Big city dangers sneaking up on dogs

The majority of dogs are not kept in a rural environment. And for "urbanised" dogs, this poses a number of dangers.

Dogs have the maximum ability to adapt to the human environment. However, the hustle and bustle of the big city has many characteristics that are absolutely unsuitable for dogs. In fact, in most cases, their physical safety is at risk.

A cowardly dog

A website specialising in clickbait articles recently published an article. According to the description, the cowardly dog refused to get on the escalator. The news was of course accompanied by a cute picture. The larger, frightened dog was being held by its owner, near the point of entry to the escalator.

Of course – as usual – there were the cute remarks, the hearts were flying. Some people have said, speaking directly to the dog, that it is very lovable, even though it has such a rabbit heart. Fortunately, there were some who saw the point of the story.

A sharp memory

It was almost twenty years ago, when I was running errands in Budapest. I was cutting through one of the underpasses when the familiar, distinctive noises were shattered by a mixture of screaming, shrieking and shouting. Some of the paws of a larger dog were cut off by the escalator.

That voice is etched in my memory. Every time I see a dog in an underpass – near an escalator, God forbid – even after all these years I get sick to my stomach, nervous and dizzy. Fortunately, many people know how to travel on escalators with a dog. But over the years I’ve had to bring this to the attention of quite a few people, with az educative explanation. The dog’s movements are different from ours, it doesn’t coordinate, it can’t change the pace of its steps like we can. The escalator was not designed for them. In addition their feet are not protected by shoes.

It’s not good for us either, but it’s even worse for the dog!

Urban life, however adaptable an animal may be, presents many dangers. You don’t have to think of a drastic life situation when a dog’s foot gets caught in the escalator.

Your feet can easily get caught in a ventilation grille or the stairs of a train (if it is an old type of train). A recurring theme is paws hurt by salty pavement (where they still exist), and in the summer there are still people who walk their dogs on hot asphalt during hot summer days.

I’ve also seen an owner running a dog from a bicycle on Margaret Island – which in itself would be commendable – making the dog run on the asphalt. An unintended consequence of such a health care program could easily be that different movement disorders rear their head within a few years. The dog is not anatomically designed for asphalt. Especially not to jog for miles on it.

Living in a city with a dog is not just rainbows and sunshine. There are many things to consider in the simple daily routine. Take into account your dog’s specific needs, otherwise trouble can happen very quickly on the spot. Perhaps years later we will face irreversible damage to its health.