Ok. I have two 11 year old labradors, one retired from being an assistance dog when he was nine. (Led a blind person for seven years). Until moving to Virginia, both dogs walked daily off the leash through beautiful countryside, and it was so nice for them to be able to run, play and socialise with other dogs. They have been in cafe gardens, shops, on boats, they have flown on an aeroplane,- list is endless and throughout their lives, recieved numerous comments on how nicely behaved, intelligent,clever (the assistance dog) was, – the assistance dog would have an hour off his duties everyday to walk through the woods off leash and generally be a dog – it was like saying thankyou for the other 23 hours which he spent assisting a disabled human being.
Both dogs never approach other dogs unless invited, will walk to heel on command without a leash etc.
However they moved to virginia, and even on a semi deserted beach, if they go into the water for a gentle swim there is some dickhead 200 yards away who starts behaving like there is a shark in the water. Most people seem to think that domesticated dogs should live happily in a confined back yard for years, never experiencing any kind of freedom. I would never walk an untrustworthy or annoying dog off leash – but I honestly think we have created the domestic dog as a companion or assistant, – 99 percent of dogs if trained properly only want to please people. We owe it to them to give them a decent quality of life which does involve some measure of freedom in appropriate places. I dont agree with zoos either, and I am not a weird animal rights campaigner. Just struggle with the aggression I am experiencing towards two elderly dogs who have spent their lives serving people and the aggression has been from people whom the dogs have not even attempted to approach or interact with in any way. Humans can be assholes.