As I mentioned in one of my previous posts I just moved into a new home.  We love the home.  Our neighbors are great.  Many of our neighbors, though, have a horrible habit that is liable to put me into an early grave.

Many of my neighbors allow their dogs to roam free in the neighborhood.  This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves.  This is one of the most irresponsible things that a pet owner can do.  A big part of my dog training business is working with extreme aggression cases.  So here I am attempting to work with a dog that wants to kill other dogs and here comes the neighbor’s dog trotting up barking furiously and attempting to lunge at the dog I am working with.  This has happened several times and I’ve only been here a week and a half. 

I hope you aren’t guilty of doing this with your dog.  NO DOG should EVER be allowed to be out in the neighborhood without direct supervision from their owner.  Here are the top four reasons why you should never allow your dog to roam the neighborhood:

1- It is incredibly dangerous for your dog.  If your dog is roaming free there is a good chance that he could be hit by a car or stolen.  There are also many other people like myself that don’t like when dogs are allowed to roam.  Many of these people aren’t nearly as nice as me and will think nothing of shooting or poisoning a dog to keep him from pooping on their lawn just one more time.

2- It is unbelievably rude.  Dogs that are allowed to roam the streets go to the bathroom on other people’s lawns.  They interrupt neighbor’s barbecues.  They frighten children.  They chase cats.  They torment other dogs behind fences.  I don’t know if it is just my luck but in every neighborhood where I have lived that had loose dogs they always tend to come up and bark at people who are walking in the street.  Why on earth would you allow your dog to do these things to your neighbors?  Not everybody loves your dog like you do, they shouldn’t be forced to be subjected to your dog.

3- It is a huge liability.  Whatever your dog does when roaming free in your neighborhood is your legal liability.  If your dog kills a cat, bites a person, runs in front of a car, etc. that is your problem to deal with.  I nearly always hear dog owners say, “Well, my dog is nice.  He would never do such a thing.”

Let me tell you something.  I make a good living off of people who have dogs who would ‘never hurt a fly’.  Dogs are animals.  As such, their behavior can be unpredictable at times.  Your dog may be an angel in your house but if you give him freedom to roam he may not act the same.  Can you imagine the lawsuit and hurt that you would experience if your dog bit a child?  Don’t risk it.

4- Your dog could contribute to pet overpopulation.  If your dog is not altered it could impregnate a female dog.  Worse, if you have a female dog she could get pregnant.  A pregnant dog contributes to overpopulation and can cost you thousands in vet bills.

If you are currently doing this with your dog, please stop.  Don’t make the life of your neighbors more difficult by forcing them to endure your dog, pick up your dog’s poop, and hear your dog barking in their yard.  Keep your dog in the house or securely kept in the back yard.