I think nearly every sitter of the Wisconsin Pet Care team, whether they serve Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, or Waukesha county, has come across the following scenario: while out walking a client’s dog, an off leash dog starts charging towards them and the dog they’re caring for. Many times, the owners of these off leash dogs will yell out something along the lines of “Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” Overall the situation can be a frustrating one and let me tell you why.
1. Not all dogs are friendly. Just because your off leash dog is friendly with other dogs, that doesn’t mean the on leash dog he’s charging up to is. We had a client whose dog was confined to his back yard because so much of the neighborhood allowed their off leash dogs to greet him and he fought every time. No so fair for that dog, is it? When he can no longer be walked, on leash, because of others.
2. It’s dangerous. If your dog does not have a bullet proof recall and he sees a squirrel across the street, what’s stopping him from running into traffic to chase that squirrel? Too many times we have lost client’s pets because of this and it’s devastating. It’s also preventable – keep your pet on a leash or some other tether.
3. It’s the law. In Wisconsin, we do have leash laws. These state that dogs must be on leash while off your property unless you are at an off-leash exercise areas in parks where dogs are allowed. In the event that something happens while you allow your dog off leash, you can be fined and will be held responsible in the event your dog bites someone or another dog.
For the safety of your pet and others, please be mindful and keep your dog leashed.
