Off-Leash Dog Parks & Lawsuits

[waffleironhead]

I'm glad you know so much about me, and my dog, and the park. Clearly you're the expert here, oh wise dog whisperer.

At no point did I try to deny responsibility. The thread is a legitimate question about what my level of responsibility is. I can accept that it may be 100%, but I value the input of others as well. Hence the question.

I will reiterate, though: Children do not belong at off-leash dog parks, period. There is no discussion or debate about this. They simply do not belong there.

Edit: I have no idea how you can claim the child was not unsupervised. A 2.5 year old child 300ft from their care giver in an off-leash dog park sounds to me like its pretty freaking unsupervised, regardless of if there are eyes directed at the child (there were not in both cases, fyi). I recognize that it may not matter, but lets not just make stuff up either.

Edit 2: Worth reiterating again, it is a legitimate city-run off-leash fenced in dog park with signage. In that situation, if you bring a child I expect you to maintain supervision of the child.

Nope, kids are just fine at dog parks. I bring my two kids who are 4 and 2 to the dog park so they can play with our dog. Never had any problems. Dog owners who don't have control of their dogs don't belong at dog parks.

 

[SandEagle]

keep your mutt on a leash at all times

 

[Gooberlx2]

keep your mutt on a leash at all times

Except when in a dedicated fenced in off leash dog park, perhaps?

 

[cbrunny]

Nope, kids are just fine at dog parks. I bring my two kids who are 4 and 2 to the dog park so they can play with our dog. Never had any problems. Dog owners who don't have control of their dogs don't belong at dog parks.

We see this all the time. The problem is that many dogs - not just mine - don't understand what they see and want to play too. In almost all cases, the kids end up on the ground crying for one dog-related reason or another.

 

[smackababy]

I'm glad you know so much about me, and my dog, and the park. Clearly you're the expert here, oh wise dog whisperer.

At no point did I try to deny responsibility. The thread is a legitimate question about what my level of responsibility is. I can accept that it may be 100%, but I value the input of others as well. Hence the question.

I will reiterate, though: Children do not belong at off-leash dog parks, period. There is no discussion or debate about this. They simply do not belong there.

Edit: I have no idea how you can claim the child was not unsupervised. A 2.5 year old child 300ft from their care giver in an off-leash dog park sounds to me like its pretty freaking unsupervised, regardless of if there are eyes directed at the child (there were not in both cases, fyi). I recognize that it may not matter, but lets not just make stuff up either.

Edit 2: Worth reiterating again, it is a legitimate city-run off-leash fenced in dog park with signage. In that situation, if you bring a child I expect you to maintain supervision of the child.

So, it is the child's fault (for merely being in the park) that your dog is not controlled? Not only did it act inappropriately towards the child once, it did it again. Yeah...

Dogs that can't behave properly around strangers (of all shapes, sizes, ages, and species) don't belong off leash in a public place. And yours is one. Don't have to be a dog whisper to figure that one out.

We see this all the time. The problem is that many dogs - not just mine - don't understand what they see and want to play too. In almost all cases, the kids end up on the ground crying for one dog-related reason or another.

And in 100% of those cases, the dogs are misbehaving. Your excuse that other dogs act like that is akin to "but officer, other people were speeding as well!".

 

[cbrunny]

Did you even read my post?

This is what I said:

At no point did I try to deny responsibility. The thread is a legitimate question about what my level of responsibility is. I can accept that it may be 100%, but I value the input of others as well. Hence the question.

And this was your response:

So, it is the child's fault (for merely being in the park) that your dog is not controlled?

 

[Gooberlx2]

I agree that there wasn't any damage done in this suit (and any lawsuit should be thrown out), but something more severe could have easily happened. The child wasn't unsupervised. The grandmother might not have been helicopter parenting the child, but she was there and able to see the child. It wouldn't be "fair" for someone to bring their teething puppy to an offleash park and he then bites and injures a child. I reasonably expect you to have a well behaved dog if you're going to let if off the leash and roam a park. Anything done by that dog IS your responsibility, regardless of what stage of training it is in.

OP, socialize your dog around small children before you let her off the leash again.

I agree with all that. I'm just saying there's also a fairly common sense threshold before I care about someone's complaints about a dog's behavior.

Unfortunately, at my local off leash dog park, I have seen both sides of the argument. One guy has a huge lab that is an out of control bully, for example, which forces many people to flee with their dogs. He's been spoken to more than once by animal control. Also witnessed one lady spazz the fuck out once when a 5-month old GSD puppy trotted up to her and barked couple time because she was eating a bag of chips (didn't jump on her or anything)...she actually called animal control who advised her to eat her chips elsewhere.

 

[Phoenix86]

keep your mutt on a leash at all times

Seems some sand is spilling out, crotchless panties?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Nope, kids are just fine at dog parks. I bring my two kids who are 4 and 2 to the dog park so they can play with our dog. Never had any problems. Dog owners who don't have control of their dogs don't belong at dog parks.

A 2 year old is absolutely too young to be at a dog park. 4 year old is borderline.

They don't know enough to not grab ears/tails/what have you.


Dog parks are dangerous places from a liability perspective. Almost every time we go there is some weird issue between either dogs or people.

 

[smackababy]

I agree with all that. I'm just saying there's also a fairly common sense threshold before I care about someone's complaints about a dog's behavior.

I will admit my bias when it comes to dog behavior, and I am quick to blame the dog owner. But, that is a defense mechanism because I am a pitbull lover and I realize that 99% of the people who own dogs have no business raising.

Did you even read my post?

This is what I said:



And this was your response:

And the answer to your legitimate question was that your dog is misbehaving and you are 100% responsible for that.

A 2 year old is absolutely too young to be at a dog park. 4 year old is borderline.

They don't know enough to not grab ears/tails/what have you.


Dog parks are dangerous places from a liability perspective. Almost every time we go there is some weird issue between either dogs or people.

If you are only allowing your children to play with your animals (that you will know how they react to things like grabbing ears, tails, and such) then it is fine. If you allow your children, of any age, to go up to strange dogs and interact with them in any way, you're a bad parent.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I agree with all that. I'm just saying there's also a fairly common sense threshold before I care about someone's complaints about a dog's behavior.

Unfortunately, at my local off leash dog park, I have seen both sides of the argument. One guy has a huge lab that is an out of control bully, for example, which forces many people to flee with their dogs. He's been spoken to more than once by animal control. Also witnessed one lady spazz the fuck out once when a 5-month old GSD puppy trotted up to her and barked couple time because she was eating a bag of chips (didn't jump on her or anything)...she actually called animal control who advised her to eat her chips elsewhere.

In my state no one has gotten anywhere in regards to litigation regarding damages at dog parks.

It's an "assumed risk" sort of thing. It's like going to a heavy metal concern with a mosh pit, going into the mosh pit, getting hurt, then trying to sue the venue. When you go into a situation where the risks are obvious to a layman you cannot then sue for something that was a clear possibility to have happened.



That being said... I do know of a couple situations that were drug out through insurance carriers by people just trying to get a quick couple $k. But it's unlikely so see any personal damages from it... Even if it was some vicious attack, unless the dog has a known history of violence and the owner was negligent.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

<snip>

If you are only allowing your children to play with your animals (that you will know how they react to things like grabbing ears, tails, and such) then it is fine. If you allow your children, of any age, to go up to strange dogs and interact with them in any way, you're a bad parent.

The problem is, it's an off leash dog park. Even if your child is beside you, if a rat dog runs up and your child yanks their tail they very well may get bit. I would consider that the fault of the child.

At 2 years old a child doesn't understand enough to know not to pull tails and ears. You can't expect dogs at a dog park to not react to their tail or ears getting pulled.

 

[waffleironhead]

We see this all the time. The problem is that many dogs - not just mine - don't understand what they see and want to play too. In almost all cases, the kids end up on the ground crying for one dog-related reason or another.

Just reinforcing your dogs don't belong at the dog park. :thumbsup:

Dogs not under voice control don't belong in the park here.

http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/play/documents/DogParks2013.pdf

 

[smackababy]

The problem is, it's an off leash dog park. Even if your child is beside you, if a rat dog runs up and your child yanks their tail they very well may get bit. I would consider that the fault of the child.

At 2 years old a child doesn't understand enough to know not to pull tails and ears. You can't expect dogs at a dog park to not react to their tail or ears getting pulled.

And people who take their dogs to dog parks that can't keep them under control (ie: not running up to random babies and the having bad reactions to what babies do) are held liable.

 

[waffleironhead]

A 2 year old is absolutely too young to be at a dog park. 4 year old is borderline.

They don't know enough to not grab ears/tails/what have you.


Dog parks are dangerous places from a liability perspective. Almost every time we go there is some weird issue between either dogs or people.

Nope. When properly supervised kids are just fine at dog parks. My kids know when and where they are allowed to pet dogs. On the other hand, I agree there are dogs that don't belong there. The op's for instance.

 

[cbrunny]

You about done? Point is taken. I don't agree with you about the behaviour of my dog, but I understand what you're saying.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

And people who take their dogs to dog parks that can't keep them under control (ie: not running up to random babies and the having bad reactions to what babies do) are held liable.

No, they aren't.

It is absolutely laughable that you think that all or even most dogs at dog parks are under voice command 100% of the time.

 

[Cuular]

It's a dog park dude, most dog parks you have to let dogs off the leash. It's also dangerous to keep them on leash because if they get attacked, now they can't run away and may in fact become defensive and aggressive themselves.

Do you even have a dog?? (sponsored by, Do You Even Lift?)

Yes I do have a dog. And yes he has gotten in tiffs with other dogs. And I've always accepted responsibility for the stuff that happens. Never tried to rationalize it away like the OP is/was.

If you let your dog off the leash, you are responsible for it's behaviour. Not the grandma and the little kid, that you saw across the park, and knew could be an issue.

Neither me, nor my dog are special angels that everyone else should have to absolve of responsibility for the actions we do.

And my dog is a Rottweiler/Australian cattle dog mix. So he loves "heeling/herding" young children. So if I see young children at the park I walk over and introduce the dog to them before letting him off the leash. This mitigates the running up and getting worked up over them.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I have two huskies too, bring them to the DP all the time. Sometimes there are small kids, and our dogs will run over and lick them This one time a kid started jumping, and then my dog must have though playtime, and jumped on her.

I felt bad, made sure she was okay, but don't fucking jump at a dog park. Kid starts bawling, mom tells her kid to not jump at the dog park and everything was okay in the world.

We've seen the kid a few more times, and she doesn't jump anymore, and my pooches just go over and lick her hand, and run off.

I have seen some nasty dog fights, but most of the time kids and their parents are pretty cool with something another person dog does that may seem out of character for that dog who probably is not around children.

For those of you saying you should have 100% voice control over your dog, either have submissive breeds, or have never been to a dog park.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Nope. When properly supervised kids are just fine at dog parks. My kids know when and where they are allowed to pet dogs. On the other hand, I agree there are dogs that don't belong there. The op's for instance.

I don't agree with that. OP's dog sounds young and energetic. Shit happens and all parties got over it. OP admitted and understood right from the start that rude greetings aren't acceptable and implied he's working to correct it, but otherwise the dog is well mannered.

 

[ViviTheMage]

He'll never be able to control those huskies, not until they get about 8+ haha.... unless you spend a LOT of time on 'em.... evne then pro's who race/train huskies have a hard time ALL the time.

obligatory picture of my huskies: http://imgur.com/3940vFj

 

[cbrunny]

He'll never be able to control those huskies, not until they get about 8+ haha.... unless you spend a LOT of time on 'em.... evne then pro's who race/train huskies have a hard time ALL the time.

obligatory picture of my huskies: http://imgur.com/3940vFj

Your red/white looks A LOT like ours:

 

[SandEagle]

Seems some sand is spilling out, crotchless panties?

no. i am just watching out for the well being of the citizenry. i created a thread a few years ago where i almost got mauled by an unleashed dogs. it was traumatic.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2233609

 

[ViviTheMage]

Your red/white looks A LOT like ours:

adorable, love my huskies ... mine are a bit on the small side... 60 lbs each, male and female.

I REALLY dislike unleashed dogs Sandeagle, there is a reason it's a law in most major cities. I have seen at least 3 dogs get hit by cars, all of rather submissive/attentive breeds all because they saw a shiny object and took off across a street.

 

[Mursilis]

He'll never be able to control those huskies, not until they get about 8+ haha.... unless you spend a LOT of time on 'em.... evne then pro's who race/train huskies have a hard time ALL the time.

So true. Our husky/shepherd mix definitely has a mind of his own, and getting him to respond to voice commands is quite the challenge. I do know for certain that he's the friendly sort, and have no reservations about taking him to the dog park, or any public space for that matter. He's fairly handsome and is constantly approached by strangers, including young kids, and has always loved the attention. He usually just flops to his side and tries to get someone to rub his belly. He's never displayed any sort of hostility to any human.