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Dogs & Leash Free?

The Risks of Off Lead Dog Areas

The idea of allowing our dogs the freedom to play with others sounds wonderful but there are some very serious risks involved. There is a mistaken belief among many dog owners that the majority of dogs are happy to play with others and if not then they will “sort it out." Nothing can be further from the truth or more dangerous. 

Similar to their owners, dogs have their social circle of friends and depending on their nature and past experiences they will respond to strangers in different ways. Imagine if you were having a peaceful walk on the beach and a complete stranger ran up to you, encroached on your personal space and then began "checking you out". How would you respond? Would you be happy? Would you run? Would you stand still and allow the questioning? Would you react aggressively? Different people react in different ways and so do dogs.

As a Veterinarian, I frequently see the sad consequences where "social meetings" go wrong, often requiring dogs to be hospitalised for surgery and sometimes even resulting in death. As a dog trainer, Ngaia works with numerous dogs that have become "dog reactive and aggressive", many as a result of poor social experiences with other dogs occurring off lead.

Permitted Off lead dog areas are only successful under certain strict conditions:

1. All dogs would need to be happy to play with others, 

2. All dogs approaching each other would need to do so “politely" and ask if another dog would like to play,

3. All owners taking their dogs to these areas would need to be very experienced in dog handling and behaviour, be able to read the early signs of fear and distress in their pets and intervene immediately.

There is no possibility that these 3 conditions can be guaranteed at all times in off lead areas. That is why we avoid them with our dogs and would strongly encourage you to do the same for the protection of your pet. Permitted “off lead” dog parks and beaches are not adequately patrolled by Council. Manning Valley beaches including Old Bar are designated as 24 hour “off lead," resulting in incidents where responsible owners walking their dogs on lead are now having to contend with unrestrained dogs running up to their dog. In addition, there are people in our community who have a fear of dogs and for them a walk on the beach can be a cause for anxiety.

Council will be asking for public comment in the near future regarding public area dog usage. I would ask that you consider the points that we have raised. I love taking our dogs out and about but I do so with consideration to other people and their pets.

Please do the same!