I’m a dog lover and generally don’t care one way or the other if people keep their dog on a leash. Or, do I?
I’ve always been all about minding my own business, not being judgmental of others, and being forgiving when it comes to people doing things differently than maybe I would have chosen to do them. But, if I’m being honest with myself, I suppose there are times that I actually do care when people don’t leash their dogs. And for good reason!
There were two incidences, just yesterday, that led me straight to my laptop to write this article.
First, my husband walked out our front door with our “leashed” dog, only to find another dog barking and charging toward him, on our property mind you. The owner had purposely let their dog loose figuring that since they were so close to their home it would be no big deal.
But, our dog took issue with a dog barking in his face, while in his territory (our property). And, my husband wasn’t having the best time either with having to hold him back! It all ended fine and well…this time.
Second, the man that files our taxes happened to mention that people don’t like it when he jogs with his unleashed dog by his side. It’s an interesting situation because his dog sticks right by his side, never caring to wander, and yet, he said people will yell at him to get his dog on a leash.
5 Good Reasons to Keep your Dog on a Leash
- Some dogs are fearful of other dogs / some dogs have aggression issues
I’ve written before about how my dog developed a fear of large dogs, or dogs with a particular temperament, so I won’t go into the whole story again. But, the point is, some really sweet and gentle dogs can end up acting out with aggressive behavior when they are confronted by a dog they are fearful of.
As in the case I described above, our leashed dog was approached by an unleashed dog which could easily have turned into a dog fight. Our dog does not get on well with that particular dog, nor does that dog have the proper temperament or training to be safely off leash.
Point being, both dogs could have found themselves in a bad predicament.
- People that are fearful of dogs (unintended consequences)
Years ago I had a Border collie mix that was the sweetest dog you ever wanted to meet. In fact, the shelter where we had adopted her named her Sweetie. A kinder and gentler creature there never was!
Her behavior off-leash was fantastic because she really only cared about us, and was quite aloof when it came to strange people or dogs.
So, when we pulled into our driveway one day, we thought nothing of letting her out of the car unleashed just to run to our front door. What we didn’t know, was that the new neighbor next door had an extreme fear of dogs.
She turned white as a sheet at the sight of our loose dog, and her husband was very angry at us for causing her to become upset. It really was our fault. Nice dog or not, you never really know who you might run into.
- Dog Dangers
Even a seemingly well trained dog can go astray. There are many dogs that are trained to “come” on a pretty reliable basis. But, even so, there are the occasional slip-ups when distractions occur. A distraction such as a cat or squirrel may be too tempting for a dog to resist. Nearby roads can become a hazard should a dog take off across them while chasing their distraction.
- Missing your “poop” duties
I once had neighbors that never cleaned up after their dog. When the wind blew toward our house we would get a lovely whiff of poop. It does wonders for the appetite when having an outdoor barbecue.
However, they were super nice people and everyone loved their dog, so I suppose that was what led them to believe that the occasional wandering loose around the neighborhood would be okay. And maybe it would have been…if others’ in the neighborhood didn’t start discovering poop in their yards.
It’s amazing how quickly some people can turn on one another over things that could be easily solved with a conversation. But, the unleashed-dog-couple quickly found themselves labelled as the trouble makers of the neighborhood. And after being fined for the incidences, they quickly cleaned up their act (literally!).
I’ve also noticed, on more than one occasion, the owners of an unleashed dog turning a blind eye as soon as their dog squats to poop. Hmmm, intentional? Or, not? I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say their eyesight might be bad, they got distracted, or perhaps this was the one and only time they forgot a poop bag. Either way, other people notice and become agitated.
I can’t say I blame people for being upset as I, for one, would not be pleased if I stepped in a fresh pile of poop. In addition, there are a whole slew of environmental problems with not picking up dog poop.
- Nasty people
And then there are the nasty people. You know, the ones that always seem to be looking for trouble as if they have nothing better to do. People with an unleashed dog give them the perfect opportunity to strike with a venom. Well behaved dog or not, basically, if your dog is unleashed you will need to be fully prepared for the backlash.
Do you have an opinion on unleashed dogs? If so, I’d love to hear it!
