When you get into a vehicle to drive, you fully expect to obey traffic laws. You expect the other drivers on the road to obey those same laws. You’re careful and cautious, of course, because stuff happens, but the last thing you expect is a speeding car careening toward you without a driver.
When you take your dog out for a walk, you fully expect to obey leash laws. You expect the other dog walkers on your route to obey those same laws. You’re careful and cautious, of course, because stuff happens . . . and the first thing you expect is a speeding dog galloping toward you without an owner.
It’s true. The greatest danger to dog owners who follow leash laws is dog owners who don’t follow leash laws. And sadly, it seems lately that those who don’t far outnumber those who do. Where I live, you can read every day—in the newspapers and online—complaints from citizens who’ve been so frazzled by bad experiences while walking their dogs that they are now loath to go out in public places with their canine family members. That can’t be good!
Dogs need exercise, and so do their humans. Dogs need fresh air and a chance to explore with their eyes and ears and noses. It’s likely their humans need that, too. Dogs get bored sitting around inside all day. Even with access to their own back yards through doggy doors or a convenient stay-at-home family member, dogs need more than potty breaks, especially if there are no other dogs in the household with whom to interact. Walking is both exercise and intellectual stimulation.
Dog owners who don’t follow leash laws threaten the rights of dog owners who do follow leash laws. In some communities, dogs have been barred from public parks and special events because of past problems—most of those caused not by dogs, but by dog owners not following the rules. Every time a dog is allowed to run loose in an area covered by leash laws, it’s a threat not only to the humans and other canines in the vicinity of that unsupervised dog, but to all dogs and dog owners in that community . . . because access to public areas for those dogs and owners may become even more limited as a result. Dog owners who don’t follow the rules give all dog owners a bad reputation—a bad reputation that we simply don’t deserve.
Why do people allow their dogs to run loose in areas covered by leash laws?
I think that, first and foremost, those people are selfish. They’ll tell you that their dogs must run loose to get their proper exercise. To me, that means that the owners have no intention of putting themselves out to exercise their dogs; dogs should exercise themselves. Chances are, owners who let their dogs off leash in an on-leash area have done little or no training of those dogs. Their dogs don’t actually walk on leash! Not well, at least, and maybe not at all. Instead of finding a solution to that problem, the owners bypass training and management—it’s simply too much trouble—and go directly to law-breaking. Perhaps an hour of running free in a public park is good exercise, but it is not safe exercise.
Second, I think that people who let their dogs run loose in leash-law areas are delusional. They don’t seem to be able to comprehend that their dogs’ lives are in danger. Even if they have little concern for other humans in the area, much less other dogs, why have they not yet figured that it’s their dog who will most likely suffer as a result of their thoughtlessness? Who has not read (recently!) a news story about a dog that fell off a cliff, drowned in a lake, got washed away in a river? Who does not know someone whose unleashed dog ran away from its owner and disappeared, never to be seen again? Why would anyone want to take that chance?
Third, I think that people who let their dogs run loose where more law-abiding citizens follow the leash laws don’t expect to be “caught,” and don’t expect any consequences. Unfortunately, in most towns, that’s probably true. It’s unlikely that Animal Control officers patrol regularly for scofflaws. They’re far too busy dealing with life-and-death situations that have already occurred—investigating dog bites, rescuing dogs from unsafe situations, returning lost dogs to their owners. If we want our local animal control agencies to police off-leash dogs in on-leash areas, we must be willing to pay more for AC services. Unfortunately, that can’t be a top priority in today’s economy.
The fact is that although a dog running loose is certainly not a victimless crime, there is very little chance that a law-breaking owner will ever be called to account for his or her actions. It’s just not going to happen.
No wonder law-abiding dog owners are angry about loose dogs!
But . . . no matter how angry it makes you to see dogs running loose in your favorite park, expressing that anger on the spot is not likely to change the situation. I have experienced nothing but disdain, disrespect, profanity, and physical threats when I’ve suggested to the scofflaws that they put their dogs back on leash. I have never had a dog owner apologize for their dog’s behavior, no matter how out of line it was.
Here’s how it goes. In a public park, a dog runs toward me, very fast. By the time the owner appears, the loose dog is jumping on me and on my dog.
Me: “Would you please call your dog and put on his leash?”
Scofflaw: “Don’t worry, he’s friendly. He just wants to say Hi!”
Me: “He’s scratched my arm and he’s frightening my dog!”
Scofflaw: “He loves other dogs! Your mutt should butch up!”
Me: “We have a leash law here. Please leash your dog.”
Scofflaw: “You must hate dogs! Why do you even have one?”
That’s how it’s been for me since I got my first dog in 1980. I’m the bad guy because I expect owners to leash their dogs.
Worse will happen, I assure you, if you lose your temper. You will upset your dog, too, and that won’t make the situation any better for either one of you. My best advice is to walk away, if you can. Tipping an already unpleasant conversation into an angry confrontation won’t solve the problem.
Is it possible to walk a dog on leash safely in areas where there are loose dogs and scofflaw dog owners? How does a dog walker protect his dog . . . and himself? Are there positive ways to encourage other dog owners in your community to follow the leash laws instead of disregarding them?
Next week, we will discuss dog-walking safety and solutions to bad situations.
