[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Halfcreek

So - question for the non-dog-liker types.

Hypothetical situation, as I don't even live in the city, but let's assume I have a new dog who needs to be trained on recall. I work on it in my yard, but we eventually have to move past that. I have no vehicle so can't take her to an abandonded field somewhere and an off-leash park isn't a good idea, as recall is the problem - we need an area with fewer distractions to start with.
So - I find a green-space area that has a couple picnic tables, open soccer field, but no playground equipment. No one is around. I leave the leash on, but drop it, to work on recall. As soon as I see someone coming, I call the dog back and get her to me as quickly as possible, so she doesn't bother anyone. If they are staying to use the park - she remains on leash with me holding it from there on-in.

I know I am still breaking the by-laws - but that's a risk I've decided to take in order to work on my dogs training. While I accept that I could be ticketed and would have no problem paying the ticket - would you call me an irresponsible dog owner?

Honestly, your actions in your scenario sound reasonable to me.