How should I prepare for and react to unleashed dogs when hiking with young children?
I take my young children (0-7 years) outside to local trails. It's not remote, virgin wilderness, just a few dozen hectares of forest and stream. The kids enjoy it, and the youngest one is still learning to move on uneven surfaces. They are interested in dogs, but from at least 2 meters away (and preferably if the dog is not interested in them).
Local dog owners take their dogs there for walks. That seems great; please take your dog to enjoy the forest trails, too. Part of the area has a dog-on-leash sign. Part of it does not. The sign may have an impact, but there are certainly owners who disregard it for the signed area.
It is not uncommon for a dog larger than my children to gallop around a boulder and run up to us to investigate our smells.[1] This is pretty unsettling for my small ones.
- How do I prepare my children for encountering dogs on the trail?
- If I'm in a leash-only place,[2] how do I respond to dog owners who disregard the signs?
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The owner typically reaches us 15-60 seconds later with an apologetic look to tell me that the dogs "are friendly." I take it for granted that they think their dogs are friendly. Otherwise, I assume they would not have them off-leash in a public place, sign or no sign. Are they inviting me to pet the dog? ↩︎
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Optionally: Should I respond differently in a place where dogs are forbidden altogether? There's a park further away with a leashed-dogs path that becomes no-dogs-allowed beyond a certain intersection. ↩︎
1 answer
I suppose answers may depend somewhat on where in the world you are. What rights and obligations do humans and dogs have in general, or in certain areas. For example dogs might be forbidden unleashed/entirely in certain national parks. This is mainly out of concern for the wildlife.
But in general, dogs who are out of control and run up to greet strangers should not be unleashed in any area where they may encounter other people. This is unacceptable because you don't know if that stranger is afraid of dogs or allergic. Or how your dog would react when facing another leashed/unleashed dog or wild life. It is IMO particularly unacceptable to have the dog run up to small children - because having a frightening or sudden encounter at early age is exactly how people become afraid of dogs. "The dog is friendly" is a pointless and irrelevant argument.
You can prepare your children (if they are old enough) by explaining dog behavior to them. For example that since dogs can't speak they say "hi, I'm not dangerous" by running up to humans and sniffing on them. And also that a wagging tail and a tongue hanging out generally means that the dog is happy and in a friendly mood. Then your child might have a bit better understanding of what's going on when it happens. At that same time you could teach your children never to pet dogs without the owner's permission.
If you have any such encounter with a dog out of control running up to you, I would as politely as one can manage tell the owner that you would appreciate if they kept their dog on a leash. If you have children with you, that makes the argument even easier to make. Most people are sensible as long as you keep it civil. If it happens again, then I suppose it becomes a legal matter.
I think many countries encourage you to dial emergency services in case you are out on a trail and encounter aggressive dogs (snarling is aggressive, barking not necessarily) or dogs without an owner anywhere in sight.
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