Heartsink moment when dog owner says: ‘He just wants to play’

ANYONE who owns a dog knows that even the best-trained animal can embarrass its owner from time to time. Spaniels, normally biddable and keen to please, can develop a tendency to ‘deafness’ when they are hot on the scent of a gamebird or some other attractive odour. “Nose open, ears closed” is the way it can sometimes appear.

But dog owners who let their pets off the lead in public places when they know the chances of getting them to come back are vanishingly small really need to take a careful look at the way they behave.

Not everyone welcomes the attention of a large hound bounding towards them while its hapless owner calls, ineffectually for the dog to come back. Dogs which pose any real threat, to people or to other dogs are – thankfully – rare. Most squabbles between dogs end quickly and without injury because one or other animal quickly realises the best policy is to back down.

But dogs that ‘just want to play’ are often a pain in the neck because they cannot be persuaded to return to their owner however hard they try to get them back. And a loose dog dancing around your heels and trying to engage your own dog that is on the lead in some rough play is a nuisance.

There should be an unspoken rule in the countryside – if you approach another dog owner in an open space and you put yours on the lead they should do the same – or call it to heel and keep it there while you pass.

The general advice in the countryside is to keep all dogs under close control. Dogs do like a run, however, and most owners are sensible enough to keep their pets under control and train them to return – most of the time... But the golden rule should be, if you can’t control Fido, keep him tethered.