# Vicious Dogs might escape leashes **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 2, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323 "2014-02-02T00:16:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/81 "2014-02-02T15:23:13Z")
> [@Jacques\_Chitte](#): > > Sometimes people pass me walking their dogs. . . so vicious and snarling and just charging against the leash with all their might . . .we are talking a distance about twelve feet max as you pass a neighbor on the street with their dogs which they are straining to maintain a hold on the leash > [@crucible](#): > > The assumption that people, human beings, should have to put up with the aggressive reaction of a dumb animal in a public place is telling. Shake your head a few times to clear the webs, people. Any dog that threatens a human is asking for trouble, and the owner of that dog is getting a little thrill from seeing other people frightened of his ‘pet’. > > Even the nicest dog owners are sometimes blinded to the nuisance their dogs present . . . > [@crucible](#): > > I agree with the general attitude of the OP. Too many people think that dogs have a ‘right’ to be frightening, to threaten attack, to growl, bark, strain, slobber, etc. because dogs have a right to be there. I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I strongly agree with crucible and, as he says, “the general attitude of the OP”. So often I see dog owners saying “Aw, he he just wants to be friendly” in response to their snarling, growling animal as it strains against a leash. I have also witnessed, as the OP noted, a small female or child struggling hard to hold onto the leashes of several large dogs who clearly outweigh her and want very much to get loose. I sometimes think that dog owners forget that their pets are animals, not “furry children”. Animals instinctively defend their territories. If the OP’s afternoon stroll happens to threaten a dog’s territory, who knows how the animal may react? According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_attack): “[D]og attacks – with injuries from very minor to significant (severe to fatal) – are extremely common, with fifty percent of the payout of home insurance due to attacks committed by homeowners’ dogs.” Anyway, I don’t normally venture into the Pit, but the defensive blaming of the OP for the aggression of other people’s pets prompted me to leap in here and post my two cents. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/82 "2014-02-02T15:39:38Z")
Sorry if we frightened you M. Chitte. You know how geriatric chihuahuas are when they have to pee. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/83 "2014-02-02T15:52:54Z")
> [@abderian](#): > > So often I see dog owners saying “Aw, he he just wants to be friendly” in response to their snarling, growling animal as it strains against a leash. But, do you feel that if you happen upon this situation it would be okay to aim a loaded gun at the dog and shoot the dog if (when?) the owner lets go of the leash? Because that’s what the OP is driving at. Keep in mind that an untrained person hitting a dog charging at them are pretty much zero and doing this in a suburban neighborhood means the likelihood of hitting someone else is pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/84 "2014-02-02T16:07:19Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > I agree with the general attitude of the OP. Too many people think that dogs have a ‘right’ to be frightening, to threaten attack, to growl, bark, strain, slobber, etc. because dogs have a right to be there. > > Why? I think your pleasure in having a dog sometimes overwhelms your ability to empathize with the people you encounter with that dog. I just don’t think you can say, reasonably, “we are in a public place, and if my dog snarling and straining at the leash to get at you bothers you…go back indoors and leave the street to me.” > > Many dog owners seem blind to the real anxiety caused by their ‘pets’. Or, are they? Methinks that many of them enjoy it. I agree with this, and with Cat Whisperer and the OP. Why is it ok for a dog to lunge at people when he’s on a leash?? Dogs pull leashes out of their owners’ hands all the time. How is someone with an escaped dog tearing towards them supposed to know, “Oh, he just wants to be friendly” if that’s really the case? I don’t agree with shooting the dog because there’s too much potential to shoot a human, but if a dog comes at me in an aggressive manner while I’m out walking, it will get a faceful of mace. The owner will too, if they get pissed about it. Then I’ll call 911. Keep your dog under control. If it’s lunging at people while on a leash,\* it needs training.\* Editing to add, I have no fear of dogs, and most dogs I meet out walking are fine and I enjoy visiting with them very much given the opportunity. But the aggressive dogs are making ALL of you owners look bad. Take peoples’ apprehension more seriously. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/85 "2014-02-02T16:09:18Z")
If a dog is barking, snarling, growling, straining at a leash that suddenly releases (breaks, etc.), and I have a weapon available, why should you think I can’t use it? The idea that human beings should have to make allowances for the behavior of dogs is, to me, really wrong. If you have a dog and you know that it will bark and snap and growl and strain at other dogs or at people you encounter, you really can’t be surprised if those people want to protect their well-behaved animals and themselves in any legal way they can. Were you to shoot someone who is trying to kill your attacking animal, you would be guilty of a very serious crime, while they would be simply trying to defend themselves from your ‘agent’, the attacking dog. Some of you folks with dogs who act the way you describe should really think about what you are saying. Dogs are animals, some of them are impulsive, some are very dangerous. Do you really expect people you meet on the street while walking your dogs to not react when those dogs make threatening movements or noises? Do you really think they are wrong to want to have that apparent hazard removed? If you really truly believe that dogs who strain on their leashes, who bark, or snap or make other threatening actions should be ignored, should be tolerated? Sucks to be you. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/86 "2014-02-02T16:10:32Z")
Hmmm, all these instances you & \*\*crucible \*\*have “witnessed” of dogs straining and snarling against the leash just to they could bite you (sure), and they… haven’t gotten loose? So, you’re afraid the owners don’t have them under control, even though they obviously \*do \*have them under control since they _didn’t_ get loose? The OP is a troll, but he sure is bringing out the loons. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/87 "2014-02-02T16:20:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > If you aimed a gun at my leashed dogs, I’d call the police and report that. You’d get to explain that to the police. \*\*My dogs bark their effin heads off and everything that walks by, they choke themselves trying to get pull away from me. \*\*When the police show up and we all sit and talk about this, they’ll be jumping on you and the police and licking everyone and having a grand time, as I suspect the other dogs would as well. If you actually killed one or both of my dogs it won’t end well for you. How on earth can you think this is acceptable?? _Your dog needs training._ ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/88 "2014-02-02T16:30:02Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > If a dog is barking, snarling, growling, straining at a leash that suddenly releases (breaks, etc.), and I have a weapon available, why should you think I can’t use it? I did not say that. You changed what I said. Also, no here can tell me what I think so let’s stay away from that. Just to be clear, the OP was talking about aiming a gun at a leashed dog. I said that’s a terrible idea. > [@](#): > > Were you to shoot someone who is trying to kill your attacking animal, you would be guilty of a very serious crime, while they would be simply trying to defend themselves from your ‘agent’, the attacking dog. Also, lets remember that a dog that’s barking and snarling and ON A LEASH is not attacking. And, at least in Wisconsin, if you point a gun at me it’s considered a threat and if you’re with 21 feet of me I can kill you for doing it. Now, most dog owners aren’t going to be walking around carrying guns, but think long and hard about how threatened you are before you starting picking off dogs just because you think they’re all attacking you. If I have a leashed animal and someone aims a gun at it, I’d argue that I’m well within my right to shoot them since I have no way of knowing they’re not about to shoot me. How can I tell where they were aiming from that far away? How do I know they’re not going to miss and hit me…I’m going to do what I can to remove the threat. My suggestion to someone who really wanted to carry a gun to deal with dogs (think about how that sounds) would be to pull the gun out, shoot the dog, and drop the gun. Once the gun is out of their hand’s, they’re no longer a threat to anyone and no one can shoot back. Doesn’t mean they won’t, but legally they can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/89 "2014-02-02T16:32:04Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > How on earth can you think this is acceptable?? _Your dog needs training._ Dog? There’s TWO of em…you should see them when they pull in opposite directions, it’s like a fucking circus. I should get little bullet proof vest for them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/90 "2014-02-02T16:37:26Z")
> [@Jacques\_Chitte](#): > > not a very large woman - had two medium dogs on a leash – they were STRAINING - SNARLING - barking vehemently - WILDLY CHARGING and this not-that-big-of-a-woman was STRUGGLING BADLY to hold her dogs > > I am on my own street 100 feet from my house > > is it just OKAY with Dog Owners that their vicious dog makes an innocent neighbor go into a mode where they realize they will be in a serious fight with dog(s) should the hold on the leash be let go of somehow? > > all day I have been thinking about weapons – a pistol as I walk – it would not be effective unless out, up, aimed and ready to fire as soon as one saw a snarling dog straining against a leash > > we are talking a distance about twelve feet max as you pass a neighbor on the street with their dogs which they are STRAI NING to maintain a hold on the leash > > not enough time - should the leash slip - to unholster, ready, aim, and fire – you’d have to be ready from the moment the dog exhibited aggressive behaviour such as straining at his leash, snarling, barking furiously – which means you would draw a bead on the vicious dog as it is within a couple of feet of its owner; and I dont know how legal that is > > a bowie knife - same thing - I would not want it in its sheath “until it’s too late” A good-sized box cutter might work on a walk: you’ve already got it in hand, but you’re not exactly brandishing it – and while it’s still ‘sheathed’ until you click the razor out, you can still bring that blade into play pretty much instantly compared to drawing a weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/91 "2014-02-02T16:51:12Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > You know WHO ELSE has the capacity to kill or seriously injure people? > [@April\_R](#): > > Who? The OP and all the other people talking about killing the dogs they see around their neighborhoods. Humans are way more vicious and scary than dogs are. > [@crucible](#): > > The assumption that people, human beings, should have to put up with the aggressive reaction of a dumb animal in a public place is telling. You know WHO ELSE is a dumb, aggressive, animal? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/92 "2014-02-02T16:53:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Dog? There’s TWO of em…you should see them when they pull in opposite directions, it’s like a fucking circus. I should get little bullet proof vest for them. Honestly, though, as a dog owner, that does sound like behavior that needs to be reined in a bit if your dogs are lunging and barking at every person that walks by, no matter how friendly they’re trying to be. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/93 "2014-02-02T17:05:52Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Honestly, though, as a dog owner, that does sound like behavior that needs to be reined in a bit if your dogs are lunging and barking at every person that walks by, no matter how friendly they’re trying to be. I do rein then in, literally. They bark, they pull, but if I’m walking past someone, they have about 18 inches of leash (I wind the rest up around my hands) and I’ll move way over on the grass. Also, being that they’re 15 pounds, they’re not getting away from me. Also, provided you’re not scared of dogs, it’s quite clearly not a vicious bark. Not that I expect anyone else to know that, like I said, I keep them away from other people, but most people approach them anyways. ---
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/94 "2014-02-02T17:08:58Z")
I totally understand Jacques’s anger. I’m so tired of walking down the street and having giant dogs lunge at me. A lot of times they’re being restrained by tiny little women who would be totally helpless if the leash were let go and the dog attacked. What if the person absent-mindedly let go of the leash? I shouldn’t have to risk my life walking down my street. If your dog is lunging at people and growling in public places, he or she must be kept out of public places. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/95 "2014-02-02T17:19:10Z")
I wonder where people live that this is so common. Around here, in the city, I don’t recall noticing any big, snarling, lunging dogs being walked in the city streets or parks. (Behind fences, yes.) What does piss me off is the off-leash dogs, especially the little ones, since they always love to run up to my 65lb dog and, while he has no history of dog aggression and plays well with other dogs at “doggie daycare”, it’s not something I want to worry about, especially if the other dog is giving off “fuck off, this is MY territory” vibes. ---
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/96 "2014-02-02T17:21:41Z")
Some big dogs will react aggressively to anyone who is not their owner, and there’s nothing the other person can do. It’s not some body language thing, some dogs are just dangerous towards everyone who is not their owner. People in this thread are way too quick to paint any all dogs and their owners in the most charitable possible light. If you got randomly mauled walking to work, you’d probably change your mind. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/97 "2014-02-02T17:22:49Z")
> [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > I totally understand Jacques’s anger. > > I’m so tired of walking down the street and having giant dogs lunge at me. A lot of times they’re being restrained by tiny little women who would be totally helpless if the leash were let go and the dog attacked. > > What if the person absent-mindedly let go of the leash? I shouldn’t have to risk my life walking down my street. > > If your dog is lunging at people and growling in public places, he or she must be kept out of public places. IF the leash were let go…But has it? and IF the leash were let go, it doesn’t mean that anything is going to happen. I was looking online for a youtube video of a dog that sounded like mine and I finally found out and I realized something. My dog, to someone that doesn’t know it, actually sounds a bit mean. [This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYrWuBxrNvs) isn’t either of my dogs, but sounds just like them. I can assure you if they got loose, no harm would come to you, they’d jump on you, wag their tails so hard you’d think they were gonna fall off, jump up and down and that’s about it. If you’re really lucky, they might even bring you some of their favorite toys. That’s the case with most dogs. I’d like to make the suggestion that if you truly fear for your life, call the police before you shoot the dog. Tell them that there’s a problem. Let them investigate. They’ll go over to the house, find out what’s going on and report back to you. If they come back to you and tell you that, yes, it’s a big dog, but it’s very friendly, will you feel better? The middle ground would just be to go and talk to her, ask her if the dog is nice. Like I said, most dog owners are honest, she’ll tell you that yes, it’s nice, it’s just pulling so hard because it wants to meet you or that no, it’s doesn’t like new people and now you know your fears are justified. ---
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/98 "2014-02-02T17:23:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I wonder where people live that this is so common. Around here, in the city, I don’t recall noticing any big, snarling, lunging dogs being walked in the city streets or parks. (Behind fences, yes.) What does piss me off is the off-leash dogs, especially the little ones, since they always love to run up to my 65lb dog and, while he has no history of dog aggression and plays well with other dogs at “doggie daycare”, it’s not something I want to worry about, especially if the other dog is giving off “fuck off, this is MY territory” vibes. I live in a major US city and I’ve been growled at and lunged at by big dogs on leashes twice in the last two months. I’m in the Boston-Cambridge area. So, it’s not ‘common’, but hardly rare either. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/99 "2014-02-02T17:26:04Z")
> [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > Some big dogs will react aggressively to anyone who is not their owner, and there’s nothing the other person can do. It’s not some body language thing, some dogs are just dangerous towards everyone who is not their owner. > > People in this thread are way too quick to paint any all dogs and their owners in the most charitable possible light. If you got randomly mauled walking to work, you’d probably change your mind. Have you been randomly mauled walking to work? Is this dog you’re talking about dangerous or are you just assuming that? There’s a lot of assuming going on in this thread and so far I don’t think anyone that’s advocated harming a dog has been harmed themselves…or even gone and asked the dog owner if their dog is ‘viscous’…they just assumed that since it’s pulling on the leash or barking and snarling it’s automatically mean. That’s really not the case. I’m not going to say every single dog is nice, but just because a dog is barking, just because it’s pulling on it’s leash, just because it’s snarling does not mean it’s going to maul you if the owner drops the leash. More often then not it’s the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323/100 "2014-02-02T17:29:00Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > IF the leash were let go…But has it? > and IF the leash were let go, it doesn’t mean that anything is going to happen. I’m not the same person as the OP, so my views may differ. While I don’t like when eager/excited dogs rush towards me on leashes, I also don’t really care about it if the dog seems non-threatening. That video seems to show a dog that could not easily kill or maim me. But eagerness and excitement is one thing. Growling, I should think, almost always indicates aggression. The growling leads me to believe I could be attacked. I, like most people, don’t walk around with guns and mace, so I’d be the one getting badly mauled in the worst case scenario. So, all I’m saying is that really big, potentially dangerous dogs must be trained to not growl and lunge at people in public. Otherwise, they should be kept on your property. Why is that controversial? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vicious-dogs-might-escape-leashes/680323.md?page=6)