I’m so tired of people with dangerous dogs ruining the park for everyone else.

The OP wasn’t talking about people with dogs on lead and under control, they were talking about dogs the owner has no control of, as I am.

So based on that I’m not actually sure if you’re agreeing with me or not 🤷🏽‍♀️

Actually, I do base my opinion on how people look, and if they look like they’re up to no good, not particularly friendly, of a certain age or sex that tend to be more likely to commit crime (based on statistics and a quick gander at prison inmate demographics, not ‘my biased opinion’) I use caution. That’s common sense. Nothing to do with race or origin, before I get jumped on.

Humans and dogs are different species, and I’m fairly sure dogs don’t get offended when people ‘judge them’ 🙄

Incidentally, how many fighting or guarding breeds have you seen that look typical of the cute dog image? Type ‘cute dog’ into Google and very few will be fighting or guarding breeds. So yes, certain dogs that behave in a certain way, also look a certain way, and act a certain way and for the safety of myself and my children I can and will make judgement on dogs based on what breed they are and how they look. I’m more interested in not getting mauled than I am in offending people with my ‘judginess’

Both you and yakkity are misunderstanding. Of course I wasn’t complaining about not responding in eleven minutes!

Look back at what I said in that message 11 minutes before. When I said about my response to posters saying ‘but the dogs were on leads’. My message 11 minutes later was a follow up to that, saying that poster hadn’t responded, who I had replied to hours earlier. And the one mentioning private parks who I think I responded to the day before. Common sense would dictate I’m not going to complain about 11 minutes at 11.30pm.

Do you want to go back and look at the times of my posts that I’m talking about, rather than the time of this one where I said they hadn’t responded? Christ alive.

Like you’re gong to kill a dog, you sound quite deranged!

@Maverickess I completely agree with you. I think picking up a small dog to prevent a situation is a responsible thing to do.
The irony is, if it stops the small dog attacking the big one, that in turn leads the big one to be less fearful and reactive going forwards.

I know someone who has a GSD x Akita. He is a big boy. They did so well with him, socialising and training etc but he was attacked when out by a westie I think it was. GSD is now fearful of all small dogs and they have had to change where and how they walk him quite substantially. And would also be one of the dogs the OP would against being in her vicinity… the irony being if the original owner had picked up their westie to avoid the attack in the first place, the GSD would have continued to be non-reactive.

I mean the ones picking up their little dogs might well be doing so to prevent a situation where your dog gets bitten, picking them up keeps them under control and stops that happening.

My little dog takes exception to snuffly snorty breathers having been hurt by a staffy before, anything that breathes that way she's going to have a reaction to, so I pick her up to prevent the situation - because I know how she is, not because I automatically think that the other dog is going to eat her and am clutching my pearls over a 'bully' type dog.

She doesn't react to any other dog like that, and in the same way yours has learned the hard way about small yappy rats, mine has learned the hard way about dogs who breathe a certain way.

It's not always because people are worried about your dog, it may well be because they know their dog has an issue and wants to prevent that escalating. But because you own a big dog you automatically assume the only reason for the owner to pick up their dog could possibly be because yours is a big dog and they're making assumptions.

You seem to dislike it when small dogs are not under control and come and bite your dog (totally understandable btw!) but also dislike it when they are under control by being picked up and thus prevented from doing that.

She also gave me precisely 11 minutes before telling me I hadn’t bothered to reply 😂

Yes, they really can.
Dog wandering about, sniffing, minding their own business, ignoring you = not aggressive
Dog baring it’s teeth, growling, snapping etc = aggressive

Dogs (with the exception of the XL Bully) that are aggressive are actually afraid dogs. They think they’re under threat by something - usually brought on by a bad experience or improper socialising when young pups.

They will (again, with the exception of an XL) give several warnings before actually attacking you in the majority of cases. A random off lead Rottie running over to a stranger in a park simply to maul it is vanishingly rare. As others stated, most serious dog attacks happen in the home.

I have an Old English Bulldog - he is really scared of small dogs, they bark at him and he doesn’t understand why. He is incredibly gentle with kids, and all humans, but is wary of other dogs, especially little ones.
he is always on the lead in public, even though he has better recall than DH & DC!!!
you can’t blame the breed, blame the training and the owners, but also, all dogs are, of course, animals and you wouldn’t ever leave them alone with your little ones, no matter what the breed.

Christ alive. You posted at almost midnight. Do you think it’s reasonable to accuse a poster as ‘not bothering’ to rely when it’s that late at night?

The point is there is no way people will know which big breed dog they come across is aggressive or not. What do you suggest? They ‘wait and see’? Not really a reasonable plan when by the time you find out it might be game over for their small dog

the fact is the small dog owners are taking responsibility by picking up their dog. You taking exception to it is a you problem.

i don’t think anyone has ever been savaged to death by a Pomeranian.

Again - where in the OP does she say the dogs she witnessed weren’t under control?
Also - OP has a problem with dogs she doesn’t like being on a lead as well.

If I was as anxious around dogs that are minding their own business as the OP is - scooping up her dog and children and legging it out of the park just because a dog she doesn’t like is in her vicinity, then I would consider that a me problem.

Incidentally, I had my first experience of an ‘off lead out of control’ dog yesterday when I was walking in my local park. My first experience of it in my entire life. A giant staffy came running over to me and my friend and jumped up at both of us. Owner tried to recall, dog ignored him.
Was it ideal? No, of course not. Did I get hysterical about it? Of course I didn’t. We had a normal life (I.e. not a MN embellished version) exchange where the owner apologised, said something about him being desperate to play with everyone, we said don’t worry about it and we all… y’know… moved on. No harm done.

Where’s the anti social behaviour from dog owners on here? The anti dog lot have threatened to poison and beat dogs to death with walking sticks or some such shite. Dogs are allowed to exist and are allowed to be off lead on occasion whether you like it or not.

The poster you have replied to has said why it’s not a phobia, and you have ignored that. It’s not a phobia to want dogs to be under proper control and to feel unable to enjoy a park in the same way when there are off lead dogs, including, to use examples from the OP, Akitas and Rottweilers. There are loads of examples on this thread of anti-social behaviour by dog owners. To suggest those on the receiving end of it need treatment is offensive frankly.

I don't think any dogs should be off lead in parks, but I'm not seeing what the dogs you mention were doing wrong? It sounds like you don't like big dogs, which is fine, but assuming they are all dangerous seems misguided.

I have a massive GSD who is ridiculously passive, but she gets lots of people giving her a wide berth purely judging her on her breed rather than anything she's done. On the other hand, I have a small whippet who everyone assumes is really cute and friendly, but she is still very nervous bites if she feels threatened, so is always on a lead and muzzled in public.

I was asleep you wally 🤦‍♀️

Like, are you ok???

@crumpetswithcheeze

Of course the breed affects behaviour, so does the upbringing. It's the same with people. The early environment makes a massive difference, but there are also genetic and behavioural factors at play.

You say you've "only read a few comments", so I would suggest that you read the full thread, because the OP did not return. It is hardly fair to jump in and give your two pennorth of "I agree" without objectively looking at the facts in front of you. It is unjust to complain about dogs that are being walked on leads, or dogs that are not exhibiting antisocial behaviour, purely on the basis that you don't like the look of them. It would not, after all, be deemed acceptable to judge humans in this way, based on their race or social status when they are just quietly going about their business and posing no threat to you.

Not all dog owners buy into the "fur baby" thing, but even if they do that is not the issue at play here. You can bet that the OP treats her tiny crossbreed as a baby a hell of a lot more than I do with my giant pastoral dog. I really don't see that comment as being relevant to this thread, other than just emphasising the fact that you have very little understanding of dogs.

I agree OP, only read a few of the comments, but it’s clear a lot of people still buy into the lie that breed doesn’t affect behaviour and they will be good dogs if they’re ‘brought up properly’ 🙄

This ridiculous ‘don’t judge my fur baby because of how they look’ is part of the problem.

I have seen no evidence of shitty-owner apologists on this thread. Just responsible dog owners, who want to be able to walk their dogs in peace, without harassment.

Although I would agree that the thread has been taken over by idiots 😏

If a dog is wandering about and minding its own business, then it is not a menace or intimidating.
Someone worried about an off lead dog that is doing nothing wrong, has the problem.

I see the poster I was responding to there hasn’t bothered replying, nor has the one who suggested OP should use a private park whatever that is.

The shitty-owner apologists really are talking some rubbish on this thread. We’ve now been told that you can’t complain or expect sympathy unless the dog, never mind that it’s an off lead Akita or Rottweiler with the owner paying no attention, actually comes up to you and snarls. Otherwise what’s the problem? Presumably if it does snarl I can just go to a private park. Then get treatment for my phobia of Rottweilers wandering around not under the control of their owners.

The OP’s done herself no favours by disappearing, but the thread has been taken over by idiots now.

The OP also didn't answer the question as to whether her dog was off the lead or explain what its own behaviour is like. A lot of these new designer crosses are dog reactive.

OP was moaning that "intimidating dogs" were off lead. She said in her OP they were "just roaming about".
They were not approaching anyone or attacking anyone. Her own anxiety is at play here, not other other people's dogs.

No, don’t want to get nit-picky thanks.

Just responding to posters saying ‘BUT 2 DOGS WERE ON LEADS!’, as if there’s no evidence in the OP of any off-lead issue. There was.

If this is genuinely how you feel, then you are very much to be pitied.