people! and their unleashed dogs

[someday]

I just have to rant today(and brag on Annie)..I took Annie to two different places to walks today..I went to the MKT trail at lunch, it's a 4 ft leashed area...and I went for that reason..I no longer take Annie to off leash areas because she's started to become dog aggressive and I don't want to flirt with disaster if someone's dog comes running up on her. Well..We were just about back to the parking lot after a nice long walk, and i see a lady and a dog approaching us..her dog was on the other side of the trail, but I saw a leash in her hand and it was a flexi lead, so I gathered Annie up to my side and i assumed she would pull her dog in as well..well..once I got up to them, I realized the lady was just holding a leash, but it was not attached to the dog...and this cocker spaniel comes trotting right up to Annie's head..well..all I could do at that point was give Annie a little slack and tell her to be good..and amazingly enough..she didn't do anything...they sniffed, and I just chatted with the lady, who commented on how beautiful Annie was..and couldn't believe she was a pit bull...so..I should have, but I just couldn't tell her she should keep her dog leashed because it could have gotten hurt..she just didn't appear the pit friendly type and I thought it might hurt more than help things...
So after work, I was do pleased with how Annie behaved earlier..I took her to a little park just down the street which is pretty much just a playground and with a big walking trail around it...so..Annie got to meet some kids, which was just the most wonderful thing in the world to her...so..I thought we were the only ones left in the park, so I was letting Annie do a little agility with the playground equiptment and dig in the sand box(bad mom) all of the sudden I see this gray streak headed towards up..yup..a big weimeraner(sp?). I hear in the distance whistling and "come back boy!"..so.. i roll my eyes and brace for impact...it skids into us..it's a puppy..A BIG puppy. again..Annie keeps her cool..sniffs...but then the pup does a play bow..and Annie does too and they start having a ball...(with me hopping around like a maniac trying not to get them all tangled in the leash)..about this time the owner comes running up with a frisbee and leash in his hand and calls the dog..which completely ignores him...so..I walk Annie down to him, with the puppy trying to dance on her back as I do(he's twice the size of Annie)..so..he procedes to tell me that he's 8 months old and he's been having trouble training him(apparently) and he got out of his fence today..but they found him..I had no idea what he was talking about or why it was relevant...so,I just called Annie back and walked the other way...when are people going to learn that the leash is supposed to be attached to the dog?? This park was right on one of the busiest streets in town and it's not fenced...I'm just glad Annie decided to behave I guess all those meeting of dogs I've been having her do is paying off, because I was proud to say she was a pit bull today

[honeybears]

glad to hear Annie behaved so well, what a strange thing with the weimerriner (sp) so the dog got out and ran away and yet he has it off leash under no control at a park? shish he is asking for trouble.

[nern]

Good girl Annie!

People just don't use their heads. I have the same problems here...it drives me insane and I hesitate walking my dogs because of it.

[seaecho]

Why are people so stupid? Don't they get how DANGEROUS it is to walk a dog without a leash? Even if THEIR dog isn't aggressive, other dogs COULD be, and their own dog could get injured or killed - not only by another dog, but also by running into the street and being hit by a car. People just never learned. I've known people who lost two or three dogs before they finally fenced their yards in, and started using a leash. When it comes to pets, people can be so ignorant!

[tuttifrutti]

argh! that annoys me! my mom used to (when teh dog still didn't come all the time, only when it was convenient for him) let him out front just to run around, she said it was better for him. argh, i would always go out to get him and end up in trouble, for not lettnig him get hte proper exercise, but i was like, ammm... that's why someone invented 60ft ropes and frisbees.

[Dukesdad]

Even on a leash it is unwise to allow dogs to meet. Leash aggression is at it's worst sometimes when both dogs are on a lead.
After a visit to our dog park a while back I had both Duke and Freckles tied up to a bench outside the park while I toweled them dry. An elderly man came walking down the walkway with his dog on a leash but the dog was pulling him along out of control. The dog came up to Duke and they started going round and round tangling the leashes together with me in the middle. I was afraid Duke would freak out but thank goodness neither was aggressive or it would have been a disaster.
When I finally untangled the mess I found Dukes leash had unlatched from his collar an RE-ATTACHED to the other dogs collar. How I'll never know.
Point here is even when some people have their dog on a leash they may not be in control.

[Piper's Mom]

Yeah, Annie!!!