Comments

1
dogs only react if YOU are timid and insecure. They can smell your fear. Stop sheltering you Portland baby and teach it not to fear dogs. If a dog is off leash in a park, running around having fun. It's not going to run over to your child and bite the kid. It's most likely running over to say hi. Good dogs love kids. Good dogs are most of the time off leash having fun in parks.
3
Got to agree with Jess here. Ideally dogs are good and just having fun off in parks off leash but we all know that's not what's happening. First of all there have been countless occasions of dogs going at it with each other in parks and no owner to control them because they weren't on a leash. Even if the kid is timid and insecure and the dog wants to say hi that doesn't mean that the kid should be forced to interact with the dog. Maybe the kid feels really uncomfortable around dogs and now there's one following it around while it's owner just chuckles like an idiot saying "oh they're having so much fun!"

How is it sheltering when most other cities and towns already have a strict leash law in place? Maybe there's a reason? You know, like keeping dogs from wandering too close to other dogs, getting in fight and endangering themselves and people. You say that good dogs love kids but can you guarantee that every dog a child is going to come across is "good"? Maybe one dog in particular is just an aggressive asshole and their brought them to the park so it could wear itself out. You want that dog near a kid or other dogs. Leashes aren't made to punish your dog, they're made to give you a way to control them in case something happens or they try to go where they shouldn't.
5
My dogs are on a leash every single time they leave the house, no exceptions; however, It never ceases to amaze me how many parents haven't taught their children basic rules for running up to or approaching strange dogs. Some of the parents I come across get it. Most don't. Most of the parks in Portland DO NOT allow dogs to run around freely and dog owners should respect that. Take fluffy to one of the great dog parks we have. Myself I avoid the park one block from my home because of the running, playing, shrieking little crumb grabbers that have no clue what they are doing when running up to my dog shouting " Oh look puppy!!
6
You thought you were a dog until you were 18, and now you have kids. Jesus.

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