Because Bibs asked...

[Maelstrom]

" can anyone please explain to me why people dont keep their dogs on a leash when they go for a walk with them "

 

 

 

 

Because even if they bark and yap, they're just a little dog and can't cause much problem, even if they wanted to. They're generally well behaved and the owners always have a leash on hand for the off chance that they start to behave unreasonably, like trying to go where you don't want them to go (such as in the street). Also, they're often well behaved or trained enough to listen to their owner's commands. At least is it so with my dog. I could make a case for bigger dogs, but that would take much more time and typing than this already is.

 

I walked my dog without a leash one time, when I was able to come back home and to my neighborhood after 5 years of college and 5 years of active duty army service. He never left my sight and even when he didn't want to, he followed me home without that leash. He's very attached to his family, you see. Some asshat told me (with a practiced sales pitch) that the neighborhood association frowned upon a dog without a leash because, before, two people who had their dogs off their leash encountered each other and the larger dog attacked the much smaller dog. "It's better if they were all on leashes" is the nice version of what he said, so that the neighborhood would have less trouble. They didn't like the press, you see, even if my family who had continued to live there in my absence had never heard such a thing. He didn't say it this way in quite so many words and yet in so many other words that I've left out but... he disrespected the neighborhood I called home for the entirety of my life and the neighborhood park (the way it was created and maintained) I'd known all my life, the neighborhood pond, with words he thought would calm and placate me. With his telling of the way his 'amazing' ability to get things done after he moved here suddenly made things better... when I knew there was barely any change.  But the main thing is he he also disrespected the idea that I knew my dog and what he was and wasn't capable of, that owners were to be stripped of their own judgement and responsibility for some superficial veneer of safety.

 

I'm not the average person. My dog isn't the same as whatever garbage dog he thinks he does or doesn't know. It's part of his agenda to sell his house at a higher price when he leaves, by showing a more controlled, genteel neighborhood without google-able incidents. He pretty much told me so himself in spiel, hoping to gain my support. He told me he was also former military and wouldn't I also like to sell our house and get out of here at a good price?

 

I hated his guts instantly. He has the same oily, bullshit personality as the guy who stole $900 worth of gear from a military locker.

 

I would also rather have my arm broken and torn up than see harm come to our dog or any other dog. Even if attacked, I know how to prevent either. I hate it when police shoot dogs. I know who the real bitches are in those cases...

 

If any dog tried to attack mine, I would break that dog with my bare hands... And I would never file a suit against the owner. I understand my dog and take full responsibility for his actions. And I take responsibility for my own actions and decisions. No piece of shit who lacks the appreciation for the care and understanding of a good dog is gonna tell me that I can't trust my dog and require him to be on a leash if I don't want to him to be on one. I also understand how other dogs react and behave. This isn't my first dog. In my time, between my direct family and cousins who live the neighborhood over, we've owned a Dalmatian, a doberman pincer, a husky mix, and several indiscernible mutt mixes. I also have hands on experience with several 'oh so dangerous' pitbulls owned by others who had never met me before. I have also encountered several 'stray' dogs (that was how our cousins got their husky mix). Dogs are not new to me. Animal behavior is not new to me. If zoology had been a major offered at UNM, that would be what my degree would have been. Instead, I had to settle for general biology.

 

If any other dog tries to attack him or he tries to attack other dogs, or if ANY dog tries to attack any person I will interfere personally. Because I know dogs. I know how they play. I know how they fight. I know how they would attack and kill. Because I know my dog, because I was there when my family adopted him (AGAINST MY WISHES, MIND YOU) and when he was introduced to other dogs and cats he did not know over the years and after all the years we've had him, I know what he is like and what he will do. Remember, I am/was a soldier. I have every intent and ability to protect others from attacks, both foreign and domestic. I fear no dog attack. Ever.

 

He chases cats and tries to befriend them, because his original owner had cats and were family to him (she was moving and she couldn't take him with her). The cats never trust him and he has never tried to hurt any of them, or even barked at them. There is a neighborhood cat who likes to stay at my aunt's house and even plays with- and takes care of- her chihuahuas. Because he's a bigger dog, she doesn't trust him, but he has never approached her any closer than she would allow.

 

I've already walked him through our neighborhood for years. Without a leash. This asshat is some new neighbor with his own agenda. He can go fuck himself.

 

My agenda is the happiness and well-being of my family's dog. Nothing more, nothing less. I also have the physical and monetary capability to make good on my promises and intent, and I have no intention of ever  giving up my own freedom of choice and responsibility to treat my pet with the understanding and respect he deserves to ignorant, unwarranted fear.

 

btw, this is the breed of dog my family decided to adopt because my brother really, really wanted a pet, but was highly allergic to most pets at the time. They chose him because they don't shed hair or dander like other dogs and are pretty much hypo allergenic.

Tell me if you think this breed looks powerful and dangerous. Tell me if you think a dog like him needs a leash.

 

He is a Bichon Frise

 

 

If I don't walk my dog with a leash, it's because I have every reason to trust him, and the ability to counteract any human or animal I see who I don't trust.

 

You asked.

I answered.

Angrily.

 

There has never been a dog on or off a leash I have ever been afraid of. And there never will be. Even if I mistrust a dog, I am prepared, not afraid.

 

Spoiler

To be honest, I could extend that statement to every Afghan I ever met during my deployment there. They were all muslims. They were all kind and hospitable. Fuck Trump and republican fear mongering. If all of them were dangerous and unsafe, every country in the world would be destroyed by now. It wouldn't take much to gun down security and blow up people with bombs anywhere, if you thought about it. With any small bit of planning and materials, a rational human being could do far more damage than what has been done. The manpower, the materials, the funding... they could have already had it and done it if it weren't for one thing: basic human decency. For all the terrible things that Trump and the republican party is telling people muslims and terrorist countries would do if they invaded... they haven't happened. The incredible mass majority don't want what ISIS/ISIL and Al Quaeda is doing. It truly is like saying the Westboro Baptist members are representative of Western thought and policy. Past christianity maybe... but the point is that it isn't the truth.

 

 

Dogs are more than pets. They are family. Anyone without compassion for a pet has no soul and shouldn't be trusted.

I look down on anybody and everybody who has no compassion for- or understanding of- other animals.

except for cows. they are both vapid and delicious

[Anime]

Personally i don't think dogs should have a leash, i mean it depends, if that dog does not listen to its owner's commands and/or if it starts attacking other dogs, they can use a leash

BUt in your case, your dog is cute and harmless, and from what you've said you're on good terms with it, so it doesn't require a leash

 

Just my opinion

[Maelstrom]

I've called him away from other dogs and held him by his collar... but that was all ever for the benefit of the owner of the other dog he came in contact with.

 

I knew that he wouldn't do anything unfriendly, but it was always the owner I had to placate, to show that he couldn't do anything even if he wanted to. I can understand that they would be wary of a dog they didn't know.

I've always made it a point to hold out my hand to dogs to sniff and be obvious unafraid and friendly towards. Most dog owners are afraid of other people being afraid of their dogs. Most dogs are happy to run up to people to lick and sniff them, but their owners know that there are plenty of people afraid of dogs, so they always reel them in. Especially around children. Rotweiler and pitbull owners are especially afraid for their dogs because of their reputations.

There is so little trust these days.

[Zarc]

i don't know , having a leash doesn't necessarily mean that we prevents them to attack people or others pets , it can also mean protect them for not let them remove and not take the risk to be hurted by a car or something else.

 

pets are part of our family indeed ( in my opinion at least ) , when something really bad happen to them , it hurt ( my cat got ramed by a car 2 days ago ). Well i would said there is advantages and inconvenients on this question 

Edited April 30, 2017 by Zarc

[Felicity]

Excuse you, I'm a leaf and a German Shepard could savage me if it wanted to. I'm sure most don't but I've had nasty experiences with dogs myself so I get flinchy as hell. Most dogs are nice, sure, but I ain't rational when one comes bounding up to me. So, sure, prioritise your dogs well being, no one will stop you, but really it's for peace of mind of other people. That is a teeny dog and looks adorable, sure, but it's just a general thing to do, have leashes.

 

Also tiny dogs can be the worst, Jack Russels can be absolutely horrid little bastards.

 

Oh aslo, strangers are cool but idk wtf is going through the mind of a dog.

[Zarc]

we can't anticipate dogs reactions , there are so many accidents we can't explain like when a lovely dog with absolutely no reasons will attack someone ( it happen years ago in France ). 

 

 

but i understand the feeling that having a leash can give the impression of no liberty 

[Ojama Yellow]

I know that most dog owners do have their dogs under control. and that most of them know what their dogs would do and what not. but there are also a decent amount of people who fully disregard this. sure, the percentage is rather small, but when im walking around somewhere, id still rather not trust on the judgement of the dog owners, because the percentage actually does exist. unlike you, I do not have experience with dogs. when I see a dog running towards me (which happened multiple times before), im not prepared. im afraid. im afraid as fuck.

 

one time, while going somewhere by bicycle, ive been...I dunno if attacked is the right word, actually. maybe it was just some form of playful behavior by the dog to run next to me while im biking and then bark decently hard at me. the owner did manage to call their dog back eventually and started apologizing to me, saying their dog was completely harmless and whatnot. I didnt know it was harmless. im still not convinced whether it was harmless. I was panicking at the time, and quite frankly, if that dog had come any closer while I was still on my bike, I would have kicked it away hard, and would have felt no remorse doing so either. in fact, if this would happen today again, id do the exact same thing.

 

you call my fear unwarranted and ignorant, which is probably more correct than id want it to be. im also afraid of needles. its also unwarranted and ignorant. ive tried facing my fears before to make them go away. it didnt work. I get what youre saying, but if im afraid of dogs, I cant just 'suck it up' and suddenly not be afraid anymore. it just doesnt work that way.

 

what youre asking me, a person with a fear of dogs, is to put my trust into a person I dont know and a dog I know even less of, because their judgement might be the correct one. forgive me for not sharing your sentiment, but I find it kind of hard to do so.

 

once again, I want to repeat that I know that you, mael, are -very likely- a responsible dog owner. I respect and recognize that. but I want to stress once more that not everyone is like that. I commend the bond you have with your dog- but that very same bond leads to some people forgetting what their dogs are capable of.

 

in my opinion, a line needs to be drawn somewhere. you cant say 'that dog is violent, so it needs a leash, but that one isnt, so it doesnt need a leash'. its not like theres a method to measure the violence of this dog or that dog. sure, some species are by nature more or less violent. but it also depends on how it has been raised, personality and whatnot. ive seen goddamn dogs twice the size of a hamster that were more violent than the average shepherd is. and thats why im in favor for having every dog on a leash. because everyone can say 'oh my dog is completely harmless', while it completely isnt.

[Daniel Blackworth]

I can say that your dog doesn't merit any need for a leash both because of its harmless looks/nature and the way you raised your dog, so I'm confused whether dogs should have leashes or not when you take a walk with them.

 

I honestly have a fear of dogs due to some incidents that happened to me when I was still younger. I learned to fear dogs because of it, and I often become afraid every time I see a dog in my neighborhood/community/on the way to school. I learned to take control of this fear though, so that I wouldn't be attacked by the dogs by putting up a strong front wherein I don't show my fear to them.

 

I personally think that only dogs which possess some form of threat should be required to have leashes. What I mean by this is that only dogs who bear a certain kind if size and look should have leashes. Sure, some could say that their dog is good and such, but we cannot always guarantee that the word of others is always correct since things can be unpredictable any time. It would be better to do so to avoid danger that could happen to literally anyone. 

[FraRPetO]

Where I grew up, all dogs are chained outside except for puppies.

If they're not, they get shot.

 

I'm fine with that.

Spoiler

They're all wild dog breeds.

 

[Maelstrom]

Idk, a personal fear of dogs sounds like a personal problem. A fear of clowns doesn't put them into cages and muzzle them. It's true that some dogs are unpredictable, but certainly not all.

I'm not even saying my dog is friendly and approaches strangers. He doesn't. He loves approaching other dogs though.

And with the 'unpredictable ones' they're pretty predicable too. You just gotta watch their behavior and react accordingly. Be aware of your surroundings and their territorial nature. Be calm, slow and easy.

 

ngl, chihuahuas are assholes. They're loud and noisy. But they're always the Jack Black method:

 

And by your logic, no one should own guns cuz you never know who is gonna go crazy and be the next shooter. Or no one should have a driver's license because not everyone will be a good or responsible driver.

If things happen, then someone has to take responsibility for the consequences, and I'm willing to do that.

[Ojama Yellow]

16 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

Idk, a personal fear of dogs sounds like a personal problem. A fear of clowns doesn't put them into cages and muzzle them. It's true that some dogs are unpredictable, but certainly not all.

I'm not even saying my dog is friendly and approaches strangers. He doesn't. He loves approaching other dogs though.

And with the 'unpredictable ones' they're pretty predicable too. You just gotta watch their behavior and react accordingly. Be aware of your surroundings and their territorial nature. Be calm, slow and easy.

 

ngl, chihuahuas are assholes. They're loud and noisy. But they're always the Jack Black method:

 

And by your logic, no one should own guns cuz you never know who is gonna go crazy and be the next shooter. Or no one should have a driver's license because not everyone will be a good or responsible driver.

If things happen, then someone has to take responsibility for the consequences, and I'm willing to do that.

 

it is a personal problem, yeah. though I have to be honest, I dont see how the clown thing compares to the dog thing. clowns are people- putting them in cages and muzzling them would be majorly degrading, to say in the least. thats because that are the morals for humans. for dogs, this isnt morally degrading- it is in a lot of places even forbidden to walk your dog without a leash. its mostly a normality.

im sorry, mael, but youre assuming a tad too much there that I know how dogs behave. I dont. and im not going to educate myself in the way of the dog, either- when a person decides to own a dog, its their responsability to make sure that said dog doesnt cause harm for other people. its not on the other people to study the behavior of an animal they would have nothing to do with in any other situation.

 

actually, I found the 'not owning guns' a rather interesting argument, because yes, I actually am in favor of having restrictive gun laws, and only allowing certain authorized people to carry guns. im aware that other factors are in play here (culture, most notably), but ill drop that discussion rn because otherwise we will probably stray away a tad too far from the actual topic of this...well, topic.

no one should have a drivers license because not everyone will be a good and responsible driver? first off, you have to do a whole exam (theory and practise) before youre actually allowed to hit the road. this should somewhat account for the 'good' part. as for the responsible part, I agree with you there. theres no possible way to determine which people just go batshit crazy as soon as they get their license. I still see a small difference, however- if we were to do that, the current society would be majorly and royally fucked. a lot of people need their car to get to work, to the market, to wherever, really. that isnt the case with dogs and leashes. dogs are not majorly fucked should they be wearing leashes when going out for a walk- nor should their owners be.

 

im glad that youre willing to take responsability should things happen. the problem is, by that time things have already happened. what im trying to do, is prevent said things from happening.

 

btw, my apologies if any of this came over as a bit rude or something. I honestly didnt intend to, just putting that out here.

[Shamitako]

So basically you're one of those people whose convinced that since they know and trust their dog everyone should trust their dog. Great. Please keep your tiny adorable fluffball away from me I will learn to trust them on my own terms TYVM

 

I have never met you or your dog. What reason have I to assume that I can trust either of you? At least you give off body language that I can read, and even that's far from perfect. And now on top of this you're expecting me to trust a foreign creature that I have no method of communicating with just because you, a stranger whom I can hardly trust either, are telling me that you trust it? No thanks

 

You're the one that decided to care for that dog, so you're the one who needs to be doing your best to prevent it from causing trouble

 

Our dog gets a leash when she leaves our property. Because regardless of how much I may trust her, there's no reason I should be assuming everyone around me has any reason at all to trust her

[Maelstrom]

I didn't take it as you being rude or anything bibs, but you did bring up some angry memories when I was drinking.

 

Even after passing tests, people still do the wrong thing and cause accidents. And yet, we brave the outside world even so.

 

Anyone else's lack of trust in other people or animals should govern their own decisions and actions. You do you and take your precautions. Your concerns, while understandable, do not alone force me to comply. Especially if the worse case scenario is getting nipped by a small animal.

 

 

You aren't prey for any domestic dog, or even wolves.

Like other animals, they don't turn to violence unless you do something they don't like. Like say, if you panic and try to injure one, or corner one, or really do something else unreasonable.

They'd growl as a warning and bark and maybe try to intimidate you and try to scare you off but are unlikely to attack you, wild or not. You can take the obvious cues and leave unharmed.

But a dog being walked without a leash? If they come up to you, they're only curious. They're not great whites, taking a bite out of you just because they're curious. They just don't work that way.

You will KNOW if a doesn't like you and might attack. It won't even get close to you. It will simply bark and stand its ground, ears turned back. They would rather just have a show of force rather than attack or initiate conflict.

Dogs are quite predictable, and I find a fear of them to be quite irrational.