LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I posted this at the online Austin Chronicle after my showdown at auditorium shores a couple of weeks ago.The comments are interesting.

Leash-Free Is Okay but Control Your Dog | open postmark
Dear Editor, There are many leash-free areas in Austin's parks, and I'm cool with that, providing you have control of your dog(s). This morning at Auditorium Shores my dog (leashed) was harassed by this chick's two dogs (loose). They were nipping at my dog and she made no effort to call them off. This encounter eroded to name-calling and screaming … yes, I am an asshole when you don't control your dogs. I am sick and tired of people who don't control their dogs in a public setting, ruining my walks with my dogs. You want to let them run free? Fine. Just make sure you have them under control and they don't terrorize other dogs. I've lived here all my life and I have to say this town sucks more and more every day. I can't walk my dog without the apprehension of being messed with by some entitled moron and their dogs. I'm buying some pepper spray for the next walk.

Rob Clattenburg


12 Comments | Collapse comments
Comments are listed in order posted

guest said... | hide/show
I partially agree with you...but why take your dog on a leash to a leash free area? I mean, usually dogs are in those areas to run around and play with other dogs. I suppose that you could teach a dog that its ok to approach dogs that are not on a leash and not ok to approach leashed dogs.

I've run into the same situation with my unleashed dog going up to a dog on a leash. I call her away if the person doesn't look like she wants them to sniff.

All i'm saying, is avoid the problem and walk on the other side of the lake. TRUST me there are many more leash required areas than leash free areas.
05-16-2008

leash or none by guest | hide/show
though there are leash free areas, sometimes you pass those areas while on the trail(s) with your on-leash dog. i think it makes more sense for someone to control their dog than to ask someone to walk out of their way and off trail to avoid a section that may or may not have an aggresive off-leash dog running around. i run into this problem often, especially when i first started training my dog. most people would respond with "he's friendly" but who is to say my dog is friendly? i have him on a leash. and not only that but if i am working and trying to train my dog, it's kind of difficult with dogs running up to him and trying to mount him or nipping at his feet when we're running. ask the pomeranian's owner how that went down. off-leash doesn't mean off the hook, responsibility is the owner's task, leash or no leash. 05-21-2008

guest said... | hide/show
So what you are saying....is that with miles and miles of trail around town lake, it is unreasonable to ask someone to avoid the 2 hundred yards that makes up the leash free area? I've never seen a dog there out of control in all the years I've been going. Sure they run around and PLAY with each other...but thats the point! I am so sick of you people that feel we need more regulations and more rules and more laws. 05-21-2008

Way to miss the point. by guest | hide/show
What he was saying is that even if a dog is off leash, in a leash free area, it should still be controllable by the pet owner. Anyone that can't control their dog through commands has absolutely no business taking that dog off leash no matter how friendly that damn dog is. 05-21-2008

What I meant to say by guest | hide/show
I meant to say off leash in a public area since any number of incidents could occur where the dog needs to be told to stop what he's doing immediately. 05-21-2008

guest said... | hide/show
Oh, so what he is saying is that I need to be near my dog at the park. So that if she approaches a dog that the owner doesn't want to mingle, I can call her away. Mind you, this is an owner that is taking his dog to an area set aside by the city for dogs to do just that.

Lastly, Rob, If you are in a leash free area and you pepper spray my dog when she comes up to meet your dog...we would have a problem.
05-22-2008

Rob must be a JRT owner or somthing. by entitled owner named rob. | hide/show
Dogs act strange when they're on a leash, it's un-natural when 2 dogs meet and start sniffing ea. other. When the owner pulls back on the leash because a strange dog approaches, don't be surprised when that leashed dog starts acting as nervous as the owner.

My mutt is far more behaved off-leash, they're dogs and they should be able to run around. If your dog doesn't respond to calls then it will probably just run away..

Dogs act like dogs, don't act surprised. If you are, maybe you should consider becomeing a cat owner.
05-22-2008

exactly what si wrong with people. by guest | hide/show
respect. ever heard of it? it's not your trail or park. and the point in it being a trail is so people can be on it. it's not the "avoid certain sections due to idiots" trail. you are what is wrong with the dog park, you have no idea how to own a dog or anything for that matter, you can't even control yourself. you act like it's your trail to do whatever you want. it's public, learn how to respect other people and maybe someday you'll get it back. 05-22-2008

lol by They suck! | hide/show
JRT (owners) are a special breed unto themselves. 05-22-2008

exactly what si wrong with people by guest | hide/show
How about respecting the VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF LAND that people are allowed to let thier dogs off their leashes to play. Here's your respect...you are fucking moron. 05-22-2008

Th'Rev said... | hide/show
To turn 100 yards of auditorium shores into a leash free zone while the rest of the park is leash on is the most asinine retarded thing the city could do.That's just fucking stupid.

My dog is well disciplined on or off leash,that's how she was raised.

And what kind of problem are we gonna have?If you can't control your dog I'm gonna spray it and if you get all asshole about it,I'll spray you as well.

Bottom line...control your dog-or I will.
05-24-2008

Preach Brother! by I.B.McGinty | hide/show
You got an Amen from me Rev. Irresponsible pet owners will never control their dogs ..hence the term "irresponsible". Pepper spray away to keep vicious dogs at bay. If the owner suddenly gets the urge to control you instead of his dog, he should remember that there is a concealed carry law that allows Joe Citizen to carry more than just pepper spray.

..bringin'in th'sheaves.

-I.B.McGinty
05-24-2008