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"They are not dogs": Father slammed for walking his five kids on a leash

<p>A father-of-five has been slammed online after sharing a video of his five-year-old quintuplets being walked around on a leash. </p> <p>Jordan Driskell, a 31-year-old dad from Kentucky USA, uploaded a video to Instagram which showed him walking with his five young kids: Zoey, Dakota, Hollyn, Asher and Gavin. </p> <p>He wrote in the caption, "When people judge me for using child leashes, come walk a mile in my shoes."</p> <p>The clip showed Jordan holding on to five ropes - which were each connected to a harness that one of his kids wore - as the family all walked calmly together outside of an aquarium.</p> <p>The now-viral video quickly stirred up controversy, with many people in the comments slamming his choice, while others agreed it was an effective safety tool. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cf9-IhXgUnY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cf9-IhXgUnY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by DRIX (@drixxleman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I have nothing but respect for you sir," wrote one supportive viewer.</p> <p>Another added, "Better safe than sorry. If I had that many I would do the same. Rock on!"</p> <p>"With five kids you need that," said someone else. "Responsible parenting right here."</p> <p>"Not going to lie, some kids really need leashes, nothing wrong with not wanting to lose your child every time you look away," agreed someone else.</p> <p>Despite the support in the comments, Jordan was also slammed by people who thought placing his kids on child leashes was treating them like "animals".</p> <p>"But teachers can look after 30 kids without using leashes," someone pointed out.</p> <p>Another person added, "They are not dogs. How about teaching [them] what to do?"</p> <p>"Are you gonna train them to pull a sleigh next? Which one has the red nose? Are any of them rescue?" read a different comment.</p> <p>While chatting with the <a href="https://www.today.com/parents/dads/child-leash-dad-leashes-quintuplets-gets-judged-rcna41163" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Today </a>show, Jordan explained that his kids love to "run off and explore" due to their "curiosity," so he and his wife Briana use leashes for their "own peace of mind and sanity."</p> <p>"A leash gives them the opportunity to do that [explore]- but we’re still in control. They love it."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Woman who walked husband around on leash receives fine

<p dir="ltr">A Canadian woman has been brought back down to earth after she cheekily attempted to skirt coronavirus lockdown orders by putting her husband on a leash.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Quebec-based woman was issued a hefty penalty when she was caught strolling around the neighbourhood for violating new curfew laws.</p> <p dir="ltr">The resident protested however, claiming she was walking her dog, although it was her husband that was wearing the leash.</p> <p dir="ltr">Quebec's current rules say individuals may only leave their home past 8 pm to take their pets for a stroll.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new restrictions follow after a surge in coronavirus cases.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair were caught walking at 9 pm on Saturday, and each were handed a $1,520 fine by Sherbrooke police.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">News from Quebec:<br /><br />I just confirmed with Sherbrooke police that a husband and wife were fined for walking after curfew with the man on a leash. The officer told me her defense was she is allowed to walk a dog after curfew. <br /><br />They were fined $1500 each.<a href="https://twitter.com/CTVMontreal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CTVMontreal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CTVNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CTVNews</a></p> — Kelly Greig (@KellyGreig) <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyGreig/status/1348707791343669254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">CTV reporter Kelly Grieg confirmed the news on Twitter, writing, "I just confirmed with Sherbrooke police that a husband and wife were fined for walking after curfew with the man on a leash. The officer told me her defense was 'she is allowed to walk a dog after curfew'."</p> <p dir="ltr">"They were fined $1500 each," she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Quebec government recently imposed strict new curfews for residents.</p>

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What you should do when your dog gets into a fight at the dog park

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taking your dog to the dog park can be a fun venture, but it’s important to know what to do when something goes wrong.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mitch Watson, AKA the Paw Professor, spoke to </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-26/what-to-do-if-your-dog-gets-into-a-fight-at-a-dog-park/11141714"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the ABC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about what you can do if things turn ugly.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Watson is a former police dog handler with more than 10 years of experience and has worked with dogs of all ages and breeds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Exercise your dog a little before taking them to the park, as it takes a little energy out them," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"This really helps high-energy dogs."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"If you're worried because your dog has already had a few fights, use a muzzle on the dog while in the park," he told </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/brisbane/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABC Radio Brisbane's Rebecca Levingston</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Many people don't like seeing their dog in a park with a muzzle on, but it protects the owners and other dogs."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An interesting point of note is that most of the fights that happen at dog parks is over balls.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"A big reason fights happen, though, is over balls," Mr Watson said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Many people take their dogs to the park to exercise in a legal way without them running off.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"When you're throwing the ball in the park, other dogs can fight over them, creating a barney in the park.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">RSPCA Queensland spokeswoman Alex Hyndman Hill has said that if your dog gets into a fight, you need to take care when separating the dogs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Breaking up a dog fight is always risky, but obviously your instinct will be to protect your dog," she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The best way to break up a fight is to grab the back legs of each dog and raise them off the ground — like you would do a wheelbarrow — and walk backwards.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"If you're the only one present, do this to the dog leading the attack — eventually the other dog will try and get away.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Also, carrying an extra lead can also help if you need to clip a dog and pull it away."</span></p> <p>Dog park etiquette</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As many different breeds and ages of dogs head to the dog park, it’s important to know the basic etiquette at the dog park.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Always bring a leash and monitor your dog constantly for signs of aggression or stress during interactions with other dogs," she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Be ready to end the outing if your dog isn't enjoying it or is making it a stressful experience for another dog.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Think about whether it's appropriate for your children to be with you and always supervise them if they are."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Watson said another option could be to change the hours you visited the park.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Go to the parks out of peak hours if possible," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There are a lot of rescue dogs out there now and high-energy and crowded parks can cause these fights."</span></p>

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