t think if your small dogs are scared of big dogs, it doesn't mean the big dog has to go on a lead?

[Wolfbasher]

Once a week, my guide dog and I take my 8yo to her swimming lesson. To get there we walk along a footpath by a river, with some trees etc. It's quite a popular dog walking spot, and we often pass other dogs having an off-lead run around. DD and I walk along the path together and I let my guide dog have an off-harness, off-lead run around for 10 mins. Guide dogs need regular free runs too.

The last two times, we've coincided with an elderly lady with two very yappy, bouncy little dogs (not sure of breed). The lady looks quite frail and seems to have trouble managing the dogs. They jump up at her and pull and wind around her legs and bark continuously, so she looks like she is struggling.

This morning, she got cross with me and shouted that 'a dog like that should be on a lead'. My dog wasn't anywhere near her dogs, she was trotting along sniffing around the trees on the river bank. Admittedly, her dogs were jumping and barking and straining at their leashes. She said they were afraid of big dogs and mine should go on a lead.

Am I wrong to think that isn't my dog's fault? She wasn't bothering them, she was at least 20 yards away all the time. Usually she likes meeting other dogs on free runs, but she steered clear of these two. I did explain that my dog was a guide dog, which I think she took on board and perhaps found reassuring. I don't want to cause her stress or anxiety - but neither do I want to deprive my well-behaved dog of her free run (we are limited in where we can get to for these, for obvious reasons) because these other dogs aren't well controlled.

AIBU?

Tabula Have a look at the Yellow Dog Project. It's a relatively new idea but i really hope it takes off

www.yellowdoguk.co.uk

I had a giant St Bernard type dog who was always on the lead because of recall. He hated small dogs yapping at his knees. He just gave them dirty looks though.

I've normally observed small dogs getting away with bad behaviour than big dogs. You can't let a giant dog get away with jumping up when they put their paws on people's shoulders!

Dog time is very important for a guide dog's well being.

Fair enough if your dog doesn't bother other dogs but please don't let it go up to a dog on a lead.

If your dog did that to my dog my dog would be come very aggressive towards yours as it would feel threatened. If I thought there was about to be a dog fight Id drop the lead and in that situation there's a fair chance my dog would attack yours.

Normal dog etiquette is you see a dog on a lead you put yours on a lead. That's what I've read on here before and it's what I do. Guess it's different if your dogs recall is 100%. My dog wouldn't go right up to a leashed dog but I know he'd stand a bit away and bark and growl so I call him back and put him in his lead.

SweetValentine - I know about it...I figure anyone not noticing the baby blue muzzle on the black dog and me actually speaking to them isn't that likely to take much notice of that either.

I have a JR terrier who has to be on a lead as she had awful recall. We have a huge garden so she gets plenty of off lead exercise

She may appear aggressive to large dog owners as she was attacked by a black lab 2 years ago. It was horrific, and I will never forget the noise she made at the time

So whilst she's very friendly with small dogs as soon as she spies a big dog whos not on a lead, despite huge assurances from me, she goes into fight mode. I absolutely hate it when big dogs come bounding up to us and my little dog seems to get the blame for trying to protect herself.
OP I don't think you are doing anything wrong- your dog is under control.

I walk a small yappy dog who HATES other dogs, in particular Labradors, but other dogs too. He also has terrible recall and likes to chase small mammals down holes, so he is only allowed off the lead in fenced in places when there are no other dogs about.

He frequently barks at guide dogs, it is very embarrassing.

One of mine went through a phase of barking at old ladies. If you were female and over 75 you were deemed a threat. I share your shame.

in that situation there's a fair chance my dog would attack yours.

If there was a "fair chance" my dog would attack another dog in any scenario I would muzzle him.

Guide dogs don't fight, they're bred for extreme gentleness and sensitivity. In reported cases of guide dogs being attacked by other dogs, they never fight back. This thread is making me a bit nervous of how many aggressive dogs there may be out there!

I have a toy poodle who is quite nervous of large dogs. We go to an agility group and the other week a lady came with an Anatolian Shepherd dog (huge!!). It came over had a stroke from me then sniffed my little dog. My dog was scared stiff so the big dog just walked away and left him alone. Next a lady walked in with a yorkshire terrier cross that was only small, just a little bit bigger than my toy poodle. The terrier didnt waste any time and ran straight over and pinned my dog on the floor (my dog is 15) and bit his neck. The owner just said to her dog - come over here that is not how we say hello is it! I could have kicked her to be honest. The lady running the class had to come over and put it on a lead because it was now jumping up at me trying to get to my dog who I had picked up because he was shaking. The class leader told the lady that my dog was 15 years old and her only reply was 'yes he does look old'!!!!!

IMHO it isnt just large dogs who can be nasty. My friend has a German Shepherd who is gentle as a lamb with my dog! I dont expect people to put their big dogs on a lead off road as long as they have good recall.

Wolfbasher - not that it's hugely relevant, but I think you'll find that the ones that have issues with other dogs fail the training and are homed as pets instead.

A thread like this tends to draw out those of us with problem dogs, or experience with problem dogs.

Most dogs are perfectly fine with other dogs, then you've got dogs that are a bit grumpy and then a tiny amount that actually have bigger issues. You only get an issue when you get a dog with big issues who also has an owner who is a numpty.

My dog isn't aggressive, I mean most dogs aren't, they're scared or have some other reason behind their behaviour. But mine has a couple of medical conditions that cause pain and has accidentally learned that dogs hurt him, so he tries to scare them off if they get too close. Sadly, too close is if he can see them

But, because I'm a normal fairly responsible owner, he's never in a position to actually bother anyone unless they ignore me and his muzzle and let their dog run over to him.

The amount of people with a dog who has an issue with other dogs and also don't keep them under control is a pretty low proportionally.

I mean it happens, but unless you live somewhere with a lot of numpties, then it's not that common.

I have a 4 month old lab, who is very bouncy when off lead at the park. All she wants to do is play. Her recall is generally good, although less reliable the closer she gets to another dog. Seeing other dogs I know are good is reassuring. She goes on a lead for her own protection when there are unfamiliar bigger dogs around.

You can't take your dog for a walk at a park and then expect everyone else to put theirs on a lead just because your dog isn't social. Aggressive dogs need to be on a lead. Gentle dogs don't.

You can't take your dog for a walk at a park and then expect everyone else to put theirs on a lead just because your dog isn't social. Aggressive dogs need to be on a lead. Gentle dogs don't.

That's kind of what I think too, collaborate. I don't really have the option to go to areas where there are no other dogs - as someone with limited mobility through poor vision, I have to go to the places that are nearby, which are also very busy dog walking areas. There are always other dogs around, so putting mine on a lead every time another comes into view isn't really an option. But I don't want to get verbal aggression from other owners just because my dog is not on a lead. I will ask my trainer for advice.

It's not the lead that matters - the woman in your OP was just being unreasonable.

As long as your dog isn't approaching on lead dogs, it's fine. Whether you stop that by putting a lead on or calling them back is really no-one else's business.

soupdragon. But my dogs on a lead. Why should I muzzle him as well? If other dogs don't come up to him he's not going to attack anyone. So why should I muzzle him because other dog owners haven't trained their dog to recall and leave mine alone?

As long as your dog is under control (and it clearly is) then yanbu to have it off the lead, where it is legal to do so of course.

I'm a dog owner, and of course love dogs. The only issue I have with dogs off the lead is if they are not under control. This has nothing to do with size. There is a jack Russell who has attacked my dog more than once who is never on the lead and won't recall. The dog should be kept leashed and probably muzzled

I have a dog who is not happy around other dogs. She's always on the lead, but had been attacked by a small yappy thing, a jack russell, and some sort of spaniel. All off lead, and uncontrollable. She's a big greyhound, but easily intimidated. I think that many dog owners are getting more and more stupid, rude and ignorant

YANBU My small dog is afraid of big dogs but I do not see this as a reason why big dog owners should put their dogs on a lead. It is my dog's problem, not your's. My dog just gives a pathetic yelp and runs away so she's not in the least bit aggressive, just a complete coward. I am happy that bigger dogs approach her as I think she's gradually getting braver.

When the smaller dogs are being yappy and aggressive they are the ones that should be put on the lead. (And a lot of terrier-type dogs are yappy and aggressive IME.)

I once took our huge, but impeccably behaved, Great Dane into Pets at Home on her lead. We turned a corner to be confronted by 2 Chihuahuas who proceeded to strain at their leads and bark furiously at her. Minnie just sat down and looked down at them, tilting her head in a comically bemused fashion. The owner of the Chihuahuas told me my "huge beast", was scaring her dogs, as they continued to snarl at her, my reply was "she is just wondering how one of her shits has come to life" a little bit naughty I know but I kind of get a little fed up of the big dog being the bad guy all the time, I find big dogs rarely get away the kind of behaviour a lot of very small dogs do.

Withershins ROTFLMAO

I love GDs - great, strapping gentle giants.

My pup loves play fighting with a doberman and border collie (though the doberman is usually too cool to want to play). Both lovely social dogs. She's also been known to impose herself in a playful way on a 6 mth old Rottweiler, also a dog with a lovely disposition. A part of me wants her to get a few more growls than she's getting at the moment. I can't teach her appropriate doggy behaviour. She needs to learn how to play from other dogs.

I always check with the other dog's owner first though. I wouldn't expect to have to warn other owners if my puppy wasn't excited, bouncy, and wanting to play all the time.

Wolfbasher - I really hope you are enjoying have your dog and that he or she has made a big difference to your life. A friend has the same condition and I know how important it is for his dog to be able to free run in the woods nearby, having some well deserved "down time". And what a huge difference the dog has made to the whole family.

As the owner of a small dog, I'd say that if your dog was nowhere near the others, then it was just the owner being overly protective. But you might be happier calling your dog over if there are other dogs around. Also, lots of folk don't expect to see an assistance dog running freely, so maybe you could call out "he's a guide dog" and this might reassure nervous people?

hoping this is just the start of a great relationship with your dog!

PP I have his twin! You could do with walking with someone else and their dog, let them play. Or doing a dog class? I took my two labs to a Flyball class last weekend, which was fun for them, kept them busy, tired them out and socialised them.