First off, let me point out that I'm a dog owner and I love dogs. But some owners seem to think it's cool to walk their dogs off the lead in village areas, and some dimwits seem to think it's even cooler if they don't bother putting a collar on their dog. Without a collar it's probably only a matter of time before you lose your dog.

Apart from the fact that both the above are technically illegal, it's also a recipe for trouble - dogs off the lead in village areas obviously can't be controlled so easily, so there's more chance of your dog getting into a fight with another, and or causing trouble with a human, which is bad knews all round. Or it might poop without you noticing and cleaning it up - more trouble.

Also, you should bear in mind that a surprising number of people are completely clueless with dogs. I've had some people back away from my harmless, gentle dog like it's a man-eater. I let my dog off the lead once I'm out of built up parts of the village, and/or where I know there's unlikely to be a problem, but not otherwise.

I've had recent problems with collarless and off-the-lead dogs, despite the fact that the owners were present. And friends with dogs have had similar problems, especially over the last few months. Hence the post.

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I agree with the sentiment of your post, however, it is not `technically illegal' for dogs to not be on leads in public places unless they are over 20KG.

It may not be 'technically illegal' to have a dog off the lead depending on its weight. The trouble is that once there are lots of uncontrolled dogs running around, the locals put down poison to control the numbers. Now that is illegal but they do it nevertheless and have been doing so for the 20+ years I've lived here, which is why you won't see my dog off the lead.