The safety of your dog as well as people is the main concern of letting your dog off leash.
People living in rural areas think nothing of allowing their dogs to run free without restrictions. Most others living in suburban or urban areas wouldn’t dream of letting their dogs off leash unless the area is fenced.
Of course we all want to give our dogs the best quality life and we know how much they treasure the freedom of running without the weight of a lead we are holding. But there are risks for your dog off leash.
Consider how well your dog is trained. Does s/he come quickly when called? Will your dog stop immediately when you give the command no matter how much more interesting the path followed is?
In order to allow your dog off leash in any setting, s/he should be taught to come and stop no what’s happening all the time.
In the country, dogs face hazards from terrain, wildlife(snakes and other creatures), even losing their way.
Farms present other dangers including farm equipment, tools, cars driving into the area.
Suburban and urban dogs face other worries, mainly traffic. And you know your dog is friendly, but other people in the area, particularly children, can be easily upset or frightened at the sight of a dog off leash. Neighbors may not be happy to see your dog without a leash and able to disturb their gardens.
You may also want to think twice about dog parks unless you know the people there well. Not everyone is concerned about having a mannerly, well-trained dog.
Before considering letting your dog off leash, please be sure that s/he is 100% or at least 99.9% trained to follow your commands consistently no matter what distractions are present.
You’ll want to check the leash laws in your area before letting your dog run free. City folk should always accompany their dog even if s/he is off leash.
