Unleashed Pets vs. Leashed Pets

Do you trust your dog to such a degree to let it go unleashed, realizing that anything is possible, especially when other people and animals are around? If your answer is yes, then that's awesome! An unleashed dog has much more opportunities to learn its environment.

Animals that are allowed to express spontaneous activity will demonstrate more intensive exploratory behavior and will have better knowledge of their environment. During this process, they will experience new feelings of enjoyment and display behavior that corresponds with feeling safe. These new feelings and skills will strengthen the animal’s confidence and trust in the world. Furthermore, an animal that has the ability to make choices and consequently, have a more mature psyche compared to other animals that do not have such liberty. It will also display a more mature attachment to its owner. Without such liberty, the animal will otherwise make its choice in accordance with the owner’s wishes. This choice will be a choice for security, but it will inhibit the animal’s mental maturity.

Generally, humans are not interested in their pets’ independence. For that reason, pets always remain dependent on the humans, seeking protection and favors, while their spontaneity and ability to make independent decisions are suppressed. It is clear that the recognition of the pets’ independence is fraught with undesirable consequences for their owners. However, highly evolved group animals understand group norms and rules, and an animal that has learned the rules will not violate them.

It is important that the rules, set by pet owners, agree with the species-specific capabilities and needs of the animals. Pet care that does not give the animal the opportunity to mature does not allow the animal to develop a mature, reciprocal attachment to humans. To achieve this mature, reciprocal relationship, the person should make the animal’s habitat as rich as possible. The animal must learn as much as it can and have the ability to cope with situations it faces on its own.

People's mature love for an animal promotes the animal’s development. We say a lot about the necessity of development, which is more easily achieved if a dog is unleashed. If, however, you live in a megalopolis, your mild-tempered unleashed Wolfhound might frighten someone. So my advice: try to find places where your dog can be unleashed without threat to others, such as a dog park. Recently, I visited Piedmont Dog Park in Atlanta, GA, and both observed and talked to pet owners. I could immediately tell which dogs had been acclimated to independence and which sought their owners' approval.  Look for a forthcoming video on this visit.