24/08/2021
Youāre on a walk and you see a dog on a lead. Your dog is running free.
Q: What should you do next?
(Cue *who wants to be a millionaire* music).
Is it:
A: put your dog on a lead
B. Let your dog run over and say hello.
C: Shout āDonāt worry, heās friendly.ā
Or
D: What dog? You were playing candy crush.
The answer isā¦. A.
Did you get it right?
Many dog owners donāt. They donāt understand what a negatively life-altering situation a rogue dog can be for on-lead walkers.
Hereās why:
Dogs you donāt know could be on lead for 100s of reasons.
They could be blind.
They could be recovering from surgery.
They could be deaf.
They could be aggressive.
They might be scared of being approached by strangers.
They might be training.
They could be a service dog.
They may be a rescue.
They might be terrified of dogs they donāt know.
They could be elderly or physically vulnerable.
They might simply prefer to walk on lead.
In the end, it doesnāt matter why they are on a lead. Itās none of your business. But what is your business is CONSENT.
Leads are a little flag that say ādonāt come closeā.
When you see them, putting your dog on a lead is respectful. You show the other owner that you CARE about their choice and consent. It doesnāt matter if your dog has 100% perfect recall. You respect the other person and their dog enough to be courteous and kind to uphold everyoneās safety by making absolutely sure everyone is on a lead (no matter how much you trust your dog).
As a person who is often walking a dog on lead for all of many the reasons listed, I canāt tell you how my heart sings when I see someone extend this gesture to me and my pack.
Your dog has no right or business running up to ANYONE (dog or human) without clear PRIOR consent to do so.
You have a responsibility to ensure your dog is in control in a public place. Failing to recall is an offense. It counts as a dog out of control in a public place.