Restricted dog off leash.

There is a young man who rides a bicycle up our street to exercise his cream coloured red nose pitbull terrier. The dog is off leash and this evening after coming home from my parents I had Bella on a leash to teach her how to walk on a lead (I only take her from the car to the door with a stop on the front lawn to potty. We had just gotten to the front door and Bella was all excited because Chloe our cat was waiting and I put my key in the front door and hear a scuffle, I turn around and this giant dog is right there. He only had a sniff when the owner called him back and the dog obeyed, my cat bolted and I raced Bella into the house.

Okay, now this dog has obviously been well trained, too bad about the person who exercises him! American Pitbull terriers are a restricted breed and are not allowed off-leash in public at all. No dogs in NSW are allowed off leash unless in a designated off-leash dog park and Pitbulls are excluded because they are restricted.

I want to report it.

I think it would be better to try to have a word with the owner. The dog, as you say, is well trained. If you don't want to talk face to face, an anonymous letter slipped into the post would work(don't mention the incident, just that it's a restricted breed, you know the dog is off leash, and you don't want to have to report it).

Riding a bike with a leashed dog can be tricky, but there are dog/bike attachments available that keep the dog a safe distance from the bike, don't allow loose leash to get caught anywhere, etc. You might suggest he look into getting a system like that.

I can't believein a place where his dog is restricted he would be stupid enough to have him off leash! Sad to see that he is smart enough to have him well trained and then stupid enough to do something like that. At the very least even if the dog is well behaved and not endangering other people or dogs he is endangering his own dog with being taken and put down at no fault of the poor dog!

I totally agree with Soushiruiuma, please try and talk to the owner first as if you report it that poor dog will end up just like Lennox. Suffering for BSL.

http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/member.php?6430-Soushiruiuma

I sympathise with you. Its a hard one but from experience you need to sort this one way or another. Leo has been attacked twice by different dogs, both owners said the same thing..."Oh he's never done that before". Towhich I replied "Well he's done it now"
All dogs no matter how well trained have the potential to attack for what ever reason. A cavalier wouldnt stand a chance if a pitbull decided to turn nasty. What if its not a dog this pitbull goes for but a child!

Good luck, its not an easy situation to be in.

You are absolutely right all of you. I won't have that beautiful dog in trouble because his owner is an idiot. Evening though Chloe bolted the dog didn't chase her. That dog could be hit by a car or anything. I live in a dog walking crescent. Up to 30 dogs and owners walk up and down of an evening. Pit bulls can become agressive around other potentially aggressive dogs and people get hurt or killed when they try to stop it. I am very relieved that my babies Bella and Chloe are unharmed.

I got sworn at this afternoon by a late teenage girl when I pointed out it was breaking the law to have her staffie out in public without a collar and identity disk. So you may not get anywhere with your dog's owner - they seem to think it's a matter of pride that their dogs don't need to be on-lead, whereas we regard it as a sign of irresponsible ownership! What really worries me about staffies without collars is that if there is trouble - not necessarily attacking, but running into the road or similar - there's nothing to grab hold of, not even a fold of skin.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

What is wrong with people?!