Hate

An off-leash dog attacked a child at a park a few blocks from where we live. A park, my human never walks with me. A park my human also avoided with her Angel Gavin because so many people let their dogs off leash, with little or no recall training.

The hate-filled community debate is as alarming as hearing about an innocent, injured child. My human rarely scrolls or posts, but she felt compelled to share that she, too, has been attacked by off-leash dogs and that she’s instinctively distressed at the sight of off-leash dogs (where it’s required by law to leash dogs), not to mention I’m dog reactive.

So, trying to get me into the car where we drive 15 minutes to walk on a bike path where we know off-leash dogs won’t bombard us can be scary for both her and me. 

She’s worked hard to process the trauma of seeing two dogs race towards her and Gavin, one biting him 30+ times, before four people helped her and her sweet angel boy. He walked away with only puncture wounds, but it took a lot of work, compassion, time, and even more treats and love for Gavin to feel safe at the sight of other dogs. 

My human will likely always have a deep, fearful, innate response to seeing a dog off-leash.

As will the child who was attacked and their parents. Their sympathetic nervous system doesn’t know if the dog is friendly. Their body’s automatic alarm doesn’t know if the dog’s been trained to come when called. They’re not choosing reflexive panic or terror.

But you can choose love over hate.

You can join the conversation by sharing what you hope people don’t know. When you ask people who actually leash their dogs at a distance, you can tell them that your dog is fearful. You can report off-leash dogs to the park rangers and your community because not everyone wants a dog running up to them.

And we all deserve to feel safe in public spaces. We all need to follow the rules. 

I love people, but my human watches other humans we encounter very closely to gauge their comfort level near me. If she’s unsure, she’ll say to me, “Not everyone wants to say hi. ” That gives random people an opportunity to smile and say, “I love dogs,” or to enjoy their walk without me tossing my butt at them and sitting on their feet.

Your words and actions may not change the behavior of the human in front of you, but you can walk away from unpleasant encounters regret-free and then go home, where you feel safe, regroup, recalibrate, and replenish.

Be safe and spread love.

If your dog is also reactive, I LOVE my human’s Sardines & Cream Cheese Recipe; it helps me stay calm when I see other dogs.

*This article also contains affiliate links to one of my (Mabel’s) favorite leashes.