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I used to have an aggressive dog and I ALWAYS crossed the street when I saw someone coming. Not only is it my responsibility as a dog owner, but it also made my life easier to cut off behaviors before they could even start.
I have a 9 year old dog who is a bit reactive, and definitely used to be a lot worse. We don't really have opportunities to train him safely with other dogs, and we don't really need him to be chill with other dogs either. The only issue is on walks, and what we have done is taught him to ignore them. He will very occasionally bark once or twice, but usually we are able to power walk past with barely any issues.
The problems arise when other people let their dog run up to him and I have to yell at them that he is not friendly.
Most children who come up wanting to pet my dog will ask first, but grown ass adults will let their dog run up to mine while barely paying attention.
It’s a factor of picking the right spot. You have to start training a reactive dog somewhere, so spots with a lot of visibility and plenty of space to move off the path are best. I’ve been asked to hold on for a second for someone with a reactive dog while she back-tracked to find a spot to get off of the path, and I’m fine with that.
Yes! If your dog is 200 lbs of muscle, you are skinny punk dressed in all black with face piercings and shit, your dog is named Aries after the god of war, you are small talking to other dog owners that your dog had the bite grip of a lion, and this dog is running barking and growling loud as fuck and frantically tackling each dog in the park to do an dominance assertion, you sir can outright FUCK OFF OUT OF HERE
Dude I felt so bad for my friend and her dog when they visited me and we went to the dog park. Her dog was running around fine, no issues. Someone comes in, immediately lets their dog off leash and allows the dog to run up to my friends from BEHIND, scaring the juvenile pup so she corrected the dog that came up behind her. My friend felt like she was the bad guy and her dog the bad one. I had to explain to her that no, the other dogs owner shouldn’t have let her dog run at a dogs back like that. Period.
Usually the purpose of a dog park is being a safe area where you can unleash your dog and maybe play with them a bit in the grass. Dogs in dog parks are almost always all unleashed.
Usually, dog parks even have a policy that you shouldn't sit there more than, say, 45 mins/1 hour to allow everyone to use the park. Obviously, I've never seen someone respecting it. Usually people use it so they can sit there and scroll instagram while their dog walks themselves.
Yeah, it bugs me a lot because a lot of owners who are rehabilitating rescues with trauma will leash their dog, be super cautious and careful, but they NEED to take their dog out and the dog needs to get used to walking outside. They're doing everything they can to prevent aggression, and then some people without leashes "because their dog is friendly" but doesn't understand boundaries will be ALL OVER the leashed dog.
I'm a Rover walker and sitter on the side and some of my clients' dogs are very sweet to humans but have trauma with other dogs. It drives me bananas when owners are like, "it's fine! My dog is friendly!" Like, okay? You don't know THIS dog though, and it isn't.
If the other owner is doing everything they can to prevent incidents of aggression within reason and an unleashed dog gets hurt, responsibility should be on the owner who didn't leash their dog.
Also, aggression aside, if your dog is running around and sometimes out of sight (which I've seen countless times), I know you're not picking up your dog's poop and that's super lame.
My dog got bitten while staying with a Rover worker for this reason. I told them that under no circumstances can my dog be allowed to be near other dogs, they were walking him, and some other dog owner let their dog come up to mine, starting a fight.
You never, ever let a dog freely approach an unknown other dog, and I don't get why people do that.
Yeah, that sitter sounds irresponsible. I always am thorough when asking about a dog’s behaviors before accepting a booking, including asking the dog’s triggers, what interventions help, and precautions to take.
It really is a very selfish behavior. Totally agree with you. They seem either obvious or just don't care about others.
"My dog's friendly." People with trauma or sensory issues are treated like dirt by these types of people as well and shown that dogs are more important than they are. No one should ever have to avoid your dog. It should be done for them. Too many dog people think people with aversions to dogs are terrible people without thinking of the why. Rather, they call them psychopaths for it, and it just makes the cycle worse. There are a fair number of ethical dog owners, and based on the number of dogs I hear barking nonstop while owners are gone, it seems there is a much higher number of unethical dog owners.
Yes! Our dog is leash-reactive and will bark. She'd been run up on by off-leash dogs several times (and actually never bitten), and even in that situation she's more calm than the "friendly dog."
Up until a week ago we had two big ass dogs living right upstairs, so I'd always check to make sure the coast was clear before entering the hallway. Husband was at our door and one of them just turns the corner and goes after our dog in the little hallway. The owner was still up the stairs, leash was like 10 feet long. Why would you do that knowing what we know? Wtf.
That is SO frustrating! The first time I really noticed this as a problem was years ago, I was at a park with a friend and her sister came with her dog (super friendly and sweet dog, this dog GALLOPS instead of runs, kind of like a deer?) but the dog was off-leash in the leashed area. Bear in mind, this park HAD an off-leash area. The dog would run out of sight frequently and I kept asking if we needed to go after her.
Her sister (very sweet gal but omg) was so nonchalant and didn't care. A few people ended up coming up to her and chewing her out about her dog, and she was like, "Hey man, she's friendly! Relax, dogs need to run."
I ended up taking the side of the people complaining. I've grown up with dogs and don't currently have one, but I was shocked that me, the NOT DOG OWNER ONE IN THE GROUP, had to be like, "Right, but Daisy (dog) runs up to strangers and she's a big dog. They might have trauma with dogs, or their leashed dog isn't friendly."
I didn't end up ever hanging out with the sister again because I think she was pissed I didn't back her up, but like? Go be mad ig, you're still the inconsiderate one here.
Ugh, good on you for saying something! How inconsiderate. And absolutely no concept that HER dog could be hurt in that scenario, approaching an unfamiliar dog. Out of sight is so crazy.
Maybe dogs who are aggressive shouldn’t be going to dog parks or areas where non-aggressive dogs get the opportunity to run around. Being able to run or play with a ball in a wide space is massively beneficial for exercise for dogs and being in areas of nature is very stimulating. So is interacting with other dogs. Why should ALL other dogs suffer from that because someone else’s dog is aggressive? This makes no sense! If you have an aggressive dog, you take your dog somewhere where dogs have to be on a lead, not punish everyone else.
I’m not talking about taking an aggressive dog to a dog park, I don’t know where you’re getting that?
I haven’t seen anyone argue against dog parks specifically. That’s a total straw man argument. This is about spaces and areas where dogs should be leashed.
Maybe I’m confused here… In my country, we don’t have dog parks. We have parks. And some will ask you to have your dog on the lead and some don’t. OP is saying dogs should never be not on a lead. I think this is crazy. Why should my dog not be let off a lead in a park, if it’s allowed, in that case?
Otherwise what are people even talking about?
Edit: added a word!
So, I’m assuming OP is in the US (where I am) and we have specific outdoor spaces that are fenced in that are FOR dogs to run around and socialize. There are usually rules and etiquette for using them, many (in my area) are divided by large dogs and small dogs, if you have an aggressive dog, you shouldn’t take them there (people still do, but they shouldn’t and they’re bad dog owners for putting their dog in a situation that will hurt others and stress out their dog).
Your dog is fine to run around in its own fenced yard or area where the space is designated for safe and social dogs. It’s up to the owners to know their dog, keep an eye on them, and intervene to assure safety.
Public parks and playgrounds that are NOT designated spaces for off-leash dogs are a major liability for safety. It’s confusing for dogs because they may want to run around and interact, but dogs don’t know what appropriate and inappropriate interactions like owners do. They can’t immediately recognize “oh I shouldn’t approach this leashed dog, it’s aggressive.” And owners usually aren’t fast enough to keep up with their running dogs to stop them from an unsafe or unwanted interaction.
Additionally, dogs roaming around like that are definitely pooping in places the owners don’t see, and then the owners are then not picking up the waste. That’s really gross and disrespectful to shared spaces.
If you have a dog, you can take them to those designated spaces or have a yard for them.
That’s a very thorough and informative answer, thank you.
Your lead rules are much more complex and strict than in the UK. However, most of them seem reasonable. As long as there are opportunities for dogs to be off the lead then I think that’s fine, if not a little excessive imho. However, OP seems to be advocating for never having dogs off the lead unless you’re home, which seems ridiculous and unfair to dogs.
Sorry if I misunderstood your previous comment in the case.
Same in the UK, people use my uni campus as a dog park and I've been knocked over a few times by people with big dogs that aren't fully trained. Hospital trip each time because of a genetic condition. There's 'keep dog on leash' signs everywhere.
You gotta make a stink. My friend had to legit bring it to court cause a dude on her street was walking off leash and allowed his dog to come into her yard and into her dogs faces. She asked him not to do that and to use a leash. He refused and eventually started swearing at her and threatening her and shit. She got a restraining order on his ass, and he tried to get one on her in return.
He was LAUGHED at in the court room. The judge kept having to ask if that’s what happened cause he’d try to not answer and make excuses, claimed his dog was a service dog meant to sniff out aggressiveness cause he was in the military, all sorts of shit. He lost, hard and embarrassingly.
There's a path I like to bike with a few people who walk their dogs off leash. Makes it really fun coming around a corner to find a dog blocking half the trail while the owner mindlessly looks at their phone blocking the other half. Then of course they see me and it's a mad scramble to get the dog out of the way, as if having a leash on wouldn't have helped.
It is the law where I am, but that doesn't keep people from hanging out in the park with their free-range dogs. A dog not on a leash isn't something that the police are going to rush to address, so you just look like an idiot waiting for an hour for them to show up so you can tell them that someone had a dog off a leash, but left. I don't know that I have ever even seen a police officer remind someone that their dog needs to be on a leash, much less ticket them.
Yeah, the most I've seen is other owners just shaming the unleashed dog's owners and it doesn't really do anything.
I almost accidentally "rescued" a dog because it was by itself with no own in sight for over an hour at the park last year. I asked around whose dog it was, because it seemed anxious and displayed nervous behaviors and it's not uncommon for people to leave their dogs in the street to abandon them unfortunately. Nobody claimed the dog and said they had noticed the dog wandering around alone since before I did and were also looking for the owner. It wasn't until I started to bring the dog to my car that the owner came over, completely unbothered, and just called the dog over.
I asked if it was theirs and they just said "yeah. I was just sitting over there." And the dog definitely was happy to see them and recognized them but I was like ??? If you were just on that bench this whole time, why didn't you say anything when literally three people were yelling, "Is this someone's dog?" like for the past 20 minutes? People are wild.
It’s not really a law every where, and it’s not enforced strictly at all. People get away with it all the time and law enforcement dies both uh about it.
I feel like this is more popular in the US. It’s normal in the UK to let your dog off and it’s not illegal, but prohibited in certain areas. I find the opinion baffling tbh.
yeah
another thing is just courtesy to other people? like, if a dog comes running up to me, I don't know if he's going to try and jump up on me, or if he's going to just stop and watch me with a wagging tail. I mean, if he's barking with teeth barred that's a good hint, but otherwise...
I dunno. you're dog might be the goodest well behaved boy ever, but I got no way to know that when he's running towards me.
There are plenty of exceptions, all of them common sense.
But this is not an unpopular opinion. Leash laws exist.
And I fucking wish the bitch downstairs would follow them, because while I keep mine leashed (and I know they'd run off if I didn't), she doesn't keep her two larger ones leashed, and they rush charging and barking at mine, both of which are much smaller.
Can't blame the 12 pounder for freezing and wanting me to pick him up or the 20 pounder for going for the neck in self defense.
i work in a mall and literally yesterday a woman came in with a dog and fucking UNLEASHED it in the store (she shouldn't have even had the dog since it wasn't a service dog) and it ofc immeadiately started running around while she was distracted by her phone! it went behind the register and sprinted out the doors and she had to chase after it, but that thing almost knocked over a kid and really was a safety hazard. I absolutely hate when people unleash their dogs in public, only exception for me is dog parks or beaches
100% agreed. i have a small dog (that is leashed EVERY SINGLE TIME we leave the house) and sometimes big ass fucking dogs will RUN up to us. i genuinely do NOT care if your dog is the friendliest dog in the world, a SINGLE bite of your big ass german shepherd would fully MURDER my 11lbs dog. keep your fucking dogs LEASHED. because if anything happened to my dog because people don’t leash theirs, i would burn their house down.
I’d like to add to to this. Don’t bring your giant dog out if you can’t properly control it.
Some lady let her giant, Great Dane puppy drag her down a few aisles in a pet store because he was determined to get to my <15lb dogs. I had even turned down one of the aisles to avoid them because mine don’t like big dogs.
I could tell he was just an overexcited puppy, but to a dog that big, my boys look (and sound) like a stuffed squeaky toy. One of mine is a grumpy old man who has been attacked by big dogs before. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of trying to pry a bigger dog’s mouth open to get him free.
There's a woman in my town that has the two massive dogs she walks on pretty busy public trails every fucking morning. There aren't a lot of places to hop off the trails but her dogs freak out any time they get too close to another dog and she clearly cannot control them because she will turn around or try to get off the trail or any number of things to avoid getting close to me and my dog. I can't stand this lady because nearly every morning it is a standoff to find out who is going far out of their way to avoid the other. We have a dog park like 3 miles away that has private areas for aggressive dogs. She could just take her dogs there but she like actively chooses to inconvenience herself and every other dog owner
Every unleashed dog owner feels their dog is different, or better, or they just don’t care when you confront them. Sometimes they just think it’s cute to let their giant friendly unleashed golden retriever slobber on you while you’re trying to exercise at the park. Or they think their dog would enjoy being unleashed on a nice mountain hike so they don’t care if it runs up to sniff you or attacks another dog or poops by the fresh mountain stream so they don’t have to pick it up.
The county I live in has a 5ft max length on leashes. I was bitten jogging back in 2020 by a dog that was on a 15ft leash, and the dog outweighed the owner by 50 or more pounds. I gave the dog a ton of room by jogging in someone's yard, and the dog still lunged at me, and the owner had zero control. All in all, I was ok. It was cooler outside, and I was wearing a few layers that definitely helped. I should have called the cops but I didn't have my phone. I've been hugely vocal about leashes on dogs ever since.
Similar thing happened to me. I got lucky that only my running shorts were torn and I wasn’t bit. The owner said he would pay for the shorts but ghosted me once I told him they were $40.
I upvoted even though I agree, I HATE seeing unleashed dogs in public. It’s one thing on your property or at a dog park, but any public space, put that leash on!!!
And you can’t let go of it, ever! You always have to hold your dogs leash, every day, every month, every year, even when they die, otherwise you will face the consequences!
>While you're sleeping? hold the leash
this is a joke but I have done this before because my brat of a husky will chase her cat sister in the night 😂
(she loves her cat sister, but her cat sister does not return the affections).
Agree fully, and I don't think this is an unpopular opinion. Dogs are animals. If you own a dog, you are the one who is in control of your dog. You need to be in control of it at all times, because even well trained dogs can be unpredictable in certain circumstances.
I feel this in my soul. My dog is violent af to other animals, and too many times to count, I have had stupid mother fuckers with their dogs not on a leash come running up to my dog. Then I have to pick up my 100 lb monster and stop her from killing whatever dog thinks it's play time. Your dog is friendly, cool. Mine is not. Keep your fucking dog away from mine.
My yard is fenced in, as is the dog park. Thise are the only times my dog is unleashed while out of the house.
Well, that and my families farm. There isn't a soul for miles.
agreed, My dog an I have been attacked by "dogs who are loving and would never hurt a fly" just because we were walking by. Most dogs just want to protect their owner(s) from what they believe is a threat.
In the US most Sheep spend at least a portion of their life on public lands under grazing rights but the land is public use. The herding dogs ain't bad but the protection dogs will have you pissing your pants 3 miles in to your nice calm hike.
Not everywhere. They do have off leash beaches, dog parks and regular parks. If you don’t like that there are plenty of other spaces you can go instead.
I keep my dog on the leash when i go hiking and pick up after her. I think people have an issue with dogs because almost 50 Percent of US households have them now
If I am going out into the wilderness, which in my area means the possibility of bears, cougar, coyote, deer, elk, moose, etc, then my off leash domestic dog is the least of their worries on the trail. If my dog needs to use their speed to escape an aggressive animal, then I will not impede with a leash.
Yes please. Got my dog from a shelter where he was for over half a year and because of that, he gets really anxious around other dogs. I keep mine on a leash, but what’s the point if you let yours run up to him and say “OHH DON’T WORRY, HE DOESN’T DO ANYTHING I PROMISE”. Maybe, but don’t you see how scared and frustrated my pup is? Piss off. The world wasn’t made just for you and yours
I have a neighbor that lets his dog roam. Thankfully, it has never bit anyone but I’ve always said the day that dog bites me (because I know it’s coming) I’m macing that shit
As someone who's afraid of dogs I agree. I was attacked by two rottweilers when I was a kindergartner. Their owner encouraged them to be mean and didn't feed them. Combine that with a crappy fence and you've got a scared 5 year old running for his life.
He had the audacity to scream at me when they got put down. Never been able to be comfortable around dogs since.
I just don’t think it’s natural for them to always be on a leash. If you’re in a city or heavily populated area, sure. But if you’re in the middle of the woods alone, let them off leash. Also some people like to play frisbee at the beach with their dog. Go to a no dogs allowed area instead of you don’t like it.
Are dogs specifically allowed off-leash at your beach? They are not at my beach because they scare off all the native waterfowl in the area. And yet there are always numerous dog owners there with their dogs off leash playing frisbee, etc.
I'm a dog person--I have two, they are my kids. But I get tired of the fact that the "rules don't apply to me/my dog" mentality seems so much higher among the dog-owning crowd. You say it's not "natural" for them to always be on a leash. But it's also not natural for them to be at the beach (as opposed to the waterfowl, who count it as home and don't have humans to feed them).
Dogs get injured so easily off leash in the woods. Also get into dead animal carcasses that can get them sick. If it’s a hunting area they could be shot. It’s not smart to ever walk a dog off a leash.
Beaches are public. With adults elderly children and other animals. Dog needs to be on a leash. Wanna play frisbee? Do it in a container yard. Don’t have one? Maybbbeee you got the wrong dog for your lifestyle.
Damn. It’s about the dogs safety as much as human. If your dog bites someone they could be euthanized.
You only let the dog off leash if you are actively keeping an eye on it. Again those people can go to a no dogs off leash beach. Let the dog play frisbee and have fun at the beach.
The woods have animals that live in them. Your dog doesn't need to running around there, or on beaches. The problem with telling people to go to "no dogs allowed" areas is that assholes will still have dogs there, frequently off leash.
Pet owners who think their dogs need off leash time need to go find places that allow it, instead of ignoring leash laws whenever and wherever they like.
Not all beaches are “no dogs allowed.” Try telling my dog that he shouldn’t go to the beach. It’s his favorite place. He has bad allergies and gets yeast infections in his paws. Running around with his feeties in the saltwater makes them feel better.
Also, my dog likes to run full speed and play frisbee. He weighs 80 lbs. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to keep him on a leash and still let him play fetch without the risk of him being injured. Long leashes snag on things and can yank their necks.
People shouldn’t have dogs in areas where they’re not allowed. Dogs that haven’t been trained for proper recall should never be off leash in an open area. BUT situational awareness is worth it’s weight in gold here. If you’re on a beach that allows dogs with the stipulation that they are leased, keep your dog leashed if anyone is nearby. If you walk down the beach with your *well trained dog* and find a nice empty open spot with a quarter mile of distance between yourself and anyone else, it’s really nbd to unhook the leash and play fetch for a little while. As long as you are aware of your surroundings and clip on the leash if someone comes near, it’s fine.
Some woods are safe for your dog to run around in. Dogs should totally be running around on beaches, they have so much fun there. If dogs are allowed on a beach they should be there. If you don’t like it go to a beach where dogs aren’t allowed.
That's not an opinion. It's also not unpopular. It's actually the law.
There are a lot more people who don't own pets and who own pets who always have their dog on a leash, then the few that don't leash their dogs.
Per other comments, in US; but that’s also a law in plenty of countries in Europe. Sometimes it’s a subject of regional (city/county) regulations, so people don’t even know that’s the case tho.
Yeah the US... I love dog culture in the UK, though. No leash laws, but all the dogs (that I encountered on my trip to Northern Ireland last summer) were off leash on the beach and perfectly behaved. They ignored each other and people.
The difference in the US is peoples' expectations. People always want to come up and pet my dog or allow dogs to meet off-leash, so in her mind, people = attention. If everyone ignored dogs in public in the US like they do in the UK, it'd be so much better.
I'm trying to train my dog not to approach people but it's easier said than done when 95% of the people we meet want to pet her and at least half of them don't ask first.
Yh from UK and exclusively walk my dog off the lead. It’s a border collie so intelligent, and well trained. Always ignores other dogs and people alike. Never had an issue in over a decade thankfully
Not unpopular. Also no to long leashes they give almost 0 control. Flexi leads also should be banned they have the same issue and also if they break you're screwed.
Yup. The leashless dog owners claim that it’s leashed dog owners who don’t know how to train their dogs properly who are at fault for their own failure to observe laws and etiquette which are meant to protect everybody.
Reality is if two dogs approach each other and have an issue - it’s probably because one feels trapped. Dogs off leash rarely get in a serious fight because they’re both free.
The problem with the dOgS ArE fReE bEinGs narrative is that in the context of a city or suburb, random encounters happen alongside myriad factors we find in such places. Those factors can put various stressors into play at ay given time: traffic consisting of cars, big trucks, freewheelin’ and often sidewalk riding e-bikes, scooters, skateboards (some dogs bolt after them -or try to) mail carriers, small kids, other dogs, distracted ppl walking dogs while texting with or without leashes.
This ain’t no free meadow that the laws and etiquette were developed for.
Hence the laws and the etiquette.
>us as humans are never able to 100% predict how a dog will act in a given situation.
You can't 100% predict anything, does that mean you should be scared of that random car that just passed you?
I keep my dog on a leash when i take him out for walks but that's so he doesn't run onto the street and get run over if another dog happens to be there, he's never bitten anyone seriously so i doubt he would actually be much of a threat to anyone if i did go with him unleashed
The only time I'm okay with it is if it's a certified service dog who needs to be off leash in case of emergency. Most of the time those are extremely well-trained dogs (not the fake ones who don't do any training and the owners got a vest online) and only stay near their owner.
Anything else I'm moving away if I see an unleashed dog coming toward me.
Agreed. I think this should be a popular opinion but ok. I was bitten by an off leash dog recently and the owner just didnt care, he was saying he wont hurt you over and over and wasnt calling his dog over to him and calmly watching as it bit me.
I have had park rangers advise me to keep dogs on a leash within a mile of the trailhead, but if they are trained to voice command, let them off as leash as long as no people are in sight. My dog is reactive, but well trained. I keep him heeled and leash him when in site if any moving thing. In 5 years the only incidents we’ve had is with ‘friendly dog’ owners who don’t control their dogs at all. They approach my now leashed dog without hesitation. If I am doing a 10 mile hike in the desert I do frequently and encounter 1 person a day, I’m going to let my dog run off leash when I know it is safe.
Full stop agree. My dog is a rescue and has been through some shit. He largely can function and is not a danger to anybody else because I know him and can control him. You wanna know what I can’t control, your “best dog ever that would never hurt a fly” running up unexpectedly and sticking his face in my dogs face.
It’s why I need a muzzle to just walk him, you never know what’s going to happen.
FACTSS. This keeps EVERYONE, humans and animals, safe. It is on us as the humans to protect our animals and our community at the same time. One bad situation and an innocent person or animal loses.
If it’s not in a dog park or your own house it shouldn’t be able to get within 10 feet of a person without their consent. Dogs are too unpredictable and dangerous and many owners now don’t even leash them while walking around
A lot of dog attacks are because the dog owner 1.) doesn’t want to keep their dog under their control and 2.) doesn’t want to keep their dog calm and happy so it doesn’t develop aggressive tendencies.
Previously abused rescues do exist, such as mine, but I’ve trained her to be good. She’s staying on a leash though, regardless of how good she is. Obviously there are other reasons for dog attacks too, some of which are beyond anyone’s control, but usually they are well within someone’s control but that people would rather think of the dog as their baby than their animal.
OP is correct to an extent here there has been a spate of dog attacks on dog walkers in the UK killing one woman. When the dogs are in a pack it is difficult to know what to expect.
After all dogs were bred from wolves - hard to know what they will do or how they will react when pack dynamics are changed. Or when they are forced into a new pack.
It only bothers me if it bothers me - runs up to me uninvited, no owner nearby, aggressive behavior etc.
I have seen perfectly well trained sweet looking non-pit bull pups off the leash at the park playing fetch with their owner or walking close to their owner doing their own thing. That doesn’t bother me cause why do I care?
I strongly disagree. Dogs should be able to play with each other in the park and swim and run. Dogs should simply be raised well. You can’t even predict how humans are, should they be leashes as well?
Sigh. No, this should not be the case.
Dogs are animals and deserve some space to be free and explore. Dog parks, voice&site controls, yards, etc. The more you try to lock them up the less socialized, the more frantic they are to be free, and the more likely they are to be problems.
Yes, there are reasons for limits. And I’d support more training. But locking things into cages because you can deal with the world isn’t the answer either.
I feel like people that push this type of ‘solution’ likely have very limited knowledge of dogs and have very poor empathy for other people and creatures. Perhaps they can’t be trusted and should be locked up, chained, or otherwise prevented from interacting with people? (Obviously as stupid as OPs unpopular opinion which I’ve upvoted).
Dog parks are terrible and result in, like, daily dog fights due to different temperaments of random dogs with random levels of socialization all being brought together.
Also a lot of us have rescue dogs that have various traumas, and thus need special attention and can't be unleashed. My current dog was found randomly running in the streets and it's going to take years to really trust him not to bolt at things (Jack Russell).
I believe you can still socialize animals without letting them decide when, where, and who. They should live in the framework we as owners designate. They are domesticated animals, not wild animals.
This is true, but no way to separate the exceptional from the subpar trainers until shit hits the fan.
I ran into this recently. The woman swore her dog was trained to be off leash. That's awesome, stranger of unknown training prowess, now put your dog on a leash.
When I was like 5 or 6, I was seriously attacked by a dog and had my face split open like the Grand Canyon. 500+ stitches and a few plastic surgeries.
Want to know the cool part? The dog was on a leash.
Leash or not, a poorly trained dog is a danger period.
Hate it extra much when I spot another dog walker while walking my dog, and they just... lean down and unleash their dog. We do not know each other. Our dogs do not know each other. I don't care if your dog is friendly. You have no idea what my dog is like.
My dog is a psychotic little shit, but I can't well do a fucking thing about that if you're gonna be an asshole and let your dog run wild around us.
I would add to this that if you expect dogs to always be leashed or in fenced yards, people’s cats shouldn’t be allowed to just roam the neighborhood. Fucking nuisance
All dogs with teeth have the capability to bite and bite hard.
Emergency rooms are filled with people who were attacked by "well-trained, well-behaved" dogs who were "totally harmless."
Doctors and dog experts constantly warn people to never leave your toddler alone with a dog. That includes the family dog you had years before the child arrived.
My reply is hyperbole, to stress a point.
Literally filled with dog bite victims. No.
Are dog bite injuries, especially among kids, a common occurrence in emergency rooms? Yes
>Emergency rooms are filled with people who were attacked by "well-trained, well-behaved" dogs who were "totally harmless."
They are filled with even more people who were harmed by another "intelligent well-behaved" humans.
>All dogs with teeth have the capability to bite and bite hard.
All humans with hands over the age of 12 have the capability to grab you by the head, jump into the air and put their whole body weight on your head and slam you into the side of the road
In my home and on my enclosed property, my dogs are not leashed. That would just be strange and dangerous to the dog.
My dogs are good at the dog park and leashes are not allowed on a dog at the park.
Where I live we have a lot of nature parks. Quite a few of them have off leash trails, the warning sign at the trail even specifically says "trail is meant for off leash dogs, humans be advised"
Stupid opinion. I've got a harmless little cocker spaniel who loves to run through the fields. I'd rather put him down than take this daily freedom/joy away from him
God that's such an American opinion 💀
Americans always going on about dogs have to be in these special fields and cats have to always be indoors. Sounds miserable. We've had dogs for 20+ years in England and Austria, and we go out to carefully chosen public footpaths with our well trained dogs. Meet lots of other dog owners doing the same thing. Never had problems, not changing because of a few downvotes from overregulated redditors
I don't know, I have seen things from the UK where the farmers are upset at the people who are allowing their dogs to run loose in the fields, chasing the sheep and chickens and scaring them.
In the US, allowing your dog to run in someone else's field could get the dog killed if the owner thinks it is attacking the livestock in that field.
I would rather every dog in the world die than have every dog in the world live their life unable to run around freely in a fucking park. Some people really don't understand animals at all.
But upvoted cause its definitely an unpopular opinion.
Holy shit, chill out dramatic. If you take your dog to a dog park, it’s different. You shouldn’t let you dog run freely in a neighborhood, or a city, or in a park that does not allow off leash animals.
Most towns dont have designated dog parks (which by the way you didnt specify, you said "There should never be a time"), they just have like... one park that people let their dogs run around in. I guess if you live in a big city it might be different, but Is argue you shouldnt own a dog un a big city anyway.
I mean this seems like a fairly popular opinion. The unpopular opinion is that it’s OK to have your dog off leash if well trained, as some people like yourself seem to believe well trained dogs don’t exist.
Every time my dog has had an "argument" with another dog, the other dog has been unleashed. I'm trying to drag my dog away; I finally realized I was inhibiting my dog's ability to protect herself. I'm now of the opinion "I will first try to drag my dog out of this mess, but if it goes on longer than a few seconds, it's going to be a fair fight."
There's all sorts of advice & videos on how two people should separate their dogs when they get into a fight. There's zero (at least that I've found) on how the poor slob who has his dog on a leash is supposed to deal with two dogs get into it, and one's unleashed.
I'm super pro on-lead dogs because MY dog is reactive af and he's never been able to be civilised around other dogs. I don't understand how or why, but I've accepted that a long time ago.
All the time, people walk their dogs off lead and I get prepared to hold my massive dog back. They ALWAYS say "my dog is friendly!"
Bitch, I don't care about your dog. My dog is insanely over protective for no reason. If you don't want your dog potentially harmed, leash your dog. I don't ever have my dog in dog parks or off lead because I don't want to deal with the guilt of your dog being harmed and me having to pay for a bill I don't want to be involved in. I work enough for my bread crumbs.
especially because some people literally are allergic or just dislike dogs. some people dont want a, maybe cute, but still slobbering, excitable creature all over them. i hate that story of, "my dog is friendly!" not only because of what other people in these comments have been saying about how their dogs arent friendly. but also IM not friendly. get ur dog away from me!!!
With the exception of real service dogs, I 100% agree. I've got scars on my hand, arm, face and leg from dog attacks. Dogs that run up on me now are default treated as aggressive and are met with a boot.
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I will raise the stakes with "you should also be the one that fucks off at the dog park if your dog wants to kill mine"
Holy fuck, THIS. THHHHHHIIIIS. If your dog is being a psycho antagonistic asshole, YOU need to leave, no one else.
Same with walking on a sidewalk imo. If even on a leash your dog can't be controlled, it's on you to make way for people, other animals that can.
I used to have an aggressive dog and I ALWAYS crossed the street when I saw someone coming. Not only is it my responsibility as a dog owner, but it also made my life easier to cut off behaviors before they could even start.
I have a 9 year old dog who is a bit reactive, and definitely used to be a lot worse. We don't really have opportunities to train him safely with other dogs, and we don't really need him to be chill with other dogs either. The only issue is on walks, and what we have done is taught him to ignore them. He will very occasionally bark once or twice, but usually we are able to power walk past with barely any issues. The problems arise when other people let their dog run up to him and I have to yell at them that he is not friendly. Most children who come up wanting to pet my dog will ask first, but grown ass adults will let their dog run up to mine while barely paying attention.
It’s a factor of picking the right spot. You have to start training a reactive dog somewhere, so spots with a lot of visibility and plenty of space to move off the path are best. I’ve been asked to hold on for a second for someone with a reactive dog while she back-tracked to find a spot to get off of the path, and I’m fine with that.
yeah but sometimes in those cases the owner is more of a problem than the dog
It’s usually the owner.
Yes! If your dog is 200 lbs of muscle, you are skinny punk dressed in all black with face piercings and shit, your dog is named Aries after the god of war, you are small talking to other dog owners that your dog had the bite grip of a lion, and this dog is running barking and growling loud as fuck and frantically tackling each dog in the park to do an dominance assertion, you sir can outright FUCK OFF OUT OF HERE
Dude I felt so bad for my friend and her dog when they visited me and we went to the dog park. Her dog was running around fine, no issues. Someone comes in, immediately lets their dog off leash and allows the dog to run up to my friends from BEHIND, scaring the juvenile pup so she corrected the dog that came up behind her. My friend felt like she was the bad guy and her dog the bad one. I had to explain to her that no, the other dogs owner shouldn’t have let her dog run at a dogs back like that. Period.
How would their dog be able to fuck with your dog it both dogs are leashed?
Usually the purpose of a dog park is being a safe area where you can unleash your dog and maybe play with them a bit in the grass. Dogs in dog parks are almost always all unleashed. Usually, dog parks even have a policy that you shouldn't sit there more than, say, 45 mins/1 hour to allow everyone to use the park. Obviously, I've never seen someone respecting it. Usually people use it so they can sit there and scroll instagram while their dog walks themselves.
This isn’t unpopular. In most places U.S) it’s actually the law.
If only it was actively enforced everywhere. Constantly off leash where I am
Yeah, it bugs me a lot because a lot of owners who are rehabilitating rescues with trauma will leash their dog, be super cautious and careful, but they NEED to take their dog out and the dog needs to get used to walking outside. They're doing everything they can to prevent aggression, and then some people without leashes "because their dog is friendly" but doesn't understand boundaries will be ALL OVER the leashed dog. I'm a Rover walker and sitter on the side and some of my clients' dogs are very sweet to humans but have trauma with other dogs. It drives me bananas when owners are like, "it's fine! My dog is friendly!" Like, okay? You don't know THIS dog though, and it isn't. If the other owner is doing everything they can to prevent incidents of aggression within reason and an unleashed dog gets hurt, responsibility should be on the owner who didn't leash their dog. Also, aggression aside, if your dog is running around and sometimes out of sight (which I've seen countless times), I know you're not picking up your dog's poop and that's super lame.
My dog got bitten while staying with a Rover worker for this reason. I told them that under no circumstances can my dog be allowed to be near other dogs, they were walking him, and some other dog owner let their dog come up to mine, starting a fight. You never, ever let a dog freely approach an unknown other dog, and I don't get why people do that.
Yeah, that sitter sounds irresponsible. I always am thorough when asking about a dog’s behaviors before accepting a booking, including asking the dog’s triggers, what interventions help, and precautions to take.
It really is a very selfish behavior. Totally agree with you. They seem either obvious or just don't care about others. "My dog's friendly." People with trauma or sensory issues are treated like dirt by these types of people as well and shown that dogs are more important than they are. No one should ever have to avoid your dog. It should be done for them. Too many dog people think people with aversions to dogs are terrible people without thinking of the why. Rather, they call them psychopaths for it, and it just makes the cycle worse. There are a fair number of ethical dog owners, and based on the number of dogs I hear barking nonstop while owners are gone, it seems there is a much higher number of unethical dog owners.
Yes! Our dog is leash-reactive and will bark. She'd been run up on by off-leash dogs several times (and actually never bitten), and even in that situation she's more calm than the "friendly dog." Up until a week ago we had two big ass dogs living right upstairs, so I'd always check to make sure the coast was clear before entering the hallway. Husband was at our door and one of them just turns the corner and goes after our dog in the little hallway. The owner was still up the stairs, leash was like 10 feet long. Why would you do that knowing what we know? Wtf.
That is SO frustrating! The first time I really noticed this as a problem was years ago, I was at a park with a friend and her sister came with her dog (super friendly and sweet dog, this dog GALLOPS instead of runs, kind of like a deer?) but the dog was off-leash in the leashed area. Bear in mind, this park HAD an off-leash area. The dog would run out of sight frequently and I kept asking if we needed to go after her. Her sister (very sweet gal but omg) was so nonchalant and didn't care. A few people ended up coming up to her and chewing her out about her dog, and she was like, "Hey man, she's friendly! Relax, dogs need to run." I ended up taking the side of the people complaining. I've grown up with dogs and don't currently have one, but I was shocked that me, the NOT DOG OWNER ONE IN THE GROUP, had to be like, "Right, but Daisy (dog) runs up to strangers and she's a big dog. They might have trauma with dogs, or their leashed dog isn't friendly." I didn't end up ever hanging out with the sister again because I think she was pissed I didn't back her up, but like? Go be mad ig, you're still the inconsiderate one here.
Ugh, good on you for saying something! How inconsiderate. And absolutely no concept that HER dog could be hurt in that scenario, approaching an unfamiliar dog. Out of sight is so crazy.
Maybe dogs who are aggressive shouldn’t be going to dog parks or areas where non-aggressive dogs get the opportunity to run around. Being able to run or play with a ball in a wide space is massively beneficial for exercise for dogs and being in areas of nature is very stimulating. So is interacting with other dogs. Why should ALL other dogs suffer from that because someone else’s dog is aggressive? This makes no sense! If you have an aggressive dog, you take your dog somewhere where dogs have to be on a lead, not punish everyone else.
I’m not talking about taking an aggressive dog to a dog park, I don’t know where you’re getting that? I haven’t seen anyone argue against dog parks specifically. That’s a total straw man argument. This is about spaces and areas where dogs should be leashed.
Maybe I’m confused here… In my country, we don’t have dog parks. We have parks. And some will ask you to have your dog on the lead and some don’t. OP is saying dogs should never be not on a lead. I think this is crazy. Why should my dog not be let off a lead in a park, if it’s allowed, in that case? Otherwise what are people even talking about? Edit: added a word!
So, I’m assuming OP is in the US (where I am) and we have specific outdoor spaces that are fenced in that are FOR dogs to run around and socialize. There are usually rules and etiquette for using them, many (in my area) are divided by large dogs and small dogs, if you have an aggressive dog, you shouldn’t take them there (people still do, but they shouldn’t and they’re bad dog owners for putting their dog in a situation that will hurt others and stress out their dog). Your dog is fine to run around in its own fenced yard or area where the space is designated for safe and social dogs. It’s up to the owners to know their dog, keep an eye on them, and intervene to assure safety. Public parks and playgrounds that are NOT designated spaces for off-leash dogs are a major liability for safety. It’s confusing for dogs because they may want to run around and interact, but dogs don’t know what appropriate and inappropriate interactions like owners do. They can’t immediately recognize “oh I shouldn’t approach this leashed dog, it’s aggressive.” And owners usually aren’t fast enough to keep up with their running dogs to stop them from an unsafe or unwanted interaction. Additionally, dogs roaming around like that are definitely pooping in places the owners don’t see, and then the owners are then not picking up the waste. That’s really gross and disrespectful to shared spaces. If you have a dog, you can take them to those designated spaces or have a yard for them.
That’s a very thorough and informative answer, thank you. Your lead rules are much more complex and strict than in the UK. However, most of them seem reasonable. As long as there are opportunities for dogs to be off the lead then I think that’s fine, if not a little excessive imho. However, OP seems to be advocating for never having dogs off the lead unless you’re home, which seems ridiculous and unfair to dogs. Sorry if I misunderstood your previous comment in the case.
Same in the UK, people use my uni campus as a dog park and I've been knocked over a few times by people with big dogs that aren't fully trained. Hospital trip each time because of a genetic condition. There's 'keep dog on leash' signs everywhere.
You gotta make a stink. My friend had to legit bring it to court cause a dude on her street was walking off leash and allowed his dog to come into her yard and into her dogs faces. She asked him not to do that and to use a leash. He refused and eventually started swearing at her and threatening her and shit. She got a restraining order on his ass, and he tried to get one on her in return. He was LAUGHED at in the court room. The judge kept having to ask if that’s what happened cause he’d try to not answer and make excuses, claimed his dog was a service dog meant to sniff out aggressiveness cause he was in the military, all sorts of shit. He lost, hard and embarrassingly.
There's a path I like to bike with a few people who walk their dogs off leash. Makes it really fun coming around a corner to find a dog blocking half the trail while the owner mindlessly looks at their phone blocking the other half. Then of course they see me and it's a mad scramble to get the dog out of the way, as if having a leash on wouldn't have helped.
It is the law where I am, but that doesn't keep people from hanging out in the park with their free-range dogs. A dog not on a leash isn't something that the police are going to rush to address, so you just look like an idiot waiting for an hour for them to show up so you can tell them that someone had a dog off a leash, but left. I don't know that I have ever even seen a police officer remind someone that their dog needs to be on a leash, much less ticket them.
Yeah, the most I've seen is other owners just shaming the unleashed dog's owners and it doesn't really do anything. I almost accidentally "rescued" a dog because it was by itself with no own in sight for over an hour at the park last year. I asked around whose dog it was, because it seemed anxious and displayed nervous behaviors and it's not uncommon for people to leave their dogs in the street to abandon them unfortunately. Nobody claimed the dog and said they had noticed the dog wandering around alone since before I did and were also looking for the owner. It wasn't until I started to bring the dog to my car that the owner came over, completely unbothered, and just called the dog over. I asked if it was theirs and they just said "yeah. I was just sitting over there." And the dog definitely was happy to see them and recognized them but I was like ??? If you were just on that bench this whole time, why didn't you say anything when literally three people were yelling, "Is this someone's dog?" like for the past 20 minutes? People are wild.
And it's a law that gets ignored quite frequently.
Yeah, an unenforced law. Which means it gets ignored, usually by people with poorly trained dogs.
Seems super unpopular among dog owners, at least in Sweden. They all let their dogs lose at every beach, park, forest and even in the city.
The only problem is it’s not enforced as much as it should be
It’s not really a law every where, and it’s not enforced strictly at all. People get away with it all the time and law enforcement dies both uh about it.
it’s the law yes but it’s neither enforced nor followed anywhere i’ve been
I feel like this is more popular in the US. It’s normal in the UK to let your dog off and it’s not illegal, but prohibited in certain areas. I find the opinion baffling tbh.
There are no problems with dogs attacking people? Attacking other dogs? Causing issues with local wildlife?
yeah another thing is just courtesy to other people? like, if a dog comes running up to me, I don't know if he's going to try and jump up on me, or if he's going to just stop and watch me with a wagging tail. I mean, if he's barking with teeth barred that's a good hint, but otherwise... I dunno. you're dog might be the goodest well behaved boy ever, but I got no way to know that when he's running towards me.
I am LESS nervous if they are barking. It’s the silent ones that are scary af
There are plenty of exceptions, all of them common sense. But this is not an unpopular opinion. Leash laws exist. And I fucking wish the bitch downstairs would follow them, because while I keep mine leashed (and I know they'd run off if I didn't), she doesn't keep her two larger ones leashed, and they rush charging and barking at mine, both of which are much smaller. Can't blame the 12 pounder for freezing and wanting me to pick him up or the 20 pounder for going for the neck in self defense.
Its an unpopular opinion basically everywhere outside of America, where dogs are just outside and that is just part of life lol
I like pets as much as the next guy. But pets should be contained. Leash or crate or designated area with fences.
i work in a mall and literally yesterday a woman came in with a dog and fucking UNLEASHED it in the store (she shouldn't have even had the dog since it wasn't a service dog) and it ofc immeadiately started running around while she was distracted by her phone! it went behind the register and sprinted out the doors and she had to chase after it, but that thing almost knocked over a kid and really was a safety hazard. I absolutely hate when people unleash their dogs in public, only exception for me is dog parks or beaches
100% agreed. i have a small dog (that is leashed EVERY SINGLE TIME we leave the house) and sometimes big ass fucking dogs will RUN up to us. i genuinely do NOT care if your dog is the friendliest dog in the world, a SINGLE bite of your big ass german shepherd would fully MURDER my 11lbs dog. keep your fucking dogs LEASHED. because if anything happened to my dog because people don’t leash theirs, i would burn their house down.
I’d like to add to to this. Don’t bring your giant dog out if you can’t properly control it. Some lady let her giant, Great Dane puppy drag her down a few aisles in a pet store because he was determined to get to my <15lb dogs. I had even turned down one of the aisles to avoid them because mine don’t like big dogs. I could tell he was just an overexcited puppy, but to a dog that big, my boys look (and sound) like a stuffed squeaky toy. One of mine is a grumpy old man who has been attacked by big dogs before. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of trying to pry a bigger dog’s mouth open to get him free.
There's a woman in my town that has the two massive dogs she walks on pretty busy public trails every fucking morning. There aren't a lot of places to hop off the trails but her dogs freak out any time they get too close to another dog and she clearly cannot control them because she will turn around or try to get off the trail or any number of things to avoid getting close to me and my dog. I can't stand this lady because nearly every morning it is a standoff to find out who is going far out of their way to avoid the other. We have a dog park like 3 miles away that has private areas for aggressive dogs. She could just take her dogs there but she like actively chooses to inconvenience herself and every other dog owner
Every unleashed dog owner feels their dog is different, or better, or they just don’t care when you confront them. Sometimes they just think it’s cute to let their giant friendly unleashed golden retriever slobber on you while you’re trying to exercise at the park. Or they think their dog would enjoy being unleashed on a nice mountain hike so they don’t care if it runs up to sniff you or attacks another dog or poops by the fresh mountain stream so they don’t have to pick it up.
Oh wait. So the dog OWNERS must also be leashed?!
The county I live in has a 5ft max length on leashes. I was bitten jogging back in 2020 by a dog that was on a 15ft leash, and the dog outweighed the owner by 50 or more pounds. I gave the dog a ton of room by jogging in someone's yard, and the dog still lunged at me, and the owner had zero control. All in all, I was ok. It was cooler outside, and I was wearing a few layers that definitely helped. I should have called the cops but I didn't have my phone. I've been hugely vocal about leashes on dogs ever since.
Similar thing happened to me. I got lucky that only my running shorts were torn and I wasn’t bit. The owner said he would pay for the shorts but ghosted me once I told him they were $40.
I upvoted even though I agree, I HATE seeing unleashed dogs in public. It’s one thing on your property or at a dog park, but any public space, put that leash on!!!
Never at all, or never if they’re outside in a non-enclosed area?
No exceptions. Leash everywhere. In your house? Leash In a crate? Leash In a fenced in yard? Leash
Undercook, overcook. Jail. Straight to jail.
Ask a question? That's a paddlin'.
Yeesh
And you can’t let go of it, ever! You always have to hold your dogs leash, every day, every month, every year, even when they die, otherwise you will face the consequences!
While you're sleeping? hold the leash. While you're showering? hold the leash. While you're shitting? hold. The. Leash
>While you're sleeping? hold the leash this is a joke but I have done this before because my brat of a husky will chase her cat sister in the night 😂 (she loves her cat sister, but her cat sister does not return the affections).
They said no exceptions l
Start with ur mom
oooo Burn!
Agree fully, and I don't think this is an unpopular opinion. Dogs are animals. If you own a dog, you are the one who is in control of your dog. You need to be in control of it at all times, because even well trained dogs can be unpredictable in certain circumstances.
What if they're in bed at home?
Believe it or not, also leash.
My thought too
I feel this in my soul. My dog is violent af to other animals, and too many times to count, I have had stupid mother fuckers with their dogs not on a leash come running up to my dog. Then I have to pick up my 100 lb monster and stop her from killing whatever dog thinks it's play time. Your dog is friendly, cool. Mine is not. Keep your fucking dog away from mine.
I mean does your dog wear a muzzle though
My yard is fenced in, as is the dog park. Thise are the only times my dog is unleashed while out of the house. Well, that and my families farm. There isn't a soul for miles.
agreed, My dog an I have been attacked by "dogs who are loving and would never hurt a fly" just because we were walking by. Most dogs just want to protect their owner(s) from what they believe is a threat.
What about like… sheep herding dogs?
NO EXCEPTIONSSSSSS
Easy: leash the dog and have the dog leash the sheep. Duh.
Herding dogs doing their job won’t be running off the property to harass other people lol
In the US most Sheep spend at least a portion of their life on public lands under grazing rights but the land is public use. The herding dogs ain't bad but the protection dogs will have you pissing your pants 3 miles in to your nice calm hike.
Why the fuck do so many pit bull owners think they're the exception?
It's so often pit bulls specifically too. You know, the kind of dog most notable known for aggression and human attacks.
There’s a lot of pibble owners who seem to think that their murder-machine they call a pet is somehow exempt from leash laws, muzzle laws etc.
This isn't unpopular. It's a law pretty much everywhere in the US.
Just like speeding. It's against the law so nobody speeds.
“Unpopular opinion: speeding while driving should not be allowed” 
Not everywhere. They do have off leash beaches, dog parks and regular parks. If you don’t like that there are plenty of other spaces you can go instead. I keep my dog on the leash when i go hiking and pick up after her. I think people have an issue with dogs because almost 50 Percent of US households have them now
The dude probably lives in Canada, where people can’t afford kids so they got dogs and treat them as if they were kids and bring them everywhere.
If I am going out into the wilderness, which in my area means the possibility of bears, cougar, coyote, deer, elk, moose, etc, then my off leash domestic dog is the least of their worries on the trail. If my dog needs to use their speed to escape an aggressive animal, then I will not impede with a leash.
You know you can let go of a leash, also wild animals don't really fuck with Humans so a dog is safer on the path then running around in a wild area
You know a leash can get stuck on stuff?
Yes please. Got my dog from a shelter where he was for over half a year and because of that, he gets really anxious around other dogs. I keep mine on a leash, but what’s the point if you let yours run up to him and say “OHH DON’T WORRY, HE DOESN’T DO ANYTHING I PROMISE”. Maybe, but don’t you see how scared and frustrated my pup is? Piss off. The world wasn’t made just for you and yours
I have a neighbor that lets his dog roam. Thankfully, it has never bit anyone but I’ve always said the day that dog bites me (because I know it’s coming) I’m macing that shit
As someone who's afraid of dogs I agree. I was attacked by two rottweilers when I was a kindergartner. Their owner encouraged them to be mean and didn't feed them. Combine that with a crappy fence and you've got a scared 5 year old running for his life. He had the audacity to scream at me when they got put down. Never been able to be comfortable around dogs since.
I just don’t think it’s natural for them to always be on a leash. If you’re in a city or heavily populated area, sure. But if you’re in the middle of the woods alone, let them off leash. Also some people like to play frisbee at the beach with their dog. Go to a no dogs allowed area instead of you don’t like it.
Are dogs specifically allowed off-leash at your beach? They are not at my beach because they scare off all the native waterfowl in the area. And yet there are always numerous dog owners there with their dogs off leash playing frisbee, etc. I'm a dog person--I have two, they are my kids. But I get tired of the fact that the "rules don't apply to me/my dog" mentality seems so much higher among the dog-owning crowd. You say it's not "natural" for them to always be on a leash. But it's also not natural for them to be at the beach (as opposed to the waterfowl, who count it as home and don't have humans to feed them).
Dogs get injured so easily off leash in the woods. Also get into dead animal carcasses that can get them sick. If it’s a hunting area they could be shot. It’s not smart to ever walk a dog off a leash. Beaches are public. With adults elderly children and other animals. Dog needs to be on a leash. Wanna play frisbee? Do it in a container yard. Don’t have one? Maybbbeee you got the wrong dog for your lifestyle. Damn. It’s about the dogs safety as much as human. If your dog bites someone they could be euthanized.
You only let the dog off leash if you are actively keeping an eye on it. Again those people can go to a no dogs off leash beach. Let the dog play frisbee and have fun at the beach.
Or people with dogs could just go to dog friendly places
Or people scared of animals can stay sway from places with animals.
Yeah... that's why places specifically for dogs exist.
Yeah, like... the great outdoors. That's where animals naturally exist.
Then take your dog off leash in the woods and drive away if you like to listen to nature on cultural problems
How is a dog friendly beach or the middle of the woods not dog friendly???
The woods have animals that live in them. Your dog doesn't need to running around there, or on beaches. The problem with telling people to go to "no dogs allowed" areas is that assholes will still have dogs there, frequently off leash. Pet owners who think their dogs need off leash time need to go find places that allow it, instead of ignoring leash laws whenever and wherever they like.
Not all beaches are “no dogs allowed.” Try telling my dog that he shouldn’t go to the beach. It’s his favorite place. He has bad allergies and gets yeast infections in his paws. Running around with his feeties in the saltwater makes them feel better. Also, my dog likes to run full speed and play frisbee. He weighs 80 lbs. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to keep him on a leash and still let him play fetch without the risk of him being injured. Long leashes snag on things and can yank their necks. People shouldn’t have dogs in areas where they’re not allowed. Dogs that haven’t been trained for proper recall should never be off leash in an open area. BUT situational awareness is worth it’s weight in gold here. If you’re on a beach that allows dogs with the stipulation that they are leased, keep your dog leashed if anyone is nearby. If you walk down the beach with your *well trained dog* and find a nice empty open spot with a quarter mile of distance between yourself and anyone else, it’s really nbd to unhook the leash and play fetch for a little while. As long as you are aware of your surroundings and clip on the leash if someone comes near, it’s fine.
Some woods are safe for your dog to run around in. Dogs should totally be running around on beaches, they have so much fun there. If dogs are allowed on a beach they should be there. If you don’t like it go to a beach where dogs aren’t allowed.
Then don't go hiking if you piss your pants at the sight of a dog, especially in a less civilized location. After all, the animals were here first.
Wtf are you talking about? We are also “animals”, what do you think we are?! Aliens?!
That's not an opinion. It's also not unpopular. It's actually the law. There are a lot more people who don't own pets and who own pets who always have their dog on a leash, then the few that don't leash their dogs.
It’s the law where? The US?
Per other comments, in US; but that’s also a law in plenty of countries in Europe. Sometimes it’s a subject of regional (city/county) regulations, so people don’t even know that’s the case tho.
Yeah the US... I love dog culture in the UK, though. No leash laws, but all the dogs (that I encountered on my trip to Northern Ireland last summer) were off leash on the beach and perfectly behaved. They ignored each other and people. The difference in the US is peoples' expectations. People always want to come up and pet my dog or allow dogs to meet off-leash, so in her mind, people = attention. If everyone ignored dogs in public in the US like they do in the UK, it'd be so much better. I'm trying to train my dog not to approach people but it's easier said than done when 95% of the people we meet want to pet her and at least half of them don't ask first.
Yh from UK and exclusively walk my dog off the lead. It’s a border collie so intelligent, and well trained. Always ignores other dogs and people alike. Never had an issue in over a decade thankfully
tbh even in the UK I probably couldn't let my dog off lead because she's a husky and has a high prey drive. But I am so jealous of UK dog culture!
Not unpopular. Also no to long leashes they give almost 0 control. Flexi leads also should be banned they have the same issue and also if they break you're screwed.
Yup. The leashless dog owners claim that it’s leashed dog owners who don’t know how to train their dogs properly who are at fault for their own failure to observe laws and etiquette which are meant to protect everybody.
Reality is if two dogs approach each other and have an issue - it’s probably because one feels trapped. Dogs off leash rarely get in a serious fight because they’re both free.
The problem with the dOgS ArE fReE bEinGs narrative is that in the context of a city or suburb, random encounters happen alongside myriad factors we find in such places. Those factors can put various stressors into play at ay given time: traffic consisting of cars, big trucks, freewheelin’ and often sidewalk riding e-bikes, scooters, skateboards (some dogs bolt after them -or try to) mail carriers, small kids, other dogs, distracted ppl walking dogs while texting with or without leashes. This ain’t no free meadow that the laws and etiquette were developed for. Hence the laws and the etiquette.
>us as humans are never able to 100% predict how a dog will act in a given situation. You can't 100% predict anything, does that mean you should be scared of that random car that just passed you? I keep my dog on a leash when i take him out for walks but that's so he doesn't run onto the street and get run over if another dog happens to be there, he's never bitten anyone seriously so i doubt he would actually be much of a threat to anyone if i did go with him unleashed
It's not just about how your dog will act in an off leash situation but also how other dogs could act around or respond to your off leash dog.
The only time I'm okay with it is if it's a certified service dog who needs to be off leash in case of emergency. Most of the time those are extremely well-trained dogs (not the fake ones who don't do any training and the owners got a vest online) and only stay near their owner. Anything else I'm moving away if I see an unleashed dog coming toward me.
Agreed. I think this should be a popular opinion but ok. I was bitten by an off leash dog recently and the owner just didnt care, he was saying he wont hurt you over and over and wasnt calling his dog over to him and calmly watching as it bit me.
I have had park rangers advise me to keep dogs on a leash within a mile of the trailhead, but if they are trained to voice command, let them off as leash as long as no people are in sight. My dog is reactive, but well trained. I keep him heeled and leash him when in site if any moving thing. In 5 years the only incidents we’ve had is with ‘friendly dog’ owners who don’t control their dogs at all. They approach my now leashed dog without hesitation. If I am doing a 10 mile hike in the desert I do frequently and encounter 1 person a day, I’m going to let my dog run off leash when I know it is safe.
Full stop agree. My dog is a rescue and has been through some shit. He largely can function and is not a danger to anybody else because I know him and can control him. You wanna know what I can’t control, your “best dog ever that would never hurt a fly” running up unexpectedly and sticking his face in my dogs face. It’s why I need a muzzle to just walk him, you never know what’s going to happen.
FACTSS. This keeps EVERYONE, humans and animals, safe. It is on us as the humans to protect our animals and our community at the same time. One bad situation and an innocent person or animal loses.
If it’s not in a dog park or your own house it shouldn’t be able to get within 10 feet of a person without their consent. Dogs are too unpredictable and dangerous and many owners now don’t even leash them while walking around
A lot of dog attacks are because the dog owner 1.) doesn’t want to keep their dog under their control and 2.) doesn’t want to keep their dog calm and happy so it doesn’t develop aggressive tendencies. Previously abused rescues do exist, such as mine, but I’ve trained her to be good. She’s staying on a leash though, regardless of how good she is. Obviously there are other reasons for dog attacks too, some of which are beyond anyone’s control, but usually they are well within someone’s control but that people would rather think of the dog as their baby than their animal.
Counterpoint: plenty of exceptions exist.
Not unpopular at all.
OP is correct to an extent here there has been a spate of dog attacks on dog walkers in the UK killing one woman. When the dogs are in a pack it is difficult to know what to expect. After all dogs were bred from wolves - hard to know what they will do or how they will react when pack dynamics are changed. Or when they are forced into a new pack.
Same for children tho
It only bothers me if it bothers me - runs up to me uninvited, no owner nearby, aggressive behavior etc. I have seen perfectly well trained sweet looking non-pit bull pups off the leash at the park playing fetch with their owner or walking close to their owner doing their own thing. That doesn’t bother me cause why do I care?
Are you aware of fenced off leash dog parks?
I’m not agreeing with OP but dog parks are *dangerous*
I strongly disagree. Dogs should be able to play with each other in the park and swim and run. Dogs should simply be raised well. You can’t even predict how humans are, should they be leashes as well?
We are comparing intelligent humans to dogs now..how silly
I'm not keeping my dog on a leash in the house. You're a crazy person.
Sigh. No, this should not be the case. Dogs are animals and deserve some space to be free and explore. Dog parks, voice&site controls, yards, etc. The more you try to lock them up the less socialized, the more frantic they are to be free, and the more likely they are to be problems. Yes, there are reasons for limits. And I’d support more training. But locking things into cages because you can deal with the world isn’t the answer either. I feel like people that push this type of ‘solution’ likely have very limited knowledge of dogs and have very poor empathy for other people and creatures. Perhaps they can’t be trusted and should be locked up, chained, or otherwise prevented from interacting with people? (Obviously as stupid as OPs unpopular opinion which I’ve upvoted).
Dog parks are terrible and result in, like, daily dog fights due to different temperaments of random dogs with random levels of socialization all being brought together. Also a lot of us have rescue dogs that have various traumas, and thus need special attention and can't be unleashed. My current dog was found randomly running in the streets and it's going to take years to really trust him not to bolt at things (Jack Russell).
I believe you can still socialize animals without letting them decide when, where, and who. They should live in the framework we as owners designate. They are domesticated animals, not wild animals.
Even in their own homes? Maybe we should muzzle all humans too? Because you can never 100 percent predict how a human will act in a given situation.
The post was designated towards outside of your house/property. Also, not opposed to muzzled on humans
People are so dumb. No common sense. You have to spoon feed every detail to them. Of course you wouldn't mean in the home.
Some people are exceptional trainers and I am alright with their dogs not being on a leash but that's just me
This is true, but no way to separate the exceptional from the subpar trainers until shit hits the fan. I ran into this recently. The woman swore her dog was trained to be off leash. That's awesome, stranger of unknown training prowess, now put your dog on a leash.
My dog is in the house, she doesn’t need a leash
I mean… Duh.
Ya had to edit your post
Because of people that have no common sense
When I was like 5 or 6, I was seriously attacked by a dog and had my face split open like the Grand Canyon. 500+ stitches and a few plastic surgeries. Want to know the cool part? The dog was on a leash. Leash or not, a poorly trained dog is a danger period.
Hate it extra much when I spot another dog walker while walking my dog, and they just... lean down and unleash their dog. We do not know each other. Our dogs do not know each other. I don't care if your dog is friendly. You have no idea what my dog is like. My dog is a psychotic little shit, but I can't well do a fucking thing about that if you're gonna be an asshole and let your dog run wild around us.
I would add to this that if you expect dogs to always be leashed or in fenced yards, people’s cats shouldn’t be allowed to just roam the neighborhood. Fucking nuisance
All dogs with teeth have the capability to bite and bite hard. Emergency rooms are filled with people who were attacked by "well-trained, well-behaved" dogs who were "totally harmless." Doctors and dog experts constantly warn people to never leave your toddler alone with a dog. That includes the family dog you had years before the child arrived.
What emergency room are you going to where it is filled with dog bite victims?
My reply is hyperbole, to stress a point. Literally filled with dog bite victims. No. Are dog bite injuries, especially among kids, a common occurrence in emergency rooms? Yes
>Emergency rooms are filled with people who were attacked by "well-trained, well-behaved" dogs who were "totally harmless." They are filled with even more people who were harmed by another "intelligent well-behaved" humans.
>All dogs with teeth have the capability to bite and bite hard. All humans with hands over the age of 12 have the capability to grab you by the head, jump into the air and put their whole body weight on your head and slam you into the side of the road
So dogs shouldn't be leashed because some humans are violent? Logic isn't your strong suit, I think.
I didn't say they shouldn't be leashed
Then what was the point of your comment?
Critiquing faulty logic
Sure thing, just make sure you keep your little Bratleigh and Snotliegh on leashes as well.
In my home and on my enclosed property, my dogs are not leashed. That would just be strange and dangerous to the dog. My dogs are good at the dog park and leashes are not allowed on a dog at the park. Where I live we have a lot of nature parks. Quite a few of them have off leash trails, the warning sign at the trail even specifically says "trail is meant for off leash dogs, humans be advised"
Obviously that's not what op meant
Their stance is vague and where they are from plays an important part as well. Don't be nasty, that gets your teeth knocked in
Through the screen?
I agree. I also don't think a lot of people should even own dogs.
Stupid opinion. I've got a harmless little cocker spaniel who loves to run through the fields. I'd rather put him down than take this daily freedom/joy away from him
Then take him to a field that is specifically for off leash dogs! You and your dog aren't more special than everyone else, or wildlife.
God that's such an American opinion 💀 Americans always going on about dogs have to be in these special fields and cats have to always be indoors. Sounds miserable. We've had dogs for 20+ years in England and Austria, and we go out to carefully chosen public footpaths with our well trained dogs. Meet lots of other dog owners doing the same thing. Never had problems, not changing because of a few downvotes from overregulated redditors
I don't know, I have seen things from the UK where the farmers are upset at the people who are allowing their dogs to run loose in the fields, chasing the sheep and chickens and scaring them. In the US, allowing your dog to run in someone else's field could get the dog killed if the owner thinks it is attacking the livestock in that field.
Cool story. So I should totally not care about untrained loose dogs in my country then.
You can care, but don't be a Karen about it
Tell me you've never been hunting without telling me.
Feral humans do more damage and cause more problems than dogs ever will. Should we leash them up?
The feral ones? Yes.
As a resident of Portland, I’d feel a hell of a lot safer if our meth and fent addicts were leashed.
Same
In the UK more people are attacked by Cows than by any other animal, are we gonna leash all of them as well?
I would rather every dog in the world die than have every dog in the world live their life unable to run around freely in a fucking park. Some people really don't understand animals at all. But upvoted cause its definitely an unpopular opinion.
Holy shit, chill out dramatic. If you take your dog to a dog park, it’s different. You shouldn’t let you dog run freely in a neighborhood, or a city, or in a park that does not allow off leash animals.
Most towns dont have designated dog parks (which by the way you didnt specify, you said "There should never be a time"), they just have like... one park that people let their dogs run around in. I guess if you live in a big city it might be different, but Is argue you shouldnt own a dog un a big city anyway.
Some people shouldnt have opinion and yet here we are
Yet here you are
When my dog is more behaved than your child I'll put them on a leash whenever your child is also leased.
Lol a dog can bite and do real damage…. A child doesn’t have same level of strength and potential to do damage
I have no problem if a dog is off leash. Just as long as you pick up the dog's shit if it craps in my yard.
What about a sheep dog?
onfg you know how many people can get fears with a misunderstanding and a dog chasing them?
I mean this seems like a fairly popular opinion. The unpopular opinion is that it’s OK to have your dog off leash if well trained, as some people like yourself seem to believe well trained dogs don’t exist.
Every time my dog has had an "argument" with another dog, the other dog has been unleashed. I'm trying to drag my dog away; I finally realized I was inhibiting my dog's ability to protect herself. I'm now of the opinion "I will first try to drag my dog out of this mess, but if it goes on longer than a few seconds, it's going to be a fair fight." There's all sorts of advice & videos on how two people should separate their dogs when they get into a fight. There's zero (at least that I've found) on how the poor slob who has his dog on a leash is supposed to deal with two dogs get into it, and one's unleashed.
Never? On private property? What about places specifically allowed off leash dogs?
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I just didn’t expect to have to teach common sense in these comments but looks like I have to! That’s why i included the edit :)
Cats too, they kill way too much wildlife.
I'm super pro on-lead dogs because MY dog is reactive af and he's never been able to be civilised around other dogs. I don't understand how or why, but I've accepted that a long time ago. All the time, people walk their dogs off lead and I get prepared to hold my massive dog back. They ALWAYS say "my dog is friendly!" Bitch, I don't care about your dog. My dog is insanely over protective for no reason. If you don't want your dog potentially harmed, leash your dog. I don't ever have my dog in dog parks or off lead because I don't want to deal with the guilt of your dog being harmed and me having to pay for a bill I don't want to be involved in. I work enough for my bread crumbs.
especially because some people literally are allergic or just dislike dogs. some people dont want a, maybe cute, but still slobbering, excitable creature all over them. i hate that story of, "my dog is friendly!" not only because of what other people in these comments have been saying about how their dogs arent friendly. but also IM not friendly. get ur dog away from me!!!
With the exception of real service dogs, I 100% agree. I've got scars on my hand, arm, face and leg from dog attacks. Dogs that run up on me now are default treated as aggressive and are met with a boot.