chellz

agree Quote: "The thing is, many people with reactive dogs have commented 'Well , I have a right to be there and people with no effective control don't have a right to be in the dog park' - I think part of the problem is 'effective control' is quite hard to define...a dog's recall might be 99% (I don't think there is such a thing as 100% recall) - but what about that 1% chance that the dog will run over? Even in a perfect world, with all dog owners who take their dogs to the park having perfect control over their dogs, there will be incidents where the dogs will mess up (they're dogs after all, they're not perfect, and neither are we humans). So the best thing is for all parties to be as safe and responsible as possible. Yes, this includes dog owners trying to ensure as good a recall as possible; but it also includes dog owners keeping others safe from their reactive dogs. I know that legally a dog that hasn't been declared dangerous (YET) doesn't have to be muzzled, but wouldn't it be safer for everyone involved if a dog who can potentially 'rip' another dog's head off is muzzled? Just in the interest of public safety? AND definitely on a leash..."

Given that I cut and paste from your posts to quote them, I find it difficult to understand how you think I'm misquoting you. Why are there so many dog attacks? Where do I start? * Failure to socialise effectively. Turning your young dog loose in an offlead park to "work it out for themselves" is not effective socialisation. It can teach a dog rough play AND escalate aggressive reactions to inappropriate dogs who aren't controlled by their owners. * Failure by owners to read their dogs body language, to understand the basic nature of dogs AND to intervene before things get out of hand. * Failure by owners of many dogs to effectively control them * Failure by owners of rude, inappropriate dogs to keep them away from others and to recognise that their dogs are not "friendly" but rude. * Failure by owners of timid, reactive or downright aggressive dogs to realise that a busy dog park is a place to be avoided. Have a read of "He just wants to say hi" on this website - its a good introduction to the issue of dog greetings. Okay thats a new one!! Its the owners fault the dog attacks.. just when i thought ive heard it all.. you need to rethink what you just said and read this ' A dog is an animal' They are not human!! A friendly dog (even the most common friendly breed the labrador' can still attack another dog or a human. . If you are going to read anything i have said(which clearly you havent done previously) ill put this simple. 1. If the owner has an agressive dog(which clearly what the owner stated "keep your dog away or it will rip its head off" it should NEVER be in an off leash area where there are other dogs or people around (like the OP said it is a well known popular dog park' 2. If the dog didnt attack or hasent attacked another person or dog then no you can report it (unless the dog is deemed dangerous it should have a MUZZLE and be on a lead) 3. You cant blame other dog owners for not having their dog under control (its in an off leash area in a popular park, they have a right to walk their dog without worrying that their is an agressive dog on the loose (which i have already pointed out an aggressive dog should be on a leash anyways and if the aggressive dog is on a leash and the owner of the friendly dog approaches then yes it would be the dog of the owner with a friendly dogs fault ) but the main point an agressive dog should not be off the lead like the OP stated. 4. Any dog can attack, it could be off or on the lead, a friendly, agressive or timid dog.. they are an animal and anyone who says otherwise is just plain ignorant. I could go on but considering you probally have already got a reply in your head and are not paying attention ill end it there! I have said all these points in previous posts so feel free to go back over them..

Why can't the owners of the over friendly dogs simply keep them in their own space?? It is public park and as such people should be able to walk their own dog without being run at bounced over and greeted by every dog in sight. I agree BUT the point is their is an agressive dog that is off its leash.. If it is known to be agressive why should the responsible dog owners be the ones to try and keep away from the agressive dog!! You cant blame them and if the friendly dog dosent even go near the aggressive dog who says the dog dosent turn and run up to it(and dont tell me an agressive dog wont turn unless they are under threat) its an animal, if it is prone to be agressive(like the owner repied 'it will rip your dogs head off' its a high risk dog and shouldnt be able to be in these areas where there are other dogs and people.

Why can't the owners of the over friendly dogs simply keep them in their own space?? It is public park and as such people should be able to walk their own dog without being run at bounced over and greeted by every dog in sight. thats what ive been trying to tell her but of course she dosent read that part lol.. obviously she is thinking an agressive dog still has a right to be off lead BUT she is forgetting the first part 'AGGRESSIVE'

Well, who would you blame for a dog not under effective control??? Ronald McDonald? I think not. Of course it is the owners' resposibility. thats was not the question love,im guessing you should read all the blog posts before replying, the post wasent about her dog not being under control it was about an agressive dog being off the lead! So the quote i was refering to had no relevence unless she was blaming other dog owners including the one starting this post

EVERY person who takes their dog to a dog park is responsible for controlling their dog. It's not a case of different rules for different people. Who said the OP was in the wrong? Certainly not me. What was said was that the guy that yelled at her may simply have been trying to ensure that the OP took his request to keep her dog away from his SERIOUSLY. God knows a lot of folk neither listen nor respond to such requests when made politely. I hope you understand that most dogs, given sufficent provocation from a rude strange dog WILL snap. Snapping is a warning - not an "attack". A dog under effective control does not blow off its owner and run up to other dogs. Not all dogs care to interact with strange dogs. It pays to bear that in mind The man said stay away or it will rip your dogs head off, how is that just a dog just warning to stay away.. common You have gone off the point, you said quote "Frankly if all dog owners kept their dogs under control and away from other dogs unless invited then people like me might actually be able to use dog parks without having our dogs attacked" to me that sounds like you are blaming other dog owners for their dogs "not being under control" You have mis quoted me quite a few times as well, like i have said before unless the dog is declared a danger and has attacked then you cannot report it but in saying that irresponsible owners who dont keep their aggressive dogs on a leash is just a disaster waiting to happen and if those aggressive dogs are just "warning to stay away" then why are their so many dog attacks?

Really? How do you know this for sure? a Perhaps the dog is just fine unless someone allows their dog to get in its face. That's provocation, not temptation IMO!! You do understand that DA dogs are not usually a danger to kids don't you? and how do you know it is not a high risk dog?? would you risk your dog/child? If yes well then im glad i dont live with you. Why should she or anyone have to have a lead on their dog just "incase" its gets in the dogs face and attack!! So a dog has to attack a person or dog to be labelled as 'a danger'.. Havent you heard of a preventative measure.. Maybe then there wouldnt be as many dog attacks!! and btw Any dog can be a risk to children You said that if the owner warned someone off it had obviously attacked. I asked how you could know this. The answer is you can't. I don't know its not a high risk dog. But it gave no indication of aggression towards the OP's dog. That's not behaviour that I consider indictative of high risk dogs. I'm not the one who's catalogued the dog as dangerous based on what its owner said though. This dog's owner told the OP to keep her dog away. That's a preventative measure. Frankly if all dog owners kept their dogs under control and away from other dogs unless invited then people like me might actually be able to use dog parks without having our dogs attacked. Any dog can be a risk to children.. but hardly in the circumstances described in this post. How can you compare a person going to a dog park in an off leash area with their dog as being the person who should be (controlling their dog) to someone going to an off leash area with an aggressive dog who is prone to snapping!! You cant.. Yes the owner warned to stay away from the dog but seriously how long does it take for a dog to just turn and run up to someone or another dog(even if the other dog is on a lead).. When taking her dog for a walk how did she know that there would be an agressive dog, she was in her right keeping her dog in an off leash area.. how is she in the wrong?? She never once said her dog was not under control the main point is if a dog is aggressive (which is what the owner has said) then it should be on a leash.. It is as simple as that, any other option increases the risk of something bad happing.. this shouldnt be a debate its common sense

Really? How do you know this for sure? Perhaps the dog is just fine unless someone allows their dog to get in its face. That's provocation, not temptation IMO!! You do understand that DA dogs are not usually a danger to kids don't you? and how do you know it is not a high risk dog?? would you risk your dog/child? If yes well then im glad i dont live with you. Why should she or anyone have to have a lead on their dog just "incase" its gets in the dogs face and attack!! If the dog is aggressive then that dog should be the one on the lead. So a dog has to attack a person or dog to be labelled as 'a danger'.. Havent you heard of a preventative measure.. Maybe then there wouldnt be as many dog attacks!!

I think you mean "muzzle". And you're wrong. A dog has to be a declared dangerous dog before its required to be muzzled in public. You usually don't get those declarations unless the dog has actually injured another dog or person. Many many dogs will react aggressively to an intrusion by a strange dog in their face. That doesn't usually result in more than noise and snapping. This dog might not ever have bitten another dog nor be likely to. Perhaps its owner was sick of the "my dog only wants to say hi" brigade that think every dog in a dog park wants to meet theirs. I cant believe your actually sticking up for these people.. If the owner warned to stay away because it is aggressive then it has obviously attacked or had a go of another dog /person. Its just an acciedent waiting to happen.. He should by no means have it in an off leash area where there are other dogs roaming around (even kids) and put the dog into temptation..

No it wouldnt be your fault if you somehow you couldnt control your dog and it runs up to the aggressive dog.. there is NO WAY it would be your fault and if a dog was declared dangerous then the owner shoulnt take it to an off leash area.. I think its darn rude and he is just waiting for an accident to happen.. These people have no brains

omg whats wrong with you people I think it was just luck that no one or another dog didnt get attacked.. If this dog is prone to aggression then by law they have to be kept it on a leash with a nozzle over its nose... If the dog has not yet attacked another dog or person then i guess no you cant do anything about it.

Your labradors are so beautiful and look so cheeky

Thankyou for the info! I havent read marley and me but i have watched it and i balled my eyes out It was a beautiful story and shows how much dogs can touch our lives

wow you are a super mum.. you give me hope!! hehehe Thankyou for your advice No super mum thats for sure (just look at my house ) but i just do bits at a time when i can and i have pup inside with me and the kids. He is going to be crate trained we are getting there he goes out the back to be a dog and he comes inside. The biggest thing is getting distracted with the kids and the dog does an ooopsy inside but i have my 8 year old trained as well now she takes him out and asks him to go. so as soon as i can see that distraction is coming she takes him to the loo or he is put out the back. He has lots of toys and he comes back when i can split my attention again. good luck in your choice you can do it oh and my partner works away so only get adult help when he is home if thats what his help is could you plze tell me abit about crate training? is it like giving the puppy time out if being naughty or boistres?

Thankyou EVERYONE for ALL your great advice and making me feel welcome!! There were some advice that i read on here that i didnt even think of and others that i read that i already knew but it was great hearing it from someone else's point of view.. I know this is a BIG decision and that is why i posted on here, i do constantly have a look at the breeders profiles and research labradors( and yes to the idiot who thinks i dont know nothing about them, i know they arent golden labradors, i was typing in a hurry(as well its my 1st post) and thought as most people on here are dog lovers you would know and understand what im talking about.. i didnt think it would be a problem, i just asked a simple question so if you cant answer that or you are just trying to create conflict cause your bored.. go entertain yourself someother way plze.. dont blame people like me, i am not the reason why dogs get rehomed i think YOU need to get your facts right before posting.. if i didnt post on here and jumped into getting a puppy then yes maybe i would be one of those people who gets rid of their dog because i didnt look into it but because i care about my family and dogs i dont want to bring a puppy into a home where i couldnt give it what it needs.. I really appreciate everyone taking their time and giving me advice, i will take ON ALL the advice before deciding on what is best for my family.. If anyone know of any good books that i could read about puppy/dog training or labradors plze let me know kind reguards michelle

wow you are a super mum.. you give me hope!! hehehe Thankyou for your advice

Hi everyone i was wondering if you could plze help me!! I have 3 beautiful children aged 2 and a half, 4yrs and 7 yrs.. We really would love to have a new addiotion to our family, a golden labrador!! My question is for anyone who has kids and a puppy/dog should i wait till my youngest is a few years older or do you think its okay to get a pupp at that age? I know labrador's are great family dogs, hence the reason why we love them so much... but im worried about the dog jumping or being nippy (as most pups can be) any feedback positive and negative is welcome please thanx michelle