The Off leash/On leash Conundrum

I’m writing today because this past Sunday was the 3rd of 4th time my LadyBug above was attacked by off leash dogs in my neighborhood. Luckily, I’m Me and I know dogs are dogs. I’ve been wracking my brain into why she is a target dog; I have even emailed the experts that say some dogs are “targeted” dogs and we may never know “why.” To be honest, it breaks my heart because she is one of the sweetest dogs we have ever adopted and she will never fight back, well she hasn’t in the 4 years we have had her. But due to her being that blocky headed Pitbull, she will always be feared and the one people suspect to instigate a fight.

Every time a dog has gone after her, they were off leash and my dogs are always on leash. I can’t express enough how unfair it is to have dogs running freely when you responsibly walk your dogs. Just because your dogs are “nice” and “friendly”, it doesn’t mean mine are not due to being on leash; As a child , my first dog was hit by a car; It stayed with me and it’s so not worth taking that chance if one of my girls sees a squirrel and her recall goes out the window. But due to consistent training, their recall is excellent. But again, to me, it’s just not worth it.

Their is a great energy shift with dogs on leash and “restricted” as opposed to dogs running freely; Leashed dogs can’t alway express the body language they want due to being attached to a human.

So I ask in all kindness for peace for dogs, your neighborhood, etc., please keep your dogs leashed unless you’re in a dog park or in a fenced yard; The benefits to having a well mannered dog on leash so out way your dog off leash romping.

From my shelter days in the late 90s to just a few days ago, I’ve seen and been involved in way more incidents than I would ever like and it’s always one dog that is leashed and the other that is not.