Hi Everyone, happy Tuesday!

I wanted to share some of my thoughts and top "pet" peeves as a dog owner. The theme around this is all about safety, as it’s very important to me as a dog owner. Not just for the safety of my own dog, but for the safety of other dogs and people around me.

Disclaimer: By no means am I an expert in this - these are simply my opinions only.

Here are a few of the things that drive me bonkers:

1. Letting your dog roam freely around your vehicle while driving

This is probably my biggest pet peeve and one of the most dangerous. Yes, we all agree, it’s cute when you pull up to a light and see a dog sitting upright in the passenger seat like a human. I get it, but unless you dog is clipped in with a proper safety harness, this is extremely unsafe. Not only could your dog get propelled through the windshield in the case of an accident, but depending on the size of the dog, they could get harmed from the impact of an airbag. All of this seems like common sense right? But it’s baffling how often I see dogs roaming freely through the car while driving. No-one would ever put their children at danger by letting them crawl all over your console while driving, so why should your pet be any different? Common Sense People!

2. Walking your dog OFF leash in an ON leash area

It upsets me to see people walking their dogs down a busy street off leash. Yes, I get it - your dog might have the best recall and follow you around “like a little puppy”, but lets just remember that dogs are animals, not humans. They don’t understand the rules of the road, nor do they understand the red light / green light concepts...they are ANIMALS. Yes, they may be the most perfect, well behaved dog, but at the same time, you cannot control what happens around you - especially in a busy city environment. Imagine your pup was startled by something, or spotted something and took off into oncoming traffic. Devastating. Just don’t do it people, keep our puppers safe and be in control of your dog at all times. We have off leash parks for a reason, use them.

3. Not being in control of your dog while meeting other dogs on leash.

So this one is a big one for me. I have a bully breed dog, and although she’s the sweetest dog, she is extremely dominant and can be very reactive. Socializing her is very important to me, but please respect that all dogs may not have the same temperament as your dog. When I meet a cute little pupper down the street, we always like to say hello. I keep Stella on a short leash and of course let her and the other pup do their sniffing, however do not let your leash get tangled and wrapped around the other dog, or let them jump all over the other dog. This is just a recipe for disaster, as in the case one dog reacts, this would be one tangled mess that could easily be avoided. I know my dog’s behaviour, and she can get startled easily by a puppy who just wants to play, and if she reacts, naturally by the breed she is, the outcome would not be a good one. For the safety of your own dog, please practice proper "dog greeting etiquette", and chat with the owner before you let your dog run up and jump all over another dog because they want to “play”.

The moral of the story:

This all comes down to understanding your dog, and not putting them in a situation that could jeopardize their safety, as well as other animal’s or people’s safety. Stella is great dog and she’s great off leash, but she’s not always great with other dogs. When I take her to the dog park, I would never feel comfortable just letting her run freely into an open pool of dogs, as she could easily get startled by a dog running up to her and react poorly to that dog. This doesn’t mean I don’t take her to the park and let her run freely and enjoy being a dog- I find the low traffic areas and prefer the pathways where she can follow me and not vear off. If I’m going with a friend and their dog, we introduce our dogs on leash first and get them comfortable together before letting them run together.

Understand your pup and find what works for best for you, but also respect that what works for you might not work other others.

Do you have things that drive you bonkers? Share your thoughts below, and feel free to share this article if you agree!

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xoxo Rhe-Rhe & Stelli

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