Just the other day, I was walking through my local dog park, enjoying the early sunshine and the calmness of an early morning. It’s normal to encounter a few fellow dog walkers in the early hours of the morning, but one particular dog walker caught my eye. The reason? His dog was not on a leash. In fact, I didn’t see him carry a leash at all.
That got me thinking. Why do we put our dogs on a leash? For thousands of years, we have walked alongside our companions with no problems at all. So when did attaching a leash on our dogs become the norm?
We all know that dogs are some of the smartest animals in the world. When trained, they are excellent at responding to the commands of their owners. In fact, they are so good that they play specialised roles such as service dogs and counsellor dogs. However, despite all their intelligence, obedience and discipline, all of them are kept on a leash when they’re in public. And for a very good reason too.
Protecting Others
The simple reason is this. The people in public who have never interacted with your dog has no idea of what its behaviour or personality is like. Furthermore, they can’t be sure whether or not your dog is carrying any diseases. They will probably assume that your dog is disease-free, but they won’t be 100% certain. This is why as a dog owner, you have the responsibility of leashing your dog in public.
Does your dog bite? Does it jump? Both of these actions can cause harm and injuries to an individual if they are unaware of your dog’s behaviours.
What happens if there is another dog out on a walk? They might be young, and have limited training experience. They might also have limited experience interacting with other dogs. They might be scared when they see a dog charging towards them, and bite your dog when your dog gets too close.
In the frenzy, the leashed dog could potentially entangle itself around its leash, choking and suffocating them. The scramble of the two dogs could lead to human involvement and injuring the other dog owner. Unless you are confident of breaking up a dog fight, you probably want to avoid this situation.
Having your dog on a leash prevents him/her from getting into a fight with another dog
Protecting Your Dog
Having your dog on a leash when you’re out in public is also a protective measure for your dog. My local park is located next to a road with no significant physical barrier between the two. While most attentive drivers would avoid a dog (or any object) on the road when they see it, there is not enough time for them to react if your dog suddenly runs out onto the road from behind a parked car or bush. And your dog is probably not quick enough to get out of the way either.
You may think that it will never happen to your dog. After all, your dog has been trained extensively and has never disobeyed or ran away from you. However, you should never trust your dog 100%. They are animals after all, and they may act on their animalistic instincts from time to time to chase or run after something.
Leashing your dog also helps to keep your dog clean. It prevents your dog from getting into muddy patches, rolling around on the dirt, or wandering around animal excrements.
Having your dog on a leash prevents him/her from injuring itself
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is probably a good idea to keep your dog leashed when you guys are out on a walk. In most states and cities, there are regulations that say that dogs must be on a leash when out in public at all times. However, most cities have a few dog parks that allow your dog to roam and interact with other dogs freely.
So the next time you’re taking your dog out for a walk, make sure you have a leash on him/her, unless you’re in a designated dog park!!
