YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - is it OK to walk my YORKIE without leash?

irbrenda · 02-02-2007, 04:52 PM

I almost learned a sad lesson a few months back by trusting Ralphie to "go" by himself unharnessed. I'm on a large quiet street with all private homes. It was very early in the morning and I opened my front door to let him out. He was standing a few feet from him as he was doing his thing on my front lawn. I did not notice that a man was walking in the middle of the street on his way to work and in a split second, Ralphie took off, darted off the lawn, into the street, grabbed on to the man's pant's leg and tore into it; the man managed to get Ralphie off by kicking him off; Ralphie did not hear me at all but kept running after the man and just then an SUV turned onto my street. I screamed at the top of my lungs and Ralphie wound up 2" away from being caught under the front wheels. All you heard from blocks away were my blood curdling screams......."S T O P S TO P" as the man did not see my dog but saw some lunatic woman in her p.j's waving her hands and screaming, as he slammed on his brakes. He had no idea whether a child or a dog was in his way but he was quick enough to react, thank god. I did apologize to the man who had a nice rip in his pants and I offered to pay him for new pants but all he did was shake his head at me and said, "Lady, you almost lost your dog. I could buy me new pants." He was so so right.

I wanted to scold Ralphie but I was the one who needed a beating for being so lazy and careless. You cannot trust how an animal will react to anything in his view, regardless of how well trained and obedient he is. The nightmare of that day did not leave me for awhile and I can't emphasize enough never be so sure that your dog will listen to you. It takes just a moment to put a harness on and walk your dog, and less than a split second to lose your baby to foolishness.

02-02-2007, 04:52 PM	#26
irbrenda Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Staten Island, NY Posts: 123	I almost learned a sad lesson a few months back by trusting Ralphie to "go" by himself unharnessed. I'm on a large quiet street with all private homes. It was very early in the morning and I opened my front door to let him out. He was standing a few feet from him as he was doing his thing on my front lawn. I did not notice that a man was walking in the middle of the street on his way to work and in a split second, Ralphie took off, darted off the lawn, into the street, grabbed on to the man's pant's leg and tore into it; the man managed to get Ralphie off by kicking him off; Ralphie did not hear me at all but kept running after the man and just then an SUV turned onto my street. I screamed at the top of my lungs and Ralphie wound up 2" away from being caught under the front wheels. All you heard from blocks away were my blood curdling screams......."S T O P S TO P" as the man did not see my dog but saw some lunatic woman in her p.j's waving her hands and screaming, as he slammed on his brakes. He had no idea whether a child or a dog was in his way but he was quick enough to react, thank god. I did apologize to the man who had a nice rip in his pants and I offered to pay him for new pants but all he did was shake his head at me and said, "Lady, you almost lost your dog. I could buy me new pants." He was so so right. I wanted to scold Ralphie but I was the one who needed a beating for being so lazy and careless. You cannot trust how an animal will react to anything in his view, regardless of how well trained and obedient he is. The nightmare of that day did not leave me for awhile and I can't emphasize enough never be so sure that your dog will listen to you. It takes just a moment to put a harness on and walk your dog, and less than a split second to lose your baby to foolishness.