized and destroyed than so-called dog aggression. People who get into direct eye contact, aggressive moves and sounds, or even run from dogs (like prey) will often bring out the worst in a dog.

 

[nfitz]

People who get into direct eye contact, aggressive moves and sounds, or even run from dogs (like prey) will often bring out the worst in a dog.

Thanks. Sounds like trying to play soccer around an off-leash dog is a bad idea to start with, given it involves aggressive moves, sounds, and running - that have nothing to do with a dog ... and then your trying to watch the dog which seems to be getting closer and closer.

Time to have another chat with animal control ... and see if my councillor will stop ignoring me.

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Thanks. Sounds like trying to play soccer around an off-leash dog is a bad idea to start with, given it involves aggressive moves, sounds, and running - that have nothing to do with a dog ... and then your trying to watch the dog which seems to be getting closer and closer.

Time to have another chat with animal control ... and see if my councillor will stop ignoring me.

Not all dogs are a problem. Some will just try to grab the ball while others couldn't care less. But I wouldn't risk it.

 

[nfitz]

Not all dogs are a problem. Some will just try to grab the ball while others couldn't care less. But I wouldn't risk it.

Which is fine, I suppose, if the dogs are already nearby (though should I tell a child they can't play soccer because people are breaking the law?). But on the worst incident, with the baby, the dogs were no where near where I was ... well it was only one dog really. It was on the other side of a fence, and just slowly drifted that way ...

 

[Admiral Beez]

If people would just follow the rules we'd all live well together. Keep your dog on leash and under control at off-leash areas, always pick up the poop and don't let it pee on people's gardens. Think of others before yourself, and we'll all do fine.

 

[LordWanker]

Finally, if you kick a dog that is not attacking, you will be charged with animal cruelty. If it were my dog (although it wouldn't be, but I am just saying) I would also take you to court. /QUOTE]

Go ahead then and do that especially if the dog is unleashed in a leashed zone as there can be variances in what can be construed as "attacking".

 

[urbandreamer]

Anyone else think nfitz may be bigoted towards unleashed dogs? Sorry, I just had to ...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Finally, if you kick a dog that is not attacking, you will be charged with animal cruelty. If it were my dog (although it wouldn't be, but I am just saying) I would also take you to court. /QUOTE]

Go ahead then and do that especially if the dog is unleashed in a leashed zone as there can be variances in what can be construed as "attacking".

The owner is responsible for a dog being off leash, the dog is just doing what dogs do - running and playing. Dogs very rarely ever attack people unprovoked so I wouldn't worry too much about that however children should always be protected from unknown off-leash dogs, just to be safe.

 

[billonlogan]

I think dog owners feel it is acceptable to have your dog off leash in parks and public spaces today. Visit Withrow Park and sometimes you will see more dogs running around off the leash than using the designated fenced off leash area. Some park users will say something but usually the dogs owners will shrug their shoulders and roll their eyes. I am aware some park users and groups(soccer and ball hockey leagues) have spoken to parks and rec and animal services. They usually say they will increase enforcement, but it never happens. The reality is some dog owners will do the whatever they please, no matter there is a by-law or code of conduct. If you choose to do something, do it at your own risk, some dog owners are just downright crazy.

 

[urbandreamer]

If I were a dog I'd file a complaint to the DRC--Dog's Right Commission--and demand to be off leash at all times!

 

[Memph]

We spend a lot of time with our dogs at an off leash park......owners who leash their dogs in those spaces are making a mistake. Someone who knows this stuff (way better than me) explained that off leash dogs see leashed dogs and immediately sense superiority/dominance over that dog and act accordingly.

I was wondering about that... I once held our dog by the collar at a dog park to give her a time out from being a bit too wild playing with another dog and then a new group of several dogs came to meet her. I was still holding on to her while they were checking here out and was surprised that she was acting quite submissive and fearful around them afterwards. It took almost an hour for her to start acting more normally around them.

Unknown dogs can be a risk around smal children, even if they're not aggressive. Some dogs like to jump up at people as a form of play, and while they don't mean any harm, they can still accidentally push a young child over.

By the way what is the recommended response if an off-leash dog is getting too close to children? From my experience, it seems like you should just act boring (no high pitched screaming or waving) and stand your ground between the dog and children with crossed arms, and block it with your entire body if it gets too close or tries to go around you. No sudden movements though.

 

[typezed]

Withrow Park is bad for off-leash dogs, even though they have like the Olympic stadium of dog runs there. The whole park seems like nothing but a dog run. I also find the Park on Eglinton west of Yonge behind the community centre overrun with off-leash dogs. I was coming down the stairway from the subdivision toward Avenue Rd. one time and two off-leash dogs the size of small ponies, biggest dogs I've seen, came behind the backstop and looked up the stairs at me like lunch has arrived. I stopped for half a minute. As I decided to brave my way down the stairs, owner comes over and says, "thought you were afraid of them", and I thought, "while they certainly weren't listening to you, were they?" The area above the Bluffs behind the seminary is a great place for a walk, but spoiled by the off-leash dogs. Since the paths are in trees you don't see them approaching and they can be surprised, and sometimes their owners let them run way ahead. I quit going for walks there. It's just one of those bylaws that are meaningless if they're never enforced - like in Toronto you can park anywhere for ten minutes as long as you use your four-ways.

 

[TOareaFan]

I was wondering about that... I once held our dog by the collar at a dog park to give her a time out from being a bit too wild playing with another dog and then a new group of several dogs came to meet her. I was still holding on to her while they were checking here out and was surprised that she was acting quite submissive and fearful around them afterwards. It took almost an hour for her to start acting more normally around them.

When ours are over excited or if there is dog play that we want them away from, we just take them on a stroll to a quieter part of the park....we don't even take their leashes to the dog park we go to...but it would depend on the layout of the park you are at obviously.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I see so many fat and unhealthy dog owners that I often think that instead of letting your dog run off leash, why not run beside it?