IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC LEASHING!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Saw this article on FB and it is very near and dear to my heart.  It makes me absolutely crazy to meet another dog in public that is not on a leash.  There is no good that can come from it.  Please read this article for a better understanding of why this is so important.  

One thing that it doesn't really address in this article is that when your dogs are on leash and are approached by a dog that is not on a leash, the leashed dogs immediately realize their disadvantage. 

http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/leash-your-dog-its-law-for-number-...

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

Same! The city we live in is extremely strict and will get" tickets" to people for unleashed dogs and people still do it! I don't understand, I can understand were you want both of your hands available to do things- seriously what someone said to me, and to a leash is a pain but just buy a hands free leash system! That's what I use and there are no "pains". Also I feel like if it is "miserable" to leash a dog you probably shouldn't have a dog or at least have a dog in public.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Without even knowing the person who said a leash is a pain, I would bet serious money that their problem is that that they want both hands free so they can text on their phones. Dog forbid they should pay attention to their dog and the world around them for 20 minutes. 

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I completely agree! It's sad people can't enjoy time with out their phone, and I feel bad for the dog too! to me the best thing about having them on a hands free leash is that now I don't have to worry aboutdropping or breaking my camera when I'm taking a picture should they pull unexpectedly- I love taking pictures of the boys out and about and just nature in general.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

So true Karen!   That is exactly what they are doing most of them!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And sadly, they're doing it when they're pushing baby strollers, too. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I love the idea of hiking with my dog along trails off-leash but that's not reality because you never know who is around the corner.  Having a large unleashed dog running towards us freaks me out and I have no desire for my dog meet every dog we pass on a walk.  I don't go to dog parks because even good dogs don't like every strange dog they meet. And my last pet peeve, inexperienced or just plain dumb rescue folks who bring new adult dogs into close quarters while having no idea what issues those dogs might have. Yes the dogs are leashed but letting a dog lunge at other dogs walking by while you chit chat is not socialization.  We love pack walks with other friendly dogs we know and the sniff walks :)

[Camilla and Darwin]

This is such an important article, and such a good reminder for all of us!

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Good article. It always scares me when I see an unleashed dog while mine are leashed. Fortunately so far it's not been a problem. But I can see how it would be, especially with my Maci who is more fearful of other dogs.

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Just this morning I came across a man with a dog (missing it's front left leg) off leash, his dog starts growling and snapping as we get closer.  I am telling my girls to pay attention to me and stepping aside and that man is following his dog in circles trying to slip a leash back over his head.  I just don't get it.  I can see why his dog may feel like it needs to be a bit aggressive but I know that if that man kept a leash on him and showed him he could be confident and safe that way it would be much different.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I agree.  Sometimes I just want to say "How hard is it to hold a flipping leash".  You can even purchase ones that hook around your waist so you don't have to hold it.  We have a man in our neighborhood that has one of the biggest scariest looking dogs I've ever seen and he is always walking it without a leash.  The dog will be 100 feet ahead of him.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In my neighborhood, we have a man with a "service doodle" who walks without a leash. The dog wears no vest or anything that would indicate that he's a "service" dog, and he's usually loping along a block or more ahead of the man. Um, not sure what kind of service this dog is providing, since he's so far away from his owner that you would think the dog was alone. He's not a scary dog, but to JD, any dog running towards him is threatening. 

It's become difficult to walk anywhere in our neighborhood. I don't know one responsible dog owner whose leashed dog hasn't had a close call with a loose dog running up, and many of our dogs have been bitten. We have all committed to calling the police every time an unleashed dog approaches. Last week, one lady was fined $100 after her two loose dogs ran at my friend's dog and there was a scuffle. The lady was crying and saying that her kids let the dogs out and she didn't know. Um, too bad. Maybe you'll gain some control of your kids and your dogs now. 

Almost every day, I'll see someone getting their mail or standing and chatting with someone in the front yard, with their unleashed dog sniffing around unrestrained. I now call out to them and ask that they get hold of their dog before approaching. I have no way to know that their dogs won't run up to greet us. Most of them look at me like I'm nuts. I don't care. 

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

Exactly, I had bought a hands free runners leash a while back with the intent to just use it for running once Loki is older however I now use it as their main leash because it's so nice. I really do understand that it's nice to not have to hold the leash and since the runners leashes are a big short bungee cord it's nice that there's no sharp pulls or anything- all the nice things about a dog not being in a leash except you can enjoy those things with them leashed! One time some person without a leashed dog actually took the leash companies info with the intent to buy one after chatting with her so that was nice hopefully there is at least one more educated person in the world now.