Same thing goes for children, so I guess you can't let them have any freedom either? Plus, children can be kidnapped if you're not looking, at least a dog can fight back. Starting to understand my previous comment?

I'm an old guy that grew up two generations ago, and everyone let their dogs roam freely then. I don't recall it being a big problem. My family had a dachsund, and he got beat up once in awhile, but we all learned how to deal with dogs. The lawyers changed all that, now no one has any freedom, dogs or kids. Fine.

 

Someone kid-, urr, dog-napped our Boston Bull 6 years ago. Neighbor said a blue car drove up, called the dog up with some food, snatched her up, and off they went. Little Bit was my little sister's dog; she was PISSED

 

Was there a Chinese food place near by?

I kid, I kid.

 

There's a distinction here. If you want to let your children run loose, that's your decision as a parent (and unwise in a lot of areas). Letting dogs run loose involves laws/ordinances/whatever.

 

That's terrible man, I would absolutely lose my mind if someone took one of my dogs. As far as crappy things to do to another person, that's gotta be right up there on the list.

What kind of morally deprrived person would even consider stealing another person's dog? Unreal.

I can see someone stealing your paper, or even your recycle box (which has happened to me), but your dog?? I can't even think of the word to describe how wrong that is.

 

Apparently, purebread dogs go for big money somewhere around Memphis, and my family lives 90 miles south of there. It's happened to several families that live around my folks. I just hope they didnt kill her once they figured out she was fixed.
Those Boston Bulldogs sure do have a lot of personality!

 

I'm sensing some sour grapes coming out here.

The fact is, when I am walking my little dog in the park on a leash, I don't want to have to be stressed out where there might be an altercation between your dog and mine, all because you were too inconsiderate to leash your dog.

My friend's wife was walking her small Bichon 6 months ago, some off-leash dog ran up out of nowhere, and attacked her dog.

The dog almost died, 4k in vet bills, and it's still not 100%.
Why? because some guy like yourself thought "oh it's cool, let dogs be dogs"

I'm not a tough guy, and I don't pretend to be, but man, you put me in that position and you Sir are going to be a world of hurt.

I resent being put in that position.

Once the animal is off-leash, you no longer maintain control, and that puts me and my dog in danger whether you realize it or not.

Hence the reason I carry a baseball bat when I walk my little guys because it's my job to protect them because of all the inconsiderate dillholes in the world who only think about themselves.

It's not that hard, be resposnsible and look after your own mess, and if everyone just did that, we wouldn't have nearly the problems we have.

 

There is a distinction, for sure, but not the one that you are refering to. Allowing children to play unsupervised in many cases violates laws and ordinances as well. My best friend had child protective services sicced on him for letting his 8 year old daughter walk home from the bus stop with her 11 year old brother, but no adult.

Everyone (most parents in weenyland) now wait for their children to get off the bus and either walk or drive them home, unheard of in my day.

I am pointing out two things:

1) How much the environment and laws have changed in 40 years.
2) That dogs and children, forced to behave within the confines of this new environment, should be expected to be neurotic and weird.

 

Holy crap..you have to be kidiing. When I was in first grade (early 80's) I walked myself to the bus stop (about a 10 - 15 min walk) than when I would get off the bus in the afternoon I would walk home and be home alone until around 7 when my parents got home. Than agian I could also make myself a cup of water or milk and a sandwich. I knew what I could and could'nt do. Hell I guess even crazier yet, I stayed home during summer alone. I got out rode my bike, meet up with my friends and checked in about 3 times a day with a phone call to my mom at work. Hell by 5th grade I was pretty Self-sufficient and could do pretty much everything but an oil change by myself. Hell I wasnt the only kid like this, my best friend Kenny was the same way. But I also had respect and was disciplined and well mannered.

 

I am sure that there are people who were intimidated by Tyson, and felt the way you do. In fact, those people are the majority where I live and have thus passed the leash laws. It was not that way here 15 years ago when I got Tyson, and I managed to 'grandfather' him in under the old rules. Tyson never payed any attention to small dogs unless they tried to snip at him, I do believe that he thought that they were puppies.

As I said, I will not even consider getting another dog until I move somewhere where the dog can be at least somewhat free. I will respect the opinion of the majority and abide by it.

But that does not mean that I will agree with the opinion of the majority. In fact, I think that in the case of leash laws, they are downright stupid. But I will move to where the people are more like myself instead of trying to force people unlike myself to be like myself, which is what you are trying to do.

In many cases, one man's freedom treads on another man's freedom. The best solution is not to restrict everyone's freedom to the point where no one has any. Nor is it a good solution to expect everyone to behave the way that you do. Freedom, like democracy, is tough and messy and inefficient and rarely pleases anyone fully. If everyone simply obeyed the rules, we would be worse off than we are now, the tyranny of the mob.

The leash laws are largely the product of people, mostly urban, responding to the rising crime rates in the 90's by buying guard dogs. When those guard dogs got free, they often bit someone. Tyson was not a guard dog, by a long shot.

 

Yes, I grew up with even more freedom than that in 1960s, and it was perfectly normal. What I am trying to explain to some of the younger folks is how much this has changed in 40 years, particularly around the large metropolitan areas, which now include most of the east and west coasts.

The idea that someone can keep a large dog like a Redbone or even a lab, locked up 24/7, and only out once in awhile and then only on a leash is nonsense. The dog will be crippled physically and emotionally. Further, I submit that treating children in a similarly restrictive fashion will achieve the same result that it does with a large dog.

 

So so true!

 

Hah! That's nuthin.
When I was seven months old I could change my own diaper....with one hand!...while eating a taco with the other!

wait...which hand is the taco?

 

That treatment would have the same effect on an adult. My question is; Where do you live that you feel you have to "similarly restrict" children as you would animals? I would sure as hell move. Quickly!

 

This quote made me think of how I sometimes see parents with their kids on retractable leash\harness systems at malls, theme parks, etc. I guess it seems like a good idea? Just looks very off to me, personally.