Saturday, May 12, 2012

Why Are Leash Laws Important for Dogs and Their Owners?

When most dog owners who favor free-running of their dogs think of the reasons for having leash laws, they automatically assume that they are for owners of aggressive dogs only. This is not only untrue, but very common and erroneous thinking. There are many valid reasons for leash laws that have absolutely nothing to do with aggression, although aggressive dogs are one of the main reasons for the law.

A few years ago, I was rollerblading on a residential street when a very large bulldog charged towards me. I could tell by the body language that the dog was friendly, however the playfully approaching dog wanted my attention. It jumped at me, knocking me down to lick my face. Some people would think this sort of behavior is cute, however, I was injured in the fall. The dog owner did nothing but to call the dog into the house. On my return trip, I stopped at the house, informed the woman of the leash laws, and showed her my hip - which was scraped and already bruising. The woman ended up in tears, invited me in for a glass of water, and apologized profusely. I have never seen that dog on the streets unleashed again.

Here are some a few other reasons that people should be aware of the community around them, and help keep our neighborhoods dog-friendly.

  • Most (if not all) dogs that are hit by cars, are not on a leash. This obviously not fair to the dog, but more concerning, it is not fair to the person who unwittingly kills or injures a dog that was not on a leash. It is an upsetting situation for both the driver, and the dog owner, who should have leashed their dog, thereby preventing the entire situation. 
  • Other dog owners at parks and in public places who have their dogs leashed, experience trouble with their dogs behavior only when other dogs are unleashed. Their dogs may react to protect their owners from an unleashed dog quickly approaching, causing an adverse (and unnecessarily caused) reaction. Some dogs become difficult to handle as they try to wriggle loose from their leash in order to "play" with other dogs that are unleashed, and their owners are forced to leave the environment to regain control.
  • Many people go to parks to feed squirrels and ducks... Off-leash dogs enjoy chasing small animals, taking away from the experiences that are there for the people, not dogs. 
  • Most (if not all) dogs that are hit by cars, are not on a leash.
  • People walking, jogging, running, or biking should not have to swerve or jump out of the way of an unleashed dogs. It is dangerous for the person who is concentrating on their workout, and they often don't expect an unleashed dog to run in front of them.
  • The more often the dogs in our communities are caught unleashed, the more laws and ordinances are set into place, restricting our privileges as dog owners. 
If you are a dog owner, and especially if you enjoy letting your dog run free, find an off-leash park, which is the proper area to let your dog enjoy his or her freedom. Unless you are visiting one of these areas, your dog should be on a leash, even if you feel your dog should be exempt from the laws.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a joke.

Wannabe dog trainers mirroring Cesar Milan has got to be THE most pathetic thing to hit the training industry yet. Cesar is a TV trainer and we all know TV is MAKE BELIEVE. Check for class action suits and the number of dogs killed at Cesar's LA training facility for a CLUE.

Get a life and learn your own profession rather than piggybacking on a fake/fraud.

miss appropriate said...

Thanks for your opinions, we are all entitled, aren't we?

It takes many years of experience with dogs to get to know their behavior. But Dog Whispering is working with dog OWNERS, more than with the dogs themselves. Many people are overwhelmed by their pet's behavior, and need help understanding their dog. Training the dog is only ever effective if the owner is willing to learn, too. That is our goal.

Anonymous said...

No, actually I have a photo album of dog bites I show my clients with over 100 pictures where someowhere in the title it says "using Cesar's way...." live and learn.....

Anonymous said...

And every other dog in the world that has bitten a person or another animal that we're not trained with Cesar's methods? If you can only come up with 100 photos for injuries while using Cesars way, how about the millions of other cases that were caused by ignorant and inexperienced dog owners only relying on treats and some form of positive reinforcement. The big issue here is that 99% of dog owners have no clue about dogs and don't know what they are doing. They need help, and your hateful and ignorant attitude just gets in the way of that.

preetsoftechworld said...

I understand and agree completely!!! Thank you!!!

Pet Reiki

bulldogg said...

These guys are the best there is. They are real and really good at dog psychology and saved dogs life. Wow thank you NWDW

Anonymous said...

Dam Daniel, you are really good

Can you teach me how to do what you do?

You definitely are the best we have found (by far). We have searched for the best dog rehabilitation expert and have found him in The NWDW. I recommend NWDW to anyone that needs help with there dog.

Anonymous said...

WATCH OUT FOR THIS GUY !!! HE WILL ASK YOU TO PAY UP FRONT IN CASH THEN HE WILL NOT SHOW UP TO TRAIN YOUR DOG.
HE HAS A THOUSAND EXCUSES WHY HE CAN'T MAKE IT HOPING PEOPLE WILL JUST GIVE UP.
HE ALSO RUNS ADS FOR COMPUTER TECH AND I THINK MOTORCYCLE REPAIR.

WHAT OUT !!!!

Anonymous said...

I disagree with the negative comments. In fact I think they are unfair & very offensive.

As a customer of NWDW, I found him extremely competent and reliable. And yes, he really does teach us dumb humans how to work with our dogs.

Forget "Ceasar's Way"; that's not what this is about. It is about learning to work effectively with dog and owner to bring about mutually effective results. It's very important. And I must say the professional trainer that I used before at a chain store was completely ineffective.

Daniel is very skilled and knows what he's doing. In fact, I have recommended his services to my vet!

Anonymous said...

THIS GUY IS A FU--KING JOKE. WATCH OUT FOR HIM. HE WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY AND NEVER COME BACK. PLEASE, PLEASE, BE CAREFUL WITH THIS GUY.