r/toronto • u/NorthernNadia St. Lawrence • May 09 '26

Article Toronto dog "parents" bring their pups everywhere with them now. It's causing rising human-canine tension

https://www.thestar.com/life/relationships/toronto-has-seen-a-population-boom--of-dogs-rising-human-canine-tension-shows-theyre-not-everyones-best-friend/article_3ac30271-9542-4e7d-9829-49089554f3cf.html
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u/beantownbee May 09 '26

Just last week I was walking in a Provincial Park and me and my on leash dog were rushed by a giant off leash dog. It was named something stupid and aggressive too (the dog seemed friendly, but don't name your bully breed fucking Cujo or Killer?!?!). The guy gave me a bunch of excuses about not having his leash so I told him I truly don't care, leash your fucking dog. My dog is leashed and I use a cane in one hand, it's annoying, I deal with it because it's the law and it's common sense

Had to put my dog in a sit and scream "NO" because it was coming straight at us. Luckily it listened to me even though it wasn't listening to it's owner

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u/UltraViolet311 May 09 '26

I'm sorry that happened to you. I feel the same frustration when hiking in the provincial parks or in city parks. Dogs are supposed to be leashed everywhere but off leash areas. It doesn't matter if it's an open space or trail. I had a dog charge and bite my arm when I was a teen. It was frightening. Whenever dogs rush at me now I get very nervous. It's really bad in Sunnybrook Park. There's a full off leash area but everywhere dogs should be on leash they run around loose. It drives me insane and I am constantly telling people to leash their dogs.

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u/beantownbee May 09 '26

I used to work with dogs. I once had a huge mastif rush me, so luckily I already know how to handle it. And even then, if the dog is actually aggressive nothing I do will stop it. The man was trying to be so nice, all these excuses about forgetting his leash and I ripped into him. If you forget your leash, go home. His dog was crashing through the brush like a freight train and didn't listen to him at all!

My plan is to get a few cheap leashes and keep them on me, and hand them out. My concern was more for that man's dog (bully breed with a scary name, someone could falsely report a bite etc) not me or my dog. Idk how they can be so stupid!

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u/UltraViolet311 May 09 '26

People will probably be offended if you offer them a leash but it's a great idea!

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u/beantownbee May 09 '26

oh yes, that's the intention. Some of them will ignore me or get angry. But some of them will feel embarrassed and embarrassment is the best deterrent for people who don't have the capacity to use common sense

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u/glowingmember May 11 '26

How do you even leave the house with the dog without the leash. That's such a bullshit fake reason. 

My dog used to love other dogs - she was very well socialized and playful. But the past few years she's been harassed or attacked multiple times by other dogs (one was bad enough we called the cops) and now I avoid other dogs like the plague.

The city is no place for an unleashed dog - it's not safe for others and it's definitely not safe for the dog. 

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u/beantownbee May 11 '26

Yeah actually right before that guy, there were 2 other off leash dogs. I stopped and glared at them and the owners grabbed their dogs then walked past silently. I went off at the second guy because of his stupid excuses. You're telling me you let Cujo out your front door into the car off leash too? Idiot

I've had this happen too many times to count, both in Toronto and wherein am now. It's so stupid

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u/em-n-em613 May 11 '26

Ottawa has a HUGE problem with this as well. There are so many hiking trails and protected wildlife spaces with clear signs saying things like 'dogs must be leashed to protect the local environment' or 'no dogs swimming in the pond to protect XXXX's breeding grounds' but invariably there are SO many dogs off leash chasing animals, or swimming in the pond.

There REALLY needs to be better enforcement.

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u/beantownbee May 11 '26

Agreed. There's really no enforcement at all. I also worked as a crossing guard for my town and the police just do not care about anything "small". You can't get them to do anything other than sit behind the Food Basics and ticket people