3 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)
I used to always think this topic was something that all dog parents agreed with. However, I have been seeing a lot of dogs roaming free lately, even in public areas. Even if a dog is extremely well-behaved, they still need a leash for most of the time. Some dog parents seem to think leashes are optional, but I want to share why I think they’re so important.
Why are Leashes Important?
I love roaming free off my leash. There are so many great smells to sniff, but leashes can restrict me from exploring as much as I’d like. However, as much as I prefer to run free and do my own thing, I know that leashes are crucial, especially around people and other dogs.
Even a well-trained dog can get distracted or confused now and then. So, if you are in an area with a lot of other dogs and people, you should keep your dog on a leash at all times. Leashes are a way to guarantee that your dog stays out of trouble. The last thing you would want is for your dog to run into the road or get lost.
Also, even if you trust your dog very much, there are other things to worry about besides just your dog. Your dog could be super friendly, but they could run up to another dog that isn’t. Even if your dog runs up to another dog to be friendly and the other dogs gets vicious, your dog will most likely be blamed since they weren’t on a leash.
Overall, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If everyone keeps their dogs on leashes while walking in public, it’s less likely that problems will occur.
When is it Okay to Let Them Run Loose?
If you are in an area that’s private or far away from other humans, then it’s safe to let your dog off their leash. Specifically, private camping grounds and farms are areas where you are more likely to see dogs roaming free.
When I go camping at Molly’s family’s private land, I usually get to roam free. However, even then, I’m usually still safer on my leash since I tend to wander. Can you blame me though? There are squirrels out there than need to be chased!
Also, fenced in areas are also okay for dogs to run free. Fenced in yards and dog parks are great places for dogs to get off their leashes for a while and run around. Even if they do cause some trouble, at least they are confined to a smaller area. That being said, you should always keep a very close eye on your dog when they are outside without a leash on.
What to Be Careful of
Even if you always walk your dog on a leash, you should make sure to be careful of dogs around you. If you see someone else walking around with a leash-less dog, it might be safest to walk away from them. Even though that dog is probably very nice, you just never know. Also, many dogs (including me) sometimes get more aggressive when they’re on a leash and another dog is not.
Your dog’s safety and the safety of all the dogs around you are always extremely important. If you walk your dog without their leash in busy areas, you could be putting people, dogs, and even your own dog at risk. Please be respectful and keep your dog leashed whenever it’s necessary.
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Mabel the Rescue Dog 
You forgot quite an important area for keeping us on a lead (sorry a leash). In the UK there are a large number of paths, tracks and public byways which cross farm land. The fields contain sheep and other farm animals which can prove far too tempting for us dogs, even if we are “perfectly behaved usually”. There are so many reports of sheep and new born lambs being savaged by the family dog that it isn’t worth us being allowed to roam free. The normal excuse of “they’ve never done that before” doesn’t wash with the farmer who can be quite within his rights to shoot us. It may be that we are only following our historic instincts to hunt. The farmer is unlikely to see it that way, when a simple action of putting us on the lead and keeping us there saves everyone an awful lot of trouble.
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That is a very good point! We don’t currently have a lot of farms or fields near us, so I didn’t even think about that. Thank you for mentioning this.
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I posted on something similar a while back and a regular reader left a really interesting comment about how she loves dogs but her severely autistic child could not cope with dogs at all and a loose dog coming up to him in the park could cause a panic attack so severe he could hurt himself, it really bought it home to me how important it is to be sensitive to the needs of others and if it is not an official off leash park our lovely dogs should stay on leash and even when off leash how important it is that we have good control so as to avoid incidents.
I have to admit that Ada can be an absolute lunatic at the dog park and I don’t have perfect recall if she is distracted with playing with another dog but we are working on it.
And rescuedogs comment is very valid where I m too although here a farmer will often shoot a strange dog and ask questions later.
Such an important post.
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