Jaxx'sBuddy Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Ohhh, just had another idea Maybe we could do the 1st Sunday of the month for small, shy & calm dogs, and the 2nd or 3rd for the more energetic dogs. That way members could come to both meets if they like but not necessarily bring dogs that don't fit into the specific group. If you've got one calm and one energetic dog, you get to go to two different meets that suit the needs of your dog! Is this worth thinking about? I would love to be able to bring all four of my littlies to socialise with other dogs they can safely play with. i think this is a great idea. jaxx was really overwhelmed (and therefore became snappy )at the meet so that would suit her i think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Where would Trish's small energetic poodle fit on a split meeting? We could just do what they do at every other really big dog meetup I've been to, all dogs on lead, all the time. Wouldn't have to worry so much about protecting the food either. We could probably make exceptions on the day for certain dogs like Banshee - but I don't think being on lead would bother her. That way everyone would see which dogs got along well together and they can organise separate play dates if they want to. And if it wasn't a big meet up we could decide on the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowgirl Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Trish's small energetic poodle would hopefully be running and doing zoomies with my small energetic cresty For the meet I suggested, I'm thinking of smaller dogs and other dogs of moderate temperament that mix well with them. I would very much hope to see lots of running and playing for the pooches that want to do so. Dogs that cause a problem or upset the balance should be put back on lead. Once in a while Banshee might get a bit overexcited when racing around and forget her manners. If this happens she'd be put on lead until she calms down. I'm happy to take the food out of the equation entirely, I think it detracts us from keeping an eye on our dogs. At big Christmas meets, we could have dogs on lead unless they're playing nicely. I think it's okay to bring treats for your own dog if that's part of their training and keeps them focused on their owner, but it might be time to put the treats away if other dogs start congregating around the person with the treats. These are just my ideas and I'm very open to other suggestions of what we can do to make the meets more enjoyable for us and our dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I think half our trouble is nobody wants to be the policeman and some of us don't know which dog belongs with which person, so it's hard to tap someone on the shoulder and tell them - can you keep your dog on lead for now? I feel like if I had to tell someone to put their dog on lead or put the ball or treats away etc that for starters they should have figured that out for themselves so having to tell them is like telling them they're a bad "dog mum" and I don't want to do that and sometimes - in the general scheme of things (ie not at the dol meetup) it's not true at all. And I know I felt like I'd been hit over the head with a wet fish by the fun police at the dog day at the beach when one of the council rangers asked me to put the evil hound back on lead - just for today - when it would normally be an ok time and place for dog to be off lead and she wasn't even looking at another dog or human let alone trying to cadge treats off them. It's funny about my dog, I'd rather she didn't cadge treats off most people. And it's not because I mind her getting treats from other people (though maybe I should), it's because they usually give her treats when she's jumping on them ie making her naughty behaviour worse. Some of them I ask them to only give her a treat if she can hold a drop for them. Ie if she starts in a drop and then leaps to the treat hand, then she shouldn't get the treat. But it does take time to teach people good timing and resolve. I usually ask an owner if it's ok before I hand out a treat to their dog , and the dog doesn't get a treat unless they can hold a nice sit. But I know some owners don't like their dogs getting treats from other people or just asking/begging. And some dogs have allergies. And I don't always remember who I have and haven't asked. Trouble with dogs, is that it is all or nothing. Either it's ok to go to people for treats or it isn't and I'm not sure I'm being a good mum for my dog by letting her go to other people for treats, especially if she jumps on them. And she frequently finds herself back on lead if she does start nose bumping the treat pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trishalouise Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Hi all! Thanks for taking my comments positively. Jo - thanks for the vote of confidence But whilst I am happy to provide any input to people who specifically ask for it I too fear that some people would not ask for it!!! It is also very hard to watch a large group of dogs as there are so many little sub groups happening at once. There are always going to be dogs with different play styles and if you look at any of the good doggy daycare facilities they will separate dogs into different groups or run them on different days. For example, Holdfast have small / gently dog day, big / rough dog day etc. People just really need to be vigilent and act immediately when their dog is getting over the top. There was a lot of yelling at dogs - this just adds to the anxiety and hyped up environment. Noodle would come fit best in small / quiet dog day - whilst she is energetic and likes to run, she doesn't really engage in rough and tumble play with another dog. She likes to do her own thing or play chasey (without being slammed when caught!!!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Would it be wrong to go to a small dog day and keep your bigger dog on lead? I do know a couple of small dogs that like to play with Frosty as long as she's on lead, and as soon as I let her off, it's like "who me? play? nah" - how rude. So I let her off and it's all back to walking and sniffing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trishalouise Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Would it be wrong to go to a small dog day and keep your bigger dog on lead?I do know a couple of small dogs that like to play with Frosty as long as she's on lead, and as soon as I let her off, it's like "who me? play? nah" - how rude. So I let her off and it's all back to walking and sniffing. No that would be fine - it is more about play style than size. I would take my Greyhound to small dog day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowgirl Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Would it be wrong to go to a small dog day and keep your bigger dog on lead?I do know a couple of small dogs that like to play with Frosty as long as she's on lead, and as soon as I let her off, it's like "who me? play? nah" - how rude. So I let her off and it's all back to walking and sniffing. Bring her along! . It looks like for many of us, we're aware of some of the past problems and are open to conferring with each other to make sure we're doing the right thing for the group as a whole. I think this is a positive move forward to keeping the meets a safe and happy time for all of us . Bring Frosty along Mrs RB, I think she'd do well at a 'mild dog' meet . As Trish says, it's more about play style than size. Trish, thanks for your input. I'd love to see you and your dogs at another meet. No pressure to make you the boss and keep us under control , just come along and have fun. Noodle would come fit best in small / quiet dog day - whilst she is energetic and likes to run, she doesn't really engage in rough and tumble play with another dog. She likes to do her own thing or play chasey (without being slammed when caught!!!). I think this would be the scenario most of us would like to see at dog meets. I think we can make it work if we're all on the same page Snook, I'm happy for you to bring Justice along to see how he goes. He played beautifully with Bansee when they met a little while ago. We can always do a practice with Banshee and Justice with the other dogs on lead to start with, and if others are comfortable with letting their dogs off, we can slowly add the amount of dogs. If Justice gets too overwhelmed he can easily go back on the lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Hi All, Have just caught up with this thread - and although I haven't been for a while (I always remember the day after! ) as the original suggester of the Main Street Eastwood park for Willow's birthday a couple of years back, I think we've forgotten what these 'meet and greets' were supposed to be all about. I heard about the 'disturbance' (for want of a better word) at the last meet from friends who live on Main Street and were concerned about a public park being taken over by uncontrolled dogs. Now how true that was I don't know as I wasn't there. But that was their perception. But I do think there are a few things to remember: The park is a small public park in a narrow residential street and the council is Burnside (say no more! ). Its an off leash park as long as we use it properly and remember other people who might like to use it as well. We don't have sole rights to its use and it will only take a complaint or two to council for its status to change and we'll have to go elsewhere. I'd hate that to happen as I use the park for other social activities with my dogs other than DOL meets (although I know its is not about me). I personally think it is ideal for our needs with BBQ, tables, toilet, children's playground, shade and a tap and would like to see it stay that way. Apart from Willows birthday, important as that was, the meets were designed for DOLers to meet offline safely in a public park, to expose many of our rescue dogs (and new puppies!) to another socialisation opportunity with people who understood and could tolerate rescue dogs (and puppies) who were learning new behaviours , to have some drinks and nibbles and maybe a few snags, (not a full blown lunch party), and to chat and hopefully make some new like-minded friends. Dogs were leashed unless they were under control - similar to the beach. If they are not under control then they need to be on a leash - for their sake and for everyone elses. I don't believe the park is big enough for balls and agility and frizbees and the like and we must not exclude other people from using the park by our presence. In fact we should be modelling, courteous, responsible and exemplary dog ownership and showcase our rescue dogs to other park users - not frighten them off. I can't remember who it was but someone (who worked at Inghams?) used to bring some of the freshest chicken necks I've ever seen and use them to 'train' some dogs and pups to sit if owners were happy - and they were the only treats and once they were gone they were gone. And it was wonderful modelling for other park users and we had some compliments from passers by on our 'lovely dogs' (genuine question: would that have happened at the last meet?). There were no other treats (apart form the occasional snag in the dirt! My Mac was the fastest gun in the west at finding dropped snags! He's starving of course! ) I would suggest that we revert to the original guidelines and leash our dogs who do not have reliable recall or good control (but they are still welcome otherwise how do they learn?), people leash dogs who are off leash and get out of control without being offended if someone suggests it with everyones interests at heart, stick to a drink and some nibbles, no dog treats or balls or similar, and all agree to keep our dogs under control (note I did not say 'leashed'). :D Everyone is welcome. And consider others in the area who might like to use the park too. Thoughts? Hope to see you on 6 Feb. Edited January 17, 2011 by westiemum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I heard about the 'disturbance' (for want of a better word) at the last meet from friends who live on Main Street and were concerned about a public park being taken over by uncontrolled dogs. That's a worry. We had fenced off a corner, less than a quarter of the total park. There were at least three other groups including another one with dogs in the park that day - was a bit crowded. Eventually when there was only three or four dogs left (Frosty being one) from our group, we packed the fence up but several BBQ loving dogs had to go check the far side out. Not sure how many of us have recall in the face of a dropped sausage. I'm not there yet. Close but not quite. So Frosty went on lead and stayed on lead after that. She spent a fair bit of time on lead during the main bit of the party too. Mostly so she couldn't crap somewhere when I wasn't looking. There wasn't any altercation that was more than "get away from my stuff" warning - as best I could tell. Not sure there was enough in it for others to call it a "disturbance" though we were definitely the biggest gathering. Anyway I think we do a reasonable job of considering others who want to use the park. We were not the ones who stuffed four garbage bags full of trash into the only bin at the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowgirl Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I heard about the 'disturbance' (for want of a better word) at the last meet from friends who live on Main Street and were concerned about a public park being taken over by uncontrolled dogs. That's a worry. We had fenced off a corner, less than a quarter of the total park. There were at least three other groups including another one with dogs in the park that day - was a bit crowded. Eventually when there was only three or four dogs left (Frosty being one) from our group, we packed the fence up but several BBQ loving dogs had to go check the far side out. Not sure how many of us have recall in the face of a dropped sausage. I'm not there yet. Close but not quite. So Frosty went on lead and stayed on lead after that. She spent a fair bit of time on lead during the main bit of the party too. Mostly so she couldn't crap somewhere when I wasn't looking. There wasn't any altercation that was more than "get away from my stuff" warning - as best I could tell. Not sure there was enough in it for others to call it a "disturbance" though we were definitely the biggest gathering. Anyway I think we do a reasonable job of considering others who want to use the park. We were not the ones who stuffed four garbage bags full of trash into the only bin at the park. Not sure where you were MrsRB, but one of the altercations involved at least two dogs fighting, several owners screaming, and the whole park looking at us. I'm happy to move forward though, I think we've all been a bit complacent at times in one area or another. I'm happy to start from scratch and pretend that Feb 6 is our first meet. I hope all our regulars will still come and we can help, advise and assist each other in making the meets a pleasure for all of us xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DBT Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 My newly opened rescue shelter is open to the public 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month so i'm stuffed now can't get to the meets :D I would however be VERY interested in a small dog meet on 2nd or 4th Sunday so i can finally bring my Chi's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melo Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Gee things all seemed to have changed for the meets, last one I went to was Willow's birthday as well (that I can remember). Have the photos of my girl at the time Tara with her birthday tiara on and singing (ok barking at me). All I remember of the meets was, we used to go to other parks over Adelaide (and the Beach), dogs that could handle being off lead and socialise happily were off lead (f the park was an off lead park) others were on, and don't recall anyone having a problem with that? I was lucky in that my girl although LOUD and opinionated really was not fussed on socialising and if we went to parks with any creek or water she was not interested in the other dogs at all and I really spent my time standing at the water watching her enjoy her own time. I now have a 7mo Samoyed boy who really is only just learning how to socialise without bringing the boxing feet out, so there is no way he would go off lead right now, but from what I have read I am not really interested in putting him into the type of situations that are now at the meets. Not fair on him or me, if one day the meets look to get back to just a friendly happy social environment where people take responsibility for their own dogs then I might consider it, but for now I am happy to take him to his dog obedience classes where things are more controlled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I'm happy to move forward though, I think we've all been a bit complacent at times in one area or another. I'm happy to start from scratch and pretend that Feb 6 is our first meet. I hope all our regulars will still come and we can help, advise and assist each other in making the meets a pleasure for all of us smile.gifxxx Well said YG. I think that's the way forward too. We can all just be a little more aware too The westies and I would love to catch up with everyone on the 6th and I'm really looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Hi YG I must have arrived after that one happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowgirl Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Regular meet is this Sunday, 6th March http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=216163 Little dog meet is the next Sunday, 13th March http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=216334 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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