As you might know, I live in Barcelona. Every summer the people here celebrate something called the night of San Juan by lighting big bonfires at the beach, contaminating the ocean and scaring animals and people with VERY loud firecrackers. Sounds great, right? By this point I'm pretty sure you know how I feel about firecrackers and people not picking up their trash, but enough about that.
Every San Juan we hear about dogs being terrified, escaping and people having to leave town in order to keep their dog safe.
What else can dogs be scared of? OTHER DOGS.
I avoid dog parks for many reasons but quite often I also have to avoid public spaces.
Why?
Because I often work with dogs that are scared of other dogs, so we have to walk around empty parking lots and other areas where nobody wants to go.
Just like some of you must flee Barcelona to escape the firecrackers, other dog owners have to stay away from many of our city's lovely areas, just to keep everyone safe.
If you would like to be a part of the solution and help our dog community, here's 2 easy tips:
Always ask if your dog can say hi before you allow them to run up to strangers and their dogs.
If your dog doesn't have a 100% recall, keep your dog mutt on a long line.
And now, the moment of truth, ask yourself who you want to identify with:
Person A: "I believe that my dog and I are more important than everyone else, if someone has issues with their dog it's their problem, not mine.”
If you pick person A, start saving. Fines and vet bills will come your way, it's just a matter of time. Remember that ALL DOGS BITE, you just need to push the right buttons, and the next strange dog you surprise from behind might just know exactly what buttons to press.
Person B: “I care about other people and their dogs, I would never want to scare or hurt another dog by letting my own dog run up to them without permission.“
If you choose to be Person B, your dog community thanks you. You DO help people and their dogs to rehabilitate and move onward to a healthier life together. If you help people you might not even know even though that friggin long line annoys the living sh*t out of you, you truly are the hero to some dogs. Wear that cape with pride and believe me, I APPRECIATE YOU.
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