If you take your dog out for regular walks, you might have had to confront a loose dog. When you have a chill dog, this is probably met with maybe a bit of concern at first over the personality of the loose animal, but not overt worry. On the other hand, if you have a dog who is, shall we say, jumpy, that sight probably fills your entire body with dread.
The fact is, in Houston especially where there is an epidemic of stray dogs, keeping your pup leashed is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. Some may disagree, but here are five good reasons why you should do it.
(Important caveat: dog parks. NEVER leash your dog in a dog park, the one place where they should and must roam free – see “leash reactivity” below)
“My dog is friendly,” they say. But mine is not.
Most folks with animals who aren’t particularly friendly to other dogs have experienced this at least once. A sweet, happy little doggie comes bounding up to you and your dog. You ask, perhaps vehemently, the other person to call their dog away when they say, “Oh, don’t worry, she’s friendly.” That may be well and good for you, but if the dog on the leash is NOT, then it’s a problem. And before you get into the whole, “Well, why are you walking your dog if he isn’t friendly?” Dogs who don’t care for others need exercise too and if you kept your pup on a leash, this wouldn’t be an issue, would it?
Leash reactivity is a real thing even at a distance.
In case you were unaware, dogs on leashes have a tendency to be far more nervous and reactive than those who are not simply because they feel constrained. It can change a dog’s personality and make them snap or even want to fight another animal. This is why having two dogs on leashes meet should generally be discouraged because if they get in a fight and the leashes become intertwined, you may not get them apart. This is also why dogs should go without any restraint inside the confines of a fenced dog park.
Controlling off-leash dogs is damn near impossible.
Let’s say for sake of argument your dog, unleashed, approaches our dog on a leash and the two do not get along. How do you get control of them now? Answer: you probably don’t. Therein lies the nightmare scenario for dog owners. Once a dog is loose, getting them under control is incredibly difficult, making for a very dangerous situation for everyone, especially the dog.
Scared dogs do unpredictable things.
Even if you don’t care about other dogs, think about your own. If your dog gets spooked, even if that never happens, imagine the consequences. They could dart into a busy intersection or just plain run away. You cannot know what is going to happen, which is why for their safety as much as everyone else that is around, using a leash just makes sense.
It’s the law.
Not leashing your dog could lead to a fine. Multiple violations could mean they take your dog. Just obey the law and we’re all be happier.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
