“IT NEVER HAPPENS WHEN YOU EXPECT IT”
The following is the number one explanation I hear when dogs bite people, joggers, other animals, etc. and end up with dangerous dog proceedings and kill orders hanging over them:
“My dog, who was leashed and never hurt a flea before, was startled and got away from me when the leash slipped out of my hands in an instant!”
All good leashes have a loop handle at the end. By threading the leash through the loop and creating a slipknot which you then place around your wrist (see pic), that unexpectedly frightened and very athletic pooch will go absolutely nowhere without you. I also calmly hold a piece of the leash to lessen the impact of any quick tug by the dog. In fact, I don’t even open the door to leave without them tethered to me.
I also constantly observe the dogs when we are out. Their senses are far beyond mine, and staying “tuned in” to them teaches me so much and keeps me aware of how they are reacting to the foreign world around them.
Overreacting? I certainly don’t see it that way. It’s the cheapest insurance I can get.
This is what I signed up for. They deserve it.
