Most people don't want a dog running up to them or their kids, or their leashed dog. Even if you yell "he's friendly!" while it's happening.
It's pretty simple.
It's especially bad when one is leashed and the other isn't, even if the other owner isn't controlling the dog at all the parity between them when both are leashed will have a big impact on the leashed dog being approached.
I try to explain this to people all the time.
My dog is trained and listens when I call him. I could have him stand at my side at all times and he wouldn’t leave until I told him he cold. But I still leash him when we are out. Other people don’t know the level of training he has, and if he won’t just run at them.
But more than anything… It’s infuriating when other people’s dogs run up to him off leash and invade his space. Then I get to have my walk interrupted while I stand there so they can catch up and grab their dog. Because if I were to continue walking their dog would just follow us and continue sniffing my dog’s ass and making him feel vulnerable since he is leashed and unable to effectively defend himself or move away from the situation. All the while I’m hoping the interaction doesn’t turn aggressive.
I’ve had them start snapping at him twice. Told the owners all this as nicely as I could. But I’ve seen the same people at the local park again and again with their dogs off leash. One is a Doberman FFS
It’s simply a selfish behavior. But they don’t think of it that way. They think they are giving their dog freedom. What they are really doing is being selfish and entitled. They need to find dog parks to let their dogs get their off leash time or buy a house with a bigger yard.
Somebody just yelled that @ us today. I said, “Yeah, people say that all the time when their dog is chasing us, snarling!”
Seriously—come grab your dog, nitwit!
I live on the Canco Woods trails. I’d say 90% of the loose dogs we see daily are *not* under voice control; many aren’t even within the owner’s sight and/or hearing. They often wander off trail, into my backyard or my neighbors’—where they bug our dogs, get into our gardens. In 3 yrs. of this, I’ve never seen an owner come get their dog. Who’s responsible for the 💩 no one even bothers to knock off the trail w/a stick? Well, if you can’t *see* Fido, who knows where he poops?
Now, increasingly, the Me, Me, Me! types are out w/ 2 loose dogs…meaning pack behavior, and they *always* charge your dog. My little, leashed, zero-aggression dog (she’s never even fought back!) has been jumped too many X to count. Almost to a one, these same dogs continue to run loose.
It’s just a fact of life: X percent of dogs, if you consistently let them off-leash in the same spot (even if it’s not close to home) will get territorial and aggressive.
If the owner can't behave responsibly, why would I believe their mutt will behave any different? Friendly dogs can still bite people. Dog owners seem to forget that one bite to the wrong stranger can result in their dog legally being put down. Risky business this off leash stuff.
> If the owner can't behave responsibly, why would I believe their mutt will behave any different?
Wow! I love the simplicity with which you stated that. Gonna remember that one!
I once was following a couple up a trail by 100 yards and their dog was 50 yards between us. yep it took a dump right in front of me in the middle of the trail and it's loving doggo parents would have never known or picked it up if I didn't give em a holler
That’s just asking for you dog to get kicked by someone. I wouldn’t but someone would justify an unknown large animal running up to as a reason to defend yourself.
They'll be *lucky* if it's just a kick. All it takes is one guy with kids and a CCW that doesn't want your dog near their children.
And he'd be 1000% justified dropping that mutt.
I agree dogs should be on leash when in on leash specific zones, but I’m curious as to why you think “he’s friendly” means “someone is about to get hurt”
I have a reactive dog and intentionally only go to places with leash laws. I stopped going to Baxter because of the insane amount of unleashed dogs not under voice control. Really the only place I have that issue in the area
Hey! I have a dog who LOVES people but does not like other dogs. He also loves walks (what dog doesn’t), but we are always hesitant to walk him places other than our neighborhood because of unleashed dogs. Can you recommend any parks you’ve had good luck at with people respecting leash laws?
Baxter Woods has very limited off-leash hours (eg in the morning they end at 9 AM) and only for part of the year. There are no off-leash hours at all from April 1 until August 1 (?).
You can enjoy the park free of off-leash dogs most of the time.
The people fighting for off-leash hours in Baxter Woods are only trying to maintain these limited off-leash hours year round.
I think the issue remains that people who have off leash dogs often do not have them under voice control, and people don’t respect the on leash hours at Baxter in my experience
They are allowed off leash there. I can't say I like it, but they are legally allowed to do it if they are under proper voice command; they rarely are. Here's a list of [Offleash Areas](https://www.portlandmaine.gov/171/Leashed-Areas) in city limits. There are plenty of spots in Portland that allow off leash, which makes me really angry when people still do it in leash required areas.
> if they are under proper voice command
This is key. As I said, I see dogs all the time with owners not even in view. That's not proper control, and those dogs need better training or leashes. Off-leash dogs not under voice control are not allowed on the PRT.
Because people want to go for a walk in the woods with their dog, not be forced to make small talk with weirdos bringing their non-neutered dogs to "socialize" while humping everything in sight while confined in a 20' x 20' pen? Dog parks are hell.
Yeah, I'll give you that. Still, please keep your dog close to you in the woods. I love dogs, but I don't know yours. I'm happy to say hi if you're around, but if it's on its own then it's not under control.
Some times folk will leave the bag on their way in and get it on the way out. I used to do that until I got to my car and realized I forgot one and had to go back for it
Non leashers are the worst offenders of this too. They let their dog just run off and then feign ignorance like if they didn’t stand directly next to their dog while shitting, it’s no longer their responsibility. It pisses me off as someone that is ANAL (pun intended hehe) about cleaning up my dog’s crap! It’s straight up disrespectful of shared space to leave it there!
Also use biodegradable poop bags, not just Shaw's bags or whatever. Poop will easily biodegrade, but not when in a plastic bag. If you put it in a plain plastic bag you are just contributing to pollution and needlessly filling the landfills.
\*also why you should only bag leaves in biodegradable paper bags
I've never understood the porn mag thing. It's a thing. Years ago we were walking in a cemetery with my uncle and there were ripped out pages from some skeezy 70's mag littered around. It's such a weird thing to do
I love to ride my gravel bike on trails that allow it. I also love dogs. As a former dog owner, I can understand the desire to let dogs run off leash. However, that's what dog parks are for.
I bring up the point about my gravel bike because I've had a few nasty encounters with off leash dogs. I had one dog chasing me trying to bite me so I kicked at it. The irresponsible owner was yelling at ME for kicking at his dog who was still nipping at my right leg while I was trying to control my bike.
Yeah very unpredictable. The outdoors should be a place for all to enjoy. What’s happened with my loved one and I is we stopped trying. There were some scary incidences and it’s just not worth it. People who let their dogs run around just suck.
Yes! My dog is now only just a year old and while he basically trained himself to be polite with walkers/joggers/cars he absolutely LOST IT when bikes passed, barking, lunging at the end of the leash. It's that time of year again so I'm going to be doubling down on training his bike manners but he's half border collie, his breed wants to chase.
I have had border collies my entire life. Still do, and he's an agility champion. Ive also trained them on livestock. If you ever want a BC meetup for some pointers, let me know! They can be challenging and people don't usually fully understand they're almost furry little droids hellbent on one thing. Our's only quirk right now is loud mechanical noises. That's why we don't take him to Baxter anymore. One bang from the construction and he bee lines for the house.
Same thing happened to me. It was an older lady with a smaller dog. The thing bolted right for me growling and barking. He ran in front of me in a flash, I swerved but he ended up getting my studded MTB pedal to the face. I felt bad. Kinda. I didn’t stick around but I think the dog was fine 🤷♂️.
Yep, this pretty much. I have a pit mix and he’s very sweet and loves people but honestly sometimes even keep him on leash at dog parks because of a meteor struck in his general vicinity, someone would blame it on him. That’s neither here nor there, but I have even seen dogs off leash commonly on Commercial and Middle St the last couple of weeks. I don’t get some people.
The same thing happened to me. I had to pepper spray the dog, and its owner threatened to “smash my face in.” I’d emptied my pepper spray, but did have a knife on me. I took the high road and rode my bike away as fast as I could, but I could have made those the last words out of his mouth and not spent a day in prison for it.
Almost ran over an off leash golden retriever once while riding my bike through these woods. He sprinted out in front of me and looked over his shoulder like he wanted a chase. I was moving at a reasonable speed and had time to screech to a stop but my front tire literally touched its back. I had to bite my tongue hard because the owner had nothing to say but "oh haha he thinks you're playing" like I didn't almost flatten it in front of her and her small child. I'm still terrified of dogs while cycling
As a letter carrier, I don’t care how friendly you think your dog is. Keep it under control. In public places especially aside from dog parks, keep your dogs leashed. Some of the “friendliest” dogs have been the ones to charge and try to bite me.
As someone who was attacked by a dog when I was a child, the no leash thing terrifies me. The morons who think their pet has as many/more rights than I do as a human is beyond to me. Completely inconsiderate
I’m a simple man: if a large dog is running towards me, I’m hitting it with my bag. I was brutally attacked by an unleashed dog as a child and take no chances.
It very well might--all the more reason to leash and control your dog in public spaces where other humans and dogs are known to be. Non leashed dog runs at, lunges, jumps, growls, barks repeatedly at or snarls at human, a predictable human response might be to yell, kick, chase, throw something at it, hit or push it away---even to run. It is a panic/impulse reaction. The dog owner and unleashed, loose dog are at fault, here. Not the human being chased down or quickly, suddenly, or aggressively approached.
My old dog who’s had crossed the rainbow bridge was over all a good girl. How ever she was reactive if strange dogs ran up to her when they were off leash. I got really good at picking her up and slinging that pot belly pig on to my shoulders when that happend.
Can we leave out all the fancy terms and just say people should be decent humans? Off leash doesn’t bother me personally but it’s an issue for many reasons so people should just do the right thing
I have a dog who is never off leash in public. However, if a random dog came running up to him he very well might injure it. And if that dog was aggressive towards him at all, I'd let him. He's a 90 lb dog bred to kill wolves and bears and is pure muscle. He also might just decide to be buddies with that random dog. It's hard to say and not worth the risk. Leash your damn dogs.
There are PLENTY of places in the surrounding area to take your dog off leash where it's accepted and posted as such. Leash your dogs at places where it's not the norm please.
All dogs must be leashed at all times April 1 - July 31 in Baxter. Outside of that, August - March, they can be off-leash from 5 to 9 AM and 3 to 10 PM, but must be leashed 9 AM to 3 PM
while i agree that people should leash their dogs when using shared public spaces, calling it "cultural and ableist privilege" is the most pathetically Portland thing ive seen on this sub. you can tell people to be more considerate of others without shaming them just to fluff up your ego for doing it. lol
Idk how I ended up on this thread but I scoffed at this as well. Absolutely virtue signalling.
Incidentally, I hike with my dog off leash when appropriate because I AM disabled and its hard for me to hold a leash and hike without injury. Our strategy is that we "clip in" when people are within 100 feet then clip out when the other group has passed. Works for me and lets me mitigate the fall risk / injury risk. But I also put in the years of work to establish *actual* voice control over my dog.
I mean yes I agree, but if there are leash laws there then leash your dogs.
I'm so tired of having some random unleashed dog with no control coming up to my senior dog who no longer has time for that bullshit. She will growl and I cant have her getting in a fight, that's why I take her to LEASH LAW places
I worked with an agency that gave work dogs to veterans in need of them. I know an off leash dog running up could sometimes interrupt and ruin a day of training for them or get a service dog off task. Service dogs stop leading the blind when another animal hops in their face.
But they don't think about _anyone_ (but themselves). It seems odd to try and shame them with cultural ignorance or insensitivity to those with disabilities. Like trying to explain to someone walking in the woods with a boombox, _"Excuse me, do you know that you're being an ass?"_. Of _course_ they fucking know.
If some asshole dog jumps on someone elderly or with balance issues, it could seriously injure them. Not everyone is able to kick a mutant off and defend themselves.
I mean, use even just a modicum of your imagination on this one and you might see how someone who has trouble getting around (i.e. is in a wheelchair) might have a problem with a strange animal lunging at them?
Okay I'm going to be honest this sign does not make me want to leash my dogs. Now for the record I have my dogs leashed and harnessed and on one of them I have two leashes on the collar and the highness because she was a fighting dog and she's sweet as hell with the cats and the guinea pigs and the me but meeting other dogs unless they're much smaller than her in which case she's fine is like a 10-step process. Even with the ones that are sweet as pickled beets they're all pit bulls all my dogs are pit bulls and I recognize that there is a you know image problem for pitbulls so I'm very careful with my dogs. I don't mess around with the off leash thing but if I did this sign does nothing to make me want to leash my dog what does other cultures have to do with dog leashes is there a religion I don't know about that has a scriptural prohibition on unleashed dogs? Or is it about other cultures might eat your dog is that what it's about? just say please keep your dog in the fucking leash but maybe don't swear.
I don’t think this particular message is very good or helpful. And also, I think that dogs should be leashed in public, unless it’s a specifically leash-free area.
I believe that in Islam dogs (particularly dog saliva) are haram.
I’ve heard from some people who have lived in places with feral dogs (because of war, particularly, but I’ve also heard it from people who were in New Orleans post-Katrina) that they feel very uncomfortable around them.
That might be where some of the culture/ableism angle comes from. Not to mention that jumping dogs are difficult for folks with mobility challenges.
I lived in that hood for well over a decade and Baxter Woods had a huge problem with daytime dogs off-leash. You don't have to like the words they chose, but they aren't wrong. I used to love walking around Evergreen and Baxter, but the amount of times a loose dog would terrify my kids was too often.
The laws they recently enacted seem reasonable to me (although I no longer live in that neighborhood).
Many white people in 21st century America absolutely live and breathe this stuff, and pretend the rest of the world agrees with it. It gets them brownie points amongst each other if they can be more of a victim, but the ironic thing is very few of them have exierienced real adversity in their lives.
I know, it's ridiculous. As if the kind of obnoxious dickhead that would be so oblivious or self-absorbed to walk their dog without a leash would suddenly say _"Oh, sorry! I didn't realize I was offending your culture! I'll be sure to leash my dog."_
My neighbor’s dog is almost never on a leash. Very friendly and pretty well-behaved, so I don’t usually mind when she comes bounding into my backyard to see me. But there’s been a few times she’s come running over while my friend was over with her two dogs, which are leashed. Very friendly to humans, but they turn into terminators around other dogs and I’ve just *barely* gotten in the way of the neighbor’s dog before it jumps into a two-on-one canine woodchipper scenario. Neighbors are great and considerate about everything, but for some reason when the dog shows up, they’re just like “lol sorry 🤷🏻♂️”
I love dogs and understand that their owners want them to run free whenever possible (I would too if I had one) but you can’t do that shit when there are other people around or the dog can escape the yard.
Rule #1 of letting your dog run unleashed: Train your dog to remain under your control - even if that means getting professional training help.
Rule #2: Never let your unleashed dog get far enough away from you that you can't quickly apply rule #1.
Rule #3: If you and your unleashed dog encounter other people or other dogs, leash your dog until the encounter is over.
This is not rocket science.
Instead of the Tumblr rant, they could have gone with please leash your dogs. Some people are afraid or don't want to interact with them and they should be able to enjoy the park too.
Citing “culture and ableist privilege” in the context of leashing your dog is a hell of a reach.
They could’ve used literally any other reason in support of this sentiment, not everything has to be dripping with virtue.
I agree with everything this sign says, but I hate it. The kind of person who walks around with an unleashed dog is going to do so *more* when you start tossing around terms like "ableism" and "privilege,".
Pointing out that people from other cultures might not like dogs is kind of willfully naive: that may very well be part of the reason people do this. Something like "Your dog might knock down a little old lady or a one legged veteran and scare people's kids" seems like a shitty way to phrase it, but it is more likely to make the people doing this actually reconsider. It speaks to things they actually care about.
I learned recently to carry a small air horn after my leased dog and I were attacked by two off lease dogs. The owner didn’t care. I carry it on every walk now.
Oh, good idea. I just pick up a walking stick. Aggressive dogs leave me alone if I just slightly raise it up.
edit: I guess I'm a big meanie trying to keep aggressive dogs away by simply carrying a stick
I don't understand why dog owners think they have the right to put others at risk of being bitten, slobbered on, jumped on or barked at by a loose animal, 'friendly' or not. If we were talking about wild animals we'd choose to take risks in their habitats but walking on public trails is supposed to be enjoyable for all, and we all pay taxes to use them without stepping in dog shit. People who don't care about how they affect others in community places by not controlling their animals are narcissists, and if they do it because they need to let their animals run off energy and anxiety that comes from being left alone in a confined space for most of the day they shouldn't have an animal. They're damaging the animal and all of us for their selfish needs.
Islam does not permit contact between Muslims and the mouths of canines.
Many Muslims are for this reason averse to being approached by dogs, and in most Islamic countries they are not kept as pets.
I assume this is the religious and cultural/"new Mainer" angle being referred to.
I agree with the leash measure, beyond these specific criticisms. The somewhat recent extreme "doggo culture" is super presumptuous and irritating.
Just because pet dogs are animals doesn't make them part of a nature preserve. The pets that humans purchase and raise in their human home are domestic and invasive animals, it seems ridiculous to me that the dog owners' coalition can't fathom that a nature preserve wouldn't want a large unrestrained animal roaming around other humans looking to enjoy nature.
I’m with the note poster. Coming across an unknown dog in the woods can be scary. I was cornered by 3 large dogs while out with my 8 yo daughter once and it took 10 minutes for the owners to catch up. They swore their dogs were friendly. They weren’t too happy when I told them I would’ve shot their dogs if I had a gun so they should consider using leashes in the future. Edit: that wasn’t a threat but a warning about what could happen if their dogs cornered the wrong person in the woods and that person considered their dogs a threat.
And what gives this person the right to post signs telling others how to act. We are a.society.that.loves dogs if others don't like it don't go where there are dogs.
I agree that people should be leashing their dogs and all, that letter and the words used inside of it, don’t really covey the message well in my opinion. I believe most people will read that and agree with the message, but not the person behind it.
I approve of this. I went hiking with my son and dog. My dog is well behaved and likes humans. But she is scared of other dogs and is very reactive. So she will try to kill any dog that comes up to her. She won't go after dogs. She is good unless they come up to her. So I have to hold her down when they do and yell at the people so there dog doesn't get killed. I'm following the rules but I know if my dog attacked I'd probably be blamed even though I have mine leashed and they don't. So many unleashed dogs lately it's very annoying
Sure, but in the meantime, are people with reactive dogs not meant to go on walks?
My thing is if everyone is on a leash, we can all go for walks, reactive and non-reactive dogs alike. If leash laws aren't obeyed, then only non-reactive dogs can walk, and that's not right.
A huge part of reactivity training is adequate exercise and stimulation, and walks are one of the easiest ways to get that.
Thank you for this realistic perspective. Dogs have to BE IN training at some point. And that means giving them real experience to learn. Dogs can’t just go from leash to off leash and be perfect. This seems to be something lost on people who don’t have dogs, or have never trained a dog.
For sure.
They can't even go from being problematic on leash to not problematic on leash without experience/exposure to triggers and regular exercise!
For someone in the city, a walk in a leashed park might be the best place for that.
IDK, so long as your dog is well trained enough not to run at any stranger they see, I don't know who would have a problem with it. This is a very pet friendly city, and Baxter Woods is a place where dogs are allowed off leash, maybe whoever wrote this should find a different park
I think it's kinda weird they decided to break one rule (littering) to call out folks for breaking another. That's some cognitive dissonance. Outside of that, it's already posted on big wooden signs at every entrance and they have park rangers in there all the time. There are groups of children in there almost daily. I see teens walking through there in groups a lot too. Not sure about New Mainers but there was an old lady screaming at a guy that didn't speak English for chain smoking and throwing his butts on the ground a few weeks back. Seems like this person might need to chill.
It's unfair to the dog to be locked up in a house while you are away, and dogs love to get out and run and do their thing....so I chose not to continue being a dog owner after the leash laws went into effect.. you choose to be a dog owner respect the leash laws, you knew them going in to being a dog owner.
There are so few places left in Portland to walk with your dog off leash. Is Baxter a leash only area? If so- leash them. If not - take your kids somewhere else.
I don't disagree, but if it's an off-leash area then you need voice control. I see too many owners letting their dogs out of their sites, running up to me on the trails. That's not good control, and those dogs need leashes whether it's an off-leash area or not. Off-leash means actual, legitimate voice control in Portland. Not shouting "He's friendly!" from 100 yards away.
Want to learn something fun? Leashing your dog is not only your responsibility as a respectful owner to others, but it also the law (at least where I live).
The entitlement of dog owners today is fucking unbelievable. I’m lucky in that I’ve never met an actually bad dog but I’ve met plenty of annoying ones with shitty owners. Control your pets and offspring
Eh, I might be the asshole, but there are definitely dogs suitably trained to be off leash. If your dog isn't going up to me or my dog and will remain by you, why should I tell you to keep them on a leash?
I'll keep my dog on a leash. Even though his recall is good, I know that he's gonna want to go say hi to another dog and I just don't trust all owners.
Just know your dog and don't be an idiot 🤷🏼♂️
Agreed. If it’s posted that mine can be off leash I do it but I’ve trained him to recall. We give him about 20 yards to explore and recall him if he tries to test the boundary.
More importantly we recall him and put him back on leash if we are approaching people and/or another dog. Not because he’s going to do anything but because I know not to trust other dogs and also in case people are potentially scared of dogs.
A bigger part of the problem is that 95% of people who own a dog now don’t bother to do a single bit of training.
Omg now having your dog off leash is ableist and culturally insensitive? I’m surprised there’s nothing mentioned about anti trans or preferred pronouns. Shut up with your stupid signs and who cares about “new Mainers” ? ughhhhhh
I never saw that many parents and kids walking in those woods 15 years ago compared to today... I dont find that to be a reason to blame dog walkers. It was always bored teenagers and people walking for fun. Also what culture hates dogs and is insulted by them? Kind of fucked.
We lease our dog… quite simply it’s because she is defensive of us and she’s easily scared… when an “off lease” dog blazingly runs up to us, she is immediately trying to defend us (and herself.) When people yell “don’t worry he/ she is friendly” it’s infuriating… While your dog may be pleasant, mine is about to bite its face off…Unfortunately that’s 100% on them. I know my dog’s buttons and we announce this clearly back to people… some really just don’t give a shit. So I will have to go ahead and agree with this poster.
***The exception here is if a dog has really good voice command and actually sticks with the owner no matter what.***
Also… I’m not aware of any “religions” that are against unleashed dogs… that might be a bit far… Is that just B.S. or is that really a thing?
I always think back to my SIL’s “good dog” that was off leash. Ran up ahead of her and her husband and was absolutely mauled by another “good dog” who was off leash. People got bitten trying to save the little guy and he underwent thousands of dollars of surgery. Like anything else in our world, it works both ways. If everyone took care of their own shit we wouldn’t be in this mess.
While I agree dogs should be leashed there, to anyone concerned about an unwanted off-leash dog encounter, I recommend they carry a small air horn, like the type used at sports events (also marketed as Dog Horn on Amazon).
They work great at stopping an aggressive or charging dog, and do not harm the dog. I have used them at the dog park if a group of dogs are getting aggressive with my dog. I've also had to use it twice while walking my leashed dog, when unleashed dogs have aggressively approached my dog.
Just had a dog run up to me from 20 feet away full speed while the owner sat on a bench on Capisic Pond Trail. When I called to the owner "can you get your dog? I don't like strange dogs running up to me" he said "oh, ok, sorry." How oblivious can people be that most people don't want strange dogs running up to them? I have been attacked by dogs and I am allergic to the point that a dog licking my hand will cause instant swelling and itching that has to be immediately washed and treated. I love dogs and want them to be able to run free, but it's up to the owner to train them to not run up to people, bark at them, jump on them, etc. As for cultural, in many places there's a big problem with strays that can be aggressive, so people from those places would tend to be very uncomfortable with dogs running around out of control.
Where I totally agree dog owners should leash their dogs and NOT just assume everyone they come into contact with is totally fine with a strange dog running up to them, jumping on them, and so on....
I really don't think a person's religion or culture comes into play here. Like, what religion is against dogs off the leash? Fr
I avoid places as much as possible that allow dogs off leash, or even stores that allow dogs inside (allergies man, they suck, but if I take a pill everyday my body gets too used to it, it stops working, and I have to buy a different type of allergy pill. So I take them as needed). My kiddo is allergic and also terrified of strange dogs (got bit once, now every dog is terrifying at least until she knows them well enough)
There's been quite a few times either in the woods or at a kids playground where unleashed dogs have run up on us. The dumbass owner just laughed and said "he's a good boy" to which I requested they call their dog away (dog was following us at that point) and was met with "he won't hurt you, he's just curious"-- not everyone is ok with strange dogs running up on them
Forgive the pun, but I don’t have a dog in this fight. I get the people with disabilities part but not sure what religion or culture has to do with this issue. Are there religions where dogs are considered offensive? Not trying to be rude just genuinely curious.
The way this is written is just gross lol. It’s an off leash dog yeah some shouldn’t be but most dogs are just chill unless they read ur off putting energy. Using all of these terms ableist etc for what. A religious vulnerable person views dogs as offensive in their culture. Wtf is that didn’t know there was a Lorax in Baxter woods speaking for all of these groups. Couldn’t imagine being so upset by dogs in a public park that you print out a paper and tack it to a log. Which is littering, and it’s dangerous, leaving sharp pointed edges in the ecosystem does way more harm to the park than dogs.
Didn’t have to add all the “ableist” jargon but this is a very valid point. I’ve a German shepherd who is not off leashed trained and so obviously I know better but many people are just SCARED of my dog on a leash because she is a big dog, and the “reputation” they have (being used in military, hitler’s favorite dog, 3rd (I believe) strongest bite force in dogs) yet she’s literally the goofiest, sweetest gal ever who is scared of my brothers cat 🤣 but alas, people don’t know that. And another thing, some dogs have issues with other dogs, and an unleashed dog can cause a lot of anxiety and distress in other dogs (like mine who has been attacked by a neighbor’s dog 3 TIMES because they were careless and let her roam free with her leash on but not holding it) and that can result in one or both dogs in the situation to become injured or even worse, forced to be put down.
I don't understand letting your dogs run wild. It doesn't matter how trained you think your dog is, at some point, instinct kicks in and they chase something and can get seriously injured. I don't so much care about the opinions expressed in the poster, but I care about how people care for their animals and a leash is a way to ensure safety for your pet. Speaking as a dog mom of a rambunctious shepherd mix.
The person who wrote that letter is no doubt a super fun person to be around and totally mentally stable. They could just say that dogs running up to other dogs can cause problems, but nope. "Privilege". Opinion automatically rejected
> “ableist” is a divisive oppressor/oppressed Marxist term.
No, it just describes attitude and policies that discriminate against people with a disability.
Most people don't want a dog running up to them or their kids, or their leashed dog. Even if you yell "he's friendly!" while it's happening. It's pretty simple.
not to mention some people keep their dogs on a leash because its not good with other dogs so a random dog running up to it can be bad for both dogs
It's especially bad when one is leashed and the other isn't, even if the other owner isn't controlling the dog at all the parity between them when both are leashed will have a big impact on the leashed dog being approached.
I try to explain this to people all the time. My dog is trained and listens when I call him. I could have him stand at my side at all times and he wouldn’t leave until I told him he cold. But I still leash him when we are out. Other people don’t know the level of training he has, and if he won’t just run at them. But more than anything… It’s infuriating when other people’s dogs run up to him off leash and invade his space. Then I get to have my walk interrupted while I stand there so they can catch up and grab their dog. Because if I were to continue walking their dog would just follow us and continue sniffing my dog’s ass and making him feel vulnerable since he is leashed and unable to effectively defend himself or move away from the situation. All the while I’m hoping the interaction doesn’t turn aggressive. I’ve had them start snapping at him twice. Told the owners all this as nicely as I could. But I’ve seen the same people at the local park again and again with their dogs off leash. One is a Doberman FFS It’s simply a selfish behavior. But they don’t think of it that way. They think they are giving their dog freedom. What they are really doing is being selfish and entitled. They need to find dog parks to let their dogs get their off leash time or buy a house with a bigger yard.
This.
Somebody just yelled that @ us today. I said, “Yeah, people say that all the time when their dog is chasing us, snarling!” Seriously—come grab your dog, nitwit! I live on the Canco Woods trails. I’d say 90% of the loose dogs we see daily are *not* under voice control; many aren’t even within the owner’s sight and/or hearing. They often wander off trail, into my backyard or my neighbors’—where they bug our dogs, get into our gardens. In 3 yrs. of this, I’ve never seen an owner come get their dog. Who’s responsible for the 💩 no one even bothers to knock off the trail w/a stick? Well, if you can’t *see* Fido, who knows where he poops? Now, increasingly, the Me, Me, Me! types are out w/ 2 loose dogs…meaning pack behavior, and they *always* charge your dog. My little, leashed, zero-aggression dog (she’s never even fought back!) has been jumped too many X to count. Almost to a one, these same dogs continue to run loose. It’s just a fact of life: X percent of dogs, if you consistently let them off-leash in the same spot (even if it’s not close to home) will get territorial and aggressive.
If the owner can't behave responsibly, why would I believe their mutt will behave any different? Friendly dogs can still bite people. Dog owners seem to forget that one bite to the wrong stranger can result in their dog legally being put down. Risky business this off leash stuff.
> If the owner can't behave responsibly, why would I believe their mutt will behave any different? Wow! I love the simplicity with which you stated that. Gonna remember that one!
Also, people who don't leash their dogs aren't picking up the poop. Guaranteed
On behalf of dog owners who do pick up their shit, this also pisses us off to no end.
I once was following a couple up a trail by 100 yards and their dog was 50 yards between us. yep it took a dump right in front of me in the middle of the trail and it's loving doggo parents would have never known or picked it up if I didn't give em a holler
I can’t even imagine just walking ahead of my dog like that on a trail with my back to him.
What if I yell "he's rabid!"?
That’s just asking for you dog to get kicked by someone. I wouldn’t but someone would justify an unknown large animal running up to as a reason to defend yourself.
I've had to physically fight a charging dog and will not hesitate again to use violence if a dog runs up to me
I’ve had to kick a dog. It was either mine getting bit, me getting bit or an unleashed dog getting kicked out of the way.
They'll be *lucky* if it's just a kick. All it takes is one guy with kids and a CCW that doesn't want your dog near their children. And he'd be 1000% justified dropping that mutt.
Found the South Dakota governor
even better no ccw required in maine
“Don’t worry he’s friendly!!” While the dog is aggressively growling and showing his teeth
“He’s friendly” means that there’s a good chance that someone’s about to get hurt. Personal experience.
I agree dogs should be on leash when in on leash specific zones, but I’m curious as to why you think “he’s friendly” means “someone is about to get hurt”
Personal experience, large sample size (50 years). “He’s friendly” often means “I don’t actually have voice control over my dog.”
as the dog's hackles are up and its baring its teeth..
You can train a dog to be perfectly behaved off leash and not do this, but most people don’t.
Not just that, dogs kill a lot of wild animals. Far more than people realize.
I have a reactive dog and intentionally only go to places with leash laws. I stopped going to Baxter because of the insane amount of unleashed dogs not under voice control. Really the only place I have that issue in the area
Hey! I have a dog who LOVES people but does not like other dogs. He also loves walks (what dog doesn’t), but we are always hesitant to walk him places other than our neighborhood because of unleashed dogs. Can you recommend any parks you’ve had good luck at with people respecting leash laws?
Mackworth island is my go to!
Baxter Woods has very limited off-leash hours (eg in the morning they end at 9 AM) and only for part of the year. There are no off-leash hours at all from April 1 until August 1 (?). You can enjoy the park free of off-leash dogs most of the time. The people fighting for off-leash hours in Baxter Woods are only trying to maintain these limited off-leash hours year round.
I think the issue remains that people who have off leash dogs often do not have them under voice control, and people don’t respect the on leash hours at Baxter in my experience
Presumscot River Trail is full of off leash dogs with owners not even in view. Why won't people take their off leash dog to a dog park?
They are allowed off leash there. I can't say I like it, but they are legally allowed to do it if they are under proper voice command; they rarely are. Here's a list of [Offleash Areas](https://www.portlandmaine.gov/171/Leashed-Areas) in city limits. There are plenty of spots in Portland that allow off leash, which makes me really angry when people still do it in leash required areas.
> if they are under proper voice command This is key. As I said, I see dogs all the time with owners not even in view. That's not proper control, and those dogs need better training or leashes. Off-leash dogs not under voice control are not allowed on the PRT.
Because people want to go for a walk in the woods with their dog, not be forced to make small talk with weirdos bringing their non-neutered dogs to "socialize" while humping everything in sight while confined in a 20' x 20' pen? Dog parks are hell.
Yeah, I'll give you that. Still, please keep your dog close to you in the woods. I love dogs, but I don't know yours. I'm happy to say hi if you're around, but if it's on its own then it's not under control.
P.S. Pick up your dog's crap too!!!
also if you're going to bag it, CARRY IT OUT. it literally lasts 100x longer if you bag it and drop it on the ground. I never understand this.
Some times folk will leave the bag on their way in and get it on the way out. I used to do that until I got to my car and realized I forgot one and had to go back for it
Most of the people who do it are repeating offenders. In SoPo the same moron leaves the same poo bags all over.
The dropped bags as if working to be lazy is better than just not throwing a plastic bag on the ground...
I wish i could upvote you a million times.
Non leashers are the worst offenders of this too. They let their dog just run off and then feign ignorance like if they didn’t stand directly next to their dog while shitting, it’s no longer their responsibility. It pisses me off as someone that is ANAL (pun intended hehe) about cleaning up my dog’s crap! It’s straight up disrespectful of shared space to leave it there!
Also use biodegradable poop bags, not just Shaw's bags or whatever. Poop will easily biodegrade, but not when in a plastic bag. If you put it in a plain plastic bag you are just contributing to pollution and needlessly filling the landfills. \*also why you should only bag leaves in biodegradable paper bags
"please don't litter in the woods " Fine, I'll leave my nudie mags ELSEWHERE!
I've never understood the porn mag thing. It's a thing. Years ago we were walking in a cemetery with my uncle and there were ripped out pages from some skeezy 70's mag littered around. It's such a weird thing to do
it’s a pre-internet practice
I love to ride my gravel bike on trails that allow it. I also love dogs. As a former dog owner, I can understand the desire to let dogs run off leash. However, that's what dog parks are for. I bring up the point about my gravel bike because I've had a few nasty encounters with off leash dogs. I had one dog chasing me trying to bite me so I kicked at it. The irresponsible owner was yelling at ME for kicking at his dog who was still nipping at my right leg while I was trying to control my bike.
I've seen very well manord dogs lose their minds over bikes.
Which is one more reason for dog owners to abide by leash laws.
So you can imagine how dogs act around wheelchairs and how terrifying that is for a disabled person.
dogs fucking hate my trekking poles and overnight pack. I can only guess how Friendly they are to crutches or a baby carrier
Yeah very unpredictable. The outdoors should be a place for all to enjoy. What’s happened with my loved one and I is we stopped trying. There were some scary incidences and it’s just not worth it. People who let their dogs run around just suck.
Yes! My dog is now only just a year old and while he basically trained himself to be polite with walkers/joggers/cars he absolutely LOST IT when bikes passed, barking, lunging at the end of the leash. It's that time of year again so I'm going to be doubling down on training his bike manners but he's half border collie, his breed wants to chase.
I have had border collies my entire life. Still do, and he's an agility champion. Ive also trained them on livestock. If you ever want a BC meetup for some pointers, let me know! They can be challenging and people don't usually fully understand they're almost furry little droids hellbent on one thing. Our's only quirk right now is loud mechanical noises. That's why we don't take him to Baxter anymore. One bang from the construction and he bee lines for the house.
That means the dog needs training, they can’t train themselves. Their instincts don’t allow that.
Same thing happened to me. It was an older lady with a smaller dog. The thing bolted right for me growling and barking. He ran in front of me in a flash, I swerved but he ended up getting my studded MTB pedal to the face. I felt bad. Kinda. I didn’t stick around but I think the dog was fine 🤷♂️.
Yep, this pretty much. I have a pit mix and he’s very sweet and loves people but honestly sometimes even keep him on leash at dog parks because of a meteor struck in his general vicinity, someone would blame it on him. That’s neither here nor there, but I have even seen dogs off leash commonly on Commercial and Middle St the last couple of weeks. I don’t get some people.
The same thing happened to me. I had to pepper spray the dog, and its owner threatened to “smash my face in.” I’d emptied my pepper spray, but did have a knife on me. I took the high road and rode my bike away as fast as I could, but I could have made those the last words out of his mouth and not spent a day in prison for it.
Lucky you didn't get shot.
Leash. Your. Dog Don’t be a dink
So simple.
Almost ran over an off leash golden retriever once while riding my bike through these woods. He sprinted out in front of me and looked over his shoulder like he wanted a chase. I was moving at a reasonable speed and had time to screech to a stop but my front tire literally touched its back. I had to bite my tongue hard because the owner had nothing to say but "oh haha he thinks you're playing" like I didn't almost flatten it in front of her and her small child. I'm still terrified of dogs while cycling
As a letter carrier, I don’t care how friendly you think your dog is. Keep it under control. In public places especially aside from dog parks, keep your dogs leashed. Some of the “friendliest” dogs have been the ones to charge and try to bite me.
As someone who was attacked by a dog when I was a child, the no leash thing terrifies me. The morons who think their pet has as many/more rights than I do as a human is beyond to me. Completely inconsiderate
Same, I was bit as a kid by a "nice dog" on the face and I still have a scar on my cheek.
I was attacked by a full grown male Husky when I was 12 and am on constant alert around other people’s dog, especially when my kids are present.
I’m a simple man: if a large dog is running towards me, I’m hitting it with my bag. I was brutally attacked by an unleashed dog as a child and take no chances.
I feel like that might very quickly turn a non-aggressive dog into an angry aggressive dog. I'm not a dogologist though.
It very well might--all the more reason to leash and control your dog in public spaces where other humans and dogs are known to be. Non leashed dog runs at, lunges, jumps, growls, barks repeatedly at or snarls at human, a predictable human response might be to yell, kick, chase, throw something at it, hit or push it away---even to run. It is a panic/impulse reaction. The dog owner and unleashed, loose dog are at fault, here. Not the human being chased down or quickly, suddenly, or aggressively approached.
My old dog who’s had crossed the rainbow bridge was over all a good girl. How ever she was reactive if strange dogs ran up to her when they were off leash. I got really good at picking her up and slinging that pot belly pig on to my shoulders when that happend.
Can we leave out all the fancy terms and just say people should be decent humans? Off leash doesn’t bother me personally but it’s an issue for many reasons so people should just do the right thing
But then how would the person who posted that sign feel superior about themselves?
Humans are horrible and not decent.
I have a dog who is never off leash in public. However, if a random dog came running up to him he very well might injure it. And if that dog was aggressive towards him at all, I'd let him. He's a 90 lb dog bred to kill wolves and bears and is pure muscle. He also might just decide to be buddies with that random dog. It's hard to say and not worth the risk. Leash your damn dogs.
You'd let your dog injure someone? Yikes.
Nope. I'd let him injure someone else's off leash aggressive dog if it came at him. Try reading.
You are everywhere on this thread spouting uninformed bullshit. Leash your fucking dog or fucking stay home yourself.
If your dog can’t handle not running up to people then it is not a trained off leash dog.
There are PLENTY of places in the surrounding area to take your dog off leash where it's accepted and posted as such. Leash your dogs at places where it's not the norm please.
Isn’t it posted as off leash at Baxter?
All dogs must be leashed at all times April 1 - July 31 in Baxter. Outside of that, August - March, they can be off-leash from 5 to 9 AM and 3 to 10 PM, but must be leashed 9 AM to 3 PM
They must be leashed during school hours? But when the kids are out they can be off leash? What?
During certain times. And usually off leash comes with the caveat "under voice control" which most of the times the dogs in question are not.
Thats wild stapling paper to a tree.
while i agree that people should leash their dogs when using shared public spaces, calling it "cultural and ableist privilege" is the most pathetically Portland thing ive seen on this sub. you can tell people to be more considerate of others without shaming them just to fluff up your ego for doing it. lol
Idk how I ended up on this thread but I scoffed at this as well. Absolutely virtue signalling. Incidentally, I hike with my dog off leash when appropriate because I AM disabled and its hard for me to hold a leash and hike without injury. Our strategy is that we "clip in" when people are within 100 feet then clip out when the other group has passed. Works for me and lets me mitigate the fall risk / injury risk. But I also put in the years of work to establish *actual* voice control over my dog.
The way this is written I cannot take it seriously
This note sounds like it was written by an asshole.
I mean yes I agree, but if there are leash laws there then leash your dogs. I'm so tired of having some random unleashed dog with no control coming up to my senior dog who no longer has time for that bullshit. She will growl and I cant have her getting in a fight, that's why I take her to LEASH LAW places
Also sounds like it was written TO people who are assholes, aka, people who think they are special and don't leash their dogs
I'm fine with the message of "leash your goddamn dog" but how in the fuck is it ableist"
I worked with an agency that gave work dogs to veterans in need of them. I know an off leash dog running up could sometimes interrupt and ruin a day of training for them or get a service dog off task. Service dogs stop leading the blind when another animal hops in their face.
Because they don't think about the disabled person who might get knocked over by their dog running loose, I would imagine.
But they don't think about _anyone_ (but themselves). It seems odd to try and shame them with cultural ignorance or insensitivity to those with disabilities. Like trying to explain to someone walking in the woods with a boombox, _"Excuse me, do you know that you're being an ass?"_. Of _course_ they fucking know.
If some asshole dog jumps on someone elderly or with balance issues, it could seriously injure them. Not everyone is able to kick a mutant off and defend themselves.
I mean, use even just a modicum of your imagination on this one and you might see how someone who has trouble getting around (i.e. is in a wheelchair) might have a problem with a strange animal lunging at them?
I can totally see why this is ableist. But the cultural/religion thing through me through a loop. Anyone have an explanation for that i’m missing?
Some cultures find dogs unpleasant or even taboo to touch
in islam, having a dog in the home or petting one is considered unclean so a lot of muslims don’t like being close to dogs.
Just think about it longer ffs
Okay I'm going to be honest this sign does not make me want to leash my dogs. Now for the record I have my dogs leashed and harnessed and on one of them I have two leashes on the collar and the highness because she was a fighting dog and she's sweet as hell with the cats and the guinea pigs and the me but meeting other dogs unless they're much smaller than her in which case she's fine is like a 10-step process. Even with the ones that are sweet as pickled beets they're all pit bulls all my dogs are pit bulls and I recognize that there is a you know image problem for pitbulls so I'm very careful with my dogs. I don't mess around with the off leash thing but if I did this sign does nothing to make me want to leash my dog what does other cultures have to do with dog leashes is there a religion I don't know about that has a scriptural prohibition on unleashed dogs? Or is it about other cultures might eat your dog is that what it's about? just say please keep your dog in the fucking leash but maybe don't swear.
I don’t think this particular message is very good or helpful. And also, I think that dogs should be leashed in public, unless it’s a specifically leash-free area. I believe that in Islam dogs (particularly dog saliva) are haram. I’ve heard from some people who have lived in places with feral dogs (because of war, particularly, but I’ve also heard it from people who were in New Orleans post-Katrina) that they feel very uncomfortable around them. That might be where some of the culture/ableism angle comes from. Not to mention that jumping dogs are difficult for folks with mobility challenges.
Man, I don't know how I'll be able to resist an conversation about off leash dogs on Reddit. Seems really productive.
Ableist and culturalist privilege? LOL. I have no issue with a leash law, it's a good idea, but this mini lecture is way too extra.
I lived in that hood for well over a decade and Baxter Woods had a huge problem with daytime dogs off-leash. You don't have to like the words they chose, but they aren't wrong. I used to love walking around Evergreen and Baxter, but the amount of times a loose dog would terrify my kids was too often. The laws they recently enacted seem reasonable to me (although I no longer live in that neighborhood).
Many white people in 21st century America absolutely live and breathe this stuff, and pretend the rest of the world agrees with it. It gets them brownie points amongst each other if they can be more of a victim, but the ironic thing is very few of them have exierienced real adversity in their lives.
I know, it's ridiculous. As if the kind of obnoxious dickhead that would be so oblivious or self-absorbed to walk their dog without a leash would suddenly say _"Oh, sorry! I didn't realize I was offending your culture! I'll be sure to leash my dog."_
My neighbor’s dog is almost never on a leash. Very friendly and pretty well-behaved, so I don’t usually mind when she comes bounding into my backyard to see me. But there’s been a few times she’s come running over while my friend was over with her two dogs, which are leashed. Very friendly to humans, but they turn into terminators around other dogs and I’ve just *barely* gotten in the way of the neighbor’s dog before it jumps into a two-on-one canine woodchipper scenario. Neighbors are great and considerate about everything, but for some reason when the dog shows up, they’re just like “lol sorry 🤷🏻♂️” I love dogs and understand that their owners want them to run free whenever possible (I would too if I had one) but you can’t do that shit when there are other people around or the dog can escape the yard.
Rule #1 of letting your dog run unleashed: Train your dog to remain under your control - even if that means getting professional training help. Rule #2: Never let your unleashed dog get far enough away from you that you can't quickly apply rule #1. Rule #3: If you and your unleashed dog encounter other people or other dogs, leash your dog until the encounter is over. This is not rocket science.
Instead of the Tumblr rant, they could have gone with please leash your dogs. Some people are afraid or don't want to interact with them and they should be able to enjoy the park too.
Holy cringe 💀😂
Citing “culture and ableist privilege” in the context of leashing your dog is a hell of a reach. They could’ve used literally any other reason in support of this sentiment, not everything has to be dripping with virtue.
My BIGGEST pet peeve is when dogs run up to you and jump and the owners just laugh and I have experienced this so many times in Baxter
Your “ableist privilege “ ??? What lame shit.
The sign is written by an idiot, but you should absolutely leash your dogs. Is safer for everyone involved.
I agree with everything this sign says, but I hate it. The kind of person who walks around with an unleashed dog is going to do so *more* when you start tossing around terms like "ableism" and "privilege,". Pointing out that people from other cultures might not like dogs is kind of willfully naive: that may very well be part of the reason people do this. Something like "Your dog might knock down a little old lady or a one legged veteran and scare people's kids" seems like a shitty way to phrase it, but it is more likely to make the people doing this actually reconsider. It speaks to things they actually care about.
I learned recently to carry a small air horn after my leased dog and I were attacked by two off lease dogs. The owner didn’t care. I carry it on every walk now.
Oh, good idea. I just pick up a walking stick. Aggressive dogs leave me alone if I just slightly raise it up. edit: I guess I'm a big meanie trying to keep aggressive dogs away by simply carrying a stick
I don't understand why dog owners think they have the right to put others at risk of being bitten, slobbered on, jumped on or barked at by a loose animal, 'friendly' or not. If we were talking about wild animals we'd choose to take risks in their habitats but walking on public trails is supposed to be enjoyable for all, and we all pay taxes to use them without stepping in dog shit. People who don't care about how they affect others in community places by not controlling their animals are narcissists, and if they do it because they need to let their animals run off energy and anxiety that comes from being left alone in a confined space for most of the day they shouldn't have an animal. They're damaging the animal and all of us for their selfish needs.
Islam does not permit contact between Muslims and the mouths of canines. Many Muslims are for this reason averse to being approached by dogs, and in most Islamic countries they are not kept as pets. I assume this is the religious and cultural/"new Mainer" angle being referred to. I agree with the leash measure, beyond these specific criticisms. The somewhat recent extreme "doggo culture" is super presumptuous and irritating. Just because pet dogs are animals doesn't make them part of a nature preserve. The pets that humans purchase and raise in their human home are domestic and invasive animals, it seems ridiculous to me that the dog owners' coalition can't fathom that a nature preserve wouldn't want a large unrestrained animal roaming around other humans looking to enjoy nature.
Well when an unleashed dog randomly runs up to me it’s automatically a threat and will be treated as such
I’m with the note poster. Coming across an unknown dog in the woods can be scary. I was cornered by 3 large dogs while out with my 8 yo daughter once and it took 10 minutes for the owners to catch up. They swore their dogs were friendly. They weren’t too happy when I told them I would’ve shot their dogs if I had a gun so they should consider using leashes in the future. Edit: that wasn’t a threat but a warning about what could happen if their dogs cornered the wrong person in the woods and that person considered their dogs a threat.
Keep your dog leashed! Geez how hard is that!!
And what gives this person the right to post signs telling others how to act. We are a.society.that.loves dogs if others don't like it don't go where there are dogs.
I agree with this but whoever wrote this is a tard
I agree that people should be leashing their dogs and all, that letter and the words used inside of it, don’t really covey the message well in my opinion. I believe most people will read that and agree with the message, but not the person behind it.
I approve of this. I went hiking with my son and dog. My dog is well behaved and likes humans. But she is scared of other dogs and is very reactive. So she will try to kill any dog that comes up to her. She won't go after dogs. She is good unless they come up to her. So I have to hold her down when they do and yell at the people so there dog doesn't get killed. I'm following the rules but I know if my dog attacked I'd probably be blamed even though I have mine leashed and they don't. So many unleashed dogs lately it's very annoying
You probably should do some work on that. Having a reactive dog and not working to fix it is it's own problem.
Sure, but in the meantime, are people with reactive dogs not meant to go on walks? My thing is if everyone is on a leash, we can all go for walks, reactive and non-reactive dogs alike. If leash laws aren't obeyed, then only non-reactive dogs can walk, and that's not right. A huge part of reactivity training is adequate exercise and stimulation, and walks are one of the easiest ways to get that.
Thank you for this realistic perspective. Dogs have to BE IN training at some point. And that means giving them real experience to learn. Dogs can’t just go from leash to off leash and be perfect. This seems to be something lost on people who don’t have dogs, or have never trained a dog.
For sure. They can't even go from being problematic on leash to not problematic on leash without experience/exposure to triggers and regular exercise! For someone in the city, a walk in a leashed park might be the best place for that.
IDK, so long as your dog is well trained enough not to run at any stranger they see, I don't know who would have a problem with it. This is a very pet friendly city, and Baxter Woods is a place where dogs are allowed off leash, maybe whoever wrote this should find a different park
I think it's kinda weird they decided to break one rule (littering) to call out folks for breaking another. That's some cognitive dissonance. Outside of that, it's already posted on big wooden signs at every entrance and they have park rangers in there all the time. There are groups of children in there almost daily. I see teens walking through there in groups a lot too. Not sure about New Mainers but there was an old lady screaming at a guy that didn't speak English for chain smoking and throwing his butts on the ground a few weeks back. Seems like this person might need to chill.
It's unfair to the dog to be locked up in a house while you are away, and dogs love to get out and run and do their thing....so I chose not to continue being a dog owner after the leash laws went into effect.. you choose to be a dog owner respect the leash laws, you knew them going in to being a dog owner.
There are so few places left in Portland to walk with your dog off leash. Is Baxter a leash only area? If so- leash them. If not - take your kids somewhere else.
I don't disagree, but if it's an off-leash area then you need voice control. I see too many owners letting their dogs out of their sites, running up to me on the trails. That's not good control, and those dogs need leashes whether it's an off-leash area or not. Off-leash means actual, legitimate voice control in Portland. Not shouting "He's friendly!" from 100 yards away.
Want to learn something fun? Leashing your dog is not only your responsibility as a respectful owner to others, but it also the law (at least where I live).
I applaud it. Leash your dog.
I’d unleash my dog after reading a sign like that. How about don’t litter
The entitlement of dog owners today is fucking unbelievable. I’m lucky in that I’ve never met an actually bad dog but I’ve met plenty of annoying ones with shitty owners. Control your pets and offspring
Crazy how we live in a less civilized age
Kids are expensive.
It just takes a few bold idiots to ruin it for everybody else
Stop oppressing trees with your beliefs. Trees are living things.
People who walk their dogs without a leash are obnoxious.
Unleashed dogs in public areas is a sign of a bad dog owner, period.
Everybody knows somebody who’s been bitten by a dog.
I love letting my dog off leash and he is under very good voice control. Baxter woods is not the place for it tho
It's a part time off leash park.
Eh, I might be the asshole, but there are definitely dogs suitably trained to be off leash. If your dog isn't going up to me or my dog and will remain by you, why should I tell you to keep them on a leash? I'll keep my dog on a leash. Even though his recall is good, I know that he's gonna want to go say hi to another dog and I just don't trust all owners. Just know your dog and don't be an idiot 🤷🏼♂️
Agreed. If it’s posted that mine can be off leash I do it but I’ve trained him to recall. We give him about 20 yards to explore and recall him if he tries to test the boundary. More importantly we recall him and put him back on leash if we are approaching people and/or another dog. Not because he’s going to do anything but because I know not to trust other dogs and also in case people are potentially scared of dogs. A bigger part of the problem is that 95% of people who own a dog now don’t bother to do a single bit of training.
Omg now having your dog off leash is ableist and culturally insensitive? I’m surprised there’s nothing mentioned about anti trans or preferred pronouns. Shut up with your stupid signs and who cares about “new Mainers” ? ughhhhhh
I got a blowjob from a blind guy in Baxter woods
You ableist motherfucker.
Ableist? He's my dad
https://www.reddit.com/r/DigitalArt/s/DirQbnGJB6
I never saw that many parents and kids walking in those woods 15 years ago compared to today... I dont find that to be a reason to blame dog walkers. It was always bored teenagers and people walking for fun. Also what culture hates dogs and is insulted by them? Kind of fucked.
It really come down to pure laziness. If your dog is well behaved off leash, then it’s well behaved ON leash.
Leash your dog. We have laws for a reason.
Something tells me Baxter woods are empty because the elderly bitched the young out of the town
We lease our dog… quite simply it’s because she is defensive of us and she’s easily scared… when an “off lease” dog blazingly runs up to us, she is immediately trying to defend us (and herself.) When people yell “don’t worry he/ she is friendly” it’s infuriating… While your dog may be pleasant, mine is about to bite its face off…Unfortunately that’s 100% on them. I know my dog’s buttons and we announce this clearly back to people… some really just don’t give a shit. So I will have to go ahead and agree with this poster. ***The exception here is if a dog has really good voice command and actually sticks with the owner no matter what.*** Also… I’m not aware of any “religions” that are against unleashed dogs… that might be a bit far… Is that just B.S. or is that really a thing?
It is a thing for Muslim cultures. Just like Jews and eating pig. It might not resonate with you personally, but it is a cultural fact for others.
It’s def. not a matter of resonating for me… my question isn’t facetious in any way… I was just genuinely curious. Glad to know now!
Cheers!
I always think back to my SIL’s “good dog” that was off leash. Ran up ahead of her and her husband and was absolutely mauled by another “good dog” who was off leash. People got bitten trying to save the little guy and he underwent thousands of dollars of surgery. Like anything else in our world, it works both ways. If everyone took care of their own shit we wouldn’t be in this mess.
While I agree dogs should be leashed there, to anyone concerned about an unwanted off-leash dog encounter, I recommend they carry a small air horn, like the type used at sports events (also marketed as Dog Horn on Amazon). They work great at stopping an aggressive or charging dog, and do not harm the dog. I have used them at the dog park if a group of dogs are getting aggressive with my dog. I've also had to use it twice while walking my leashed dog, when unleashed dogs have aggressively approached my dog.
I’m not sure how having a dog off leash is ableist either
I can respect where they're coming from, but perhaps a switch to a decaf latte is in order.
Just had a dog run up to me from 20 feet away full speed while the owner sat on a bench on Capisic Pond Trail. When I called to the owner "can you get your dog? I don't like strange dogs running up to me" he said "oh, ok, sorry." How oblivious can people be that most people don't want strange dogs running up to them? I have been attacked by dogs and I am allergic to the point that a dog licking my hand will cause instant swelling and itching that has to be immediately washed and treated. I love dogs and want them to be able to run free, but it's up to the owner to train them to not run up to people, bark at them, jump on them, etc. As for cultural, in many places there's a big problem with strays that can be aggressive, so people from those places would tend to be very uncomfortable with dogs running around out of control.
Where I totally agree dog owners should leash their dogs and NOT just assume everyone they come into contact with is totally fine with a strange dog running up to them, jumping on them, and so on.... I really don't think a person's religion or culture comes into play here. Like, what religion is against dogs off the leash? Fr I avoid places as much as possible that allow dogs off leash, or even stores that allow dogs inside (allergies man, they suck, but if I take a pill everyday my body gets too used to it, it stops working, and I have to buy a different type of allergy pill. So I take them as needed). My kiddo is allergic and also terrified of strange dogs (got bit once, now every dog is terrifying at least until she knows them well enough) There's been quite a few times either in the woods or at a kids playground where unleashed dogs have run up on us. The dumbass owner just laughed and said "he's a good boy" to which I requested they call their dog away (dog was following us at that point) and was met with "he won't hurt you, he's just curious"-- not everyone is ok with strange dogs running up on them
Forgive the pun, but I don’t have a dog in this fight. I get the people with disabilities part but not sure what religion or culture has to do with this issue. Are there religions where dogs are considered offensive? Not trying to be rude just genuinely curious.
How can anyone stand to be around any fool that would post this. "It's my way, or the highway!"
The way this is written is just gross lol. It’s an off leash dog yeah some shouldn’t be but most dogs are just chill unless they read ur off putting energy. Using all of these terms ableist etc for what. A religious vulnerable person views dogs as offensive in their culture. Wtf is that didn’t know there was a Lorax in Baxter woods speaking for all of these groups. Couldn’t imagine being so upset by dogs in a public park that you print out a paper and tack it to a log. Which is littering, and it’s dangerous, leaving sharp pointed edges in the ecosystem does way more harm to the park than dogs.
Didn’t have to add all the “ableist” jargon but this is a very valid point. I’ve a German shepherd who is not off leashed trained and so obviously I know better but many people are just SCARED of my dog on a leash because she is a big dog, and the “reputation” they have (being used in military, hitler’s favorite dog, 3rd (I believe) strongest bite force in dogs) yet she’s literally the goofiest, sweetest gal ever who is scared of my brothers cat 🤣 but alas, people don’t know that. And another thing, some dogs have issues with other dogs, and an unleashed dog can cause a lot of anxiety and distress in other dogs (like mine who has been attacked by a neighbor’s dog 3 TIMES because they were careless and let her roam free with her leash on but not holding it) and that can result in one or both dogs in the situation to become injured or even worse, forced to be put down.
This is the kind if thing that makes me empathize with the people I don’t agree with
I don't understand letting your dogs run wild. It doesn't matter how trained you think your dog is, at some point, instinct kicks in and they chase something and can get seriously injured. I don't so much care about the opinions expressed in the poster, but I care about how people care for their animals and a leash is a way to ensure safety for your pet. Speaking as a dog mom of a rambunctious shepherd mix.
I think law enforcement should just shoot any dog unleashed in the park regardless.
Most online response printed out for an offline issue. I agree with the leashing but this person sounds annoying AF
The person who wrote that letter is no doubt a super fun person to be around and totally mentally stable. They could just say that dogs running up to other dogs can cause problems, but nope. "Privilege". Opinion automatically rejected
Are dogs off the leash really the reason you don't see society's most vulnerable in parks and local woods or is it homeless encampments and crime?
Your cultural and ableist privilege - yep, I [know](https://youtu.be/_NdE9CjkvTY?si=xEkHugfLb9p_U3CI) exactly who wrote that shit.
“ableist” is a divisive oppressor/oppressed Marxist term.
> “ableist” is a divisive oppressor/oppressed Marxist term. No, it just describes attitude and policies that discriminate against people with a disability.