Leads or not

For the most part, ours is off the lead.
We do take care not to have him in a situation where he could be at risk or be a risk to others if not on a lead. For example we walk in parks where there is no road traffic and we avoid school opening and closing times. The local children love him but not all parents are so accommodating.

The reasons I have him off lead are that he can run in and out of the woods, sniff animal trails, and get much more exercise that he would get constrained on the lead and being limited to our pace. He is

He is quite a big, active dog and really needs far more that he could get being restrained on a lead. I took him out at 06:00 this morning. Met people with dogs, some on and some off.

But one guy lambasted me for Max not being on one.
"Legally, you have to."
As it happens, the park rules don't actually require that except if a football match is under way. Understandable.

Anyway, I sent Max off the path and told him to wait. Which he did. We waited until the grumpy old git with his two big dogs trying to pull him over were some way off and we carried on. No lead.

I'd like to hear from others how they feel about the lead/no lead divide.

Leads on pavements etc and off everywhere else. That said, lots of dogs are on lead for a reason. No one has ever lambasted me for having my dogs off lead, mine are under control and give no grief to anyone.

Good on you.

As is mine. No grief. I walk out our of front door on to a common green and do about an hour with no roads to cross. That's where I was walking at six o'clock this morning.

One of the areas is a some quite rough ground with holes that can trip up the unwary. My dear wife doesn't like me to go there. Especially in the dark. I call it the forbidden land but I go there anyway. Lots of places for the dog to explore.

I live in the middle of nowhere in Scotland and so rarely take leads when I walk my dogs at home. (I have over 16,000 acres at my disposal). When walking somewhere more populated though my dogs will be on lead where there is traffic or someone else's livestock, otherwise, and if it is safe to do so, they are off lead.

My opinion is that leads are a necessary evil ... they cause misunderstandings and confuse the hierachical issues between dogs, but are necessary for obvious reasons near roads, livestock etc etc. They can cause confrontation but equally prevent trouble breaking out ... hence i say they are a necessary evil.

You are fortunate. We don't have that area. The big park closest is anout 42 acres. There is another 10 miles away which is about 200 acres with a lake.

Roughly where are you in Scotland?

It is absolutely clear in my mind, off lead at all times possible. The only times not possible are when near to roads and traffic or in a field with livestock (That's not often) I try to avoid the 'weekend walkers' because as you found out they are often just useless muppets without a brain

The UK is so heavily over populated that it's becomming more and more difficult to avoid these numpties.

We used to live in the middle of a huge forrest where we just walked out the back gate and could go for miles. In nearly eleven years we only ever saw humans on three occassions. Unless you live where Moobli does that isn't possible in UK.

Don't disagree with any of that.
We don't walk Max without a lead where there is traffic. He would probably be OK but probably isn't enough.

There was a concert on one of the local playimg field a few weeks ago. I thought I ought to have avoided it with Max. Against my better judgment, we walked straight ino the middle of it all. No lead. He was just fine. Even the police took to him.

I think you will find Losos was NOT advocating off lead dogs "near to roads and traffic"!

I live in the Southern Uplands at the moment (due to my husband's work) but own a cottage in the Highlands.