Description

I saw someone had an archived post about this problem around Linderman and Wall Street a while back and wanted to reopen the discussion because it's happening again.

I don't understand why some residents feel it is OK to have their dogs loose out on the city sidewalks or walk them unleashed if they can't control them.

A few weeks ago one of our neighbors was doing just that and was passing by our house just as I happened to be stepping out my front door to walk my own small (leashed) dog. I didn't even get down the first step before the neighbor's dog, which appears to be a mid-size pit/mix, came charging up through our yard and right up onto our porch. I was able to quickly toss my dog back in the house just in time to avoid any possible problem. She did not listen when her owner yelled at her to come and the dog continued to excitedly sniff around my porch while the neighbor came up, grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back down to the sidewalk. In the process his dog slipped its collar and evaded him. He eventually was able to grab her by the scruff of her neck and get her collar back on and drag her back to his house.
I asked him if he could please walk his dog on a leash in the future, but he totally ignored me and did not respond.

I'm a dog lover and former vet technician. I love the dog-community in our neighborhood. Regardless of a pitbull's reputation, I think this pit mix is probably a very nice dog. The dog lives with cats and children and personally, I am not afraid of her at all. However, I can't take the chance of having a large, uncontrolled dog come bounding full speed towards my ten pound dog. She probably means no harm, but I've seen the damage that can occur in a split second in those situations and that is a risk I am not willing to take.

Early yesterday evening as I stepped out the house to walk my dog, the neighbor was out on the sidewalk in front of his house with his unleashed dog again. The second she saw us the dog rushed over to my house and up to my porch with hackles raised in excitement. Once again I was quickly able to toss my small dog into the house while their dog sniffed around my porch. Once again the neighbor came up to the house to grab his dog. Once again I asked if he could please keep his dog on a leash when out on the street. Once again he ignored me as if I hadn't spoken to him.

I don't want to start issues with my neighbors. Overall they seem like friendly people and numerous times we have chatted on the street. I was pretty upset both that this happened again and also that he ignored me, so I went over to his house and knocked on the door so I could talk to them.
He kept telling me his dog is the friendliest dog in the world, great with cats and kids and "just wants to play". I said I'm sure that's true in your house but when she's loose like that and comes charging after my dog, I can't take assume that she might want to play - and I know exactly how my dog will react when a large dog comes running at him. I asked if he could please leash her when out on the street, that it is actually the law. He kept ignoring that and saying his dog was nice.

Perhaps their dog would not hurt mine, but uncontrolled in that manner, there is no way I am going to allow that to be tested.
I said look, I'm not calling animal control, the police or your landlord - I'm coming to you in person and just asking you to keep her on a leash. At which point he turned it around saying I was threatening to call all those people (I wasn't, just the opposite) and shut the door on me.
They are now also saying I am calling their dog vicious (I didn't say that at all, and I don't think she is). All I said is when a loose pitbull mix comes charging after my tiny dog it's a little scary, it has the potential for trouble (they are dogs, after all) and not OK.

Dogs get loose in the neighborhood on occasion. Mine has too. And there are people in the neighborhood who stand out on the street with their dogs unleashed who have total control over them. But this has not been the case so far with this dog.
It's a leash. It's not a big deal. I don't understand the resistance.

I'm putting this here for discussion and also in the hopes that dog-owners will show respect for their fellow neighbors regarding this issue.