Want to Save Your Pet From Suffering and Save Money on Vet Bills? Start With Common Sense–Part 3
I nearly ran over a dog yesterday.
I was driving on Fulton Street in San Francisco. Fulton is a busy street. It is adjacent to Golden Gate Park.
A Yellow Lab and its owner were walking toward the park on a cross street. I noticed that the dog was not on a leash. I thought to myself that the dog must have very good recall to stay obediently with the owner so close to the park.
It turns out that the dog did not have good recall. The excitement of a trip to the park evidently overcame him, and he decided to run ahead. He ran right into and across Fulton Street. The owner was left behind yelling and gesticulating frantically.
Fortunately the dog made is safely across the street and into the park. Both dog and owner got lucky.
Hopefully next time that dog is walked near a busy street the owner will keep him on a leash. But I worry about the dog’s future. The person who should be looking out for him doesn’t appear to have an ounce of common sense.
Photo: The Conservatory of Flowers, near the scene of the incident. By Markus Laber.
You have questions. 
Even the most obedient animal can have a lapse. Where and when that lapse occurs, unfortunately can lead to tragedy. Too bad you couldn’t stick around long enough to see if the owner leashed his dog on the way back – ie learned his/her lesson. I’ve read of a trainer who has dogs that have won obedience trials, and even SHE doesn’t trust leaving her dogs in precarious situations. She knows the odds are in her favor they would obey if needed, but she heeds the fact that a dog/animal still has a mind of its own.