01/08/2023
I have seen some discouragingly poor behavior on the trails lately. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful area with a ton of trails that are largely dog friendly. This should not become an excuse for poor manners, etiquette or training. I would actually argue that the more people move to the area, and the more traffic these trails get, the more people should attempt to be courteous and to ensure their dogs are well mannered enough to be off-leash or loose.
A few tips from incidences I have had or heard about recently -
1 - Trailheads are not puppy socialization areas or places for dogs to play. They aren't dog parks and they aren't appropriate places for dogs to be blasting about and jumping all over people and other dogs. Trailheads are hotspots for dog fights as dogs arrive excited and full of energy that can easily collide with other dogs. They are also busy, hectic places with moving cars, mulitple trail users - horses, bikes and people who may not like dogs. Letting your dog run loose at any Trailhead until you are ready to leave and hit the trail is plain rude, stupid and dangerous. If I am leashing up and preparing my dogs to either leave or return to the car, the last thing I want to deal with is your crack-fueled rude psycho dog jumping all over us, tangling up in our leashes and wreaking havoc with my dogs and others. Trailheads are also huge p**p zones which could expose your dog or puppy to diseases or parasites, which is not an appropriate place for a young, unvaccinated puppy to be romping about. Horseback riders - please leave your dogs in the car until you are tacked up and ready to leave the parking lot. Bikers - please leave your dogs in the car until your bike is out and you are ready to leave. Hikers - please leave your dogs in the car until you are geared up and ready to leave. See a theme here? I might also suggest always leaving and arriving at trailheads with your dog leashed to minimize conflict.
2 - Your dog isn't friendly, it's an as***le, and so are you. Sorry, but the most infuriating thing is people screaming HE'S FRIENDLY, while their dog barrels full bore up to another person with dogs. Most dogs who approach like this are bold, rude, over confident and are often perceived as a threat to other dogs, putting them on the defensive and making a snark fest or a fight likely. If you cannot control your dog and keep them from visiting other dogs it should not EVER be off-leash. Full Stop. Yelling about it being friendly just puts a neon sign over your head that you are an as***le, you have no control over your dog and are rude enough to make your bad training and poorly mannered dog somone else's problem.
3- If your dog does barrel up to someone (we have all had oopsie moments where things don't go as planned), call them back immediately. If they don't turn on a dime and come to you, don't stand there impotently staring at them while they harass the crap out of another person and/or their dogs. MOVE! Go get your dog and at least act like you care. If you are on horseback, this means you might have to (gasp!) get off your horse to get your dog! Please be prepared to race after your dog and help the person they are harassing. Don't walk or ride away and assume it will come with you. This not only makes you a jerk, but also leaves your poor dog in the dust to fend for itself, not to mention making it someone else's problem. Don't be a jerk. If your dog gets away from you GO AND GET IT!!! Seems simple enough, and yet....
4 - Pulling over and asking a random person walking their dogs if yours can play with theirs is totally not cool. In general most dogs, while off their home territory feel a little insecure and vulnerable. Subjecting them to 'playing' with a strange dog is like the worst kind of dog park. Asking a stranger if your dog can play with theirs is also throwing your dog to the wolves. Maybe your dog doesn't want to play. If it does, it might be one of the rude as***les mentioned above, in which case the other dogs most certainly won't appreciate it. You could also be dumping your dog into another dog or group of dogs that decide they want to kill it. This just is never a good idea and if you ask me if your dog can play with mine I am going to tell you No and that you are an idiot. oh, wait....I did.
5 - If you get a phone call, maybe let it go to voicemail so you can focus on your dog? If you must take the call, standing around screaming into the phone while it is on speaker so that everyone can hear the entire conversation, all while your dogs run all over the place jumping on people, other dogs and are creating chaos, makes you an absolute as***le. If you must take that call, leash your dogs! Or maybe step back into your car you are standing next to and have the conversation in private while your dogs wait quietly with you. No conversation is important enough that it must happen at a trailhead, next to your car, on speaker, for 15 minutes while your dogs greet every car, person, dog, horse and thing that enters or leaves the trailhead. And yet, this happened....more than once! Unbelievable.
6- I can't believe I have to say this, but if your dog p**ps IN THE TRAIL, pick it up, or get it off the trail! In what universe is it ok to leave dog p**p in the middle of a trail?? This is a level of rudeness that I just can't comprehend, and yet the trails are littered with melting dog poo.
When you are out with your dog, I would recommend -
- Leashes when at Trailheads or around other people and dogs.
- Not allowing your dog off-leash unless it has a perfect recall.
- Not letting your dog visit or play with other dogs. He is likely to be relieved and I guarantee the other dogs will be.
- Focusing on your dog and your outing. Socializing on a phone or with other people is fine, just leash your dog and don't let them run amok while you are occupied.
- Don't ever, ever say "He is friendly" if you lose your dog. What he is doesn't matter to the dogs he is approaching. He is a threat to them and it is your job to contain him.
- Be polite, be kind, be courteous. Assume everyone out there has dogs who don't want to 'play', and keep your dog with you and contained.
- There are no p**p fairies out there so take your bags with you and don't leave them along the trail to rot for weeks. If you don't have a bag, cover it with a rock, pile dirt on it and make sure you get it out of the trail.
There is a ton more I could say but this is a solid start. I do teach a trail manners and etiquette class for those interested. Let's all collectively try to make this area a better place for those of us with dogs and without!
