So Mad With Dog Owners

[janisw]

I take my dog to the local dog club each sunday for obedience & 3 days a week we go to the club grounds to let our dogs have a run & we do laps ourselves.

We have been there many times with other people & dogs of many breeds, ages & sizes.

I have a pure English bull terrier who is nearlly 11 months old & my sister has a staffy who is 2 yrs old. Both dogs are desexed & well socialized.

today we go to the grounds as per ususal & there are some new dogs. All the dogs & owners are milling around the 1 gate we need to enter through. No leashes, no cares when they see we are trying to enter.

Anyway we get in finally & all going well everyone says hello and all is good. Dogs running around having fun. Then all of a sudden 2 dogs attack my sisters staffy. No reason just pounced him .Anyway all good no injury everyone okay & a little shocked but all humans appolgised etc. all good.

My whinge for the day is people see my dog coming & run across the street yet who starts the bloody fight a LAB. Why are people so scared of a bully when 2 times now I have seen & witnessed very nasty labs.

I like labs & know they can be very nice dogs so it just shows that its not the fighting bred dogs who are always the problems.

rant over.

[iggy mum]

Agree. Many years ago I used to have a bull terrier and she was the biggest sook around. She would go to the beach and play with anyone that would throw a stick for her. Not a mean bone in her body. RIP Dottie.

[Tibbie_tabbie]

I understand it is horrible when this sort of thing happens, and when people judge your dogs (believe me, as a previous owner of GSD's and SBT's and a dog sitter of an AmStaff and rottie)

However please don't judge people who are scared. I grew up with a friend who pales when she sees dogs, her mum had been attacked when she had been a child and passed the fear on. It was real terror and affected her day to day life, she couldn't visit my house or others with dogs (even with them locked outside/in a run she would panic in case they got out - may I add they were very well trained and didn't bark if we told them not to). Couldn't walk into a shop if a dog was tied to a nearby post, go to the local park, etc. Not a fun way to live

Also if someone has a dog and crosses the road, regardless of the dogs breed, it may be that their dog is reactive/DA.

[BC Crazy]

I witnessed a choc Lab attack a beautiful 16 week old Mal pup, almost killed the poor little mite. My OH pulled him off the defenseless puppy. Horrific scene. Sonny, my BC was about 18 months of age & was with me at the time. I have noticed since that very unfortunate incident he is very wary of choc Labs.

[Staffyluv]

Some staffys can be very forward in their social interactions.. A lot of other dogs don't particularly like how forward they are and it's not unusual to get a reaction... Perhaps the staffy was being a bit forward and the lab took offense..

Maybe the lab was just being a shit to...

Believe it or not the communication between dogs is often not seen by us unless we are watching very closely.. I have only recently discovered so much more to my dogs behaviour while working with a trainer that is also a behaviorist and she has shown me things that I thought were OK but are not and also reactions from him that I didn't even notice before...

I have a super friendly staffy and he usually gets a good response from other dogs, but there have been occasions where his forward ness has not been welcomed.. Lucky for me he is also submissive and rolls over at the first sign of another dog not being happy with him...

[janisw]

Thanks for the replys. Im not mad at the people who cross the street so much when they see me its the idiots who think all bull breeds are killer dogs & as i said this lab today had no reason to attack the staffy & his kelpie x heeler mate (who was a big dog) both took to this staffy at the same time, there was no competition & no reason ,they were all playing nicely.

I am so lucky my girl prefers to walk with me & will go play with the others but always return to me. If others were more aware of their dogs actions or reactions maybe things like this wouldnt happen.

Mind you, i had my 2 kids there & my neice who were a little away. They had a tiny girl there in the middle of it all. My sister is over protective of her kids & just about flipped out more so cause the kids were near.

Anyway no harm done to dog, and all is well. I am even more so aware of my dog being socialised & continuing going to obedience. More training for the dog & owner.

[Burkes]

I have a Lab and I had a Rotty until she passed a month ago. Yes I hate that people sometimes cross the road when they saw us coming, but I also hate how when everyone wants to rant about how bull breeds aren't bad, they pick on Labs and always use them on the other side of the example.

I just hate people who don't socialise or control their dogs. No point blaming any of the breeds - even labs!

[Staffyluv]

I have a Lab and I had a Rotty until she passed a month ago. Yes I hate that people sometimes cross the road when they saw us coming, but I also hate how when everyone wants to rant about how bull breeds aren't bad, they pick on Labs and always use them on the other side of the example.

I just hate people who don't socialise or control their dogs. No point blaming any of the breeds - even labs!

Bull breeds aren't bad.. Neither are labs.. Dogs are a product of their environment, their treatment, training and socialization...

[RubyStar]

Some staffys can be very forward in their social interactions.. A lot of other dogs don't particularly like how forward they are and it's not unusual to get a reaction... Perhaps the staffy was being a bit forward and the lab took offense..

Maybe the lab was just being a shit to...

Believe it or not the communication between dogs is often not seen by us unless we are watching very closely.. I have only recently discovered so much more to my dogs behaviour while working with a trainer that is also a behaviorist and she has shown me things that I thought were OK but are not and also reactions from him that I didn't even notice before...

I have a super friendly staffy and he usually gets a good response from other dogs, but there have been occasions where his forward ness has not been welcomed.. Lucky for me he is also submissive and rolls over at the first sign of another dog not being happy with him...

My Lab loves all dogs, but there is one staffy that just has to look sideways at her and she gets all defensive. Staffy hasn't done anything, but there is just a clash of "something" there. As Staffyluv said, communication between dogs can go unnoticed to untrained people. You have no idea what signals either breed were giving off before the "fight".

I have a Lab and I had a Rotty until she passed a month ago. Yes I hate that people sometimes cross the road when they saw us coming, but I also hate how when everyone wants to rant about how bull breeds aren't bad, they pick on Labs and always use them on the other side of the example.

I just hate people who don't socialise or control their dogs. No point blaming any of the breeds - even labs!

Ain't that the truth.

[fuzzy82]

I have a Lab and I had a Rotty until she passed a month ago. Yes I hate that people sometimes cross the road when they saw us coming, but I also hate how when everyone wants to rant about how bull breeds aren't bad, they pick on Labs and always use them on the other side of the example.

I just hate people who don't socialise or control their dogs. No point blaming any of the breeds - even labs!

I cross the road when any dog is approaching us head on. What else are you supposed to do? Just keep walking and hope the other dog isn't aggressive or wants to invite to play or is scared etc? I wonder why I'm always the one who has to move out of the way. Is it the norm to just pass people really closely with no attempt at creating distance between the dogs? Genuinely asking here, not having a go.

So for me it's not breed related, it's just what we do.

[Salukifan]

My whinge for the day is people see my dog coming & run across the street yet who starts the bloody fight a LAB. Why are people so scared of a bully when 2 times now I have seen & witnessed very nasty labs.

I like labs & know they can be very nice dogs so it just shows that its not the fighting bred dogs who are always the problems.

rant over.

Perhaps not but the odds are that a fighting bred dog is more likely to be dog aggressive than many others. And IF they decide to fight, the results are often serious.

There would have been a reason for the play to turn nasty - its just that none of the dog owners probably noticed escalating levels of arousal and the interactions starting to change.

In my (admittedly limited) experience with dog parks, many users have low levels of knowledge of both dog body language and behaviour.

I will remove my dogs from the path of almost any oncoming dog. I don't take chances.

Edited August 13, 2012 by Haredown Whippets

[sandgrubber]

I have a Lab and I had a Rotty until she passed a month ago. Yes I hate that people sometimes cross the road when they saw us coming, but I also hate how when everyone wants to rant about how bull breeds aren't bad, they pick on Labs and always use them on the other side of the example.

I just hate people who don't socialise or control their dogs. No point blaming any of the breeds - even labs!

As usual, there's a combination of genetics and environment. With Labs (and goldies, cockers, pointers . . . etc), I wouldn't blame the breed, but I sure hope people take a careful look at the breeding.

Please add breeders to your rant, especially gun dog breeders who are willing to breed from dogs with unstable temperament or DA/HA tendencies. Gun dogs must be dog social. A dogfight is totally unacceptable in shoot. Temperament faults are at least as serious as faults in physical conformation! The show ring has a lot to answer for . . . in my opinion, failure to root out unstable / aggressive tendencies is at least as bad as encouraging extreme conformation.

My personal rant is about Pedigree Dog's Exposed. JH is obsessed with photographs. I'd guess as many dogs die early deaths and live unhappy lives due to unstable temperament and unsocial tendencies than due to brachycephalic heads or wrinkled faces. I don't give a hoot about whether a Shar-pei is a bonemouth or a meatmouth (a la http://pedigreedogse...style-icon.html ). I'm very concerned about whether some lines of shar-pei present behavioural problems. Seems to me that pugs, Cavies and Bostons (favorite PDE targets) have succeeded cause they are easy dogs to live with, especially on a small property or in an apartment. You need to breed FOR the successful characteristics as well as against the unhealthy ones.

Edited August 13, 2012 by sandgrubber

[tdierikx]

This is what my Lab girl did to my Rotti/Pittie cross girl... it took 3 policemen, 2.5 cans of capsicum spray, boots and batons, to try to get her to stop the attack. Nothing worked, and it was only when both dogs were exhausted that they stopped the fight. The policemen had their guns out by the end of the fight, and would have had to shoot my Lab if she had kept it up.

Needless to say, they never run together any more.

Funnily enough, my Lab is perfectly well behaved when out in public, and is very tolerant of rude dogs - however, now I know exactly what she's capable of if she gets it into her mind to retaliate, I'm a lot more watchful when she's out and about, and we no longer go to crowded dog parks... just in case...

T.

[geo]

This is what my Lab girl did to my Rotti/Pittie cross girl... it took 3 policemen, 2.5 cans of capsicum spray, boots and batons, to try to get her to stop the attack. Nothing worked, and it was only when both dogs were exhausted that they stopped the fight. The policemen had their guns out by the end of the fight, and would have had to shoot my Lab if she had kept it up.

Needless to say, they never run together any more.

Funnily enough, my Lab is perfectly well behaved when out in public, and is very tolerant of rude dogs - however, now I know exactly what she's capable of if she gets it into her mind to retaliate, I'm a lot more watchful when she's out and about, and we no longer go to crowded dog parks... just in case...

T.

I feel for you T. I have to keep a very close eye on my dogs too, because if there is another dog on the other side of the fence and the older dominant female can't chase it, she'll turn on my bigger male when he runs along side her wanting to take part in running along the fence. We're trying to stop this obviously. The male thinks this is fun though so will antagonise her until he gets a reaction which for the most part is playful but on 3 occassions (in 3 years) has turned into a fight when the female escalates her dominance and hurts him. Of course it is she who comes worse off.

Each time it was quickly seperated and they were fine and carried on as if nothing happened.

[JulesP]

One of my current pet peeves is people that get all offended when I cross roads, put my dogs on lead etc. Sick to death of being told that their dogs are fine and having them actually chase me to prove it!!!

It might not be YOUR dog that they are worried about it might be THEIRS!!!

[Henrietta]

One of my current pet peeves is people that get all offended when I cross roads, put my dogs on lead etc. Sick to death of being told that their dogs are fine and having them actually chase me to prove it!!!

It might not be YOUR dog that they are worried about it might be THEIRS!!!

Yes. This is me you'll see crossing roads or giving me and my dog extra space. But it's my reactive dog I'm thinking of, not necessarily the onlead dog - no matter the breed.

I'm probably the type of owner that some DOLers would come to the forum bitching about because I have a small dog that I take great pains to not get into situations that may end badly for her. It's quite possible that I would be seen as an over-protective, neurotic owner with a dislike of other dogs. Not true, but I am pro-active and I spend far too much time protecting my dog from offlead dogs to worry about the sensibilities of another dog owner who may just be offended that I 'don't like their staffy'.

I also own a bull breed cross.

[megan_]

Even with a non reactive dog I cross the street. I don't know of the other dog will lunge etc. Not risking my dogs to spare someone's feelings

[dee lee]

I really don't understand why people get offended if others cross the road when they see them.

Why take it personally? And to be honest, I don't give a crap how offended the other owner is, if I see anyone walking towards me that looks like it could come within bite range of my dog, I don't care what breed of dog it is, I'm crossing the road.

How can a complete stranger know that your dog is safe? It makes sense not to take risks with that.

And as Haredown Whippets said, I'm extra careful of bullbreeds (& most large dogs) because of the increased potential for damage IF the dog decides to have a go at mine.

Yours might be a delightful dog, but I can't know that & I've come across way too many dogs that are not (AND have also owned a bullbreed cross that was DA). So I'm keeping my dog out of range just in case.

[nawnim]

Yesterday walking my two dogs on lead I saw a loose dog on a front lawn (no fences in Canberra) with a guy who had his head under the bonnet of his car. I called out 'watch your dog" as I crossed the road as I was fearful that it might chase us. He called back in an angry voice "It's on my property".

[Henrietta]

Even with a non reactive dog I cross the street. I don't know of the other dog will lunge etc. Not risking my dogs to spare someone's feelings

Very true. Come to think of it, I think I mostly stay out of other people's way no matter which dog I have. I thought this may have been ingrained from having my reactive girl, but maybe it's just a sensible thing to do.