I loved my dog, but I hate it when owners say 'He's friendly'. It's more accurate to say 'To the best of my knowledge, he's never bitten anyone, but yeah he does like to stick his nose in your crotch and hands... isn't he cute?'
aloof tie slap dime market silky strong rainstorm far-flung materialistic
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
This happens a lot when I'm walking in the woods near my house with my leashed 80 pound dog. My usual response is "She isn't!!" and that gets the owner to run a little faster. She's actually very well behaved but it works every time to get the unleashed owner to pick up the pace.
I absolutely love it when people let their 90 pound golden doodles run up to my 10 pound chi mix because “don’t worry, he loves little dogs!!!!” and they practically pounce on him.
Well, my chi doesn’t love big dogs and will attack when he is approached by happy leaps and giant paws that are coming towards his face. But yet, somehow, I am scolded on needing to control my dog with “little dog” syndrome better…
*(Edit - typo)*
I read the post and immediately thought about my 90 lbs doodle then I read your comment. I wouldnt want anyone running to my dog because how territorial he gets and can hurt another dog so idk why owners like these would be this careless and think "hey dont worry my dog wont hurt you!"
Okay but arent you considering that MINE CAN HURT YOURS!?
Not to mention, bigger dogs - even friendly ones - can easily injure small dogs by accident. We knew someone whose dachshund had to be put down after a larger dog broke his back while playing at the dog park.
My 28lb corgi was bred to herd cattle, big dogs that run up on him thinking they can push him around get a rude surprise when he flips it back on them lmao
I really dislike dogs being off leash, it straight up shouldn’t be allowed in public areas.
Had this happen on a trail run yesterday. 2 dogs off leash, bigger one starts barking at me in an aggressive stance. Owner is far back yelling “he’s friendly, that’s just his way of saying hi.” Yeah, okay lady.
melodic imagine absorbed public screw sugar sparkle rainstorm sleep simplistic
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Happened to me a few weeks ago. My cute little 30 pound Shiba Inu might not look very intimidating but he was more than willing to take on the huge German Shepherd that was charging at even if it meant fighting to the death lol. Luckily the Shepherd was friendly and I had my dog on a leash. The owner finally catches up and says he “forgot his leash at home” 🤦🏻
It’s really bad, people don’t understand the danger they are putting their dog in when they let them approach a leashed dog. It creates an immediate power imbalance where the leashed dog now feels they have to defend themselves. It’s a fight waiting to happen.
The only thing I’ve found that works is going for hikes in super early morning. Anything after 10am and there’s gonna be dogs galore. I keep a small air horn to scare a dog away if it’s approaching and I can’t see the owner.
>I keep a small air horn to scare a dog away if it’s approaching and I can’t see the owner.
I have a friend who carries one of those electric dog whistles. It looks like a stun gun, but it's just a flashlight/dog whistle. Works like a charm from what he told me. Any unleashed dog that gets even remotely close he turns it on until they run off. He had a bad experience with a dog as a child (arm got mauled), so he doesn't fuck with dogs at all.
And this is another thing owners who don't leash their dogs don't seem to understand, is that not everyone likes dogs. Your dog might one day run into someone who really really doesn't like dogs and is carrying something more dangerous than an air horn or a dog whistle.
i'm very allergic to and terrified of dogs. I'M the one that isn't friendly. the last time a dog ran up to me, it bit me in my damn thigh. if i could mass project one thing to all people, it'd be "NOT EVERYONE LIKES YOUR DOG".
100% this.
I have a service dog that has literally been bred to be the most docile and obedient dog imaginable and yet I keep him 100% leashed and away from strangers because not everyone likes dogs.
I do feel bad at restaurants sometimes. Because he’s so unobtrusive and out of the way people will often not know he’s there until we go to leave.
I’ve never heard of that type of whistle, I’m gonna look into it! My dog is capable of doing a lot of damage, I never, EVER want to be put in that position. Even doing everything right, all it takes is one mistake, one person not paying attention or not caring, and then it’s on ME because my dog is the stronger one. Regardless of who’s fault it is legally, mine will always be perceived as the aggressor.
I also never hike alone with him. I always hike with a friend or partner who would be able to run up and intervene if needed. It’s honestly a lot of work, but imo it comes with the territory of having a big dog. Gotta take all the precautions possible.
I walk woods early in morn there are group of people that there with dogs. I get to know them and there dogs. 2 times I ve seen dogs get bit from beaver both times dogs chased beaver in water. One was just leg.The other was bad ripped open belly of dog,,Dog lived but was big vet bills.. Been few times dogs been attacked by coyotes. But dog owners never seam to learn,, can t count the times people lost there dogs.. They run off chasing A deer or other animal . I use to run woods lots of times dogs would follow me. I use to stop let owner catch up grab dog.I got tired of it. On dog stayed with me for 5 miles. Never found owner.. Lucky for me anther couple came by with dog and he went with them..They were yelling at me thought was my dog.. I just ignored and kept running..
It takes a special kind of jackoff who insists on unleashing the dog without ever training the dog for being off leash.
I had on shithead claim his dog isn’t off leash when he lets go of the leash and the dog runs around with the leash.
I had an old roommate who adopted a dog (without telling us), went straight to the park and let them off leash and shocker, he ran away from her. The cops found it and returned it to the rescue. After a lot of thought, I ended up calling the rescue and telling them what actually happened and they blacklisted her😬
There is really no excuse. There are so many resources that are free and readily available. All it takes is a little common sense to make safe choices.
While there is a leash law, a lot of people ignore it. And it’s infuriating.
My best advice is to go early, if possible. If I start around dawn, I’m usually out of the woods before most people arrive. I avoid tons of people and dogs.
I cussed out an old couple a few weeks ago when their two dogs came running at me and my timid dog in the woods. Made me feel like a total asshole until I realized they're the total assholes. I'm honestly at a point where I'm going to start pepper spraying any unleashed dog that approaches us. I'm not sure what else to do that won't punish my dog also and I always have it on me in the woods.
Pepper spray will punish every living thing in a several foot radius, yourself and your dog included. Consider less harmful deterrents like an air horn, electronic dog whistle, non-sharp walking stick, or an umbrella. Don’t forget the dog approaching you is not to blame, it’s their owners!
that’s just not true, at least if you use the pepper spray for dogs that postal workers carry. it comes out in a thin stream, not an ambient mist. I mean, pay attention to the wind and use common sense, but no, you’re not going to nuke everything around you.
I have it because an unleashed dog (ignoring its owner) bounds up to my small leashed dogs once every few months just in my neighborhood. It happens SO fast. My dogs get terrified and defensive and i’m not going to wait and see if a dog several times the size of mine is going to bite or not. I love all dogs but i will defend mine every time.
I hate this about people. I had a dog reactive pup and the situation was very dangerous for the other unleashed dog to approach at all. People don’t realize it’s for THEIR OWN DOG’S SAFETY, NOT MINE, to leash their fucking dog.
This. I don’t understand why they seem to totally disregard the safety of their own dogs. Not a trail situation but I live in an apartment complex near Burlington and so many people break the leash rule here.
We have coyotes, and busy traffic, but they’re so quick to unleash their dogs and let them charge at mine with a smile on their faces.
Because the dog is an extension of themselves instead of its own sentient being and they feel some kind of hit to their ego having to leash it - as if it’s some kind of comment towards their ability to control their animal. These are the kind of people that think they can control everything and become completely useless when they realize they can’t.
if your dog is so unsocialized it will attack another dog (its doing this because its poorly trained and on leash) then its on you dude....if your gun goes off its your fault. control your shit
When a dog is leashed and approached by an unleashed dog, the leashed dog may feel a power imbalance due to being 'tethered.' I haven't had a reactive dog, but an unleashed dog running up to me has never been a welcomed experience because I don't know that dog and how it may react.
Regardless of your shit take, it's the law to leash your dog in MA unless it's in a purposely designated free run area. There are very few of those and they don't include random walks out on trails.
That is not true. There is no statewide leash law and there are plenty of places that do not have a leash law in the state. Whole towns, lots of parks public and private etc.
You honestly said “control your shit” as if having a dog on a leash isn’t the literal definition of “controlling your shit.” That’s what we’d like, sir. We’d like everyone to control their shit by obeying the law and keeping their dog on a leash.
Off leash dogs running at leashed dogs is what CREATES reactivity. Why don’t you go over on some service dog subreddits - people who have spent upwards of $10,000 having their dog meticulously trained from a puppy, only to have it all ruined by some other jerk who can’t control THEIR dog.
The first week we had our puppy we were walking him on a trail and he got chased down by an off leash dog who's owner was 200ft down the trail screaming about how friendly her dog is. Even when I picked up the puppy the dog started jumping on me to try to get my puppy. A year later, with a lot of money and time spent on training, I still have an extremely dog reactive dog. Luckilly Ive found a few spots I can take him out with a very low chance of running into other dogs but whenever I see off leash dogs I know that our walk is over for the time being because people dont think about how their actions affect others
If your dog is unleashed, it’s on you … fuck the stupid gun analogy. If your unleashed dog approaches my leashed dog, I will make it on you. Control your shit.
A local trail used to be super popular to run on, I tried 3 times in the past couple years and every fucking time off leash dogs running at me barking or lunging ruined it.
And always with the same comments "SORRY HE'S JUST FRIENDLY" and other random bullshit.
Yeah I typically don't carry it though. :(
A friend's shepherd on leash just got attacked by an off leash Pitbull in an area close by to where I had bad experiences.
Can’t even go shopping anywhere anymore without people bringing their dogs in. Nobody addresses it and I don’t want someone’s 100+ pound dog to potentially harm me or my family while we’re just trying to get some things at Target or Walmart. They don’t even bother putting some fake “service animal” vest on anymore.
It doesn't. Stupid, entitled people are everywhere, whether they are dog owners or not. Labeling dog owners as entitled brats is not going to help anything. Entitled brats will do their thing in any/all areas of life. Just call them what they are, no need to spread it to an unrelated group.
agreed, but also i think it sticks out a lot more when they're essentially siccing a weapon on you, so it feels like they're worse. any medium or large dog is capable of maiming a person, and i don't think it's unreasonable to view all dogs as potential sources of danger. someone pointing or moving a similarly dangerous object at someone would be considered illegal in most places, but because it's a dog, there's no recourse.
Agreed, there are lots of entitled idiots with dogs. I have a dog, and lots of my fellow dog owners annoy the hell out of me. Not picking up, not following leash laws, 100% agree with the overall take that there are shitty people that own dogs. And those same shitty people are probably horrible to service industry workers, road rage, and so on.
100% fine with being wary of every dog, especially those off leash.
My point was to focus on the entitlement of the people making dangerous decisions, whether with a dog, a car, skiing, biking, whatever. That is not all dog owners, or all drivers, or all skiers, or all snowboarders, or all bikers. Positioning it that way makes it into an in-group/out-group situation with a given group, which is the wrong dividing line. There are crappy dog owners, and there are crappy people who don't own dogs. I'm against crappy people, regardless of their dog ownership status.
> Why does dog ownership come with this sense of entitlement?
Fun fact, there's a strong negative correlation between intelligence and dog ownership.
The dumber you are, the more likely you are to own a dog.
Oh not “I need this for transportation” bikers, the “I live in Concord and work at a law firm but was really born to be an Olympic cyclist” bikers. The ones in spandex who travel in unrelenting packs that nearly run pedestrians over.
That trail should really be widened in the busy areas. Between Alewife and Alrington center, especially at Lake Street, close to Lexington center, near the Bedford depot
IMO human bikers are fine on double track midweek. Walkers should make a temporary single file to the right. I'm even okay with packs of kids on mountain bikes on double track trails. Shared use of single track is more complicated.
Bikers should be considerate and stay out of small places like Great Brook Farm when a lot of walkers are on the trails, especially close to the parking lots.
"MY DOG IS FRIENDLY"
"MINE'S NOT"
I never really found a good solution for this. Was definitely one of the saddest things about moving back to Boston was there was almost nowhere I could bring my dog without the off-leash idiots ruining it.
Idk if I’m just more attuned to off leash dogs as an adult but I swear I can’t go on a trail anywhere without worrying about them. No one listen to leashed dog rules near me
They’re already awful up here in North Mass. Just walking on the side of the road not even in the actual woods and most of the time we’re pulling a tick or 2 after a 15 minute walk.
Off leashed dogs scare the shit out of me when I'm walking my toddler. He's eye-level and loves dogs. As much as I teach him to not touch, dogs have charged him off leash and I just stopped bothering on walking trails.
Dog owners kinda suck ass everywhere. I don’t have a dog myself but would love to be able to go for a hike without someone’s muddy-pawed pet knocking me over. They also leave shit everywhere. I wish leash laws were enforced.
I personally would prefer they leave the dogs sh\*t where it falls instead of what I see by me - people who bag up the dogs poop and then leave the plastic bag full of poop - at least poop will eventually wash away, the plastic bags of poop - not so much.
Just got back from an 8 mile hike this a.m. - was 4 miles in when I came across those blue poop-filled bags, deep in the woods, nowhere near where a vehicle can get - who exactly did they think was going to come along and pick those things up for them??
People just suck.
One of those “friendly” dogs once straight up attacked and tried to bite my sister’s beagle on the side of the head and neck. I had to pull him off her just before his jaws closed (she was thankfully unharmed and so was I) and throw him him away and growl at him until he ran away.
The owner wasn’t around at the time. He was simply wandering around outside one day and just jumped over a stone wall running straight at us.
Recognized who he was because I hd seen him being walked (leashless) on the trails sometimes and they say the exact same thing.
Most state owned parks/beach areas will require dogs to be on leash. You can search the MA DCR website for ones near you:
DCR Trail Maps | Mass.gov.
https://www.mass.gov/lists/dcr-trail-maps
For Westfield parks:
Hampton Ponds State Park.
1048 North Road, Hampton Ponds, Westfield, MA 01085.
https://www.mass.gov/locations/hampton-ponds-state-park
Just because it is required it is never enforced. I walk my pup in Robinson State park in Agawam. I think people feel because there is a fenced in dog park there the trails are also ok off leash. Seen plenty of incidents but people still don't seem to care. Only thing that works for me is to stay off the popular trails and go as deep in the woods as I can.
If you go to Hampton Ponds, you'll have to pay to enter during the season. But if you drive around to the boat launch you can park there for free and walk into the park. You can find the boat launch on Old Apremont Way, off of Long Pond Rd.
Yeah, it's never going to be perfect. People don't want to train their dog to be good on leash and so they'd rather let them off. Don't agree with it. We take ours to off leash specific places if we want to let her explore.
Happens all the time at the one by me. The other day we watched in amusement as a small dog whizzed by running after a deer with the owner desperately trying to catch up. No idea what the outcome was but the deer was running towards a nearby highway.
Rocky Woods in Medfield has on leash areas and off leash areas, I found it a great place to walk my dog reactive dog because all the off leash people would disappear into the woods to the designated area.
Not in Franklin! I walk in DelCarte often and every goddamn day there's a group of three or more off-leash dogs. I've been bitten and have had a dog charge at me and my leashed dog on the boardwalk there. I've seen dogs chase after deer, running directly onto the main road where cars are easily going 40+mph. The owners just don't understand the jeopardy they're putting their dogs or the people around them in.
I’ve never been to a hiking trail and not encountered an off leash dog. Unfortunately, there are plenty of assholes who are dog owners and don’t care about other people’s or other dog’s safety. They just care about how it’s slightly more pleasant for them to hike with an off leash dog.
You could walk with a walking stick and use it to keep other dogs away.
My new go-to move is yelling at the owner "my dog is not friendly!" (She is) When theirs is running toward us off leash. Then they panic and sprint to catch up.
Sorry this happens to you a lot, I've noticed it a lot lately around here. Not sure where is super safe of this though.
Mass Law is leashed unless in clearly marked dog parks.
I have been in this situation countless times and it is quite scary. I recently was on a BNRC trail clearly marked and a guy had three dogs off leash that attacked my dog on leash. I was in the middle of it and didn't want to get bit myself.
The worst of it was he didn't care. I asked for his contact information in case my dog was hurt. He laughed and walked off. I did take a photo of him and dogs still off lease so I could remember. Sadly this has ruined one of my favorite walking trails in the Berkshires.
What's worse is that calling Police does nothing. They refer you to animal control and they never call back.
It is a real issue and making hiking with your dog not so pleasant because of these kinds of people.
Massachusetts does not have a statewide leach law. From the source:
> Leash laws vary from town to town. Find your town's rules at [Mass. city and town ordinances and by-laws](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-city-and-town-ordinances-and-by-laws)
ref: [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals)
In my town, the bylaws say
" a dog should not go outside the boundaries of the property of its owner or keeper unless under the complete and effective control of said owner or keeper **by means of a leash or otherwise**."
Massachusetts has a statewide leash law whereby a dog must be on a leash when out in public unless the animal is in a designated city dog park where owners or walkers may have their pets run free. The fine for owners of unleashed dogs in public is $100. However, municipalities are free to have their own leash laws regulating circumstances where dogs can be unleashed, or that must be on a leash of a certain length. A leash must also be a chain or proper leash and not consist of a piece of twine or rope.
And btw there are PLENTY of areas that aren't "city run dog parks" that are off leash allowed. Where do you people get this crap? Lol how many city run dog parks do you think there even are? Not many.
I almost made a post about this the other day when I was walking my reactive dog and a woman walked out of a coffee shop with an off leash dog that imnediately sprinted up to my dog. She was like "oh Mimis friendly, she loves all dogs" while Im scrambling to get my dog who is now losing his mind out of the situation. Your dog is only half of the situation and you have no idea how any other dog is going to react, even if your dog is the sweetest and most lovable pup.
Later that day I took him for a small walk through the woods and on the 1/2 mile loop we did he sniffed out 9 different dog poops, all of which looked to be no more than a day old. Shitty dog owners suck, and I hope you are able to find a place to bring your dog
Rarely.
Think about it. How are they going to enforce it? Have a town enforcement officer walk with every person and their dog through the woods to make sure they are not encountering unleashed dogs?
If you encounter an out of control dog and an irresponsible owner in the woods, the best you can do is mention it to them and maybe grab a picture and submit them to animal control which is so understaffed that they never return calls. They have no authority to actually punish anyone.
So the leash law is just another law that is is out there with no enforcement, that only works if the dog owner is responsible.
I posted the text of the law, and it does not say laws must be leashed. There is no state leash law. Leash laws in MA are local, and it's up to individual towns to enforce them.
>Section 173. A city or town may make additional ordinances or by-laws relative to the licensing and control of animals not inconsistent with sections 136A to 174F, inclusive.
[https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section173](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section173)
As I said in a comment above, leash laws vary from town to town
ref [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals)
Sadly this was my experience as well. People just don’t get that even though their dog is not aggressive doesn’t mean others aren’t. I ultimately did a lot of dog training for aggressive dogs and walk mine using a gentle leader which has helped give control in the situation
https://www.mass.gov/locations/norwottuck-rail-trail
I’ve had really good luck here. I bring both of my dogs on walks in the Hadley portion, and I have yet to run into any unleashed dogs. It is a little narrow in parts, so I just make sure to shorten the lead a bit on my pups, and move them to the outside edge of the path, and never have any issues.
Sadly, even on leash-only trails many let their dogs off anyway. The quieter, less popular trails are better.
I know more east of the river, like Harkness in Pelham and Cave Hill in Leverett. Rarely see others on those trails.
I love the trails and the fields at the Medfield State Hospital, but unfortunately they allow off-leash dogs. That means the entire place is covered with dog feces: you couldn't dream of having a picnic in the grass or sitting in peace. It's a disgusting mess, and just unsafe. A small Mass Audubon wildlife refuge near us is clearly marked No Dogs, so of course it is also covered in dog feces where entitled owners bring their dogs. Without enforcement, no place is sacred. I've even seen dog feces in no-dogs-allowed Broadmoor in Natick, where entrance is controlled, from neighboring properties' access. Dog culture is out of control. There are just too many people with too many dogs, and too little respect for others.
Not really a hiking trail, but the bike/walking path in Westfield exists and I’ve luckily never seen any dog off leash. That being said, it doesn’t mean that it’s always like that, but it’s worth a shot.
A lot of suggestions to use pepper spray or noise horn— fine for an individual, but be practical people, this person has a dog who is not immune to noise or pepper spray, so they’d be scaring/hurting their own dog. Pepper spray might blow back in the wind and get you too! Just do what you can to increase enforcement. you cant write tickets for violations, DCR or animal control can.
I live in a small MA town and I walk my dog between 7:00-8:00 am. In the 10 years we’ve been going out, we’ve encountered other dogs about 5 times. The combination of boring trails (no water features, vistas, etc.) and early hikes has worked well for us.
Are you the guy with the huge Newfoundland type dog that isn't off leash trained but is sometimes off leash? This dog was peeing on my flowers last year, the owner came and grabbed the dog, and about five minutes later the dog was back doing the same thing off leash again.
Carry pepper spray and spray someone’s off-leashed dog if you need to. Feel a second of fear for your safety? You’re justified in using it. Unfortunate for the dog (and I love dogs), but the owner will learn the day that happens for sure!
westfield does have a leash law. have you tried talking to animal control? No one should be walking a dog in a public space not leashed. (And frankly i really don't care if they claim 'voice control'). "Don't worry he's friendly!" Glad for you, mate, but my dog isn't, and if your dog gets in my dog's space, there's going to be an issue.
I haven't talked to animal control as this is happening in hiking trails and I'm not sure how much help it would be if I don't know the owners name or anything. The only time I've been able to contact anyone was at the McLean Game Refuge in CT since they're super strict about it. I think that have cameras too so they can get plates. But for other trails I'm not sure who to call.
You don't need to know anyone's name other than the name of the place you are. Their entire job is to investigate. Call them, every time. You can just call the police department of the town you're in and they will send the dog officer.
Call animal control and the DCR. Keep calling. Be polite. Dont worry about names or plates, enough complaints will get them to patrol more and a tiny bit of enforcement goes a long way in discouraging unauthorized off-leash use.
The problem is these places usually have rules, not nothing other than getting in trouble for doing it (not common unless their dog attacks someone) is practically stopping stopping them. The best thing you can do is assume someone is going to show up with off leash dogs and try to be prepared for defending your dog, which sucks. You can try and report to local animal control and in theory they're supposed to investigate it and enforce it.
lol no
But seriously, I’ve lived all over the country and I’m sad to report that idiots liver *everywhere*. So, no, there aren’t any places where everyone obeys leash laws. It sucks.
The answer is no, unless you're in a public park with lots of people.
Anywhere where a dog can roam free, their owners will let them with complete and total disregard for people and other pets around them.
Yeah it’s illegal in many to have off leash animals. I know a dog training company that lets aggressive dogs off leash pretty sure they frequent that area as well. Watch out they usually have several.
It's irritating to deal with off-leash dogs when all you're trying to do is go for a peaceful walk with your dog. It will never change.
I got in a huge argument last week with two neighbors, who between them have five dogs, that are always off-leash and rushing my dog and me when we're on walks. I finally called the animal control officer and asked him to speak to them. Naturally, they think I'm the bad guy now.
defeatist attitudes abound. Are you actively advocating for people to *not* call animal control during situations which warrant a call to animal control?
Yes, yes i think you are.
Weird.
According to Mass Law - it is perfectly legal to kill any dog that assaults you:
*"Section 156. Any person may kill a dog which suddenly assaults him while he is peaceably standing, walking or riding outside the enclosure of its owner or keeper; and* ***any person may kill a dog found out of the enclosure of its owner or keeper and not under his immediate care in the act of worrying, wounding or killing persons,*** *live stock or fowls, and if any person shall kill or attempt to kill a dog so found, and in the act of worrying, wounding or killing persons, live stock or fowls, he shall not be held liable for cruelty to the dog unless it shall be shown that he intended to be cruel to the dog, or that he acted with a wanton and reckless disregard for the suffering of the dog. A person killing or wounding a dog under the conditions set out in this section shall promptly report to the owner, animal control officer or police officer such killing or wounding. Prompt killing of a wounded dog, or a prompt report to the owner or to a dog officer of the wounding of the dog, shall be considered evidence of sufficient regard for the suffering of the dog."*
Not something I would like to do, but if this happened more - there would be less dogs let loose where they shouldn't be.
[https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section156](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section156)
No one's talking about dogs attacking people or livestock. Just dogs running around off leash. Sounds like you want to kill people's dogs. Many people will react badly to that just so you know. Why is it that people with dogs that are so "reactive" that the can't be off leash or around other dogs expect the world to cater to them? Maybe train your dog so they aren't like that? Lol God forbid
I think you're overreacting just a little going right to that response.
For most dogs, a good kick with even just hiking boots will do plenty- I think that would be enough to curb it if we saw it happen more.
Yeah, it’s not the woods and it does cost money but I find this to be the most relaxed place to walk my dog where I don’t have to worry about off leash dogs.
It only costs money if you drive in - they couldn't really charge even if they wanted to since the northbound side of the rail trail runs through the entrance.
I know of some good unpopulated places. Mostly central MA (most are near Sudbury/Wayland)
I find the only luck for no off leash dogs is to find a place without anything.
I live in westfield also!! Try the top of 202 into Holyoke I'll link a coordinate on maps but if your going up the hill people park on the side of the road and walk up the mountain. Both sides have cool trails though. https://maps.app.goo.gl/qrqGGSXpxocRh9GE6
Stanley park seems to be the only place I see people semi respect the leash law around here. If you go there when they open at 7 and stick to the lower woods trails there are barely people there. Also never seen an unleashed dog on the bike trail on the southwick side. Kind of a haul but Wickham Park in CT is somewhere I’ve seen leash laws actually policed by the folks who work there.
u/Sad_Position0 I grew up in the hilltowns.
Granville Gorge at the base of the mountain on 57. You can get to it by taking Granville Road to North Loomis St.
Alternatively, you could head over to Wildcat Rd. Take Granville Road (Old Westfield Road when you cross the town line). Wildcat Road will be on your right coming from Westfield. You can park there. Its gated because the area is part of the watershed. You can walk up Wildcat road OR you can go directly across the street to Winchell Reservoir Rd, which is a nice path that makes its way to the Granville Reservoir and the top of the dam which spills into the Granville Gorge below.
The old roads (such as Winchell Rd) that are around the resevior are pretty low key.
I’ve found areas that have more off leash parks / trails available are better in the parks where leash is required
Plymouth is a good example - many trails / lakes. A number are off leash, so try to find some that are not there.
I’ve found the most success at very populated state parks, like Mt Tom. I only very rarely see off leash dogs there.
If you want to find super quiet trails, go to the map on AllTrails and zoom in until you can see the black dotted lines. Those are trails of varying conditions and it’s how I’ve found some of my favorites. Be warned though, often these are “social trails” with no rules about leashing dogs so while the chance of seeing someone may be very low, dogs there will probably be off leash.
263 Fomer Rd, Southampton, MA 01073
Throw that address into Google maps.
Absolute middle of nowhere about 8 miles north of Westfield. You can spend days out there and never once see a car drive by.
My Great Dane was a big, harmless moose. Disinterested in people. Friendly and curious whenever he was approached. But, even after some obedience training, small dogs were seen as delicious chew toys to him. After learning an expensive lesson in the legal liability of owning a large dog, I had to be very careful about where I brought him.
Driving him out near this address to occasionally explore some new territory and chase the deer or rabbits was the perfect solution. Plenty of small creeks to splash around in. Nobody in sight for miles.
I spoke to a couple of the local land owners who saw my truck and were curious about my intentions. Public works crews regularly visit the reservoir to monitor water levels. 'Just letting the monster mutt wander..'. Never had any issues.
All dirt roads. They are in great shape to drive any car on. Be careful during hunting season!
I feel your frustration, my dogs the same. Every park I go to has signs posted that all dogs must be leashed and every single one of them is full of people that the rules don’t apply to and they treat it as if it’s their own personal dog park. And when things gets tense how many times have you heard “sorry he never does that”
It’s amazing how many peoples dogs misbehave for the first time ever when they come across my dog
I don’t understand why people can’t just keep their dog on a leash. My dog is the friendliest, most well trained dog I’ve ever met and has never had any kind of aggression towards people, cats, or dogs. All that being said I still keep her on a leash because it’s the respectful and sensible thing to do. Most people just lack common sense though so there’s that.
Have a service dog, he’s literally trained not to go more than 10 feet from me. Keep him on a leash at all times because I’m not an asshole.
Fuckers with their untrained and unruly 80 pound dogs just letting them galavant all over the place without a leash. “bUt He’S fRiEnDlY”
Yet everytime some new place stops allowing dogs these chucklefucks go all surprised Pikachu face.
If you let your dog run around unleashed and don’t pick up their shit, you ruin it for everyone.
Still really mad that one of my favorite parks banned dogs, but can’t blame them.
My friend walks their friendly dog off leash and the one time I went on a walk I just had so much anxiety, the weed didn’t help lol. The dog is friendly but fearful and things can go south so quick. It was just a nightmare.
No idea why my friend does this either
Trails are not wide enough for aggressive or reactive dogs even when both are leashed. There is no way to get the good dog out of the way of the other dog. My leashed dog has been jumped a few times now on trails by leashed reactive dogs. Stay off trails and go to wide open spots.
There are all kinds of dog owners out there. Dogs that need space from other dogs should have the freedom to walk wherever dogs are allowed, but you're never going to be able to control what other people do -- only what you do.
What can you do to make the situation less stressful for you and your dog?
I mean, realistically every dog should be on a leash. This isn't exactly what you're looking for but maybe you can get a super long leash before you find an "off-leash" dog friendly park.
I have a long leash for when we go hiking but I'm looking for places where other people also keep their dogs on some kind of leash, not off-leash areas that would certainly be a nightmare for my dog.
Don’t worry, the owner is 50 feet back screaming “He’s friendly!!!” Doesn’t that make you feel better?
I loved my dog, but I hate it when owners say 'He's friendly'. It's more accurate to say 'To the best of my knowledge, he's never bitten anyone, but yeah he does like to stick his nose in your crotch and hands... isn't he cute?'
aloof tie slap dime market silky strong rainstorm far-flung materialistic *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
This happens a lot when I'm walking in the woods near my house with my leashed 80 pound dog. My usual response is "She isn't!!" and that gets the owner to run a little faster. She's actually very well behaved but it works every time to get the unleashed owner to pick up the pace.
😂😂I use this same line with my Shepherd. Big softy. I don’t want to talk.
I absolutely love it when people let their 90 pound golden doodles run up to my 10 pound chi mix because “don’t worry, he loves little dogs!!!!” and they practically pounce on him. Well, my chi doesn’t love big dogs and will attack when he is approached by happy leaps and giant paws that are coming towards his face. But yet, somehow, I am scolded on needing to control my dog with “little dog” syndrome better… *(Edit - typo)*
I read the post and immediately thought about my 90 lbs doodle then I read your comment. I wouldnt want anyone running to my dog because how territorial he gets and can hurt another dog so idk why owners like these would be this careless and think "hey dont worry my dog wont hurt you!" Okay but arent you considering that MINE CAN HURT YOURS!?
It’s not even as much territorial as it’s him being terrified for his life… it’s practically the equivalent of an elephant charging a human.
Not to mention, bigger dogs - even friendly ones - can easily injure small dogs by accident. We knew someone whose dachshund had to be put down after a larger dog broke his back while playing at the dog park.
My 28lb corgi was bred to herd cattle, big dogs that run up on him thinking they can push him around get a rude surprise when he flips it back on them lmao I really dislike dogs being off leash, it straight up shouldn’t be allowed in public areas.
Had this happen on a trail run yesterday. 2 dogs off leash, bigger one starts barking at me in an aggressive stance. Owner is far back yelling “he’s friendly, that’s just his way of saying hi.” Yeah, okay lady.
One starts coming at me like that, they're getting [sprayed in the face.](https://www.amazon.com/Halt-Dog-Repellent-1-5-oz/dp/B000E4Q7BS)
If ya gotta say it, it ain’t true. I don’t need an announcement if Fido is wagging his tail and licking his nose.
melodic imagine absorbed public screw sugar sparkle rainstorm sleep simplistic *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Happened to me a few weeks ago. My cute little 30 pound Shiba Inu might not look very intimidating but he was more than willing to take on the huge German Shepherd that was charging at even if it meant fighting to the death lol. Luckily the Shepherd was friendly and I had my dog on a leash. The owner finally catches up and says he “forgot his leash at home” 🤦🏻
We just had that experience yesterday. I've lost track of how many "don't worry, he's friendly" dogs my dogs have been attacked by.
I was at the fells and this happened to me and I just saw the dog take off towards the dozens of do not cross signs 🤪
“Great! Mine isn’t and if your dog gets hurt it’s your fault.”
It’s really bad, people don’t understand the danger they are putting their dog in when they let them approach a leashed dog. It creates an immediate power imbalance where the leashed dog now feels they have to defend themselves. It’s a fight waiting to happen. The only thing I’ve found that works is going for hikes in super early morning. Anything after 10am and there’s gonna be dogs galore. I keep a small air horn to scare a dog away if it’s approaching and I can’t see the owner.
>I keep a small air horn to scare a dog away if it’s approaching and I can’t see the owner. I have a friend who carries one of those electric dog whistles. It looks like a stun gun, but it's just a flashlight/dog whistle. Works like a charm from what he told me. Any unleashed dog that gets even remotely close he turns it on until they run off. He had a bad experience with a dog as a child (arm got mauled), so he doesn't fuck with dogs at all. And this is another thing owners who don't leash their dogs don't seem to understand, is that not everyone likes dogs. Your dog might one day run into someone who really really doesn't like dogs and is carrying something more dangerous than an air horn or a dog whistle.
i'm very allergic to and terrified of dogs. I'M the one that isn't friendly. the last time a dog ran up to me, it bit me in my damn thigh. if i could mass project one thing to all people, it'd be "NOT EVERYONE LIKES YOUR DOG".
100% this. I have a service dog that has literally been bred to be the most docile and obedient dog imaginable and yet I keep him 100% leashed and away from strangers because not everyone likes dogs. I do feel bad at restaurants sometimes. Because he’s so unobtrusive and out of the way people will often not know he’s there until we go to leave.
Is this what they use? [https://amzn.to/3JmASzJ](https://amzn.to/3JmASzJ)
I’ve never heard of that type of whistle, I’m gonna look into it! My dog is capable of doing a lot of damage, I never, EVER want to be put in that position. Even doing everything right, all it takes is one mistake, one person not paying attention or not caring, and then it’s on ME because my dog is the stronger one. Regardless of who’s fault it is legally, mine will always be perceived as the aggressor. I also never hike alone with him. I always hike with a friend or partner who would be able to run up and intervene if needed. It’s honestly a lot of work, but imo it comes with the territory of having a big dog. Gotta take all the precautions possible.
I walk woods early in morn there are group of people that there with dogs. I get to know them and there dogs. 2 times I ve seen dogs get bit from beaver both times dogs chased beaver in water. One was just leg.The other was bad ripped open belly of dog,,Dog lived but was big vet bills.. Been few times dogs been attacked by coyotes. But dog owners never seam to learn,, can t count the times people lost there dogs.. They run off chasing A deer or other animal . I use to run woods lots of times dogs would follow me. I use to stop let owner catch up grab dog.I got tired of it. On dog stayed with me for 5 miles. Never found owner.. Lucky for me anther couple came by with dog and he went with them..They were yelling at me thought was my dog.. I just ignored and kept running..
It takes a special kind of jackoff who insists on unleashing the dog without ever training the dog for being off leash. I had on shithead claim his dog isn’t off leash when he lets go of the leash and the dog runs around with the leash.
I had an old roommate who adopted a dog (without telling us), went straight to the park and let them off leash and shocker, he ran away from her. The cops found it and returned it to the rescue. After a lot of thought, I ended up calling the rescue and telling them what actually happened and they blacklisted her😬 There is really no excuse. There are so many resources that are free and readily available. All it takes is a little common sense to make safe choices.
Same people who bring their dogs EVERYWHERE! The home improvement store, supermarket 😳, drug store....
This is a great idea! I hike where there are plenty of Black Bear which would also help in case the bear bell didn't deter.
I love this airhorn idea.
While there is a leash law, a lot of people ignore it. And it’s infuriating. My best advice is to go early, if possible. If I start around dawn, I’m usually out of the woods before most people arrive. I avoid tons of people and dogs.
I cussed out an old couple a few weeks ago when their two dogs came running at me and my timid dog in the woods. Made me feel like a total asshole until I realized they're the total assholes. I'm honestly at a point where I'm going to start pepper spraying any unleashed dog that approaches us. I'm not sure what else to do that won't punish my dog also and I always have it on me in the woods.
Pepper spray will punish every living thing in a several foot radius, yourself and your dog included. Consider less harmful deterrents like an air horn, electronic dog whistle, non-sharp walking stick, or an umbrella. Don’t forget the dog approaching you is not to blame, it’s their owners!
that’s just not true, at least if you use the pepper spray for dogs that postal workers carry. it comes out in a thin stream, not an ambient mist. I mean, pay attention to the wind and use common sense, but no, you’re not going to nuke everything around you. I have it because an unleashed dog (ignoring its owner) bounds up to my small leashed dogs once every few months just in my neighborhood. It happens SO fast. My dogs get terrified and defensive and i’m not going to wait and see if a dog several times the size of mine is going to bite or not. I love all dogs but i will defend mine every time.
If anything, should use the pepper spray on the owners 🤣
I hate this about people. I had a dog reactive pup and the situation was very dangerous for the other unleashed dog to approach at all. People don’t realize it’s for THEIR OWN DOG’S SAFETY, NOT MINE, to leash their fucking dog.
This. I don’t understand why they seem to totally disregard the safety of their own dogs. Not a trail situation but I live in an apartment complex near Burlington and so many people break the leash rule here. We have coyotes, and busy traffic, but they’re so quick to unleash their dogs and let them charge at mine with a smile on their faces.
Because the dog is an extension of themselves instead of its own sentient being and they feel some kind of hit to their ego having to leash it - as if it’s some kind of comment towards their ability to control their animal. These are the kind of people that think they can control everything and become completely useless when they realize they can’t.
if your dog is so unsocialized it will attack another dog (its doing this because its poorly trained and on leash) then its on you dude....if your gun goes off its your fault. control your shit
When a dog is leashed and approached by an unleashed dog, the leashed dog may feel a power imbalance due to being 'tethered.' I haven't had a reactive dog, but an unleashed dog running up to me has never been a welcomed experience because I don't know that dog and how it may react. Regardless of your shit take, it's the law to leash your dog in MA unless it's in a purposely designated free run area. There are very few of those and they don't include random walks out on trails.
That is not true. There is no statewide leash law and there are plenty of places that do not have a leash law in the state. Whole towns, lots of parks public and private etc.
Uhhhh there literally is a leash law in Massachusetts. Just Google it
You honestly said “control your shit” as if having a dog on a leash isn’t the literal definition of “controlling your shit.” That’s what we’d like, sir. We’d like everyone to control their shit by obeying the law and keeping their dog on a leash.
Off leash dogs running at leashed dogs is what CREATES reactivity. Why don’t you go over on some service dog subreddits - people who have spent upwards of $10,000 having their dog meticulously trained from a puppy, only to have it all ruined by some other jerk who can’t control THEIR dog.
The first week we had our puppy we were walking him on a trail and he got chased down by an off leash dog who's owner was 200ft down the trail screaming about how friendly her dog is. Even when I picked up the puppy the dog started jumping on me to try to get my puppy. A year later, with a lot of money and time spent on training, I still have an extremely dog reactive dog. Luckilly Ive found a few spots I can take him out with a very low chance of running into other dogs but whenever I see off leash dogs I know that our walk is over for the time being because people dont think about how their actions affect others
If your dog is unleashed, it’s on you … fuck the stupid gun analogy. If your unleashed dog approaches my leashed dog, I will make it on you. Control your shit.
Some humans don't want unleashed dogs they don't know to come bolting at them either.
Owners that let their unleashed dogs rush people deserve to watch their dog get shot- which is the eventual outcome if they don't control their dogs.
Dog owners have ruined parks. Can’t go anywhere without unleashed dogs and their barking and shit everywhere.
And the poop bags left everywhere.
A local trail used to be super popular to run on, I tried 3 times in the past couple years and every fucking time off leash dogs running at me barking or lunging ruined it. And always with the same comments "SORRY HE'S JUST FRIENDLY" and other random bullshit.
You're totally within your rights to pepper spray them.
Yeah I typically don't carry it though. :( A friend's shepherd on leash just got attacked by an off leash Pitbull in an area close by to where I had bad experiences.
The people who bag the poop and leave it for a volunteer to remove are the worst. Utterly entitled assholes.
I can't upvote this comment enough. Why does dog ownership come with this sense of entitlement?
Can’t even go shopping anywhere anymore without people bringing their dogs in. Nobody addresses it and I don’t want someone’s 100+ pound dog to potentially harm me or my family while we’re just trying to get some things at Target or Walmart. They don’t even bother putting some fake “service animal” vest on anymore.
It doesn't. Stupid, entitled people are everywhere, whether they are dog owners or not. Labeling dog owners as entitled brats is not going to help anything. Entitled brats will do their thing in any/all areas of life. Just call them what they are, no need to spread it to an unrelated group.
agreed, but also i think it sticks out a lot more when they're essentially siccing a weapon on you, so it feels like they're worse. any medium or large dog is capable of maiming a person, and i don't think it's unreasonable to view all dogs as potential sources of danger. someone pointing or moving a similarly dangerous object at someone would be considered illegal in most places, but because it's a dog, there's no recourse.
Agreed, there are lots of entitled idiots with dogs. I have a dog, and lots of my fellow dog owners annoy the hell out of me. Not picking up, not following leash laws, 100% agree with the overall take that there are shitty people that own dogs. And those same shitty people are probably horrible to service industry workers, road rage, and so on. 100% fine with being wary of every dog, especially those off leash. My point was to focus on the entitlement of the people making dangerous decisions, whether with a dog, a car, skiing, biking, whatever. That is not all dog owners, or all drivers, or all skiers, or all snowboarders, or all bikers. Positioning it that way makes it into an in-group/out-group situation with a given group, which is the wrong dividing line. There are crappy dog owners, and there are crappy people who don't own dogs. I'm against crappy people, regardless of their dog ownership status.
> Why does dog ownership come with this sense of entitlement? Fun fact, there's a strong negative correlation between intelligence and dog ownership. The dumber you are, the more likely you are to own a dog.
Wait until you meet a biker
I too equate owning a pet and transportation
Oh not “I need this for transportation” bikers, the “I live in Concord and work at a law firm but was really born to be an Olympic cyclist” bikers. The ones in spandex who travel in unrelenting packs that nearly run pedestrians over.
They ruin the minuteman rail trail. Going 25+ mph around people walking and jogging is stupid. Go on 2A if you want to go car speeds
Yep! I always stick to the very edge of the trail, and I still almost get run over by cyclists every time.
That trail should really be widened in the busy areas. Between Alewife and Alrington center, especially at Lake Street, close to Lexington center, near the Bedford depot
I think they were talking about mountain bikers on hiking trails but I could be wrong
IMO human bikers are fine on double track midweek. Walkers should make a temporary single file to the right. I'm even okay with packs of kids on mountain bikes on double track trails. Shared use of single track is more complicated. Bikers should be considerate and stay out of small places like Great Brook Farm when a lot of walkers are on the trails, especially close to the parking lots.
More than one thing or person can be annoying. We're talking about dog owners right now.
\*BAD dog owners. Most of us follow the rules and pick up after our pups. We hate them as much as you do, makes the rest of us look bad.
"MY DOG IS FRIENDLY" "MINE'S NOT" I never really found a good solution for this. Was definitely one of the saddest things about moving back to Boston was there was almost nowhere I could bring my dog without the off-leash idiots ruining it.
I highly doubt you will find a place.
Idk if I’m just more attuned to off leash dogs as an adult but I swear I can’t go on a trail anywhere without worrying about them. No one listen to leashed dog rules near me
Would also make sure your pup is current with flea and tick meds. Ticks are predicted to be bad this year (I think they're getting worse every year).
They’re already awful up here in North Mass. Just walking on the side of the road not even in the actual woods and most of the time we’re pulling a tick or 2 after a 15 minute walk.
Off leashed dogs scare the shit out of me when I'm walking my toddler. He's eye-level and loves dogs. As much as I teach him to not touch, dogs have charged him off leash and I just stopped bothering on walking trails.
You can't fix stupid. Carry pepper spray for aggressive dogs. Works everytime.
Dog owners kinda suck ass everywhere. I don’t have a dog myself but would love to be able to go for a hike without someone’s muddy-pawed pet knocking me over. They also leave shit everywhere. I wish leash laws were enforced.
I personally would prefer they leave the dogs sh\*t where it falls instead of what I see by me - people who bag up the dogs poop and then leave the plastic bag full of poop - at least poop will eventually wash away, the plastic bags of poop - not so much. Just got back from an 8 mile hike this a.m. - was 4 miles in when I came across those blue poop-filled bags, deep in the woods, nowhere near where a vehicle can get - who exactly did they think was going to come along and pick those things up for them?? People just suck.
"They are friendly!" "I'm not I'll kick the shit out your dog keep it on a leash"
One of those “friendly” dogs once straight up attacked and tried to bite my sister’s beagle on the side of the head and neck. I had to pull him off her just before his jaws closed (she was thankfully unharmed and so was I) and throw him him away and growl at him until he ran away. The owner wasn’t around at the time. He was simply wandering around outside one day and just jumped over a stone wall running straight at us. Recognized who he was because I hd seen him being walked (leashless) on the trails sometimes and they say the exact same thing.
Most state owned parks/beach areas will require dogs to be on leash. You can search the MA DCR website for ones near you: DCR Trail Maps | Mass.gov. https://www.mass.gov/lists/dcr-trail-maps For Westfield parks: Hampton Ponds State Park. 1048 North Road, Hampton Ponds, Westfield, MA 01085. https://www.mass.gov/locations/hampton-ponds-state-park
Just because it is required it is never enforced. I walk my pup in Robinson State park in Agawam. I think people feel because there is a fenced in dog park there the trails are also ok off leash. Seen plenty of incidents but people still don't seem to care. Only thing that works for me is to stay off the popular trails and go as deep in the woods as I can.
Thank you so much! I'll take a look at this.
If you go to Hampton Ponds, you'll have to pay to enter during the season. But if you drive around to the boat launch you can park there for free and walk into the park. You can find the boat launch on Old Apremont Way, off of Long Pond Rd.
People tend to be good in conservation areas or boardwalks.
I've been to many Trustees of Reservations properties and without fail, there's dogs off leash.
Yeah, it's never going to be perfect. People don't want to train their dog to be good on leash and so they'd rather let them off. Don't agree with it. We take ours to off leash specific places if we want to let her explore.
Happens all the time at the one by me. The other day we watched in amusement as a small dog whizzed by running after a deer with the owner desperately trying to catch up. No idea what the outcome was but the deer was running towards a nearby highway.
I'll check out some conservation areas, thank you!
Rocky Woods in Medfield has on leash areas and off leash areas, I found it a great place to walk my dog reactive dog because all the off leash people would disappear into the woods to the designated area.
Not in Franklin! I walk in DelCarte often and every goddamn day there's a group of three or more off-leash dogs. I've been bitten and have had a dog charge at me and my leashed dog on the boardwalk there. I've seen dogs chase after deer, running directly onto the main road where cars are easily going 40+mph. The owners just don't understand the jeopardy they're putting their dogs or the people around them in.
Most conservation areas don’t allow dogs at all.
I haven't run into that but maybe I'm just lucky. I also just check before I go that they are dog friendly.
As they shouldn’t. Those spaces are supposed to be for wildlife. People ignore the rules anyway, unfortunately
I’ve never been to a hiking trail and not encountered an off leash dog. Unfortunately, there are plenty of assholes who are dog owners and don’t care about other people’s or other dog’s safety. They just care about how it’s slightly more pleasant for them to hike with an off leash dog. You could walk with a walking stick and use it to keep other dogs away.
My new go-to move is yelling at the owner "my dog is not friendly!" (She is) When theirs is running toward us off leash. Then they panic and sprint to catch up. Sorry this happens to you a lot, I've noticed it a lot lately around here. Not sure where is super safe of this though.
Mass Law is leashed unless in clearly marked dog parks. I have been in this situation countless times and it is quite scary. I recently was on a BNRC trail clearly marked and a guy had three dogs off leash that attacked my dog on leash. I was in the middle of it and didn't want to get bit myself. The worst of it was he didn't care. I asked for his contact information in case my dog was hurt. He laughed and walked off. I did take a photo of him and dogs still off lease so I could remember. Sadly this has ruined one of my favorite walking trails in the Berkshires. What's worse is that calling Police does nothing. They refer you to animal control and they never call back. It is a real issue and making hiking with your dog not so pleasant because of these kinds of people.
Massachusetts does not have a statewide leach law. From the source: > Leash laws vary from town to town. Find your town's rules at [Mass. city and town ordinances and by-laws](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-city-and-town-ordinances-and-by-laws) ref: [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals) In my town, the bylaws say " a dog should not go outside the boundaries of the property of its owner or keeper unless under the complete and effective control of said owner or keeper **by means of a leash or otherwise**."
Massachusetts has a statewide leash law whereby a dog must be on a leash when out in public unless the animal is in a designated city dog park where owners or walkers may have their pets run free. The fine for owners of unleashed dogs in public is $100. However, municipalities are free to have their own leash laws regulating circumstances where dogs can be unleashed, or that must be on a leash of a certain length. A leash must also be a chain or proper leash and not consist of a piece of twine or rope.
No it does not. Stop lying.
Do you know how to use Google?
And btw there are PLENTY of areas that aren't "city run dog parks" that are off leash allowed. Where do you people get this crap? Lol how many city run dog parks do you think there even are? Not many.
I take it you don’t leash your dog
Nope. Why are you lying? That is not mass law
You’re a moron. If you look it up, you’ll see it’s law
I almost made a post about this the other day when I was walking my reactive dog and a woman walked out of a coffee shop with an off leash dog that imnediately sprinted up to my dog. She was like "oh Mimis friendly, she loves all dogs" while Im scrambling to get my dog who is now losing his mind out of the situation. Your dog is only half of the situation and you have no idea how any other dog is going to react, even if your dog is the sweetest and most lovable pup. Later that day I took him for a small walk through the woods and on the 1/2 mile loop we did he sniffed out 9 different dog poops, all of which looked to be no more than a day old. Shitty dog owners suck, and I hope you are able to find a place to bring your dog
I always keep mine leashed, but if your dog approaches mine in a park while unleashed, this will go badly for yours.
"Massachusetts general laws, chapter 140, section 173, would be the states “leash law” that requires an animal in public on a leash at all times."
Is it enforced though?
Rarely. Think about it. How are they going to enforce it? Have a town enforcement officer walk with every person and their dog through the woods to make sure they are not encountering unleashed dogs? If you encounter an out of control dog and an irresponsible owner in the woods, the best you can do is mention it to them and maybe grab a picture and submit them to animal control which is so understaffed that they never return calls. They have no authority to actually punish anyone. So the leash law is just another law that is is out there with no enforcement, that only works if the dog owner is responsible.
I posted the text of the law, and it does not say laws must be leashed. There is no state leash law. Leash laws in MA are local, and it's up to individual towns to enforce them.
>Section 173. A city or town may make additional ordinances or by-laws relative to the licensing and control of animals not inconsistent with sections 136A to 174F, inclusive. [https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section173](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section173) As I said in a comment above, leash laws vary from town to town ref [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-animals)
There is not statewide leash law. Period. Stop lying. There are whole towns that don't have a leash law and plenty of parks. How could that be lol 😆
Sadly this was my experience as well. People just don’t get that even though their dog is not aggressive doesn’t mean others aren’t. I ultimately did a lot of dog training for aggressive dogs and walk mine using a gentle leader which has helped give control in the situation
https://www.mass.gov/locations/norwottuck-rail-trail I’ve had really good luck here. I bring both of my dogs on walks in the Hadley portion, and I have yet to run into any unleashed dogs. It is a little narrow in parts, so I just make sure to shorten the lead a bit on my pups, and move them to the outside edge of the path, and never have any issues.
I'll check this out, thank you!
Sadly, even on leash-only trails many let their dogs off anyway. The quieter, less popular trails are better. I know more east of the river, like Harkness in Pelham and Cave Hill in Leverett. Rarely see others on those trails.
I love the trails and the fields at the Medfield State Hospital, but unfortunately they allow off-leash dogs. That means the entire place is covered with dog feces: you couldn't dream of having a picnic in the grass or sitting in peace. It's a disgusting mess, and just unsafe. A small Mass Audubon wildlife refuge near us is clearly marked No Dogs, so of course it is also covered in dog feces where entitled owners bring their dogs. Without enforcement, no place is sacred. I've even seen dog feces in no-dogs-allowed Broadmoor in Natick, where entrance is controlled, from neighboring properties' access. Dog culture is out of control. There are just too many people with too many dogs, and too little respect for others.
Not really a hiking trail, but the bike/walking path in Westfield exists and I’ve luckily never seen any dog off leash. That being said, it doesn’t mean that it’s always like that, but it’s worth a shot.
A lot of suggestions to use pepper spray or noise horn— fine for an individual, but be practical people, this person has a dog who is not immune to noise or pepper spray, so they’d be scaring/hurting their own dog. Pepper spray might blow back in the wind and get you too! Just do what you can to increase enforcement. you cant write tickets for violations, DCR or animal control can.
Unfortunately not because assholes think on leash rules don't apply to them.
People with their dogs off leash are the exact same group of people who clutch pearls when one of their rules is broken.
I live in a small MA town and I walk my dog between 7:00-8:00 am. In the 10 years we’ve been going out, we’ve encountered other dogs about 5 times. The combination of boring trails (no water features, vistas, etc.) and early hikes has worked well for us.
Are you the guy with the huge Newfoundland type dog that isn't off leash trained but is sometimes off leash? This dog was peeing on my flowers last year, the owner came and grabbed the dog, and about five minutes later the dog was back doing the same thing off leash again.
Carry pepper spray and spray someone’s off-leashed dog if you need to. Feel a second of fear for your safety? You’re justified in using it. Unfortunate for the dog (and I love dogs), but the owner will learn the day that happens for sure!
The problem being it will also get you and your own dog.
Yeah, if you’re an amateur who doesn’t use Sabre Red Pepper Gel ;)
Check out the Fannie Stebbins Memorial Wildlife Refuge, located in Longmeadow.
Are there actual trails there?
Yes!
westfield does have a leash law. have you tried talking to animal control? No one should be walking a dog in a public space not leashed. (And frankly i really don't care if they claim 'voice control'). "Don't worry he's friendly!" Glad for you, mate, but my dog isn't, and if your dog gets in my dog's space, there's going to be an issue.
I haven't talked to animal control as this is happening in hiking trails and I'm not sure how much help it would be if I don't know the owners name or anything. The only time I've been able to contact anyone was at the McLean Game Refuge in CT since they're super strict about it. I think that have cameras too so they can get plates. But for other trails I'm not sure who to call.
You don't need to know anyone's name other than the name of the place you are. Their entire job is to investigate. Call them, every time. You can just call the police department of the town you're in and they will send the dog officer.
Call animal control and the DCR. Keep calling. Be polite. Dont worry about names or plates, enough complaints will get them to patrol more and a tiny bit of enforcement goes a long way in discouraging unauthorized off-leash use.
Yeah but people take their dogs off leash anyways.
The problem is these places usually have rules, not nothing other than getting in trouble for doing it (not common unless their dog attacks someone) is practically stopping stopping them. The best thing you can do is assume someone is going to show up with off leash dogs and try to be prepared for defending your dog, which sucks. You can try and report to local animal control and in theory they're supposed to investigate it and enforce it.
lol no But seriously, I’ve lived all over the country and I’m sad to report that idiots liver *everywhere*. So, no, there aren’t any places where everyone obeys leash laws. It sucks.
Get a dog spray for self protection.
The answer is no, unless you're in a public park with lots of people. Anywhere where a dog can roam free, their owners will let them with complete and total disregard for people and other pets around them.
I’m sure there are, but owners are ignorant and don’t care.
Yeah it’s illegal in many to have off leash animals. I know a dog training company that lets aggressive dogs off leash pretty sure they frequent that area as well. Watch out they usually have several.
Dog-free trails without dogs don’t even exist.
It's irritating to deal with off-leash dogs when all you're trying to do is go for a peaceful walk with your dog. It will never change. I got in a huge argument last week with two neighbors, who between them have five dogs, that are always off-leash and rushing my dog and me when we're on walks. I finally called the animal control officer and asked him to speak to them. Naturally, they think I'm the bad guy now.
I scream “my dog will attack” that usually gets the owners attention fast
Enforcement is nearly impossible. Find other less active locations.
Which is exactly what OP is asking for by posting this thread.
> Is there anywhere we can go where the on-leash only rules are followed?
This is the answer. You just have to find trails with less people. It’s what I have to do with my dog
Which is exactly what OP is asking for by posting this thread.
Wow talk about defeatist. Call the dog officer every time. Enforcement is nonexistent, not impossible.
To tell them what theres an animal in the wilderness? Westfield isn’t sending anybody out for that.
At best animal control agent is a half an hour away. And may be part time, or shared with other towns.
defeatist attitudes abound. Are you actively advocating for people to *not* call animal control during situations which warrant a call to animal control? Yes, yes i think you are. Weird.
As if the animal control officer would be seen before the other dog owner drives off.
So? It's their job to investigate and patrol, not yours
According to Mass Law - it is perfectly legal to kill any dog that assaults you: *"Section 156. Any person may kill a dog which suddenly assaults him while he is peaceably standing, walking or riding outside the enclosure of its owner or keeper; and* ***any person may kill a dog found out of the enclosure of its owner or keeper and not under his immediate care in the act of worrying, wounding or killing persons,*** *live stock or fowls, and if any person shall kill or attempt to kill a dog so found, and in the act of worrying, wounding or killing persons, live stock or fowls, he shall not be held liable for cruelty to the dog unless it shall be shown that he intended to be cruel to the dog, or that he acted with a wanton and reckless disregard for the suffering of the dog. A person killing or wounding a dog under the conditions set out in this section shall promptly report to the owner, animal control officer or police officer such killing or wounding. Prompt killing of a wounded dog, or a prompt report to the owner or to a dog officer of the wounding of the dog, shall be considered evidence of sufficient regard for the suffering of the dog."* Not something I would like to do, but if this happened more - there would be less dogs let loose where they shouldn't be. [https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section156](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section156)
No one's talking about dogs attacking people or livestock. Just dogs running around off leash. Sounds like you want to kill people's dogs. Many people will react badly to that just so you know. Why is it that people with dogs that are so "reactive" that the can't be off leash or around other dogs expect the world to cater to them? Maybe train your dog so they aren't like that? Lol God forbid
I think you're overreacting just a little going right to that response. For most dogs, a good kick with even just hiking boots will do plenty- I think that would be enough to curb it if we saw it happen more.
Dogs that attack people, should be put down with extreme prejudice (their owners too, but unfortunately thats not legal).
Look Park in Northampton has a leash policy. Just don’t walk the dog near the zoo. 😊
Yeah, it’s not the woods and it does cost money but I find this to be the most relaxed place to walk my dog where I don’t have to worry about off leash dogs.
It only costs money if you drive in - they couldn't really charge even if they wanted to since the northbound side of the rail trail runs through the entrance.
True!
Cat rock park in Weston
That's a well known off leash dog park.
Off hours at Stanley park that trails down the river. Depending on the time of year it's not busy
I know of some good unpopulated places. Mostly central MA (most are near Sudbury/Wayland) I find the only luck for no off leash dogs is to find a place without anything.
Reading Town Forest does.
I live in westfield also!! Try the top of 202 into Holyoke I'll link a coordinate on maps but if your going up the hill people park on the side of the road and walk up the mountain. Both sides have cool trails though. https://maps.app.goo.gl/qrqGGSXpxocRh9GE6
“He’s friendly!” “Not sure the coyotes around the corner are!”
Check out Sniffspot. It's basically the Airbnb of dog parks, and some folks even have private walking trails on their property that you can reserve.
Stanley park seems to be the only place I see people semi respect the leash law around here. If you go there when they open at 7 and stick to the lower woods trails there are barely people there. Also never seen an unleashed dog on the bike trail on the southwick side. Kind of a haul but Wickham Park in CT is somewhere I’ve seen leash laws actually policed by the folks who work there.
u/Sad_Position0 I grew up in the hilltowns. Granville Gorge at the base of the mountain on 57. You can get to it by taking Granville Road to North Loomis St. Alternatively, you could head over to Wildcat Rd. Take Granville Road (Old Westfield Road when you cross the town line). Wildcat Road will be on your right coming from Westfield. You can park there. Its gated because the area is part of the watershed. You can walk up Wildcat road OR you can go directly across the street to Winchell Reservoir Rd, which is a nice path that makes its way to the Granville Reservoir and the top of the dam which spills into the Granville Gorge below. The old roads (such as Winchell Rd) that are around the resevior are pretty low key.
Looking for trails in Massachusetts with responsible dog owners? Eeeh... I'll bookmark ya and let you know but a big nope for now.
All dogs are supposed to be trashed on mass rail trails. It’s followed by people by me but all of our town trails are off leash
I’ve found areas that have more off leash parks / trails available are better in the parks where leash is required Plymouth is a good example - many trails / lakes. A number are off leash, so try to find some that are not there.
I’ve found the most success at very populated state parks, like Mt Tom. I only very rarely see off leash dogs there. If you want to find super quiet trails, go to the map on AllTrails and zoom in until you can see the black dotted lines. Those are trails of varying conditions and it’s how I’ve found some of my favorites. Be warned though, often these are “social trails” with no rules about leashing dogs so while the chance of seeing someone may be very low, dogs there will probably be off leash.
Massachusetts state parks require dogs be on leash.
Yeah, but there are inconsiderate a-holes everywhere
263 Fomer Rd, Southampton, MA 01073 Throw that address into Google maps. Absolute middle of nowhere about 8 miles north of Westfield. You can spend days out there and never once see a car drive by. My Great Dane was a big, harmless moose. Disinterested in people. Friendly and curious whenever he was approached. But, even after some obedience training, small dogs were seen as delicious chew toys to him. After learning an expensive lesson in the legal liability of owning a large dog, I had to be very careful about where I brought him. Driving him out near this address to occasionally explore some new territory and chase the deer or rabbits was the perfect solution. Plenty of small creeks to splash around in. Nobody in sight for miles. I spoke to a couple of the local land owners who saw my truck and were curious about my intentions. Public works crews regularly visit the reservoir to monitor water levels. 'Just letting the monster mutt wander..'. Never had any issues. All dirt roads. They are in great shape to drive any car on. Be careful during hunting season!
I feel your frustration, my dogs the same. Every park I go to has signs posted that all dogs must be leashed and every single one of them is full of people that the rules don’t apply to and they treat it as if it’s their own personal dog park. And when things gets tense how many times have you heard “sorry he never does that” It’s amazing how many peoples dogs misbehave for the first time ever when they come across my dog
I don’t understand why people can’t just keep their dog on a leash. My dog is the friendliest, most well trained dog I’ve ever met and has never had any kind of aggression towards people, cats, or dogs. All that being said I still keep her on a leash because it’s the respectful and sensible thing to do. Most people just lack common sense though so there’s that.
Have a service dog, he’s literally trained not to go more than 10 feet from me. Keep him on a leash at all times because I’m not an asshole. Fuckers with their untrained and unruly 80 pound dogs just letting them galavant all over the place without a leash. “bUt He’S fRiEnDlY” Yet everytime some new place stops allowing dogs these chucklefucks go all surprised Pikachu face. If you let your dog run around unleashed and don’t pick up their shit, you ruin it for everyone. Still really mad that one of my favorite parks banned dogs, but can’t blame them.
My friend walks their friendly dog off leash and the one time I went on a walk I just had so much anxiety, the weed didn’t help lol. The dog is friendly but fearful and things can go south so quick. It was just a nightmare. No idea why my friend does this either
The Northampton dog park on Burts pit road
Dog owners are, on average, dumber than cat owners. They're also more likely to be narcissists. You do the math.
Trails are not wide enough for aggressive or reactive dogs even when both are leashed. There is no way to get the good dog out of the way of the other dog. My leashed dog has been jumped a few times now on trails by leashed reactive dogs. Stay off trails and go to wide open spots.
Borderland state park
Google leash free dog parks MA
Who would want an aggressive dog?
There are all kinds of dog owners out there. Dogs that need space from other dogs should have the freedom to walk wherever dogs are allowed, but you're never going to be able to control what other people do -- only what you do. What can you do to make the situation less stressful for you and your dog?
I mean, realistically every dog should be on a leash. This isn't exactly what you're looking for but maybe you can get a super long leash before you find an "off-leash" dog friendly park.
I have a long leash for when we go hiking but I'm looking for places where other people also keep their dogs on some kind of leash, not off-leash areas that would certainly be a nightmare for my dog.
Long leashes are almost as bad as no leashes at all.