Some people!!!!

[Karma]

I just can't believe some people. 
On a Wednesday morning I often see an old fella walking his gorgeous little Cocker Spaniel as I arrive at my first port of call for work.
Yesterday was no different, but the fella said hello to me... the dog took this as a cue that I was a nice person and so ran across the road (as a bus was coming  ) to say hello herself...  the guy asks me to grab her collar (she wasn't on-lead, so I assumed she'd somehow slipped her lead).  So I do, and get a great cocker cuddle in the process...

The guy goes on to explain she's a nightmare for doing that, just racing across the road without a care about traffic... and he's worried she's going to cause an accident... and then they go merrily on their way, him holding the lead in his hand, and his Cocker racing ahead, off-lead and having a whale of a time.
This isn't a quiet street - it's not a main road, but it is a bus route, with buses every half hour in each direction, and is a common cut into town from one of the main roads in the area... 
I was speechless...

[Annette]

IDIOT!

[aliceandlouis]

Thud as my jaw hits the ground  - in what way is this responsible dog ownership?  Poor little cocker.

[black taz]

what is the fasination about walking your dog off-lead on the public highway - do people think it makes them look good because their dog is sooooo well trained?

I would never trust a dog off-lead near in these circumstances, you never know what they may suddenly do.

[MaggieR]

Just makes me despair of people... there was a guy over the park this morning with his springer. He never has it on a lead and the dog can be pretty aggressive with other dogs but the guy insists that he can control him.  This morning he started having a real go at a JRT that was being walked around the park on lead. The guy spends the whole time just yelling at the dog, getting it more hyper and wound up as it goes round the park... I suggested previously to him that maybe he would be better keeping him on lead so he could guide him away from the other dogs and just got told "No, no... he wouldn't put up with being on lead". Wonder where the dog wardens are when all this goes on...

[Jeanette]

What an idiot - do you think he even knows its illegal

[Anita D]

I think that's another example of people expecting dogs to have the understanding of and treating them like a human.

[Ninasmum]

What a completely ignorant imbecile. 

I feel so, so sorry for his little dog....its almost a foregone conclusion that sooner or later she will be in an accident. 

Could you report him to to the Dog Warden Claire? 

[Hurtwood Dogs]

I quite often see dogs off lead with their owners walking around the lanes around here or jogging or riding bikes or horses... The one that really surprises me the most is a young-ish beagle that jogs a 3 mile circuit around the village lanes with it's owners off lead everyday or just runs along next to their bike. They are quiet lanes but still My dogs (Dave in particular) do tend to stick close to my bike if we're off road - I think it's the faster pace and they'd probably be ok on road but I'd never take that risk, they're too precious. Having said that, Normy nearly pulled me off (my lovely brand new bike!!) yesterday when she dived into the bank at the side of the lane after a rat so I'm not sure cycling with dogs onlead is much safer The Baggage never did that when I was on my crappy old bike 

[silly milly]

what is the fasination about walking your dog off-lead on the public highway - do people think it makes them look good because their dog is sooooo well trained?

I would never trust a dog off-lead near in these circumstances, you never know what they may suddenly do.

100% agree!

[sneaks]

Oh no! I walk rogue off lead, but i have a 200 meter walk up my cul de sac then straight into a field, so I never feel the need BUT she did chase a neighbours cat across the road last week so got severely told off!    I do find she is generally better off lead, especially when meeting other dogs, and also leaves me space to walk - other wise she does crisscrossing in front of me and trips me up!

However, I ALWAYS put her on lead (on a halti) when on a 'normal' road - i.e. not my own street, which has very little traffic in (my cat is always dust bathing in the centre of the road  )

(I know Halti's are frowned upon, but I had the choice of a halti or getting rid of her, because I have a major back problem, my spine surgeon said I couldn't keep her because she might jolt my back, so I compromised with the halti)

[Mudmagnets]

Looks like that poor little cocker (in orig. post) is an accident waiting to happen, what would that man do if his dog caused a major accident - silly ole fool 

[Ian Wright]

IDIOT  asking for trouble

[Sarah.H]

Restraining myself from going on a rant....   IDIOT 

[sharonmansfield]

We had a similar experience a week ago, we were driving up our estate as a springer spaniel just mooches across the road in front of us, I had seen the dog before on my walks so thinking he had escaped OH stops the car so I can get out and catch him to take him home. Just as I was about to get out of the car around the corner apears his owner. OH said to him oy your dog has just walked in front of my car and he said oh sorry but then did not try to retrieve him and I have since seen him again walking the dog without a lead, when I say walking the dog is way in front and he is way behind so not even an attempt to control him really. Our estate is not that busy but this was 5.30ish when most people are coming home and if it had been our neighbours son driving up the road at that time then this story would have a sad ending.
Total idiot.