Before peoples' faces start melting, let me be perfectly clear. I'm a dog person. I love dogs. I grew up with dogs. I volunteered for years at a dog shelter. I've gotten the most aggressive dogs to stop snarling and lick my face. In fact, I prefer dogs to most people. Few things enrage me more than witnessing a dog being abused or neglected. Those who know me know that my dog-lover credentials are solid.
Having said that, my parents raised me right. Meaning, I was taught to understand that the world didn't revolve around me and my dog. I was taught that just because I love dogs doesn't mean everybody else loves dogs. Some people are timid around dogs. Some people are allergic to dogs. Some people are just not into dogs. And that's ok.
Unless we were at a dog park or in a big open field far away from playgrounds, I kept my dog on a leash. If people were passing us on the sidewalk, I'd make sure the leash slack was short enough to prevent my dog from jumping on the passing people. And that's kinda the whole point of the leash, isn't it? If your dog is leashed but you still let it reach me, your leash is as useless as your sense of consideration for others.
If I noticed the size or assertiveness of my dog was frightening a small child, I would put the dog outside or in another room. I wouldn't give a dismissive, "It's okay, he's friendly," and expect that to placate the nerves of the terrified, bawling four-year-old staring down a menacing creature thrice his size.
None of this used to be an issue. The dog owners of yore were responsible and courteous. They didn't need to be told not to let their dogs jump on total strangers. It was self-evident. Not to sound cliché, but maybe it's simply a "generational thing," and recent irresponsible dog-owning is simply another manifestation of an increasingly self-absorbed culture.
Let me be clear about something else: I wholeheartedly believe the vast majority of today's dog owners still fall into the category of responsible, courteous adults. I also understand that some people need service dogs with them at all times for medical reasons. My criticism here is directed not towards these people but towards that small minority of selfish dog owners who can't read the room, and who give all dog owners a bad name.
When your dog is jumping on Someone, and Someone keeps trying to back up as they push your dog off, yelling "Get down!" to the dog, and when your dog doesn't get down on its own, Someone is looking at you, the human owner, to do something — that's what we more observant members of our social species call a SOCIAL CUE. This particular social cue means "Get your damn dog off me." And your proper response should be to immediately get your dog off that person and to apologize. To repeat, the proper response is NOT to say, "It's okay, he's friendly." Whether your dog is friendly or not, Someone clearly doesn't want him on them.
Secondly, there are certain places where dogs (and other pets) simply don't belong. Grocery stores. Restaurants. Other people's front yards. Airplanes. Growing up as a dog owner, I instinctively knew there was something off about bringing a dog into an establishment where people buy, cook, or consume food. Of course, back then, the coffee shop, restaurant, or grocery store would have enforced a "no pets allowed" rule, but that was back in the days when adults were adults and understood their egos didn't occupy the center of the universe.
When our parents took us out, do you know what we did with the dog? Get ready — brace yourself — hold on to your seat … we LEFT THE DOG AT HOME! Crazy, right? And every time we came back home, the dog was not starving. The dog was not emaciated. The dog was perfectly fine. The dog was able to survive a few hours without us. And we were able to survive a few hours without the dog.
Somehow, we possessed the strength of mind to leave our dog at home while we ran errands, ate out, or used mass transportation. And, somehow, we were able to persevere and soldier on. Looking back, I don't know how we did it. Those Army Rangers storming the beaches at Normandy thought they had it rough.
Another obvious rule of dog etiquette is this: If your dog in your backyard is barking its head off for more than a minute straight, bring it inside. Especially if it's after dark. The entire neighborhood doesn't need to be woken up to the fact that your dog hasn't been properly trained.
Related: Adult Rights Require Adult Responsibilities
Lastly, keep your dog on a leash when walking it in public. Women almost always leash their dogs, so right now I'm talking to the middle-aged guys. I understand you want your dog to get some exercise. That's why we have backyards. If you don't have a backyard, find a dog park or an open field. If you live in a dense, urban area, that's on you, bro. Either live somewhere more spacious or don't own a dog.
But the sidewalk or path, on which you pass senior citizens and mothers pushing strollers, isn't the place for your unleashed Rottweiler. Anywhere near a playground isn't the place for your snapping Doberman. Nor is it acceptable for you to let your unleashed dog run up to a leashed dog when, again, that dog's owner is clearly trying to pull their leashed dog away. That doesn't mean you casually saunter over and stand there, waiting for your dog to disengage on its own. That means you immediately take control of the animal you're responsible for and get it off the other dog.
If your unleashed, feral dog attacks me, I'm going to beat it until you pull it away from me. If your dog ever goes after one of my family members, I'll kill it with my bare hands before you have time to look up from your cell phone to see what's happening. And it will be your fault. You are the human. You, not your animal, make the decisions. With the joys of dog ownership come the responsibilities as well. Stop behaving like you're the one who needs a leash.
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