If you have spent any time on public land hiking trails, you have probably had the encounter. You’re rounding a corner, enjoying the quiet, when a dog comes flying right at you at full speed—no human in sight—followed by a distant, optimistic voice calling, “Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” Maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t. Either way, your peaceful moment is gone….or is it?
To be clear, this is in no way an anti-dog rant. Dogs are awesome…it is so fun watching border collies and hunting dogs work. Dogs make life better. Many dogs are even used as therapy. Also, a lot of dogs want to be outside just as much as their people do. But somewhere between freedom and responsibility, things get, for lack of a better term, messy. Off-leash dogs can mean stressed out wildlife (and people who are afraid of or don’t care for dogs), dug up trails and vegetation, trail standoffs, surprises on the bottom of your shoes and boots, and the infamous “he’s never done that before” moment. On the flip side, many people argue that leashes are way too restrictive, very much impractical, and completely unnecessary…especially when people reinforce how happy their four-legged family members are without their leashes.
On Montana’s books, there’s a pretty straightforward rule about animals on the loose: local city or town councils can actually set rules about animals running at large…which includes livestock like horses, cows, goats, and dogs, too. If an animal (including your four-legged hiking buddy) is out wandering where it shouldn’t be, the town can restrict it and put it in a pen if it keeps showing up when it is not supposed to. Basically, it is up to local communities to decide how much freedom dogs get off the leash in some areas.
So where do we draw the line…and who really is “we”? We do know there are laws in place, but there is an ongoing debate on the topic. Should public land trails allow dogs off-leash if they are “under control”? Not everybody likes dogs, in general, and some people believe their dogs are well-behaved when they are not. However, many dogs are very well-behaved and do listen without incident. Should rules be stricter in high-use or wildlife-heavy areas? Or is this one of those topics where etiquette matters more than regulation? Many people are divided.
What do you think? No more rules, or just one more?
