# I pit irresponsible dog owners who can't be bothered to keep their dogs on a leash or in their yard. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 2, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466 "2012-09-02T18:37:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/41 "2012-09-04T12:12:00Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > [Yup - absolutely sure](http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/ABS/Documents/Animal-Services/Off-leash-dog-areas/animal_pathways.pdf?noredirect=1) - > > We were driving around today, and saw one guy walking his big dog down the sidewalk off-leash (he had the leash in his hand, but not on the dog), and two other dogs taking themselves for a walk (no owners in sight) - I don’t know what is going on here. I wouldn’t believe it either if I wasn’t seeing it everywhere I go. Well ignorance fought. That’s a tough one to follow, but I get it. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/42 "2012-09-04T12:41:54Z")
Brief aside: a neighbouring puppy keeps stealing the drip can from my BBQ, and has chewed apart the BBQ’s electronic ignition (spark) wire. With what should I smear the BBQ’s drip can and wire to repel the little guy? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/43 "2012-09-04T12:47:28Z")
Off-leash dogs can be a big problem. In my area we have some particular offenders. It really bugs me, and it can be difficult if it occurs in the common areas of our condo development – animal control wants video evidence, wwhich can be difficult to get unless you’re a reality TV star followed by cameras 24/7. That said, how many times have you called animal control? Because very few situations get resolved by one or two calls. Unfortunately complainants need to keep pursuing the issue. The fact that the OP says he/she has called Animal Control, but does not say how many times, makes me think it might have been just one or two calls before “giving up.” If you had cornered a foreign terrorist on a shooting spree, the police would rush out to solve it. But it will take more serious follow-up to get the police to finally do an unexciting job such as this. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/44 "2012-09-04T12:54:29Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > If you had cornered a foreign terrorist on a shooting spree, the police would rush out to solve it. I guess the trick is not to report a poodle or shepherd or bulldog. Report a French poodle, German shepherd or English bulldog. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/45 "2012-09-04T13:06:33Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Brief aside: a neighbouring puppy keeps stealing the drip can from my BBQ, and has chewed apart the BBQ’s electronic ignition (spark) wire. > > With what should I smear the BBQ’s drip can and wire to repel the little guy? Cayenne Pepper or similar very hot pepper. There are also products you can buy at the pet store. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/46 "2012-09-04T13:12:37Z")
Thanks. I’ll start with the hot pepper, as I have some in the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/47 "2012-09-04T13:31:26Z")
We’ve got a neighbor who moved in a block over last year and in their first week, their boston terrier showed up on our door step-no tags on his collar. So we put the hungry guy in our mudroom and walked around the neighborhood looking for the owners (or anyone out looking for a dog). We found the owners looking for the dog and they came over and picked him up. A month later, we see them again looking for their dog who had escaped again. Then a couple months ago, we saw posters put up all over the neighborhood looking for their dog. Once? A mistake, I can totally understand. We have dogs and I’d be panicked if one got loose. Twice? Eh, ok. Third time? Seriously. Letting the dog loose in the backyard doesn’t work. (Which is where the dog keeps escaping from.) What really pissed me off was that it turns out they found the dog right away but were just too lazy to take down all of the flyers they had put up. On a side note, there was a Nova episode about the Meaning of Dog Barks[. Here’s a test that let’s you try to decipher what the dog is barking about.](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/meaning-dog-barks.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/48 "2012-09-04T13:54:19Z")
> [@anya\_marie](#): > > Somebody’s tiny little dog was running round loose this afternoon in my neighborhood. I would be surprised if it was larger than 3 pounds - a dog that tiny could probably be killed with a smaller motorcycle, and it could certainly be killed with my Pontiac. A three pound dog could also get killed by a hawk or a fox, probably. Also, in many areas, coyotes are moving back in. Once my son and I were hiking around a nearby lake on a trail. A dog came by. It was on a leash, but the owner was nowhere in sight. The dog was holding the end of the leash in his mouth. “Mom, that dog is walking himself,” my son said. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/49 "2012-09-04T14:12:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Cayenne Pepper or similar very hot pepper. There are also products you can buy at the pet store. Some dogs develop a taste for hot sauce and such. Happened with a puppy we had when I was in my teens. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silk1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@silk1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silk1976)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/50 "2012-09-04T15:21:28Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > In this case, the neighbor extended the dogowner the courtesy of a warning, something that neither the law **nor common courtesy** requires in that situation. (boldface mine) I was on your side until this. I’d say that yes, common courtesy does require that if you intend to shoot anothers dog in the situation you describe in the OP, you warn them. So far it appears your neighbors warning has done the trick. I’m glad. Common courtesy seems to have had an effect. Imagine that. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/51 "2012-09-04T15:27:22Z")
A fellow arrived this morning to read my gas meter that is at ground level at the side of my house. A German shepherd from two doors down ran over to bark aggressively at him, which drew me out of my house onto my elevated front porch. The dog then ran up the stairs and stood beside me, while continuing to bark aggressively at the poor guy. It made me feel like an asshole dog owner, when all I have is an indoor cat. ---
**Author:** ![AlienVessels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@AlienVessels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlienVessels)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/52 "2012-09-04T17:49:42Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > A fellow arrived this morning to read my gas meter that is at ground level at the side of my house. A German shepherd from two doors down ran over to bark aggressively at him, which drew me out of my house onto my elevated front porch. The dog then ran up the stairs and stood beside me, while continuing to bark aggressively at the poor guy. It made me feel like an asshole dog owner, when all I have is an indoor cat. “I thought you said your doog does not bark?” “It is not my dog.” ---
**Author:** ![OtisCampbellWasRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/53 "2012-09-04T18:51:40Z")
We had some renters in our neighborhood who felt no obligation to keep their dogs contained to their yard. One of my other neighbors would lure the prowling dogs into his garage then close the overhead door and call animal control. He did this four or five times before the landlord (who is typically legally responsible for this) finally got tired of paying the fines and did something about it. “Oh look, Roger just trapped him again!” became the slogan of the neighborhood. But the random lawn muffins and dogs in the street stopped. Pronto. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/54 "2012-09-04T19:16:24Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > How life has changed. Forty years ago in my neighborhood everyone with a friendly dog let them run loose. They’d play with each other and the neighborhood kids. Gangs of kids and dogs would always be running around together. The kids knew the dogs by name. (I don’t recall any nasty dogs. If some were, they weren’t loose. Yeah we had dogs like that too when I was a kid and they invariably more or less belonged to one of the kids that they were running around with. > [@](#): > > Back in the days when everyone let their dogs run loose, you figured the distribution of dog poop was evened out. > > The old feel is totally gone. Maybe the dogs need more fiber > [@](#): > > All the nostalgia aside, you town animal control officer might provide a solution. > > I assume you have spoken about the matter in a friendly manner with your neighbor to no avail. > > Sometimes a pail of water thrown on the dog by an auto passenger might cure it (harmlessly) from chasing cars. A standard poodle is a smart dog. A wetting or two might cure it. The dog has not been off leash since my neighbor threatened to shoot it. I should bake a pie for him. > [@kjbrasda](#): > > My neighbor’s dog got run over and killed by a schoolbus going less than 5mph. 5 mph? That’s called evolution. > [@Sailboat](#): > > The fact that the OP says he/she has called Animal Control, but does not say how many times, makes me think it might have been just one or two calls before “giving up.” The dog was out on the street for less than a week and in that time I called animal control twice and I would have kept calling but the problem seems to be resolved now that my neighbor has threatened to shoot the dog if it corners him in his garage again. > [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > A three pound dog could also get killed by a hawk or a fox, probably. Also, in many areas, coyotes are moving back in. > > Once my son and I were hiking around a nearby lake on a trail. A dog came by. It was on a leash, but the owner was nowhere in sight. The dog was holding the end of the leash in his mouth. “Mom, that dog is walking himself,” my son said. I have seen one dog walking another dog and my friends mother in law once had her chihuahua stolen by some sort of hawk or something. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/55 "2012-09-04T20:24:21Z")
> [@silk1976](#): > > (boldface mine) > > I was on your side until this. > > I’d say that yes, common courtesy does require that if you intend to shoot anothers dog in the situation you describe in the OP, you warn them. > > So far it appears your neighbors warning has done the trick. I’m glad. Common courtesy seems to have had an effect. Imagine that. I was referring to his refraining from shooting the dog the FIRST time he was cornered in his garage. He had every right to shoot the dog right there but he risked getting bit and jumped into his car so he could give our new neighbor a warning. Common courtesy doesn’t require you to risk getting bit by a dog. But I agree that if you are not in danger and intend to shoot someone’s dog, common courtesy might include warning the dog’s owners that you intend to shoot their dog. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/56 "2012-09-04T21:34:16Z")
The one suggestion you haven’t addressed is to catch the dog and take it to the pound. Over and over. Until the owners get the hint. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/57 "2012-09-05T00:22:10Z")
I’m glad the problem seems to have cleared up (for now, anyway). I like the idea of trapping the dog in a garage and calling animal control, too. It’s hard to argue that your dog was’t running free when it’s actually in someone else’s garage. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/58 "2012-09-05T00:34:44Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > > [@DrDeth](#): > > > > Cayenne Pepper or similar very hot pepper. There are also products you can buy at the pet store. > > Some dogs develop a taste for hot sauce and such. Happened with a puppy we had when I was in my teens. 🙂 I tried cayenne pepper this eveing by dusting the BBQ parts and tongs that the puppy likes to eat. It worked! Thanks for the info! After a few licks he went off to rub his snout in the grass. I sure didn’t like watching him go through that, but hopefully he’ll remember the burn and not try to eat my BBQ again. Now to try to find a replacement ignitor. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/59 "2012-09-05T07:11:22Z")
I don’t want to hurt a dog. Shooting might be a last resort and I don’t own a gun. I’ve been beeping the car horn at animals walking in front of my car. I don’t know what to do for a really close call. There are some things I’m not sure of as a new driver but If I have to hit an animal to avoid a vehicle, then what happens? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466/60 "2012-09-05T11:58:44Z")
> [@Palo\_Verde](#): > > The one suggestion you haven’t addressed is to catch the dog and take it to the pound. Over and over. Until the owners get the hint. Really? You think the way to deal with someone else being completely irresponsible about their dog is to catch it yourself, taking the risk of being bitten, then transport it to the pound at your own expense and wasting your own time? Multiple times? There’s no way it’s reasonable to expect someone to expend the effort to do that. I’d shoot the damn thing first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-irresponsible-dog-owners-who-cant-be-bothered-to-keep-their-dogs-on-a-leash-or-in-their-yard/633466.md?page=4)