People who are too good for leashes...

I've been really lucky, because on the trails behind our house there are some people who do walk their dogs off leash, even though it's not allowed. But every one of them has called their dog over and leashed them when we've approached. I guess the people around here are more repsonsible (maybe?), but they only seem to have them off leash when they know they'll get 100% recall. I've never had a dog approach us.
 
It does drive me a little nuts, though, in an off leash park when people won't let their dogs off. My dogs will run up to say hi and the owners seem to get really annoyed. Unfortuneatly if I'm taking them by myself to dog park, I may have to start leashing one at a time, because they tend to run in opposite directions and I can't chase both at the same time. They'll come back eventually, but not when they're really into playing.

Those people who bring their dogs (on-leash) into off-leash parks, and get annoyed when dogs approach them are perhaps a bit confused.  I mean, they can see before they approach the park, that dogs are off-leash.  It's their choice to enter and accept the consequences if a dog comes up on them.  Everyone in there takes that risk  Der!

From what I've seen of dog parks, people will walk their dogs into them on leash because they feel like their dog is safer that way, which is really kind of silly.  What do they think they're going to do if their dog gets in a fight at their feet?  Lift it up in the air with the leash??  I'd rather have my dog unleashed if for no other reason than that it could run away if it really needed to... 

That's exactly why you're supposed to have you dog off leash. It's the fight or flight theory. They can either run away or fight. If they can't run, they're much more likely to fight. I really don't want to have to keep one of mine on leash, but they love the dog park and just won't stay together. We have a 19 acre park, so I can't see both of them if they split up. They're recall is good, but they want to run off and play with all the different groups.

ORIGINAL: ron2

I used to walk him like I was Clint Eastwood in an old western - eyes squinted, glancing constantly left to right, scanning the horizon for loose dogs.

Been there, done that. So many times, I can do Clint Eastwood's voice.

 
Not only am I unable to do Clint's voice, but I can't whistle worth a darn, so I was always humming that particular whistling tune thing that was so common in those old spaghetti westerns - it was often played when they showed Clint's crinkled face peering at someone or something.  You know what tune I mean?  Anyway, I used to hear it my head during those walks!
 
Are Flexi-leads those leashes that are basically a thick string that retracts in and out of a plastic handle?  I hate those!  We have friends who use them for their dogs, and whenever we are dog-sitting them and take them on walks, I stress out when using them.  I'm always in a panic trying to figure out what to push, snap or click when I need to make it longer or shorter quickly.  I never feel like I have control of the pups when they're stretched out too far, and you can't bring them closer to you fast enough if needed.  I usually use one of our leashes instead if I can!

See, personally I don't care how well trained the dog is, if the law or park rules say the dog must be leashed--LEASH the darn dog.
 
It gives non-dog people a bad impression of people who have dogs.  There are also many people who are VERY afraid of dogs.  My mom has been afraid of any dog bigger than a mini dachsund since I was bitten as a child.  If she saw someone coming down the street with a large unleashed dog, no matter how well trained, she would be very frightened and upset.  There are many people with small children who do not feel comfortable with them having to walk by a loose, strange dog (which I totally understand, I would feel the same way).
 
In addition, when people see dogs loose in a park where they should be leashed, regardless of how well trained the dog is, it makes non-dog people say "See, if people won't follow the rules and leash the dogs we should just ban all dogs from here," and then people like me who ALWAYS follow leash laws get screwed out of an awesome walking place because people can't manage to clip a leash on before they go out.

my dog is very well behaved and even though i don't take her to a public place without a leash i usually don't use a leash. but if someone had a dog that did just run yp to mine a attack her or something i don't know how i would get her out of there. []
one time a dog did snarl and lunge at her but she is very light on her feet and quickly got out of the way, the owner did have it on a leash and pulled him away. but....now...i'll keep her on her laesh for saftey.[]

I used to hate flexis, in fact, I still do hate most flexis, but I just recently got one for Max. I only use it in certain places, like at the park, or if we are going to walk in the fields near the high school. I don't use it for just going around the neighborhood or something. If someone approaches us, human, dog, or human on a bike, I lock it. If it's another dog, I wait until I can assure that it is alright for Max to approach before unlocking it and allowing him to.  I used to take him with a long line, and it's easier to use a flexi in for this, rather than having to grab for the long line and reel that in. Maybe it's me, but I thought that was why these things have a lock feature. It's meant so that you can lock it to prevent your dog from racing up to other people, dogs, or something dangerous, not just because the company thought it would be a cool feature that they could make a few extra bucks by adding. They only time I don't lock it when we are approaching someone is when it's Max's best buddy and pal Tyler. I know that it's ok for Max to approach Tyler, and Tyler's dad and I can recognize each other's dogs from far away, as can the dogs. Max also only used regular leashes for a year before I got him a flexi, and he knew how to walk nicely on the leash before I started using it. People who have never used a regular leash on their dog seem to be more obnoxious, and seem to have no concept of the lock.

Lift it up in the air with the leash?? I'd rather have my dog unleashed if for no other reason than that it could run away if it really needed to...

That saved Emma's life, once.

My dogs wear harnesses. Three large dogs decided that my dogs (who were leashed, walking down the public street) were invading their territory, and decided that Emma would be the best target (I have no clue why, since she was just sniffing the grass on the edge of the road, away from their yard). Two started biting her, and one picked her up, and started to run.

Of course, we weren't in a dog park. We don't go to dog parks. We try to stay around dogs that we know are socialized and relatively safe.