By Fran Jewell
Living in a dog-friendly environment, we tend to overlook the things that are truly safety issues for our dogs. We become cavalier in our handling and guidance to keep our dogs safe.
Yesterday I was outside of the grocery store and there laid a nicely obedient dog waiting patiently for his owner to return from inside. Just about that minute, two youth came up to the dog and started barking at the dog trying to arouse him and tease him. The owner, still inside, was oblivious to what was happening to the dog. The dog stood up. He started to posture the young boys striking laughter between them. Defensively, the dog tried to tell them to stop it, because it was offensive to him. No one was there to protect the dog or the young boy from this potential horrible escalation that could have ended in a dog bite or worse. The consequence to the dog and the boys was unimaginable!
So, my question is, why leave a dog in a situation like that just because you have a nice dog? Not all pedestrians are nice. Those boys were a perfect example.
The second incident I witnessed several times this week was a dog with his head hanging out the backseat window of a car. The temperatures were horribly low this past week and the wind chill was about -14 degrees. Now, imagine the wind chill on this dog’s face and ears as the car was moving at 35 mph??!! This is a huge potential for frostbite on his ears and nose.
Even during the summer, a dog hanging its head out the window is dangerous! In one event, a friend’s dog lost BOTH of his eyes when bees flew into eyes! Who would have thought? One of my own dogs stepped on the electric window control and closed the window on her neck! I had to immediately pull over to release the window and check to see if she was alright!
The veterinary office is NOT the place to allow your dog to be off a leash. Waiting dogs are usually there because they are sick. A sick dog does not have the patience to be friendly. Would you? It is also the potential for your dog to be exposed to that illness if it is contagious. If a dog is on the way out of the office, many times that dog may have just had surgery. My first 110-pound male German shepherd had just had torsion surgery. We were attempting to go to the car to go home, and a strange dog ran up to him with the owner waving and saying, “He’s friendly!” Honestly, how naive and inconsiderate was it to believe that my horribly sick male German shepherd that had just had a life-threatening surgery was going to tolerate such an intrusion by an off-leash dog with bad manners and an irresponsible dog owner? A veterinary hospital is NOT the place to socialize your dog!
My last severe warning goes out to all those dog owners who think that because their dog is friendly and well behaved, he should be allowed to walk downtown off a leash. All it takes is a friend they see across the street, or a squirrel or another distraction to entice your dog to run through traffic, potentially causing him to get hit or cause an accident where someone ELSE is injured.
Please think ahead about the potential consequences of some of the “freedoms” you allow your dog. No one is impressed nor will they feel sorry for your loss when lack of leadership and lack of common sense was the cause for your dog’s demise. Owning a dog is a commitment to being responsible for your dog’s safety and his life, not for your convenience or for your ego to prove what a good dog trainer you are. Even my obedience champions walk on leash in dangerous situations.
PLEASE be kind, thoughtful and responsible handling your precious dog!
Fran Jewell is an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, NADOI Certified Instructor and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call 208-578-1565.