In your opinion perhaps it is, but again as I've already said - you've never met me, my dogs or know anything about my situation or where I walk. Without this information your beliefs are just based on stereotypes and judgements based on your own knowledge, which of course is fine, but it's not really all that applicable to someone you've never met and know nothing about imo.

My remarks are not aimed specifically at you, they are of course generalisations and apply to ANYONE IMHO.

You have to remember I investigate accidents DAILY, 99.99% of which could have been entirely avoided and were EASILY preventable; hence why I can see NO reasonable justification for your actions.

The words "he has never done that before" and "no traffic ever comes down this road" have been repeated to many times post accident for me to ignore........

Unfortunately quite often it is not only the dog and the owner that pay the consequences for such inaction but other people, which is why I feel so strongly about this issue.

If your dog is off lead and runs into the road for whatever reason, it is negligence on your part and I doubt your insurance cover would be valid so you could end up being sued by any unfortunate third party who might be involved.

If your dog is on lead and the lead breaks/collar breaks/dog slips its collar etc., it is an unfortunate accident and would be covered.

It's nothing to do with your ego or you doing anything illegal (I am not interested in either) but about common sense. I would have thought that someone working in a caring profession would have had more interest in the wellbeing of others, not to mention your dog.

Precisely, I find it gobsmacking that a nurse who sees so much pain and misery, much of it self inflicted and much of it entirely preventable/avoidable could countenance such a stance.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

And again, you have to remember you've never met me, my dogs or the areas where I've walked. Generalisations are great when analysing the "average joe", but then do they really exist? IMO no.

I'm aware of that, but thanks.

If I felt that letting my dogs off by the roadside was to risk their lives and that of others I wouldn't do it. I just calculate risks differently to you. This, coupled with the fact you know nothing of me or my circumstances just means you disagree with what I do. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you right, me wrong or vice versa.

Ah the Nurse thing, I wondered how long it would be before that would be thrown into the mix. These threads are nothing if not predictable.

BTW, how do you know my patients self inflict their misery on themselves?

Have to admit something now 25 years ago I used to walk one of my Cairn terriers off-lead near a (quiet) road. I got stopped by a policewoman He was a "bomb-proof" dog, very calm and well-behaved. Once walking him home off-lead a small kitten came out of a side road, came close to him and miaowed. How did he react? He sat and let it sniff him! He was an exceptional terrier. This was in my youth. Would I do the same thing now? Definitely not.

When people come into hospital etc they are quite often there due to their decision to drink to excess, to do stupid things eg dive into shallow swimming pools, drugs, drive without seat belts etc.

I am sure vets feel the same anger when animals come in with conditions/diseases which could have been avoided if ONLY the owners had taken a bit of care.

Not all nurses work in A&E, Ripsnorter could be a nurse looking after cancer patients for example, not all of whom have cancer because they smoke 60 a day. She could be a nurse looking after the elderly in a care home.

But I do want to ask a question if I may? What is the reason behind walking your dogs off lead alongside roads? You mentioned training them but i'm just wondering why a field wouldnt suffice for this? I'm asking because I cant personally think of any justification which would outweight the danger. I'm not having a go, just genuinely interested.

My views are not directed JUST at Ripsnorter, they are addressed to anyone who may be reading this thread who has the same outlook.

Not everyone looks at all perspectives when doing something and sometimes we are all too close to things to take an objective view.

Personally I could not care less what people do if it does not impact on me and THEY are the people who have to live with themselves if they incur a tragedy that could have been avoided.

I felt the same way about the moronic parent pushing her baby in a pram across a frozen lake, or people who walk their dogs near frozen lakes, or beside railways.........

It is a general observation about the avoidance of unecessary risk.