Parenting
By Jamie Lee
Updated: March 5, 2021
Originally Published: March 5, 2021
“Is your dog friendly?” I yell to my neighbor as his enormous, unleashed pit bull rushes toward me and my 12-pound leashed dog.
“Oh, she’s super friendly!” my neighbor replies, waving and laughing. “She loves meeting new friends!”
While she is indeed friendly, she is also incredibly untrained. She’s curious about my dog and me, eager to play. She dashes around us, weaving between us and even attempting to run beneath the leash. My dog isn’t showing aggression, but I can tell he’s becoming anxious; he enjoys meeting other dogs on walks but gets stressed when another dog’s energy is overwhelming and their boundaries are ignored.
We attempt to move forward, but the other dog keeps circling us, jumping playfully like a horse. She continually nudges my dog with her head, eager for close-up sniffs. Meanwhile, her owner is about ten yards away, unloading groceries from the car as if everything is perfectly fine.
“Could you please come get your dog?” I say to my neighbor.
“Oh, she won’t hurt you! She just wants to play!”
At this point, my dog starts to lift his lip, revealing his teeth. “Well, my dog doesn’t want to play. You really need to get your dog.”
Eventually, we manage to push through while my neighbor chases his unruly dog around the street. His utter lack of control would be amusing if it weren’t so inconsiderate and potentially dangerous.
Just a block later, I spot another off-leash dog. This time, at least it’s in its yard with its owner, but I’m still on guard. We’ve been in this situation before; sometimes the dog stays put, sometimes it’s well-trained and we make a new friend, and other times—like the two instances I’ve already experienced—it bolts toward us in a frenzy, barking and snarling. One time, I had to scoop my dog up into my arms to protect him from being bitten, resulting in one of his teeth being knocked out. On another occasion, I wasn’t quick enough, and my dog did get bitten, though thankfully not enough to draw blood.
So, no, I’m not reassured by the sight of another neighbor with an unleashed dog in his yard, even if that dog shows no signs of aggression. I stand there, arms crossed, glaring at him until he finally gets the message and calls his dog inside. I thank him as we pass by.
I’m fed up with self-entitled individuals allowing their dogs to roam the neighborhood off-leash. This isn’t just an issue in my area; it’s a widespread problem. Last year, a viral story featured a white woman calling the police on a Black man who asked her to leash her dog. Additionally, there was a frustrating TikTok video where a woman calls the man filming an “asshole” even though it’s her uncontrolled dog running toward him and his leashed dog. He even warns her that his dog is “not friendly.”
This is a clear breach of dog-owner etiquette, and too many owners seem oblivious to it. If you observe another dog owner creating distance or crossing the street, it’s a signal that their dog isn’t interested in meeting yours. Respect that. If an owner explicitly states their dog is “not friendly,” keep your distance. Approaching others without permission can lead to dangerous situations for everyone involved.
I’m not referring to cases where dogs accidentally escape or slip their collars. I trained my own dog to stop at the door threshold for years, but once he bolted after a squirrel and ended up muddy in a neighbor’s ditch. I understand that accidents happen. I’m also not talking about dog parks or remote hiking trails where off-leash walking might be appropriate. Your neighborhood, filled with houses and people walking with or without pets, is not an acceptable place for that.
Dog owners must also recognize that when an unleashed dog approaches a leashed one, it creates an uneven power dynamic. One dog is free, while the other is tethered, which can lead to anxiety and potential aggression. My dog has nowhere to escape, and he’s aware of his small size. Bigger dogs invading his space can frighten him, not because he’s unsocialized, but because he has had negative experiences with other unleashed dogs. What if your unleashed dog gets too close, and my scared dog reacts defensively, leading to a bite? Why invite that disaster?
“But my dog is well-trained. I trust him completely!” That’s great, but I don’t know that. The child who was bitten by a dog doesn’t know that. The person walking with a dog that doesn’t like other dogs doesn’t know that. Folks like me, who’ve had multiple negative encounters, definitely don’t know that either.
For the sake of your neighbors, please demonstrate that you have complete control over your dog—by putting a leash on it. Always.
This article was initially published on March 5, 2021.
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Summary:
This article highlights the frustrations of encountering unleashed dogs in neighborhoods, emphasizing the importance of responsible dog ownership. The author shares personal experiences that illustrate the potential dangers of allowing dogs to roam freely and stresses the need for dog owners to respect the boundaries of others. Ultimately, the piece advocates for leashing dogs in public spaces to ensure safety for all.