6 Reasons to Keep Your Dog on a Leash

Nowadays, there is a big movement for “leash-free” neighborhoods, parks, forests, and even entire cities, such as Carmel-by-the-sea, in California. Even though dogs love their much-deserved freedom, there are a number of reasons why it is best to keep your furry little friend leashed, even when you are not required to. Let’s look at the top 5 reasons why doing so can be a smart decision:

• Prevents Your Dog from Getting Lost

Regardless of how safe your neighborhood is, you have no control over when your dog decides to run away, or when someone steals him away from you. Some well-intentioned citizen can also make an honest mistake of picking up your dog because they thought it was stray or lost. To prevent these problems, you need to keep your dog safe with the help of a leash at all times when outdoors.

• Helps You Be a Considerate Neighbor

Not everyone is a dog-fan. Some cultures see dogs in a different light than you do and so even the cutest and friendliest dog running up to them can be distressing. Someone who is genuinely afraid of dogs may act in the moment and hurt your pooch. Similarly, homeowners can be stern about not having dogs on their lawns. When you keep your dog leashed, it shows you are considerate towards the needs of others and that you respect those who wish to maintain their distance with your canine friend.

A freely roaming dog can cause a nuisance and even make relationships with your neighbors a little sour. Furthermore, whether intentionally or unintentionally, your dog could knock over, bite, or seriously injure someone. This can make matters sticky and even involve legal action under the Dog Owner’s Liability Act.

• Keeps Your Dog Safe

Even if your dog is a ball of innocence and fluff, not everyone else’s dog is the same. Your dog could easily spark a fight if his casual stroll ended up in a face-to-face with a reactive dog (whether leashed or unleashed). Similarly, there are a number of other things that can affect the safety of your dog. These include trees, cars, motorcycles and sadistic people.

• Keeps Costly Vet Bills in Check

An unleashed dog roams around wherever and eats whatever it finds. Both these actions can cause severe health damage and inflate your veterinarian bill. Contaminated water, exposure to poison oaks, thorns, pesticides and burrs can be easily avoided if you leash your dog and guide his way.

• Acts As a Good Birth Control Tool

If your pooch hasn’t yet been neutered or spayed, that’s probably because you are planning to breed him. Keeping him leashed is one of the most efficient ways to prevent accidental mating and unwanted puppies, and lowers the risk of your dog contracting Canine Brucellosis (a sexually transmitted infection)

• Prevents Disturbing the Wildlife

Your best friend, regardless how nice he/she is, can turn into a nature’s enemy when allowed to walk freely. Unleashed dogs often destroy plants and homes of birds that nest in the ground, stress out other small mammals, poop anywhere and disturb the natural balance of the ecosystem. In addition to that, they are also susceptible to rabies virus via wildlife that they may encounter.

There are a number of things you can do to keep your dog entertained and contained in your house trolleys, fences, or kennels. It should not take a law for people to do the right thing.