A man walking his dogs on a leash in Palma.

A man walking his dogs on a leash in Palma. | Miquel A. Cañellas

Erica LayPalma 22/11/2024 10:01
TW
0

I’d like to talk about dog etiquette. This week out on a hike, I’d encountered other dog walkers and as always had no major issues – despite the fact that my dog does have anger management issues with other dogs on lead. Other responsible dog owners are understanding, it’s just a dog thing (and yes, I’ve tried various training methods/techniques but my rescue girl just has this trait, so we work with her to minimize traumatic experiences). However, on this particular hike I was back in the carpark when I saw two women approaching with two dogs, off lead.

Firstly – it was a carpark, which means… well, cars. And actually coaches. Secondly – signs up clearly stated all dogs must stay on leads. The bigger dog makes a beeline for us, and despite me calling to this woman to leash her dog, call her dog off, get her dog, etc, she couldn’t have cared less.

Fortunately, my dog was having a good day and decided not to bark at this poor uncontrolled lump, but was clearly unhappy about having this beast’s nose all up in her business. Now here’s the thing: that situation could have gone horribly horribly wrong. I don’t know that dog – what if it attacked us? What if my dog reacted and caused him to attack then? What if I shout and the dog spooks and runs in front of a car? Urgh.

None of this is the dog’s fault – it’s the owner. So, let’s spell it out, and I am sure 99% of dog owners here will agree with me: if you have a dog, and you see another one on a lead, put yours on a lead. Especially when the owner is asking you to. It’s irresponsible, and you could cause a serious incident.