Leash Your Beast - Dogs on the Trail

Do you leash your beast when you're on the trail?  You should.  

The picture above is me on the trail with my 14 pound cairn terror (er...terrier), Lucy.  My other three dogs are all under thirty pounds.  They're small.  Last summer, Lucy and I were on the trail.  I had my full backpack on and we were strolling along on a trail, when out of nowhere a very large white Samoyed came running towards us.  Keep in mind I carry mace and a knife, but I had no time to get either before the dog was on Lucy (really, I used to hang the mace around my neck and I'm fairly sure if I'd taken the time to get it organized, Lucy would be dead). 

There was a group of four about 50 feet behind him, yelling “don't worry, he’s super friendly!”  Really? FUCK YOU.  And they continued to do so as he jumped on Lucy.  He hadn’t bitten her but was growling/snapping and bringing his paw down on her heavily, like a dog would with a mole. I started beating him with my hiking pole (didn’t even blink), while my dog yelped in pain from the trouncing. I tried to swing her around and away, but her harness isn’t made for lasso-like action and by the second time she slipped it and tried to run.

I screamed for them to get their dog, and the woman finally got there. Lucy, the other dog swatting her in to the underbrush and clearly snapping now, realized she was running from safety and managed to get back to me, and the woman finally got the other dog. Amidst the “he’s always super friendly, he never does anything like this!” I completely lost my *{%~.  While she apologized profusely, her friends- still on down the trail- were laughing loudly.  I also had a few choice words for them. 

We were attacked three times on the trail by loose dogs over the summer.  I walk with my mace in my hand now.  

Folks on the trail have a right to be on it with the expectation that people will follow park rules. 

So why leash your dog?
- it's park rules
- your dog might be friendly, but other dogs (or people) might not be - you are responsible if your dog bites someone or another dog.  It is your fault. 
- you may think your dog is adorable, but other people don't know your dog - if a dog runs up on me again and goes to attack, my goal will be to kill that dog or injure it enough to get it away
- helps you keep it away from wildlife - like bears and coyotes

Look, even if your dog is well trained, and normally stays with you, you never know - maybe there will be fireworks or gunshots in the distance, maybe your dog will be injured and run........OR maybe there will be wildlife that will attack your dog. And because you don't have a means of controlling your dog, you've now placed your dog in greater danger. 

I've heard the argument, "But I want my hands free when I hike - it's a safety thing."  I agree, but your dog doesn't have to be loose for you to have your hands free.  I use a longer leash and use a carabiner to attach the leash to my pack/belt/etc.  

Even if your dog is the most well trained dog and never leaves your side, parks aren't your backyard.  If it's park rules, please follow them.

It may sound harsh, but it really scared me.  After posting about the experience, the number of folks that responded with similar stories truly surprised me. 

In years past, I didn't always used to leash my dog.  I was that person.  I'm not that person anymore.  I learned why it was a problem, and corrected my behavior.  It's all about learning and moving forward. 

Leashing your dog is such an easy way to be respectful of others in the outdoors.

Do you have a dog? Do you leash them? Why or why not? 

Feel free to comment below or email me.