While you may find the sight of your dog freely bounding down the hall of your building adorable, others may not feel the same way (I know, it’s crazy). Your building is your home, but just as you wouldn’t walk outside your apartment in your underwear, you shouldn’t allow your dog to behave as if the entire building is your own personal domicile. This includes not allowing your dog off leash anywhere but your apartment or designated dog park areas.
Even friendly Fidos should be kept on leash.
Just because your pup gets along with most dogs, doesn’t mean others do. Other dogs in the building may react fearfully or defensively seeing others off leash. Small dogs or puppies may become overwhelmed if a strange dog rushes up to them, especially if the approaching dog is hyper. This can cause conflict between the dogs, resulting in scuffles. Following these experiences both dogs may become reactive, fearful or aggressive when they see other dogs, or even in that specific location of the building. These can be ongoing behavior problems that requiring professional training to alleviate, and often the sources can be completely avoided by keeping your dogs leashed and controlled.
Your neighbors might Not be dog people…
Many people are afraid of dogs, or otherwise uncomfortable if they see them running freely through the halls and lobby. Even friendly dogs may become overexcited upon seeing people, and bowl over a child or accost the delivery guy and cause him to drop your neighbor’s dinner. So as a safety measure and courtesy to your neighbors, remember that not everyone feels the same way you do about your pets.
Better safe than sorry
Allowing your dog off leash in the building not only risks your dog having negative interactions with other dogs or people, it increases the chances of them having potty accidents in the building. Additionally, if you are in the lobby on the ground floor, there is another risk of your dog potentially running out the door into the street and being lost or hurt in a traffic accident.
Even if your dog is friendly and well behaved, the sight of an off-leash dog can cause upset with other residents (human and canine), staff, and visitors. So keep your dog leashed up and save the zoomies for the park and living room!