There are people in the world who, for whatever reason, do not want to meet or pet your dog. Some people who do not want your dog loose in public areas, and they are well within their rights to feel that way. It is not only basic dog etiquette to keep your dog on a lead and under control when walking them, but there is also often a law or ordinance that requires it.
My youngest dog recently had an unfortunate experience of a loose dog attacking her. Luckily, I was surrounded by dog people, who all jumped in to quickly grab the offending dog and prevent serious injury. To be clear, I am not mad at the dog. However, I was absolutely livid with the owner. If your loose dog attacks a dog on a lead, it can ruin both dogs. Plus, people could be bitten in the process of trying to end the situation. It is never acceptable for your dog to be loose in public. I have zero issue with being labeled a party pooper, because until you have a dog ruined by a dogfight, you do not appreciate how awful and traumatic it can be for both owners and dogs.
I was recently walking my youngest puppy at the Nature Reserve when we came upon a woman with an off-lead, furry toy-sized dog that was in the middle of pooping. Shame on this woman for not cleaning up after your dog, and secondly for letting her dog run loose. As we walked, I heard the dog’s collar jingling and coming towards us fast. I turned around to see this small dog running towards my much larger dog, showing its teeth and growling. My puppy, having just gotten over getting bitten by a loose dog, went very still and braced herself for trouble. Having been an Atlantic City police officer for 25 years, I have zero qualms about using my “I mean it” voice. I yelled, “No!” to the dog, and to the owner, “Leash your dog!”
Luckily, the dog ran from my yelling. However, when it returned to the vicinity of the owner, she could not catch it to put it back on its leash. I kept my puppy moving and praised her like crazy for not reacting to the loose dog. I moved along, leaving the owner trying to catch her overstimulated loose dog.
The what-ifs of this situation should scare any owner who thinks that their dog is the one that can run loose, be it at the Nature Reserve or the beach. What if this little dog did not back up at my voice and continued towards my dog, with its teeth bared and snarling? What if this little dog did what dogs sometimes do and pounced on my leashed dog, and in the process was tackled by my much larger and stronger dog and hurt or bitten? What if my dog were bitten? What if I were bitten?
So many things could have gone wrong, and just because they didn’t does not make me any less annoyed with this woman. I don’t care if you think your dog is amazing and will come to you when you call it. Your loose dog should never ever run up on a leashed dog, ever. Not every dog likes other dogs, and those dogs are entitled to go for walks as long as they are trained and under control. If your loose dog causes a problem and gets hurt in the process, it is entirely your fault.
Remember, dog owners, the town you live in has laws or ordinances you are required to follow. When you do not follow them, towns can and have restricted how and when you can take your dog to public places. The only place where you are absolutely allowed to do what you like with your dog is your home. In public areas, there is an expectation of certain etiquette and behavior that helps dog people and non-dog people coexist. Following them allows those of us with dogs who like to take them places to continue to do so.
If you have any questions, please email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
