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Ask Amy: Partner and dog should roam free

Amy Dickinson, Tribune Content Agency on

Dear Amy: I have never had a dog as a pet (but I have had cats and horses).

I am uncomfortable about some things regarding my boyfriend's German Shepherd.

Some examples: We stopped at a rest stop on the interstate and he let his dog out of the vehicle to run around loose while he used the restroom, although there is a leash law at the rest stop and a designated area for dogs.

When we were camping, he let his dog run loose without supervision, and it urinated on the mat our friends had placed in front of their motorhome.

His dog greets me by jumping on me. I feel that this behavior is too rough, especially when sometimes the dog's toenails scratch me and break the skin.

When I try to walk, the dog stays right in front of me, touching me. My boyfriend says that the dog will move along with me as I move, but it makes me feel off-balance and I worry I will trip.

 

I've voiced my concerns to my boyfriend, but he doesn't see a problem. He says that dogs will be dogs, and that he likes dogs better than people.

I look forward to your advice.

– Canine Questions

Dear Questions: You say you have some experience with animals, and yet I maintain that any human being with a shred of human-sense (regardless of animal experience) would realize that a loose dog can get hit by a car, can attack another human or animal, can be taken, injured, or simply choose to leave with a better-suited and more responsible family.

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