My dog is on a lead... why do other dog owners allow their dogs to approach?

[mypuddin]

My dog is always on a lead when walked. I don't know why but there's something about my dog which other dogs seem to dislike, other dogs always growl at her when she has done literally nothing to them. I once was walking her on her lead when another dog literally ran straight across a playing field directly at her and pinned her down by her head. The other owners are always surprised and say their dog has never done that before.

I'm very careful to keep my dog on a short lead when I see other dogs, but sooo many owners let their dogs come over .. if you see a dog being walked on a short lead why on earth would you let your dog bound over without checking first with the owner? It's really annoyed me today. My dog is a staffy so is already pre judged.. today she got growled at by a labradoodle... once again the owner was all "ooo she's never done that before" ... well she has now and made my dog nervous again. It's very frustrating.

[mypuddin]

I've been told it might be my dogs ears.. they are always pointing up whatever the circumstances... apparently other dogs see it as a threat... it's just the way her ears are.. she's 12 years old and they've always been the same!

[billhubbard]

Sorry no answer but I understand totally .
I get the same , my d dog seems to bring out the worse in other dogs .

[billhubbard]

Ps. Mine is a staffy too .

[Xraydog]

Hmm I’m not sure about the ears thing, I have a terrier with vet pointy ears and, although she will happily scrap with anyone, dogs never see her as a threat. She is bigger than a staffie. Having said that I used to have a staffie many years ago and she was often attacked out of nowhere too. She had floppy ears and a dopey nature, other owners always seemed to think it was her fault simply because she was a bully breed .
As to owners with of lead dogs, they are idiots. I would suggest getting a bright yellow collar and lead with “nervous” or “reactive” written all over it, people seem to notice this more than body language.

[DeborahAnnabelToo]

I have a Staffy cross who seems to just antagonise other dogs by existing, so solidarity to you! But there are so many owners who don't seem to understand the rule that if another dog is on a lead, you shouldn't allow your dog to approach them.

[LionKingLover]

I have a staffie, dogs just seem to hate him.he used to be wrinkly when he was young. We were told by an 'expert' that his wrinkles offended other dogs. I found this ridiculous, however dogs really don't like him he has been bitten a lot. What makes me furious is that staffs are automatically blamed and called vicious. I keep him on lead and away from dogs now as he's been bitten so much, I really have no idea if he'd be good with other dogs, to be honest I wouldn't blame him for not liking them. However, if he does anything back he will be blamed straight away no matter the circumstance due to his breed. I now avoid going to areas where dogs are off leads as people just don't control their dogs. Dogs are on lead for a reason. With my other current dog if I see another on lead coming my way, I always put him straight on the lead too. I regulary see others let their dogs go up to them, some are fine, some growl or snap and the owners get annoyed. this really annoys me!

[mypuddin]

My poor little thing isn't the only one then bless her! TBH I was never a doggy person and inherited my dog many years ago (long story) and I confess I also used to judge staffies... now I have one she's the softest thing you could meet and extremely good with children. I think that's what annoys me too.. people assume she's on a short lead because she's aggressive... but it's actually the total opposite, she's on a short lead to protect her from other dogs... like yesterday's growlly labradoodle

[Crustytoenail]

My JRT hates Staffies - she's in the minority in this house because the rest of us love them! Friend has one that's as daft as a brush. My dog was however pinned down and bitten and shaken by a staffie when she was a puppy and on lead. I was also bitten trying to get it off. Unfortunately the result of an irresponsible owner, not the dogs fault. She's been defensive with dogs ever since, been socialised etc but has to be introduced carefully and slowly to another dog before she could be trusted. And unfortunately with Staffies she's immediately aggressive. One lives next door and she'll just about tolerate him, but I'd never trust her with him.
Unfortunately if she were to start a fight with a staffie, she'd probably lose because of the size and strength difference - but I'm under no illusions about who would have started it!
I keep her on a lead for those reasons, because it's safer that way. I do let her off where I can see there are no other dogs and she has good enough recall for a terrier that i can get her back when I need to. People still allow their dogs to just wander over and she immediately becomes defensive because she's nervous and feels trapped I think on the lead. I think that leads to the other dogs becoming defensive too and trouble can ensure! I pick her up now and I get people being funny about that, assuming it's because I'll think their dog will attack mine, it's not, it's to just prevent anything happening because I know my dog. She also has a yellow lead but people still ignore it, and me asking them to get their dog back. I realise picking up a staffie is probably a lot different to a jrt though!
I don't know what the answer is really, unfortunately some dog owners are irresponsible and there's not a lot you can do about that.

[Makesmilingyourbesthobby]

I have a Dalmatian and some of my other family members have other big breeds and some of my other family members have small breeds in my experience it's mostly the little dog breeds that are territorial and seem to have something in them that make them very yappy and aggressive around big breeds either when big breeds walk past their garden or are out walking I'm more weary of the small breeds when I'm out walking any of our family members dogs don't get me wrong there are some small little doggies around here who are so placid but the majority where I live are very much like this one family member has a big breed dog and a little breed dog who get along lovely but yeah she tends to be the boss even though she came into the family years after the big one

[pigsDOfly]

As advised on The doghouse in the past, when people allow their off lead dogs to approach your on lead dog just shout out that he's got an infectious illness, any illness of your choice will do: rabies, distemper, flees, just as long as it's infectious. Or just yelling she's infectious will probably do it.

Very likely you'll find that they're suddenly more than able to get hold of their dog and stop it annoying yours.

Where I used to live dogs would run up to my dog all the time, run at her, jump on her, knock her over, frighten her; she's one of the small placid type. Thankfully she was never bitten.

Where I live now, dogs seem generally much better trained. Also it's very quiet, we can go to our local park and not see another dog for a whole run.

I do think it's made worse when there are a lot of dogs around, particularly as some people seem to consider that if their dog has spent the entire time rough housing with another dog they've had a good run out.

[Steamfan]

A yellow lead or collar has never made any difference to me when I've been out with reactive dogs on lead. Even asking owners if they would please call their animals makes no difference, sadly. I've also been called names by off lead dog owners, and the only way I've been successful in getting some owners to call their dogs back is to tell them to fuck off with their dog. Not nice, not something I want to do - but needs must.

[pigsDOfly]

Yes, I know someone with a reactive dog. Long yellow lead, sometimes yellow coat with 'nervous dog' written in large letters on both.

Makes no difference whatsoever. People still allow their dogs to approach his - his dog is always on the lead - and are surprised/annoyed when his dog reacts.

He's also had to get quite vocal with people.

[stucknoue]

I admit my dog hates staffies but he's been attacked by them multiple times, dislikes boxers, rotties and other dogs with small tails. He doesn't approach other dogs though because he's an antisocial thing who only enjoys the company of spherical objects, plus he's actually trained unlike most the canines around these parts

[adaline]

I imagine it's because your dog is on lead and the others are off lead. Of course the owners shouldn't allow their dogs to approach but the dogs themselves are just wanting to play and are frustrated when they can't.

My dog isn't great on the lead - he just wants to play, but off lead he's absolutely fine and will happily run and play with any dog.

What is your dog like on lead? Does she react to anything at all?

[mypuddin]

She literally doesn't react to other dogs, she walks past other dogs showing no interest, she doesn't even try to pull towards other dogs. Yesterday's situation, we were walking, labradoodle comes over sniffing, my dog sniffed back the the labradoodle started growling. My dog didn't growl back at all just stepped back and the labradoodle owner pulled that dog back saying "ooo she's never done that before". If my dog was at all aggressive I would walk her wearing a muzzle, but not once has she been aggressive in the more than 8 years I've had her. She literally is a big softie! She barks at next doors cat when she sees it through the window but if she's in the garden and the cat ventures in , she runs to me and stands next to me while she barks at it... it's funny... like she's brave enough to shout at the cat but I'm her back up in case the cat starts anything! she also barks at frogs bizarrely! But she doesn't bark at other dogs.

[mypuddin]

@adaline so you allow your dog off lead to run up to dogs that are on a lead? Why would you do that?

[mypuddin]

I think some of you are misinterpreting my OP, the issue isn't my do being aggressive when dogs approach her, my dog isn't at all aggressive with other dogs, the issue is that for some reason other dogs growl and are aggressive to my dog. From others posts it clearly is something that happens to other people's dogs too.

[adaline]

so you allow your dog off lead to run up to dogs that are on a lead? Why would you do that?

Hang on, where did I say that?

I said that if my dog is on-lead and he encounters off-lead dogs, he will react. However if he meets the same dog and they're both off-lead, he's absolutely fine and will happily run about and play with them.

If he's off the lead and I see another dog on-lead, my dog is recalled and put back on his lead straight away.

I think other dogs are reacting/aggressive towards your dogs because they are frustrated and they want to play with your dog, and they can't. If your dog doesn't react and isn't aggressive, is there any reason why you don't let her off the lead to play and socialise?

[LolaSmiles]

Because there are some irresponsible owners out there.

As ever on dog threads, most are responsible and some are irresponsible.

[mypuddin]

@adaline you said My dog isn't great on the lead - he just wants to play, but off lead he's absolutely fine and will happily run and play with any dog.

[mypuddin]

Posted too soon.. which I took to read when your dog is off lead it will run and play with any dog ... so I assumed you let it run and approach any dog. Apologies if I misinterpreted what you said.

[mypuddin]

I don't allow her to run off lead because she has been attacked on several occasions by other dogs and I know all to well that as a staffy she is naturally strong and if she was to attack back I would expect the other dog would come off much worse. I'm being responsible by keeping her on lead. When we are rural and there's nothing about she is on a long extendable lead. We also have a big garden which of course she has free range of.

[kunderscorej]

My dog has 'one of those faces' too, some dogs just take offence at him. One in particular we sometimes see at local park hates him. He's attacked him twice now, most recently this morning. Luckily I saw the other dog, put mine on a lead, and sure enough as soon as the other dog came close enough to sniff him he started trying to bite and scrap. I had to shout at the other owner to grab his dog while I tried to pick mine up and separate them (while out on my own with DD in pram I might add!). The owner gave a 'I don't know why he's doing this' and just walked off as I was saying it's not the first time he's attacked my dog, and he needs to put him on a lead.
My dog is not at all aggressive, did nothing to provoke it, it's very frustrating that other owners don't take their responsibilities seriously. I'm with you OP!

[mypuddin]

Thank you @kunderscorej ...?you understand! Hope your dog is ok.

[Binglebong]

Dogs will occasionally get their head down and completely ignore their owner, no matter how good their recall usually is! The infectious idea is a good one, I might nick that.

How easy is your lead to see? If a dog is on lead I will put my boy on immediately but it can be hard to see, especially at dusk or if the lead is an extending one (the cable is worst but seeing a dog moving around as if off lead is confusing too). A heavy lead that can be easily seen might make things easier for you, it may simply be that people can't tell.