Dogs off-leads near roads-WHY!!

Does anyone else meet a lot of numpties who insist on walking their dogs off-leads on pavements?

Yesterday in the space of 10 minutes from leaving our front door we saw 4 off-lead dogs. The first one was a small terrier cross carrying a tennis ball. It ran up to Parker but I quickly assessed its body language and thought it looked friendly which it was otherwise I would have crossed the road. Then we met another terrier cross. Around the corner there was a man with a child and 2 off-lead Staffies. Now Parker and Cherry both dislike Staffies (lots of bad experiences sadly) and would "kick off" if one was too near and off-lead but fortunately the man crossed the road with them before we got too near.

I am finding it annoying though as I have my dogs on-lead on the pavements and well-behaved but Cherry would not tolerate a strange dog running up to her (partly sighted and used to be very fear-reactive).

I have "kicked off" myself at someone in the past who had a Collie off-lead near a main road and it ran round the corner and growled at Cherry. She said dogs didn't have to be on-lead as long as they were away from the road by a certain distance. I checked this with the dog warden who confirmed dogs didn't have to be on-lead on the pavement as long as they were "under control".

I am trying to be positive about yesterday's walk as Cherry was actually very good at one point. We were just turning into a field when a man with 2 GSDs came out of the field and we were less than 10 feet apart. I quickly wheeled Cherry round, did an about turn, said good girl and she didn't react (very surprising!! she is very scared of big dogs and they were quite close!).

I am just annoyed at the fact that other people seem to have little concern for their dogs' behaviour. There was a man who used to live round the corner from me and most mornings when I was on my way back from our walk his 2 small terriers would run at Cherry and snap and snarl at her. He would just stand and watch. In the end I bought a pet-corrector spray to stop them doing this-worked a treat, they didn't come near her after that, but he wasn't too chuffed. I suggested politely that he'd better control his dogs then as if he didn't I would!

Sorry-rant over!

I hate that too actually I had a dream last night that I was walking Jobie and hadn't noticed that I'd forgotten his lead, I got really annoyed at myself before I woke up
Think the worst thing I've seen though is a dog offlead on a train platform

There are several dogs that are walked off lead next to a very busy A road I use every day where the traffic is 60 mph. It is only a matter of time before a) one of these dogs is killed and/or b) they cause an accident.

I had the unfortunate encounter with one such dog several years ago, having been on a defensive driving course I did not swerve (thus endangering pedestrians etc) and that dog went under my wheels.

Apart from the terrible consequence to the dog, and the agony of the owners (both of which could have been prevented) it is not a bundle of laughs for the driver either.

Dog owners such as these are irresponsible and I reported a man to the police recently who insisted on walking his aged boxer off lead and wandering over the public highway (where it is illegal to have a dog off the lead) and since then that dog is no on the lead at all times.

If you love your dog, why would you put it at risk?

I'm surprised at this as I thought they did have to be. Does it just refer to roads without pavements then? Or, presumably, if you crossed the road?

Its just the owners showing off

'look at me , my dogs sooooooo clever and ive trained it so well it doesnt need a lead '

Total idiots

Those of us with competition dogs, police dogs, guide dogs, assistance dogs etc do not do this and I would wager they are better trained than theirs, we just put a higher price on our dogs than our ego!

I thought it was a legal requirement for dogs to be onlead on pavements....I must've been wrong. Yeah, quite a few around here, all but one stick with their owners. I don't think it is people 'showing off' , here, I think it is simply that they have dogs who they trust off lead.

having said that, did someone once say it depends on the speedlimit of the road? ref the law and the on lead thing?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/27

Control of dogs on roads.E+W+S(1)A person who causes or permits a dog to be on a designated road without the dog being held on a lead is guilty of an offence.
(2)In this section “designated road” means a length of road specified by an order in that behalf of the local authority in whose area the length of road is situated.
(3)The powers which under subsection (2) above are exercisable by a local authority in England and Wales are, in the case of a road part of the width of which is in the area of one local authority and part in the area of another, exercisable by either authority with the consent of the other.
(4)An order under this section may provide that subsection (1) above shall apply subject to such limitations or exceptions as may be specified in the order, and (without prejudice to the generality of this subsection) subsection (1) above does not apply to dogs proved—
(a)to be kept for driving or tending sheep or cattle in the course of a trade or business, or
(b)to have been at the material time in use under proper control for sporting purposes.
(5)An order under this section shall not be made except after consultation with the chief officer of police.

I wouldnt dream of having any of my dogs off lead near roads, I think to much of them to put them at such risk. Sometimes when I take Culotte into our local village/town, there are two Pekingese, one that belongs to the local bar and one to a clothes shop they just wander around the town and there is a v bussy through road, the problem is they will start to follow and get too close to Culotte, she starts shouting for them to sod off and its Culotte who gets the dirty looks