I hear your perspective but as a dog owner who used to have a reactive dog, we only went to on-leash areas so we could trust that no dog would run up to her. Obviously there were always people with dogs off leash and people who still let their dogs come too close, but those were frustrating.
I guess if you know your dog won’t approach another dog without your permission, it seems ok. However, in my experience that is rarely the case and as an owner who was doing their best to be mindful of their dog’s needs, having other not obey leash laws was incredibly frustrating and resulted in us having to avoid certain areas that we should have been able to access.
Thank you for your post! Great pictures too. “Control” is the key point here. The problem of course is the people who don’t have any and excuse their dog’s rudeness with a “he’s friendly exclamation”. My husband is too but few people in the park want him running up to them, hugging them, and to receive an invasive investigation! Bizarre I know, but there are people who don’t like dogs or are scared of them, plenty of dogs have issues with other dogs - often because of bad incidents in the past (on or off leash). Senior dogs or injured dogs deserve to be free of harassment. We’re all entitled to a peaceful walk. Those of us who don’t want to be disturbed shouldn’t have to put up with other people’s rudeness. That said, I can’t control their actions. Too often leash laws are flagrantly ignored. No one backs them up. If I know that, I can set both myself and my dog up for success and walk elsewhere. No, I shouldn’t have to, but the reality of society is that some people follow rules and others don’t. But that of course is a whole other issue!
Some dogs, like my rescued Milo, were traumatized as stray puppies. He will never be able to be leash-free, except at home. We go for leashed walks every day & I think it’s his favorite part of the day. It’s mine also as I know he won’t ever try to “protect” me from perceived threats. It took me a while, after I first adopted him, to figure out that a male, wearing a hat & carrying something like a stick, was the source of his trauma. So I learned to steer clear. Over time, he’s gotten less reactive, but I’m still on guard. In the town where I live, two reported bites and dogs are euthanized.
Love that you know your Milo 🙂 if we’d take a walk together, I’d have mine on leash (if it was within Milo’s comfort level) so that we’d all be moving at the same pace. If I’d encounter you on the trail, and didn’t have time to leash mine, I’d grab a stick and keep their attention and huddle past you swiftly.
First things first: I'm sorry your favorite trail is changing their restrictions. Did management share their rationale? It's sad and frustrating—and a genuine source of grief, the heavy nostalgic kind—when a spot we love goes through a switch like this. (We've experienced tighter guidelines on Florida's beaches, too, often as a response to pet owners not respecting the space.)
I can understand your perspective on under-control off-leash dogs in general and appreciate you sharing it. (And I did take a deep breath before commenting, promise! 😉) For me, the big thing it comes down to is that I don't think it's fair to expect strangers to trust me and my dog on blind faith.
My blue heeler was nervous around other dogs at the shelter before I adopted her and then became intensely fear reactive after she got attacked on the sidewalk in our first two weeks together. Since that initial traumatic experience, we've had so many awful encounters with out-of-control off-leash dogs. Many have seemed under control (sitting at their handlers' sides, walking in a heel command) until the last minute when they break for us. As a result of all these “oh it'll probably fine” experiences that quickly devolve into “definitely not fine”, she and I struggle to fully relax around dogs we don't know without visible tethers. (We've spent years training—earning her Canine Good Citizen title and multiple trick titles, attending group classes, working in private lessons, etc—to where daily life is no longer a struggle, but an unwanted approach still risks setting her confidence back. We often intentionally seek out leash-required spaces so we can play and train and explore with greater peace of mind.)
If someone leashes up the second they see another person or dog, then okay. (I agree that we need more legal off-leash spaces with a culture of training and respect. Biological fulfillment is so important to me!) But when most off-leash dogs North Americans encounter are not under control, I don't think anyone can blame people (those with fearful dogs like me, those afraid of dogs after being bitten like my mother in law, etc) for being edge when we see one up ahead in a leash-required area.
I love dogs. I could cry in a split second thinking about my (two) boys. I wish they could run free and not worry about consequences. But when you have small/medium sized pups and encounter large off leash dogs that run over to you, it’s a paralyzing feeling. Your brain goes through every possible scenario, planning your next move if things become aggressive, and then the backup move if the first doesn’t work, and picturing yourself accidentally dropping the leash and having your dog run away in fear. I actually had such an encounter yesterday and I could not calm my body down for hours afterwards.
I appreciate your viewpoint and Yaya and Boo seem like the sweetest, happiest boys. I think there is truly a need for more designated off leash spaces. With that said, I hope people who let there dogs off leash in leashed areas consider:
1) a lightweight longline lead that you can drop, letting your dog roam, and then pick up when needed
2) leashing up when you see people approaching with leashed dogs
It’s all great and fun until it’s not. Sometimes, with the amount of off leash dogs that have no recall, it feels inevitable that I will have to protect my own from a negative encounter. I love walking my dogs, being outside and enjoying nature and watching them take the world in just as much as you. It would be nice to not have to carry a slip lead, mace or a taser just in case.
I often walk in the Blue Ridge Parkway National Forest. I leash because it’s the law. My dog gets off leash time at a large dog park and on farm walks. Speaking to a forest ranger one day I was told they get lost dog reports daily when an unexpected deer runs across the trail and a dog follows. Also, he warned, black bear attacks are extremely rare but when they do occur they often involve an off leash dog. A bear may initially run from a barking dog, but if the dog follows it will quickly turn, at which time the dog runs back to its owner who then faces an angry bear. I totally agree dogs need off leash socializing, but knowing the area and following the laws are equally important.
I love all this, as I prefer waking my dogs off leash as well. I just have one thing to add - please don’t do this on trails you share with horses! I ride horses on designated horse trails, and there is a bit of terror that ensues when confronted with off leash dogs. Some horses and dogs handle it fine, but more often than not it’s a dangerous situation. Thank you in advance from all horse trail riders!
When our first Border Collie Blue was younger, we went to the nature park and threw light up and whistle balls for him .
We walked him in on his leash, but once in the middle of it-at 5 am- there was no one there but the deer. I always love to see deer and Blue had such fun but some old man later complained to someone high up and got us uninvited.
My dog never jumped on anyone or hurt anything but one crabby apple had to interject - he had no dog. 😠
I just read your thoughtful piece on the off-leash/on-leash debate. Although I'm not currently a dog owner, I have always believed that an owner must have control of their dog at any time, but particularly when off leash. As long as the owner has that control and exercises it then I think it's OK to have your dog off leash. But that's a big responsibility that many people just aren't willing to take on. As you say, a lot is involved in knowing your dog(s) and what will get their attention. But looking at the photos of your dogs and their happy faces, I can't imagine them not being allowed that freedom. I think your approach is a good one and some of the compromises you cite seem to me to make better sense so all can enjoy the trails as they need/wish.
This is so interesting because I literally just jotted into my notes page the other day, “I think dogs should live off leashes”. I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t get to experience the pure joy in my dog’s face as she runs through the desert uninhibited. She just belongs there. Obviously we have to be conscious of others, but if you have an open trail, I say let ‘em be free :-)
Thank you for your thoughtful post. I totally agree with knowing your dog and understanding and assessing the different aspects of each encounter that you might have on an unleaded trail. It saddens me to think that we may not be able to enjoy our daily Pacific Spirit walks unleashed. It brings joy to my heart to see my dog have the freedom to roam about untethered.
Teddy is a very social dog and he loves to meet people and people regularly comment how lovely it is to meet him as he will gently lean in for a pat and friendly smile. However I also judge the situation and we will just pass by sometimes without any contact.
I truly appreciate this article. I live in Colorado (not Boulder) and we luckily have lots of National Forest where dogs can be off leash legally (at least for now!). I have a reactive border collie and he really is only reactive when he's on leash and can't go greet OR someone is coming towards us. Recognizing triggers and knowing your dogs is sooo important! Thanks for being such a great BC and dog advocate! If you ever want another BC not from Momo's lineage(a rescue), look us up. Western Border Collie Rescue.
Leashes suck and Canada is a tyrannical country. Prove me wrong 😝. But seriously… there are so many countries in the world where people don’t make such a big deal about this issue and I would argue that both dogs and people are happier for it. We need to relax and our dogs will be more relaxed too. Bring on the daggers 😅
Sounds to me like you've got this under control and have a good balance struck. Through my pet sitting business and rescue work I get exposed to dogs of many different temperaments. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Knowing your pet is key to having a well behaved pet. Situational awareness is critical. Know what's ahead, what's behind, and where your dog is. I can usually tell by the body language and facial expressions of approaching people if there's tension or not. My town and most of the surrounding ones have leash laws, but also a lot of dog parks. In town fences between properties are rare so you never know what you'll encounter on a walk. I always have the leash handy even for dogs I know well, and bear spray should we encounter loose dogs of unknown temper.
In a perfect world all off leash dog owners would abide by your rules. Unfortunately the off leash dogs I have come in contact with have not been nice and either were the owners. I generally don't go anywhere that is off leash so I am very appreciative of owners that have their dogs off leash when they see me with my dog they hook up. To me that is a very responsible owner. :):)
I hear your perspective but as a dog owner who used to have a reactive dog, we only went to on-leash areas so we could trust that no dog would run up to her. Obviously there were always people with dogs off leash and people who still let their dogs come too close, but those were frustrating.
I guess if you know your dog won’t approach another dog without your permission, it seems ok. However, in my experience that is rarely the case and as an owner who was doing their best to be mindful of their dog’s needs, having other not obey leash laws was incredibly frustrating and resulted in us having to avoid certain areas that we should have been able to access.
Thank you for your post! Great pictures too. “Control” is the key point here. The problem of course is the people who don’t have any and excuse their dog’s rudeness with a “he’s friendly exclamation”. My husband is too but few people in the park want him running up to them, hugging them, and to receive an invasive investigation! Bizarre I know, but there are people who don’t like dogs or are scared of them, plenty of dogs have issues with other dogs - often because of bad incidents in the past (on or off leash). Senior dogs or injured dogs deserve to be free of harassment. We’re all entitled to a peaceful walk. Those of us who don’t want to be disturbed shouldn’t have to put up with other people’s rudeness. That said, I can’t control their actions. Too often leash laws are flagrantly ignored. No one backs them up. If I know that, I can set both myself and my dog up for success and walk elsewhere. No, I shouldn’t have to, but the reality of society is that some people follow rules and others don’t. But that of course is a whole other issue!
Some dogs, like my rescued Milo, were traumatized as stray puppies. He will never be able to be leash-free, except at home. We go for leashed walks every day & I think it’s his favorite part of the day. It’s mine also as I know he won’t ever try to “protect” me from perceived threats. It took me a while, after I first adopted him, to figure out that a male, wearing a hat & carrying something like a stick, was the source of his trauma. So I learned to steer clear. Over time, he’s gotten less reactive, but I’m still on guard. In the town where I live, two reported bites and dogs are euthanized.
Love that you know your Milo 🙂 if we’d take a walk together, I’d have mine on leash (if it was within Milo’s comfort level) so that we’d all be moving at the same pace. If I’d encounter you on the trail, and didn’t have time to leash mine, I’d grab a stick and keep their attention and huddle past you swiftly.
First things first: I'm sorry your favorite trail is changing their restrictions. Did management share their rationale? It's sad and frustrating—and a genuine source of grief, the heavy nostalgic kind—when a spot we love goes through a switch like this. (We've experienced tighter guidelines on Florida's beaches, too, often as a response to pet owners not respecting the space.)
I can understand your perspective on under-control off-leash dogs in general and appreciate you sharing it. (And I did take a deep breath before commenting, promise! 😉) For me, the big thing it comes down to is that I don't think it's fair to expect strangers to trust me and my dog on blind faith.
My blue heeler was nervous around other dogs at the shelter before I adopted her and then became intensely fear reactive after she got attacked on the sidewalk in our first two weeks together. Since that initial traumatic experience, we've had so many awful encounters with out-of-control off-leash dogs. Many have seemed under control (sitting at their handlers' sides, walking in a heel command) until the last minute when they break for us. As a result of all these “oh it'll probably fine” experiences that quickly devolve into “definitely not fine”, she and I struggle to fully relax around dogs we don't know without visible tethers. (We've spent years training—earning her Canine Good Citizen title and multiple trick titles, attending group classes, working in private lessons, etc—to where daily life is no longer a struggle, but an unwanted approach still risks setting her confidence back. We often intentionally seek out leash-required spaces so we can play and train and explore with greater peace of mind.)
If someone leashes up the second they see another person or dog, then okay. (I agree that we need more legal off-leash spaces with a culture of training and respect. Biological fulfillment is so important to me!) But when most off-leash dogs North Americans encounter are not under control, I don't think anyone can blame people (those with fearful dogs like me, those afraid of dogs after being bitten like my mother in law, etc) for being edge when we see one up ahead in a leash-required area.
I love dogs. I could cry in a split second thinking about my (two) boys. I wish they could run free and not worry about consequences. But when you have small/medium sized pups and encounter large off leash dogs that run over to you, it’s a paralyzing feeling. Your brain goes through every possible scenario, planning your next move if things become aggressive, and then the backup move if the first doesn’t work, and picturing yourself accidentally dropping the leash and having your dog run away in fear. I actually had such an encounter yesterday and I could not calm my body down for hours afterwards.
I appreciate your viewpoint and Yaya and Boo seem like the sweetest, happiest boys. I think there is truly a need for more designated off leash spaces. With that said, I hope people who let there dogs off leash in leashed areas consider:
1) a lightweight longline lead that you can drop, letting your dog roam, and then pick up when needed
2) leashing up when you see people approaching with leashed dogs
It’s all great and fun until it’s not. Sometimes, with the amount of off leash dogs that have no recall, it feels inevitable that I will have to protect my own from a negative encounter. I love walking my dogs, being outside and enjoying nature and watching them take the world in just as much as you. It would be nice to not have to carry a slip lead, mace or a taser just in case.
I often walk in the Blue Ridge Parkway National Forest. I leash because it’s the law. My dog gets off leash time at a large dog park and on farm walks. Speaking to a forest ranger one day I was told they get lost dog reports daily when an unexpected deer runs across the trail and a dog follows. Also, he warned, black bear attacks are extremely rare but when they do occur they often involve an off leash dog. A bear may initially run from a barking dog, but if the dog follows it will quickly turn, at which time the dog runs back to its owner who then faces an angry bear. I totally agree dogs need off leash socializing, but knowing the area and following the laws are equally important.
Yikes
Thanks Ginger
I love all this, as I prefer waking my dogs off leash as well. I just have one thing to add - please don’t do this on trails you share with horses! I ride horses on designated horse trails, and there is a bit of terror that ensues when confronted with off leash dogs. Some horses and dogs handle it fine, but more often than not it’s a dangerous situation. Thank you in advance from all horse trail riders!
Let’s goo Boise 💪🏼 we also have an off leash designated hours program in most parks and foothills off leash trails. Thankful for those areas to run.
When our first Border Collie Blue was younger, we went to the nature park and threw light up and whistle balls for him .
We walked him in on his leash, but once in the middle of it-at 5 am- there was no one there but the deer. I always love to see deer and Blue had such fun but some old man later complained to someone high up and got us uninvited.
My dog never jumped on anyone or hurt anything but one crabby apple had to interject - he had no dog. 😠
I just read your thoughtful piece on the off-leash/on-leash debate. Although I'm not currently a dog owner, I have always believed that an owner must have control of their dog at any time, but particularly when off leash. As long as the owner has that control and exercises it then I think it's OK to have your dog off leash. But that's a big responsibility that many people just aren't willing to take on. As you say, a lot is involved in knowing your dog(s) and what will get their attention. But looking at the photos of your dogs and their happy faces, I can't imagine them not being allowed that freedom. I think your approach is a good one and some of the compromises you cite seem to me to make better sense so all can enjoy the trails as they need/wish.
This is so interesting because I literally just jotted into my notes page the other day, “I think dogs should live off leashes”. I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t get to experience the pure joy in my dog’s face as she runs through the desert uninhibited. She just belongs there. Obviously we have to be conscious of others, but if you have an open trail, I say let ‘em be free :-)
Thank you for your thoughtful post. I totally agree with knowing your dog and understanding and assessing the different aspects of each encounter that you might have on an unleaded trail. It saddens me to think that we may not be able to enjoy our daily Pacific Spirit walks unleashed. It brings joy to my heart to see my dog have the freedom to roam about untethered.
Teddy is a very social dog and he loves to meet people and people regularly comment how lovely it is to meet him as he will gently lean in for a pat and friendly smile. However I also judge the situation and we will just pass by sometimes without any contact.
Thank you again for expressing your thoughts.
I truly appreciate this article. I live in Colorado (not Boulder) and we luckily have lots of National Forest where dogs can be off leash legally (at least for now!). I have a reactive border collie and he really is only reactive when he's on leash and can't go greet OR someone is coming towards us. Recognizing triggers and knowing your dogs is sooo important! Thanks for being such a great BC and dog advocate! If you ever want another BC not from Momo's lineage(a rescue), look us up. Western Border Collie Rescue.
Leashes suck and Canada is a tyrannical country. Prove me wrong 😝. But seriously… there are so many countries in the world where people don’t make such a big deal about this issue and I would argue that both dogs and people are happier for it. We need to relax and our dogs will be more relaxed too. Bring on the daggers 😅
Sounds to me like you've got this under control and have a good balance struck. Through my pet sitting business and rescue work I get exposed to dogs of many different temperaments. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Knowing your pet is key to having a well behaved pet. Situational awareness is critical. Know what's ahead, what's behind, and where your dog is. I can usually tell by the body language and facial expressions of approaching people if there's tension or not. My town and most of the surrounding ones have leash laws, but also a lot of dog parks. In town fences between properties are rare so you never know what you'll encounter on a walk. I always have the leash handy even for dogs I know well, and bear spray should we encounter loose dogs of unknown temper.
In a perfect world all off leash dog owners would abide by your rules. Unfortunately the off leash dogs I have come in contact with have not been nice and either were the owners. I generally don't go anywhere that is off leash so I am very appreciative of owners that have their dogs off leash when they see me with my dog they hook up. To me that is a very responsible owner. :):)
If we know anything it’s that our world is far from perfect 🫠