Congratulations to all the dog owners who have trained their dogs to walk off-leash. It is a good feeling to watch your dog roaming free, yet there is still a time and place for it. Unfortunately, some dog owners get so wrapped up in their dog’s ability to go off-leash at home and in familiar areas that they lose all common sense when they take their dog to an unfamiliar environment. They lose sight of the signs that tell them all dogs must be on a leash. They forget that some people are scared of dogs, and others do not like them. On the flip side, just because one dog is bippity bopping around off-leash does not mean that other dogs want to play or be bothered by them. Not respecting the big picture can have a bad outcome. Some dog owners need to learn to read posted signs and read the room. It’s called common sense.
I agree that it is beneficial to let a dog run around off-leash and have some fun. However, I do not believe it is one size fits all. So many factors come into play when out and about. Dog owners should be conscious of where they are before freeing their dogs from the confines of a leash. Ultimately they are responsible for any mischief their dog gets into and any harm they may cause. I have often seen owners who let their dogs run off leash in crowded places and then get all bent out of shape if others do not want anything to do with it. If many people are walking their dogs on a leash, take the hint and use one on your dog. They will live.
We cannot become so shortsighted that we forget that there are people who are petrified of dogs, there are dogs that are aggressive towards other dogs, and there are children who do not know how to approach a dog properly. So who is responsible for putting other people at ease and not promoting aggression between dogs? The dog owner, of course.
If a dog owner does not have impeccable control of their dog, all kinds of unpleasant things can happen. That is precisely what happened to Dixie and me when we recently went on a popular trail hike that almost guarantees running across other people and dogs. Knowing this, I put Dixie on a leash. Well, that and the fact that there was a sign calling out that all dogs must be on leashes. It certainly was not a place to test the powers of control you have, or may not have, over your dog’s behavior.
I recently read an opinion article where the author slams people who think a dog should be on a leash. This author felt dogs need and have a right to roam at their pleasure. I toss a giant BS flag on that one. It is not a right. If I cannot run around in public bothering people who do not want to be bothered and messing around with dogs who may be aggressive, my dog should not be allowed either. Think about that one. I do not understand why some owners feel entitled to let their dogs do the same things that a human could never get away with in public. If they want their dog to roam, let them do it in an appropriate place where it is allowed. In those locations, no no one can complain much about it because they have been warned by signs or sight that dogs are off-leash. Again, use some common sense.
Since the trail was only about three feet wide, I needed Dixie on a leash in case I needed to move her out of the way when people passed and prevent her from bolting to chase squirrels and bunnies. It would not have been prudent to let her roam off-leash when there is no way to get past her. The onus was on me.
As we were walking the trail, I saw a hiker heading towards us. I stepped into the bushes and had Dixie sit, thus clearing the path. It seemed like the polite thing to do, and the hiker thanked me for it. That simple action resulted in a positive experience. I did not know what negative experience was heading my way.
Once the hiker passed, Dixie and I continued our trek. I saw, up ahead, that the trail made a 45-degree turn, preventing me from seeing what was around the corner. I was attentive in case another hiker was heading our way. Nope. No hiker. Instead, I encountered two off-leash dogs running around the turn, heading straight for Dixie. My heart skipped, and I froze while my stress level went from zero to sixty.
The dogs were not aggressive; on the same note, they would not leave Dixie alone. There was much butt-sniffing going on, but Dixie did not partake. She was at a disadvantage being the only one on a leash. Dogs on leashes cannot flee if their flight instinct kicks in. They have to stand there and take it. Dixie showed many signs of being scared and, luckily, no sign of aggression. I tried pulling her away, but the free-roaming dogs followed. I kept looking for an owner that was nowhere in sight.
One thing I honed in on was that the dogs wore fake service dog vests but lacked the discipline to be one. I tried shooing the dogs away, but they would not listen. All they seemed to care about was Dixie.
Finally, I saw the owner coming down the path being dragged by a third dog on a leash. I was not too happy, so I hollered in a not-so-friendly tone, “will you come to get your dogs?” The owner tried to oblige but had some difficulty. The dog on the leash was unruly, and the off-leash dogs would not listen to her. She reached in to grab their collars, and they kept moving away. While she was focusing on them, the one on the leash made a beeline for Dixie, growling and pulling the owner in that direction. It was quite a folly. While she was battling with her dogs, I made a quick exit with Dixie. The dogs did not follow, so I assume she finally got them under control. That was an example of an irresponsible owner letting their dog roam off-leash. She could not handle them. Had they been on a leash, the melee could have been avoided. I could have redirected Dixie, moved out of the way, or dragged her past them if I had to.
The moral of this story is simple: Thinking your dog is disciplined is not the same as knowing they are. If there is a sign requiring the use of a leash, use one. If it is a free-roam area (they are usually marked, too), then have at it and keep your eyes on your dog. Use the opportunity to give yourself a little sanity check on how well you can control your dog when they are distracted.
Dixie the Pony Dog 
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