16 September 2009

Dog Exercise Areas

| Flattie01
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Golden Retrievers sharing a stickI am a Weston Creek resident that regularly walk/run my two dogs in the designated off-leash exercise area at the back of Fisher, behind the fire station on Sulwood Drive. On numerous occasions I have been the target of verbal abuse for having my dogs off the leash. I would like to point out to other residents of surrounding suburbs that when you walk or run with or without a dog in this area, you WILL encounter dogs off the leash.

My dogs are friendly , they will lick you to death before they’d ever bite you or your dog. My dogs are under my control when I am with them, they simply want to say hello to you and/or your dog and then continue on their merry way. There is no need to yell and scream ‘get your dogs away from me’, as the woman late yesterday afternoon did. If you chose to bring your dog to this area, you CAN expect a visit from multiple dogs also in the area. To another woman, also yelling and screaming ‘put your dogs on a leash, I have had a bad encounter with other dogs’, again, if you chose to walk your dog in this designated area, expect to come across other dogs on and off the leash. If you’ve had a bad experience and crap yourself at the sight of another dog and don’t want your dog interacting with other dogs, then do yourself a favour and take them somewhere else, not the designated off-leash exercise area at the back of Fisher reserve for goodness sake.

Has anyone else out there experienced these yellers and screamers either in this off-leash area or another off-leash area in Canberra?

[TAMS provides information and maps of Canberra’s Dog Exercise Areas.]

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Dogwalker, please do us a favour and don’t take your dog to one of the fenced off-leash parks – I’m thinking neither yourself or the dog would cope very well.

Genie said :

We live next to an off leash area. The other day I was witness to a small dog being mauled to death by two larger dogs. The big dogs were on a lead, but the smaller one was not. The owner of the big dogs had no control over them and they went crazy. So regardless of your opinion on this – please be careful, as some dogs are vicious when approached. I love dogs and hate to see this sort of thing happen. But happen it does. If you cannot control your dogs – please muzzle them.

Oh my ! This is horrible

Isn’t there a law that states aggressive breeds of dogs are required to be muzzled when out in public? I know greyhounds are meant to be, does anyone know if this is true or not?

Hi genie,

Greyhounds areb required to be muzzled in the ACT, although many states have overturned this law if the dogs have been passed by the State’s Greyhound Adoption program, as the dogs are tested ‘safe’ with small fluffy dogs before they are adopted out. As a breed, greyhounds are probably the ‘safest’ with humans; extremely gentle and respectful with their people (they were originally bred as companion dogs for royalty). I have never met a greyhound that wasn’t loving, cuddly and affectionate with people – the muzzle gives people the impression that they are mean-natured, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Unfortunately the horrible sport of greyhound racing requires the dogs to chase small, fluffy things, as as such, some greyhounds (not all) need ‘reprogramming’ after their racing days are over – to quell that strong chase drive. Once the dogs realise that the small, fluffy things are actually other dogs (not rabbits), they are usually fine with other dogs … but some hounds won’t ever be able to get past that strong desire to chase. Greyhound owners are very aware of their own dog’s tendencies, and will opt to muzzle if there is any doubt (especially as this is the law). But there is no need to freak out if you see an unmuzzled greyhound, as this particular dog is most likely to be quite safe and under the control of the owner. I always keep Mum’s greyhound muzzled at the dog park though, just because you can never be 100% sure, and they are very large dogs!

Dogwalker are you really that secure and responsible to have a dog under your control? i think not. Dogs will be dogs and occassionally they will have a tumble. Most owners know how to cope. If your dog can not handle it, then don’t take your dog to a off lead area. Plently of other areas to go to and hold your breath and turn blue, without spoiling it for others.

Chill pill.

why do you assume a ‘rottweiler’ is anything to be more scared of than a corgi, bassett or pekinese, dogwalker? a rottweiler will submit to a dominant dog – mine sure does – and knows its place like every other dog. as jb notes, take a chill pill and let the hounds sort themselves out. you mightn’t know the other dog, but your dog should have a good sense of it and you should have a good sense of your dog. heaven help us if we’ve got bods like you doing security with a rotty and not understanding dogs! (poor rotty, too)

@#65 You need to slow down and sniff a few more butts. Sounds like your dog must get heaps of exercise, leashed to someone running around all the time in an apoplectic fit.

Might be worth learning to speak dog if you want to keep one.

Take a pill and relax.

MsCheeky said :

Dogwalker, when you pick your dog up, you are (in dog language) elevating it above the other dog, putting it into a dominant position. This is more likely to cause a problem than leaving it down and letting it submit if necessary, and it potentially involves you in any altercation. Dogs don’t generally go around fighting and killing each other, they just quickly sort out their respective positions in the dog hierarchy. Of course there are dangerous dogs, but they are few and far between.

And really, it’s a little unnecessary to shout at us and brand an entire city as stupid. If you don’t like it here, you have the choice to move somewhere smart.

Well First i am not a dog so i do not understand dog talk ????? i am protecting my dog from yours because i do not know your dog. you say your dog is friendly but i dont know you either to believe you. i used to work security with a Rottweiler, would you allow your “dominant” dog to approach him? i think not. i am not the “Dog” expert you claim to be and wish nothing more than to be able to walk my dog WITHOUT him being approached by dogs that are clearly not in the control of their owners. Now unnecessary to shout at you? no, i am not going to shout at your dog for being a dog it will be at you for imo being an irresponsible dog owner. as far as still living in this STUPID town… blame my wife she wont let us move. off leash areas on public sporting fields = STUPID. in closing PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH!!!!!!

Hey Clown Killer- my dog wants to meet your dog! Maybe we could sort out some exclusive dog of leash area with some sort of vetting procedure (haha)to keep annoying dogs and their owners away..

Clown Killer11:34 am 23 Sep 09

Sorry mate. When your dog comes up to my dominant beastie, and my dog is tearing into him is he going to return to your side when called? Instinct wouldn’t get the better of him? He would just turn away ( all the while getting fanged) and trot back to your side! You may have a need to feel like you have total control over your dog however i highly doubt this is always the case.

Musty, I’m aware that Akita’s can be a handful for inexperienced owners who have little idea about dog handling, so you’re making the right call in keeping your dog on a leash if you don’t have the ability to control it.

Thanks to all who offered advice on our hyperactive under-socialised pup! Will try a few different places and see how things turn out.

busgirl – if you were interested in meeting up with our furry children for a play date, drop me an email at adamandlil@optusnet.com.au (no hard feelings if you don’t want to! Just seems like our pups are of very similar temperament, would be worth seeing how they get along). We’re in Mawson.

la mente torbida9:45 am 18 Sep 09

I walk my 2 dogs daily. In off-leash areas it is a constant scanning of the surroundings to see if other dogs are in the vicinity (sp?).

The big issue seems to be where some dogs are on lead and others are not. Where other dogs are off-leash mine have a great time chasing and running with them.

When mine are on-leash or the others are, there seems to be potential for grief.

Be aware of your surroundings and take care.

We live next to an off leash area. The other day I was witness to a small dog being mauled to death by two larger dogs. The big dogs were on a lead, but the smaller one was not. The owner of the big dogs had no control over them and they went crazy. So regardless of your opinion on this – please be careful, as some dogs are vicious when approached. I love dogs and hate to see this sort of thing happen. But happen it does. If you cannot control your dogs – please muzzle them.

Oh my ! This is horrible

Isn’t there a law that states aggressive breeds of dogs are required to be muzzled when out in public? I know greyhounds are meant to be, does anyone know if this is true or not?

A fenced doggy area at the base of Mount Majura is definitely needed.

And something next to the dog school in Symonston would be ideal.

Please Mr “Insert Name Here” can we have one? Best thing you have ever done.

lol @ the top bit of Lake Tuggers being “no dogs at all” but the main part being “off lead”… I’m glad everyone obeys that one! lol! Everybody I see (and usually pass twice!) does the whole loop around. Bit stupid to have that bit no dogs when it’s saying you can have them off-lead at the College/KFC/Maccas part!

It all has to do with how YOU as the owner of YOUR dog control YOUR dog. My dog sees me as the leader of the pack, with a click of my fingers he does what I say. He walks down to the letterbox, sits & greets the postie most days & then walks back up to the front door. I can even leave the front door & screen door open & if I say so he’ll stay inside. He is also fine walking up & down Mt Taylor & at Lake Tuggers, The Lake G & Forde dog parks.
However he’ll ignore everyone else in the house

Lilli, I agree with Chewy14…start off with the fully fenced areas first. People there will be happy to let your pup socialise with their dogs. And you’re right…the canine pecking order does usually sort itself out pretty quickly. Once they all know where they stand with each other, the fun can then begin 🙂

…your pup is still a baby…expect the wacky behaviour to last for at least another 12 months if not 24 months. She sounds alot like my Kelpie x Aussie Shepherd…highly excitable…and totally gorgeous 😀 I think they would get on well.

astrojax said :

but i also agree with grrrr (who should know what they’re talkin’ ’bout here..!) that it is crazy to have off-leash areas with cyclists. bizarre; maybe we are stupid here in canberra after all…

I ride through an off leash area every day and there are always dogs off their leashes every day. I’ve never once, in about a year and half, had a problem.

I think most people who have their dogs off their leash know how their dog behaves and reacts to things like other dogs and cyclists. I guess they’re just trusting, or hoping, that others are the same.

Some people overreact when they see a dog off their leash. Maybe they’ve had a bad experience, or they just think every dog is a pit bull. But then again a lot of people react like that to cyclists as well 🙂

MsCheeky said :

dogwalker said :

… i have to carry my dog 1/2 his walk to avoid other dogs just going to my local shop. there are too many people in this STUPID town that believe they are the only ones who matter or they jump on the “popular” comment of the day. PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH!!!!!!

Dogwalker, when you pick your dog up, you are (in dog language) elevating it above the other dog, putting it into a dominant position. This is more likely to cause a problem than leaving it down and letting it submit if necessary, and it potentially involves you in any altercation. Dogs don’t generally go around fighting and killing each other, they just quickly sort out their respective positions in the dog hierarchy. Of course there are dangerous dogs, but they are few and far between.

And really, it’s a little unnecessary to shout at us and brand an entire city as stupid. If you don’t like it here, you have the choice to move somewhere smart.

+1 ; )

but i also agree with grrrr (who should know what they’re talkin’ ’bout here..!) that it is crazy to have off-leash areas with cyclists. bizarre; maybe we are stupid here in canberra after all…

SolarPowered4:30 pm 17 Sep 09

I only recently found out that we live next to an off leash area – there are definitely no signs to that effect anywhere in the area. I used to take my kids out there to play – not any more.

Wow, that online map is an eye opener – there sure are a large number of off-leash areas around. How is anyone supposed to know where it’s safe to travel without worrying about unleashed dogs? None of the areas I knew from the map have signs to say that.

I imagined Off-leash areas would be like 1 park in 10 or something. Instead, I see that even the shared-use bike paths of Lake BG are included in off-leash areas. It’s crazy that dogs are allowed to be off-leash on the heavily-used bike tracks, around cyclists who are probably averaging 30kmh.

Surely the maps have the on-leash and off-leash areas around the wrong way? I can’t believe that the school ovals and main bike paths in my area are off-leash areas – I think this is a public safety issue.

Lilli,
take you dog to one of the fenced dog parks (tuggeranong or ginninderra):
http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/pets/wherecanitakemydog/fenced_dog_park

Most of the people that go there are friendly and i’m sure some of the people there wouldn’t mind helping you socialise your dog, even if it is a bit excitable. It is a smaller and easier to control environment than the off-lead areas.

Otherwise, take the pup to beginners obedience lessons at the RSPCA. These are great for dog socialisation and teaching them how to behave.

Apologies first – haven’t read through all the posts, but I have a slightly on/off topic question to ask.

We have a 1 year old Border Collie x Blue Heeler who isn’t very socialised with other dogs. How do people go about getting their dogs to become more friendly with others?! She has displayed no signs of aggression at all, but even at our weekly training sessions other owners don’t seem to approve of her hyperactivity when greeting other dogs etc. I’ve thought about taking her to off lead areas (while on lead obviously) and propositioning other owners if they would mind letting their dog play with ours.

It’s a pity that her behvaiour appears over the top to some, although it is understandable, but we are really at a loss as to how to get her to behave better around new people and dogs! As mentioned she is in training which is helping a little but even so only sees those other dogs for 1 hour each week.

Any advice is appreciated – would YOU mind a boisterous dog (plus owner) approaching you to see if you would mind letting your dog off lead to meet and greet her (she does backflips she gets so excited!)? In the few opportunities she has had to meet dogs off lead she is much better and the pecking order appears to sort itself out quite quickly. Not sure if an off-lead area is a good place to arrange this socialisation – and if not, what do we do?!

sorry meant #28

clownkiller #29 – nice one re parents letting kids pat massive dogs! Love it!

Madame Workalot12:33 pm 17 Sep 09

It seems a common theme here that the main complaint with dogs both on and off leash is whether they are agressive. Surely it’s pretty simple: if you have a dog that is large enough to do damage, put a muzzle on it.

SolarPowered, that is horrific. I’m so sad you had to witness that. And that is why my dog never goes ANYWHERE without a muzzle.

How often have I taken my dogs for a walk with other dogs racing towards us to “greet” us, and the dog hugging hippie owner yelling from a far distance “don’t worry, he’s friendly”? Unfortunately, in most of these cases I’m too far away to say “but my dogs aren’t and will try to eat yours in ca. 2 seconds”. Fortunately though, my dogs are usually intimidating enough when that happens for the other dog to take off, but I have also been attacked by other dogs, if only they are big and daring enough, as it sometimes is the case. And, frankly, I get sick of people thinking it’s ok that their animals can do this to others. Downright disrespectful behaviour.

dogwalker said :

… i have to carry my dog 1/2 his walk to avoid other dogs just going to my local shop. there are too many people in this STUPID town that believe they are the only ones who matter or they jump on the “popular” comment of the day. PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH!!!!!!

Dogwalker, when you pick your dog up, you are (in dog language) elevating it above the other dog, putting it into a dominant position. This is more likely to cause a problem than leaving it down and letting it submit if necessary, and it potentially involves you in any altercation. Dogs don’t generally go around fighting and killing each other, they just quickly sort out their respective positions in the dog hierarchy. Of course there are dangerous dogs, but they are few and far between.

And really, it’s a little unnecessary to shout at us and brand an entire city as stupid. If you don’t like it here, you have the choice to move somewhere smart.

SolarPowered11:00 am 17 Sep 09

We live next to an off leash area. The other day I was witness to a small dog being mauled to death by two larger dogs. The big dogs were on a lead, but the smaller one was not. The owner of the big dogs had no control over them and they went crazy. So regardless of your opinion on this – please be careful, as some dogs are vicious when approached. I love dogs and hate to see this sort of thing happen. But happen it does. If you cannot control your dogs – please muzzle them.

Yes i would/do complain if your dog appoaches mine on or off leash. if your dog pulls away while on leash it is too big for you therefor you do not have your dog under control. i own a small dog and think the off leash areas are ridiculous. i have to carry my dog 1/2 his walk to avoid other dogs just going to my local shop. some one said walk elswhere, why the hell should i? to those who claim there dog is friendly and would lick before biting only you know your dog….if people dont know your dog they are not going to know wether it is friendly or not. use common sence…(oops its canberra common sence doesnt exist here!!!) in closing i DO and WILL have a go at you for your dog appraoching mine. there are too many people in this STUPID town that believe they are the only ones who matter or they jump on the “popular” comment of the day. PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH!!!!!!

It was my always understanding that dogs were permitted to be off their leash in most park areas.. Thanks for the TAMS map much appreciated confirmed what I had always thought.

As for owners with their dogs off leashes.. I regularly walk my dogs around Lake G, and whenever I encounter people who have their dogs off a leash who want to be friendly and run up to the other dogs, they usually try to snap the lead back on straight away or apologise. Dogs are dogs, they just wanna come say hello. Are you going to still complain if the dog is ON a leash but it has managed to pull away from its owner !?

I used to be pretty relaxed about my (small) dog interacting with other dogs off the leash until one day he ran up to a big dog that he had played with before without a problem and got a nasty nip on the bum for his trouble. Trip to the vet, antibiotics etc. Not particularly happy about it but wrote it off as “just one of those things”.

The strange thing afterwards was that for the next couple of months lots of dogs off the leash that approached mine were very aggressive, snapping, even breeds that I would have thought were normally pretty harmless.

So yes, for that period any dog that ran up fast and in what I considered “uncontrolled behavior” would get yelled at and probably the owner too. I don’t know if my dog gave off the wrong scent or something, but he seriously attracted bullying. Consider my response a kind of protective pack behavior 🙂

Luckily that phase seems to have passed and he is able to hold his own in dog interactions again now.

I believe the Government have also asked for submissions for areas to create new fenced dog parks in the inner north/south. Funnily enough I can’t see anything about it anywhere on TAMS’ website.

CK, would you be cool with someone not wanting your dog near their own and defending their dog? Do you give other dog owners and patrons of the area the chance to say ‘no’ to your dog coming near them or their dog?

It isn’t your call to make to allow your dog introduce itself to other people using the area whether they have dogs or not. To do so makes you quite irresponsible, I’m afraid.

The sheer ignorance and apparent arrogance of people who believe they have full control of an animal is just dangerous. You never have full control an animal because its an ANIMAL and even the nicest dogs can bite unexpectadly. Some people feel like big heroes by owning big aggresive looking dogs and must love the fact that it frightens people and small children in a park. Grow up people, it’s a public area and if your animal does damage to a person or property YOU are liable, not the dog!! When you are being sued or worse you can’t blame the animal for your lack of common sense and judgement!! I am a responsible dog owner and always leash or take my dog home when I see potential for something to go pear shaped, but hey I guess not everyone can be bothered.

Muttsybignuts9:43 pm 16 Sep 09

Clown Killer said :

Upon command my dog will return to my side. I don’t need a leash to keep it under control.

Sorry mate. When your dog comes up to my dominant beastie, and my dog is tearing into him is he going to return to your side when called? Instinct wouldn’t get the better of him? He would just turn away ( all the while getting fanged) and trot back to your side!
You may have a need to feel like you have total control over your dog however i highly doubt this is always the case.

if you walk your dogs in an off lead area, expect to see dogs off lead! If you cant handle it then walk your dogs in an onlead area i.e 99.9% of the ACT

Have a look at the TAMS map – within the limits of suburban Canberra there is waaaaay more than 0.1% off-lead areas!

IMO areas adjacent to suburbs (eg back of Fisher) are a completely different off-lead prospect from areas within the suburbs such as local neighbourhood parks and I’m disappointed that they are considered the same – at least from a basic look at the TAMS map earlier today.

prolific dog crap over the even-more prolific broken glass, used syringes, cigarette butts and rubbish

I reckon dog crap outnumbers all of the others in our area by about 5:1. And apart from used syringes (which I have only ever seen once in Canberra, despite living in Braddon for several years), it’s the only one of your alternatives that sticks to shoes…

Clown Killer8:29 pm 16 Sep 09

…that’s a smart dog you’ve got there that you can command it to go and bounce and slobber all over someone — that’s controlling it. Letting your dog do whatever it wants is NOT controlling it

You miss my point. It’s an off leash area so interacting with other dogs and their owners is what will happen, it’s what I want my dog to be doing there. As far as I’m concerned anyone else there has bought into the same arrangement – if they don’t like it they’re free to go somewhere else, or to get where they’re going by some other route. I’m not commanding my dog to go over and say hello, I’m allowing it to. Upon command my dog will return to my side. I don’t need a leash to keep it under control.

ha ha…some seriously hilarious responses here…

Being able to read dog body language helps…my dog smiles too :-)…and a wagging tail is generally a pretty good sign of a dog just wanting to say gday…

My furry little buddy runs up to other dogs to have a bit of a butt sniff and to try to coax them into chasing her like the tart she is…and she has never ever gotten into any scuffles…she’s afraid of the cat for God’s sake so she’s not likely to take on any other canines!!

I do feel sorry for those who have had bad experiences with other less than friendly dogs whilst on outings with their own dog as that wouldn’t be much fun at all. However, when I notice passers-by appear fearful of my approaching ‘licking machine’…oops, I mean ‘dog’, then I always call her back and pop on her lead until we have passed. I always ask if our dogs can meet each other before I bring her close. And I always be sure to let them know she is friendly and not to be afraid of her.

A little common courtesy goes a long way most of the time.

You are all loons. Use the off leash areas wisely or expect them to be banned (just like fireworks). Keep your animals under control.

I have an off leash area that we have no choice but to walk through to get to my sons school. Personally, I think that human corridors take precendence and if they are going to add new suburbs then they need to review the appropriateness of the off leish areas as part of the development process (but that is another rant).

Now, I’ve always owned incredibly well behaved Dobermanns and never had an issue being off the leish. They were well trained and always came back to my side when asked. I expect the same from other owners.

My son is always cautious and he sticks by me because we have had unpleasant experiences with other peoples animals in the past. I have also seen and know what an out of control animal can do and am not keen on it happening to me.

Most owners are very responsible and they must be congratulated, but if you can’t control your animal (and I mean… keeping it the hell off of me) then keep it on a leish. “Oh, he’s only a puppy and wants to say hello”, doesn’t cut it.

If it is aggressive towards me, that is something totally different and you won’t have a happy puppy at the end of the day.

Wow Clown Killer, that’s a smart dog you’ve got there that you can command it to go and bounce and slobber all over someone — that’s controlling it. Letting your dog do whatever it wants is NOT controlling it….. Dude……

Clown Killer4:56 pm 16 Sep 09

I could never never understand the parents that used to let their kids run up to him and start touching him without asking me first if it was ok.

I used to come out of a shop to find parents holding their kids up so that they could pat my 75kg malamute who was in the back of my ute. I’d jovially tell them “Don’t bother suing when he chews your kids face off” … One dad nearly dropped his kid!

Hi Flattie01, can I ask you a question? When you are walking your dogs off-leash in these areas, and you see another person with-or-without a dog, do you let your dog(s) run up to the other person? If so, that’s not keeping your dog under control.

By saying that “…..so at least be aware of it”, you are saying that it is everyone else’s problem that *you* won’t be keeping your dogs with you and under control.

I do see your point about it being an off-lead area, and we’ve walked our dogs for years in offlead areas but the moment we see another user of the area, our dog is called back to us and put on a lead. It isn’t difficult to do, and we feel that it isn’t fair for other park users to have to worry about whether our dog is ‘OK’ or not.

Clown Killer4:20 pm 16 Sep 09

Letting your dog race up to other people using the area is NOT having your dog under control.

Oh yes it is dude. Just because my dog is bouncing all over you and yours dosn’t mean that it wont respond instantly to my call. It’s under control all right, when I choose to exercise that control is up to me.

Flattie01 made the point that dogs are social animals, and will approach each other. This is always going to happen in off-leash areas, and it’s even good for their socialisation! I don’t believe that it necessarily means they’re out of control. And lets face it, almost none of them are going to be aggressive, so I don’t see it as an issue, particularly when you have responsible owners that don’t let a known assertive beast off leash, such as Muttsybignuts.

I have a dog that doesn’t wish to be greeted by other dogs, and when she’s off leash, she’ll simply walk in an arc to avoid them. If they persist in greeting her, I just call her and wave a ball or stick, and she then completely ignores them, leaving the owners to retrieve their dog while they chase her chasing the stick. I don’t get my knickers in a twist about the other dogs. Worth noting that screaming and being agitated is a sure way to stir the dogs up.

On a kinda related topic, I had a dog that was a spitting image for the dog from Babe. He used to attract adoring children everywhere he went. I could never never understand the parents that used to let their kids run up to him and start touching him without asking me first if it was ok. Bad behaviour on many levels.

Anyway, I think you only be in an off leash area if you have a capacity to chill and handle all dog situations calmly.

To Poindexter, I understand it’s destressing when an attack happens, however, from a practical point of view, the area is there to exercise and run the dog off the leash, as an owner running along side, to put the dog on the leash, off the leash, on the leash defeats the purpose of letting the dog run around. It doesn’t mean people can’t go for a walk, I am simply pointing out the fact that dogs are unleashed in these areas, so at least be aware of it. As mentioned earlier, dogs can’t help themselves but to be friendly and want to talk to other dogs.

Woody Mann-Caruso3:57 pm 16 Sep 09

Dog owners doing the wrong thing – bad.
People screaming at dog owners doing the right thing – more badderer.

The TAMS site linked in this story states twice that “It is important even when off-leash for dogs to be under the control of their owner.” Letting your dog race up to other people using the area is NOT having your dog under control. We’ve recently had our (on-lead) dog attacked, and when we up’ed the owners of said mongrel, their reply was that it is an off-lead area. Not good enough.

You might think that your dog is ‘fine’, but we don’t know that. Please leash (or hold onto) your dog when nearing others. Dogs won’t always focus on their owners, and things can get very nasty very quickly.

And as others have commented here, most parks and bushland near suburbs are off-lead areas, so does that mean that anyone who doesn’t want to encounter poorly behaving dogs (and dogs owners) can’t go for a walk? Get real.

It isn’t too much to ask for people to control their dogs. If you want your dog to meet another dog, please ask. Please don’t assume that it’s OK to let your dog rush up to others, whether it is an offlead area or not.

s-s-a said :

I guess I don’t mind local parks and ovals (including school ovals) etc being used as dog off-leash areas, but if the amount of dog crap liberally deposited on nature strips, parks and ovals in our area is reflective of the rest of Canberra, there are many many dog owners out there who need a good kick up the butt!

I’ll take the prolific dog crap over the even-more prolific broken glass, used syringes, cigarette butts and rubbish any day. Dog crap quickly breaks down and is actually a pretty good fertilizer. Kids don’t need a trip to hospital if they step on it either (as opposed to broken glass). There are far worse things than dog poo. Zen.

Agreed Mr Evil. Some simple signs at either end of the reserve would be very useful. Most locals from surrounding suburbs in Weston Creek and Kambah are aware of the designation, as I see many a car parked at the gate where Sulwood Dr meets Namatjira Dr, so people are driving to the reserve to take advantage of exercising dogs off the leash.

Fair enough if your dog is running up to people all happy, it would be no problem. But i have had this experience with my dog (on-lead), where a massive dog comes running at you and there is no way to predict what the other dog is going to do.
I think people should respect others, yelling at someone in this situation is stupid but as the link you provided says:

Dogs can be exercised off-leash in designated Dog Exercise Areas. It is important for dogs to remain under the control of their carers in these open space areas as they are used for other recreational purposes too.

Unlike the fenced dog parks, these are not exclusive off-leash dog areas.

chewy14 said :

So your dogs are running up to random people, even to say hello, and you think they are under your control?
I can’t think of any reason why someone would be scared or angry when an unknown large dog comes sprinting at you out of nowhere. I mean doesn’t everyone know your dogs don’t bite?

yebbut chewy, in a dog park designated ‘off leash’, i hardly think it would be “out of nowhere”.

and they don’t have to know my dog won’t bite – if it won’t bite, then it won’t get in any bother about biting, ’cause it wouldn’t have done it. would it?

Muttsybignuts1:16 pm 16 Sep 09

Sadly, my breed of dog needs to be dominant ( Japanese Akita). He will run up to any other dog and if they are submissive then everything is OK. If they aren’t then it is on until one dog backs off. While I like to think that he will obey my every command ( which he usually does), instinct takes over and he doesn’t listen to anyone. He is intent on sorting himself in the pecking order.
Naturally I never walk him off leash.
Having said that, I agree with everyone that if you walk your dogs in an off lead area, expect to see dogs off lead! If you cant handle it then walk your dogs in an onlead area i.e 99.9% of the ACT.

Dogs that meet up off leash are less likely to get into a scrap than if they are restrained. As the owner of a pretentious small white lap dog, who is rarely on a leash, we have never had a bad encounter big or small its all about attitude. As far as screamers are concerned they should have a look at the map for dog off leash areas in their neighbourhood, before setting out.

Thanks for posting this, and the link to the TAMS site with interactive map.

I was not aware that the three suburban parks within 200m of my house were designated off-leash areas. One of them has a children’s playground which we visit regularly and another is on our regular walking path to the local shops/bus stop/school etc.

I don’t know why but at the age of 2 my daughter developed (for no apparent reason) a complete freak-out-climb-up-Mummy fear of dogs. She is only JUST starting to come around due to positive interactions with neighbours’ dogs etc. If we were walking in a local park (or bike riding around the back of Fisher) and a dog ran up to us off a leash I would probably be yelling “keep your dog away” too.

I was under the (obviously misguided) impression that the fenced areas at eg Lake Ginninderra and Lake Tuggers were the only places dogs were free to roam.

I guess I don’t mind local parks and ovals (including school ovals) etc being used as dog off-leash areas, but if the amount of dog crap liberally deposited on nature strips, parks and ovals in our area is reflective of the rest of Canberra, there are many many dog owners out there who need a good kick up the butt!

Maybe if the local govt spent money putting signs up advertising that these areas are designated off-leash walking areas for dogs, then this sort of problem might not occur?

I guess they’d rather spend money on those 6′ x 4′ signs that state that some patch of barren ground is slated for some future community development in 300 years time.

wot said fred12:24 pm 16 Sep 09

“if I’m scared of dogs or not a dog person then I wouldn’t be wondering through a designated off leash area”

let alone even wandering even!

To chewy14

Yes my dogs run up to people and their dogs, as social pack animals they can’t help but do this, my point is, the designated area allows for this, if you are a dog person with half a brain you would know this breed of dog and it’s temperament, of course all dogs are capable of biting, however as I run with my dogs they come when I call them. If a dog ran up to me wagging its tail furiously and smiling (which my dog does), I wouldn’t have alarm bells ringing, and further to the point, if I’m scared of dogs or not a dog person then I wouldn’t be wondering through a designated off leash area.

To Clown Killer

The damn at the back of the fire station is probably around 10% capacity, there is enough for the dogs to swim and fetch a stick, but who knows how long that will last? Thanks for asking

Clown Killer10:44 am 16 Sep 09

I have no sympathy for people who of their own accord come to am off-leash dog exercise area and then carry on like a rancid pork chop about other peoples dogs. Walk somewhere else, or better still stay at home.

Thanks for posting the link to the TAMS maps Flattie. I see that all of the playing fields behind Kambah Village are also off-lead areas – somthing we’ll be taking advantage of from now on.

Also, Flattie, hows the water level in that dam up the back of the fire station? My dog loves a spot of water play but the dams on Mt Taylor are pretty much empty.

I haven’t but I have a pug and every just laughs at him. Not to take away from the original post I was wondering where the dog park is on the North side?

So your dogs are running up to random people, even to say hello, and you think they are under your control?
I can’t think of any reason why someone would be scared or angry when an unknown large dog comes sprinting at you out of nowhere. I mean doesn’t everyone know your dogs don’t bite?

MuddlingStick10:08 am 16 Sep 09

I think the kind of people you discuss are quite sad and selfish. Dogs are by their nature quite a social animal, and should be given opportunities to get out and about and meet other dogs.

Like humans, if your dog gets its head kicked in by another dog, it probably deserved it and will learn from the experience!

Let’s lose the cotton wool.

I’ve had a similar experience, being yelled at by a woman, saying “my dog bites you know”…. ummmm how about if your dog bites other dogs don’t bring it to a dog park!!

The TAMS map shows a lot more off-leash areas than I knew existed. I thought dogs were only allowed off-leash in certain restricted areas, but from viewing that map it seems theres more off-leash areas in Canberra than areas where fido is required to be on-leash.

I agree.

Some people want the best of both worlds. This woman wants her to dog to roam free but not others.

She must be a bitch.

While I do agree with you largely (as I’m a dog lover), I know that I could get in trouble in these situations so am very careful and think other dog owners should be too. I have a BIG, black dog so I come across screamers often 🙂

When I walk my dog off lead (only in designated off lead areas) I NEVER let him greet other dogs or people off lead. He is always called back and put on leash to pass people and other dogs. He is completely friendly, but if he scares someone even just by galloping over to say hello, it is essentially my fault in the eyes of the law. I won’t risk his wellbeing like that, so putting him on leash to pass other people isn’t a big sacrifice to make. I’d recommend this to any dog owner using off leash areas.

As a dog walker, I can understand why people get upset when they see dogs off the leash around the street and footpaths. But if it’s a designated off leash area, then they have no ground to stand on. How rude off people to yell too. When ever I encounter off leash dogs in non designated areas, it might be annoying, but would never yell at someone over it. Just walk away and move on.

OMG the opposite happened to me yesterday. My dog goes to the offleash area in Fraser every day, and she ran up to a guy who had 2 dogs on a leash and started to jump on his dog. His dog was yelping. This has NEVER happened before. She came as soon as I called her, but what was the go with that. He signalled his dog was ok… But I feel so bad! He walked away quickly so I couldn’t even apologise or check his dog was ok. I feel so embarressed that my dog did this! Anyway, I know that’s off Flattie’s topic but I wanted to mention anyway. If you read this owner of those dogs I’m really REALLY sorry!

with regard’s to your comments – yes we get that over my way too. You just can’t help some people.

DarkLadyWolfMother8:08 am 16 Sep 09

I’ve had people doing the yelling, screaming and accusing me and my dog of everything even when their dog invaded my yard, so I hold out no hope of sanity in any other area.

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