Dogs On The Loose!

This is a subject I am very passionate about – is it OK to let your dog run free?

My short answer is NO.

Walking your dog off-leash or just letting your dog run out in your front yard can be a big problem for many reasons. I’ll share three here.

Case 1: Abraham, my Aussie mix, exhibits a behavior called “barrier reactivity” (also called barrier frustration or barrier aggression). Best Friends Animal Society says dogs with this behavior “…will exhibit aggressive behaviors when they are behind a barrier, such as a gate, fence, crate or car window…”. We are currently working to eliminate this behavior.

Well, I have a neighbor that routinely lets her dog out to run the neighborhood. When Abraham sees him through the window, or through the backyard fence, it’s almost impossible to calm him down. This not only breaks down any improvement we have made in our training but perpetuates the negative behavior. So, while the neighbor’s dog is having a good old time, we are losing ground in our progress towards a Happy Dog In A Happy Home.

Case 2: In the next case, my neighbor’s dog is running around in his front yard and someone is walking a dog nearby. “My dog is friendly,” my neighbor says. But unfortunately, he knows nothing about the friendliness or the habits of the passing dog. What if that dog is distinctly NOT friendly? What if, in fact, that dog is aggressive or reactive towards other dogs? All it takes is one time for the “friendly” dog to approach an “unfriendly dog” for a fight to ensue. And there’s little chance that the fight will result in Happy Dogs In Happy Homes!

Case 3: The last case is the most obvious – the threat of being hit by a car. Dogs in the street can be difficult to see. They do not make good choices about when to cross (they rarely look both ways), when to move (out of the way) or how to move predictably (darting in front of an oncoming car). Not all drivers pay close attention when driving – sometimes texting, talking on the phone, or simply being distracted by other things. A dog darts across the street the moment a distracted driver passes and BANG!! the dog lies broken on the street or under the wheels of the car. It’s that easy, and that quick. I have never lost a dog that way, but I have seen the sad, tragic, senseless results. A Happy Dog running the streets has become a dead or injured dog for no reason. Clearly, this is not a route to a Happy Dog In A Happy Home.

So while it may feel like you’re keeping your dog happy and free by allowing the dog to run off leash, you’re often creating major issues for fellow dog owners and possibly tragic consequences for your dog, yourself and others.

The better way to give yourself, your dog and your neighbors happy outcomes is to follow these simple steps:

1) hire a trainer to teach you and your dog the art of loose leash walking;

2) take your dog on a walk each day with just enough leash to sniff around and do their business;

3) if you must let your dog run without a leash in a large area, either use your own, well fenced yard, or take your dog to one of the many dog parks available for exactly this purpose.

You will be happier, your neighbors will be happier, and you can all have Happy Dogs In Happy Homes!

– Tomi

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