Vent!

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Sanna
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Re: Vent!

Post by Sanna »

Have you looked at these delladoo? http://www.bumas.at
No personal experience but lots of people rate them and they are all custom made, might be worth a look ;)
delladooo
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Re: Vent!

Post by delladooo »

Sorry, I meant to reply Judy but read it and forgot! :oops: I'm not sure a groomer would have something they could pant in (or something she could see out of).

Nettle, that's true but our issue is more there's nowhere for it to sit because her nose is very inverted into her face so from the side her eyes protrude further than her nose so I can't work out where anything could sit and not irritate her / not let her see.

Sanna, Bumas are the ones that could give us a hannibal lecter style face mask but mum is opposed to the idea.

After a wait, I did manage to get another reply from them recommending the measurements they usually use for a shih tzu, I need to measure the bits of her that I can to see if it has any hope of fitting. I'm just reluctant to order from them because it's their "best guess" and their customer service already seems subpar
JudyN
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Re: Vent!

Post by JudyN »

I reckon they're missing a trick. If they managed to get you a well-fitting muzzle then you'd go straight off to all the Peke forums and sing their praises as there must be plenty of other peke owners with this problem. It really would be worth their while giving you a freebie, or 'sale or return', to try. I'm just wondering if there's some way you could drop a large hint....

I'd be tempted to get a Bumas one, though, and hope your mum comes round to the idea.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
delladooo
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Re: Vent!

Post by delladooo »

My thoughts too Judy, muzzles for the braccy bulldogs have popped up everywhere but clearly she's not big enough to be dangerous.

I have considered it but the harder it is to find one, the less she wants one at all so I can't see her changing her mind. We can mange her pretty well - Laufey is well out of reach and if she redirects onto mum, there's been bruising but no breaking of skin (obviously this is much less than ideal!) and, as awful as it sounds, I've reached a point where if a strange dog did get bitten it (or it's human) clearly need to learn more about social cues (note we obviously do absolutely everything we can so this will never happen) because who - dog or human - would get closer to a restrained animal that's trying to bite you.
MPbandmom
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Re: Vent!

Post by MPbandmom »

I took the dogs to the "quiet" park across town today for a change of pace and to see if things were quiet there. They were reasonably quiet. There was a small party going on at the pavilion. There was a small soccer game or practice going on at one of the soccer fields. There was a family with small children walking down the path towards the parking area. The children were taking turns pushing a tricycle. I waited until they had gone to their car and then got the dogs out.

We headed towards the loop in the woods. We hadn't yet arrived when I realized that the family with the small children was back on the trail and heading my way, and one of the children was running towards us. I ducked the dogs down a side trail that leads to another trail which is generally less travelled. It has a section of short distance visibility single track, then climbs up some rocks and goes through a little stretch of woods before reaching the other paved trail.

After we entered the wooded section, I realized the family was following, so tried to hurry the dogs along. We had not yet made it out of the woods when three youths came running along the trail. With no where to duck at that moment and the boys coming fast. I called for them to stop and not run past the dog. They obliged, walking for maybe three yards before picking up running again.

As we walked around the park, we saw the runners on several occasions, and on one occasion encountered one of them coming straight at us we moved over and he remembered to walk past and I took it that all was well. The boys seemed to be getting in a good run, and I had a relatively peaceful walk.

One of the youth was getting into a car as I approached my van to head home. The father was parked in the roadway as opposed to a parking space, which may be indicative of his apparent feeling of entitlement. I was unlocking the van when he pulled up and called out the window that the boys are allowed to run on the trails at the park. I agreed. He then informed me that I had yelled at the boys and told them to stop and that they couldn't run. I replied that I had asked them to not run past the dog. He then informed me that I had given my dog preferential treatment over his boy's use of the trail. I said, no I had acted with the safety of the boys in mind. He then said that if I couldn't control my dogs, they should be on leash. I responded that they were on leash. Next was that I should have moved off of the trail. I informed him that I would have moved off of the trail had there been sufficient space to do so. He felt that was a problem that I had no business being somewhere with out of control dogs and hogging the trail. Next was I shouldn't have the dogs at the park if I couldn't control them. I informed him that one of the reasons that I come to the park is that it is generally quiet with few people around. He repeated that if I couldn't control my dogs they shouldn't be on the trails, that the boys come out to the park to run and having to walk for a few feet is a big problem for them.

I started to say that it is never a good idea to run up behind a dog that you don't know, for the sake of the youth who was sitting in the passenger seat hearing this whole exchange, but for some reason the thought never made it into words. The father informed me that if I was ever there again while the boys were trying to run there would be trouble. I guess I should have given him my phone number at that point and asked that he call me each time they are coming to run so that I know the park is reserved for their use. (but I'm not that snide)

During this time both dogs were standing with me on loose leash and Sirius did do a little grumbly woof a couple of times while the man was talking, but was really well behaved all things considered.

Eventually I decided the conversation needed to end because clearly he was set that his kid owned the right to run on the trail and nothing should slow him down, not even safety considerations, and I likewise wasn't going to feel that asking the boys to walk past the dogs was in any way considering my dogs to be more important and privileged than the boys right to run the trails. So I opened the second side van door which blocked him from my view, and me from his view. At that, he hit the gas and drove off in a huff which Sirius did take offense at and charged and barked at the vanishing car.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
Erica
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Re: Vent!

Post by Erica »

What an a**! :x Parks are to be shared by the populace, not reserved for one person's specific use over all others'. I helped supervise a middle school cross country team a few years ago, and even when we reserved times at the private park, we always instructed the kids to slow down to a walk and give strange dogs as much distance as was reasonable when passing them - because, invariably, people wouldn't read the notice that it was reserved, or would take a long time getting out, etc. It wasn't a big deal honestly. Not any sort of inconvenience at all. You did the responsible thing, both for your dogs and the rude man's kids. Hopefully they learn from strangers more than their father :/
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
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Nettle
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Re: Vent!

Post by Nettle »

What a horrible experience. And what an example to his children. But, you know, he had to go home and be him, and you could go home and be you. I think you and the dogs did really well.

Friend of mine had an awful experience yesterday. She was walking her 7 well-behaved dogs on leads and some oaf behind her let his dog off its lead, and it piled into hers. She ended up on the ground in a heap of snarling dogs. The bloke got hold of his dog and it went for him. He said he had seen her dogs and let his off the lead because he thought it would be nice for it to play with them.

Fortunately for all concerned, no serious physical damage was done (apart from oaf being bitten by his own dog). Emotional remains to be seen. There was huge potential for catastrophe.

Just WHAT does it take to educate the public that they must not let their dogs run up to other dogs?
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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MPbandmom
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Re: Vent!

Post by MPbandmom »

Wow, Nettle, who would possibly think it was a good idea to let a dog off lead to go say hi to 7 on lead dogs being handled by one person. :shock: :evil:

This whole deal still has me rather traumatized and angry at the same time. Part of keeping a dog "under control" is managing their environment. I think I "do a pretty good job of that these days. 99% of the time people out and about while I am out and about with the dogs, would never see any sign of "aggression." On rare occasions part of managing the environment requires asking other people to help by modifying their behavior, such as asking the boys to walk past the dogs rather than running, or telling a parent to keep their running toddler calling doggie away from the dog. I have always been aware that displays of aggression from the dog could be an issue if I failed to manage the environment sufficiently. I have never felt threatened for asking for assistance with managing the dog's environment.

People have always been understanding and appreciative of the warning. Like the father with the small toddler who I asked to keep the child back. The father asked if the dog had issues with children. I replied that the dog has issues with things that make strange noises, and he immediately made the connection that small children make strange noises.

So now today we have an absolutely glorious cool fall day, and I don't know what to do with the dogs. I do know that not taking them out somewhere would be a tragedy. Part of me wants to go back to the park across town as a defiant, you don't own the park gesture and part of me never wants to go there again because I have no idea when those boys will be running again.

Without my husband walking with me I have to pay entrance to the battlefield, which will require raiding the change jar. Last time I raided the change jar to pay the entrance fee, I was essentially ridiculed by the park ranger issuing passes because he had no place in his cash register drawer for change. Since when is change not valid currency in this country?! :shock:
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
Shalista
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Re: Vent!

Post by Shalista »

I hate hearing "just let them figure it out". my brother has an almost full grown rhodesian ridgeback that is very puppyish and doesnt have very good manners. Bax was hiding behind my leg, lips curled, snarling, and occasionally snapping and i was just supposed to let them "figure it out". i unfortunately did have to because i was legitimately afraid that if i tried to pick bax up he'd bite me and i didnt think i could lure just him into his room. he ended up running around the house getting chased by a 'puppy' with a head bigger then his whole body because the other dogs owner didn't see fit to call off his ridgback because "she just has to learn. she'll only get bitten once!" and then he picked HER up and pushed her into a down so her bum would be close to the floor and bax couldsniff it. then i thought BAX was going to get bitten when he did come in for a sniff :evil: grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Re: Vent!

Post by JudyN »

That sucks, Shalista :( I used to find myself on the other end at times - with Jasper, totally unnprovoked, wanting to duff up a small fluffy dog and the other owner telling me their dog needed to learn. Learn what, exactly? That big dogs can pick on them whenever they feel like it and no one's going to protect them?
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Shalista
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Re: Vent!

Post by Shalista »

Yeah i was like what possible good is going to come of this? You really think bax is going to like her more because he's been bowled over a few times? UGHHHHH!!!! I'm STILL mad about it.
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
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Nettle
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Re: Vent!

Post by Nettle »

Sympathy and empathy from me too, Shalista. I think fratricide would have been justifiable, so good for you that you can rise above it - yes you can - you did WELL!
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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Nettle
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Re: Vent!

Post by Nettle »

Cretin of the day award yesterday goes to the woman I met in the woods. She was pushing a pushchair and holding a little person by the hand as LP tried to walk. In front of her was a tot, maybe 2, staggering along with the handle of an extending lead in his hand. At the full length of the thin cord was their dog.

I stepped off the path and melted into the woods. I so wasn't going to be part of that accident-to-be.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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MPbandmom
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Re: Vent!

Post by MPbandmom »

Yikes! Nettle :shock:
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
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Nettle
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Re: Vent!

Post by Nettle »

And yesterday another idiot. Honestly, I feel like giving up. I stopped to talk to a friend who is a pro dog walker, and very efficient with her groups of dogs. While we chatted, Babydog was lying obediently beside me. Avatar lady, who is old and creaky now, prefers to stand, so she was standing at heel. A man and three children came up and two of the children dived on my friend's own dog, which is small, cute, white and fluffy. The youngest child, another tot, raised his arms in the air with his fingers in hooks and ran screaming at Babydog.

Obviously I didn't let it happen, and in the ensuing debacle, I may have mentioned that it wasn't a good idea to let children dive onto strange dogs. I might as well have been speaking a different language.

One day one of those children is going to get bitten, and a dog will die as a result.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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