Tag Archives: trail etiquette

FitLabPGH Lab Lessons 20:22 First Impressions Matter.

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Have you heard the news from the FitLabPGH Labs??? We’ve introduced Labrador Lessons from the FitLabPGH Podcast! Every Thursday, we’ll be bringing you wisdom from the FitLabPGH Labradors (with occasional input from the cats).

First impressions matter.

As Labradors, we love to get outside to move with our humans. When we do, we stay alert to keep our humans, and ourselves, safe. When we see off-leash dogs, we need to assume they are unfriendly and/or uncontrolled, and we change our route to keep our distance and stay safe.

Whether you have 2 legs or 4, make a good first impression on other outside movers by being a responsible park/trail user! Leash your humans. A friendly greeting to passerby is great, but keep a polite social distance. In other words: don’t lunge at other trail users and give others room when passing. A little trail etiquette goes a long way to allowing everyone to enjoy their outdoor movement time.

Visit www.FitLabPGH.com for tips, hacks, and podcasts to help you get moving and keep moving through 2022!

Why We Leash the Labradors – a Video Podcast

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:33 — 7.6MB)

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This week’s FitLabPGH Podcast release is a video podcast: Why Do We Leash the Labradors?

People who follow FitLabPGH may wonder why the Labs are “always” leashed. First, we’ll note that the Labs spend the vast majority of their lives off leash, at home or in the fenced-in backyard. But if you see us in public, you’ll see Leashed Labradors. Here are the reasons why.

Listen to the audio, or watch the video below to see the Labs enjoyed a leashed hike.

#1 – It’s the law. If you see us on the Montour Trail, in Mingo Creek Park, or in South Park, we’ll be obeying the Leash Laws. We know, many people don’t…but we do.

#2 – We want to keep the Labs with us. Yes, they’re well-behaved dogs. No, they’re not immune to the temptation of sights and sounds of nature. Chasing a squirrel or rabbit could lead to a lost dog…or worse if the chase leads into the path of an oncoming car…

#3 – We want to keep the Labs safe. In addition to the risks covered by Reason #2, if the dogs stray even a little off the trail, they’re at increased risk of injury from technical terrain, from eating something they shouldn’t, or from an encounter with another animal.

#4 – To avoid being a jerk. Not every trail or park user wants a close encounter with a dog…even if that dog is a Labrador. And EVERY one should be able to get outside and enjoy moving in nature. So we leash the Labs, and shorten the leashes when we pass other people. Because it’s not ALL about us.

Take home message: we enjoy making movement part of our lifestyle, and part of the Labrador Lifestyle…and we want to continue moving safely with the Labs in the future.

So get outside…leash your dogs…be safe…and move more. Then visit www.FitLabPGH.com for tips, hacks, and podcasts to help you keep moving throughout 2022.