Cannon 1

Alyssa Cannon
Gary Howard
English 2010-021
November 15, 2015
Larger Essay
Imagine you are walking through a dog park. You see dogs being walked, dogs playing,
and dogs being trained. Most of the dogs will have leashes on, but obviously the ones playing
will not have a leash on. If a friendly dog comes up to you, it is our natural instinct to pet it and
be friendly back. Now if a mean, aggressive-looking dog comes up to you without a leash,
growling and snapping, our natural instinct would be to run away and not touch the dog. If this
dog would have had a leash on it, wouldnt have been as intimidating. All dogs should have
leashes in public because it is safer, we dont know the dogs history, and people could be
allergic to dogs.
A dog can be a mans best friend, and we want to keep our dogs safe, as well as keep
humans safe. This is where a leash can come into play. For a pet owner, a dogs safety should be
a priority. Dogs are very alert animals and react to noises very easily. If a dog hears a noise, it
will want to run off to find the noise. This could end up in a dog running out into the street or
running off and getting lost. A leash can prevent these incidents. Dogs can also get distracted by
people or seeing toys; this can also end up in a dog running off and getting hurt or lost. Leashes
can also keep humans safe from aggressive dogs. There are different types of aggression in dogs:
there is fear motivated, protective, territorial, and possessive, and redirected aggression. The
Humane Society of the United States, states in the article: Dog Aggression, The likelihood of
a dog to show aggressive behavior in any particular situation varies markedly from dog to dog.

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Some dogs tend to respond aggressively with very little stimulation. Others may be subjected to
all kinds of threatening stimuli and events and yet never attempt to bite. (HSUS 2) This shows
we never know when a dog could show their aggression. Its better to be safe and have them on a
leash, so they dont attack a human.
If a dog comes up to you without a leash, it can be scary. We dont know the dogs
history, we dont know its medical history, or if it was abused or if its a biter. That is why it is
intimidating if a stray dog comes up to you. Or if somebodys dog without a leash comes up to
you, what if that dog had rabies? What if that dog wasnt vaccinated? In the World Health
Organizations article Rabies, it states, Rabies is an infectious viral disease that is almost fatal
following the onset of clinical signs. In more than 99% of human cases, the rabies virus is
transmitted by domestic dogs.(WHO 1) One time my dad was in his wheel chair and a Pitbull
came up to him and bit his foot. He had to get a rabies shot right in the bite, because they didnt
know if that dog had been vaccinated or not. If that dog was on a leash, the whole thing could
have been prevented.
Also another reason leashes in public places are good ideas is because a lot of people
have dog allergies. A lot of people have pets. In the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of Americas
article Pet Allergies it states, The total pet population is more than 100 million, or about four
pets for every 10 people. It also states, From 15 percent to 30 percent of people with allergies
have allergic reactions to cats and dogs.(AAFA 1) So if a dog comes around you without a leash
and you have allergies it could cause allergic reaction. This article also talks about the symptoms
caused by pet allergies. It states, Many airborne particles are small enough to into the lungs.
When inhaled, the allergens combine with antibodies. This can cause severe breathing problemscoughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath- in highly sensitive people within 15 to 30 minutes.

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Sometimes highly sensitive people also get an intense rash on the face, neck and upper chest.
(AAFA 1)
Some people will argue that their dog doesnt need a leash or that leashes shouldnt be a
required thing. They may argue this because a leash isnt natural to a dog; some types of leashes
can be harmful, and if a dog is trained well enough, it shouldnt need a leash.
It is true that a leash is not natural to a dog. A dog is not born with a leash on. This is
something that humans invented and sometimes force a dog to wear. Some dogs are natural
hunters so they chase things, because it is in their blood to do that. We as humans take that away
once we bind them in a leash or harness. Humans have domesticated dogs into doing and
wearing what we think is right instead of letting them be natural.
Some types of leashes can actually cause harm to the dog. The main leash is the
retractable leash. In the article Injuries, Behavioral problems linked to Retractable Leashes by
Phyllis DeGioia, states, Pachtinger has seen cases where the cords wrap around a dogs leg,
often causing harm, and notes that two types of injury are most common. The first is muscular,
such as a neck strain or sprain; the other is a cervical intervertebral disc herniation, which can be
more severe. She then goes on to state, people arent immune to injury, either. Manufacturers
warn that if used improperly, a suddenly yanked retractable leash can cause people to fall or
sustain friction burns. An owner might even lose a finger if its caught in the loop of a cord thats
jerked abruptly.(DeGioia 1) These leashes can cause harm to the dog and even a human. Also
people say these leashes can actually teach dogs to pull, and owners dont have that much control
over situations. Dogs on retractable leashes also learn to pull, Bergman said. If a behavior such
as pulling on a leash is rewarded by allowing the dog more freedom, then the behavior will occur
more often. (DeGioia 3) leashes arent always guaranteed one hundred percent safe.

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It can also be argued that if a dog is trained well enough, it shouldnt need a leash in
public. People can use off-leash training with their dog and train their dog to behave without a
leash. Without a leash, a dog can get better exercise, and its healthier for their body and mental
health. In her article Building off Leash Reliability, Mardi Richmond states, Incorporating offleash training into daily activities can help you and your dog prepare for off-leash adventures.
Your dog will learn to respond to you everywhere, all of the time.(Richmond 1) So you can
train your dog to listen to you. Some dogs are easier to train, like a golden retriever or a Lab, for
instance. Some dogs might also do better without a leash and with just intense training; it just
depends on the dog.
Leashes were made for the safety of dogs; its safer to have the dog on a leash. Its safer
for the dog, for other dogs around and the humans around. It can be scary if a dog comes up to
you, and you dont know anything about it. There are animals without leashes all the time in my
neighborhood, and you never know what could go wrong. But then again some leashes are
dangerous, and leashes arent a natural thing for a dog. Also some dogs can be trained well
enough to not even need a leash.

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Works Cited

"Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America - Information About Asthma, Allergies, Food
Allergies and More!" Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America - Information About
Asthma, Allergies, Food Allergies and More! Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America,
2005. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. <https://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=18&cont=236>.
DeGioia, Phyllis. "Injuries, Behavioral Problems Linked to Retractable Leashes - VIN." Injuries,
Behavioral Problems Linked to Retractable Leashes - VIN. N.p., 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 02
Nov. 2015. <http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=31352>.
"Dog Aggression." RSS. The Humane Society of the United States, 14 June 2013. Web. 02 Nov.
2015. <http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/aggression.html>.
"Rabies." World Health Organization. N.p., Sept. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/>.
Richmond, Mardi. "Building off Leash Reliability." N.p., Mar. 2002. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/5_3/features/5440-1.html>.