Leash Your Dogs; Not Everyone Loves Them Or Their Slobber [Block Talk]

ACROSS AMERICA — Parks, trails and even neighborhood sidewalks may be your dog’s playground, but do everyone involved in this potential neighborhood dog fight a favor and keep your pooch on a leash.

Readers universally agreed on that when we asked what to do about unleashed dogs for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column. Only a few of the 170 readers from across the country who answered the informal survey were in the let ’em romp crowd.

One of them, New York City Patch reader Susan, said the problem isn’t freeing dogs from their leashes but how well the dog’s owner has trained for the unfettered romp. She’s an advocate for leash-free time for dogs and said it “works extremely well in the rest of the world.”

“Romping unleashed is critically important for healthy and well-socialized dogs, but owners need to train and be able to control their dogs,” Susan said. “I encourage my well-trained dog to stay by my side and say ‘hello’ to the other dog by sniffing it.

“I have never had a problem with an unleashed dog — the aggressive types of dogs are always leashed because even their owners are afraid of them,” she continued. “In that case, I move my dog away.”’

“I am one of those unruly off the leash dog owners you speak of,” said Wall (New Jersey) Patch reader Marianne. “I do not allow my dog to go up to people or other dogs unless it is one of his friends.”

Marianne uses an e-collar, which she said is “every bit as effective as a leash.” Like Susan, Marianne invested hours in training her dog.

“Did he make mistakes under 1 year old? Yes. Does he 100 percent listen now? Yes,” Marianne said. “If we see anyone walking towards us, I walk him off the path and in the grass till they walk past us. We, who walk our dogs off leash, are not all evil, selfish dog owners.”

Yes, But …

Woodbury (Minnesota) Patch reader Courtney begs to differ.

“No matter how well-trained your dog is, at the end of the day they are still animals and can easily decide not to obey your commands at any point in time especially if [they're] overstimulated,” Courtney said, pointing out that even when they’re leashed, some dogs are “reactive,” behavior that endangers the safety of both the leashed and unleashed dog and the people handling them.

“If I notice a dog unleashed, I will head in the opposite direction because my dog is reactive,” Courtney said.

Judy, who reads Limerick-Royersford-Spring City Patch and Norristown Patch, said her Pennsylvania town has seen a surge in the number of unleashed or poorly attended dogs since the COVID pandemic. Her dogs have been attacked six times, two times seriously, in the last three years, Judy said.

“I now look like I am going to war when we go for walks,” she said. “I carry prescription pill bottles with pop-off lids filled with dog food to throw to distract them from my dogs; I carry a push-button umbrella with the top closed, so if a dog starts to come too close I can push the button, the umbrella extends to scare the dog, but also use it as a club to hit anything too close.”

‘Dangerous And Rude’

Dale, who reads Stone Mountain-Lithonia (Georgia) Patch, frequently takes his large German shepherd service dog to a local park, always on a leash.

“It’s the law,” he said.

“Often, we see loose dogs there,” Dale said. “Some may have been abandoned. Some may have been let out to relieve themselves and never returned home. … We have seen people on trails and other parks who allow their dogs off leash.”

Because his dog is large, Dale often shouts out a warning, giving the dog walker a chance to return the pooch to the leash. Often, Dale’s dog sounds the warning with his ferocious bark.

“This can be dangerous for our dog and for us,” Dale said. “He is a valuable service dog who is needed for assistance. We don’t want him hurt, and certainly don’t want him to hurt another dog.”

If a loose dog does attack, Dale uses mace as a last resort. He also carries a high-pitched whistle and metal cane, “defensive tools that we rarely need,” he said, “but for loose, unaccompanied dogs, they are needed.”

Overall, he finds the lackadaisical approach to leash laws “dangerous and rude,” but said there’s not much he can do about it on a remote woodlands trail miles from authorities.

Bel Air (Maryland) Patch reader C.C., who lives next to the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail, gets where Dale is coming from.

“My dog is never off leash,” C.C. said. “However, he’s been attacked multiple times now by other dogs who were off leash on the trail. Once it was in our back yard.

“Now my dog has such fear of other dogs that we can’t even walk him on the trail — in our own back yard. The dogs who attacked him? To this day, I still see them being walked off leash.”

“Stop. Just stop,” said Z., who reads Sarasota (Florida) Patch and Tiverton-Little Compton (Rhode Island) Patch. “My question is, what makes you above the law? … Dogs are dogs, you can’t predict how they will behave with everything and ‘my dog’s friendly’ is possibly the worst thing you could yell to someone.”

Yell back to the owner to leash the dog, Z. advised.

‘Do You Think He Would Apologize?’

Redstorm in Maryland, who reads Columbia Patch, Ellicott City Patch and Laurel Patch, said turning in people who don’t leash their dogs “is the only thing to do.”

“I have a beautiful, rambunctious dog,” Redstorm said. “I would no more let her run around than I would a child. Cars, buses, bicyclists, children walking, joggers, etc., all would trigger her chase reflex. If I love her enough to take her for checkups and provide nutritious food, and warm or cool shelter, I can keep her on a leash.”

If only Redstorm’s neighbor felt the same and kept his large bloodhound on a leash.

“You look up, and his dog is running through our back yards,” Redstorm said. “Then the owner is running through our back yards chasing his dog. Do you think he would apologize?

“Nope, this dude curses us because we tell him to leash his dog.”

Concord (New Hampshire) Patch reader P.S. said widespread disregard for dog leash laws has made some people afraid to leave their homes.

“It’s terribly sad,” P.S. said. “My own mother was told by her doctor to go out and walk around the block. She couldn’t because of the dogs running around. It was so frustrating.”

Some people have also stopped walking their own dogs, including an Anne Arundel (Maryland) Patch reader.

“I don’t walk my dogs at all anymore because people don’t control their dogs,” the reader said. “I’ve seen people leash their dogs to the front porch and have them break free and come after me and my dogs. I’ve had dogs break through a bokeh chain link fence and come after me and my dogs. I’ve seen loose dogs wandering the neighborhood a few times.

“My neighbors leave their dogs out late at night and they bark late into the evening,” the reader said. “I love dogs but I don’t trust them if I don’t know them and I don’t trust owners to control them.”

‘What’s It Gonna Take?’

“I wish I knew,” a Toms River (New Jersey) Patch reader who goes by Leash4Life said in answer to our question about what to do when dog owners ignore the laws.

“We’ve been chased by loose dogs while walking or leashed dog through our neighborhood on several occasions,” the reader said. “Our dog has now become aggressive toward other dogs because of these traumatic experiences.”

Leash4Life reported two incidents to animal control officials, who “did nothing to the owners, besides forcing all dog parties to quarantine.”

“What’s it gonna take?” Leash4Life pleaded. “One of our dogs getting hurt or mauled or put down because of your selfishness? All dogs are entitled to a nice walk. We’re minding our business and keeping to ourselves. So please leash your dog as well, and then we can both enjoy a walk with our furry loved ones.”

‘No One To Turn Them Into’

People who unleash their dogs for romps don’t always realize “how much anxiety they cause people like me who have been ambushed on walks and literally terrorized by these off-leash encounters,” said Sachem (New York) Patch reader Hook123.

“This is my biggest pet peeve!” Hook said. “ I usually yell for the owner who’s telling me their dog is friendly and never moving with any sense of urgency whatsoever to grab their freaking dog while I wrestle to keep my restrained dog from attacking or being attacked.”

Hook is all for citations and fines for these “irresponsible dog owners who are in complete denial about the control over their dogs.”

Evanston (Illinois) Patch reader Ed said the problem is that no one in a position of authority seems to care about enforcing leash laws.

“There is no one to turn them into,” Ed said. “A guy in my neighborhood has been walking his two giant golden retrievers off leash for years. No one does anything. No one cares. So entitled!”

Not only that, “he has a gate around his little plot of grass, so dogs won’t touch it, but his unleashed dogs poop and pee on all the neighbors’ yards and not the parkway. Royal – – -.”

Sonny, who reads Geneva Patch and Naperville Patch in Illinois, wonders if tickets and fines would make a difference.

“The world doesn’t revolve around you and your dog,” Sonny said. “There are plenty of great dog parks in the area. Use them!”

‘If It Hurts Me, I Will Sue’

Before siccing animal control on them, talk with the dog owner about the consequences for their dogs, others’ dogs and people when they romp around unleashed, several people recommended.

Woburn (Massachusetts) Patch reader Michelle used to let her dog off the leash but has since seen he couldn’t be trusted if he saw a person or thing that interested him.

“Unfortunately, those awful run-ins where my dog scared people and their pups were the thing that helped me learn that I need to leash him before he’s able to run off,” Michelle said. “It definitely took me a long time to figure out the best way to manage him when we’re out on walks — but he’s my first dog ever and I had a lot to learn.”

She does let the dog run in a field or the woods if there are no other people or dogs around, but the leash goes on if others show up.

“I think if they are repeat offenders, you should call the animal control,” said a Massachusetts reader of Northborough Patch and Westborough Patch who spoke from experience.

“I had a neighbor who allowed their dog to roam around freely every day, and it was very frustrating, especially when it came over to my yard and pooped,” the reader said. “However, I never called animal control on them. They have since moved away from the neighborhood.”

If a reasonable conversation doesn’t result in changes, bring it, several readers said.

Wrentham (Massachusetts) Patch reader Rob said that if “enough people shame them,” people who let their dogs run might comply with leash laws.

“Personally, I wouldn’t do anything unless the dog was aggressive — then I would call the police,” Rob said. “Don’t be a holier than thou idiot. Leash them. Your dog may be friendly, but other people don’t know that and they deserve to be safe while going about their day.”

‘Squirt The Dog And Owner’

Some readers recommended more assertiveness to thwart unwelcome dog encounters.

“I carry a large water pistol and squirt the dog. I then squirt the owner!” Marple-Newtown (Pennsylvania) Patch reader Cathy. “Mace would do for an aggressive dog.”

“Pepper spray the human, as they know a leash is necessary. The dog doesn’t,” Miller Place-Rocky Point (New York) Patch reader Herowitch said. If it hurts me, I will sue.”

Harlem Patch reader Kim favors a graduated fine schedule with $100 for the first leash law violation, $250 for the second and $500 for the third. If something “violent” occurs because the dog is off leash, “jail time for the owner,” Kim said.

And, Kim said, “if the dog attacks mine, then I pray to God I won’t be in jail long for killing the dog and the owner.”

Radnor Patch reader Dee is also ready should another unleashed dog hurt her leashed pup.

“I carry a weapon and won’t hesitate to use it,” Dee said. “My neighbor’s dog was mauled by three unleashed dogs. She was little — only 7 pounds — and her body was covered with staples to hold her skin together. It was incredibly traumatic.”

Also traumatic was when three large dogs running free spied her leashed beagle from a distance and “came bounding toward us.”

“I was able to get him into the car just before they reached us, teeth bared and aggressive,” Dee said. “It was supposed to be a nice walk in the park. I have zero tolerance.”

‘Why I Switched To Cats’

Also, a few people pointed out, you may think your dog is wonderful, but not everyone does.

“Have some compassion for the people who don’t like dogs and for the dogs who don’t want to be approached,” Across California Patch reader Erika said. “Your dog WILL NOT ‘teach’ any person or dog to like dogs by being out of control.

“Running up to another dog or person is not ‘friendly,’ it’s rude,” Erika said. “How would you like a stranger to run up to you and hug you?”

Amanda, who reads Barnegat-Manahawkin (New Jersey) Patch, said unleashed dogs are chasing her out of her neighborhood. She was attacked by a dog, and just having one in her field of vision is triggering.

“I’m planning to move because of humans’ blatant disrespect for simple rules. They’re wildly entitled and people like that have no place in my life,” Amanda said. “You never know what someone else has been through and what will trigger them. I wont’ leave the house without pepper spray attached to my wrist.”

Until she can find a new place to live, Amanda is exercising her rights by making official complaints. She’s not hiding behind anonymity, either. She wants her neighbors to know she turned them in “in hopes that the humans would then show some respect in the future — or at least know there are consequences to one’s actions.”

Concord (New Hampshire) Patch reader Birdie Cee isn’t a fan of dogs and has stopped going places she is likely to encounter them.

“I have fear of dogs,” Birdee Cee said. “So if a dog is running towards me and does’'t listen to commands. I will use my walking stick to protect myself. I let the owner know that.”

Birdee Cee has asked dog owners to control their pets, “and they either don’t listen or get angry,” she said.

“I don’t love your dog!” McLean (Virginia) Patch reader Morrie said. “In polite society, if I want to get to know your dog, I ask your permission to pet the dog. Return the courtesy by keeping your dog on a leash — that way, I still get to decide.”

Morrie added, “This is why I switched to cats.”

Even dog lovers have limits.

“Keep them leashed, please,” said Branford (Connecticut) Patch reader Patricia. “Even this dog lover does not want your dog’s wet paws and slobber all over me.”

About Block Talk

Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with “Block Talk” as the subject line.