To Hershey's Dog-Mom

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

If you're taking your adorable chocolate lab out for a stroll on the bike-path on a lovely Sunday afternoon, please protect your dog and other people using the path and keep him on a leash.

I witnessed an almost-accident at close range as the dog ambled from one side of the path to another, forcing a bicyclist to slam on his brakes and stop hard to avoid hitting him.

He doesn't know any better, he's just a dog, doing what dogs do. You, on the other hand, should.

Comments

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I know, I always feel bad for the dogs I see running around that area unleashed. I'm always worried that one of them is going to get hit by a cyclist, or get hurt in a fight with another dog, or run out into the parking lot across from Lexington park and get hit by a car, or get too close to the grill when we've got it out on the patio area near our apartment. If I feel like yelling at people to leash the dogs, it's NOT because I don't like dogs. It's because I DO like them.

Oh, and those leashes that expand to about 15 feet or more aren't really that useful as a restraint in an area like that. In fact, seeing those stretch across the bike path has frequently made me very nervous for any cyclists who might come through.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

those leashes should be flat out banned.

a.) they don't hold up to any dog that pulls even a little
b.) you have NO control over your dog as you cannot retract it unless the dog comes back to you
c.) i have seen the cords cut other people/animals/etc. it is REALLY sharp and dangerous when unrolling.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

those leashes should be flat out banned.

Technically, they are.
The law says leashes no longer than six feet.

[dancingdeer.livejournal.com]

Starting with a disclaimer that we never take our dog on any bike path at all because he's far too easily overstimulated, we do use two different brands of rectractable leashes for our chocolate lab when we walk him (on the sidewalk; not in Somerville). First off, for an 85 lb dog who *does* pull a lot, they've been holding up just fine, and second, we *do* have control over him - when it's all quiet, we let him ramble around at between 6-8 feet (8 is legal where we live), between near-street grass and lawn, and back and forth on the sidewalk. When we sense a truck coming, or see any other people or dogs or, pretty much anything, we pull him in closer. We have a small quiet dead end street near our house where we can let the leash extend all the way and let him get some more intense exercise and not worry about him running into a busier street. Also, we can let it extend while we're in the park near our house (where he's routinely attacked or just approached by lots of dogs illegally off-leash, by the way). And not all the cords are sharp by any means - the brand I use definitely isn't.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

all i'm saying is that i've gone through no less than three different types on a 16 pound dog - they have all broken, tangled, not worked when i needed them to, etc. the wider belt ones pose less of a hazard of cutting but it is still there and i've seen it happen. i'm not saying my experience is everyone's, certainly, but yeah. i just personally prefer wrapping a leash around my hand and letting it out more or letting my dogs off leash when it's safe that way.

[dancingdeer.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's an impressively bad set of data points. I wonder if they make the leashes sturdier for the larger dogs.
I like the way my dog can help pull me up one of the hills in our neighborhood. I hate hills. :)

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

yeah you can see why i gave up lol!

glad you have had better luck, i think most manufacturers might indeed underestimate the strength of a small dog. anyway, after getting a second dog i would have had to have switched anyway since my dogs are really good at the whole tangling me thing x___x

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

8 is legal where we live

If you're in arlington, no, it's not:

shall restrain such dog by a chain or leash not exceeding six feet in length.
http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_TownBylaws/title8?textPage=1

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

d.) If your dog breaks away, the clack-clacking of the huge plastic box that holds the coiled up leash often frightens the dog causing it to pick up speed and keep running away from you.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

also true. they actually warn you about this in the packaging on at least one of the brands i tried.

i just feel like the dogs/areas these actually work out in is such a super tiny fraction of the majority of dog owners.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I've volunteered at the ARL with dog trainers and every dog trainer I've ever talked to *hates* retractable leashes. With a fiery, fiery passion. Primarily because they do not aid in keeping a dog by your side, which is where he/she should be when walking *with* you ... walking along your side, periodically looking up for direction -- not walking ahead of you.

[aquaflame16.livejournal.com]

one of the few ways that does actually make sense to me is how my grandmother uses a retractable leash:
She (my grandmother) is old so it's hard for her to chase a dog around or whatever, and she has a small dog (that doesn't pull much), so she uses a retractable leash in a yard/enclosed area/appropriate park to let her dog run around within a small-ish radius of her while she stands still but still maintains the ability to pull her dog back to her when she wants to leave. When walking on the sidewalk or whatever she keeps the leash locked at an appropriately short distance.
This makes sense to me, most other uses (including, and especially, NOT on the bike path --even if locked-- because of the dangers of the thin cord), not so much.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, and those leashes that expand to about 15 feet or more aren't really that useful as a restraint

And they're illegal.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

those leashes that expand to about 15 feet

Yes. Short leashes are fab. Expandable leashes = instant tripwires of death; I'd rather an unleashed dog than those.

If I feel like yelling at people to leash the dogs, it's NOT because I don't like dogs. It's because I DO like them.

And yeah, that too! Your dogs are cute, people. I don't want to hit them. Please aid me in my quest.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Lexington park is also tricky due to the, well, park, which is heavily trafficked by toddlers and small children, some of whom are afraid of (or easily injured/overwhelmed by) dogs. My toddler adores dogs and we will go down that section of the path in hopes of seeing them, but not everyone is into being licked in the face. Definitely a section of path where sharing, and mutual awareness, is even more important than usual.

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. Dogs at least usually know how to get out of the way; leashes don't. As a cyclist, I'd much rather see an unleashed dog than a dog on a long or stretchy leash.

[ron_newman]

Yeah, I worry that I'm going to ride into one of those leashes, with bad consequences for everyone: the dog, the owner, and me.