The country’s parks continue to become more and more pet-friendly. Dog parks are popping up everywhere, as well as dog beaches, pet-friendly restaurants, and more. While it is great to let your dog roam off-leash while at the dog park, this is not appropriate at just any outdoor location. If the park is made specifically for dogs, then they are usually allowed to be off-leash. All owners who bring their dogs are doing so by choice and are aware that there are some risks involved when bringing their dog to an off-leash park. However, when you are in a public park that is not a dog park, it is another story.

It’s important to keep your dog leashed when in public parks because of the potential risks to your dog and other dogs. Although you may know your dog very well, others do not know your dog well and you definitely do not know others’ dogs well. If your dog is a well-behaved off-leash dog, that is great, but only if there are not any other dogs around. If your dog likes to approach other leashed dogs, you never know when the other dog may be nervous or scared or lash out at your dog. If there are multiple off-leash dogs in a public (non-dog) park, then it is difficult to judge their behaviors. There is always the potential of dogs fighting.

The most difficult part about having a dog off-leash in a non-dog park is that you do not have full control over the situation. Typically these parks are not fenced like dog parks are, so you cannot control whether or not your dog may run off. Just as well, you cannot fully prevent your dog from approaching other dogs or people without a leash. For safety and insurance, it is best just to keep your dog leashed unless you are at a designated off-leash area.

Susan is a writer for a local online newspaper focusing on pets and pet-related topics. For more information on pet insurance, visit http://petinsuranceomaha.com/

Question by squirt: where can i get a retractable dog leash that connects to a run?
we have one of those dog runs where the cord is connected to the house and the garage and then the long leash that slides up and down the cord, but she’s always getting the leash tangled on stuff…is there such thing as a retractable leash that i could hook up to the run?
when we use a shorter leash she can’t go far at all

Best answer:

Answer by Aidriana
Your local pet store may have one, if they don’t you can always compromise. I use a normal retractable leash, and just tie it to our hook. It works really well. It isn’t quite as long as some, but it still works good.

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