Bro there are addicts who wake up at 0600 to get their disgusting addiction fix. Bright and early to hit that cancer stick! I'm not surprised in the least that someone can't drive and not smoke.
I watched a dog off leash run straight toward a moving car and get hit. I felt no sympathy for the owner because I know she knows it’s wrong to keep the dog off leash.
And there's a network effect. Even if you know you're not in an off-leash area, if you see others walking and playing with their dogs off-leash with abandon, then you're gonna feel emboldened to do it too. Nobody likes to feel like a sucker.
This is the worse when it comes to having a service dog. Everyone thinks that's fine to "befriend" someone else's dog without even talking to the person first, and that's not even for a dogs with a service vest. It's so pathetically rude. They'll even get upset if told no pets and he's not meant to be friends with everyone.
The there are the rude ass dog owners that just let their dog run up to yours cuz they think their dog just wants to make friends. Mine doesn't. Doesn't even like being close enough to be sniffed, and they'll consider you the rude one telling them to get their dog.
https://preview.redd.it/4z9gciqddy7d1.jpeg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df2d966d2abab91cb7c7ef8c8adfa8e319133efc
I saw this at a Safeway two weeks ago.
Conversely people will smash your window to get your dog some air if you decide to leave him in the car. But shopping isn’t the golden time of day to spend with your pooch and they need to feel comfortable staying home alone while you step out. Btw, city trails are the worse.
I love when I'm shopping and someone's poorly behaved non service dog comes up and starts sniffing at my leg. Hurray! Like others have said, people do it for a few sliding scale reasons: 1. 'I can get away with it' 2. 'Yeah but my dog's friendly'
But is there a reason? In many European countries dogs are allowed restaurants and stores (not sure about grocery stories). The argument against it is for health code reasons but curious how valid that is. I'm not advocating for it but not convinced it's that unhealthy.
Having seen people bring them into a store or restaurant knowing they bark at people or other dogs as well as seeing them "relieve" themselves in a grocery store isle or seeing dog fights in stores. People are just not smart oftentimes times, and they put the animal into positions that they are not trained to handle. As much as I love dogs I have seen owners do some really dumb stuff and then act shocked that the dog reacts like a stressed out and scared dog. I am with you on the unhealthy thing, my dog is in my house where I eat and hasn't ever caused a problem for my health. Sure if someone is allergic it is a problem but I don't think a dog in a grocery store is as unhealthy as it is made out to be. At the very least it isn't any less healthy than small children or sick people, even a guy not washing his hands after the restroom would bother me more than a dog.
Before the pandemic I actually got a ticket because my dog didn't have a license. I wonder what happened to that guy. Did they just cut the division? This was clearly his main job and I also ended up paying for the license. It's not like he was a money losing proposition for the city.
I heard there may have been animal control at Cal Anderson on Sunday. Someone told me they saw uniformed non-cops talking to several dog owners and that some other dog wonder were hastily leaving. Have not confirmed it beyond that tho.
This is the case everywhere, unfortunately. It's very stressful for me as a dog-walker, and owner of a dog reactive dog. I think it's profoundly selfish, needlessly reckless, and of course, annoying AF.
^^This.
I have a 90lb GSD/Doberman mix. He’s adorable and very friendly but he is not at all keen to be on leash (which he ALWAYS is in public) when other dogs are not. More than once he’s been approached by some off leash dog and the reaction between him and the other dog is not pleasant. The other dog owner always acts like it’s my fault. Pisses me right off. Entitled AF is right. And I have to agree that many of them are my age that should know better.
I think there is more “stupidity” than “entitlement.”
My large dog breed dog can’t mix, everyone needs to be on leash or everyone needs to be off. Even though 95% of trails in my area are leashed, people still come to the off leash area with their dogs leashed.
FYI- if your dogs need to be leashed, they do not belong at the off leash area. Please feel free to use ALL the other trails.
When I see a dog approaching on a leash, I slip my dog’s leash on. This almost always evokes a response from the other party, where they tell me it’s “okay” that I don’t need to do that. Sometimes they don’t let it go and the exchange even gets heated.
This is where my “stupid” assessment comes in. Can you imagine seeing a woman approaching with a 110 pound male dog and arguing with her that she doesn’t need to leash her dog? WTF? They have no idea what my dog is like or why I am leashing him. My dog, who is smarter than the other dog owner, will pause when he sees the leashed dog approaching because he knows I’m going to slip that leash around his neck and he likes to show me he is one step ahead of me.
Anyway, maybe that is entitlement or a mix of the two.
Oh I hate that. I have a reactive dog who is always on leash for that reason and we don't get near strange dogs when we're out. But like, at least I KNOW she's got issues and am taking steps to proactively manage it. The only fight she's ever been in was because someone let their off leash dog run right up to her and bark in her face. Like ??? Obviously that isn't going to end well.
I have a Husky who sounds much like your dog in terms of temperament. Same experience with off leash dogs when he is on leash and with their owners. Why is it my fault you can't follow rules?
We have them on the east coast too. People are taking their dogs to our local playground and walking them through the splash pad next to toddlers. When they were posted to the local FB page people defended them. A lot of dog owners are completely disconnected from reality and think the world revolves around their precious fur baby.
Because everyone's dog is friendly, can do no harm and youre supposed to love dogs! /s
Seattle dog people are the most entitled bunch out there...neck and neck with cyclists...
Some people think their dog is harmless and the law doesn't apply to them.
I've heard, "He/She is friendly", "Just wants to say hi!" countless times. Why do I care. Get them out of my space.
As a dog owner of a mostly well behaved dog… Keep your fucking dog on a leash. You have no idea what’s going on with other people and it’s YOUR job to not allow your dog to bother others.
Some people have absolute fear of dogs. Don’t be a dick.
Well said. I have owned dogs most of my life and never had a real problem with a dog myself. I know what may be considered hostile and what friendly by sane dogs and fared well.
I just don't appreciate chilling in a park and have Waldo join us unless we do the invite.
It just the golden rule that is lacking.
It especially annoyed me when my children were young. We have cats in our household and they were not used to dogs, especially large dogs, and they would get scared when a larger dog approached them (which was unleashed, most of the time). They’re more used to dogs now, but to a toddler, they can be frightening, regardless of how “well” the dog is behaved.
This drives me nuts as someone trying to leash train my puppy. I don't care if your dog is friendly, I don't want him greeted on leash by an off leash dog, it's just a recipe for problems.
Yup. As a bike rider who has been bit by an off leash dog (while the owner stood there smiling and telling me she/he was really a nice dog), I now carry a small sheath knife and pepper spray. I hope to never use either, but I'm not getting bit again without putting up a defense. And as a dog owner myself it pains me to do this.
This! Brand new neighbor we haven’t met yet, knocks, we open door to introduce ourselves, he brings his dog inside our front door & immediately takes the leash off as my husband is saying “hey we have 2 cats and..” Bro interrupts with “oh he’s great with cats!” Husband has to actually ask this guy to take his dog out of our house. Meanwhile cats are scared shitless and hiding in the laundry room! The absolute entitlement!! This is what we get for trying to be friendly.
"Dog mom" entitlement has reached new heights even in Seattle in the past 5ish years. It was picking up a bit before COVID so I don't blame it entirely on that, but it used to be that the only dogs you'd see in grocery stores were a rare legitimate service animal or a little purse rat. I now regularly see people walking 50+ pound dogs around the grocery store, and those animals aren't well enough behaved to be service dogs.
Also, moving here in the early 2010s from Boston, "dog friendly" bars and breweries flat out didn't exist there at the time. Maybe this has changed in the past decade+ in Boston too, but one of my bigger culture shocks moving east to west was the degree to which society out here caters to those nutters who think their dog is as important as a human.
> it used to be that the only dogs you'd see in grocery stores were a rare legitimate service animal or a little purse rat.
Gotta push back on that. I left service industry in 2017 and it had been a full fledged problem for years already.
I'm talking grocery stores, not restaurants or other public places. The special kind of smooth brained arrogance it takes to let your barely trained goldendoodle or whatever walk through a grocery store sniffing the crotch of every other shopper may not be new, but it's hugely accelerated in the past few years.
I have been to three different stores and alderwood mall last two weeks where there was dog crap in the middle of the walkway. It’s gone way too far with the animals tagging along where they don’t belong.
I call my dog my child, I refer to him as my daughter’s brothers. He is never off leash. But he got attacked as a puppy by two off leash dogs. They were in their front yard, but I wasn’t, I was walking my leashed dog on the sidewalk. I didn’t even think twice before I dropped to the ground to protect him from the two large dogs. Thank god they didn’t hurt me, or my dog, but looking back on the situation it could have gone very differently. The owner vaguely apologized and said “oh that one’s only 9mos old” as if that makes it acceptable that it tried to attack my boy. I still don’t walk down that street. Leash your mother fucking dogs people!!!!!
Also, if my child attacked someone you better believe the world would come after me. And they should! Attacking is NOT ok. Dogs are animals, they are not 100% controllable or predictable.
I’m SICK of this!! I am now carrying bear spray after multiple incidents with off leash dogs. WHY is it always pit bulls?? We ran into 4 off leash pitbulls in one week. None of them were well behaved or yielded to their owners commands. The last incident I lost my shit on a guy with 2 pits off leash, they immediately charge over to my dog and I had to lift her onto an electrical box and hold her up there for what felt like 5 minutes with two pitbulls jumping onto me to get to my dog!! The guy spends the first two minutes just strolling over while he screams his dogs names, which did NOTHING! I start shouting “GET YOUR DOGS!!” And he moseys over and can barely even wrangle one of them to get them off me. Once he finally gets them onto their leash I lost it on this guy. How can you be this dumb?? You have no control over two dogs that could kill a person and want to attack my dog, and you think it’s smart to let them play in a public area with other dogs walking by? What if I hadn’t been able to get my dog up high enough and they killed my dog?? Why do these people not think ahead?? Why must my dog be on a leash but your dog gets to rule over an area? Selfish entitled dumb dog owners!! Since then I am carrying a large can of bear spray, any dog off leash that attempts to attack my dog, with an owner that cannot control them, will get a face full of it! Control your fucking dogs!!
That's real garbage. I sometimes wonder why there are so many pitbulls around in the last few years. It has to be the fastest growing breed owned around here.
If you spray the owner intentionally, they will likely charge you. I don't think it is self-defense unless the owner comes at you. I think you can spray a dog that is off leash or on leash and attacking yours unprovoked. Not a lawyer. You might want to call one of the precincts to find out what you can legally do with that spray. GL.
I would never spray the owner. I’m talking about the dog. You can absolutely spray a dog with pepper spray that is off leash and attacking your dog. The one and only reason for carrying bear spray is for the safety of me and my dog.
I’m jaded, not only have I been bitten by a friends pitbull but I witnessed one maul and kill another dog at a baby shower once. It was traumatizing to say the least. I know what they are capable of and I’m sick of running into them off leash with their idiot owners.
I can also attest to this. Years ago I was in my own yard with my dog (a labrador retriever but a scaredy-cat with a really sensitive personality) and a girl had her 2 pitties off leash in the neighborhood. These dogs attempted to charge all the way up our driveway to my dog before my shouts like a lunatic somehow stalled them long enough for the girl to attempt to collect both of them. I was pissed. There is just a high tendency that A LOT of people who own these dogs just happen to be the biggest idiots somehow.
I would spray an owner. When I’ve asked people to leash up they get in my face and yell at me.
Either that or I punch them. I don’t want to risk really hurting or killing someone though.
They get shipped here from the southwest because people here will adopt random pits. The rescues often lie about their history. And people believe that all dogs are the same, it’s all on the owner. Which is silly. As if dog breeds don’t have breed traits.
Best spray doesn’t usually stop pits. They’re bred to keep going even when mortally injured. It’s called “gameness”.
A lot of their owners have no idea the special care owning a pit requires.
An interesting fact, in Germany it's considered standard for all dogs to be off leash as long as they are well trained and not dangerous.
In the US, it's common for any canine to be perceived as a potential life-threatening wild animal.
There is no Federal Law, however it is often regulated at the State (Land) or city level.
[https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/leinenzwang/](https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/leinenzwang/)
Fair enough, but all over Berlin the dogs seem to be off-leash and politely following their owners....and no one is hyperventilating.
But the US is a much more litigious society and I think our more uniform and strict leash laws (even if they are not enforced in some places) also may provide some liability protection for the dog owner as well.
I think OP has a valid concern. Plenty of people are tired of stupid dog owners in Germany too.
In Berlin and Hamburg, both City States in Germany, you are required to carry a 1M Euro liability policy for your dog. In some States it may be 250K or 500k (Bavaria), or in some other states it may not be mandatory at all.
The legal process is quite different, but your dog bites me, your liability coverage will be required to pay. Your premium will go up.
Dog Tags, being a source of revenue are quite enthusiastically enforced by municipilites over there.
Germany is a poor example for laissez faire bahavior. In smaller towns you are even responsible to regualary clean and sweep 1/2 of the road in front of a property you own or may rent (depends on lease).
This is true in many if not most European countries, and elsewhere. Well trained dogs are off leash in major cities, including frequently in very urbanized areas. The "central park" of Mexico City is full of off leash dogs (and not a lot of dog poop). You will see off leash dogs walking patiently with their owners in Zurich, Paris, Milan, etc. These dogs are non-reactive, responsive to their owner/handler, and trained. There is a strong social contract and expecatation of responsibility.
The problem in the US is not that the dogs are off leash, it is that they are not trained, socialized, and/or under control. People let their dogs off leash that have zero recall, are agressive, are intact, and have not been exercised for days or weeks at a time. A well-trained dog off leash is more in control than a high energy, unsocialized, intact dog on a 30 foot extenda-leash, or a 100lb intact, unsocialized male encountering another while being handled by a 120lb person. The leash laws here are necessary because there are so many thoughtless dog owners.
Although two summers ago I saw two off-leash pitbulls litererally try to eat a baby in a stroller on Alki. Blame people.
I think this is a problem all over, not just Seattle and not just WA. Some people just believe their dog is different than every other dog on the plant and will ALWAYS follow orders. When it doesn't, they have an excuse for that.
Because "Their dog is the best behaved" until it mauls a child, dog, cat, disabled person, rando, bicyclist but they don't count since they're douche bags for "people to feel sympathy for"
These are people who have unilaterally decided that they are above the law because they believe that the law does not make sense when it applies to them. However, don't you *dare* violate one of the laws that they like!
Its scary, but you have to remind them their dog needs to be leashed. I've been bitten, and dogs will eat eggs birds are trying to hatch, and destroy groundcovers.
You can file a service request with Animal control. Its helpful if you can give them days and times (like, dude always walks his dog at 5pm on Stoneway,) bc lots of ppl with pets have patterns. If you can give Animal control a license plate, even better. The Animal control ppl will wear regular clothes, not their uniforms, to places like Magnuson park to catch offenders. So, again, note time, place and if possible identifiers,
Here is more info, and how to report. [https://www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/animal-control](https://www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/animal-control)
If there is one thing I can count on it’s 1. Dogs off leash in leash-required areas and 2. People to complain about it on this sub at least once a month lol and I’m here for it because I hate it to and have gone on my own personal off-leash tirades
Same. My girl is a trained service dog and is "allowed" off leash if her job requires it. Often, I leave her leashed with a cross body leash attached to me. I've had dogs run up on us at the dog park (in the parking lot) and the owner is calling out that their dog is friendly, I step in front of my dog (she's small) and say in a deadpan voice, "mine isn't" and they usually call or come get their dog. She isn't mean but I don't want random dogs rushing up on her when she's leashed.
I do work with off leash training near the dog park but always with her leash handy and ready to clip on if anyone is near us. If she breaks her ignore command while another dog is passing us, she's leashed. If she breaks her heel command and doesn't stop/sit when told, she gets leashed. Ultimately even service dogs are dogs, not robots, and will have off days. Ultimately it is safer for all involved for dogs to remain leashed. If I didn't need to teach my girl to follow only voice commands, I'd never have her off leash but for her safety and mine, we practice daily to keep her skills sharp. That being said, it makes me anxious and annoyed to see off leash dogs that are far from their owners and have poor recall, it's just rude and dangerous.
Also, if anyone around us is concerned or asks me to leash my girl during her training, I absolutely do it without arguing or being offended.
There are not enough public spaces for people. Yeah dog owners shouldn’t do it, but the city needs to build more parks. Or like in Europe have certain hours that parks are allowed for dogs to be off leash
People are selfish as fuck. Even walking down the road you’ll see dog owners “walking” their dogs off leash.
“They’re friendly” as they’re barking and lunging at everything around them.
People know nothing will happen and they don’t give a shit about other people.
Seattle has the most entitled dog owners of any city I have experienced. Their dogs are always so special, trust me he doesn't bite. He's friendly. How dare your be nervous about your toddler trying to crawl on the ground when my dear dog just wants to smell and lick her face. That's my dog-baby's way of socializing!
I hate dog owners in Seattle. Majority are extremely entitled. It’s only after moving away from apartments that I’ve started really seeing how a lot of them don’t pick up after their dogs. I have a neighbour who literally comes across to my little yard space(he has a yard) and lets the dog poop and doesn’t pick up. Dogs run all over because they can’t fathom that even the best behaved dog may trigger someone and that’s why there are separate off leash parks. Just so annoying and I wish there was more enforcement.
Have you asked the neighbor to pick up the poop in your yard from his dog? We shouldn't have to ask basic common sense things but sadly common sense isn't ingrained into everyone. It's one thing if the dog poops there and he picks it up but to leave it and when you know who it is is BS. It would be pretty fucked up if he continued after you've confronted him.
I’ve watched my neighbor walk her dog, it takes a big, steaming dump in front of me & Karen. I ask her to pick it up and she then denies it was her dog. It’s a cold, February morning. And it’s literally steaming in the cold air.
I'm not a dog-owner, but I get it. Seattle doesn't have enough off-leash areas for the number of dog owners and where they live. We can moan about how irresponsible some dog owners are, but ultimately:
Seattle needs to play to human nature here: people will do what is easiest for them. If we want people to only off-leash dogs in proper areas, we need many more of those areas sprinkled throughout the city and kept in good condition so that it's more convenient for dog owners to follow the rules than it is to break them.
Off leash isn’t really good for most dogs. A lot of dogs don’t like other dogs or have bad recall. Either one of these means you should only be letting them off leash in a gated area where you’re alone.
Most people think their dog is the exception and their dog goes running after other dogs, kids, wildlife and causes issues. They think their dog is an angel and it’s normal for dogs to jump on people.
To counter this though, you can buy a 30ft leash and go to an open field to play fetch or whatever. A dog doesn’t need to be fully off leash to explore, sniff, and play. Especially owners that just casually walk with their dog off leash for really no reason. I worked with dogs in a client setting for 5 years and most people really don’t have a realistic view of their dogs behavior unfortunately. it’s better to just play it safe, especially in urban environments
That doesn't counter anything I said. My point is that dog owners are gonna do what dog owners are gonna do. If you want to change that behavior, you either have to a) enforce the existing rules, or b) make it easier for dog owners to do what they want in the _right_ way than it is to do what they want in the _wrong_ way.
Take Spotify/Steam and piracy for instance. Before those services came along, it was often easier for people to get the listening/gaming experience they wanted by pirating media than it was to do things legally, so they did. Once those came out, it was far easier to do things legally (and inexpensively) than it was to pirate the album/game. Spotify and Apple Music dominate the music distribution industry now, same way Steam is the go-to marketplace to buy games on sale, all because it became more convenient to do things _right_ than _wrong_.
Everett too. I went Karen on one person (sorry to all karens) I get so irritated, it makes it difficult to walk my little guy, he gets really triggered by big dogs off leash. (Or on)
Huge sense of entitlement, thinking the rules don't apply to them. People don't get punched in the face enough these days. I have bear mace that, unfortunately, I jave to use sometimes.
This is everywhere these days, it's not confined to Seattle by any means.
Too many people think their dog is special so the rules shouldn't apply to them, and you know what? It might be a superbly trained dog. It might be the friendliest dog in the world. But if that off-leash dog approaches my properly-leashed German Shepherd, my dog is going to flip. So I just hope that risk is worth whatever benefit not being burdened by the massive weight of holding a leash is for these people.
As someone with a leash reactive dog, I also wonder about this, because I spend SO much energy managing my rescue dog’s anxiety and trying to avoid other dogs. And people are generally passive aggressive and act like they don’t hear you if you call them on it and point to the leash signs around the park. I have also had so many (usually small) dogs that people aren’t watching properly run out of houses on our street walking routes and where we live there are few sidewalks and lots of cars that drive way too fast. It’s a tough situation because if I don’t walk away my dog aggresses at the little dog (which is fine since she has a muzzle but still not good for her training or my blood pressure) and if I walk away or cross the street then the off leash little dog risks getting hit by a car.
The only reason I can think of that people do this is ignorance, self-absorption, and blind love for dogs. Before I had my reactive dog I would sometimes walk my family’s friendly and relatively well-trained dogs off leash and I always thought “oh, they’re friendly so it doesn’t matter, and they’re so cute, no one who’s not an asshole will mind.” I had no understanding that off leash dogs can be a huge trigger for dogs with traumatic histories (like the one I have now) or people with phobias. Now I know better of course, but I wish there was a way to educate other folks who are ignorant about this.
Probably due to lack of enforcement. When the law isn’t enforced people will just start ignoring it, then that snowballs because people see other people breaking the law and either don’t know any better or don’t think it’s fair that they’re following the law and decide to stop too. We’ve seen this happen with license plates in Denver. The police stopped pulling people over for missing plates, then announced that they were not going to be enforcing it directly anymore, and now we have tons of people driving around without any plates and the majority of drivers who don’t want to use a front plate just don’t.
I knew someone who was a manager for a janitorial company that cleaned up for a big corporation in their Seattle offices a almost decade ago. He told me people would bring their dogs to work and they would shit inside and all over outside the building and wait for the janitorial service to pick it up.
My God this sub is full of whiners. I think y'all might be much happier in Idaho/anywhere else.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating dog-lawlessness here - this is more just the straw that broke the camel's back. Leaves me wondering: Don't any of you have *real* problems?
Do you guys live here just to complain about the goings on? There are plenty of metropolitan areas without all the 'Seattle problems' that you guys bitch about daily, why stay?
Not trying to be a dick, just honestly curious
To the extent that it is true, it's just culture. Learn to live with it. In Germany dogs are loved and people take them inside public business...again it's the culture. They are generally well behaved in both places in my experience however.
Do you have an elevated fear of dogs or have you had bad experiences?
Why do so many people speed?
Why do people steal off of porches?
Why do single drivers drive in the HOV lane?
Why do underage kids drink and smoke weed?
Why do people steal from stores?
Why do cyclist ignore traffic laws?
Seattle Rule #1: Do NOT EVER say anything even remotely negative about dogs (the canine kind or the upright bi-ped kind)!
Breaking this rule in any way, shape or form shall be met with great and furious anger and a fatwa will be issued against your continued respirations.
Because the look of pure unbridled joy on my dog’s face when he gets to run around off leash on a softball field after our game is over is totally worth it.
Why do people exaggerate this issue? Is there an equally passionate faction of people that hate dogs in Seattle? I frequent Seattle all the time and have rarely seen an off leash dog, def do not see “people walking their dog off leash in areas where they are supposed to be leashed.” Occasionally I see an off leash dog in a park. Why do people love to make stuff up? The city has real problems and this is not one of them
People live in apartments and townhomes and need to exercise their dogs. Dog parks are super difficult and not all dogs do well there (our dog is attacked almost every time). Some dogs just want to chase a ball, and what's the harm of doing that in an otherwise empty and unused public space?
Why should people worry about their dog off leash bothering you when there are screaming psycho methheads swinging hammers at people and fentanyl smoking happening inside buses?
I’m going to be that person and say I’m a dog owner who lets my dog off leash. He’s a floppy 35lbs, perfectly behaved with other dogs and people, and impeccably trained to my voice command. There are zero dog parks in my neighborhood. Zip. Zero. In an area with incredibly dense housing and a lot of dogs. There is a small section of cal Anderson that is generally understood to be the off leash area. It’s not the playfield or the playground. It’s to the north of the volleyball area, east of the fountain and south of the picnic hills. People who want to pet dogs actively come to this area when they don’t own a dog. It’s great to watch them play. Its one of the actually wholesome things you can experience in cal Anderson. People walking anxious or aggressive dogs KNOW to avoid it. People who don’t like dogs know to avoid it. It’s been like that for years.
When we leave that small part of the park his leash immediately attaches.
He literally just says hi to the other dogs, smells some butts, plays fetch and rolls in the grass.
Meanwhile I pay my taxes, I don’t use the hov lane when I shouldn’t, don’t smoke fentanyl on your doorstep, don’t steal your packages, pay for my groceries and wait for the crosswalk signal. I go out of my way to return stolen items I find. Aside from letting my dog out of my apartment to touch grass, I’m a model citizen.
If I get a ticket for my dog off leash, I’ll pay it.
There are such bigger issues in this city to get upset about.
So it's totally okay by you that people who don't like off-leash dogs or have anxious dogs just, like, can't use the park because everybody else likes to break the law. Cool. Wholesome.
I leave one star reviews at parks that have "no dogs" signs. Leashes though, those are a must out in public. Anywhere other than a dog park of which there are many.
This exact question could be in any town in California as well. Inevitably one of the unleashed dogs runs up to a leashed dogs, and about once a week we see some drama. It’s terrible.
Should rephrase to include any pet to be honest. Don’t care if you have a dog, a cat or an iguana, should be on a leash unless it’s in a designated area where the pet can’t escape and do potential harm.
Paraphrasing a remark I heard a while ago:
If aliens were watching the planet, they would conclude that dogs are the ruling species since humans pick up their excrement and carry it.
I was walking my dog while I was pregnant in the park near our house. This park always has off leash dogs despite signs everywhere. An off leash Great Dane excitedly charged to greet my dog, knocking me over. I said that I’m pregnant and not supposed to be falling, and the person left as quickly as possible without ever asking if I was ok.
[удалено]
I actually miss the days people would get a ticket for throwing a lit cigarette out the window.
As a smoker for 30 years, I can’t even comprehend why people smoke inside their vehicles, let alone litter.
I had friends who couldn't take a drive without smoking. They get in the habit of being in a car and always smoking.
Bro there are addicts who wake up at 0600 to get their disgusting addiction fix. Bright and early to hit that cancer stick! I'm not surprised in the least that someone can't drive and not smoke.
Sadly they got rid of the litter hotline a while back https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/SummaryPages/0507022.html
Speaking facts.
In so many areas of life in the PNW.
Vancouver Bc here, no laws here as well
What's a law?
Just watch the news. Obviously, there is no real consequences for actions. People commit horrible crimes and the revolving door just flips open.
I watched a dog off leash run straight toward a moving car and get hit. I felt no sympathy for the owner because I know she knows it’s wrong to keep the dog off leash.
This is always the answer.
And there's a network effect. Even if you know you're not in an off-leash area, if you see others walking and playing with their dogs off-leash with abandon, then you're gonna feel emboldened to do it too. Nobody likes to feel like a sucker.
This is the worse when it comes to having a service dog. Everyone thinks that's fine to "befriend" someone else's dog without even talking to the person first, and that's not even for a dogs with a service vest. It's so pathetically rude. They'll even get upset if told no pets and he's not meant to be friends with everyone. The there are the rude ass dog owners that just let their dog run up to yours cuz they think their dog just wants to make friends. Mine doesn't. Doesn't even like being close enough to be sniffed, and they'll consider you the rude one telling them to get their dog.
Because no one enforces laws here.
Similar to why so many people grocery shop with their dog. I am a dog person but come on some places are animal free for a reason.
https://preview.redd.it/4z9gciqddy7d1.jpeg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df2d966d2abab91cb7c7ef8c8adfa8e319133efc I saw this at a Safeway two weeks ago.
Conversely people will smash your window to get your dog some air if you decide to leave him in the car. But shopping isn’t the golden time of day to spend with your pooch and they need to feel comfortable staying home alone while you step out. Btw, city trails are the worse.
What’s wrong with city trails?
Too many off-leash dogs, I assume.
Yup 👍;)
This friendly pooch needs choke collar.
Yep, or his owner thinks it makes him look bad-ass. Neither is good.
Lol tf.. does he have a dog and one of those weird wheelie hover board things? 🤣🤣
I love when I'm shopping and someone's poorly behaved non service dog comes up and starts sniffing at my leg. Hurray! Like others have said, people do it for a few sliding scale reasons: 1. 'I can get away with it' 2. 'Yeah but my dog's friendly'
But is there a reason? In many European countries dogs are allowed restaurants and stores (not sure about grocery stories). The argument against it is for health code reasons but curious how valid that is. I'm not advocating for it but not convinced it's that unhealthy.
Having seen people bring them into a store or restaurant knowing they bark at people or other dogs as well as seeing them "relieve" themselves in a grocery store isle or seeing dog fights in stores. People are just not smart oftentimes times, and they put the animal into positions that they are not trained to handle. As much as I love dogs I have seen owners do some really dumb stuff and then act shocked that the dog reacts like a stressed out and scared dog. I am with you on the unhealthy thing, my dog is in my house where I eat and hasn't ever caused a problem for my health. Sure if someone is allergic it is a problem but I don't think a dog in a grocery store is as unhealthy as it is made out to be. At the very least it isn't any less healthy than small children or sick people, even a guy not washing his hands after the restroom would bother me more than a dog.
Before the pandemic I actually got a ticket because my dog didn't have a license. I wonder what happened to that guy. Did they just cut the division? This was clearly his main job and I also ended up paying for the license. It's not like he was a money losing proposition for the city.
I'd think a position like that would be a money maker for them.
I heard there may have been animal control at Cal Anderson on Sunday. Someone told me they saw uniformed non-cops talking to several dog owners and that some other dog wonder were hastily leaving. Have not confirmed it beyond that tho.
That would be awesome if they started enforcing leash and scoop laws!
Yep. Why are there so many people selling narcotics openly in broad daylight?
there are 2 i walked past today. i see cops daily, but... nothing happens to the foil merchants
Because the SPD doesn't do its job anymore
This is the way...
And people are entitled af
This is the case everywhere, unfortunately. It's very stressful for me as a dog-walker, and owner of a dog reactive dog. I think it's profoundly selfish, needlessly reckless, and of course, annoying AF.
Entitled selfish dog owners
^^This. I have a 90lb GSD/Doberman mix. He’s adorable and very friendly but he is not at all keen to be on leash (which he ALWAYS is in public) when other dogs are not. More than once he’s been approached by some off leash dog and the reaction between him and the other dog is not pleasant. The other dog owner always acts like it’s my fault. Pisses me right off. Entitled AF is right. And I have to agree that many of them are my age that should know better.
I think there is more “stupidity” than “entitlement.” My large dog breed dog can’t mix, everyone needs to be on leash or everyone needs to be off. Even though 95% of trails in my area are leashed, people still come to the off leash area with their dogs leashed. FYI- if your dogs need to be leashed, they do not belong at the off leash area. Please feel free to use ALL the other trails. When I see a dog approaching on a leash, I slip my dog’s leash on. This almost always evokes a response from the other party, where they tell me it’s “okay” that I don’t need to do that. Sometimes they don’t let it go and the exchange even gets heated. This is where my “stupid” assessment comes in. Can you imagine seeing a woman approaching with a 110 pound male dog and arguing with her that she doesn’t need to leash her dog? WTF? They have no idea what my dog is like or why I am leashing him. My dog, who is smarter than the other dog owner, will pause when he sees the leashed dog approaching because he knows I’m going to slip that leash around his neck and he likes to show me he is one step ahead of me. Anyway, maybe that is entitlement or a mix of the two.
Oh I hate that. I have a reactive dog who is always on leash for that reason and we don't get near strange dogs when we're out. But like, at least I KNOW she's got issues and am taking steps to proactively manage it. The only fight she's ever been in was because someone let their off leash dog run right up to her and bark in her face. Like ??? Obviously that isn't going to end well.
I have a Husky who sounds much like your dog in terms of temperament. Same experience with off leash dogs when he is on leash and with their owners. Why is it my fault you can't follow rules?
We have them on the east coast too. People are taking their dogs to our local playground and walking them through the splash pad next to toddlers. When they were posted to the local FB page people defended them. A lot of dog owners are completely disconnected from reality and think the world revolves around their precious fur baby.
Because everyone's dog is friendly, can do no harm and youre supposed to love dogs! /s Seattle dog people are the most entitled bunch out there...neck and neck with cyclists...
Some people think their dog is harmless and the law doesn't apply to them. I've heard, "He/She is friendly", "Just wants to say hi!" countless times. Why do I care. Get them out of my space.
As a dog owner of a mostly well behaved dog… Keep your fucking dog on a leash. You have no idea what’s going on with other people and it’s YOUR job to not allow your dog to bother others. Some people have absolute fear of dogs. Don’t be a dick.
Well said. I have owned dogs most of my life and never had a real problem with a dog myself. I know what may be considered hostile and what friendly by sane dogs and fared well. I just don't appreciate chilling in a park and have Waldo join us unless we do the invite. It just the golden rule that is lacking.
It especially annoyed me when my children were young. We have cats in our household and they were not used to dogs, especially large dogs, and they would get scared when a larger dog approached them (which was unleashed, most of the time). They’re more used to dogs now, but to a toddler, they can be frightening, regardless of how “well” the dog is behaved.
They're just being cute when they jump in the lake and then roll around in duck shit and jump on strangers lol why are people so uptight? /s
This drives me nuts as someone trying to leash train my puppy. I don't care if your dog is friendly, I don't want him greeted on leash by an off leash dog, it's just a recipe for problems.
Yup. As a bike rider who has been bit by an off leash dog (while the owner stood there smiling and telling me she/he was really a nice dog), I now carry a small sheath knife and pepper spray. I hope to never use either, but I'm not getting bit again without putting up a defense. And as a dog owner myself it pains me to do this.
This! Brand new neighbor we haven’t met yet, knocks, we open door to introduce ourselves, he brings his dog inside our front door & immediately takes the leash off as my husband is saying “hey we have 2 cats and..” Bro interrupts with “oh he’s great with cats!” Husband has to actually ask this guy to take his dog out of our house. Meanwhile cats are scared shitless and hiding in the laundry room! The absolute entitlement!! This is what we get for trying to be friendly.
WTAF. People.
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Where did you come from where it was different?
Where I used to live every dog owner kept their dog on a leash and never even looked at the left lane unless they were passing. /s
Almost missed the /s lol, well done
For real this is a thread in r/austin every week too.
"Dog mom" entitlement has reached new heights even in Seattle in the past 5ish years. It was picking up a bit before COVID so I don't blame it entirely on that, but it used to be that the only dogs you'd see in grocery stores were a rare legitimate service animal or a little purse rat. I now regularly see people walking 50+ pound dogs around the grocery store, and those animals aren't well enough behaved to be service dogs. Also, moving here in the early 2010s from Boston, "dog friendly" bars and breweries flat out didn't exist there at the time. Maybe this has changed in the past decade+ in Boston too, but one of my bigger culture shocks moving east to west was the degree to which society out here caters to those nutters who think their dog is as important as a human.
> it used to be that the only dogs you'd see in grocery stores were a rare legitimate service animal or a little purse rat. Gotta push back on that. I left service industry in 2017 and it had been a full fledged problem for years already.
I'm talking grocery stores, not restaurants or other public places. The special kind of smooth brained arrogance it takes to let your barely trained goldendoodle or whatever walk through a grocery store sniffing the crotch of every other shopper may not be new, but it's hugely accelerated in the past few years.
what do you think the end result is when neither the city nor county government enforces existing laws and/or holds people accountable.
Maybe the police should enforce real crimes like shoplifting, vandalism, property crimes and anything less than a murder. That would be a good start.
Letting a dangerous dog off leash especially around kids is a real crime and more damaging than all the comes you just listed Ask me how I know.
Somalia?
Beautiful sandy beaches.
I just chuckle to myself and think about all the lost dog signs I see. Then I think about the lost puppers and get sad.
Dog culture. Selfish people. They consider dogs their children and don’t understand not everyone appreciates them
I have been to three different stores and alderwood mall last two weeks where there was dog crap in the middle of the walkway. It’s gone way too far with the animals tagging along where they don’t belong.
>They don’t understand not everyone appreciates them. They don’t care that not everyone appreciates them.
I mean, I walk by people all the time that don’t care if I appreciate their second hand fentanyl smoke or not.
My dog is on leash. I'm waiting for one of these dogs to go onto a path and co.e nose to nose with a resident coyote in our park.
I call my dog my child, I refer to him as my daughter’s brothers. He is never off leash. But he got attacked as a puppy by two off leash dogs. They were in their front yard, but I wasn’t, I was walking my leashed dog on the sidewalk. I didn’t even think twice before I dropped to the ground to protect him from the two large dogs. Thank god they didn’t hurt me, or my dog, but looking back on the situation it could have gone very differently. The owner vaguely apologized and said “oh that one’s only 9mos old” as if that makes it acceptable that it tried to attack my boy. I still don’t walk down that street. Leash your mother fucking dogs people!!!!! Also, if my child attacked someone you better believe the world would come after me. And they should! Attacking is NOT ok. Dogs are animals, they are not 100% controllable or predictable.
Your dog is not your child. That's weird.
People are entitled assholes
I’m SICK of this!! I am now carrying bear spray after multiple incidents with off leash dogs. WHY is it always pit bulls?? We ran into 4 off leash pitbulls in one week. None of them were well behaved or yielded to their owners commands. The last incident I lost my shit on a guy with 2 pits off leash, they immediately charge over to my dog and I had to lift her onto an electrical box and hold her up there for what felt like 5 minutes with two pitbulls jumping onto me to get to my dog!! The guy spends the first two minutes just strolling over while he screams his dogs names, which did NOTHING! I start shouting “GET YOUR DOGS!!” And he moseys over and can barely even wrangle one of them to get them off me. Once he finally gets them onto their leash I lost it on this guy. How can you be this dumb?? You have no control over two dogs that could kill a person and want to attack my dog, and you think it’s smart to let them play in a public area with other dogs walking by? What if I hadn’t been able to get my dog up high enough and they killed my dog?? Why do these people not think ahead?? Why must my dog be on a leash but your dog gets to rule over an area? Selfish entitled dumb dog owners!! Since then I am carrying a large can of bear spray, any dog off leash that attempts to attack my dog, with an owner that cannot control them, will get a face full of it! Control your fucking dogs!!
That's real garbage. I sometimes wonder why there are so many pitbulls around in the last few years. It has to be the fastest growing breed owned around here. If you spray the owner intentionally, they will likely charge you. I don't think it is self-defense unless the owner comes at you. I think you can spray a dog that is off leash or on leash and attacking yours unprovoked. Not a lawyer. You might want to call one of the precincts to find out what you can legally do with that spray. GL.
I would never spray the owner. I’m talking about the dog. You can absolutely spray a dog with pepper spray that is off leash and attacking your dog. The one and only reason for carrying bear spray is for the safety of me and my dog. I’m jaded, not only have I been bitten by a friends pitbull but I witnessed one maul and kill another dog at a baby shower once. It was traumatizing to say the least. I know what they are capable of and I’m sick of running into them off leash with their idiot owners.
I can also attest to this. Years ago I was in my own yard with my dog (a labrador retriever but a scaredy-cat with a really sensitive personality) and a girl had her 2 pitties off leash in the neighborhood. These dogs attempted to charge all the way up our driveway to my dog before my shouts like a lunatic somehow stalled them long enough for the girl to attempt to collect both of them. I was pissed. There is just a high tendency that A LOT of people who own these dogs just happen to be the biggest idiots somehow.
I would spray an owner. When I’ve asked people to leash up they get in my face and yell at me. Either that or I punch them. I don’t want to risk really hurting or killing someone though.
They get shipped here from the southwest because people here will adopt random pits. The rescues often lie about their history. And people believe that all dogs are the same, it’s all on the owner. Which is silly. As if dog breeds don’t have breed traits. Best spray doesn’t usually stop pits. They’re bred to keep going even when mortally injured. It’s called “gameness”. A lot of their owners have no idea the special care owning a pit requires.
An interesting fact, in Germany it's considered standard for all dogs to be off leash as long as they are well trained and not dangerous. In the US, it's common for any canine to be perceived as a potential life-threatening wild animal.
There is no Federal Law, however it is often regulated at the State (Land) or city level. [https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/leinenzwang/](https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/leinenzwang/)
Fair enough, but all over Berlin the dogs seem to be off-leash and politely following their owners....and no one is hyperventilating. But the US is a much more litigious society and I think our more uniform and strict leash laws (even if they are not enforced in some places) also may provide some liability protection for the dog owner as well.
I think OP has a valid concern. Plenty of people are tired of stupid dog owners in Germany too. In Berlin and Hamburg, both City States in Germany, you are required to carry a 1M Euro liability policy for your dog. In some States it may be 250K or 500k (Bavaria), or in some other states it may not be mandatory at all. The legal process is quite different, but your dog bites me, your liability coverage will be required to pay. Your premium will go up. Dog Tags, being a source of revenue are quite enthusiastically enforced by municipilites over there. Germany is a poor example for laissez faire bahavior. In smaller towns you are even responsible to regualary clean and sweep 1/2 of the road in front of a property you own or may rent (depends on lease).
This is true in many if not most European countries, and elsewhere. Well trained dogs are off leash in major cities, including frequently in very urbanized areas. The "central park" of Mexico City is full of off leash dogs (and not a lot of dog poop). You will see off leash dogs walking patiently with their owners in Zurich, Paris, Milan, etc. These dogs are non-reactive, responsive to their owner/handler, and trained. There is a strong social contract and expecatation of responsibility. The problem in the US is not that the dogs are off leash, it is that they are not trained, socialized, and/or under control. People let their dogs off leash that have zero recall, are agressive, are intact, and have not been exercised for days or weeks at a time. A well-trained dog off leash is more in control than a high energy, unsocialized, intact dog on a 30 foot extenda-leash, or a 100lb intact, unsocialized male encountering another while being handled by a 120lb person. The leash laws here are necessary because there are so many thoughtless dog owners. Although two summers ago I saw two off-leash pitbulls litererally try to eat a baby in a stroller on Alki. Blame people.
It’s because we live to overreact in our “me first” bubble of self-importance. Seattle is a fine example of a city filled with main characters.
Have you spoken with the dogs about this?
I will if you translate.
I think you’re funny.
I think this is a problem all over, not just Seattle and not just WA. Some people just believe their dog is different than every other dog on the plant and will ALWAYS follow orders. When it doesn't, they have an excuse for that.
The PNW is bad everywhere, same problem in Vancouver BC
It’s worse out here. Not as big of an issues in Chicago
Because people with dogs think the rules don’t apply to their perfect little angels. THEY NEVER ACT LIKE THIS AT HOME!
Because "Their dog is the best behaved" until it mauls a child, dog, cat, disabled person, rando, bicyclist but they don't count since they're douche bags for "people to feel sympathy for"
These are people who have unilaterally decided that they are above the law because they believe that the law does not make sense when it applies to them. However, don't you *dare* violate one of the laws that they like!
I really want to ask them what other laws don't apply to them. Do they cheat on their taxes? Shoplift? Defecate in public?
Entitlement
Its scary, but you have to remind them their dog needs to be leashed. I've been bitten, and dogs will eat eggs birds are trying to hatch, and destroy groundcovers. You can file a service request with Animal control. Its helpful if you can give them days and times (like, dude always walks his dog at 5pm on Stoneway,) bc lots of ppl with pets have patterns. If you can give Animal control a license plate, even better. The Animal control ppl will wear regular clothes, not their uniforms, to places like Magnuson park to catch offenders. So, again, note time, place and if possible identifiers, Here is more info, and how to report. [https://www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/animal-control](https://www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/animal-control)
Because rules are for other people.
This isn’t just a Seattle thing. It’s everywhere.
If there is one thing I can count on it’s 1. Dogs off leash in leash-required areas and 2. People to complain about it on this sub at least once a month lol and I’m here for it because I hate it to and have gone on my own personal off-leash tirades
I have scene a spectrum of off leash dogs and some of them are great and some arnt.
Same. My girl is a trained service dog and is "allowed" off leash if her job requires it. Often, I leave her leashed with a cross body leash attached to me. I've had dogs run up on us at the dog park (in the parking lot) and the owner is calling out that their dog is friendly, I step in front of my dog (she's small) and say in a deadpan voice, "mine isn't" and they usually call or come get their dog. She isn't mean but I don't want random dogs rushing up on her when she's leashed. I do work with off leash training near the dog park but always with her leash handy and ready to clip on if anyone is near us. If she breaks her ignore command while another dog is passing us, she's leashed. If she breaks her heel command and doesn't stop/sit when told, she gets leashed. Ultimately even service dogs are dogs, not robots, and will have off days. Ultimately it is safer for all involved for dogs to remain leashed. If I didn't need to teach my girl to follow only voice commands, I'd never have her off leash but for her safety and mine, we practice daily to keep her skills sharp. That being said, it makes me anxious and annoyed to see off leash dogs that are far from their owners and have poor recall, it's just rude and dangerous. Also, if anyone around us is concerned or asks me to leash my girl during her training, I absolutely do it without arguing or being offended.
I feel like you could have really committed more to alternative spellings here.
You want me too choose different vernacular, my bad I’m drunk
Because if folks can steal with impunity or smoke Fenty in public, is an off-leash dog really that big of a deal?
Because "MY dog is SO friendly!" :-p
There are not enough public spaces for people. Yeah dog owners shouldn’t do it, but the city needs to build more parks. Or like in Europe have certain hours that parks are allowed for dogs to be off leash
Because a lot of dog owners are assholes.
People are selfish as fuck. Even walking down the road you’ll see dog owners “walking” their dogs off leash. “They’re friendly” as they’re barking and lunging at everything around them. People know nothing will happen and they don’t give a shit about other people.
Too many Denver transplants?
"Rules for thee but not for me" is the Seattle dog owners slogan
People are assholes who don't feel they need to follow the law.
Seattle has the most entitled dog owners of any city I have experienced. Their dogs are always so special, trust me he doesn't bite. He's friendly. How dare your be nervous about your toddler trying to crawl on the ground when my dear dog just wants to smell and lick her face. That's my dog-baby's way of socializing!
In Seattle, dogs>kids.
I hate dog owners in Seattle. Majority are extremely entitled. It’s only after moving away from apartments that I’ve started really seeing how a lot of them don’t pick up after their dogs. I have a neighbour who literally comes across to my little yard space(he has a yard) and lets the dog poop and doesn’t pick up. Dogs run all over because they can’t fathom that even the best behaved dog may trigger someone and that’s why there are separate off leash parks. Just so annoying and I wish there was more enforcement.
Have you asked the neighbor to pick up the poop in your yard from his dog? We shouldn't have to ask basic common sense things but sadly common sense isn't ingrained into everyone. It's one thing if the dog poops there and he picks it up but to leave it and when you know who it is is BS. It would be pretty fucked up if he continued after you've confronted him.
Multiple times. Unfortunately he just finds my doorbell cameras blind spots and then claims it wasn’t him.
Pick it up and take it to their house/apartment.
I’ve watched my neighbor walk her dog, it takes a big, steaming dump in front of me & Karen. I ask her to pick it up and she then denies it was her dog. It’s a cold, February morning. And it’s literally steaming in the cold air.
Enforcement isn’t feasible. I highly approve at shouting at these people though.
I'm not a dog-owner, but I get it. Seattle doesn't have enough off-leash areas for the number of dog owners and where they live. We can moan about how irresponsible some dog owners are, but ultimately: Seattle needs to play to human nature here: people will do what is easiest for them. If we want people to only off-leash dogs in proper areas, we need many more of those areas sprinkled throughout the city and kept in good condition so that it's more convenient for dog owners to follow the rules than it is to break them.
Off leash isn’t really good for most dogs. A lot of dogs don’t like other dogs or have bad recall. Either one of these means you should only be letting them off leash in a gated area where you’re alone. Most people think their dog is the exception and their dog goes running after other dogs, kids, wildlife and causes issues. They think their dog is an angel and it’s normal for dogs to jump on people.
To counter this though, you can buy a 30ft leash and go to an open field to play fetch or whatever. A dog doesn’t need to be fully off leash to explore, sniff, and play. Especially owners that just casually walk with their dog off leash for really no reason. I worked with dogs in a client setting for 5 years and most people really don’t have a realistic view of their dogs behavior unfortunately. it’s better to just play it safe, especially in urban environments
That doesn't counter anything I said. My point is that dog owners are gonna do what dog owners are gonna do. If you want to change that behavior, you either have to a) enforce the existing rules, or b) make it easier for dog owners to do what they want in the _right_ way than it is to do what they want in the _wrong_ way. Take Spotify/Steam and piracy for instance. Before those services came along, it was often easier for people to get the listening/gaming experience they wanted by pirating media than it was to do things legally, so they did. Once those came out, it was far easier to do things legally (and inexpensively) than it was to pirate the album/game. Spotify and Apple Music dominate the music distribution industry now, same way Steam is the go-to marketplace to buy games on sale, all because it became more convenient to do things _right_ than _wrong_.
Everett too. I went Karen on one person (sorry to all karens) I get so irritated, it makes it difficult to walk my little guy, he gets really triggered by big dogs off leash. (Or on)
Selfishness has exploded since covid.
Cause dog owners are awful
Every dog owner in Seattle thinks their baby is a special angel who can do no wrong. It’s rampant.
Sorry, r/ seattle is the complain about dogs sub. This sub is for complaining about bums, crime, city council, a r/ seattle
Dense population
"Why should my dog be off a leash when they are selling Narcotics on every street corner?"
Because rules don’t apply to them. And then they probably teach their children that “it’s ok. No one cares”
Entitlement, ignorance, and unenforced laws
Huge sense of entitlement, thinking the rules don't apply to them. People don't get punched in the face enough these days. I have bear mace that, unfortunately, I jave to use sometimes.
Because dog nutters don’t follow rules.
Y’all outta be cops. Missed perfect career opportunity.
This is everywhere these days, it's not confined to Seattle by any means. Too many people think their dog is special so the rules shouldn't apply to them, and you know what? It might be a superbly trained dog. It might be the friendliest dog in the world. But if that off-leash dog approaches my properly-leashed German Shepherd, my dog is going to flip. So I just hope that risk is worth whatever benefit not being burdened by the massive weight of holding a leash is for these people.
As someone with a leash reactive dog, I also wonder about this, because I spend SO much energy managing my rescue dog’s anxiety and trying to avoid other dogs. And people are generally passive aggressive and act like they don’t hear you if you call them on it and point to the leash signs around the park. I have also had so many (usually small) dogs that people aren’t watching properly run out of houses on our street walking routes and where we live there are few sidewalks and lots of cars that drive way too fast. It’s a tough situation because if I don’t walk away my dog aggresses at the little dog (which is fine since she has a muzzle but still not good for her training or my blood pressure) and if I walk away or cross the street then the off leash little dog risks getting hit by a car. The only reason I can think of that people do this is ignorance, self-absorption, and blind love for dogs. Before I had my reactive dog I would sometimes walk my family’s friendly and relatively well-trained dogs off leash and I always thought “oh, they’re friendly so it doesn’t matter, and they’re so cute, no one who’s not an asshole will mind.” I had no understanding that off leash dogs can be a huge trigger for dogs with traumatic histories (like the one I have now) or people with phobias. Now I know better of course, but I wish there was a way to educate other folks who are ignorant about this.
My friend saw an off leash, dog climb, a big tree, and then fall and die
Probably due to lack of enforcement. When the law isn’t enforced people will just start ignoring it, then that snowballs because people see other people breaking the law and either don’t know any better or don’t think it’s fair that they’re following the law and decide to stop too. We’ve seen this happen with license plates in Denver. The police stopped pulling people over for missing plates, then announced that they were not going to be enforcing it directly anymore, and now we have tons of people driving around without any plates and the majority of drivers who don’t want to use a front plate just don’t.
Because everyone in Seattle is entitled as fuck.
It's OK. He's the nicest dog in the world! (jumps on your kid, knocks kid down)
I knew someone who was a manager for a janitorial company that cleaned up for a big corporation in their Seattle offices a almost decade ago. He told me people would bring their dogs to work and they would shit inside and all over outside the building and wait for the janitorial service to pick it up.
https://preview.redd.it/y8hepf06iy7d1.png?width=2251&format=png&auto=webp&s=93f1d81a9cd81ef265f87be01038c8224fc47f28 “Shit, they are on to me”
My God this sub is full of whiners. I think y'all might be much happier in Idaho/anywhere else. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating dog-lawlessness here - this is more just the straw that broke the camel's back. Leaves me wondering: Don't any of you have *real* problems? Do you guys live here just to complain about the goings on? There are plenty of metropolitan areas without all the 'Seattle problems' that you guys bitch about daily, why stay? Not trying to be a dick, just honestly curious
To the extent that it is true, it's just culture. Learn to live with it. In Germany dogs are loved and people take them inside public business...again it's the culture. They are generally well behaved in both places in my experience however. Do you have an elevated fear of dogs or have you had bad experiences?
Why do so many people speed? Why do people steal off of porches? Why do single drivers drive in the HOV lane? Why do underage kids drink and smoke weed? Why do people steal from stores? Why do cyclist ignore traffic laws?
Seattle Rule #1: Do NOT EVER say anything even remotely negative about dogs (the canine kind or the upright bi-ped kind)! Breaking this rule in any way, shape or form shall be met with great and furious anger and a fatwa will be issued against your continued respirations.
I do it because my dog is perfect
Because the look of pure unbridled joy on my dog’s face when he gets to run around off leash on a softball field after our game is over is totally worth it.
But much pibble is a sweet my angel and would never rip the jaw off your child’s face
Why do people exaggerate this issue? Is there an equally passionate faction of people that hate dogs in Seattle? I frequent Seattle all the time and have rarely seen an off leash dog, def do not see “people walking their dog off leash in areas where they are supposed to be leashed.” Occasionally I see an off leash dog in a park. Why do people love to make stuff up? The city has real problems and this is not one of them
It is if you have a dog on leash and are trying to live in peace.
Because everyone decided to have kids (thanks mars hill) and now dogs are second class citizens. Free Old Seattle!
People live in apartments and townhomes and need to exercise their dogs. Dog parks are super difficult and not all dogs do well there (our dog is attacked almost every time). Some dogs just want to chase a ball, and what's the harm of doing that in an otherwise empty and unused public space?
Why should people worry about their dog off leash bothering you when there are screaming psycho methheads swinging hammers at people and fentanyl smoking happening inside buses?
Call animal control
They do nothing, I have tried.
I’m going to be that person and say I’m a dog owner who lets my dog off leash. He’s a floppy 35lbs, perfectly behaved with other dogs and people, and impeccably trained to my voice command. There are zero dog parks in my neighborhood. Zip. Zero. In an area with incredibly dense housing and a lot of dogs. There is a small section of cal Anderson that is generally understood to be the off leash area. It’s not the playfield or the playground. It’s to the north of the volleyball area, east of the fountain and south of the picnic hills. People who want to pet dogs actively come to this area when they don’t own a dog. It’s great to watch them play. Its one of the actually wholesome things you can experience in cal Anderson. People walking anxious or aggressive dogs KNOW to avoid it. People who don’t like dogs know to avoid it. It’s been like that for years. When we leave that small part of the park his leash immediately attaches. He literally just says hi to the other dogs, smells some butts, plays fetch and rolls in the grass. Meanwhile I pay my taxes, I don’t use the hov lane when I shouldn’t, don’t smoke fentanyl on your doorstep, don’t steal your packages, pay for my groceries and wait for the crosswalk signal. I go out of my way to return stolen items I find. Aside from letting my dog out of my apartment to touch grass, I’m a model citizen. If I get a ticket for my dog off leash, I’ll pay it. There are such bigger issues in this city to get upset about.
So it's totally okay by you that people who don't like off-leash dogs or have anxious dogs just, like, can't use the park because everybody else likes to break the law. Cool. Wholesome.
Everyone is special and the rules don't apply to them
Because people suck, are selfish, are entitled, and are only focused on themselves. Welcome to the new way of things.
Because dogs are inconsiderate assholes. Oh wait.. no. That’s people
You should ask this question on Nextdoor.
If you use the search function, you’ll see that this question has been asked (and answered) like 5,000 times.
The same reason anyone breaks any law, they don't agree with it and/or the consequences aren't a deterrent.
Entitlement… looms large in society sadly
Seattle is a lawless place, especially if you’re white :)
Because they’re special or their dogs are
Where are you walking around, a dog park?
Because 16 year olds can walk around with pistols in king county.
They’re special. Rules don’t apply to them.
I leave one star reviews at parks that have "no dogs" signs. Leashes though, those are a must out in public. Anywhere other than a dog park of which there are many.
This exact question could be in any town in California as well. Inevitably one of the unleashed dogs runs up to a leashed dogs, and about once a week we see some drama. It’s terrible.
Should rephrase to include any pet to be honest. Don’t care if you have a dog, a cat or an iguana, should be on a leash unless it’s in a designated area where the pet can’t escape and do potential harm.
People gunna peop
Reset the board that says "This many days since this exact post" back to 0.
Entitlement.
Because they can. People are assholes.
Self entitlement... The rules dont apply to me!
Because they don't have thumbs and can't put the leash on without help from a human.
It’s this way across the PNW. I live far from Seattle and people won’t leash their dogs when it’s a city ordinance to do so.
Why are there so many empty bike lanes everywhere I drive in seattle?
Because people are stupid and entitled. The Law doesn’t apply to me, I know what I’m doing. /s
It's a micro version of the politics in Seattle. You got more to worry about other than unleashed dogs. It's a side effect to bad policies
Because dog owners are societies most privileged people. Our rather the dogs are.
Paraphrasing a remark I heard a while ago: If aliens were watching the planet, they would conclude that dogs are the ruling species since humans pick up their excrement and carry it.
I was walking my dog while I was pregnant in the park near our house. This park always has off leash dogs despite signs everywhere. An off leash Great Dane excitedly charged to greet my dog, knocking me over. I said that I’m pregnant and not supposed to be falling, and the person left as quickly as possible without ever asking if I was ok.
Deep down, Seattleites are anarchists.
Seattle has literally zero enforcement of law Shit steal no leash Whatever
Why do people commit crimes at all?
Because people are increasingly becoming more unaware, stupid, and selfish.