How to be a courteous dog owner

As dog owners we can be our own worst enemy.  We do some dumb things with our dogs that give all dog owners a black eye out in the community. 

Here is a list of things that we do, that we shouldn’t

1. Walk around in public where there are other people, without our dog on leash.  When you walk around the neighborhood without your dog on leash, this stresses people out, justifiably so.  They don’t know if your dog is aggressive.  A high percentage of dogs have no recall, meaning if your dog is excited about something, they aren’t going to come back to you, they are going to do what they want to.  Telling someone your dog is not aggressive doesn’t make people feel any more comfortable with the situation.
2. Allow our dog to get in the personal space of strangers.  Some people just don’t like dogs.  They don’t want dog hair on their clothes, a dog with muddy paws jumping on them, or getting bit.  Even if a person does love dogs, they don’t know if the dog is aggressive.  When a dog is lunging at the end of a leash and barking, I don’t know who is going to be completely comfortable in that situation when a strange dog is doing that while advancing on their position.
3. Allow our dog into the bubble of strange dogs.  Just because your dog loves other dogs, doesn’t mean the dog you are approaching does.  If that dog doesn’t, it will turn into a dog fight.  Even if the strange dog your dog is approaching doesn’t typically have issues with other dogs, your over excited dog lunging and trying to get to it, can trigger a fight response.  Some dog owners know their dog will not react well to your dog approaching it, they may demand you back your dog off.  If your response is “but my dog is friendly”, you are being disrespectful.  Just like a dog that growls, that owner is telling you things are about to get down if you let your dog get any closer.  People just want to go on a walk with their dog and be left alone, not have to be stressed if another dog is going to approach their dog.
4. Let our dogs go to the bathroom in someone else’s yard or a public space, without cleaning it up.  This is obvious, if you can’t pick up after dog, you are giving every other dog owner a black eye in the community.  Pick it up!
5. Let our dog out in our yard and let the dog bark constantly.  When I say constantly, I am talking more than 30 seconds of barking.  There is nothing more annoying than a neighbor that lets their dog out in the yard and barks.  If the dog barks for a few seconds when it comes outside, not an issue.  But when the dog constantly barks, you need to do something.  You can use a bark collar, or an e-collar to correct this behavior.  Be a good neighbor and nip this in the butt.  Otherwise, you will get complaints and a visit from law enforcement.  Who needs that?
6. Allow our dogs to jump on people.  I don’t know anyone that likes a dog jumping on them.  Not only is it annoying because it makes that person’s clothes dirty and scratched up, it also can be dangerous.  It is not uncommon for the 80-year-old grandma to get knocked over by a big dog that jumps on them.  That is a great way to get a broken hip or wrist.  This can easily be addressed with a prong collar or e-collar.  Just address this issue firmly, and it will stop. 
7. Have no control over the dog.  How many times do you see someone walking a dog on a retractable leash, the dog is zig zagging all over the place and the owner is getting drug along by the dog.  That doesn’t create much confidence for people in the area, that you have control of your dog.  They get nervous and try to make space between you and your best friend, and them.  Keep your dog in close, and have control of your dog, this goes a long way in the perception that non dog owners have about dog owners.

If you can follow this list of stupid things we do, you will be a good ambassador for other dog owners.

If you are struggling with things such as jumping on people, pulling on leash, excessive barking, lunging at other dogs, lunging at people, ignoring recall, whining, resource guarding, destroying articles, reactivity, or aggression, the issue resolution for all these issues begins with a strong obedience foundation.  If you are in the Olathe, Overland Park, Leadwood, Shawnee, Gardner, Springhill, and Kansas City area, we can help you build a better foundation with your dog.  You can fill out the contact form at https://wwwkcdogtraining.com/contact-us/ or by calling 913-206-3703.

source https://wwwkcdogtraining.com/how-to-be-a-courteous-dog-owner/