Lavenders_Blue Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Tango and I went to our usual dog walk this afternoon - some lovely privately owned fields in the next village that the farmer lets dog walkers use. As we finished our walk, we reached the gate to the fields at the same time as a lady and her three dogs. I clipped Tango on her lead and waited for the lady to do the same with her dogs, but she opened the gate barking 'heel' at her dogs... whereupon one of them shot off through the gate, across the lane and almost under the wheels of a car I heard the lady say 'He never runs off' (no... he didn't look like he did either ) then a progressively agitated 'Come here... come HERE... COME HERE!' all the while the dog was faffing about ignoring her and the driver was waiting patiently for the lady to get her dogs under control. Tango stood beautifully still while this palaver unfolded - I didn't want to walk off in case these well behaved dogs followed me - and then when the lady finally retrieved her dog (but still didn't seem to see the need to use any of the leads hung around her neck) Tango trotted up the lane with me walking beautifully to heel. I can only assume she was showing off as heelwork is not her forte, but what a time to show how well behaved she can be, I must admit I had a rather smug grin Had to hold my tongue though when the lady turned to her dog and scolded him for running off, if she'd bothered to put his lead on it wouldn't have happened, daft woman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Well done Tango for showing your skills at the right moment! Your hard work is obviously paying off. I walk mine in the forest every day and it amazes me how stupid people are especially when there are ponies and cattle around. I often see dogs barking or chasing and the owners screaming at the dog to no effect, they then get embarrassed and say they don't normally do that - yes I'm sure! Like you I am really smug that mine are really well behaved around livestock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 Tango is sadly not well behaved around livestock - but that's what leads are for! It only takes a bit of common sense to keep your dog under control. Most of the time I avoid livestock-y areas but there's always the time a horse rider goes past or a field of sheep appears where you didn't expect it. I know she can't be trusted so she goes back on the lead. It's not rocket science... is it?! I'd be mortified if I let my dog nearly get run over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Well done Tango If they are near a road, then the law requires that she has her dogs on-lead and 'under control'. you never know what will distract even the best behaved of dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I don't know what people's problem is with putting their dog on a lead - even the best behaved dog can be tempted by something on the other side of the road - my dog has the road sense of a lemming on speed so unless I'm at least half a mile from the nearest car she stays on lead, harsh possibly, but the alternative is too awful to contemplate Well done you and Tango!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I agree Bramble - you have to be especially careful with hounds - they travel so fast that they seem to disappear down a worm hole and materialise at the other end of the universe just a nano-second later Ruby isn't so bad and will invariably obey when I ask her to 'wait', but Cyrus is a bear if very little brain and seems to have no control over his legs he is learning 'wait' but it's slow progress as he has the attention span of a gnat and is easily distracted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 It was so daft, when she got to the end of the little lane that leads to the fields, where the lane joins the main road she then put her dogs on their leads. So for the sake of an extra 100 yards on lead - bearing in mind the dogs had already had the opportunity to run around and burn off energy in the fields - she nearly got one of her dogs run over I don't care how well trained dogs are, I hate to see them off lead near roads. I have heard stories of off lead dogs being spooked, or accidently getting their tails trodden on when sitting waiting to cross the road, with fatal consequences It's just not worth the risk. There is a lady in our village who has a beautiful GSD which is often seen walking beside the road carrying it's lead in it's mouth What is the point of that, other than for the owner to show off? Sorry - I will now step off my soapbox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
