"Dogs forrests" - do they exist in your area?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
October 30, 2010 1:42pm CST
In the area where I live there is a place called "The dog forrest" and it is a large area where you don't have to keep your dogs on a leash. We sometimes visit that place with our dog and he really enjoys playing and running around in the area. Sometimes we meet other dogs and then they play together. At most other places we have to keep dogs on a leash, but dog forrests are an exception. Of course we are not allowed to just leave the dogs there, we always have to keep an eye on them.
Do you have places like that in your area? Do you use them? What are the rules like in your country, do you have to keep dogs on a leash at most places?
5 responses
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
31 Oct 10
Where we reside we have some off leash dog parks although I find that there are more areas than not that require your dog to be leashed, for obvious reasons.
We very much enjoy going to the off leash parks, or rather dog forest. I prefer the off leash parks. I will go out of my way to go to an off leash park than to a park or otherwise that requires my dog to be on her leash.
For the most park, the dogs in the off leash parks are well behaved but I have heard of some dog fighting going on.
Since my dog is quite small and fragile, I am very protective of her in an off leash park where there are much bigger dogs romping around.
So the rules basically is that if your dog is well behaved it is most welcome in the off leash park. If the dog is not well behaved, chances are other dog handlers will tell you so. If the parks where the dog must be leashed, it is by law. I believe the fine is $200 if you are found with your dog off leash in an leashed park.
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
31 Oct 10
Fines are imposed here also. Thankfully, I have never gotten one. Yet. I rather just abide by the rules/laws/regulations. That way we don't get in trouble. I keep a close eye on my dog also. Most all dogs are very well behaved. My girl just loves the park time too. Being off leash makes it all the much that better. If she must wear a leash, I have an extenda leash that works fabulously because she can walk I think 12 feet before she comes to the end. In a sense it is like walking without a leash. She loves it as well.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
31 Oct 10
In the dog forest in my area most of the dogs are well behaved and the dogs don't usually fight, but I always keep a close eye on my dog in case something happens. Our dog loves the time that we spend in that forest, and it is a chance for him to meet other dogs. In my country the fine is about $100 if you don't use a leash outside the dog forests. They recently changed the rules, in the past dog owners only got a warning, but too many people didn't listen to the warnings and now you get a fine instead.
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
30 Oct 10
We don't have such places in my town. There are dog parks in other towns from my country, but not here.
Fortunately this small town is surrounded by woods, and we go hiking in the woods as often as we can.
The laws don't permit us to walk the dog unleashed. Not in the town, not in the parks (in fact, dogs aren't allowed to walk in parks), not in the woods. They say dogs might scare the game, and that's why we are supposed to walk dogs on leash even in the woods.
But I know there is no game in the woods where we go hiking, so I let Binne run free. She usually doesn't go too far from us, so we can call her and put her on leash if something's wrong.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
30 Oct 10
Hiking in the woods sounds nice. In my country we are usually allowed to take dogs for a walk in the parks, but we always have to keep them on a leash. The rules have recently been changed, and the law is more strict now than it was in the past. Sometimes the rules depend on the time of the year, and they are more strict in the summertime. We often take our dog for a walk at the beach and during the winter when there are no other people around we let him run free.
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
30 Oct 10
So you, too, violate the rules! 
I don't know what authorities expect us to do. Don't they know dogs need to run free to be happy? Where should we let them run free? In our livingroom?
I don't know how are the authorities in your country, but here I have the sensation that they hate dog owners.
I don't know what authorities expect us to do. Don't they know dogs need to run free to be happy? Where should we let them run free? In our livingroom?
I don't know how are the authorities in your country, but here I have the sensation that they hate dog owners.1 person likes this
@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
30 Oct 10
Where I live, you are also supposed to keep your dog on a leash. But since it is in a city, we do not really have forrests for dogs, but we do have dog parks, where they can run around. My dog loves going there and I try to take him at least a few times a week. I think it is important for him to get to play with other dogs, so I make time for a few trips there on a regular basis.
1 person likes this
@animalrock95 (47)
• United States
30 Oct 10
Where I live we have a place in a forest where we can take our dogs off the leash....it is called a dog run. I do not take advantgage of it because a major highway is on the other side of the trees. We also have a great dog park, which I do take advantage of.
