A moan about some dog owners!!

[ladybug1802]

Now is it just me...or does anyone else find it extremely irritating and rude when owners let their dog run up to your dog, off lead, when your dog is on lead and is quite obviously being trained and worked with???

This afternoon I had Dylan on lead and was doing some heel work along a path in the woods....a man and a (rather fat) lab came towards us, so I asked Dylan to sit and 'watch me'....which he was doing pretty well, on and off! So this man carried on walking and the lab just bounded towards us. Now Dylan was on lead, and he doesnt like it when he is on lead and the other dog is off lead...he wont do anything but he is a bit more vocal with the other dog! I said to the man that my dog doesnt like it when he is on lead and another dog bounds up to him....all the man did was do a vague sort of nod. So I said that it is generally a good idea to NOT let his dog run up to dogs on leads....I said apart from a politeness issue ,someone has their dog on a lead for a reason so it is rude and possibly dangerous to let that happen. He said nothing!!

Is it just me or does anyone else find that annoying? If Dylan is off lead and there is a dog on lead coming towards us or too nearby, I will put Dylan on lead....I thought it was the unwritten dog owners etiquette rule!!!

[Shellie]

Well, I'm certainly with you on this one Ladybug. I had an old lab several years ago that had always been sweet as the day is long until she got old, arthiritic and painful. Every trip to the vet's was stressful. Other people would let their dogs run right up to her and she would snarl and snap to keep them away, something she NEVER would have done in her younger days. So I would body block to keep their dogs away. Even if I explained, which I almost always did, I got all kinds of looks from these owners like she was some kind of mean beast while they had the friendly, happy dogs. Exasperating! It surprised me how many were not understanding. But then again, most of them had little puppies with a zest for life and were still at the I love everyone and everything stage. Iguess some will only get it when their dog's time comes to be old and cranky.

[Nettle]

I find it extremely annoying, and some walks I seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time fending off other dogs followed by their stupid owners. I know one I call 'shrieking woman' because instead of coming to get her festering dog, she stands 100 yards away and shrieks AT ME (not calling her dog) that he only wants to play.

So it isn't just you

[ladybug1802]

Oh good glad it isnt justme!! I wouldnt even mind so much if the owner at least appeared to be calling the dog back.....but when they just dont bother it irritaes me so much! Its different if Dylan is off lead and both dogs go up to each other and greet each other - fine. But surely all owners should know a lot of dogs on lead dont like off lead dogs bounding up to them??

I have had occasions where Dylan has run up to a dog on lead a while ago because they appeared round the corner straight away and Dylan decided not tolisten to me (was a while ago so would like to think he would pay more attention now!) but I apologised to the owner. Nothing happened as Dylan just wanted to say hello....but its polite isnt it! Their dog is on lead and mine isnt therefore I should keep him away from their dog.

[Sarah83]

We walk late at night now because it means we don't often run into idiots like this. Yelling to the owner that your dog has an infectious skin condition seems to work quite well. Works better than telling them your dog isn't friendly anyway, I tend to just have them yell back "oh mine is" when I do that. As if that makes it alright as my dog wouldn't possibly bite a friendly dog

I understand that sometimes dogs will ignore their owners or spot a dog before them and take off to it, it's when the owner doesn't bother even trying to get their dog back I get really annoyed. They just stand there and watch me struggle with a largeish, frightened dog who is clawing at my legs, stomach, arms and chest while trying frantically to get hold of the dog that's running around us trying to sniff his bottom. Voice of doom doesn't work when you keep losing your voice

[ladybug1802]

Absolutely! Thats EXACTLY it....I mean come on idiot owners, at least PRETEND to try calling your dog back!! I wonder how they would like it if their dog had a medical condition or had an op and had to have restricted exercise and be kept on a lead, and a dog came bounding over to them like this....!

There just seem to be so many people like this.....The other weekend I came across a lady walking about 6 Rhodesian Ridgebacks and Weimeraners...all off lead, all doing their own thing and, quite farnkly, being a bit confrontational. At the time I saw them I was chatting to a friend who I had bumoed into in the woods, and they came bounding up the path....Iput Dylan on a lead and she got her 2 dogs by her side....these 6 dogs came bounding up and th lady just followed behind...no attempt to call. I blocked Dylan from them with my body which seemed to work OK...and when one came right up to him and acted a bit aggressibely I just shouted at the dog and it went off. So then when I carried on my walk I saw them further up the path - they had really not gone very far and had turned round and were going back the way they came! I put Dylan on lead so i could walk him past the 'pack' and luckily she did get them together and off the path....but there was a hell of a lot of yelling at them to get them to do it! But at least she tried to do something that time!

You never know who you are going to come across on walks do you!!

[MichelleD]

It's funny I've wanted to post for WEEKS about my frustration with other dog owners for this same reason. The few times Gordon's met other dogs it's always been because an off-leash dog came running (sometimes happily, sometimes aggressively) down their driveway. One time I didn't even see the dog outside so I was really upset because this was one of the dogs that came charging toward us with aggression. I saw the owner outside, but never saw the dog -- it must have been behind their two cars, truck, and boat parked in their driveway.

The other thing that I really love (:::::::: insert eye-roll here :::::::::::) is when someone's walking their dogs and they can see Gordon lunging and pulling me to the ground, and they STOP DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS TO WATCH THE SHOW. Nice. If they would keep moving away from us, we'd ALL be better off, but it astounds me how many people just stop and stare, creating more stress and tension, escalating his reaction. Now me, if I'm walking my dog and saw someone struggling with an out of control canine, I'm pretty sure I would steer myself away ...

One early morning my dog was going nuts because he saw a rabbit on the other side of the street, so he's lunging and pulling and trying desperately to give chase, dragging me across someone else's yard as a car is coming down the street. I'm trying desperately to keep him in this person's yard so that we're not in the street where we can be run over, and the elderly couple driving by s l o w s down to a crawl, and then stops in front of me to take a good look at this woman and her crazy dog. I should have charged admission!

ARGH.

I will say, though, that a few dog walkers are on top of things and they will alter their course just as I alter mine, which is nice. They are obviously people who understand! And as far as the off-leash people, while I realize they can have their dog off-leash on their own property, I am of the mindset that if your dog is off-leash anywhere in public he/she better have outstanding recall! (which most of them don't)

Whew! Thanks for the vent! lol

[Mattie]

Having had a dog that was terrified of dogs running up to him and would later have a seizure because of this I am no longer polite to these owners, I will tell them that they will be responsible for any vet bills including mine as my dog is on lead their's isn't, this often has the effect of them making a lot more effort to get their dogs.

[emmabeth]

Ahhhh yes.... it all drives me nuts too.

'Its ok, he's friendly' ------ er, no he isnt, hes RUDE and mine doesnt appreciate it thankyouverymuch..

'He only wants to play' ---- 'funny that, because every bit of his behaviour suggests he wants to rip my dogs head off, an offer my dog is only too willing to reciprocate'..

'Oooh let yours off to play with him' ----- i could, but his idea of fun is to chase yours for several miles and come home when yours is totally lost and on the wrong side of a busy road. Ill pass thanks.

'Hed leave you alone if your dog wasnt playing with that ball'........ 'or how about you trained a recall? my dog is playing with this ball because im distracting him from your rude dog sticking his nose where its not wanted. I could put the ball away, but then my dog is liable to object very strongly to your dogs unwanted attentions'.

Of course these things all remain in my head because there is no point. They dont get it, they never will.

Ladybug.. you don't by any chance walk over Mogador common do you.... (i have a friend near there.. and there is someone over there with a lot of weims or ridgies or both or something who does let them hurtle about being rude and horrible to all and sundry).

[ladybug1802]

Ah glad its not me!! The thing that gets me too is that even if their dog IS friendly, it doesnt change the fact that their dog is off lead and mine is on lead! Dylan is friendly with other dogs and when both off lead he says hello and plays if the other dog is happy to play, but he does not like an off lead dog bounding up to him when he is restrained on his lead. And cant say I blame him!

A few weeks back I was walking in Norbury Park (dont know if any of you know it - prob not!) and I was heading back towards the car park so I had put Dylan on the lead. Out of nowhere this big dog came bounding towards us....now I could see a fair distance down the path and he was on his own! So I blocked the dog from Dylan and, assuming he had escaped as was on his own, I was about to catch hold of the dog and see its tag and ring the owner to tell them their dog had escaped! But as I was about to the dog zoomed back round and ran back the way it came...then soon after it ran back again! And then I heard voices and saw a group of people and some other dogs appear....so basically they must have got out the car and just let their dog zoom off without them! I called over to them and asked them to please keep their dopg under control and said its not polite to let it run off on its own and bother another dog who is on the lead! Needless to say these people looked a bit stunned and said nothing!!

But I do like the idea of mentioing the vets bills!

Mogador common.....no dont think I know where that is??

[Desiree]

I'm going to throw my two cents in on this topic as well. I hate when I am walking Jake and I try to get off the path to avoid another dog and walk waaay off to the side to avoid the confrontation and the other person brings their dog over to say hi. All the while seeing that my dog is going crazy snarling and trying to get out of his harness to attack their dog. AFTER I have tried to get away, warned them that my dog does not like strange dogs and they see that he is obviously freaking out (which we are working on and improving) they just stand there staring at him making it worse. I make progress with him and then someone has to totally ignore me and then I spend more time trying to calm him down so I can start over and continue the walk. I also hate when I am in my own yard with one of my dogs and someone else is walking their dog past my house and cant cross the freaking street when they know their dog is going to jump in my yard and confront my dog. We have a neighbor that I go thru this with on a weekly basis, and it really irks me. Thanks for letting me vent!

[Lysa]

omg i can sooooooooooo relate!! just yesterday i had my 2 dogs at the city park for a change of scenery and our nice afternoon almost started off w/a dog fight. My westie does NOT play well w/ others for the most part and just because she "looks" cute people assume she is friendly and just let their dogs come right up on her.. EVEN AFTER I ASK THEM TO PLEASE KEEP BACK BECAUSE SHE IS NOT FRIENDLY TO OTHER DOGS.... GEEESH!! So after a near confrontation right out of the gate i opted to use a muzzle on my dog. Id rather be safe than sorry and after 11 and a half years w/ this dog ive learned the hard way just how unpredictable she can be. Its funny how when people see a muzzle on your dog that only THEN will they keep their dog away- helloooooo??? One time Abby actually did bite another dog that got in her personal space and the stupid lady looked at me like she was offended and told me that my dog should be put to sleep!! REALLY???!!! What is the point of even having your dog on a leash when the darn thing is 100 feet long and you just let your dog roam about and approach whoever or whatever it chooses? Man that just annoys the crap out of me.... Oh and you gotta love the weekend warriors that only walk their dogs twice a year when the weather is perfect. grrrrrrrrrrr.
L

[Mattie]

I used to be so quiet and shy, I wouldn't say boo to anything, the idea of speaking to someone I don't know was terrifying, until I got my own dog and came across idiots who think I should let my dog play with their's even though my dog is not dog friendly. I very quickly had to learn how to tell these idiots to keep their dog away from mine in plain English, no swear words are used, it has a lot more effect if you don't use them.

Add this to the fact I don't tollerate idiots very well anyway, and there are some very upset dog owners, that is their problem not mine, my job is to protect my dogs, if I have to speak like this to them it is because they have ignored my gentler wording of just asking them to keep their dog away. I am often well into a field when this happens so it is really obvious that I am keeping clear of them.

If these people are not getting the message when you ask properly then you need to up the wording, make it much clearer to them so that the message does get through. I find that telling them that they will have to pay for all vet bills including mine will often work, sometimes my dog has a "make the word up" disease and can't play with other dogs, they often then think it is contagous/infectious and keep their dogs away.

[Desiree]

I have done that too, where I say my dog has something that sounds scary just so people will leave us alone. Odd how that works when the snarling growling dog won't. My neighbors kids learned the hard way to listen to me when I told them to leave my dogs alone. He didn't bite anyone so this is kind of a funny story I think. I have tried to teach the neighbor kids that they need to ask me before they come and pet my dogs when they are outside. Jake is a bit timid with strangers and does not like when they try to pet him before he has had a chance to sniff them out, so I warn everyone, parents included not to touch him until I say its ok. One day they came over while I was out with Jake and I told them to wait for him to finish going to the bathroom. So one of the boys had a beef jerky stick and was waving it in the air, looking right at Jake. I told him to stop teasing my dog and he kept doing it. The kid looked away to talk to his brother with the jerky still in his hand and Jake snagged the whole piece right out of his hand and refused to give it back to the kid. He did give it to me when I took him in the house, he just wasn't going to give it to the kid. I know I shouldn't think that is funny but the kid was 10 and old enough to understand what I was telling him, just didn't want to listen. Then thought I should go to the store and get him another one since he bought that with his allowance. Sorry, but no.

[MichelleD]

BWAHAHAHAH!! I think that's really funny! Some kids (adults, too) aren't going to learn the lesson by hearing someone say the words ("don't tease the dog") ... they only learn when they experience the results. Hopefully said results don't include a bite, but I think that kid now has the message -- reinforced by the fact that you're not replacing his jerky! LOL!