Leash Laws

There is a reason we have leash laws - so people can control their pets!

Personally, I have no problem with someone letting their dog run loose PROVIDED at least one of the following two conditions apply.

1. The dog remains in their own yard, and/or
2. The owner can and DOES control their dog if they are outside of their own yard.

I took Max into the front yard this afternoon when I went to get my mail and bring in my trash can. We go out through the garage so I can't see what's out there before we head out and Max goes out first. We do this all the time. I know that's probably not the best situation (Max going first, that is) but we haven't had a problem...until today.

We get outside and there is a young girl riding her bike with her young dog following along. Our two dogs see each other and go to greet each other. No problem so far, right?

Well, I notice that hair on Max's back goes up - never a good sign - so I went over to restrain him. And maybe it's my restraining him that brings this on but he became "aggressive" Max at that time - which of course scared the young girl.

I, calmly (at least the first time anyway), asked her to get her dog. All she did was call him. He obviously hasn't been trained because he totally ignored her. I get that, he was just doing what dogs do. But meanwhile, Max is working up to serious aggression and he's 110+ pounds so restraining him was not easy.

I asked her (not as calmly) several more times to get her dog and all she did was call him. I finally yelled at her to get off her bike and get her dog! She did once and the dog seemed to be willing to follow her but I told her to grab his collar. She didn't and the dog took off - towards Max. She went back to her bike so I told her, again, to get off her bike and get her dog. This time she started to get off her bike when the dog came up to Max again, causing him to appear mean (he really is a sweet dog...really!) again so she ran back to her bike and rode off, leaving her dog behind.

I finally grabbed Max's front paws and "walked" him (kicking and screaming mind you) back into the house. When I went back out to get the mail and trash can, the girl was long gone but her dog was still in my yard.

I'll say it again, if you cannot control your dog, you should not allow them out of your yard without a leash. It's the law!

Okay, rant officially over.