[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc4ncrd9iyc&w=425&h=344]
Question: Does this dog have aspirations to be a sled or weight pulling dog? It almost appears as if he is pulling the car. LOL
Now to get serious: I applaud the dog’s owner for being creative and ensuring his dog receives aerobic exercise at a local park. However, this is not a safe way to exercise your dog!
The risk is too great for the dog to be crushed by the vehicle’s tires, the owner may not be able to maintain his grip on the leash if the dog lunges to chase squirrels or dogs, and this is taking multi-tasking to the extreme. We have laws to prevent drivers from texting while driving. Do we need to enact laws to prevent running your dog out the window while driving? A little tongue in cheek but come on, really?!   : )
So I stopped to chat with the man and pointed out that this was not a safe practice for his dog. The initial conversation went like this:
Me:Â Looks like your dog is getting some great exercise but that’s not a safe way to do it.
Owner:Â Oh I’ve been doing this for years and he hasn’t gone under the tires yet.
Me:Â That’s the key word, “yet.”
Owner:Â I guess you’re right but he doesn’t go near the tires, unless he’s chasing a squirrel or something.
Me:Â So he does go near the tires some times.
Owner:Â Well sometimes.
We then talked briefly about some options for him such as:
- Hiring a professional dog trainer or attending a dog training class so his dog can learn how to walk nicely on a leash
- Attaching a K9 Bike Jogger to a bicycle and running his dog that way he wouldn’t have to hang onto a leash
- Purchasing a doggie treadmill, or
- Hiring a runner or a young person to walk/run his dog.
I don’t know if he will heed the advice but I thought I would write a blog post on it. So if you see someone running their dog out the window, please make similar suggestions to them as how they can safely exercise their dog.
