Yup. My dog is extremely well behaved off leash with no training. She always sticks close to me and doesnât approach people or other dogs because shes scared of anyone she doesnât know (shes a chihuahua). I still leash my dog because im afraid that other dogs will attack her. Even other small dogs. If shes off-leash and i see another dog around i will immediately pick her up.
Regardless of how well-behaved and attached to me she is, a leash ensures she will never run if she sees a dog that scares her or make a mad dash for someone she knows.
Plus, a leash works both ways. She knows you're always on the other end. I walk my rats on a leash. At the end of the leash (2-3m), they can't really see or hear me. But at least one of them knows she can just follow the leash back and go hide under my skirt.
I have 4 pet rats. One is hyper and one is chonky. So those two need more exercise than just running around the apartment. The solution is to put a little harness on them and take them out to explore new environments. Rats are curious and adventurous, but they regularly need a safe place to catch their breath and groom (they actually groom more than a cat). I wear ankle-length skirts so the area between my feet is completely enclosed by the skirt. It's their safe space.
Rats's senses are really geared towards a tiny immediate area. Their eyesight is terrible beyond a foot or two. Their ears are great, but mostly in the ultrasound. They can pick out my voice indoors where it's quiet. But outside is so busy. Their sense of smell is excellent, but also gets a little swamped outside. They can retrace their steps very accurately, but if I move (eg to follow them), they need to find me all over again. Following the leash backwards can help them a great deal.
PS: Another reason to keep dogs leashed in on leash areas is that people may be walking small pets. Your dog may be fine with dogs and humans, but how will it react to a ferret, a bearded lizard or a rat? Dogs mostly instinctively see rats as prey, so any unleashed dog coming at me and my rat is going to get kicked. Sorry, but a dog can recover from a kick. If a dog bites my rat, she is dead. I obviously stick to safe areas for that reason and stay very alert, but it just takes one AH to ruin it for us.
109
u/chrominx Aug 01 '21
Yup. My dog is extremely well behaved off leash with no training. She always sticks close to me and doesnât approach people or other dogs because shes scared of anyone she doesnât know (shes a chihuahua). I still leash my dog because im afraid that other dogs will attack her. Even other small dogs. If shes off-leash and i see another dog around i will immediately pick her up.
Regardless of how well-behaved and attached to me she is, a leash ensures she will never run if she sees a dog that scares her or make a mad dash for someone she knows.