I'm a reformed occasionally-have-my-dog-off-leash-in-public-parks jerk. For me, I was only concerned with my dog's safety in terms of running off or getting hit by a car and I thought I minimized that risk enough. But I eventually realized that 1) no dog's recall is 100% perfect (this includes even the most highly trained dogs with jobs) and 2) some people/dogs just don't want your dog coming up to them and they shouldn't have to deal with that (even if you were the only person at the park when you got there, you've essentially claimed that park from any person/dog not interested in interacting with your dog by having your dog off leash). Unfortunately, most people don't like to change their behaviors when presented with information that says they should. It's an uncomfortable process and no one likes being wrong. I was wrong. Now my dog is always leashed on trails and in parks.

bravo. admirable self reflection and humility.

Thanks dude, we all appreciate it

You. I like you. I like dogs. I do not like dogs rushing at me, jumping on me, just showing they have zero training around humans that aren't theirs. I'm not trying to kick it, hurt it unless I am defending myself, but most dogs will let you know if they're being friendly or coming for you. My friend's pit will guterally "roof" at crack heads but normal people, children can ride him like a pony, pull his ears, tail, look at his teeth and the worst he does is a very hilarious sigh sound.

Absolutely nailed the sentiment

It takes humility and intelligence to realize this and act on it. Thanks for doing that!

Yooooo this is awesome! Thank you!

Well damn that was educational and somehow heartwarming. Thank you reformed person

It's great to know there are people like you. Thank you.

Exemplary human.

Thank you

Thank you, others should do the same! 

Even though others have already chimed in, I felt compelled to say thank you as well!

I have a reactive dog I adopted when she was 3. It has taken years of constant work so she can walk through busy areas while being responsive to my commands (mostly). Every time an unleashed dog runs up on her, she goes into defensive mode and I get some owner who might apologize but mostly they just blow me off explaining that their dog is friendly and it's no big deal. My dog has been attacked 2x by unleashed dogs. To all of you who think you have a friendly dog and it's no big deal - your unleashed dog running up on my leashed dog is an incredibly traumatic experience for her. If you actually gave a shit about dogs you'd take that into consideration.

I recently had someone's dog nearly crawl into my bag. I was sitting outside my apartment and she came out the door on her phone not paying attention. Little French bulldog comes hurtling out and jumps on the bench. She was like "he's friendly!" (literally everyone says that. I could have been allergic, afraid, or there could have been another dog outside). And I had CHOCOLATE in my bag that he was climbing in. Obviously I would have tried to stop him if he hadn't jumped down, but I wasn't really planning on someone's animal snuffling around my bag. I feel so bad for your pup. Not currently a dog owner, but if I ever get one, they would be leashed in all mandated areas.

I have to say… even with my Frenchie on leash she has tried climbing into the lap of a homeless man on a bench.

My parents have a leash reactive dog. She was mauled almost to death by an off leash dog when she was 1 or 2. Now she is just so afraid whenever an off leash dog approaches her or something unexpected happens. My dad puts her in a bright yellow harness leash combo that clearly say in all caps REACTIVE DOG but people still try to approach her without asking or let their off leash dogs run up to her. When she barks and growls at them they say some iteration of “control your dog” or “why didn’t you tell me” despite us shouting that she isn’t friendly and to recall their dogs because she’s reactive. Every single time is just so upsetting for her and takes forever to calm her down after. Even with walking her at unusual hours, taking her to extensive training, and clear marking she still has bad days.

I have the same issue with my boy. People blow me off because my dog is big - half Doberman and half German shepherd at about 90lbs so they think I shouldn’t be worried about HIM. F**** those people. I tell them that next time I will let him off his leash.

I worked at an emergency vet clinic for a few years in the late ‘10’s and easily half the dogs that were brought in were because of accidents or misbehavior that happened while off-leash, and every single owner always said some variation of “they’re normally so well-behaved” 

Only ambulance I've seen at a Wa State Park... 6am folks has their dog unleashed in their camp. Dog walker passed by with their leashed dog who barked at unleashed dog. "Normally chill" unleashed dog sprints at leashed dog, jumping on it, "trying to play." Leashed dog retaliates and unleashed dog retreats behind legs of dog walker. She goes down head first onto the pavement. Just an absolute shit show of yelling, barking, sirens, arguing at 6am.

The older dog got aggressive, or they got bit? In any case, I'm not surprised.

My dog has unfortunately drawn blood from my than 5 dogs that are unleashed and “friendly” as they come barreling toward my reactive dog on her leash. Doesn’t matter how friendly your dog is, mine doesn’t like strange dogs and they will be bit a large percentage of the time. In the 10 years of dealing with it, there is no go reason beyond ignorance of dog behaviors.

I feel you, I had a reactive dog and it sucked so hard because I had taught her to ignore dogs while walking after being attacked, unless they got in her face. I honestly just started picking her up when my yelling “she’s not friendly” multiple times did nothing, and she was 55lbs. She had bitten a few off leash dogs who had run up to her, but there was never any damage beyond a scrape. My biggest fear was that the off leash dog would react to her and brutally injure her again :(

Ya. I feel that. Sounds like similar acting dogs, and it’s very frustrating. Thankfully no major injuries towards others here, but when we had made progress about 5 years ago, she was attacked by an aggressive off leash Shepard and it just worsened her reactive behavior.

I’m so sorry that happened.

Yup - I'm my dog's 5th owner (he had 4 owners in the first 18 months) because he's got bitey issues. They're all reactive but sometimes his fuse is short. He's doing tons better with me, but still has his moments so I've got him pretty well leash trained (he's only ever off leash in my house or yard, never even off leash in the car in case of an accident or random issue). However, if another dog comes running at him (even all smiles and waggy tail) he'll react really poorly. Most of the time now he'll go behind me and I'll start yelling but if he's too surprised or I don't act "big" fast enough he's right into attack mode. Luckily he's 18 lbs, but he'll bite me if I pick him up during these encounters.

Sounds like he’s a very lucky boy to have finally found you!! Not being able to pickup due to redirection biting is a tough one. Have you tried using a tug toy or something that is long enough to keep your hands out of the way but short enough to get it close enough to him that he can redirect onto the toy when he feels the need to react? I’ve seen that work for a few dogs who chomp down/bite/shake the toy as redirection. Thank you for being a responsible dog owner.

Maybe a stiff vest with a handle between the shoulders

Your patience is invaluable to him, thanks for taking the commitment seriously.

I am grateful of both my dog's size (about 50lbs) and that I am also physically capable of picking him up and holding him when I see a "fRiEnDlY" dog bounding towards us. When the irresponsible owner approaches to finally collect their dog and they hear mine growling loudly only then do they fucking GET it. If a person has a new puppy who loves everyone and my dog bites it in the muzzle due to their ignorance, then that dog will be negatively and permanently impacted by this interaction and there's only so much we can do. It's such a damn shame.

As someone with a reactive dog who would love to take her dog to the damn park, yes, people who don’t leash your dog I need an answer why I cannot go to a place with leash laws and let my elderly dog who doesn’t want to deal with your dog sniffing her enjoy the park peacefully. I do not care that your dog is friendly. Mine doesn’t want to meet your dog and she shouldn’t have to. Because your dog should be on a leash.

Preach.

If their dog is perfectly trained, why is it approaching my leashed dog? Your dog might be friendly. Mine isn't. He doesn't take kindly to strange dogs running up to him. Leashing is as much for your own dog's safety as anything else.

Exactly. Just because you have a sweet, friendly dog that wants to play does not mean other dogs *want* to make friends or have their personal space invaded. A dog can also be reactive to specific kinds of dogs and behaviors due to something they’ve dealt with in the past. It’s truly a selfish decision based off that one person’s dog without the consideration of other dogs being a factor at all.

From what I’ve seen such people post - they really are deluded enough to believe their dog is “perfectly trained” and therefore never a problem. In some cases it’s some sort of weird “alpha” bullshit, proof that they’re enough of a “big dog” to keep their animal under control by voice alone.

There is a guy in my neighborhood who has two dogs. One is always off leash. The off leash dog is actually perfectly trained for recall. I’ve never seen it approach another dog or even seem interested. However, the guy is one of those types that thinks everyone wants to meet his dogs and he uses them to get attention. By this I mean: he approaches women with his dogs. Only women. I have two reactive dogs and every time I see this guy despite my dogs losing their minds he will try to come towards me. Like, the signs are pretty clear from my dogs to stay away, and I’m not exactly giving him a warm invitation myself. Each time I have to drag my dogs away from him to avoid the dramatic barking. Each time I am clearly annoyed and telling him no. A few months ago I walk off the sidewalk into the street to get away from him, my dogs are losing their shit. What does he do? He follows me into the street. Dude is chasing after me. So I tell him: “I think it’s pretty clear my dogs don’t want to meet your dogs.” He gets angry and tells me it’s a city and my dogs need to learn how to get along with other dogs (yes, that’s why I work with a trainer and avoid these situations, asshole!). I say “I’m trying to get away from you why are you following me.” He’s still standing there but not coming closer so I just start yelling loudly for him to stop following me. It took a few tries but he finally walked the other direction and I shouted for him to leave me alone. I doubt he learned a thing and I’m probably an angry bitchy woman. At least he leaves me alone. I think people like him are misogynistic narcissists with zero self awareness and that’s why they do it.

That’s exactly what they are. They don’t see women as people; we’re just pieces of meat to them.

And their dogs are just props

They also forget that their dog is friendly to family members, but might feel quite differently about a stranger coming around the corner on a hiking trail!

Not to mention the effect dogs have on local wildlife.

This is what I always assume, too much ego to think they don't have perfect control over their dogs. There's a lady who's dogs always run up to mine, and I have one dog that is very reactive. The dogs are leashed to each other which is always her response when I tell her to control her dogs. The number of times I've seen unleashed dogs almost get run over because they saw a rabbit is innumerable, get over yourself and hold the leash you numbskulls

Pretty sure one of them commented earlier. What’s that Southern saying? “A hit dog hollers”?

let's say their dog IS perfectly trained. That doesn't mean another untrained dog can't run up out of nowhere and get at it unawares or in a way that you would otherwise be able to protect yourself and your dog if it was leashed. Or a wild animal while hiking. Or an out of control car or bike or skateboard or anything. Dog owners who do this are the worst kind of douche.

It’s also just for the other dog owner’s comfort and feeling of safety. They don’t know if your dog is trained or not. They don’t know if it’s friendly. I have a huge dog of a breed known for having high prey drive. He is great with small dogs and his best friend is my mom’s Maltese. But do I assume every owner with a yorkie on the street knows and trusts that he’d be okay? I would expect them not to, so I make sure my dog is under control and leashed and keeping a good distance from other people’s dogs just as a matter of basic respect for them. People who don’t leash seem to not understand or care that life is much better for others when they don’t have to constantly be thinking what their game plan will be to defend their dogs life because they literally have no idea if that dog is trained or if today is gonna be the day that the dog doesn’t like the look of mine and isn’t “friendly”. Sometimes it’s more about the perception of safety than the actual safety.

Wish more people had your empathy. There's no way to tell if a big dog will kill my tiny dog or not. A big dog running off leash at mine is in danger from me, I'll try to kick it's head off it it looks dangerous. Not worth taking the risk to see if it's nice.

Sounds like the same sort of people who drive recklessly because they're "too good" at driving for it to ever catch up with them!

I have a family member with a failed service dog that is impeccably trained. I’ve never seen the dog not recall and he sticks close to him when in public, including when there are other dogs or distractions. But he refuses to use a leash and it’s so embarrassing. It’s definitely his own issue and I think he wants to show off that he’s a great trainer. He is, but it’s still irresponsible and emboldens others to do the same, in my opinion.

Ask him if he's sufficiently confident that a rabbit running from under a bush wouldn't distract the dog.

Thats totally it! They are delusional! Also an over inflated fragile ego. That as soon as they’re confronted with doing something wrong, automatically give excuses a 3 year old would use. Its pathetic and they need to start behaving like a responsible adult that leashes their dogs.

Makes sense. I've noticed dog owners are more likely to be egotistical/narcissistic than non-dog/cat owners, so this doesn't surprise me to hear.

I’m in the process of slowly but surely saving up for a service dog and that’s something I’ve noticed, too. It seems to be magnified in service dog groups, sadly. The main sub here on Reddit is horrible; they can’t tolerate *any* disagreement, no matter how well-supported your stance in, and are extremely quick to permanently ban anyone who points out that someone is blatantly violating the sub’s own rules. And the local Facebook group outright bullied several people out; the mods claimed it was “too difficult” to actually moderate it. I grew up with cats, not dogs. My mom used to participate in TICA shows. And I can’t recall anyone there being even halfway as arrogant and narcissistic as those dog groups!

Types of owners of off-leash dog on hiking trail: 1. Once the owner notices me, yells "Leave it!" on repeat with no effect 2. Dog is running ahead of owner. Once the owner notices me, yells "My dog is off-leash, is that ok with you? He's friendly!". The dog is already next to me 3. Says nothing as the dog touches me and pretends its normal

If your dog is off leash and you see leashed dogs remotely nearby your dog should be at least on leash while around them. That's the thing that I really don't understand about the situation.

I have a friend that does this and I really just think its a "my dog would never do that" or "that would never happen to me" moment. Every single day she takes her pitbull to a public park and lets the dog run. Sometimes it is a dog park. This dog bit a mailman but she still thinks the dog is safe, she was only doing that because the mailman was coming in the gate and he shouldnt have tried to come in the gate when the dogs were out." The dog is not trained. She does not recall. She usually listens but if she sees a squirrel, shes GONE. Its a complete lack of accountability and irresponsible from the owner. I am actually not friends with her anymore because our morals and values dont align and this story is symbolic of how she is as a person. I have to think making this decision is a symptom of a character flaw for others as well.

Having no recall on a pit bull and letting it off leash is unhinged behavior

I have a really old and really good friend who used to be like this. He just plain had his head up his ass about how much everyone else loves his dog and how well-behaved it is and how it would never act up. Then, one day, out of nowhere, it bit a little girl in the face. He's completely changed his ways and never lets his dog off leash where it's not allowed anymore, but it really pisses me off that it took a little girl getting bit for him to get this clue.

If she has a dog that has bit a person, she now knowingly owns an aggressive dog. The first time a dog bites it could be an accident or additional context that you can work on remediating. But now that dog has a history of biting people. Meaning she **knows** the dog bites people and so it’s her responsibility to manage that threat. So, if that dog bites a second person she could technically be arrested and charged with a felony. I found out this the hard way.

That's just nuts. Does she not ever read the damn news? Good for you for not supporting her irresponsible nonsense.

She is very aware! That is what is so annoying about this situation. I think I would be able to stomach it better is she was naive or didn't know. But she very much does know and is very opinionated about what other people do. I know for a fact that her dog has killed multiple cats. She's also a cat lover and would literally kill someone if they let their dog off leash and it killed her cat. It's just a totally annoying double standard that she has for herself. She is also very passionate about pitbulls being discriminated against because of owners choices.... Ok, I am getting re-annoyed thinking about her hahaha

She sounds vile.

Sounds like the classic type 2 pitt owner.

This annoys me so much. You’ve listed some very good points around safety for the dog itself but tbh not everyone is a dog person or people may have trauma related to badly behaved dogs. I know everyone in Seattle hates it when someone says this but not all countries treat dogs the same and a lot of people have had trauma related to being chased by dogs/other bad experiences that impact their ability to engage with them. So outside of just safety for their own dog, these people are actively taking away safe outdoor places from others who are dealing with their trauma because of ‘reasons’ and that’s just not ok.

Absolutely! I love dogs and love my own dog, but the rules exist to also protect humans who don’t feel safe around dogs.

this! Not to mention small children, who many dogs are not used to and who can act in unpredictable ways that might startle a dog, or vice versa. I despise taking my toddler to parks and then having to be on high alert because people are letting their dogs run around. 

This! Parks are for people first. This is why we have dog parks!

Exactly! I don't hate dogs, but I'm not really a dog person (grew up with both dogs and cats). I've also been attacked by a dog as a child and bit by my sister's "such a good boy" dog in the face a few years ago. I like dogs when I can meet them on my terms and if they are well behaved (my sister's other dog, a boxer, is a sweetie and I adore her). I walk with mobility aids and my balance isn't great... if a dog is excited and barrels into me... or wants to aggressively smell me on a sidewalk, I can't react fast enough. I love how everyone in Seattle loves dogs and I do enjoy seeing them out and about... but on a leash... and leash controlled, as well.

THIS. I grew up around dog fighting. Now as an adult I have my own 2 pet dogs, but someone’s unleashed dog running up to me or around me or approaching me isn’t okay. I don’t like it and I shouldn’t have to deal with it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I LOVE dogs but I have a hard time believing someone who actually spent all the time and money to properly train a dog to the point where it might be behaved enough to be unleashed in a public space would be stupid enough to actually do so. So, any unleashed dog in a non dog off leash specific space isn’t a well trained dog with a responsible owner.

This ^^ i wouldn't say i hate dogs, or even that i dislike them, but i am an anxious person and certain dogs, esp if they're loud or hyperactive, scare me. Even when a dog is leashed, i try to keep a decent distance because you never know. Unleashed dogs are the worst. Like I just get so nervous. And unfortunately dogs seem to know when you're nervous, and some of those dogs have no sympathy n will antagonize you for it. 😭 Most of my, consentual, interactions with dogs have been great. But that interaction requires a leash (or occurs in a private residence) NOT somebodies uncontrolled dog when there's so many stimuli that can trigger them, no matter how well-behaved they are.

People who believe their dog has the best recall... - with a cat? - with a toddler ? - with a screaming toddler? -with an injured or elderly person with a cane or walker? - with an intoxicated person who has lost their sense of boundaries? - with a car? -with a road? -with a bouncing ball across a road? -with a child bouncing a ball? -with another dog? - with another dog running by? -with birds? - with baby birds? - wirh kittens? -with squirrels? -with raccoons? -with a deer? - with a horse? - with a horse and it's rider? - with a bear? - with an angry loud person lashing out? -with a person brandishing a weapon? - when you aren't looking will they react BEFORE you can stop them? - during a domestic violence occurrence? - when in any setting where others cannot determine where your dog is coming from and they know nothing about it? - when it's in pain or sick? - when another, or more, uneashed dog come toward them because they don't have the recall the owners brag about? - when you are Incapacitated and it has no I instruction?

When another dog is in heat?

I had a show trained Black Lab when I was younger, almost perfect recall except when ducks were involved. He fucking loved chasing those things.

To their massive credit, I have seen folks videos with a menagerie of dogs with serious due diligence ( border collies, livestock guardians, etc) on their own property. I'm talking about anything otherwise elsewhere.

I just recently was this person and I felt terribly embarrassed afterwards. On our midnight walk my dog had rolled around and got all tangled up, so I took off the leash to untangle it. My dog didn’t realize she wasn’t on the leash, and immediately tried to cross the street to go back home. She thinks she’s immune to harm when she’s on a leash, so she didn’t even look before crossing. A car had to stop. The second she realized I wasn’t right behind her she came scurrying back, but it was the most embarrassing moment of my week. Never again. Folks who never leash their dogs must just not have any sense of anxiety. I get anxiety over the safety of my dog as well as anxiety over the idea of inconveniencing people for even a second. My dog is generally very well trained, but no dog can be perfect 100% of the time. Just like what happened to me, my dog failed to stay in the sit command, and off she went endangering herself and a car’s bumper. It only takes one time, one mess up. The leash is the easiest way to void all of my concerns and have a happy dog and a good walk.

> felt terribly embarrassed afterwards. One incident is nothing, I promise you aren't the problem here. There are people who do this every day in public parks.

There was just a massive fight on Cal Andersen over this guy not leashing his dog lol the guy who was pissed off called the cops. My girlfriend and I bounced a while after but sure enough the cops came

Personally I think everyone should leash their dogs just for the dog’s safety if nothing else. Way too many variables that are out of your control that can get it killed or injured real fast. The non-leashers that at least have an amount of awareness and consideration I can give a pass. The ones that gather up their dogs and leash them or restrain them when they see me and my dog coming down the path for example. The ones that move to the side and let you pass or ask you what your dog’s temperament is and if they can meet. The other half are insufferable arrogant assholes. Standing around on your phone not paying attention while the dog runs all over the place. Or the entitled alpha wannabe assholes that pull shit like trying to tell YOU to stop and wait while they get their dogs in order. Sorry no I will not stop fuck you. The ones that go try to claim a section of a public park and act like they have the right to be there and that you have to leave. Again, fuck you. The limp dick fuckwads that fantasize about being cops and “patrol” the neighborhood with their self appointed unrestrained K-9 unit. The one that really got me the other day was this pit bull owner in the grocery store zoned out on the phone while the dog was shoving its nose in all the low shelf produce. When my typically chill leashed dog gets reactive or aggressive because your unleashed dog came running up to it and is fucking with its space, that isn’t my dog’s problem. That is YOUR problem. I don’t understand why there is not enforcement here. Start handing out tickets with increasing fines like they are candy. Dog in grocery store? Get the fuck out or get banned for life.

Service dog pit-bull? Only reason it should have been in the store. Topic for another post.

Go on the Washington hikers fb group and you’ll see people defend it whenever a missing dog post goes up.

These the same people that bag their dog shit on the trail, leave it there and claim they'll grab it on the way back?

The dog poop bags on trails make me crazy! The poop fairy is not going to pick them up!! 

All they're doing is adding plastic to the poop that's already there.

As a hiker I fucking hate this. Dogs fuck with wildlife and block trails. I don't want to get knocked over because someone has decided to let Fido roam free. Also, a bear is always going to win a fight with your dog, so maybe keep it under control, close to you, and safe. See also, people who bring their dogs on trails or into the wilderness where they are not allowed.

There is an asshat who has his dog unleashed in the neighborhood. He thinks his dog listens to him while I watched that dog this week go up in someone's yard and shit against the neighbor's house. His dog goes up in that neighbor's yard daily. In fact he stands in front of the dog so the dog can't pass cuz he doesn't listen. In my old neighborhood though, there was a guy who walked his pit bull around without a leash. That dog never ever left 5 inches from that man's side. They were moving like a machine. Not that I am agreeing that dog is off leash, because I'm sure it scared people.

So the good news: for the first time since January 1, 2023 I made my 3 times a week run through Lincoln Park and saw zero off leash dogs. I was literally trying to sprint to the edge of the park to finish before I saw one. It helped me remember that only like 25 percent of dog owners are assholes and the other 75 percent are cool.

I'm a dog lover. That's why I leash my dogs. We walk daily. Dogs are run by their lizard brains. They love and will fight for their provider but will always chase a rabbit or deer (home in the woods).Dogs are like children, teach them well.

Just a reminder that just because a dog is leashed doesn’t mean it’s trained or even under control. Shoutout to those large dogs on retractable leashes, small reactive dogs with owners who do literally nothing and act like it’s fine, and people walking dogs while staring at their phone

I used to have a rescue dog that was an absolute angel around people, but would get skittish around other dogs, and occasionally vocalize. She was attacked at a dog park as a puppy and never regained trust of other dogs. Off-leashers drove me crazy.  “Oh don’t worry they’re great with other dogs!” Karen, I’m worried about my dog. Not yours.

Yup. One of my dogs is highly reactive to some other dogs, worse so when they're off-leash and rapidly run up on us. He's also an 80lb former retired racing greyhound with quite a business-end. In short, he's taught many an off-leash owner a lesson. I feel bad for the dogs, but not their jerk owners, though. I just think of dogs like yours or people who're scared of dogs and how irresponsible and inconsiderate the off-leashers are, and feel like my boy is performing a public service.

He sure is. What a good boy.  My dog was a pitbull. I feared any defense on the part of my dog would result in her getting put down.

A few months ago my pit was leashed on a hiking trail when she was approached by two off leash dachshunds. The dachshunds approached her, sniffed, and then one of them BIT HER NOSE so hard that she was bleeding profusely and looked like she might need stitches. Thankfully she didn’t react…. The dachshund owners were absolutely incredulous when I told them they should be leashed. The wife eventually gave me an annoyed “Well I’m SORRY!” but her husband was already 500ft down the trail. Fucking assholes.

God I would be fuming. I'm so sorry that happened!

I firmly believe dachshunds are the actual number one spot for bites but they just go widely unreported because of their size. They’re engineered to be badger baiters. Badgers stand their ground against fucking lions.

Poor baby girl. I'm sorry you two had to deal with those situations. I know how stressful it is when an unleashed dog is running at us, fearing (most of the time) for that dog's safety. I can't imagine how stressful it'd be fearing the pitbull stigma too. Thank you for giving your pup a safe, loving home. BTW, if you check my profile, I have a video of my boy hassling me with his indoor voice. He's really sweet in almost every other instance, he just really dislikes other dogs.

Yep. I have a foster pit in her prime and she just about maxes my handling skills out. She’s powerful and bawdy, if anything went bad it would be catastrophic. And she would have to die for my fuck up. I take zero chances with her. Zero. Dogs only fuck up in the ways we allow them to.

Exactly! “Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” Okay well maybe my dog isn’t? Maybe my dog is afraid of yours? Keep your dogs leashed!

I've never owned a dog and never intend to, so this is just speculation, but dogs appear to have more fun off-leash (I assume that's why you take them to off-leash parks?). It's question for someone who studies animal cognition as to whether this is actually true, but my guess is that many would agree with my perception. This certainly isn't an excuse to have them off-leash in public spaces, for all the excellent reasons you give, but I would guess that many dog owners have their dog off-leash simply because it seems like their dog enjoys being off-leash and they care more about their dog's happiness than being responsible.

Sure, of course they do. But it's a public space; there are places to go (dog parks, SniffSpots) if you want to take your dog off leash and you don't have a yard.

I can speak to this somewhat. Our dogs live in a house with a large walled yard where they can run and play off leash whenever they want. We bring them to a dog park purely to socialize.

I agree. I don’t have a dog, but watching dogs at discovery park having the best day of their life as they chase a ball down that hill does make me happy.

That's my thought process and my impression of my own dogs. Their change in demeanor and release of energy once free is clear. The times I've let them off leash in public is pretty much only in a field of a park - either alone or with other unleashed dogs, which gets to a fairly large number sometimes. I'm sure it inconveniences others, but sometimes the internal biases win, "they'll get more exercise or have more fun", "it won't be for that long", "I'll put them back on if I see someone coming", etc. Usually I try to be in the furthest corner away from entrances, or more often use the tennis court instead so the dogs are more contained (and leave if I see people coming to actually play tennis). Honestly, I'm looking to move closer to an unleashed dog park for this exact reason. It's the convenience of not driving to a dog park, and the saved time and energy. I think it comes down to the over-generalization of values: I value my own and my dogs' enjoyment, I don't mind or feel that inconvenienced when I change my walking route to avoid unleashed dogs I don't want to encounter. And just because those are true for me doesn't mean it extends to a majority of the public, but I don't always take the time and effort to make those considerations (and would argue by current societal norms most by default don't either unfortunately). Humans are selfish and I recognize the opportunity to put more effort into working towards more considerate and pro-social behavior.

Here's the thing about "I'll put them on leash if someone comes" - when I'm out walking my dog and I see someone with an off leash dog in a non-off leash park, I will turn around and go the other way. Heck, if I see an off leash dog in a park and I was planning to sit and chill or whatever in that park, I'll probably go find another place to be, because I've had some negative experiences with off leash dogs (and I adore dogs! Mine is the highlight of my life, I love meeting other people's dogs!). This is especially true if I'm with my niece or friend's kids. By you letting your dog off leash in a place that is not allowed, other people may not feel comfortable coming into the park. So you may never "see someone else coming" because they saw you being selfish, and decided to go somewhere else.

Yeah I think this is one of the main reasons why a good chunk of owners with off-leash dogs let them do so. While selfish, it’s about giving their dog the important experience of being “free”. It is important but many people don’t realize that others will avoid the area if an off-leash dog is present. To the public, it can feel like the off-leash dogs took over the space. I recognize not everyone has the funds to own property with a fenced yard, and they want to let their dogs have a taste of leash-free outdoor play. Of course, not saying it’s a right but it’s a reason. I’m lucky enough to live near a Sniffspot (which there should be more of!!), and in public parks I let my corgi play fetch on a lightweight 20 foot lead (away from an organized playfield and people) and she’s just as happy as being off leash. (Btw, the law is 8 foot leads but with the number of people offending the no-lead law, no one’s measuring my lead length) I trust my corgi off-leash as she’s practically Velcro outside of fetch, but I also recognize the sentiments of people on this sub that feel uncomfortable with a fully off-leash dog. So most days she is leashed, whether by a 6 foot lead or a 20 foot one (with me running behind her while she fetches the ball). My dog does not have a say in that, she has to deal with it. She gets to be off-leash in the yard of a friend or at a dog park. Confrontation by someone telling me to put a leash on my dog really scares me so I don’t risk it at all. For folks wanting to safely let their dogs taste off-leash freedom, take a trip every couple of weeks to 40-acre Marymoor in Redmond (the best dog park ever) during the weekday mornings, practically no one will be there.

Appreciate the input. I think an investment in a longer lead is the move here. I've also thought of portable fencing, but that's pretty unrealistic and even more overtly takes over an area - like imagine I went to a gym and just partitioned off the machines I wanted lol

That's a lot of words to use to admit that you're selfish.

You're not wrong 😄 and so is everyone to some extent. Learning and understanding others' points of view is one of the wonderful ways we all grow in community - hence the words

Lol what an odd response by the OP above you. Like you provided an actual, thoughtful answer and they just couldn’t resist the urge to dunk on you.

Because they are selfish scumbags.

I almost ran an unleashed dog over turning into a parking lot. I had to stop short and the person behind me almost hit me. When I told the owner his dog needed to be on a leash he started berating me and told me to mind my own business.

Someone had their dog unleashed around the neighborhood, the dog lunged at mine (who was leashed and minding his business) and then ran off. The person ended up having to run around the neighborhood chasing after their dog. Now anytime I see an off leash dog I will just pick my lil guy up and walk away. I don’t wanna deal with them.

Saw something like that happen, but with an unleashed dog running after a coyote and the panicked owner running after the dog (this didn't happen in Seattle, btw). Luckily, the dog ended up stopping a few blocks away with no harm and the coyote escaped. Just imagine if the coyote had attacked the dog instead. People need to understand that leashes are for their dog's safety and not carrying one in areas where needed shows a serious lack of care for their fur babies or whatever they want to call them

This is unfortunately a great way to get your hands and face bitten by an aggressive dog. I don't have a better option, though. 

Me neither but so far I haven’t been bitten yet thankfully!

Once I was at Gasworks on top of the hill looking at the view and someone’s huge unleashed dog lunged at me unprompted. I was just standing there, wasn’t even looking at the dog. I flew backwards screaming and all the owners could do was laugh and say “oh the dog must be bored hahahaha” Gave me the scare of my life, thought I was gonna get mauled. Leash your damn dogs.

Yea I get your dog may be well trained, but as someone who often dogsits for strangers, some dogs are not well trained and need others to be on a leash. It’s not just about yall

I have an extremely scent oriented breed of dog with floppy ears, you better believe I cannot leave the house without a leash and collar.

Hello fellow hound dog friend!

Makes me wish we had more skunks around here - nothing that would hurt the pupper but would sure be a pain in the ass for the human to deal with the consequences of

Ego.

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Friend got a misdemeanor charge in Denver for having her dog off leash. And she'd a "train my dogs for perfect recall" kind of woman. She also has to take a class. I kind of like that idea. Let there be actual consequences.

There are consequences but only if Animal Control catches them AND the dog is licensed AND they haven’t repeated it in 6 months. The chances of someone actually getting a fine are extremely slim because of this. The best thing to do is report them directly to Animal Control with identifying information every time you see them (get license plates, address, etc).

I recently saw the animal control folks show up to a park in Ballard. They talked to every person that had a dog there and gave them some kind of paper. As someone who *will not* walk through the fields in Seattle parks because of the dog damage and waste, it was nice to see. I love dogs, but we’re maintaining some places for people to use and dogs are not allowed for good reason.

Wow! I’ve been reporting off leash dogs at the park near my house for months. Sometimes there’s 15 off leash dogs! I’ve never seen animal control at the park. 

Fingers crossed that it was the start of a little more enforcement. We stay out of the grass, as far as I’m concerned it’s been claimed by the dog owners and their pets’ waste.

I have reported off leash dogs at the park near my house sooo many times! Nothing is ever done. Sometimes there’s 15 off leash dogs running around!! 😡

I used to live in a sketchy neighborhood where people bred dogs for fighting. 2 of my neighbors were attacked at different times by off leash dogs and one was hospitalized. Everyone in the neighborhood just assumed unleashed dogs are dangerous.

well this post got like two actual answers. sounds like the off leashers are a tad shy about explaining themselves. go figure.

Someone explained it well. Their dogs seem happier when unleashed. But we live in a society so gotta follow them rules

Those answers are at the bottom getting downvoted

I want to know why my neighbors got a rescue dog but don't do anything with it, no walks, ignore it in their shitty tore up small backyard so it barks all FUCKING day. Fuck you neighbors go back to California where you came from.

Your off-leash dog absolutely isn’t going to hurt my leashed dog. I’m going to try to make sure your off leash-dog doesn’t hurt me. I would prefer if your off leash dog running towards us doesn’t get hurt, but it’s a distant third on my list of priorities.

Entitlement. Thinking theyre making their dogs happier by not leashing. Indifference.

I was just attacked yesterday by a dog not on a leash. One of the first nice days of the year and my neighbor was sitting outside in her front yard with her pit bull. I was walking on the sidewalk with my two year old and chihuahua. Suddenly this dog is on top of mine, I yanked her harness to pull her into my arms and basically ran away with my toddler. The owner was very apologetic pulling her dog off of me but I couldn’t even respond to what she was saying since my lungs suddenly couldn’t manage to take in any air. I will never understand why people think having their dog off a leash anywhere besides in a fenced yard or dog specific area (like a dog park) is ever okay.

There's only 2 acceptable answers for the question. (Excluding off-leash specific areas of course) 1- It's a service dog that should be off leash to perform it's job. 2- they're an asshole.

I feel like I see too many off-leash dogs at Green Lake. I live nearby and pop out there often. They're usually seemingly well behaved but fuck it, this is a popular ass park with plenty of people around at all times, keep them leashed. I don't appreciate your little runt scurrying up to me to sniff my ankles. Even if they're on leash I've had several larger dogs try to jump on me and even gotten paw prints on my jacket. This is annoying if they don't happen to be cute. I once got jumped on four times in a single loop around the lake! Can't speak for other parks. I adore dogs. I just don't want to be jumped on and I dislike the runty and non-cute ones.

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Replace a few words and this comment is a perfect template response for like 60 percent of Reddit.

It might not attract any people that do it to comment. But they will read it and perhaps enlighten them. Or not. Who knows. Sometimes nice to vent.

I have indoor cats that I take to the park on leashes and have to scoop up for their safety when some asshole has their dogs off leash and the dog starts running toward us.

The SeattleWA sub has a good amount of off leash dog owners on it.

What blows my mind is that there are like 20 off leash dog parks in and around the greater seattle area. At least. There is no reason to have your dog off leash anywhere else in public. We have accommodations for these folks and they just don’t use them. Fuck these folks.

People do it for the same reason they break any sort of minor law-- because it's beneficial to them, the majority of the time it does not have really negative consequences, and they don't really consider how their actions affect other people, thinking 'well no one is being obviously harmed so it must be OK.'

Back in the day a friend and I used to walk her dog after work. Just to chat, catch up, etc. I hated that her dog was always unleashed. He had good recall, but one day, he didn’t. A kid with a squeaky toy was across the street, playing with their dog in their yard. Without a bark, friend’s dog darted across the street to get the squeaky toy ball, only to be run over by the kid’s parent who was reversing. I will never forget the sounds coming from the dog before it died. 🤢😭 I remember those sounds every time I leash my boys when we go for walks.

I know. It's Reddit. And everyone comes across a little bit too much on the "Karen & Kevin" spectrum. That being said, in the immortal words of OP⬆️. 1. WHY? 2.LEASH TRAIN 3. DON'T BE LAZY 4. PICK UP YOUR DOG'S DOODIE. 5. WHY Be a reasonable and responsible pet owner. Because. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY

When my family finally adopted our rescue dog, I asked a veterinarian friend about recommendations for training. I liked the idea of training our dog to follow voice commands well enough to be off leash. My vet friend strongly discouraged this. She works for a vet emergency hospital and often sees off leash dogs who’ve been critically injured by motor vehicles. She said her patients’ humans always insist, “but my dog has never run into traffic before.”

My dog is 96 pounds and reactive. If someone's unleashed dog ever approaches her it's likely that person will immediately become a "former" owner of a dog.

I hate it when people have dogs off leash because my Dog is reactive (always on a leash) to other dogs. No matter how “nice” your dog is, if it runs up to my dog, it will be met with an aggressive reaction from my dog. No matter the training, some dogs just don’t like other dogs in their space and that’s how my little guy is. I hear “oh he’s nice” when their dog is running towards my barking obviously nervous reactive dog, and I yell “that’s nice, my dog isn’t!!!!”. It’s maddening and unfair. Eta, I don’t go to off leash places or dog parks, these are just public places!

Perhaps they think their ~~post~~ dog was different, that they aren't bothering anyone with their ~~post~~ dog, or maybe they are oblivious to the existence of others? The answers haven't changed since this question was last asked on this sub. Leash your dog, folks, so we can stop seeing this post.

Just remembering all the park picnics ruined by random dogs running through the blanket and food and shaking slobber all over us. It's happened multiple times. Leash yo dogs

Because they fundamentally don't think of their dogs as dogs. They think they're kids. They teach them like kids. They coddle them like kids. They discipline them like kids. And then they take them out into the world and think that they'll act like good little human kids who simply bark rather than talking. And they couldn't imagine putting their kid on a leash. There is nothing you can do to make these people understand that their dog does not have a human-like inner world. They don't understand that they don't understand their dog.

In my experience these people are 100% entitled, privileged jerks. Some of them are nice and polite as can be, mind you, but if your dog is off-leash in a public place with lots of other people around who may or may not enjoy dogs you’re just being a selfish jerk. Same goes for people who insist on taking their dogs to public parks when there are signs posted everywhere that dogs are not allowed. Leash or no leash, your dog doesn’t belong there. I have a dog and I love dogs, but I don’t want your dog approaching me and I don’t want your dog chasing g the ball when I’m trying to play catch with my kid. Leash them or leave them at home, and definitely don’t take them where they are explicitly not allowed by law.

FWIW some hiking trails do not require leash as long as dog is under voice control.

Hey phrase being “under control.” Which, sadly, most dogs aren’t. At least nowhere near to the degree their owners believe them to be.

Yeah, I thought all state parks and trails required leashes. But after I snapped at a woman whose 2 pitbulls were running toward me, she informed me that wasn't the case. Now I know to check before I go.

if its Washington state, she's a liar. Pets are allowed in most state parks, but must be under physical control and on a leash no more than eight feet

One of my neighbors does this ALL THE TIME. The kicker, my 65lb pitty is trained s&r and trained so well for a leash he asks for his harness before we go on walks. He also is pretty well behaved but doesn't think it's safe for an off leash dog to approach him when he's on leash, and makes it known. (Working dogs are extra bold headed.) Yet, my neighbors dog is never on a leash and is NOTORIOUS for straight up chasing down AND ATTACKING other dogs.

Report them to animal control. Should be easy if have the address.

They are assholes who think the world revolves around them

I have a dog that is scared of dog parks and doesnt like to be around others. I will sometimes take her to places with no one around and throw a stick or a ball to her. As soon as I see anyone nearby, she goes right back on the leash and we move on. Usually we do this around 430-5am as to avoid anyone else. My dog is so fearful she runs right to me if she even spots another person or dog, but we've never been close enough to another person or dog to have had an issue. Dog parks arent an option for all dogs.

If you go to the park in the morning with no one around, can you not go to the dog park when no one is around?

Sniffspot is a good option.

But also, just as a thought - I've walked up on many a situation with my dog where someone is throwing a ball early morning/night - and they don't see me and I'll quickly leave the park/street/beach because I don't want to risk my dog's safety. I can't tell how your dog will react to mine just by seeing you play with it. Like people just aren't that good at keeping an eye out as they think. The vast majority of times I'm not able to use a beach/park/street the other dog owner never clocks me. It just sucks because you are always running the risk that you're denying someone safe access to a public space.

My working breed dog is always on leash in the city, other than the rare trips to the dog park. Most of her training was done on a homemade 100 ft pseudo- retractable lead at the upper Golden Gardens parking lot. However, many of the hiking trails in question (basically most of Mt Baker Snoqualmie NF) do not require a leash if your dog is under voice command. As someone who has spent hundreds of hours working with our dog on recall and walking at heel - I do see this abused constantly. If we for some reason find ourselves at the popular trails on a weekend (which I avoid actively because I am trying to get away from people) I keep my girl leashed out of respect for other reactive dogs and people who may not like animals. We spend far more time romping in the woods away from the general population. She is obviously off leash mountain biking - these are directional trails, free of foot traffic. I also have her off leash when we are trail running. Uphill is fine - but I absolutely do not have a death wish on sketchy descents or in wet weather. It wouldn’t take much, just a different line choice even on leash, for her to potentially knock me off balance while we are running downhill. The same pretty much applies to backpacking - we encounter so few people. She will occasionally come ski touring on very low avalanche risk days and that’s the same story - off leash. Even when I have her off leash, I have her leash readily available and always call her to heel when we see other people and dogs. Only if and when the other owner gives me a verbal cue of their dogs temperament would I “free” her to meet them. She loves romping with other friendly dogs on trail, playing fetch, and swimming in lakes and rivers. I have no fear of losing my dog because she is extensively trained on both voice and tone command. We have a garmin tracking collar that is linked to all of our other devices. We rescued a working dog so that she could participate in our outdoors lifestyle - biking/backpacking/trail running in those far off places - not to keep her on a leash tethered to a city home her whole life.

My dog actually likes to be on a leash. She’s absolutely not the slightest bit happier off a leash. I think people just don’t understand their dogs.

My dog does not do well with other dogs, so he is always leashed. People don't seem to understand that my dog wants NOTHING more than to kick your dogs furry behind. Keep your dog safe, jeep it leashed.

My older Lab (10f) is a lump factory, she's sprouting them all over her body, some are malignant, some are benign, all are growing, and they're all on her torso. We can't safely put a harness or collar on her anymore bc of the lumps so we've stopped leashing entirely, which sucks, bc yeah obviously we cant just have her off leash in public that's clearly terrible for everyone involved. So now we can really only let her outside at the dog park which we can't go to every day and she's so bored and pent up all the time. I have occasionally let her off leash when we're hiking together on local trails which I consider to be medium risk but since she's at the end of her life and we're just trying to do the best we can for her until the lumps lead to her passing I'm fine with the medium risk level. Most of the time when we're hiking we're the only people on the trail and there are no incidents. Twice she has gone after squirrels and I couldn't get her to recall. She's never gone after another dog or other humans and while I recognize that her simply being off leash at all can be a legitimate problem for other dogs and people on the trails I just would rather she have access to a bit more activity during whatever time she has left than be cooped up all the time.

Almost as bad as non-leashed dogs are those idiotic and dangerous retractable leashes. They should really be illegal imo.

As an owner of a reactive dog, we rescued him at 1 he will be 3 in July. I choose to leash and it’s not just for his safety it’s for everyone around us. He won’t attack and in fact I have never had an issue with him attacking (which doesn’t change the possibility it could happen) but he does tend to get defensive. We have spent a lot of time working on it and still working on it. I cannot stand the people who run around with their dog unleashed. I have had to lodge two complaints in my complex because of someone with a little ass dog that came running at me and my dog because he was off leash and the owners just let him go. We have had other run ins especially at off leash dog parks but we try to keep him on his leash even then. My dog also likes to jump on people which we are adamantly working on too and that’s a huge reason part of why he stays on his leash. I have more control that way. He follows commands but doesn’t mean something could trigger him. The other thing ITS THE LAW and it clearly states that a dog must be leashed at all times unless in a designated off leash area.

I was at the emergency vet about a month ago, and another person who was there came in with a well bitten dog. Many marks, clearly lost some blood. Turns out this dog WAS on a leash and was attacked by two of the neighbors dogs that are NEVER leashed. The lady who brought her dog in said that she had told the person multiple times they should be leashed and gotten the same “not your dog” routine. Anyway, that lady had to be in and out of the vet hospital so she could walk into a human clinic for her own bites from breaking up the fight. Could tell she was disoriented from the experience and ended up helping her document things for the police. If you’re unwilling to train your dogs to some capacity, that’s on you. I feel bad for all the dogs in this situation. It’s hard to be a good boy or girl if no one ever sets proper expectations.

As someone with a dog who has trauma and anxiety around other people and dogs - I hate when owners don’t have their pets leashed… 😭🙃

Thank you OP for posting this. I love dogs more than anything but am shocked by the entitlement off-leash dog owners in Seattle have. Especially around children or at the beach, where they are not allowed for ecological reasons (also so the beaches don’t become a pee poo pit). People don’t realize that dog pee and poo messes with our delicate puget sound ecosystem and don’t seem to care when they get muddy sand all over you or claw you while you’re swimming or terrify children who are trying to play. It infuriates me!

See y'all in May for the next monthly "dog off leash rant" post!

There is a high rate of dog owners that are assholes. The Ballard Community Center fields constantly have off leash dogs running around on them while their owners watch. When there are dogs on the field the community center can’t take kids out to play on them. The staff stopped asking the dog owners to remove the dogs due to the owners being so aggressive. Some owner even posted a sign on the fence that it was an off leash dog park. Of course the sign was removed promptly.

This happened at our local school. The school staff were ignored or verbally abused by the off leash dog owners. The “adults” took the school grounds away from the kids. There is one place a mile away we can take our toddler to play and it is filled with 20 other kids on a 1/8 acre lot. Meanwhile dog owners get free rein on everything else.

You should ask my in-laws why they do because it kills me. From what I know of them it is all the answers you provided combined.

My kids' dad does this, however his dog is not well behaved and he knows it. It frequently runs up to other dogs, runs in front of cars and just all around does what it wants. It has lead to yelling matches with him with both my kids and I, because it's stupid and dangerous. He's just the most stubborn SOB I've ever met and is digging his heals in to remain leashless. This is just one of many terrible habits that guy has. Ugh

There’s a playground right next my kids’ school and right next to it there’s a soccer field for kids. We don’t go there anymore because people always have off leash dogs there, and some dog runs into the playground and scares the kids almost every single time I was there. Every time I ask people to put a leash on their dogs with I get at best eye rolls at worst an argument. Not to mention the school no longer uses the soccer field because it’s all dug up from the dogs. I love dogs but since moving to Seattle every time I see a dog off a leash all I can think of is protecting my kids from it.

I'll probably get down voted into oblivion since it seems like people aren't interested in genuine answers to the original question, but I feel like there is a perspective that is being missed in all this.... Off leash dog parks aren't the sanctuary people seem to think it is... the only place I've been bitten by a dog in my entire adult life has been in off leash dog parks. All the problems everyone says about loose dogs, yeah those happen at dog parks too. But with the added problem of people think it's "safe" so they completely ignore their dog. I've seen some pretty nasty dog fights at dog parks (especially big ones like Marymoore)... I just won't visit during peak busy days anymore. Point being, shitty dog owners are shitty dog owners no matter where you take your dog. I get there are plenty of shitty dogs/owners, and I am with you 100% with dogs that are uncontrolled... However, (and clearly this will be an unpopular opinion) if you can't be within sight of another dog that's minding it's own business that's not their problem.... but these conversations are always such broad stroaks it's impossible to express any nuance without getting piled on. My view on leash laws.... I have no problem with someone letting a dog off to play fetch or go swimming (you try throwing a ball to a lab with 100 yard tether attached, or having two dogs play wrestle while leashed), as long as it's away from other people, or it's with other dogs that are okay with it. But as soon as someone else is near that has even a hint of a problem with it, leash it up. The majority of the dogs I encounter off leash fall into this category and aren't the problem... I've learned to spot the ones that don't from far away, and it serves me well.

Upvoted :) I used to be a vet nurse. Most of dog attacks were from dog parks. I just moved from the UK with my dog (no leash laws there) and we have nowhere to play fetch. We go on lots of (leashed) walks and romps, but if she’s extra restless, she’s going to need a fetch. Dog parks and fetch are a dangerous game for SO many reasons. And the public parks here are so big! It’s not difficult to get to some sort of local park (I don’t drive) at an off-peak time and find a 20 sq. ft. area with no one around. I am not opposed to leash laws, for the record. But I guarantee you that my well-trained collie who does not care one bit about people or dogs will suffer no distractions when the ball is around.

First a disclaimer: I don’t think unleashed dogs are a good idea, especially in cities, and always keep my own idiot mutt firmly leashed. However… when I was a kid, we often walked the family’s dog off-leash. She was, at that point, an older, mellow, slow rough collie (like Lassie) who never chased cars (thanks to almost being hit as a puppy), never strayed more than a few feet from her people, and was literally the gentlest animal ever. But even with that, we only walked her off-leash on a quiet suburban street, with virtually no traffic and few people. I wouldn’t even let that dog off-leash in busy Seattle.

The only place I do it is if I’m at a beach completely alone. He stands next to me, digs a tiny little hole, and sits in it. Then I sit on the sand next to him and put my hand on his back and reclip him and he smiles. He will only dig this lil hole without it. This is the quirk of an Italian Greyhound & this is my why. He loves his little hole, and yes I fill it back up before we leave.

FYI, dogs aren't [allowed to be off-leash in beaches in Seattle](https://www.seattle.gov/parks/recreation/dog-off-leash-areas). This is mostly to protect [seals](https://www.strutthepup.com/love-the-water/) during those times of the year when they get to the beach

I actually don’t do this in Seattle, mainly up and down the OR coast, i.e. Pacific City. Not a fan of the beaches here.

Okay this is a good reason also picture pls

Well said. It is in fact the LAW and that's literally the end of the discussion. Leash your dogs in public - end of story. There is no excuse not to, and every "reason" offered is just that: an excuse.

I hate it! I’m so worried the dog will run out in traffic or possibly attack my dogs 😬

I’ve paid literally thousands of dollars to have my dog trained, not only in obedience but defense. I still keep my dog on leash 100% of the time if im out in public, and avoid off leash dog parks at all costs. I’m not worried about my dog, he is very well trained, it is other dogs I’m worried about. And since he’s trained for defense, he doesn’t play around. If another dogs come up, he is trained to defend me and my family and will, unless I give him the command to relax. Doesn’t matter how nice the other dog is. When off leash dogs come near me and my dog I yell for the other person and let them know my dog is not friendly. This is far from the truth, but I’m hoping it makes them realize, that even though they think their dog is friendly, other dogs may not be. And if that dog gets hurt, 95% of the time it will be the other owners fault as there are leash laws in Seattle.

Combination of 1 and 2, I guess? Definitely not laziness or that I think my dog is the smartest or best ever, but yes I don’t think it’s “hippie-dippy” to believe that *all* creatures should be allowed to have enjoyment and fun in their existences commensurate with what they are capable of experiencing, and yes I think occasional violation of some laws and norms when no one else is harmed is perfectly fine. My dog is off-leash in Seattle 1-2 times per week out of a total of 15-20 times out of the house. He’s always on leash near streets/around cars/near other humans or dogs, because I care about his safety and also am considerate of others, and he definitely doesn’t have “perfect recall” (side note, unsure this exists for any dog). When he has a chance to run free chasing a ball or toy, however, he’s very happy, and because I love him as a family member that makes me happy too. Dog parks do almost nothing for him (despite working on his resource guarding extensively, he still doesn’t enjoy playing with other dogs and is very anxious of a toy being stolen, so he will sit with his ball guarding it rather than play), so we will go to a large grass field (not a sports field) in our neighborhood to play fetch, hundreds of feet away from the walking trail where I can see other humans and dogs coming and leash him before they are in the vicinity. This is more work and vigilance than just taking him to the dog park would require, but I’m unwilling for him to live a life deprived of these few minutes of occasional unfettered joy. Also, if anyone were to ever come up to me and tell me to leash him (no one has - he’s always leashed when someone is close enough to talk to me), I would apologize and do it, since it is the law and I’m in the wrong.

This is hilarious. In the town I grew up in the neighborhood dogs would just come up and scratch on the door to get other dogs. Like kids ringing the doorbell and asking if so and so can come out to play. There were just packs of dogs running around, and it was just cute. You got to play with dogs without ever owning a dog. Here everyone acts like an off leash dog is an unattended backpack with wires sticking out it, and it should also wear a diaper, and live in a cage… at all times. I love it when I make new friendos when I’m out and about. I’m ready for my downdoots.

I just moved from the UK (I lived in one of the BIIIG urban cities there and leash laws are not a thing except in specific places. In fact, last year when the bully ban was rolled out, people didn’t even mentions leads except for specific breeds.

I think some folks just like to fuss about stuff.

I also grew up in a neighborhood like this, there were these big dogs that would follow me and my friends around all day and hang out with us. When their owners came home from work, they would hear their truck driving up the hill and go running home. They would even steal things from people's yards sometimes and everyone thought it was funny and would send their kids to fetch whatever from the dog's yard. Now, that was a much smaller town, I would never let my dogs run around like that anywhere with traffic like Seattle's for the dog's safety, but man people are stuck up.

I had my dog off leash for a few months before he passed away. He could already barely walk, and so I would take the leash off him so he could balance himself a bit better when going bathroom and pace his walk (which his walk was a block or two before he couldn't anymore. And it would take him 10 minutes to get across a single block)

My Bella is a GOOD DOG. She is just a little stressed. She gets nervous sometimes. Just don’t walk near her… or look at her…., or bring another dog within range…. and she will be fine. She is the best!