Whether or not that rhymes, it’s a good rule for pet lovers on the prowl

One of the reasons I love living in Corvallis is the apparently high number of dog lovers who seem to be everywhere, especially in the spring, with their happy canine companions at their side.

I give an especially hearty cheer when I see one of my favorite breeds marching by. Welsh corgis, pugs and weiner dogs always get extra shouts, although I’m generally a fan of all dogs, big and small.

My own dog is a wispy little black gremlin of a beast, weighing in at a solid 7 pounds. She is a Chihuahua mix we acquired on a visit to New Mexico, the unwanted love child of a Chihuahua and a miniature poodle. She weighed less than a pound when we adopted her, and when presented with this mini-mouse of a dog, our black cat, an adoptee herself, took one look and swocked her in the head, causing her to roll shrieking across the floor.

Since then, an amicable rivalry has descended upon the duo, and while the cat remains the older, wiser and larger of the two, they get along reasonably well, as long as there is a lap available for each of them. Their gentle dispositions and generally cheerful personalities have proven, once and for all, that our commitment to adopting unwanted animals is a sensible one.

Despite her diminutive size, our choodle, as we call her, loves nothing better than a good long walk, sometimes up to four miles at a time. She quickly took to the harness and leash, and is always up for a jaunt, unless it’s raining, which tends to soak her in a matter of seconds.

We have never let our dog off leash outside our fenced yard, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is her tiny size. But also, we’re big believers in dog etiquette. No matter how friendly, charming and wonderful your dog is, when she’s in the outside world, she needs to be leashed.

There are two really good reasons for this rule. One, it keeps your dog safe, on the off chance that she spots a cat across the street or a friend down the block, and darts into traffic. Secondly, it keeps your dog from having less than amicable interactions with other dogs.

We are aware that having a tiny dog makes her more vulnerable to larger dogs. We keep our eyes open, and whenever we see other dog owners up ahead walking their dogs, we cross to the other side of the street or pick our dog up until they pass, just so her presence doesn’t upset them. It makes it easier on both owners and dogs to simply avoid confrontation.

But I can’t tell you how often it has happened that, while walking our leashed dog down Monroe Avenue, an unleashed dog has rushed up to her, occasionally with friendly intentions, but mostly with teeth bared. These dogs had, until our dog passed by, been sitting innocently with their owners, usually in front of cafes or restaurants. But something about our dog’s small size seems to have triggered their more aggressive instincts. Perhaps they think she’s a squirrel; perhaps they just thought she looked vulnerable.

Inevitably, the owners of these unleashed dogs either don’t even notice that their dog has left their side, whereas we’re now trying to haul our dog up by her harness as she screams and the bigger dog lunges. My boyfriend, who is a big guy, has almost been knocked down by a large dog trying to jump and take a bite out of our dog, now in his arms.

When the owners of these unleashed dogs do notice, they seem to think it’s funny, or at the least, not a big deal, as they almost casually call their dogs back to them. We’ve never been apologized to, nor did we ever get the sense that their dog’s actions would, in the future, prompt them to leash their animals.

We now avoid the side of the street where dogs might be hanging out on Monroe, but I’ve been rushed at on quiet side streets by dogs darting out of yards or garages. On one such occasion, the dog leapt at me and my dog, whom I’d hauled up onto my shoulders, and followed me all the way down the block. In this case, and in all others, I don’t blame the dog, I blame the owners.

I know we’re not the only owners of small dogs in town, I’ve seen plenty of other Yorkies, Malteses and Chihuahuas being walked on the streets, and I imagine they could all tell similar stories. I don’t know why people choose to leave their dogs unleashed in public, but I imagine most of them believe their pets are extremely well-behaved, polite and wouldn’t harm a fly. Perhaps not, but apparently plenty of them would hurt a choodle.

So please, if you’re a dog lover like me, and you can’t bring yourself to put your four-legged friend on a leash, then leave him at home, so that those of us who do like to venture out, and do so responsibly, don’t suffer the consequences.

Theresa Hogue can be reached at theresa.hogue@lee.net or 758-9518.