Forwards and occasionally sidewards – everyday musings of life

What is it about putting a dog on the lead that sooooo many people can’t do?

I’m constantly amazed by the number of dog owners who let their dogs meander around the streets lagging behind or running ahead pooing on the pavement, wandering in the road, going in-and-out of gardens, cocking their legs wherever they please. Come on people you’re being irresponsible and giving dogs a bad name.

I get it that if your dog doesn’t walk nicely on the lead – read, hasn’t been trained to – then lead walking isn’t enjoyable. However, taking your dog to the vet after being hit by a car will be even less enjoyable.

I recently overheard a conversation between two parents complaining about dogs running loose in a children’s play park. Apparently one of the ladies asked the owner if they could put the dog on a lead and got the reply…

Oh, he’s only being friendly, he just jumps up to say hello!

Not an acceptable excuse to let your dog run loose around children or jump up at people.

My view: lazy dog owners who can’t be arsed to take their dogs on a proper walk in the country where they can run free doing what dogs have evolved to do. Lazy owners would rather wander out of the house in their cream trousers and white Crocs to the local park with a ball-chucker for 10 minutes and then wander back home with the dog off-lead.

BTW – I hate ball-chuckers, they are a sure way to cause your dog early injury and lameness. The risk to injury by running flat out, jumping, turning – often in the air – and then catching a ball at acute angles is not what a dogs body is designed to do. It’s just another so called time-saving device that actually causes damage in the long term.