A friend got his two dogs up this:


while they were totally leashed:


His main worry is that the Brittany will just take off, as she is wont to do. If she sniffs a cottontail or grouse, she takes off like a bullet. That area is pretty hostile -- little sure water, and coyotes and mountain lions throughout.

He has used a shock collar with some success, but it's usually a lot easier just to leash her anyplace where she can escape quickly. Sometimes it takes hours of calling to get her back.

btmayo79 wrote:I kind of take issue with this pro-leash stance. My dogs are well behaved, on voice command, and come back when I call them. I HAVE had issues, but only with either people who are scared of dogs, or with dogs who are fighters, both on and off leash.

Actually a certain number of us would not take issue with you and thus your statements would not be in conflict with the OP. Unfortunately I take the position most folks are pretty stupid on average, therefore, I do not trust their judgment whether it be drinking and driving or dogs off leash. In other words, they think they have control of their dog, but what they consider control and what I deem control would be two different things. That being said, if a dog is behaving off leash in an off leash area, I personally don't have a thing to say to that owner.

sarah.simon wrote: Most folks who think their dog is under voice control are delusional on this matter

Exactly. Has anyone noticed that most dogs used by law enforcement are kept on leashes? Do you think that your dog is better trained than dogs that are constantly being trained for several hours a week? Any dog can turn agressive and bite someone faster than you can call it off if the dog feels threatened, or feels that its owner is threatened.

Mateys! All sheathe yer dirks.

The leash etiquette depends very much on the circumstances.

There are people who let their dogs run unleashed on popular trails, and the dogs harass folks and dump in the trail. That is bad.

And there are people who keep their dogs unleashed till they are well off-trail. If the dog is trained to stay close at hand, I think that's fine. If the dog takes a dump in woods or desert where 5 people go per year, I'm not really disturbed, since I'm walking by coyote, horse, burro, sheep and elk poops all the time.

justanothertroll wrote:able to resist chasing a squirrel

Squirrels don't count as wildlife. All dogs everywhere have the right to chase them.

justanothertroll wrote:

btmayo79 wrote:I kind of take issue with this pro-leash stance. My dogs are well behaved, on voice command, and come back when I call them. I HAVE had issues, but only with either people who are scared of dogs, or with dogs who are fighters, both on and off leash.

Sorry to make this my first SP post, but I trained my dogs well for a reason; so that I can take them hiking and climbing. With hiking, they are always within earshot and come to my side when told to do so. While climbing, they wait at the base for hours at a time, because they were taught to do so.

My one exception is in the desert, where fragile soils won't tolerate dogs roaming around, and in alpine/tundra zones, where the same applies.

Pretty much, if your dog doesn't behave, work on more training before you bring it out into the woods, crag, etc. But if your dog behaves and listens to you, leave it off-leash and let it be a real dog.

Right...so you're one of those assholes that leaves an unattended dog at the base of a climb and claims that you've never had any problems with it. Uh-huh... I'm sure your little fluffy is the perfect little fucking angel when you're not around. Wouldn't think of digging a hole, chasing/ barking at wild life/people, or maybe just take a big nasty shit on the trail that I'm sure you would pick up or bury...right? Thanks for being oblivious to the needs and wants of everyone else. The point isn't that your dog COMES BACK when you call it...it's not EVER SUPPOSED TO LEAVE YOUR SIDE! A dog that is left to run around wherever it chooses is not under voice control. Being "WITHIN EARSHOT" is not under voice control. Being within a few feet of you at any time and being able to resist chasing a squirrel that crosses it path is under voice control. I've been working with dogs for the last 20 years and have met only a handful of dogs that can/will do this.

I think your post just proved the point of several of the posters above. Contrary to massive evidence and consensus that your dog should be leashed you insist on letting your dog roam wild and just "be a dog". You are the kind of owner that gets pissed at me when your well mannered dog gets a boot to the jaw from me when it comes over to fuck with my on leash dog that doesn't want anything to do with your little precious. If the area has a leash law I will insist on notifying you of it when I meet you in the woods and if your off leash dog decides it wants to fuck with me or my on leash dog in anyway, then both you and it will have to deal with those consequences.

So troll,........ who ever you are.

You Kick dogs, who just walk over to you??

God will re-pay you one day.

taxinvestor wrote:

justanothertroll wrote:able to resist chasing a squirrel

Squirrels don't count as wildlife. All dogs everywhere have the right to chase them.

Squirrels kill dog

Guyzo wrote:So troll,........ who ever you are.

You Kick dogs, who just walk over to you??

God will re-pay you one day.

In all fairness, he didn't say the ones that "just walk over":

justanothertroll wrote:. . . when it comes over to fuck with my on-leash dog . . .

MoapaPk wrote:Squirrels kill dog

They are said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh.

A pine cone shortage may have led the squirrels to seek other food sources. . . .

holy crap!



By the way, nice troll, taxinvestor.

MoapaPk wrote:Squirrels kill dog

Just noticed in the article: "Russian squirrel pack 'kills dog'"

There has GOT to be a Yakov Smirnoff Russian reversal joke in there somewhere!

We need Boris' and Natasha's take.

Day Hiker wrote:

Gary Schenk wrote:

fowweezer wrote:I have been lectured by people on some of these trails to "put my dog on a leash" when it is an area that allows off-leash dogs. I usually tell them to fuck off and correct their view of the law in the area.....because usually they're acting like ass holes.

Not everyone loves dogs. Especially some children can be very intimidated by them. Some don't care for dogs running up to them and slobbering on them, or trying to sneak their lunch.

I'm a fan of dogs, too, but leashes, like fences, make good neighbors.

Yes, exactly. If you're female (sorry, guys; I discriminate), do I get to run up and stick my nose in your crotch and lick and slobber all over your legs? Ok, didn't think so. Well, that's about how I feel about your goddamn dog doing that to me.

I felt compelled to post this:

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/ ... me/229055/





Yesterday I was walking in an area where there are lots of unleashed dogs--lots of people ride their mountain bikes with their dogs following. I have no problem with this, and usually have either no encounters or brief, friendly encounters with the dogs I meet. As I walked down the trail with my husband, I saw a woman approaching on a mountain bike with an English Springer Spaniel. Years ago I had this type of dog suddenly turn on me for no apparent reason. As a result, I'm wary of this breed. I moved to the side of the trail, but the dog came at me. He jumped up and bit my hand and wrist. I managed to jerk my hand out of the dog's mouth so his teeth only scraped the skin. I yelled. The woman kept going with her dog.

About a half-hour later the woman came back the other way. I hid behind a tree. My husband yelled, "Hey, your dog BIT my wife!" "Oh, he's just excited!" she said. I was so angry I felt like running after her and knocking her off her bike. "Oh, I'm just excited!" I would have yelled.

She must know that her dog bites people and I'm sure this isn't the first time this has happened. I like dogs, and they generally like me, but can't stand dog owners who are like this! I'm tired of hearing stuff like, "Oh, he's ok!" or "He won't bite." as I'm getting clawed, knocked down, or bitten. I've had housemates come home covered in blood from being attacked while out walking. I think I might start having to carry mace or a taser, especially since I'm trying to recover from four herniated disks in my lower back. Getting knocked down by a dog could put me back on the living room floor for months. Walking is my primary physical therapy. It's tough in Tahoe to find a place where there are no dogs on the trails. I just don't know what to do. Sorry about the rant. I'll stop now!

That's hilarious,(the video, that is), and pretty accurate.
Too bad about your incident. I'd could easily say, "Fuck Dogs!," though, as you said of yourself, I, too, like dogs. Just too many incidents of owners not being responsible for them, however, and I get sick of seeing/hearing about it. . . So maybe, Fuck the Irresponsible Owners of Dogs!