Seems there’s a new “sheriff” in town.
Well, he’s not exactly the sheriff, but he’s affectionately known as the “Dog Nazi” to dog owners who like to walk their dogs sans leash.
No more warnings. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Just ticket after ticket if your dog isn’t hooked up.
Now, I haven’t exactly seen this guy, so this is just all secondhand info, but it comes from reliable sources and you can see all the law breakers now walking around with leashes, even though their dogs aren’t officially leashed.
As many of you know from past columns and knowing me, I’m a cat person who was converted by my girlfriend and her adorable little Westy into a dog person who still likes cats. I’ve now walked dogs with and without leashes, and picked up enough poop to fill a — well let’s just say it’s a lot of poop.
Yes, the law is the law, and not long ago I would have made dogs owners who didn’t leash their dogs walk around allowing their dogs to walk their owners on a leash. After I was bitten on Smuggler the death penalty seemed like a good idea, but I’ve calmed down quite a bit since then.
You see, leashes aren’t always the best idea. On a bicycle I can get around most dogs and their owners, but I can’t get around a leash that’s stretched across the path.
A dog fight is greatly exacerbated by leashes, as a leash only serves to keep the two dogs together. I’ve always been told to “drop the leash” in a situation like that, but will the Dog Nazi get me if I do this?
And not all dogs, or owners, are created equal.
My girlfriend’s dog is a good example of a dog that avoids problem dogs, stays with you when off leash, comes when called and doesn’t jump on people. He doesn’t chase cars, kids or bicycles, and tends to get out of the way, if necessary. And, no, my girlfriend isn’t paying me to write this. She just has an incredible dog, in my humble opinion.
So, like having to prove you can drive before you get a license, maybe local dog owners should have to take a test to see if their dogs can be trusted off leash. The word is “control,” and I’ve seen owners who have it and owners who don’t. You have, too.
After the person yells “come” about a thousand times, the dog finally comes, and then the owner hits the dog, scolding it for not coming. In reality, he or she has just scolded the dog for answering the command “come.” Think about it.
I’m not sure what kind of test you would give a dog and its owner to prove control, but if they pass, the owner should get a special license that lets him or her walk the dog off leash.
Of course, I’m not an idiot. Even the best dogs are not perfect, and there should be areas where all dogs have to be leashed. I’m not sure where they all are, but I know dogs like to chase wildlife, and we’ve had too many shootings around the state where the owners don’t seem to know the law, and other dog owners are about ready to shoot the rancher who shot their dog that was running at large.
Speaking of which, there needs to be a distinction between off leash and running at large. Again, this has to do with control, and most dog owners don’t have it. But many do. And those who do should be rewarded with the chance to take their best friends out for a walk without a leash.
Nothing in this world is black and white, and it seems to me a compromise is in order here. Let’s figure out a way to do it, and reward those dogs, and dog owners who are willing to pay the dues necessary to learn how to control their dogs.
Basalt shooting range
Kudos to those who worked on the shooting range in Basalt. I was up there yesterday and the place looks great.
There is one thing, however. They put up more backgrounds to attach targets to, but in doing this they created a lot of blind spots downrange. So shooters have to be on their toes before firing or walking downrange to check targets.
This shouldn’t be a problem if all shooters use proper etiquette and safety procedures. I recently discovered that reading about gun safety isn’t the same as taking a course with a live instructor giving you hell for not doing the right thing, no matter how minor.
As our instructor said, there’s no such thing as an “oops” when it comes to gun safety.
As for those of you who are still bitching about the noise down there: Why did you buy a house next to a shooting range? Shame on you.
Sheldon Fingerman welcomes your comments at sheldon@sopris.net.
