howardv

Depending on how well a dog is trained, it may be beneficial to go without a leash during certain instances. This also depends on where you're riding. If you ride in busy streets, I highly advise anyone to use the leash! You never know what's gonna spook your dog. A car's backfire, fire engine sirens, a loud Harley, another animal, etc. can cause him to get spooked and run into traffic.

Also, I often give small tugs on the leash to snap him out of a fixation. He may fixate on another dog crossing the street, so I just give the leash a little tug and he snaps out of it. Ollie is very well behaved, but he still has his moments. The last jump off the bike on the video (on the Santa Monica boardwalk) could have been pretty dangerous if a speeding cyclist was passing me. We both got lucky. Since then, I've learned to read his body language better and we haven't had any other incidents.