Setting The Dog Up For Success, Obey the Leash Law.

It seems as though lately I can’t turn on the T.V., open my Face Book page, Google Plus 1, or even emails without seeing something about owners and people upset over something going on with dogs. Not so much stray dogs for a change but pet dogs that belong to someone, who are part of the family and loved by all. The problem is that these beloved dogs are now either being held by animal control for rabies observation, for a dangerous dog trial or worse dead from intentional causes or accidents. Accusations of who is at fault for these poor dogs are flying around like daggers. It is a neighbors fault, it is another dogs fault, and it is the fault of animal control.

All of the dogs I have seen in the past few months have come from different parts of the city. They are owned by people of different ethnicity, and different income ranges. The dogs themselves are different breeds, colors and sizes. Yet they all share one thing in common. Not a single one of them were contained in the homes or yards of their owners. Every single one of them was off lead when they got in trouble. In some reports it was well known by the owners, and openly admitted that the dogs were often not contained.

We have a leash law in our city. The leash law states your dog must be contained on your property, or on a proper leash when in public. On a proper lead does not mean your dog is controlled by voice command, does not mean an electric collar. It means a physical leash that you attach to your dog and hold in your hand. Yet all of these beloved dogs were off lead, most off of their property when they got in trouble.

I may seem unsympathetic to the owners of these dogs. My heart aches for them and what they are going through. I love my dogs and heaven forbid they should get into trouble. I would be devastated, but if my dogs were not contained in my yard, or home and something happened it would be my fault, or someone went to a lot of trouble to turn them loose. When I teach training classes I don’t care if my students don’t learn anything else they must learn, “DO NOT SET YOUR DOG UP TO FAIL”. By having an off lead dog you are doing just that, setting that dog up to fail. Even a very well trained dog may be tempted to bolt after several feral cats darting out across a street. Dogs are dogs, plain and simple, they will do dog things when certain drives kick in no matter how well trained they are, or how well trained us their owner’s think they are.

My Fence Jumper Contained and Happy

Keeping a dog contained can be problematic in itself. Fencing can be expensive; there is no anti-tethering law in our community for that very reason. A properly set up tether system can be set up at a reasonable cost and in a humane way. Tethered dogs with proper socialization, shelter, care and human interaction can live happily. Some dogs are fence jumpers, believe me I know, I own one myself. Even as a trainer I have had challenges with her, but she is contained. She has been out briefly maybe five times in the past 8 years (my other dogs tell on her). There are several ways to keep a jumper contained and plenty of trainers in our town that will be able to help you. There are also many dog clubs and groups that can give help with that as well. It is a little bit of work but having your dog safe and sound is worth not going through the heart aches I’ve seen lately. 

This blog is not about anti-tether laws for or against. My words may rub some the wrong way, the intent is to bring about an issue that is being ignored. There is a leash law in our city, put there to keep the public and the dogs safe. We as citizens must do our part to keep our pets safe, please lets start 2012 off containing our pets.