Now don't get me wrong, if people want to walk their dog off leash, my opinion remains, whatever floats your boat; but if an off leash dog gets in my dogs face on the street that's another issue all together. I will not hit another dog, but I'll certainly say some nasty things to the owner. Believe me, I'm the nicest guy in the world, but once I get started they'll be calling the crisis line when they get home. I agree with Woodbyter, that some dogs can and some can't. My friends dog is great off leash. When we get near a busy street, they usually put the dog on the lead until we're across. Again, if you like that, fine. Just don't come crying to me expecting lots of sympathy when your dog gets sprayed by a skunk or worse, nailed by a car because she was chasing a squirrel and ran across the street. You took the risk, you gambled and lost but your dog paid the bet.
My beef is that they keep bringing it up that "someday Bob will be able to be walked off leash when he grows up a bit", instead of being "tied down by being on the leash". I told them the other day, that I am simply not interested in having an off leash dog, full stop, end of sentence. I told them that I just don't like the idea. They looked surprised, and almost took it as an insult, and that I was inferring they were doing something wrong! Once I explained that I couldn't care less if they kept their dog on the leash or off, and it's their business not mine they seemed to appreciate my opinion a bit more.
Of course they are still trying to convince me and say that it's more "natural" to have the dog off leash. I explained that for one, having domesticated dogs isn't natural to begin with. Either are fast cars, buses, traffic, busy streets, other people on sidewalks, bad dog owners with angry dogs, stucco homes, poop bags, elevators, wheelchairs, pop cans, adsl service, the internet, ballpoint pens, guns, plastic, etc. Lots of things aren't natural! Thankyou for being master of stating the obvious!
Oops. I need more coffee again. Or maybe that's the problem today. Hmm. I think I'm just going to be grumpy all day.
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