Tigger Club News
By Animals - For Animals
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Just Being friendly

This is getting to be the most common thing I hear when out for my walks with my human. I am always on lead and never off lead unless in very controlled situations.

Sometimes while I am out and about (on lead) minding my own business I am greeted/accosted, usually at high speed, by a very excitable dog that spends a few minutes darting around me and either barking or lunging at me.

So in retaliation to this assault on my personal space I react in the only way I know how. I go absolutely bat fink crazy!

Unfortunately their human is either miles away or totally oblivious to my plight.

This usually results in their human stating I am aggressive and out of control. Really? Me out of control?
I am not the one running up to everyone causing chaos and upsetting everyone.

So who is in the wrong?
The dog running riot or the dog going bat fink crazy on the lead?

It is the law (in the UK) that all dogs are under proper control at all times when out an about in public.
That means we must be on leads or 100% under verbal control if we are off lead.

Does this mean we should be rushing up to greet other dogs if we are off lead?
Absolutely not.
We do not always know other dogs. They may be fearful like me. They could be blind or deaf, in which case the
sudden appearance could startle them.
They may be injured or being
rehabilitated from a recent serious illness

Apart from anything else, it is just plain bad manners to rush up to an on lead dog and start bouncing around them.

If a dog has the tendency to go a bit over the top with their meeting and greeting they need to get their human to put their lead back on if they come across an on lead dog.

Or spend more time with their humans learning important things like recall and leave.

So please be considerate to others when out and about.