Park Hill Vet: Pet Etiquette Unleashed

Ways To Keep Everyone Safe In Public Areas

By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ

For the GPHN

Walking an exuberant or reactive dog — whether 80 pounds or 10 pounds — can be a challenge. The challenge being how the dog should be managed to allow for an enjoyable and safe walk, not only for their human but also for others out with their dogs and/or children.

It seems like there is a growing number of posts on local Facebook and other neighborhood apps talking about bad interactions on walks. Not infrequently, there can be injury from dog-on-dog aggression and/or to the human/s that tried to intervene. It shouldn’t be that way.

Here are a few rules of PETiquette:

1. All dogs out in public areas with people and pet traffic should be on leash, a non-retractable leash – no matter how well trained. Leashes are a requirement of the majority of municipalities and the best course in our urban environment. And it is how to keep your dog safe.

2. Train your dog to leash walk (and other things). Start slowly with positive rewards and create distractions. There are many training resources in Denver so finding a class or a reputable dog trainer to work with you and your pup is pretty easy. Some of the work is training the human to be observant of their dog’s signals and cognizant of how you are handling the leash as well as what signals you are giving via body language — so off the cell phone.

3. Scoop your poop. It’s a City Ordinance violation to not do so, but more importantly, poop is messy, smelly and can be a source of disease for others, humans and animals. It’s also good to know that the first-time violation cost of failure to pick up your dog’s excrement is $125 in Denver.

Speaking of leashes, remember this a safety device for your dog. Very few dogs are good candidates for retractable leashes. Retractable leashes are not safe and tend to become more so over time. Their locks easily break, making it easy to lose control of a pet – and risking them running further as they are being “chased” by the terrorizing noise of the plastic handle bouncing along after them. The thin cording or ribbon used in retractable leashes is documented to cause many human and canine injuries each year, including severe burns, deep lacerations, strangulation and even amputation of limbs or fingers. Retractable leashes are totally inappropriate for any dogs reactive to other dogs or outdoor situations because of their unreliable hold on a pet.

Anxious and reactive dogs are not uncommon – especially as we come out of our homes with pandemic pups that have had limited socialization. To help visually identify dogs that need a different approach, consider a leash, leash wrap or bandana in yellow with clear wording. There are many options available through Amazon, Esty and Chewy for nervous or reactive dogs.

For dogs with a tendency towards fear aggression or simple aggression, consider training to a basket muzzle to allow safe walks and continued training and conditioning.

Finally, humans need to remember to ask before approaching or petting any unknown dogs as well as teaching children to do the same to prevent negative interactions. We all need to be aware of the surroundings and others so that all can enjoy the great outdoors.

Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit www.parkhillvet.com.