Dogs loose in the woods-your opinion?

[cuphead]

My 110 lb golden is about as passive as a dog can get, but he's still a big dog and is bound to intimidate some people, so while I don't always have him on a leash in the woods, he's on one anywhere I'm likely to encounter people. I have a buddy whose daughter was bitten by a dog and is now very nervous around all dogs. As result, my bud is fairly distrustful of unleashed dogs and sees it as disrespectful of owners' whom dismiss his right to be out on trails without having to fend off dogs, friendly or otherwise, and I certainly see his point. Most people are pretty good about encountering unleashed dogs, but it wouldn't hurt the owners to at be somewhat apologetic.

very well said!
Every owner should understand and know what their dog is capable of, in any given circumstances they should also be up to the mesure to deal with their dog if need be.

Non-Dog owners should also understand that the woods don't belong to anyone as first nation ppl like to put it, the woods were there before us, and will be after we're gone. So if your quarrels are with bad dog owners, why do some even go to the extent of criticizing and making good dog owners feel like shit.

We all want to enjoy the beauty nature provides in our own way. and the more the ppl are informed and prepared when they go out, the better it is for everyone, dog-owners and others.:thumbup:

 

[cuphead]

If a hiker treats your charging dog the same as a charging coyote (as you yourself suggest) and cuts its throat, are you prepared to accept that? I wonder.

In self defense, YES. Because it will be a sign of piss poor ownership as william.m puts it. I never personally put anyone under any circumstances in harms way And I would like to be treated the same. Fact remains if a vicious animal comes at you. be prepared...

Hey I walk around the woods with a 3 year old and a dog, I'm aware of my surroundings and everyone should be when on a hike.:thumbup:

 

[dawsonbob]

Some dogs are better than others. Don’t get me wrong: I love dogs, but I’ve learned my lesson about which ones can be taken out in the bush.

I used to have an Afghan Hound. Actually, it was my girlfriend’s dog, but I considered it mine, too. There are some things you really should know about afghans before you take them out in the boonies. Not familiar with afghans? Well, think of them as overgrown whippets with a lot of hair. Afghans were bred to hunt snow leopards, and they’re not afraid of anything. They’re very, very fast. Oh, and they’re sight hounds. Anything that moves within their sight radius draws their immediate attention, at which point the forget any command you might have given them — like “sit,” “stay,” etc. They’re pretty loyal to their owners, whose commands they ignore, but they’re pretty aggressive towards anyone or anything else.

I made the mistake of taking Nate (that was the dog’s name) out in the desert for a hike just once. He was pretty calm at first, while he was on the leash, but oh, brother, once he was off it, it was a different story. We took the leash off, and he took off. Man, that dog could run! Calling him had absolutely no effect: might as well have been calling rocks. We couldn’t chase him, so we just stopped and made a little camp and waited. Finally, after about two hours he came back all ragged looking, with all that pretty fur matted and clumped (we had to shave him, because it couldn’t be untangled).

Anyway, I learned my lesson, because it got me thinking. This is a fast, highly aggressive dog, that will not obey a command. What if there had been other hikers in the area? Would he attack a child? I don’t know, and that’s kinda scary. I never took him out again, and I’ve never taken any other dog out that wasn’t on a leash, even my Golden Retriever, because you simply don’t really know what will happen.

Now, most of the dogs I’ve encountered have been pretty friendly. But what if you run across a dog like Nate? He’s fast, he’s aggressive, and he won’t listen: could be trouble. I’ll never again take a dog out that’s not on a leash.

 

[cuphead]

LOL ! My wife said exactly the same thing a while back. There were two old-ish women on the trail so I put Snicker on her leash but left Maisy off, as Maisy plodded slowly past totally ignoring them the women started to go mad at me saying how all dogs should be on the leash etc !
My wife said ' are they real, bitchin about a docile dog when there are bears and cougars all round this area ?'
Thing is Maisy's leash is about 5' long and the trail was about 4' wide so it wouldn't have made any difference she could still have got to them had she been that type of dog !!!!

I feel ya buddy, I think I may have dug my own grave over replying to the thread, as I feel some ppl don't visit the same kinds of woods, and that's fine.

And I certainly appreciate good bull owners and other bully dog owners that have their dog obedient and docile. As it is difficult enough as it is to have one and protect your rights as a dog owner without having some scarred yuppy ruin it for everyone because of a minority of bad owners.

 

[BA_Colt]

I love dogs, however I hate when I am on the trail and someone's dog runs up on me. Unless you have complete voice control of your dog, they should be leashed. I have a friend who had the nicest, friendliest, huge male yellow lab and my friend would let this dog run loose. The problem is he would not listen and loved to jump on people. More than once he has knocked a child over. One time we were just finishing up a week long hike in the White Mts, about 1/4 of a mile to the parking lot. My friend's dog takes off and jumps on a woman who was standing taking pics. of the river. This poor woman got covered in muddy paw prints, and was understandably angry. My friend was indignant and said something to the extent "that your in the woods, what do you expect". I was horrified and offered the woman money and an apology. Believe me on this I gave my friend a verbal lashing on dog and trail etiquette.

This being said, I took care of a lab that was the smartest dog I have ever met. When we would go hiking I would let her off leash, however if she saw other people on the trail she was trained to stop and sit or come back to me. And she always did. I would leash her up until the people pass. This dog also would only run 5 feet in front of me. She is one of the few dogs that I would let run off lead.

 

[kr1]

I have repeatedly over the years had issues with peoples dogs running off leash. I don't care if the dog is off leash if he is under the persons control. If you dog is close enough to someone that they can be hit with a hiking stick or a knife, your dog wasn't under your control. I never have had a problem with a bear or "wild animals". It seems like I am always having issues with pets, and it’s not usually the pets fault. It's the owners.

The biggest issue is everyone seems to think they have Lassie and too often they have Cujo.

Example: I had a dog accost me (walks up to me growling with its head down, hackles raised) while I'm walking on a public trail once and the owner comes up to me with the "I'm sorry, he has never done that before" story. Same jackass, same dog, does the same thing to me off leash again, the next day and tries the same excuse. I explained to him that that excuse can only be used once. Never saw him there again. Nitwit.

And for what its worth, I also firmly believe that you must face the animal and show him you mean business. Never turn your back and never, ever, run. This attitude has prevented me from being bitten more than once, I’m convinced.

And yes, I was a dog owner and am a dog lover.

KR

 

[Kismet]

What are the rules, regs, and laws which apply to the areas to which you go?

Obey them. That's your part of the bargain.

 

[angle iron]

+1 on owners being the problem. Most folks have only foggy notions of dog obedience if they have any idea at all. I usually walk with four large dogs and throw a tennis ball for them as I walk but never around a corner or out of sight. All are reasonably trained and will ALWAYS respond to recall and each still wears a shock collar just in case (never had to use them). Whenever we meet oncoming hikers I recall the dogs and put them in a down stay off the trail until the others pass. I have actually had others let their dogs off leash in response, I assume so they can play with my dogs (in down stay), unbelievable. I have only ever met one well mannered and reasonably trained dog off leash on a trail which is really annoying since obedience training isn't exactly rocket surgery.
I had a Sgt. once who went to talk to his neighbor about something. He rang the bell and the neighbor opened the door allowing what I can only assume he knew were aggressive dogs to charge the Sgt.. Luckily he believed in carrying off duty and unfortunately had to kill both rotties in the neighbors foyer. It would break my heart to hurt a dog but it was a good shoot in my opinion and that of IA. I carry a GB SFA held by the head when I walk in the neighborhood because of aggressive dogs. Twice I have had dogs take an aggressive interest in me while walking. Both times I popped the sheath off of the axe and apparently the change in my attitude from "Oh shite" to "If you insist" is palpable to the dogs because both veered away immediately before I could even brace or raise the axe.

 

[Dannyboy Leather]

I have strong opinions about this subject because it is such a problem on the public backwoods trails. Disobedient dogs mixed with irresponsible dog owners should not be other peoples problems!

We have owned and formally trained dogs for many years and know something about the potential of dogs...any dog. If the dog owner cannot COMPLETELY control their dog with voice commands, that dog SHOULD NOT be off the leash in the woods or on the trail! Period! They should not be allowed to harass humans or wild animals! It is against the law, too! We currently own a German Shepherd and an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They obey *first-time* commands each and every time and are allowed off the leash in the wilderness...unless we see other people where they are leashed just to make those people feel secure. We take their (public) feelings into consideration first and foremost. On the trail, with other people coming down the trail, the dogs should be moved aside off the trail and made to *sit* until the hikers pass. I also move the horses off the trail, letting hikers on foot pass by, if they are hiking the designated local horse trails. I want them to think of horse and dog owners in a positive light!

Horn Dog is completely correct and I hear way too many stories such as his around this country. Irresponsible dog owners should not be his problem. Owners who cannot be bothered to properly train their dogs should not own dogs. Trained dogs are not only good for the public, they are also MUCH happier dogs!! They want to please people! It is their nature! Disobedient dogs are reflective of their poor owners.

Needless to say; we love dogs. However, if a dog becomes a threat to my person, or anyone in my party in the wilderness or on the trail, they will have a dead dog, and justifiably so. Too, I would make sure the owner faces the prosecution they deserve.

 

[pitdog]

I have still yet to meet a bad dog although I've met many bad owners !

My biggest fear when on the trail is thinking about the retards that hang about near the trail head waiting for you to leave the car so they can break in ! Give me a scary dog anytime !!!!

 

[cuphead]

So now that all the emotions have surfaced, maybe someone should start a thread like "Backcountry sacred rules for Dog-Owners and the sheeple, heheh

 

[LEGION 12]

Love dogs there owners not so much i live in the city and there is a new condo across the street seem the alley or the park one block away ! Is not good enough for these owners no my side yard makes a much better bathroom lovely smell in summer and beutiful decorations in the snow. And it seems everytime i leave or come home there they are fighting the lease to keep control of ther dogs its no wonder that cant control them . What do they do with these poor animals all day when they are at work ? I can just see them bouncing off the walls of these small condos . Now i know that not all dog owners are not like this but alot are some people should not be aloud to own dogs or any animal for that matter.

 

[fishshooter]

ppl are afraid of things they don't understand. so what the hell are ppl afraid of dogs doing in the woods to begin with if you can encounter coyotes, bobcats, bears etc..

Dogs, in general, don't have the instictive fear of man that the other animals you listed have. Look at the number of dog attacks versus the number of attacks by wild animals each year. Most the problems around here have to do with conflict between still hunters and dog hunters. Now, most the public hunting property has been divided between the two, and for the most part it this has worked out well. I don't have a problem with you taking your dog out, but if it is aggessive and you don't keep it under control, don't be suprised or upset if someone else controls it for you. My Dad was walking his bloodhound down a public dirt road close to our fish camp. They were jumped by two neighbor dogs, his dog was on a leash. Dad's dog broke one of the attacking dog's leg. The owner had the nerve to tell Dad he needed to pay the vet bill. Dad simply told him to take him to court. Those dogs stay in a pen now.

 

[cuphead]

perhaps your right but I don't think looking at the # of dog attacks vs wild animals will aid much as I'm sure a large % of that should be excluded taking into consideration not everyone who has an aggressive dog makes it to the woods for an afternoon hike.

In the end it pretty much all boils down, to bad dog owners have bad dogs. and good owners get punished because of a minority of ppl.

its much easier to throw everyone in the same boat and let it sink rather then acknowledging there's a problem and taking the proper steps to avoiding them. just my 0.02$.

 

[fishshooter]

In the end it pretty much all boils down, to bad dog owners have bad dogs.

I agree. The best solution to this is to stay off the beaten path. I don't camp at state parks, or hike established trails, simply because you have to deal with other people. We exclusively hunt and camp in the National or State Forests, Water Management areas, or private property. Solves the problem of dealing with issues like bad dog owners.

 

[orrey45]

I have a dog and let him off leash when on a hike. He is trained to stay close to me but I often let him wander around as long as no one is around. If I see or hear someone or the trail gets thick I will leash him on a 8ft lead and pull him in and stop along the trail to let others pass.

I completely understand people not wanting dogs pestering them as I don't appreciate it myself. If you bring a dog in public you should be able to control your animal and respect others personal space. And I agree wholeheartedly that a dog's behavior reflects the owners attitude and competence.

On a lighter note, here a picture of my 110lb gentle giant.

I think you can make out the kitchen sink in this one. SO much for ultralight with the GF.

 

[Will Power]

Dannyboy Leather and other committed responsible dog owners have it right in my view.Dog owners must train their dogs and keep them from bothering other people at ANY time. Most dogs are gleeful when out in the woods,but some can become aggressive or dominant in such situations,this coupled with poor sloppy training can be very dangerous.

Remember, not ever walker is a fit well armed young man who knows how to deal with a potentially menacing dog . Children with their parents,the elderly, like to get outdoors too and a large dog rushing them could be frightening. The OP knew dog ways, but somebody else might have panicked & lashed out at a dog, then you've got to deal with irate owners,the whole thing can escalate.....If you love your dog you will not put it in a position where somebody else is menaced by it or at worst has to kill or injure it,it's no laughing matter. I respect the dog owner who wants me to like their dog,not fear it.

 

[pitdog]

What about if two scary dogs coming swimming towards ya, that's a whole different ball game eh !

 

[tonym]

I have no problem with you letting your dog off its leash if its a friendly dog. 99% of dog owners won't let a vicious dog run around uncontrolled. and for those who are gonna say, "but what about that 1%" I am not the type to punish the good just because someone else screws up... I handle each situation one at a time. Be aware, be prepared, and you will be allright.

 

[sodak]

I agree 100% with Dannyboy leather, and I used to be one of the bad owners. We had a little 15lb cocker spaniel that we had to euthanize 10 years ago due to old age, and she was a great hiker. She would stay close by, but when she saw people, she would run up to say "hi", squat, take a leak (she's was a cocker, after all), accept a pat on the head, then run back to us. She never was aggressive, and we never had a problem because of her size and friendliness. Most people would want to pet her some more.

However, we shouldn't have done that. Small or not, it only would have taken the wrong person to harm her, or for her to scare the wrong person. Our current dog is another cocker, and she's too dumb and untrained to be off leash, at least for now.