To think if your dog needs space, don't bring them to a busy dog show?

[WetDog]

Perhaps IBU, so if I'm looking at this the wrong way, please tell me otherwise.

We were at a busy dog show and fete today. Loads and loads of dogs, mostly getting on well, though there were a few skirmishes.

Several dogs had bright yellow scarves on saying "I need space".

I take it this is a sign you shouldn't pet them, get close to them or bring another dog near them. Great idea in principle, if you're say walking in the park.

But I'm just wondering why on earth their owners would subject them to a heaving field full of hundreds of other dogs and people?

I would have thought if your dog has any type of social or behavioural issue that means people need to keep away from it, then this is the last place you would take them?

Sounds like a strange thing to do.

trying to socialise them? maybe, I have a dog that definatly needs space and I wouldnt take her somewhere like that as she would hate it.

No I wouldn't take a dog that needs space to something like that. I'd be worried about making them worse.

I agree.

Sorry, YANBU.

I agree trying to socialise them. Perhaps they felt the dog was ready to be somewhere like that but not ready to be approached?

Or maybe they just didn't want people to approach their dog? (I hate people approaching my dogs and wish I'd thought of that actually...)

It sounds a strange thing to do, but perhaps they were being socialised?

Oh, and I know a couple of people with rescue dogs that definitely 'need space' but compete very successfully at agility, so there would be a good reason to take them to dog shows etc.

Probably trying to socialise them so that one day they do not need to wear their scarf.

In fact, my dogs are obviously gorgeous attract a lot of attention and this would be a good way of stopping that so maybe they just don't want hassling by little kids and are using them as a 'keep away' thing?

And if, OP. you can't be understanding of dog issues like this at a dog show then what hope is there?

midori cross posted!

It's a bit difficult not to "approach" a dog though when it's in such a busy place. Lots of dogs nose to nose as they're walked around the stalls and hundreds and hundreds of people.

Unless you kept your dog in a corner of the field you'd struggle to keep them more than a foot from another dog or a person.

These dogs were being walked around and being entered into competitions, not being kept away from people or other dogs.

Maybe it was just to stop people from petting them Midori and Littlemog - good point.

Though at least one dog wearing one of these scarves was with another dog without one.

Like I say, perhaps there's a reasonable explanation, it just seemed strange to me.

I think the point the op is trying to make is that there is no space at a busy dog show like this. If a dog is frightened of other strange dogs I'd be seriously worried that 'flooding' them like this would make them worse, as socialising a dog like this needs to be done in a controlled way.

But as some have said, maybe the ones you saw are not actually that fearful any more and are ready for this. Who knows?

But it may well not be dogs that the owners don't want near them - it may be people!

I would think a busy show is too much too soon for an anxious dog.