We asked last week if it's acceptable to walk an exceptionally well-trained dog off-leash.
🤬 Context: I often encounter one person who doesn't even carry a leash when they're walking their dog.
It's well-behaved, but it has zoomed up to my leashed dogs, which creates a ruckus and once resulted in a nearby kid getting knocked off a scooter.
🗣️ What they're saying: Many of you provided thoughtful answers. Below are some, lightly edited for brevity.
"I want my dog on a leash so I can at least try to protect her from any threat," Penny H. said.
"I think it can cause a safety concern for others," Jade F. responded.
Marc R. has blood in the game: "NO. Many owners think they have control of the dog in all situations when they do not. I have been bitten by a dog off-leash in my neighbor's yard … My dog has been attacked by a different neighbor's off-leash dog."
"Bottom line for me: sorry kids, but you need to follow the rules," James B. said.
The other side: "We happen to have a well-behaved dog that will walk next to us off-leash. However, if we see another person, with or without a dog … we will slip the leash on our dog until we pass the individual … This keeps everyone safe and for those scared of dogs, it provides them comfort," Stacy said.
👮 The bottom line: NWA's largest cities all have some form of leash ordinance.
