Size Does Not Excuse Behaviour!

[ash&elar]

Some of you people should get a greyhound.

For some reason, many (untrained) small dog owners are scared of them. Even when the greyhound is doing absolutely nothing at all.

It is hilarious to see people in a blind panic, trying to catch their ignorant untrained little dog, as it runs around the greyhound.

You can stir them even more by pretending that urgency is required. Look concerned and say There! Quick! Quick! Run!" Make them move a bit faster than they normally do.

Awesome times!

;) :) :p ;) ;) ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes now i want one for sure aaaaahahahaha

[Puppoochi]

All dogs have the potential to be aggressive, it's the idiots that own them are to blame.

I have had a Sibe lunge (twice) at my dogs whilst walking around the block.

I have had a briard (I think)attack my dogs in the street where I live.

I have had a labradoodle attack my dogs in the street where I live.

And two labs/goldens try to rip my dog out of my arms, in the process half ripped off and shredded my dress.

Big dogs have caused me a lot of distress, and could very easily have killed one of my little ones.

Am I afraid of big dogs no, I am afraid of what they can do to my little dogs.

[Diva]

Am I afraid of big dogs no, I am afraid of what they can do to my little dogs.

As the owner of big dogs, so am I. That's why I really hate it when very aggro little dogs have a go at them. I feel obliged to really squash down my own dogs' natural responses so that there is no risk of a little dog getting even accidently badly hurt, even from a paw swipe. And that's not fair on my dogs, because I end up panicing and treating them like the wrong-doers, even when they are the ones being attacked, so then they get anxious about it because I am anxious, and I end up in a bad feedback loop.

I try to just relax now - if an aggro little dog attacks my dogs when they are on-lead, ignores all warnings and gets hurt, I have to remember it's not my fault and not my problem. Easier to say then to do though.

[halfthewords]

It's unacceptable behaviour in dogs of any size. I own two medium-ish dogs and two tiny dogs, and I am ALWAYS on alert. Carl never tolerates being harassed by larger, more boisterous dogs and will tell them off right away. Conversely, he loves to play with friendly labs/collies/oodles that we know and encounter at the dog park. If a big dog gets in his face, he will snap. I have never corrected this because it usually warns the other dog off and all is well.

However...with the two tiny dogs, I'm very wary of them being approached by anything bigger than the size of a schnauzer. Generally speaking, big dogs always look much more interested in them than small dogs. It would only take one bite or mis-step for one of them to be in a critical condition. I have zero hesitation about getting between a big dog and Mischa and Cleo. In fact, they remain behind me until I have managed to assess the other dog, on leash or not. I carry a stick with me on walks. They've had big dogs in their faces and been attacked or chased WAY too many times in the years we have owned them.

I think a lot of people forget that dogs are intimidated by both some small thing yapping at them and a noggin the size of their whole body sniffing them eagerly. ;)

Edited to add: the other reason I'm wary of big dogs near the Min Pins is because of what Carl has done in the past. Mischa was once chased for a full lap of a soccer field by two Sharpeis (resulting in a torn nail : ), and Carl, who is extremely protective of her, went in pursuit, and brought down the male Pei by the hindleg. A lot of blood and mess for naught, because the Sharpeis just wanted to "play."

Edited August 16, 2010 by Hanna Gibbs

[Puppoochi]

Am I afraid of big dogs no, I am afraid of what they can do to my little dogs.

As the owner of big dogs, so am I. That's why I really hate it when very aggro little dogs have a go at them. I feel obliged to really squash down my own dogs' natural responses so that there is no risk of a little dog getting even accidently badly hurt, even from a paw swipe. And that's not fair on my dogs, because I end up panicing and treating them like the wrong-doers, even when they are the ones being attacked, so then they get anxious about it because I am anxious, and I end up in a bad feedback loop.

I try to just relax now - if an aggro little dog attacks my dogs when they are on-lead, ignores all warnings and gets hurt, I have to remember it's not my fault and not my problem. Easier to say then to do though.

Sibe was on a harness, mine were on leads

briard ran out of yard, mine were on leads

labradoodle ran out of yard, mine were on leads

lab/goldens were off lead as were mine, I was sitting at the beach all alone, they came up to me.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!!!

[sparkycat]

Some small dogs are really bad. It got so bad with my deerhound that he started peeing himself everytime a SWF came near him poor boy

[Adnil444]

Someone touched on the part that concerns me.

On several ocassions my dog has been trying to get away from the small dog in question and it gets under his feet - now if he steps on it, you're going to end up with an injured dog as he is 60+kg or he'll trip and could break something - then the owner is going to end up with an expensive vet bill.

The other downside - if a large dog decides they've had enough then the result will not be pretty for the small dog.

I am not sure many small dog owners think of the consequence that their dog could be seriously injured as a result of their 'cute' behaviour.

No, that's right, because the owners of these small dogs are relying on the owners of the big dogs to have them under control, unlike their own dogs. Sooner or later, at the park I sometimes go to, there will be a disaster. The more you see and learn about dogs and behaviour, the more you see what can happen and the totally ignorant/irresponsible people out there.

[Adnil444]

After a little dog tried to attack my Lab puppy today I am all for this argument. Though I never blame the dog, its always a stupid owner who thinks its "cute" or funny.

"Oh he thinks hes a big dog! Ha ha"

Wow you won't be laughing when a actual large breed takes offence to being told off, and his small reprimand accidentally kills your SWF.

Terrier cross charged my puppy, who was sniffing the ground. Then moved in to try and bite him. Luckily I was right next to Riddick. Snarled at this little dog which bolted back to its owner. Then stood there glaring at its owner, just waiting for the opportunity to go punch him right in the face. He didn't even seem to have noticed though. If I come across this same dog again and I see any behaviour like that, there will be consequences.

Nobody messes with my dogs and gets away with it, and I really do mean nobody.

Hi Jen, sorry to hear about that, hope Riddick is ok with it all. That's why Rosie isn't going much to FF anymore - I'm going for really long leash walks (and she has improved out of sight) and I take them to St Ives and use the fenced off pens for their playtime - controlled and the dog owners seem to be much more responsible. Hope to see you soon. Linda.

[Diva]

Am I afraid of big dogs no, I am afraid of what they can do to my little dogs.

As the owner of big dogs, so am I. That's why I really hate it when very aggro little dogs have a go at them. I feel obliged to really squash down my own dogs' natural responses so that there is no risk of a little dog getting even accidently badly hurt, even from a paw swipe. And that's not fair on my dogs, because I end up panicing and treating them like the wrong-doers, even when they are the ones being attacked, so then they get anxious about it because I am anxious, and I end up in a bad feedback loop.

I try to just relax now - if an aggro little dog attacks my dogs when they are on-lead, ignores all warnings and gets hurt, I have to remember it's not my fault and not my problem. Easier to say then to do though.

Sibe was on a harness, mine were on leads

briard ran out of yard, mine were on leads

labradoodle ran out of yard, mine were on leads

lab/goldens were off lead as were mine, I was sitting at the beach all alone, they came up to me.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!!!

No thanks, I don't smoke.

I was just explaining that I also worry about the little dog getting hurt -or used to anyway.

Less and less the more I read DOL ;)

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

i have had big dogs and now i have a small dog and i expect them all to behave the same way.

i will never user dog parks becuause there are a lot of idiot owners out there regardless of the size of their dogs.

it is a bit offensive some of the descriptors used in this post for small dogs and there are a lot of small dog owners on DOL that really do make sure their dogs behave well.

now what is it people say?.......ban the deed not the breed

Edited August 16, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy

[Dxenion]

I am protective of my GSDs because they've been attacked when on leash too many times by big, medium and small dogs not under effective control of their owners. We used to give the offending dog a second chance and try to reeducate the owner but not any more.

We had a serial offender living two doors down. Her small poodle would dig under the gate and take off on a walk of its own, mock lunging at passing kids that got too close to the 'cute little dog' and launching into passing on leash dogs. It was well known in the street and people used to walk the other way if they saw it. One day it ran up to us as we were sitting out the front with our dogs tethered on tie out stakes (so no one could ever accuse our dog of rushing at them which can be considered as a dog attack). It launched into our elderly boy without provocation (he was asleep at the time). OH grabbed the poodle by the scruff of the neck and put it in a crate. I asked him if he was going to take it back - he said no as he'd had enough of this dog's bad behaviour which the owner continued to enable. He bypassed the owner's house, took the dog to the pound and filed a complaint.

Do you think the fine for the dog attack and fee to get the dog out of the pound made the owner take immediate action? Within 24 hours, that dog was back on our lawn snapping at us. This time OH called the police and ranger. The police took our statement and the ranger took the dog. Never had a problem after that and the owner moved away within a few weeks.

I am constantly frustrated that if my dog did what this dog did, it would have been seized, and at best be declared as a DD or worse PTS. Why is it that when a small dog behaves this way, the general public perception is to dismiss it but if a large breed acted in the same way, it would make headlines? The OH said he was surprised at the attitude of the pound when he made his first report. They gave him the indication that the owner would probably get a slap on the wrist, nothing more. Bad behaviour should be treated in the same manner, no matter what size the dog. Maybe making people sit a test for a dog owner's licence would make them aware of the law and their responsibilities for dog health, hygiene and appropriate behaviour in a public place.

Edited to add that we did approach the owner the first time we observed this dog lunging at kids and other dogs. We told her that it can be constituted as a dog attack and that her dog could be seized. We also told her that if the dog took on a large dog with a short fuse, her dog could be seriously injured. The response - "oh she'll be ok, she can look after herself", hence why the OH took the dog to the pound.

Edited February 3, 2011 by Dxenion

[Erny]

Had one the other day as I was walking down the street with my boy on-lead. Aggro SWF (off-lead) coming up to us. Asked owner (who was walking away from us, lead draped over her neck) to call her dog; come and get her dog (by now only a couple of feet away from us) but she sneered at me and refused, and kept on walking away. I told her she was an irresponsible dog owner. She told me to "get stuffed".

But I reaaaaaaaaalllllly hurt her feelings when I called her a "stupid old woman" (she wouldn't be much older than me) .

Have another one down the road. The side fence actually runs along a section of narrow footpath and the SWF aggresses like crazy whenever we go past. Owner does nothing (even when out, he'll stop and let his dog be aggro whilst it is straining to the end of its lead at you. Must think it is quite cute when it aggresses to o/dogs .... but at least he has it on lead). But I now use that to assist with my boy's training.

Edited February 3, 2011 by Erny

[Keira&Phoenix]

Had one the other day as I was walking down the street with my boy on-lead. Aggro SWF (off-lead) coming up to us. Asked owner (who was walking away from us, lead draped over her neck) to call her dog; come and get her dog (by now only a couple of feet away from us) but she sneered at me and refused, and kept on walking away. I told her she was an irresponsible dog owner. She told me to "get stuffed".

But I reaaaaaaaaalllllly hurt her feelings when I called her a "stupid old woman" (she wouldn't be much older than me) .

Have another one down the road. The side fence actually runs along a section of narrow footpath and the SWF aggresses like crazy whenever we go past. Owner does nothing (even when out, he'll stop and let his dog be aggro whilst it is straining to the end of its lead at you. Must think it is quite cute when it aggresses to o/dogs .... but at least he has it on lead). But I now use that to assist with my boy's training.

People's attitudes are always shocking. So far I haven't had bad experiences really. But gosh if that was me I would have given "stupid old womens" dog a kick if it had come close enough because a) she needs to learn a lesson and b) if I was walking Keira I couldn't guarantee her reaction would be favourable for the SWF, she is not real keen on them ever since we had several living in houses around ours and they would charge at fences barking at her and bark/yap all day and night.

Edited February 3, 2011 by Keira&Phoenix

[BonJosie]

I experienced this down at the park the other day. I was walking my beagle puppy and a man with a Jack Russell approached. The man was totally enamoured by the puppy and crouched down to give her a pat. The JR, which had previously been sniffing around minding it's own business, bolted up to my dog and snarled and snapped at her.

My girl is pretty new to this whole "other dogs" thing, and was so scared she put her tail between her legs and cowered next to me. The owner of the JR patted his dog and went "Oh, you're just jealous, aren't you?" and then went to pat my dog again. The same thing happened. The guy did not care at all, and would have just let it keep happening if I hadn't said we had to go.

I would be mortified if my dog acted like that, and I can only assume he didn't take the behaviour seriously because his dog is small and "can't really hurt anyone". I was annoyed, but mostly just a bit incredulous that this guy didn't seem at all phased about his dog's aggression.

[W Sibs]

Those irresponsible owners gives me the shits... especially when I own 2 small dogs and I will never ever let them behave like that. It's dangerous, rude and incredibly stupid...

It's gives other small dog owners bad name

[Keira&Phoenix]

Those irresponsible owners gives me the shits... especially when I own 2 small dogs and I will never ever let them behave like that. It's dangerous, rude and incredibly stupid...

It's gives other small dog owners bad name

Your absolutely right CW. Sadly us big dog owners have the same issues with irresponsible owners giving us a bad name

I will say this, I took Phoenix to the dog park the other day (after busy period) and when I walked in there was this lovely lady and her daughter doing training work with their 6 month old Chi, I was very impressed and so glad to see someone with the right attitude towards training with a small dog, so I know your not all bad

[boxagirl]

I was walking my Boxer at local offlead park once.. lots off dogs there, but Bondi has very good offlead control and can be called away from anything (including the kangaroos that frequent the park ) Anyway we were walking and came across a jack russel, hackles up "stalking" us.. ready to charge. I asked owners to call their dog, as I called Bondi the opposite way to another path the Jack Russel charged and started nipping and having ago at my dog as we kept walking away- owners started to come over from the other side of the field to collect their dog. After having enough of being attacked (and me having enough of seeing it) Bondi turned and pinned their jackrussel with her chest.. until it relaxed/submitted . The owners moved alot more swiftly when they saw that!! Apparently it's ok for my large dog to be nipped at and bitten, but not ok for their little dog to be told off (with no teeth involved I'll add)

Atleast they said "sorry that was my my fault" when they got their dog.. and I told them to keep it onlead until they can have abit more control!

Edited February 3, 2011 by boxagirl

[Erny]

Those irresponsible owners gives me the shits... especially when I own 2 small dogs and I will never ever let them behave like that. It's dangerous, rude and incredibly stupid...

It's gives other small dog owners bad name

In my books, it doesn't. I know that there are the good and the bad in each and I'm always grateful when I come across someone who will exhibit courtesy and responsibility with their dogs, whether their dogs are big or small.

[persephone]

Don't carry a stick... just a small water pistol or squirt bottle filled with water/vinegar ...or something really stinky and gross ....

[Bulldust]

Years ago i was walking my very first Bull Terrier, and i had to once lift him up into my arms to protect him from a SWF roaming the streets. Owners thought it was hilarious. I have had to do the same thing taking my dogs to the vets, some owners in the clinic dont have their dogs on the lead inside and i have to stand there holding my Bully up too keep both parties safe.