‘ITS OKAY, MY DOG IS FRIENDLY…’

‘Its okay, my dog is friendly…’ No its NOT okay!

Humans rationalize things dogs do not,  overall humans and dogs have different opinions about every day events.

Dog’s rely on humans for their entire life, I think it is paying the highest respect to the dog in your life if you train them, understand dogs and how they think.  This is what will make you the best guardian for the dog in your life.    With out a reliable recall what if your dog ever gets out, you’ll have little to no chance of getting it to come back to you or catching it.  If your dog becomes frightened and starts to bolt when off leash, how would you have it returned to you?  If it starts running towards a road, are you still going to enjoy the fact that you don’t have a reliable recall? Isn’t it your duty to the dog to have the best recall with them that you possibly can?

It’s certainly not about being a ‘control freak’. Dogs depend on humans for so much in this human dominated world and this includes keeping them safe. It is our responsibility as a dog guardian to keep the dog safe from harm, not just our dog but other dogs too. Dogs in off leash areas that are on leash are lawfully (in Australia) allowed to be, please be respectful. Not all dogs or people like dogs running up to them.
Dogs are dogs and can turn at any second with another dog, animal or human (even their human). It’s our job to be respectful of all dogs and guardians and to train what is appropriate and what is not to the dogs in this human dominated world we both live in.  Just as you teach a human child,  when not to cross a busy road, where to toilet, what is acceptable behaviour and what is not etc. We are not controlling the dog or child we are setting them up for success for their future in making the right choices in life.

The difference with children and dogs, the child will grow up and fend for its self read signs and understand human language.

Just because your dog is friendly doesn’t mean all dogs are- use some dog etiquette some common sense and never let a dog run up to another dog on leash – the leashed dog could be scared or become reactive. Try to respect other guardians and their need for space. Not all dogs want the added attention or intrusion.

Even when off-leash, your dog must be under ‘effective control’ which means it returns when called and complies with cues. If your dog is not under effective control, you can be required to keep your dog on a leash in an off-leash area.  Many off leash area’s like public beaches and parks you will come across dogs on leash, it is your responsibility to have the dog under full control, meaning not allowing it to approach other dogs. A recall is one of the very first cues to teach your puppy or rescue dog.  If the dog doesn’t recall, remember you are the guardian of the dog.   Do you trust every dog out there that is not on leash not to hurt the dog in your life, do you trust that the dog in your life can cross a road looking both ways and know when its safe to cross?

 

Taking responsibility of being a dog guardian seriously,  learning as much about how a dogs brain works and thinks is your duty to the dog in your life and all the dogs that come into your life.  This why we offer our ‘talking dog with Tamara sessions‘.  You can learn to speak dog, knowing what to look out for with a dogs body language you can start to understand more about what a dog is thinking.  Dogs brains are not built the same as humans and we really need to remember this when we choose to invite them into our homes, especially when we have them as our ‘fur kids’.  Fur is the most important part of ‘fur kids’ for us to think humanly about.  Fur is what is attached to an animal, some humans call their human kids animals but we know they are still human and their brains are built to think the same as ours.

So sad how some folks do not see it as their duty to train the dog in their life before they are taken off leash.
Too many human emotions put into the equation.  The way you see the world around you is not the same as how a dog sees the world around them!

Dogs need to have a reliable recall before being let off leash.
Understanding a human perspective ‘how wonderful it must feel for a dog to run free’!
Dogs are not as a child, we do not teach them how to fend for themselves and let them be free, dogs are reliant on us for their whole life!
Spread the word to all humans to train the dogs in their life 😉👍🏻🐾🐾

If you have no voice control over the dog, keep them on the leash!