Sick Of Wankers

[Tassie]

Walking my two BCs on lead through a park - husky races out of a boat yeard - heads straight to my dogs - I turn to go in a different direction) as I usually do - then see idiot owner and kid coming my way - turn the other way, asking could he call his dog please ... usual response she's friendly - so I did the usual - well mine don't like other dogs in their face, could you call her please. So he tried - dog runs away from him, then comes back round to mine. Grrrr - then with his dog still racing round loose - towards a road and a restaurant - he tells me I shouldn't be so paranooid.

Finally got away - had nice walk - including passing (at a safe distance) polite dogs and owners - having a bit of a chat at that distance - all good - then coming back, there's the husky again - still loose. She was a nice dog - but that's not the poitn. Owner nowhere in sight - but his pre-school age kid is - right by the river. Eventually idiot owner comes around the corner 50 or 60 metres away.

Some people shouldn't be in charge of a pet rock, let alone kids or dogs.

[Tara8430]

If someone comes toward me with a dog intent on playing and says 'its ok, he's friendly' I generally yell back that mine are not and will bite. Generally that gets them to back off :laugh: mine are both insanely friendly but I'd rather not take the risk

Honestly is it any wonder so many people don't walk their dogs? It ends up being a terrifying experience!

I tried that once, then i got yelled they were saying you shouldnt have a dangerous dog out (shes not but i wanted the other dogs to go away) mind you the other idiots had their dogs off leash and wouldnt call them back but apparently i was in the wrong go figure

[Diva]

Now my dogs are adults I have given up worrying about the 'she just wants to say hi' owners - their dogs will come off second best if they aren't friendly and I am completely over worrying about other people's pets. If somone is stupid enough to let their toy poodle have the run of the street, and they are, it is not my problem if my dogs trample it when it runs over to 'say hi'. Sounds heartless but I have had enough.

The only dogs that cause me anxiety now are the loose, unaccompanied strays that attack, and as I know I can't physically take them out by myself I either carry a stick, or walk both dogs together which makes for a formidable combination, much more formidable than they look being long coated and pretty.

When they were young they were attacked a couple of times, and I found it deeply distressing. But I realised that my distress was causing more harm to the dogs than the attacks. So now I stay calm, hope i can send the attacker packing, but let them fight back if they need to. I hate that walking a dog can be so fraught in an ordinary urban neighbourhood because of the irresponsible w*nk^rs but it is.

[megan_]

Diva I have often said I want to buy Lucy a rottie suit. Unfortunately my 8.5kg girl is going to come off second best with most dogs. If I say she doesn't like other dogs people don't care because they know their heffalump can take her one.

[jaybeece]

I tried that once, then i got yelled they were saying you shouldnt have a dangerous dog out (shes not but i wanted the other dogs to go away) mind you the other idiots had their dogs off leash and wouldnt call them back but apparently i was in the wrong go figure

I copped it from a dipshit who thought it was a good idea to unclip his 2 dogs from their leads while he popped into the shops, leaving them loose on the footpath. I had to pass on a fairly narrow footpath next to a very busy road with my dog who has been reactive towards staffies in the past, so I just hoped that they wouldn't move as we passed. Of course both came running when we were a few metres away so I started to yell. Owner came out and got all pissy at me, said my dog needed more training.

Of course he was advised rather loudly and explicitly a) where he could shove his opinion and b) what did he think I was attempting with my dog if it "wasn't bloody well training you f***ing moron put your bloody dogs on a lead". Sadly for me while I was behaving like a total feral, my dog was standing calmly next to me like an angel, not batting an eyelid at either dog. At least one of us has learned to calm down

Generally speaking though I cross the road because I don't know how the other dog will react and it's not worth potential drama. Anyone who lets their offlead dog so much as look our way is told to rein it in or I'll kick it in the head. I used to care about being polite, but after nearly 8 years of working on dog aggression problems and getting to a point where walks are now pleasant I have zero tolerance for offlead dogs coming near us. Works for us, we haven't had any altercations for a long time now and my boy is often the calmer dog when passing others on the street with makes me so damn proud :)

[coogie]

I just don't lead walk my dogs round the streets anymore. After Issy's surgery she needed to do lots of lead walking to build up her muscles, after one stress filled week of trying to walk a post op (so consequently not totally sound) dog calmly for a couple of hours a day I took to driving her to a deserted oval. We could barely ever get to the end of our cul-de-sac without being rushed by a Jack Russell, the owner would often be watching from the verandah and shouted abuse when I fended it off with my foot once. She got a mouthful but it had no effect - dog was still loose the following day.Every street seemed to either have loose dogs with no owner about,loose dogs with moron owners 20 metres behind them with no control at all; or dogs hurling themselves at often flimsy looking fences. I was terrified Issy would damage her leg and the whole experience was stressful for both of us,she is normally great with other dogs but had been on extended crate rest and seemed more wary than usual.She didn't lunge or bark but her body language was definitely defensive - It really annoyed me that we couldn't just have a calm walk in our local area but it just wasn't worth the risk. It stinks but I would rather go further afield and know my dogs are safe. I often wonder how people without cars or access to quiet areas cope.

[BC Crazy]

What is with people who don't believe in walking their dogs on leads ????? I just don't get it. For the dogs safety & to save a lot of heart ache, why on earth can't they just

use a lead. It is not that difficult & can save so much trouble & even save a dogs life. It drives me crazy. I walk my 2 on lead, trying to teach them to behave, walk nicely blah, blah

blah & along comes an out of control, "off leash" dog or dogs & usually walking well behind is the "responsible" owner screaming, "there friendly"..... I get so angry. That my 2

get upset, mostly Stella, she usually looses it & it takes me ages to calm her down. When the whole scenario could have been totally avoided with a little common sense.

Then there's the 2 'really well trained 'BC's that a local guy own's that didn't need leashes cause they were just sooo obedient. Even when they crossed the street.... Now he just has 1 BC

doesn't he

[Diva]

Diva I have often said I want to buy Lucy a rottie suit. Unfortunately my 8.5kg girl is going to come off second best with most dogs. If I say she doesn't like other dogs people don't care because they know their heffalump can take her one.

If I had small dogs I don't think I could walk them at all where I do, I would be too worried. It was enough of a worry when I had a geriatric.

Mine quite like other dogs, but we have had a pair of unaccompanied GSDs attack the youngest when she was about 6 months and be fought off by my older dog, a stafffy mix break through its front wire door to cross the street and attack, requiring the help of a complete stranger driving by to get it off, 2 pitties stalk us down a street, another off lead staffy mix with a kid owner attack the oldest , a bullmastiff and sharpei bail us up in our own driveway- this is over a couple of years but each time mine were on lead in an on lead area, and the others loose. Doesn't even count the friendly loose dogs. Ridiculous. Doesn't happen as much now that they are mature, I think the bullies think twice about taking them on.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Diva

[Staffyluv]

Dogs don't need a social life, but some very much enjoy it.

Agree.. My old stafford was more than content in his life with the human family, his daily walks and meals. He wasn't fond of other dogs in his space, so that is how he lived.

I think Zig would be devastated if he didn't get a chance to have a play now and again.

I used to let him (before I knew better) have a big run at the dog park with any dog. Now, we socialise with a few dogs that he plays well with - they mostly have the same play style (but he does change the way he plays, depending on other dogs that turn up).

I will pull him out and take him home if other dogs turn up and he gets overly excited.

He also loves the bit of play he gets before obedience class for about 10 minutes.

Sadly there will always be people with dogs who either don't care or don't know any better - it is up to us to look after our dogs as best we can.

I tend to walk Zig (and did with Ollie as well) early in the morning - we don't see many dogs out and about around 6am - 7am.

[Pjrt]

I am so grateful these days to have a nice park across the road where most days we can take a relaxed stroll along the riverbank with the place to ourselves. I have always taught my dogs that hanging out with other dogs isn't really their main priority in life. I don't really understand the mentality. I teach them to interact with dogs but not be expected to be allowed to run up and jump all over other dogs or 'play' with every other dog. That would be like me running up & down the street joyfully roughing up other peoples hair and hugging them without permission..... It just isn't right!

I guess I'm lucky to have 2 dogs with fairly low exercise requirements now. I have had to dodge the loonies in the past with dogs needing more exercise and it is quite stressful sometimes isn't it.

[kayla1]

I haven't walked my dogs around the local streets for a long time now, I know of too many attacks in this local area alone to risk it.

For on lead walking I drive to quiet areas or open spaces with good visibility so I can keep track of approaching dogs. This works well most of the time, except for when irresponsible owners allow their dogs to run the entire length of the oval to get to mine - but at least I can see them coming and it gives me a bit of time. For off lead time, I give them a run on private property.

[Cosmolo]

My dogs socialise regularly- with clients dogs, friends dogs and there are times at the beach or simliar where they can interact freely with others there but generally they choose not to as they are retrieving and swimming.

I have no desire for them to socialise with strange dogs in an uncontrolled way. I have seen what happens when things go wrong and heard about many dreadful situations. I don't want to increase my risk of that happening to my dogs by allowing random interactions.

It is very hard to get the message across to dog and puppy owners with regards to what's acceptable between dogs and what's not and why dogs should pay more attention to you than to other dogs.

[PuddleDuck]

I'll never forget years ago when I was walking doof down one side of the road and saw a lady with an off lead flat coated retriever walking up the opposite side. Doof was on lead and ignored it but the retriever saw us and came tearing over for a play....right into the path of a car, and got slammed pretty hard and hurt his lag badly. The woman driving the car was hysterical and I tied doof up and went running over to help the dog when his owner turned around and started screaming at me for walking my dog 'near' hers and it was our fault he got hit. Then dragged him off on 3 legs

It taught me a valuable lesson, I had used to walk doof off leash occasionally and he has an incredibly reliable heel off lead, but I realised all it took was for him to see something more interesting on the other side of the road and take off and be killed. He has never been walked around the streets offleash since and I always freak out seeing other dogs off lead. I do love walking offleash, but it's not worth the risk

[PuddleDuck]

Gremlins

Edited March 25, 2013 by PuddleDuck

[Loving my Oldies]

Sorry folks, but "neutralising" sounds as though they have had a lobotomy :laugh:

[Kavik]

Walk fun we had today - Zoe was rushed and almost attacked by a cat (yes that's right! It came running at us and was about to attack us, I had to shoo it off!) and and off lead dog annoyed us while I was walking the others, outside its yard on a major highway, which I had to cross to get away from it.

[gsdog2]

Hopefully positive experiences outweigh the negative. I was training Indi (off lead) in the park today. A gentleman with a Lab (on lead) stood nearby and watched. When I finished I put Indi back on lead and had a quick chat with the gentleman. I call him a gentleman because he asked if he could approach me so his (large male) Lab could meet Indi. When I said I would prefer not, he respected my request and we continued our chat without our dogs "socialising".

I prefer Indi doesn't interact with dogs she doesn't know as I trial her and would prefer she doesn't view dogs unknown to her as a chance to leave me to play with them.

Definately one of the more positive experiences today :)

[*kirty*]

I've had several nasty experiences when walking my dogs, and am always on the lookout for approaching dogs or loose dogs. But its amazing how much more nervous I am since I got the Iggies. My big dogs at least can defend themselves, the Iggies wouldn't stand a chance. I always walk them with my big dogs and am thinking about carrying a stick too.

[Cosmolo]

I understand that too Kirty. Since getting Gilbert (JRT) there is an extra awareness.

[ncarter]

i have met a subordinate amount of people, walking my dogs on the street who want our dogs to meet and play and say hello, just because they are similiar sized SWF's. They normally use those hideous extender leads. I dont see the need for it as my dogs are only interested in a quick sniff and then continuing. The other group i met is the bull breed/kelpie/BC group or general medium size X breed dog group, the dog is generally under 18 months old and the owners are generally young and they make an arse of themselves with an uncontrolled dog at the dog park and you dont see them again after a while.

Edited March 25, 2013 by ncarter