Give me Liberty or give me Death

On March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry gave a passionate speech to the Virginia Convention in which he said, 'Give me Liberty or give me Death.'  This remains a well know slogan that came from the American Revolution and is learned by United States school students in their history lessons.  For many of us it remains a cry that is closely associated to our passion for our personal freedom and political liberty.

We often hear people who are almost equally passionate about giving their dog liberty. "I wouldn't have a dog that has to be confined,' we hear people say.   Well, with rare exceptions, giving your dog unrestrained liberty to roam the face of the earth at will may well be putting your dog at risk of death. There are all kinds of real dangers 'out there' for a dog.  Often the dog doesn't recognize the dangers because they are not 'natural' in the dog's understanding of their environment. . . the vehicle traffic, the property boundaries that may be strictly enforced by others, the dog fearing humans, vicious and possibly rabid wildlife, and tempting 'eats' that can be very poisonous to dogs (such as antifreeze that apparently is quite tasty to the dog but is fatal.) The unfairness I see here is that in matters of political liberty, I am making my own choices that may place me at risk of great bodily harm or even death.  When a dog owner makes that decision on behalf of the dog, the owner is putting the dog at risk and the dog DIDN'T make that choice. 

One of the responsibilities of the alpha dog in the pack is to keep the pack safe.  As a dog owner, you must take the place of the alpha dog in the pack.  That means it is up to you to provide secure surroundings for your dog.  While we are strongly against 'staking out' a dog or keeping it on a 'dog run,' we are adamant that the dog must have sufficient space and time in which to vigorously exercise every day.  Securely fenced play yards are the best option where at all possible.  This is not the 10 X 10 or even the 20 X 20 chain link kennel pen.  This is the 1/8 acre (5,000 square feet) minimum play area where the dog can actually stretch out his legs and run. (The play yard pictured above is 1.5 acres opening onto a 2.5 acre lake.)

The alternative is twice daily runs with the owner.  The dog must be on leash or under strict voice command depending upon local ordinances.  Some people have equipped bicycles with gear that allows the dog to safely run along side of the bike.  Many communities have dog parks where you can take your dog for exercise and socialization.  An adult dog spends much of it's day at rest. But in order to maintain both physical and emotional health, the dog must have opportunity to be enthusiastically active.

Your dog must have some degree of freedom.  The dog tied out to a tree or living on the cable run needs daily opportunity to experience some freedom.  But it is up to the dog's caretaker to ensure that their freedom is safe from danger.  To greater or lesser degrees human governments attempt to do the same for the citizens.  Legitimate arguments can be made both pro and con regarding the restrictions and interference a government makes in a person's life.  I don't believe the arguments can be the same regarding your responsibility to care for the safety of your dog.

Until next time . . .   Eliot      www.rosehallkennel.com

p.s.  Ironically only a few hours after I finished writing this I received a cell phone call from a family member. She was crying and distressed. She had been on her way to school to pick up her child and a dog darted out of a driveway under the wheels of her car and was killed.  An irresponsible dog owner failed to keep their dog safe and has subjected this young woman to the trauma and distress of the dog's death under the wheels of her car.