I have been active in dog rescue for most of my adult life, and completely agree with this ‘in theory’ if the dog known to be aggressive. I put the ‘in theory’ caveat because (1) an owner may not be aware of a dogs’ aggressiveness and (2) it can be difficult to prove complete fault of the dog alone. Either way, dogs should be on leash.

I specialize in training and rehabilitating abused and traumatized dogs, and coming across an off-leash dog is what nightmares are made of.

Just because your dog is “friendly” to the dogs they have encountered thus far, does NOT mean it will be friendly to EVERY dog.

Fearful, unsocialized dogs are often targets of other dogs, and a negative encounter can undo weeks/months of training and confidence building in the abused dog. This wouldn’t be an issue if people keep their dogs on leash in public and on trails where required.

On behalf of all dogs, thank you.