Walking Your Dog Off Leash is Like…

Get Your Off-Leash Dog Signs Here!

Different themes: [Nose Picking] [Smoking] [Punch Bowl] [In the Buff]Â

I’d like to come up with a long list of analogies for people who walk their dogs off leash in areas that are not designated off-leash parks.

Â I’m not saying people shouldn’t let their dogs stretch their legs. I just think it’s important that they don’t ruin anyone else’s walk, either.

I would like a quick way to convey the message that walking their dog up to another dog or person off leash on a trail or sidewalk is impolite. It seems like the gross-out factor would be helpful.

So I’d like your help! Here are some ideas completing the following sentence. Â Walking your dog off leash is like…

Picking Your Nose – It’s only ok if nobody sees you do it!
Smoking in someone else’s house – Until you get permission, assume the answer is Please Don’t!
Letting your toddler run out of sight at the mall. Not safe!
Kissing someone who works for you. Â You’d better make sure you have full consent, and even then it could go wrong!

More ideas? Please post them in the comments below!

Download and Post Your Own Signs! Â I made some signsÂ that you can put up in your neighborhood. There are lots of legal places to post signs, like coffee shops, bulletin boards, etc. – please don’t litter or post these on someone else’s private property. Click to download your own off leash dog etiquette sign:Â [Nose Picking] [Smoking] [Punch Bowl] [In the Buff].Â Â If you have them laminated, they will last longer.

Written by Grisha Stewart, Ahimsa Dog Training, Seattle

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 4:54 pm and is filed under Tips & Safety . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

9 Responses to “Walking Your Dog Off Leash is Like…”

Michelle Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Great idea. I was just getting ready to post something like that. I live just down the street from your shop, and there are sometimes dozens of dogs (most of them are huge, friendly, and dopey) in the playfield off-leash at one time. My dog is slowly doing better with other dogs (he even has a couple of friend dogs in the ‘hood), but I can’t risk letting him get stupid on someone in an uncontrolled situation. I don’t walk around the park any more.

Don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of these signs around Gilman Playfield.
I love my dog! Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 11:11 am
I put up 8 signs in the my area! Half of the Smoking theme and half of the Nose Picking theme. I like the gross-out of the nose picking theme, but the smoking theme is more adult.
Dean Says:
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:34 am
Walking Your Dog off leash is like…drinking from the punch bowl.

It’s only ok if no guests are coming!

You can use that on a poster…
Virginia Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Do you have any clever signs about dogs peeing/pooping on people’s front yards? If seems as if the main reason people walk their dogs is to have them to their business in someone else’s yard. People think picking up the poop is enough but they’re not carrying giant sponges to get the pee. (small joke). We have a hedge with brown spots on it. It’s a bummer because we want the neighborhood to look nice including our front yard. Thanks for your other signs and positive reinforcement of polite dog behavior!
Grisha Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Hi Virginia,

I don’t have any signs for that. I hadn’t actually thought much about the damage to shrubs that urine might cause. I know I try to keep my own dogs from peeing on any plants that people might touch – vegetables, fruits, flowers. But that’s a good point, about your shrub. You might try a dog repellant, something like these: http://www.odordestroyer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=DogRepellents&Screen=CTGY I haven’t used them or bought from that store, so let me know if you do, and how it goes.

I would hose down the shrub first, so it doesn’t smell as much like urine, and probably put some odor-neutralizer on it, too. Dogs pee there to cover up whoever peed before them, so you can break the cycle by making it urine-free.
Stef Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Walking your dog off leash is like double dipping your veggie sticks at a holiday party.
Allowing your children to clear the shelves at the bookstore.
Parking your shopping cart in the center of the aisle.

Nose picking is still my favorite and it got lots of chuckles from my friends at work. Also got the uncomfortable (guilty) smiles as well!
Grisha Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Thanks Stef! You know, this is turning out to be a great list! I’m sure this won’t keep all dogs on leash, but it may make a dent, at least among people who care about not being rude to their neighbors. Keep it up!
Grisha Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
P.S. 258 people have seen this page!
marshall virgil Says:
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
like so many events in public, with shopping carts,with cars, just to name a few people are lucky we all try to operate in a civilized way, last week i was almost hit 3 times in the seattle area
due to selfish people on cell ph while driving. not enough police to see all these bad deals of course.
3 weeks ago a dog owner in a king county park without looking around the large field released his dogs.
one of these days he will run into an ex marine like me with a big stick like me that will not
hesitate to use it in defense. instead the owner heard loud and clear how he was going to have the sheriff called. it is one thing to run into fools on public streets so self absorbed we have no chance but
a posted county park is another deal in my mind. i think county and city laws should hit these people hard. if one of my small dogs was hurt i dont know what i would do and if i would be able to contain.

Comments? Thoughts? (Please use our contact form instead to email a dog trainer.)

Michelle Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 9:14 am

Great idea. I was just getting ready to post something like that. I live just down the street from your shop, and there are sometimes dozens of dogs (most of them are huge, friendly, and dopey) in the playfield off-leash at one time. My dog is slowly doing better with other dogs (he even has a couple of friend dogs in the ‘hood), but I can’t risk letting him get stupid on someone in an uncontrolled situation. I don’t walk around the park any more.

Don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of these signs around Gilman Playfield.

I love my dog! Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 11:11 am

I put up 8 signs in the my area! Half of the Smoking theme and half of the Nose Picking theme. I like the gross-out of the nose picking theme, but the smoking theme is more adult.

Dean Says:
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:34 am

Walking Your Dog off leash is like…drinking from the punch bowl.

It’s only ok if no guests are coming!

You can use that on a poster…

Virginia Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 11:29 am

Do you have any clever signs about dogs peeing/pooping on people’s front yards? If seems as if the main reason people walk their dogs is to have them to their business in someone else’s yard. People think picking up the poop is enough but they’re not carrying giant sponges to get the pee. (small joke). We have a hedge with brown spots on it. It’s a bummer because we want the neighborhood to look nice including our front yard. Thanks for your other signs and positive reinforcement of polite dog behavior!

Grisha Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 11:52 am

Hi Virginia,

I don’t have any signs for that. I hadn’t actually thought much about the damage to shrubs that urine might cause. I know I try to keep my own dogs from peeing on any plants that people might touch – vegetables, fruits, flowers. But that’s a good point, about your shrub. You might try a dog repellant, something like these: http://www.odordestroyer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=DogRepellents&Screen=CTGY I haven’t used them or bought from that store, so let me know if you do, and how it goes.

I would hose down the shrub first, so it doesn’t smell as much like urine, and probably put some odor-neutralizer on it, too. Dogs pee there to cover up whoever peed before them, so you can break the cycle by making it urine-free.

Stef Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pm

Walking your dog off leash is like double dipping your veggie sticks at a holiday party.
Allowing your children to clear the shelves at the bookstore.
Parking your shopping cart in the center of the aisle.

Nose picking is still my favorite and it got lots of chuckles from my friends at work. Also got the uncomfortable (guilty) smiles as well!

Grisha Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 8:43 pm

Thanks Stef! You know, this is turning out to be a great list! I’m sure this won’t keep all dogs on leash, but it may make a dent, at least among people who care about not being rude to their neighbors. Keep it up!

Grisha Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pm

P.S. 258 people have seen this page!

marshall virgil Says:
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:25 am

like so many events in public, with shopping carts,with cars, just to name a few people are lucky we all try to operate in a civilized way, last week i was almost hit 3 times in the seattle area
due to selfish people on cell ph while driving. not enough police to see all these bad deals of course.
3 weeks ago a dog owner in a king county park without looking around the large field released his dogs.
one of these days he will run into an ex marine like me with a big stick like me that will not
hesitate to use it in defense. instead the owner heard loud and clear how he was going to have the sheriff called. it is one thing to run into fools on public streets so self absorbed we have no chance but
a posted county park is another deal in my mind. i think county and city laws should hit these people hard. if one of my small dogs was hurt i dont know what i would do and if i would be able to contain.