I have seen some posts in training forums about dogs escaping harnesses and I am one of those who worry about anything other than a collar like a martingale that a dog can't slip out of. So when I've use anything other than a martingale, I use a coupler. That way if one thing fails, the other branch of the coupler, which is always attached to the collar, keeps the dog safe. Yet I have only one leash to hold.
Yesterday I almost posted something along the lines of what 3GSD4IPO did - if a loose dog runs up to me and my leashed dog, I get just plain nasty about it. I'm an older woman and have already had some orthopedic injuries that required surgery. Nowadays, getting knocked down by a couple of dogs, whether they're taking issue with each other or bouncing around making friends could be devastating.
I didn't post yesterday because it occurred to me I'd never be in the kind of park the OP described. After years of fighting it, including using bear spray on loose dogs that came at me and mine, I've lost the battle with my selfish neighbors and given up walking my dogs on leash around my own neighborhood. I'd never venture into a park with lots of dogs because there's always some percentage of people who think their dog needs to be loose and that's more important than leash laws or the needs of others.
So today I am posting in hopes that some here will think about how those of us who join dog forums tend to have a dog-centric view of the world. Sometimes we should stop and think about things from the view of other people - I have a neighbor with a special needs son. She worries about how a loose dog might react to the jerky movements of her boy, and I think it's a valid concern. Older people and people with some conditions can have bones that break easily. Children can be knocked down and frightened by the friendliest dog. I've often thought if I had a small dog, I'd carry it's crate around with me so I could pop it inside at the sight of a large dog charging toward us.
Yesterday I almost posted something along the lines of what 3GSD4IPO did - if a loose dog runs up to me and my leashed dog, I get just plain nasty about it. I'm an older woman and have already had some orthopedic injuries that required surgery. Nowadays, getting knocked down by a couple of dogs, whether they're taking issue with each other or bouncing around making friends could be devastating.
I didn't post yesterday because it occurred to me I'd never be in the kind of park the OP described. After years of fighting it, including using bear spray on loose dogs that came at me and mine, I've lost the battle with my selfish neighbors and given up walking my dogs on leash around my own neighborhood. I'd never venture into a park with lots of dogs because there's always some percentage of people who think their dog needs to be loose and that's more important than leash laws or the needs of others.
So today I am posting in hopes that some here will think about how those of us who join dog forums tend to have a dog-centric view of the world. Sometimes we should stop and think about things from the view of other people - I have a neighbor with a special needs son. She worries about how a loose dog might react to the jerky movements of her boy, and I think it's a valid concern. Older people and people with some conditions can have bones that break easily. Children can be knocked down and frightened by the friendliest dog. I've often thought if I had a small dog, I'd carry it's crate around with me so I could pop it inside at the sight of a large dog charging toward us.
