All pets MUST be on a leash - except yours...

[Gneiss Guy]

I really don't understand people who find it so difficult to be responsible pet owners. On this thread I read several people who state that they always keep their dogs leashed, except ... Then they mention the times they don't and explain why their puppy is the exception. "I have him under voice control." That's what the owner of the German shepherd said as his dog ripped open my arm as I jogged down a public street! When pet owners, of which I am one, complain about the NO DOGS ALLOWED rules in all national parks, this is the very reason it was promulgated. I loved my whippet and he, of all dogs, loved to run, but he was kept on leash at all times when that was the specified or even implied rule. If you do not follow those rules, you are a scofflaw and you give all pet owners a bad name.

[AWCHIEF]

GG, you got that right. Dog owners can always seem to justify to themselves why the rules do not apply to them. Yet they are the ones that complain the most when their little precious gets mauled or run over. I recently saw a perfect example of that up in West Virginia. Two dogs running free in a leash required campground. The big dog attacked the small dog and tore him up. Both owners were blaming the other one. No sense of taking personal responsibility from either owner. Go figure.

[ROBERT CROSS]

....after your dog.



No leash...it can be done...

[McDave]

Originally Posted by Ziggy2

Many leash laws like the one here is San Luis Obispo specifically state that a dog who can be controlled by command to stay and heel shall be considered tethered and on leash for the purpose of of this law. I've been in parks in this county and have had rangers ask me to demonstrate this when the dog has been off leash and my dog passes with flying colors. That said, even in jurisdictions that have this caveat, you'd better really have a dog who will stay put or you have problems.

This seems to generally be the case in the Western RV parks I have visited. I haven't noticed anyone making an issue of it, and I don't remember a single park I've visited where there weren't a few dogs here and there sitting off leash peacefully by their RV's. They are trained (or train themselves in most cases, I suspect) to sit and watch as people, with or without pets, go by without going over to investigate. I haven't ever been subjected to marauding dogs violating the privacy of my campsite. Maybe regional differences, I don't know.

I do know that it is impossible to train a dog to behave off leash if the dog is always leashed. I also highly suspect, from previous dogs I have owned, that many, if not most dogs, can never be trained to reliably behave off leash, either because of the temperament of the owner or the dog, or maybe both. But many can, and it flies in the face of an important aspect of dog/human relationships to deny it.

I agree that interactions between dogs on leashes and dogs off leashes often end badly. I don't know why, any more than I know why they always insist on vomiting on carpets rather than the bare floor nearby. Once, before I learned this lesson, I was walking through the park with my dog off leash, and when I saw an approaching person with a dog, I called my dog to heal. As they were passing, the other dog jerked the leash out of its owner's hand and ran over to attack my dog. It wasn't a smart thing for the other dog to do, because it was a smaller than Lupe, and so Lupe attacked back. Lupe never left the heal position while she was doing that, but that didn't stop the woman from yelling at me anyway. I eventually reached down into the melee and grabbed her dog by the scruff of the neck (not advised) and handed it back to her. But it did teach me that whenever passing a leashed dog with my unleashed dog, I should either give them a wide berth or if that is not possible, to leash my own dog until we have passed by. Not because I think Lupe will break her heel position, but because I have come to accept that some leashed dogs will act irrationally (by our standards; I'm sure it makes perfect sense to them) when they pass an unleashed dog on heel.


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[mlegried]

be humble and kind...follow the rules, it's that simple, those that don't let the rangers/hosts know...don't let it infringe on your amazing vacation or relaxation!

BTW Just purchased our first Airstream, TODAY, so excited, and the proud owners of two large Weimaraners, one elderly who can't hear or see well, and a puppy who can hear and see VERY well! We think they are amazing, but NOT EVERYONE loves dogs, so we try to be ultra respectful and call it a blessing when we can stay at homes (or now RV parks) that allow dogs. Take care of your dogs, follow the rules, or ruin it for EVERYONE. Enough said, STREAM on, we can't wait to join you!!

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by SteveandSam

I'm not sure why one wouldn't expect campfires in campgrounds.

.
Our two dawgs love to lay by the campfire with us on a cool evening whilst leashed to a ground tether...

We do not however, allow either one to smoke... or drink.

I agree with most of the peeves here. If you have pets with you, always leash 'em and carry a pocket full of poop bags out of respect & consideration for others. As well trained as ours are, like a distant uncle of mine, one can never really know what they may do next given a particular, uh... stimulus...
.

[Piggy Bank]

And just another point of view on the subject. And yes I do have dogs.

My father is legally blind, and worked for 45 years. He walked to and from the bus stop and rode the bus to work. Someone like him is unable to tell if your dog is leashed or not. He is counting on you to follow the rules and keep him safe.


Do you ever consider that not everyone your unleashed dog may come into contact with can see or hear well, is able-bodied, understands English if you make a comment, has good balance, has 2 hands free to shoo the dog away, and is physically able to avoid your dog if they need to?

Choosing to have a pet is your choice. But I feel that it is simply wrong of you to impose the physical presence of your pet into anyone else's personal space, ever.

Please consider others like my dad when you are caring for your pets.

[Rocinante]

We always kept our golden on a leash and picked up after him. If we saw someone failing to pick up after their dog, we always offered them a bag and said, "Boy don't you hate it when you forget to bring your poopy bag? Here, have one of ours." Then we'd wait until they picked it up.

It didn't seem to matter to him whether he was on leash or off, he loved every human and every dog. Wanted to greet and visit with all of them. As we reigned him in when approaching others, we'd gently remind him that not everybody loves dogs as much as he loves people, and give the other folks plenty of room / time to decide whether they wanted to pet him. Some would, but others would pass happily by, knowing we had him under control. Worked out fine.

[Sbb]

We stay in a private non chain park twice a year. Along with the lease and poo rules, they have the do not leave doggie in RV while you are out. That rule is never followed and there can be a lot of barking from inside when mom and dad are out. I feel bad for doggie.

[Rocinante]

Btw, story about an obedience champion dog: Owner had the dog in a "sit - stay" in the parking garage while getting some other stuff out of the vehicle. Dog saw a bird and leapt after it anyway. They were parked on the 3rd floor of the garage. Sad result.

Please do keep your dog on a leash, even if you think yours is an obedience champ. We have a person in our neighborhood who insists that his dog is under "voice command" at all times. It's a nasty, aggressive creature that actually only follows his command when it wants to. He, on the other hand, is an inconsiderate foolish person. <sigh>

[kscherzi]

I keep my shorthair pointer leashed unless he's working, and in that case its a electronic leash (Sportdog). He is unleashed in my backyard. I have a permanently attached to the garage long rope while he's with me in the front yard. When not retrieving he mostly likes to sleep, still I prefer he's leashed as I'd hate for him to run after something and be hit by a car.

I do wish that state and national parks would allow dogs on some low volume trails (leashed is okay with me) outside the tourist areas, and not just the fire road. It's otherwise hard to camp and keep the dog exercised on days when we are out and about.

I find it annoying that horses are allowed on trails when dogs are not. Horses are terribly destructive to a trail. They rip up rocks, loosen the soil, create erosion, leave piles of poop for long distances forcing us to hike through it and deal with the horseflies. By comparison a dog is nothing.

[rmkrum]

Mine kind of behave, but are never off leash outdoors unless they are in my arms and I have a firm grip on their collar or harness.

I don't want to chase them, see them get hit by a car, or taken as lunch by a coyote.

I don't need a leash law to tell me to do this either. It's just good sense.


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[kdickinson]

A rule is meaningless without enforcement. We have gone to the park office and report an off leash dog.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

I find it annoying that horses are allowed on trails when dogs are not. Horses are terribly destructive to a trail. They rip up rocks, loosen the soil, create erosion, leave piles of poop for long distances forcing us to hike through it and deal with the horseflies. By comparison a dog is nothing.

Gotta say, I'm with you there. We were hiking in Glacier NP on a trail shared by humans and hordes of horses. It was a muddy, poopy disaster of a trail. Just a terrible experience. We made the best of it, but I agree that horses on trails in National Parks do some serious damage.