BY FRAN JEWELL
I have been spending a lot of time this summer driving back and forth, up and down the Valley and through our lovely towns. I have to say I have been most impressed with the plethora of incredibly responsible dog owners that have their dogs on leashes while walking through town. It is such a joy to see nicely behaved dogs walking on leashes in heavy summer traffic and busy parks. Compared to a few years ago, when I almost never saw a leash on a dog in town, this is wonderful!
It is my feeling that no matter how well trained a dog is to heel off leash, a busy town full of very heavily congested traffic is not the place to show off dog training skills or how cool Fluffy is. All it would take is a friend across the street, or a squirrel or bird, to entice a dog to take chase, potentially right into the path of a car. Just ONE TIME is too many for a dog to be hit by a car.
And yes, there ARE people who are terrified of dogs or who have hidden mobility issues that if they are jumped on by an off-leash dog, this can become as serious as a lawsuit. If an off-leash dog knocks someone down that has a disability and that person is injured, the owner is financially responsible for medical bills.
I have also been impressed that the ERC is now putting up dog poop stations that are containers to place used poop bags AND they supply the poop bags, too! Kudos to the ERC and to all those that use refuse containers responsibly. There are no POOP FAIRIES that come along and pick up your dog’s poop or full poop bags along the trail. There is nothing more grotesque than seeing piles of poop along any trail when you expect to take a nice hike in our gorgeous recreation areas.
Having a dog is a responsibility about doing the best for your dog. It’s also about being considerate of others, no matter who they are. I am thrilled to see some of the changes happening in this community filled with incredible dog lovers and incredible dogs.
Keep up the good work, Wood River Valley! Keep on leashing! Be considerate. Be kind. It’s the right thing to do and connects you with your dog.
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit www.positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.