I have three yorkies.

Each day, multiple times a day, they’re taken on walks. On leash.

                                                                         

You’d think that the “on leash” part was unnecessary because it’s understood that they’d be on leash for a walk; a given…

Yeah; you’d think….

My Yorkies are very well trained, well mannered, proper Yorkies. They do all the basic commands; & a few side tricks for kicks. We have a mutual trust & respect & it runs deep. I have no worries with them.

Because of this, our walks are leisurely & relaxing. There’s no barking at other dogs or people; just calm, pleasant. You can actually hear birds chirping.

The point I’m making here is: They’re good dogs. Really good dogs… And even though they’re this incredibly trained AND awesome….

I STILL don’t let them outside off leash.

 

 

FACT: Not putting a dog on a leash is stupid. It puts other people, other dogs, and even your own dog at risk. You who do that, are stupid. You think nothing of it. And that’s why you’re stupid, indisputably so.

What’s worse? You know better. Just as you know better than to stick your hand in fire.

That common sense hasn’t alluded you. If you’re able to understand something as simple as that; then the leash concept shouldn’t be too hard for you to grasp either. NOPE. I give you no breaks.

NO BREAKS FOR YOU!

 

This I share with the utmost irritation because these are the kind of people I encounter on our walks. The stupid “off leashers”.

It’s Story Time….

I’m walking my three dogs at night where I live, on leash (duh). I turn a corner & a man is getting out of his truck.

There’s a big dog in the passenger side.

I think nothing of it, until I see the man open the passenger door of his jacked-up-higher-than-it-needs-to-ever-be truck, & proceeds to let his dog out; unleashed.

Now at this point I’ve already passed the scene, & while thinking to myself, moron (the man not the dog); I continue on our walk.

 

 

 

 

 

Then, I faintly hear in the distance a man yelling to “git back here”.

 

 

 

But he’s not after me; he’s after my dogs. Great.

I stand my ground on guard with my dogs behind me.

(I know I can’t run. Running signals to the dog that you’re prey. I don’t like the idea of being prey. Plus, I have three dogs anchored to me; running is not an option.)

He lunges for my yorkies.

And not in an “I’m just overly excited & don’t know what to do with my big self” kinda way.

No. More of a “I was considered for the role of Cujo but they thought I was too intense for the part” kinda way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what the brick house must’ve felt like protecting the three little pigs from the big bad wolf.

This happens all in what felt like forever but in reality only 30 seconds passed. (It only takes a second for a dog to bite though…just saying.)

Finally the owner who, although I don’t know his name, I affectionately call asshole, comes running over.

(Yeah, that really worked the first time you screamed it like a maniac.)

 

 

Of course this all fell on deaf ears as he walked into his apartment holding his dog by the collar; still unleashed. No apologies. Asshole.

Can you imagine if I used the same reasoning as him that night & didn’t put my dogs on leashes either?…

                                                                           And cue train wreck.

 

I see this unleashed stupidity far too often……

Another time I was walking my dogs, this mini Chewbacca terrier comes barreling out from around the corner towards us; barking at auctioneer speed; looking like he borrowed his mouth from a much bigger dog.

 

 

Owner nowhere in sight. Peaches. I have to put my dogs behind me & be the blockade while Fizzgig here tries to break me…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it’s working.

 

I’m stuck; I can’t move. If I try to engage I’ll lose the ability to shield my dogs. This went on for a good Disney minute.

The owner finally has a clue, & runs to scoop up his precious vicious malicious.

He didn’t get it. Shocker. (People like this make my brain cry.)

 

I walk by a house; & guarding it’s patio is a rat for a dog; literally. I’m convinced that’s a barking rat & the lady living there is a rodent trainer in seclusion; her talents, unappreciated by the world; a savant ahead of her time.

It shrills incessantly while trying to squeeze under her patio wall. She just shrugs & says “that’s the way they are”.

The way who are; rats? I don’t know enough about them to argue, but if you can train them to bark you can train them to STFU!

 ….I’m still not sure.

 

I’ve seen out & about a woman in a hot pink velour jump suit, which I can only pray she’s wearing because it’s laundry day. She’s holding her Chihuahua as if it were a purse but then lets it down so she can grab her phone.

The little dog is just pounding the pavement with nothing holding it back; & she’s lost in her texts; all of which I’m sure are riveting.

Put a diamond studded collar on your pup for fashion, but a leash for safety? Well that’s just one too many accessories; I mean come on. To quote Coco…look in the mirror & take one item off before stepping out…

 

 

But seriously. The leash. You’re drowning in Claire’s & you choose the leash? smh…

 

I even see dogs at an open park, there are no fences.

There are no leashes.

There are no words….

 

Bottom Line: And My Personal Belief:

I don’t care how “trained” you think your dog is. It’s a DOG. It has instincts. Instincts can trump training. So if your dog has NO training, then those instincts aren’t the slightest bit in check; and even if it’s been trained like mine have, it still has instincts. It’s our responsibility to ensure they don’t hurt others or themselves with these instincts.

Pull your adult pants up and put the dog leash on. Make dog walking great again.