„He’s harmless!“ – Really?

About dogs that do nothing but still cause a lot of trouble

Are you fed up with so-called harmless or friendly dogs and their owners? Or do you wonder why others react angrily to your dogs even though they’re doing nothing? In both cases, you’re in the right place. Because this article is about dogs that do nothing but can still cause quite a stir.

„He’s friendly“ – Two Perspectives

My dog is a true „harmless“ one. He’s friendly toward other dogs and has never even snapped at one. Okay, he’s a bit overenthusiastic, but he’s just being friendly. That’s why I get even more frustrated with other dog owners, like the woman on our walk today.

She’s walking with three leashed dogs and demands that I leash mine. „Please leash your dog!“ she calls out to me.

Why? I think to myself. My dog listens and is friendly. „He’s harmless!“ I shout back in explanation, and we continue on our way.

„Leash your dog!“ she yells back, annoyed. Pfft. Not happening, I think, and ignore her. She actually assumes a defensive stance, stops, and moves her dogs behind her. Oh my God, how can someone overreact like this? My dog is just saying hi! Some people just don’t get it.

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I. Can’t. Take. It. Anymore. „He’s harmless!“ rings out, as leashing her dog seems like too much to ask. While her 90 pound dog is already charging toward us, I try once more. And yes, I’m annoyed. Annoyed by the same old “friendly” dogs that cause plenty of trouble for us.

„Leash your dog!“ I shout now, and no, not in the polite tone anymore, because obviously, that had no effect on the woman who treats the leash as a decorative accessory around her neck. Instead of taking care of her dog, she chooses to ignore me. Thanks for nothing.

And of course, as expected… While I move my dogs behind me and brace for the incoming 90 pound canine, he continues charging toward us at full speed, completely ignoring all signs of defense.

I have three dogs on leashes, whose combined weight is under 20 pounds. They’ve all had bad experiences with unfamiliar dogs. One is so scared she soils herself and tries to avoid confrontation, another has a weak heart, and the third is on the verge of choking himself because he wants to flee when large dogs approach.

They’ve all had negative experiences because „He’s harmless!“ wasn’t quite as harmless as advertised. And here we are again, preparing for another 90 pound dog charging at us, hell-bent on „saying hi.“

Let’s briefly overlook the fact that this is highly impolite and disrespectful among dogs. Dog owners like this one, who use „He’s harmless!“ as an excuse for their dog running into us, miss a lot. And they far exceed their dogs in terms of disrespect.

Leash your dog, please – a Plea with Several Reasons

When I ask other dog owners to leash their dog, there can be many different reasons for that. None of those reasons can be dismissed with „He’s harmless.“

Let’s take a closer look at them:

My dog is scared

Some dogs simply fear when an overenthusiastic and unfamiliar dog comes toward them. Makes sense, right? Imagine a human running toward you, and you have no idea what they want.

It’s even worse if the other person is 20 times your size or seems to be up to something aggressive and spoiling for a fight.

I’m scared

There are plenty of dog owners who are afraid of strange dogs. Others are simply afraid of dogs off-leash or worry that the situation with their dog will escalate.

So, whenever someone ignores the request to leash or call their dog, they are causing fears.

My Dog is in Heat

„Call your dog back! Mine is in h…“ I scream and can’t even get that far before I hear „Mine’s friendly!“

„My dog is in heat!“ I shout again.

„Why didn’t you say that earlier??!!!“ the woman snaps at me, hurriedly trying to wrangle her dog. „And why are you even outside???!!!“

Well, first of all, I couldn’t get that far because of the constant barrage of „He’s harmless!“ Second, female dogs in heat need to pee, poop, and stretch their legs as well, and during this time, they have to empty their bladder and bowels even more often.

Third, I’m not in a dog park, I’m 100 meters from my house, where leashes are required. Fourth, I did warn you.

Injuries and surgical recovery

Injuries and surgical scars are not always visible. However, dogs need protection and rest during recovery. Both of these things become significantly harder when a „harmless“ dog barrels into the recovering dog or stresses them out by violating their personal space.

This also applies to illnesses that are not always outwardly visible.

Bad experiences

You see a dog on the trail or in the park. You’re sure your dog will do no harm. But do you know what experiences the other dog and its owner have been through?

Yes, maybe not with your dog. And no, you’re probably not to blame. But you can effectively avoid creating another unpleasant or negative experience. All you need to do is show a little consideration.

But MY dog does do something!

Every time a harmless dog runs up to others, I ask myself: How little do the owners actually care about their dogs? After all, they never know for sure if the other dog is also harmless.

But then I remember that there’s a huge double standard here. “Friendly” dogs absolutely must say hi to other dogs – as long as the other dog is smaller and appears harmless.

If my dog is large, dark, or otherwise intimidating, I don’t even need to point out that other people should leash their „harmless“ dogs. „Mine’s harmless!“ I don’t hear that then either.

That only ever happens when my dogs would be at a disadvantage if something goes wrong. With all bigger dogs, it suddenly doesn’t matter that their dog is oh so friendly.

What harmless dogs can do (or cause)

Once someone asks you to leash your dog and the response is „Mine’s friendly!“ as a thoughtless and pointless answer, the „harmless“ dog, or more accurately its owner, already has caused something.

Because the dog is now so close to the other dog that stress and fear are already in play.

It can also:

Disrupt training or undo training progress.
Disturb and scare sick, injured, or otherwise vulnerable dogs.
Increase public animosity toward dogs.
Trigger or worsen trauma.

So, whenever you feel like saying „He’s harmless!“ just realize that by refusing to call your dog back or leash him, you’re already causing a lot of trouble. The problem doesn’t start with a bite.

When „He’s friendly“ turns into „He’s never done that before!“

If I got a dollar every time „He’s harmless!“ was followed by the shocked „He’s never done this before!“ I could buy a boatload of dog treats.

Because when people ignore a request to leash or call their dog back, and think „Mine’s friendly!“ is an appropriate response, they typically don’t think very far ahead. They’re also not great at reading other living beings.

For me, „He’s harmless!“ has become a clear warning about both the dog and the owner. Because the owner doesn’t even realize that the situation could escalate quickly.

Or they simply don’t care if my dogs are the ones who end up getting hurt because of their small size.

Your dog does do something – you just don’t notice it or care

If you’re asked to call or leash your dog and you respond with „He’s harmless!“ you’re not calming anyone down. On the contrary.

Try changing your perspective. Imagine there are good reasons why a strange dog shouldn’t get too close to your dog. But instead of responding to the request, you’re brushing it off with „Mine’s friendly!“ and turn your dog into a problem for somebody else.

Once you’ve been in this situation yourself, your perspective will change pretty quickly.

PunkRockPudel