Don’t Worry! He’s Friendly!
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
We walk a good number of our boarding dogs daily. On our walks, we are very careful with the dogs. We choose the type of collar and leash according to the dog we are walking. We carry an animal repellent to ward off any coyotes that come a bit too close. During hunting season we wear flame orange hunting vests and put one on the dog as well. Basically, we try to control as much of the environment as we can.
What we can’t control though, are other dogs we might encounter on the way. Too often we are out walking a dog and another pooch comes bounding up, sometimes playful, sometimes not so much. Usually, the owner is a few steps behind, not always in site though, and will call out, “Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” For many of the dogs we walk, this is not a problem and a few moments of dog sniffing and frolicking will ensue. For a few of our dogs though, this is a major problem.
The dog bounding toward us might be friendly. But what about the dog we are walking on leash? There are some dogs that do not tolerate other dogs. If another dog approaches us on-leash being controlled by the owner, the environment is controlled. We tighten the leash and keep walking. If the approaching dog is off-leash, well, that is another matter. Most of the time we do the same thing: tighten the leash and briskly walk away. So far, we have been very lucky and have been able to put some distance between us and the other, unleashed dog. All it takes though is one time; one time for that other dog to get a bit too close.
It’s easy to forget that not all dogs are friendly towards others. Even in controlled environments, things happen. Keep all of our dogs safe and walk them on leashes. You never know who else might be out enjoying the day.