Trigger warning: This post is more of a rant than anything
about a frustrating and all-too-common problem: off-leash dogs running up to other dogs in public spaces.
Before anyone assumes otherwise—I fully support giving dogs off-leash time. I believe it's an important part of canine enrichment. Mine get to run free whenever it's safe and appropriate. One of my regular walks includes a park where I let them sniff and stretch their legs off-leash before we continue our on-leash walk. But if other people or dogs are around, I keep my dogs leashed. It’s just common courtesy. (BTW—this isn't legal advice. Check and follow your local leash laws.)
Unfortunately, not everyone thinks this way, and I’ve had countless dogs charge up to mine—sometimes friendly, sometimes not. After dealing with too many bad encounters (including a recent aggressive encounter while walking 15-year-old dog), I now carry a taser. Not to hurt dogs, but because the sound alone is usually enough to stop an approaching dog before things escalate. My priority is keeping my dogs safe. It shouldn't be this hard.
Why I Choose Coyotes Over Your ‘Friendly’ Dog
For most of the winter, I drive 25 minutes each way just to walk my dogs in the desert. Why? Because I’d rather take my chances with coyotes than deal with off-leash dogs running up to mine.
Coyotes are more predictable, and I'm actually less likely to have a coyote encounter than I am to have a random loose dog run up to mine on a city walk. And when I have run into a coyotes, they were easy to scare off. The same can’t be said for some of the off-leash dogs I’ve encountered in town.
Once summer hits and rattlesnakes become a risk, I lose the luxury of escaping to the desert. That means my dogs and I are at the mercy of whatever unpredictable dogs and owners we come across.
The Problem With Random Dogs Approaching
The other day, I was walking my youngest dog, View. He’s an insecure boy, and I’ve worked hard to build his confidence. Random dogs running up to him don’t help—they set back his progress and make walks stressful instead of enjoyable. The more this happens, the more he's likely to be on alert, ready to react instead of just enjoying our walk.
That day, as we walked through the park, I leashed him as soon as I spotted someone with a loose German Shepherd. The GSD ignored its owner’s attempts to catch it and, sure enough, started running toward us. I hit the taser button, and thankfully, the dog turned away from us and headed back to it's owner. That should have been the end of it, but instead, the owner yelled at me that her dog “wasn’t even that close.” The dog was about 40 feet away and running toward us—I have no reason to wait for the dog to get closer before responding. Again, my responsibility is my dogs, not yours.
Seriously, if you can’t verbally control your off-leash dog, it shouldn’t be off-leash, and this lady couldn't even catch her dog.
On the way out of the park, I encountered another off-leash dog, this time a cattle dog. The owner assured me his dog was “fine.” I told him mine can be reactive, but he still let his dog walk right up to us. Again, I used my taser to prevent an unwanted interaction. His response? “He wasn’t going to do anything.”
That’s not the point. When someone tells you their dog needs space, respect that.
Leash Reactivity: You’re Not Helping
Even when dogs are leashed, there’s another problem—people walking dogs that hit the end of the leash, barking at every dog they see. If this is your dog, you’re not doing them any favors by putting them in situations where they lose their minds.
If your dog barks, lunges, or otherwise loses it when they see another dog, you need to manage this behavior by keeping enough distance that they don’t lose it. That means staying far enough away that they don’t even twitch an ear toward the other dog.
This isn’t just for your dog—it’s for everyone else, too. Your out-of-control, barking dog creates more out-of-control, barking dogs.
A Simple Request: Control Your Dog
If you want to let your dog run loose, great—just make sure it’s under control and isn’t approaching people or dogs who don’t want the interaction. Not every dog is social. Not every dog wants to meet yours. And quite frankly, not every person wants to deal with your dog. (Again, this is not legal advice.)
Public spaces are for everyone, and Vegas is getting too crowded for this kind of selfish behavior.
So, if you ever see someone hitting a taser button when a dog runs up to them, that’s probably me. And no, I’m not sorry for helping you teach your dog to mind its own business—something you should have done already.
Do better. Also, pick up your dog's poop.
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