If You See a Yellow Ribbon on a Leash, Give That Dog Space
When you're out on a walk, does
your dog sometimes need to stay away from other dogs? If you saw a
yellow ribbon tied to the leash of a dog, would you proceed with caution
and give the pooch some space? This is the hope of a Yellow Ribbon campaign we discovered on the Pit Bulls: Lost/Found/Missing/Stolen group on Facebook.
Reasons a dog might need “space” are listed, and
the goal is to let people know not to approach the dog. Perhaps your dog
is in training, has health issues, or had a previous bad experience
around other dogs. Whatever the case, the campaign is designed on the
principle of respect. That is: My dog needs space, so kindly respect it.
I’ve yet to see a yellow ribbon on a dog’s leash in my travels, but perhaps this is something that needs to catch on. The “Yellow Dog” campaign website points
out this ribbon is useful for owners of male dogs not to bring their
animals close to female dogs in heat. The campaign has an accompanying Facebook page.
We're a little concerned that dissenters might see
the ribbon as a “warning” notice that might fuel the “bully breeds are
dangerous” mindset.
My thinking lends itself to “all dogs should have
space,” and please do ask before you pet my dog. I particularly
appreciate it when small children ask me first before petting my dog. My
pooch looks like a walking stuffed animal, which can be a blessing as
well as a curse. It takes an hour to get through the pet supply store
(which can be a lot of fun) but only because we meet so many people. At
times I wonder whether a yellow ribbon might be useful.
On the flip side, my dog is a Canine Good Citizen and one of the happiest little boys to walk the Earth, so I want him to be exposed to a lot of people and situations.
Apparently a red ribbon on the tail of a horse is a
warning that it may kick, so people are advised to keep their distance.
I discovered that while doing research for this piece. Did you know
that?
Some dogs are timid in public, particularly if they
have been abused, so the yellow ribbon might be a warning to stay back
and let the owner work on the timidity at a measured pace.
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