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mshathaway

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I was bitten twice, once as a child and once as an adult.

 

I live in mortal fear of dogs. For some it is snakes, spider, heights. For me it is dogs.

I have no doubt that you would have aborted your attempt on the cache in question as you approached the entrance and noted that it was a dog park.
Obviously I would avoid such a park but I have encounter aggressive dogs in the woods before. It was nice to learn of the knee trick, I'll try to remember that during my next encounter.
I recommend against counting on 'the knee trick'. In my opinion, it would be useless against a large, angry dog. Your best defense is to keep your head and keep a close eye on the animal.

 

Here's my log that tells the story of my confrontation with an out-of-control dog at a cache site. I firmly believe that if I tried 'the knee trick', I would be in a world of hurt.

 

All that being said, I love dogs. Until a few weeks ago, I had been the proud owner of a black GSD for fifteen years. Sadly, I recently had to put her down. To suggest that she was a dangerous animal and that I was a poor dog owner because she enjoyed chasing down rabbits and birds is silly.

 

BTW, to tell is an approaching dog is friendly, look at the tail. If the tail is pointing upward and/or wagging. It's a friendly dog. If the tail is lowered, there may be danger. If the tail is tucked use extreme caution. Scared dogs can be unpredictale.

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To suggest that she was a dangerous animal and that I was a poor dog owner because she enjoyed chasing down rabbits and birds is silly.

 

Yep. As I stated upthread, there is absolutely nothing wrong with allowing dogs to chase appropriate prey under appropriate conditions - and prey drive and dog-human aggression are not at ALL the same thing (although dog-human aggression may be partially motivated by misdirected prey drive).

 

BTW, to tell is an approaching dog is friendly, look at the tail. If the tail is pointing upward and/or wagging. It's a friendly dog.

 

Sorry, but that's not at all the case. Most dogs ALSO carry their tails upright and wagging slowly or stiffly when they are aggressively and/or sexually aroused, and some of the worst incidents I've seen with dogs have come about because people incorrectly interpreted the wagging motion.

 

If the tail is lowered, there may be danger.

 

There may - but some dogs naturally carry their tails low, and a friendly wag is often done with the tail lowered. If my lurcher were to run towards you with her tail low and straight, it wouldn't indicate anything except that she's part sighthound and that's normal tail posture when running. And her version of a friendly greeting wag with strangers is to carry the tail down at her hocks, and wag just the tip of it.

 

You really can't go JUST by the tail, or JUST by the facial expression, with any dog - correctly interpreting a dog's communications requires looking at the entire posture and way of moving, and those aren't things that can be adequately described in a text medium.

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Either way, my point is that 'the knee trick' should not be counted on to protect you.

 

Yup. It's useful in many circumstances, but I agree that with a dog truly intent on attacking, your best bet is to avoid.

Read your log, btw... now THAT was an incident worth getting upset over!

 

BTW, I have no idea what a lurch is, but in your avatar pic, I see a happy dog with it's tail held higher than I would expect if it were angry.

 

That's her - and yep, she's happy in that picture. <_<

 

If you're intererested, a lurcher is a crossbred hunting dog created by crossing Border Collies, working sheepdogs, and/or terriers with sighthounds; they've been bred in the U.K. for hundreds of years. Mine is half BC and half Saluki or Saluki/Whippet.

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Yay! Another monster post from me. I really should respond more than once per day to avoid this, I guess.

 

p.s. re: staying safe, if the person who owns this cache is reading, in addtion to notifying geo-cachers about the presence of dogs, please addtionally notify them of the presence of coyotes in this area, there is a coyote den in very close proximity to the box( it is about 200' south of the path in the cedar hollows when you first enter from the field side), not too much too worry about during the day, but dusk is not a time you would want to be in the cedar hollows alone, especially if you are walking with a small dog, lots of coyotes in the woods off the fields in this park.

 

Ms. Hathaway? Would you do us all a favor, and give us the name/GC name of the cache? I notice in one of your posts you mentioned having found it. The name is usually in the upper right corner of the screen, and will start with GC.

 

We'll go from there to make sure the cache owner gets the info (or, alternately, send it to the site administrators, if you don't wish to make it public). I think you'll find that even us newbies (like me) would prefer to be nice guests. And, even better, get a chance to meet several hundred dogs and drive an older pooch at home crazy with jealousy <_<

 

Yup! Even though we were reasonably fit to begin with, both the dogs and I are in better shape since beginning to "cache", mostly from doing parks caches with tougher terrain. However, I am NOT (and never will be again) in the shape I was when I was able to practice judo 2-3 times a week. ;)

 

I can only wish I could have practiced any martial art that often. I got as far as yellow belt in Tae Kwan Do before having to give up (lack of money for more lessons). I'll never be in great shape. Not gonna happen. But I do want to reach the point of being in acceptable shape. I should be able to go on a moderately significant walk without needing a major break afterwards, and I'm definitely not there yet.

 

I live in Baltimore County; my S.O. lives in Cecil, so I'm up there 1-4 days a week. He's also a cacher (got me into it a week or so after he started)... let me run the idea by him. Not that I couldn't or wouldn't do it on my own, but he might like to be included. :)

 

Well, from what I can gather, Cecil isn't too far away from my friend, Dave. That should be workable, I think.

 

I recommend against counting on 'the knee trick'. In my opinion, it would be useless against a large, angry dog. Your best defense is to keep your head and keep a close eye on the animal.

Here's my log that tells the story of my confrontation with an out-of-control dog at a cache site. I firmly believe that if I tried 'the knee trick', I would be in a world of hurt.

 

After reading that log, you are very correct. The knee trick would have been bad. But you did do the other bit of advice: If you are at all uncertain, keep your distance. Especially on open ground, this is usually very easy to do with a dog. With multiple dogs, not at all, but a single dog? I'd give myself even odds in a one-on-one encounter with any dog. That, though, is because I have played very rough with them, and they've played back. While it's a lot of fun, i've also found that I learned how to protect myself from them in case of need. Then again, looking at this thread, it looks like I'm not alone :D

 

All that being said, I love dogs. Until a few weeks ago, I had been the proud owner of a black GSD for fifteen years. Sadly, I recently had to put her down. To suggest that she was a dangerous animal and that I was a poor dog owner because she enjoyed chasing down rabbits and birds is silly.

 

I am truly sorry to hear that. I've had to let go of various pets over the years. And the heartbreak that goes with it is tremendous. If there's anything I can do to help you through it (including just reading post after post about her), let me know. I'll try to help.

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Geocachers need to be responsible for their own actions. If you're going to find a cache YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT AREA YOU ARE IN! So the cache owner didn't say "This is an off-leash dog park". So what? If you go to a park and you see dogs running around, EXPECT TO GET ATTACKED BY A FRIENDLY DOG! If you are allergic to dogs STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THE FRIGGIN PARK.

 

Did the girl deserve to be jumped upon? No. Should she have expected it? Oh yeah.

 

The witch in question has no business being around off leash dog parks.

 

I see it the same way as going to a Chuck E Cheese's restaurant. Kids are running everywhere. The adults are ultimately responsible for their children's actions, but if I get greasy pizza sauce hand prints on my clothes from someone else's kids I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED IT TO HAPPEN. Going postal on the kids parents makes me look like an idiot. The same applies to the witch in question.

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Well, heck. Might as well toss in my two cents!

 

I love dogs and with a few rare exceptions, they love me too. I've "owned" many wonderful dogs in my life and I put quotes around "owned" because a good dog isn't a pet, it's a family member. I cried unconsolably when my German Shepard "Hrothgar" (Roffy) died a few years back and I still miss him.

 

I make instant friends with rottweillers and pits the owners insist "don't like strangers." I actually enjoy being jumped on and wrestling with a big dog and I've found that dog slobber washs right out. My wife is pretty much the same.

 

So, had that been me in the park, your friends dog and I would have said hello to each other, grinned and wagged, and that would have been the end of it.

 

But some people don't like dogs. In fact, some people are scared of dogs, and some people are just plain scared of their own shadows. Some people are looking for any excuse to sue they can find.

 

Some of those people may enjoy geocaching.

 

Some may not.

 

Either way, as a dog owner, your dog is YOUR responsibility and if it is running loose, whether in a park or around the neighborhood, YOU and YOU ALONE are responsible for what that dog does.

 

So, when you're friend let the dog run, they took a chance and they must take responsiblity for their own actions. If your dog jumps on somebody who doesn't want to be jumped on, all sorts of bad things can happen. You can be sued, you or your dog may be shot, stabbed or pepper sprayed, on and on. Its a dangerous world out there.

 

But why you chose to come onto this website and complain about this as if we as geocachers were some how responsible for the actions of a dog your friend allowed to run loose, I can't possibly imagine.

 

It's kind of like having a bad experience with someone wearing a baseball cap and complaining about it to every baseball fan you meet.

 

In the end, you're right. The park belongs to everyone. The Geocacher, the pet owner, the ball player, and the idle pedestrian, etc. Everyone has a right to enjoy the park and all it provides. But with rights come responsibilities and you don't mention any actions on the part of the Geocachers that might have been irresponsible. Wierd and hysterical maybe, but not irresponsible. They were minding their own business. It was your friend's dog who interfered with their activities, not the other way around.

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I simply came on to tell of my experience and express my opinion that when one is in a new/unfamilar area/location, they should be aware of what type of place they are entering, in this case an established dog park. I think the woman's response was completely innappropraite, never did I think my friend beared no responsibilty, never. The incident has left her shaken. Her dog is extremely well behaved, but is a young exuberant, friendy dog. Compared to most dogs, he is very well trained, and responds to her commands. She is questioning herself as a dog owner, and this angers me to no end. Overall, pretty crummy experience for all innnvolved.

 

This area is not a destination location, it is frequented by locals. People generally do not come here from other towns of great distances. Locals with out dogs also frequent the park with out incident.

 

Like I mentioned earlier, there have been a few past isolated incidents with people who took great, extreme exception to the presence of dogs(yelling/threats/threats to call police/police called/etc.). After talking with other regulars, we are of the opinion that these people were probably geo-cachers.

 

The majority of people here on this site have been very courteous, and friendly to me. I find you guys to be a great group of well spoken, well rounded people. Thank you.

 

The cache in question is no longer there, a fellow dog walker told me she found a bunch of paper books in ziploc bags(contents of cache) scattered on the trails.

 

Panda(something or other), the woman in question was heavily clad in fleece, I made a simialr post on the "Followers of Fleece" Website, although I have yet to receive a response to my post there.

Edited by mshathaway
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As a scenario, lets say that we are all in a PUBLIC park, for humans - Lets pretend that my friend who is with me is a very huggy touchy person- and doesnt understand that some contact is uncomfortable.

They run up to you, a stranger, and hug you, and try to sit on your lap.

I dont think you would be happy, since you dont really know if my friend is friendly, insane, or just happy to see you. Well.. thats how I feel with a strange dog approaching me that is NOT UNDER CONTROL.

I like to hug people. :rolleyes:

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Can't believe this thread is still going.

 

FWIW, I'm more of a cat person then a dog person. But my family has owned enough dogs and I've been around others that dogs are a non-problem for me.

 

I've gone after 3 caches hidden in dog parks. I believe this information was given in the cache description, but even if it wasn't, it was quite clear what the place was when you got there. In 2 cases, one has to go thru a 2-stage gate system. One would have to be an idiot not to know one was in a off-leash dog park. I went in fully aware that some of the dogs might come running up to me, and personally, I don't have a problem.

 

Frankly, it sounded to me like a non-issue that was made an issue by an over-reactive mother. I wonder if these kids even have pets themselves, and wonder if the mother has some issues with dogs.

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As both a cacher and a multiple dog owner,i agree that the mother over reacted the Mc donalds coffee syndrone so prevelent in our society.BUT as a dog owner you should teach your dog it is NOT exceptable to jump on any human being...that is being responsible...on leash or off you are responsible for your dogs actions teach them well in the beginning.

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After talking with other regulars, we are of the opinion that these people were probably geo-cachers.

 

Why are you so sure they were geocachers? What evidence do you have that leads to that as the only conclusion?

 

I routinely go to a similar park near me, and we regularly get people coming in and acting like that.

 

It has nothing to do with geocaching, and everything to do with them being either irrational dog-haters - some have even come more than once, with the obvious INTENT of wanting an excuse to vent their feelings - others have been there for more ordinary reasons but have over-reacted to normal dog behaviour.

And some don't dislike dogs, but have had repeated bad experiences with irresponsible dog owners which have made them a bit "quick on the trigger".

 

 

 

The cache in question is no longer there, a fellow dog walker told me she found a bunch of paper books in ziploc bags(contents of cache) scattered on the trails.

 

 

And THAT sounds as if one of the dog walkers has behaved towards the geocachers in EXACTLY the same way as they are complaining about being treated. :P Jump to a conclusion and act irrationally.....

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I may have gotten into this a little late in the thread, but JohnX needs to tear hisself away from the computer and find a real human friend, or maybe even a canine one. It surprizes me that someone who caches, which is mostly outdoors, would have so little knowledge of dogs, nature, or other "real" people in general. I myself am a parent and I do not know the limits of how far I would go to protect my children, put this poor woman is mislead. No harm, No foul. No blood or tears, No injury. I think maybe her pride was the only thing injuried because the two of you did not confirm that the world revolved around her. Further more, if she thought the dog was a threat, why did she not get in front of it before it got to her daughter. I have never seen a dog that bad, that a parent should let a kid defend for itself.

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I LOVE dogs. In my 41 years of existence I have NEVER been without a dog. I have ALWAYS had German Shepherds, and once had a Coon Hound. Bottom line, dogs need to be trained, and under control of their owners, NO MATTER WHAT! Even in an off leash park...Off leash is not synonymous for " out of control". Off leash is not an invitation to do as you will. Just because the dog owner felt bad about the mishap does not excuse them. A responsible dog owner has their dog under control at ALL times.

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I LOVE dogs. In my 41 years of existence I have NEVER been without a dog. I have ALWAYS had German Shepherds, and once had a Coon Hound. Bottom line, dogs need to be trained, and under control of their owners, NO MATTER WHAT! Even in an off leash park...Off leash is not synonymous for " out of control". Off leash is not an invitation to do as you will. Just because the dog owner felt bad about the mishap does not excuse them. A responsible dog owner has their dog under control at ALL times.

As a dog owner myself, I must agree that despite the fact that the park in question was apparently designated as a "dog park", that does not imply that it is okay to let dogs run out of control, and rather, it remains the responsibility of the dog owner to control the behavior of their dog at all times, whether via training or via restraints and/or verbal commands. I am sure that a judge would likely rule the same way if such a matter ever reached the courts, only perhaps somewhat more strongly.

 

And yes, it does sound like the geocacher mom over-reacted as well! There are bad apples in every basket, and yes, there are even some bad apples in the geocaching world!

 

BTW, I like dogs, and yet I have been bitten several times in my adult life, usually on the face, because, in my great affection for dogs, I often try to hug and kiss strange dogs -- including near-wild junkyard dogs, feral garbage dump dogs and largely-feral dogs -- on the face, and sometimes they get a bit scared and nip a bit at first. In each case, I have never panicked and have never blamed the dog, and rather, I realized that it was my own rash behavior that had led to the minor bite marks on my face. In each case, the bite marks healed uneventfully within a few days, and I continued, and still continue to this day, to tend to hug strange dogs and to kiss them on their noses; the few bites that I have experienced have never led me to fear dogs. And, being a complete fool and a very blissfully happy fool, I will likely persist in this foolhardy behavior until I die of old age!

 

 

.

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Like I said, I am a dog owner, and a dog lover... Even though the mom in question was obviously a freak, I still have to side with her.... I would not allow my own dog to jump on me, nevermind someone else!!!!!! It comes down to "can" versus "should"... When me daughter was a toddler, before she was diagnosed and treated for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), we used to eat out on occasion. However, my toddler's loud, disruptive, and defiant behavior put an end to it. There was only so much begging, pleading, threatening, and spanking you could do to a three year old without being abusive. Her behavior disrupted other patrons, despite our best efforts... Bottom line, we could not control her, so we ate at home or got a babysitter. Even though we COULD take her to restaurants, we decided we SHOULDN'T because we could not control her and her behavior disturbed others.

 

So, just because you CAN let your dog off leash in a designated area, doesn't mean you should.. If you can't control your dog, keep him on leash.

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".... I would not allow my own dog to jump on me, nevermind someone else!!!!!! "

~vs~

"...Her behavior disrupted other patrons, despite our best efforts... "

 

So, just because you CAN let your dog off leash in a designated area, doesn't mean you should.. If you can't control your dog, keep him on leash.

 

So animals are more controllable than humans, eh?

If you'd like to continue your argument with that glaringly contradictive premise, have away. Downright self-defeating, logic-wise, the way I see it. Also makes me wonder if/when you'll ever let your daughter off the leash.

 

Obviously, just because someone CAN say they're a dog lover doesn't automatically mean they understand creature behaviour....much less make them able to completely control it. You said so yourself.

~*

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If my child were at an off-leash dog park and got bitten, I would discipline my child for being there in the first place!

 

If the child were brought to the OFF-LEASH DOG PARK (HELLO!!!!!!!) by his/her parents and got bit, the parents deserve to have their reproductive organs removed because they knowingly placed their child in harms way. Talk about negligence! Dogs can be unpredictable, no matter how well they are trained.

 

This post will not be edited. I simply cannot rationalize why someone would knowingly take their child into an OFF-LEASH DOG PARK and chastise anyone but themselves when something bad happens.

 

The topic starter and his friend did nothing wrong. That psycho lady deserved to have the pole holding the OFF-LEASH DOG PARK sign shoved squarely where the sun don't shine.

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If my child were at an off-leash dog park and got bitten, I would discipline my child for being there in the first place!

 

If the child were brought to the OFF-LEASH DOG PARK (HELLO!!!!!!!) by his/her parents and got bit, the parents deserve to have their reproductive organs removed because they knowingly placed their child in harms way. Talk about negligence! Dogs can be unpredictable, no matter how well they are trained.

 

This post will not be edited. I simply cannot rationalize why someone would knowingly take their child into an OFF-LEASH DOG PARK and chastise anyone but themselves when something bad happens.

 

The topic starter and his friend did nothing wrong. That psycho lady deserved to have the pole holding the OFF-LEASH DOG PARK sign shoved squarely where the sun don't shine.

As a dog owner, I believe that my dog's actions are my responsibility. As such, it would not be acceptable for my dog to bite anyone at the dog park or anywhere else (with few exceptions that are unrelated to this thread).

 

I can see my (former) dog barking at people, jumping up on them, licking them mercilessly, and even sniffing them in embarrassing places, but not biting them.

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".... I would not allow my own dog to jump on me, nevermind someone else!!!!!! "

~vs~

"...Her behavior disrupted other patrons, despite our best efforts... "

 

So, just because you CAN let your dog off leash in a designated area, doesn't mean you should.. If you can't control your dog, keep him on leash.

 

So animals are more controllable than humans, eh?

If you'd like to continue your argument with that glaringly contradictive premise, have away. Downright self-defeating, logic-wise, the way I see it. Also makes me wonder if/when you'll ever let your daughter off the leash.

 

Obviously, just because someone CAN say they're a dog lover doesn't automatically mean they understand creature behaviour....much less make them able to completely control it. You said so yourself.

~*

 

If you can't control your child, eat at home. If you can't control your dog, use a leash. Duh... The logic is quite simple.The dog park near our home hosts a playground, soccer field, and tennis courts. Therefore, dog owners must expect to encounter children and others. If a 75 lb. Lab pounced on my 53 lb. daughter because the owner failed to teach him down-stay or that he should not jump on people, then the owner is negligent. Period. it wouldn't matter to me in the least if the dog's intentions were friendly and the owner was apologetic. If a dog has not had obedience training it should not be allowed off leash, even though it may be permissible in that area.

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Dogs should be kept on lease unless they are in on private property, in a designated fenced area or off lease area, or an area in which they know for a fact that other people will not be present. The fact that an area may be informally used as a "dog park" is irrelevant. Many dog owners are in a state of denial about the vicious or uncontrollable nature of their dogs. In way too many instances after a vicious mauling of a child, the owner insists that their dog is good and it wasn't its fault.

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The fact that an area may be informally used as a "dog park" is irrelevant.

 

Are you kidding me? I hope your not referring to the circumstances that started this thread.

 

Those people went caching in a leash-free dog park! There were signs that said as much!

 

Then they have the balls to freak out when their kid gets jumped on by a dog.......that wasn't on a leash?!

 

Seriously, use your brain people. You don't go walking through Compton and then complain that you were beat up or worse. You just don't.

 

I'm a dog owner, but I don't necessarily condone leash-free dog parks. Why? Because dogs are unpredictable animals and I would never take my small dog into one let alone my child. But if I did and something bad happened, I wouldn't have anyone to blame but myself because I should have known better.

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I walk my dog at an unofficial dog park 6 days a week. on week days there can about a dozen dogs are so; on weekends, upwards of 30. It's a great dog park and the people are great. Every owner keeps their dogs under control. That's the way it should be

 

Just because there is an official dog park does not excuse a dogs behavior one bit! Whatever the dog does the owner is responsible for...Period!

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The fact that an area may be informally used as a "dog park" is irrelevant.

 

Are you kidding me? I hope your not referring to the circumstances that started this thread.

 

Those people went caching in a leash-free dog park! There were signs that said as much!

 

Then they have the balls to freak out when their kid gets jumped on by a dog.......that wasn't on a leash?!

 

Seriously, use your brain people. You don't go walking through Compton and then complain that you were beat up or worse. You just don't.

 

I'm a dog owner, but I don't necessarily condone leash-free dog parks. Why? Because dogs are unpredictable animals and I would never take my small dog into one let alone my child. But if I did and something bad happened, I wouldn't have anyone to blame but myself because I should have known better.

 

You missed the point, the area was not an official designated leash-free dog park (for which I agree you enter at you own risk), but rather an area that was informally used as a leash-free dog park. There is a beach near me that is informally used as a leash-free dog park. That some dog owners choose to let there dogs run free, which is technically illegal as most urban/suburban areas have leash laws, does not mean that all none dog owners loose their right to safely enjoy the beach. Bottom line, pet owners are 100% responsible for the actions of their pets!

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You missed the point, the area was not an official designated leash-free dog park (for which I agree you enter at you own risk), but rather an area that was informally used as a leash-free dog park. There is a beach near me that is informally used as a leash-free dog park. That some dog owners choose to let there dogs run free, which is technically illegal as most urban/suburban areas have leash laws, does not mean that all none dog owners loose their right to safely enjoy the beach. Bottom line, pet owners are 100% responsible for the actions of their pets!

 

No, I absolutely understand the point. You, however seem to have missed it badly.

 

Taken from the first page:

 

FYI: Sigsn are posted everywhere that this is an off-leash dog park.........

 

Official or not, it doesn't matter. Unless those cachers could not read english (judging by their reaction to such a benign situation, I wouldn't doubt it), then it is their own fault for going there in the first place.

 

As for your beach, I would contact law enforcement immediately regarding the unleashed dogs before something bad happens.

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MSHATHAWAY---

Can I recommend getting in touch with the cache owner(s) of the cache(s) in this area and having them make a note on the cache page that these caches are in an OFF LEASH dog area and that the likelyhood of encountering a dog off leash is very high.Perhaps some communication between the dog owners and cachers could help to make this a better situation for both groups. Thank you for taking the time to seek out this board.

 

If you need help there are plenty of people that can assist you, feel free to ask.

 

that is a great idea. I post on mine where hunting is possible, just so nobody is surprised.

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Things happen. People react poorly and harshly at times. Yes, you should control your dog, but you both know that. I have a Vizsla. I do my best, but Dogs LOVE kids and other people. I would not let the reaction of the woman get you too bugged. No law was broken, and nobody was hurt. I have run into people like that. They thrive on overreaction. My Vizsla goes with my son and I when we Cache all the time. I have her on a collar with a one mile range and she wears a orange ripstop vest for visibilty and protection. I cna stop her on a dime with a beep of her collar. I said beep, not zap. Anyway..mixing the two loves, Caching my dog is fun. You should consider it.

 

-Adam

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Look....just forget all the could'a should'a would'as......here's a dose of reality. I don't care HOW high YOUR road is, or how well your dog is supposedly trained -- the bottom line is anyone who goes to a dog park thinking every dog there is going to be perfectly well trained and/or behaved is living in a fool's paradise, and that's all there is to it. That woman can act just as upset as she wants, but if she'd have come at me like that, I'd have set her back on her heels with some real life lessons. She wasn't being anything but an asshat, saw an opportunity to show her butt and jumped on it. She has noone or nothing to blame but her own stupidity.

 

"Faded" my aunt Saffrony. Fade this!

 

:unsure:

~*

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Does everyone realize this thread is over 2 years old?

 

Just sayin'.

 

Yeahhhh.......and I'll prolly still be PO'd 2 years from now!

Sic 'im, Slaughter!!

:unsure:

~*

[/quote

 

It's old, but still relevant... Cache seekers, many are dog owners, many not,but I'd love to get to know other cache seekers... Just trying to figure out a way for ALL of us to get along...I love dogs, I love geocaching, and I'd love to have a harmonious relationship with people who have similar interests.... Anyway... Happy New Year to All!!!!!

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Official or not, it doesn't matter. Unless those cachers could not read english (judging by their reaction to such a benign situation, I wouldn't doubt it), then it is their own fault for going there in the first place.

 

No, the dog owner 100% responsible for any and all actions of the dog.

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Official or not, it doesn't matter. Unless those cachers could not read english (judging by their reaction to such a benign situation, I wouldn't doubt it), then it is their own fault for going there in the first place.

 

No, the dog owner 100% responsible for any and all actions of the dog.

 

Go ahead, keep defending idiocy. I would love to have seen this particular case end up in court (not really, just sayin). I guarandamntee you any judge with a lick of common sense would throw that idiot lady's complaint out in a heartbeat.

 

1. They were on private property! The cachers were technically trespassing!

 

2. There were freaking signs posted stating that the area was used as an off-leash dog park!

 

3. There was absolutely no damage done in the first place!

 

People need to get over themselves and take some personal responsibility. Don't take your freaking kid to an off-leash dog park and get mad at anyone but yourself when the kid gets jumped on by a happy dog.

 

Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

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I'd say that that instance was a dadgum good example (and there's not many) of why it's sometimes good to carry a gun. ANY dog, ANYWHERE that comes at a child of mine, or someone elses child for that matter, is going to be a target, and I don't care if the dogs "tail is in the air", "stuck between its legs" or stuck up its %$#. I'm so sick and tired of "dog lovers" defending the actions of their misbehaving dogs. How many times have I heard a dog owner say, "Gee, he's never done that before" after a person has been bit? Too many times, and I was the "bitee" on two of those occasions. There's a beautiful old cemetery where I live that has, for some reason, become the local "dog park". Dog owners seem perfectly at ease when watching their stupid animals take a crap on the grave of someones relative. Dogs and dog owners? You can have them, but keep them away from me.

Edited by murja
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Official or not, it doesn't matter. Unless those cachers could not read english (judging by their reaction to such a benign situation, I wouldn't doubt it), then it is their own fault for going there in the first place.

 

No, the dog owner 100% responsible for any and all actions of the dog.

 

Go ahead, keep defending idiocy. I would love to have seen this particular case end up in court (not really, just sayin). I guarandamntee you any judge with a lick of common sense would throw that idiot lady's complaint out in a heartbeat.

 

1. They were on private property! The cachers were technically trespassing!

 

2. There were freaking signs posted stating that the area was used as an off-leash dog park!

 

3. There was absolutely no damage done in the first place!

 

People need to get over themselves and take some personal responsibility. Don't take your freaking kid to an off-leash dog park and get mad at anyone but yourself when the kid gets jumped on by a happy dog.

 

Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

 

Yeah, and you forgot to add, Don't let your dog off a leash if you can't control him. Particularly in a public park that hosts a playground, soccer fields, tennis courts, and a dog park. Dog owners must be in control of their animals at all times! If your dog is not obedience trained, PLEASE keep him on his leash... Or keep him at home....

Edited by somatachlora
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I'm so sick and tired of "dog lovers" defending the actions of their misbehaving dogs.

 

Yeah, and I'm sick and tired of people defending stupid a**e$ who can't read a big freaking disclaimer.

 

I'd say that that instance was a dadgum good example (and there's not many) of why it's sometimes good to carry a gun. ANY dog, ANYWHERE that comes at a child of mine, or someone elses child for that matter, is going to be a target....

 

LMFAO, congratulations Dirty Harry! That is officially the dumbest thing I have read so far in 2009. Did you even bother to read the circumstances that started this thread? I can see the headline now: "MAN ACCIDENTLY SHOOTS CHILD BEING LICKED BY BLOOD THIRSTY LABRADOR!"

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I love dogs. I love dogs more than I like most people! This woman sounds insane, and police won't do anything if there's no injury. An "injury" that fades into nothing soon after is not an injury. You should have just driven off and put her out of your mind. Some people just want to make big deals out of small matters.

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Yeah, and you forgot to add, Don't let your dog off a leash if you can't control him. Particularly in a public park that hosts a playground, soccer fields, tennis courts, and a dog park. Dog owners must be in control of their animals at all times! If your dog is not obedience trained, PLEASE keep him on his leash... Or keep him at home....

 

No, I didn't forget to add anything. It's very simple, but we can go over it again.

 

1. If there are signs stating that the area is used as an off-leash dog park (which is the case in this situation), then there is a good chance there are dogs running around off-leash.

 

2. If you decide to take your child into such an area and they happen to get bit (which didn't even happen in this situation), you not only have no one to blame but yourself, but your chances of successfully taking legal action against the dog/owner when visible signs were in place warning of danger are seriously in question.

 

3. If you run around raving like a lunatic because some dog in an OFF-LEASH DOG PARK playfully jumped on your kid, your just plain pathetic.

 

4. I don't recall the original poster saying anything about tennis courts, soccer fields, etc.

 

Look, I don't even really condone the idea of off-leash dog parks in the first place. I think they are a bad idea and I would never take my own dogs to one (because they are small), let alone my kid. Just because I don't think it's a good idea to let dogs run off leash, doesn't mean I should blame anyone but myself when I knowingly place my child in danger.

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I came across a cache a couple months back, while my dog was chasing rabbits, ...

So you take your dog to a park and let it loose to chase down, and if it were able, attack and kill rabbits. Is that not a correct statement? How cute and friendly your dog must be.

 

... , we did not expect to see someone there and the dogs being off leash and running ahead approached them first. My friends dog jumped on the daughter,

So essentially, the dog was unleased, running loose and beyond control of the owner, and then jumped on a child.

 

Her dog is very friendly.

Please explain how anyone can determine, in 5 seconds, if a running dog is friendly or not.

 

We stood there stunned, my friend was completly shaken. I am a responsible dog owner, as is my friend.

No. You are not responsible dog owners. You let your animals chase wildlife and can't prevent them from jumping on people.

 

The whole point of my diatribe is that, I know this park is for everyone, dog walkers, geo-cachers, everyone, but there needs to mutual consideration between all parties.
Keep that point in mind.

 

If you visit a place have respect for the people that have been walking their dogs there for years.
You are not walking dogs, you are letting them run uncontrolled to harass wildlife and jump on people.

 

I will respect your activities and hope you respect mine, which usually innvolves my dog.
Your claim of respect is false. If you respected other people, you would control your animals.

 

Spoken like someone who knows nothing about dogs or animals in general, and very little about people.

 

Hahaha... that's exactly what I thought. As far as "chasing down wildlife" goes, I hear this ALL the time from people who don't know a thing about how dogs act. My dog killed a squirrel, twice, which I believe is the dream every dog that has ever lived has. People told us "oh, now she's a killer. You better watch out". That is the most ridiculous thing. Dogs are very smart animals and they know the difference between wildlife and people. This dog is now 12 years old and has never bitten anyone. In fact, if robbers broke into our house, she's probably greet them wagging her tail (she's not the greatest watchdog).

 

Also, if you know anything at all about dogs, it's extremely easy to tell when a dog is running at you because it wants to greet you and when it's charging at you because it wants to attack you. It's pretty obvious.

 

Obviously you've also never been to an off-leash dog park, because they are exactly what the name says. If you don't like dogs, or don't want to risk a dog jumping on you, then logically one would assume that you should stay away from the off-leash dog park.

 

And did you not pick up where the original post mentioned that the "child" in question was a 14yo teenager?

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