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Original poster

To have assumed it was common courtesy among dog walkers

309 replies

SomewhereInbetween1 · 05/03/2017 17:41

To put your dog on a lead if you see another owner do so to their dog once they've spotted you? Especially if your dog's recall is a little sketchy? I've seen a lot of owners put their dogs on the lead at the sight of other dogs because they may, for instance, not get along with other dogs. But if the other dogs are off the lead and so still able to approach the one on the lead, it entirely defeats the effort. Anyone had any experience with this?

OP posts:
FairfaxAikman · 05/03/2017 18:24

No phrase boils my piss more than "s/he's friendly".
My girl is nervous and I actually have to keep her off lead at all times (except next to a road) as if she feels threatened she will move away and if she's on a lead she will react.
I only do this as her recall is bang on as is her heel.

I've found a bandana with "I need space" on it helps massively- even if people don't see it they are more apologetic (plus I'm covering my ass if mine reacts)

SquedgieBeckenheim · 05/03/2017 18:26

I hate the "it's ok, he's friendly!" gives me the rage. My DDog is never off the lead as he's too scared of other dogs and his recall is awful. I often have to shout to other owners to please call their dog away from mine as he isn't friendly. Have had a few nasty comments about it too. We try to avoid other dogs, but he still needs a walk! Countless hours with dog trainers and we've got him as good as he can be, but he's never going to accept a dog coming to say hello.

BiteyShark · 05/03/2017 18:27

TotalPineapple I have a cocker and he has been pounced on aggressively by dogs not on leads and quite frankly this 'all dogs can play together' is a pain in the arse when you are training your dog to recall.

Sometime I have to resist the urge to yell to the other owners that mine has a contagious disease passed on by contact just to piss them off. I don't obviously but it is so tempting Wink

HappyFlappy · 05/03/2017 18:31

Not just common courtesy - common sense.

If someone has a dog on a leash I assume that they don't want it to mix with others for some reason.

Maybe the owner is just precious, but usually it's because the dog is
1 - unpredictable
2 - aggressive
3 - over-excitable
4 - unwell
5 - a bitch in/at the end of her heat
6 - any or all of the above

And if it's an excessively boisterous, aggressive or unpredictable dog, I don't want mine anywhere near it!

BiteyShark · 05/03/2017 18:34

I would add another reason. Letting your dog think it's ok to run up to other dogs is a receipe for shit recall when you really need it. I don't want my dog thinking he can run and play with other dogs when out on a walk.

Slothlikesundays · 05/03/2017 18:34

Op your dog will never have good recall unless you give it the opportunity to be distracted by another dog and come back to you. It takes practice.
The social none reactive dogs should be allowed to be off a lead. Fair enough be annoyed if the owner is no where near or has zero control over their dog.
People who get annoyed with friendly social dogs because their dogs aren't social wind me up more.
There could be any number of reasons a dog needs to be walked on a lead.
Getting annoyed with the "mine is friendly brigade" makes me annoyed. Mine IS friendly and well trained so no. I won't put him on a lead when I see you because he'll go over for a look and come straight back to me.

SoupDragon · 05/03/2017 18:36

Maybe the owner is just precious, but usually it's because the dog is...

  1. Completely unable to remember how to come back when called
BiteyShark · 05/03/2017 18:38

Slothlikesundays but when you are out training your dog to ignore other dogs why should I have to put up with your dog in my dogs face because you can't be arsed to recall your dog. If he passed by without coming to sniff or jump at mine fair enough but to let it interfere with me and my dog is not on so I assume you would not care if I pushed your away from me.

TotalPineapple · 05/03/2017 18:39

BiteyShark We've met unfriendly dogs too, which is why ours is told to sit while I shout over to the other owner to check their dog is also friendly before allowing them to greet calmly. (giving them a chance to shout back 'sorry we're doing recall' or 'I don't like him playing')

Ours had an annoying stage where she would come to heel to pass other dogs but then bolt playfully when she got their attention, so we gave other dogs a wide berth for a while.

I just think maybe helping the red setter's owners learn some dog etiquette while it's still a puppy is probably going to work for the OP better than irrationally worrying about his cocker being injured in a freak play accident and trying to avoid it while it's owners continue to let it run wild.

In an ideal world we'd have a total range of colour coded collars for our dog's personalities and training level, or we could just talk to each other.

HappyFlappy · 05/03/2017 18:40

Completely unable to remember how to come back when called

Grin

Been there, done that, got slobber all over the tee-shirt . . . Grin

Slothlikesundays · 05/03/2017 18:43

Bitey I would call him back. He would come back. That's the point. He has excellent recall because he's been allowed off the lead. And yeah when he was a young dog there were times I couldn't get him back straight away but he's learnt. If I had put him back on the lead every time there was a distraction he never would have learned. Now he comes back every single time. Waits when told. That's how you train a dog.

BiteyShark · 05/03/2017 18:45

I have actually been in field with a trainer doing 1-1 training and dogs off lead kept coming over and interfering. The trainer shouted several times to get their dogs away but still they persisted even though we were pushing them away. I mean if people can't be arsed to recall dogs when asked several times then I despair. I now try and avoid people at all times on walks as much easier.

HappyFlappy · 05/03/2017 18:45

The "oh-it's-okay-he's-friendly" bridge are particularly maddening when their dog is a nine stone rottie and mine weighs 10lbs.

I don't care how effin' affectionate towards other dogs it is - if it can crush, inhale or otherwise kill mine without even realising it, I want the two of them kept under control!

robinia · 05/03/2017 18:46

Never even occurred to me to put my dog back on the lead when I see another dog on the lead. No-one's ever asked me to either. In fact most are more than happy for my dog to amble over and say hello - which she wouldn't do if the other dog was showing any agression.
No way would I have a dog, particularly one of her breed, if I couldn't let her off the lead to run around and explore.

altiara · 05/03/2017 18:47

Yes if I see a dog being put on a lead, I'd do so as well or at least throw a ball so my dog went in a different direction or something in an attempt to stay clear.
Where I walk if the dog is off the lead, it's generally accepted that others dogs may come up to say hello. If on a lead, there's a reason. On our local Facebook dog owners page, there's a lot of posts about the yellow jacket or leads (definitely yellow stuff)to say their dog is reactive and doesn't want to be approached. So I've been quite conscious to try and keep clear of dogs on leads as I've got a puppy who thinks playing with other dogs is just what you do and also because I'm new to dog life I'm making the effort to learn the code.

Spudlet · 05/03/2017 18:48

Oh my lord, it drives me potty. There's one guy with a big, friendly dog that I meet which is all very well except mine is generally on the lead as the fields are full of oilseed rape, which he eats with horrendous results 💩

This bloody dog has nearly caused me to be pulled over - with DS in a sling - several times. It really irritates me. So inconsiderate! Accidents and recall failures happen, and I can forgive that, but this guy just grins and makes no attempt to exert any control. Grrr.

BiteyShark · 05/03/2017 18:49

Slothlikesundays I am training recall and my dog is allowed off the lead but until he is trained he has to go on the lead when their are other dogs about otherwise he will run off. My trainer is very good and advocates avoiding people and dogs until you have trained them to concentrate on you and only you so yes the 'but he's friendly and thus I can let him run riot around your dog* is irritating.

HappyFlappy · 05/03/2017 18:49

He has excellent recall because he's been allowed off the lead

Sloth is right - you have to let your dog off while s/he is young and daft and still dependent on you for its confidence.

Half the problems are a result of people being frightened to let their puppies off while they are young. An adolescent or adult dog off leash for the first time just goes bananas.

Teach them recall in the garden at home - polish it up when you are out. Start early and do it every day.

BigFatBollocks · 05/03/2017 18:49

I would have assumed that if you have an unsociable dog that it is common courtesy not to go to the park etc so that those who are ok can run free.

HappyFlappy · 05/03/2017 18:50

On our local Facebook dog owners page, there's a lot of posts about the yellow jacket or leads (definitely yellow stuff)to say their dog is reactive and doesn't want to be approached.

It's a Dogs Trust initiative Altiara.

BiteyShark · 05/03/2017 18:54

BigFatBollocks you can have a sociable dog and still not want dogs running up to yours. If walking on tracks I expect dogs to be put back on leads for many reasons. I often encounter people on horses and I have seen people allow their dog to run up to it without any attempt at recall. I would imagine they would be the first to shout if the bloody horse kicked their dog.

Frouby · 05/03/2017 18:56

My dog is usually off lead. And I do call her back if I see another dog owner looking uncomfortable with that. But her recall is pretty spot on and she will walk with me if I tell her to.

She knows how to say 'hello' to other dogs. Usually she just ignores them but will occasionally show an interest. I do shout over before she gets to a dog on a lead that she is friendly and ask is she ok to come over.

If the answer is no then she is called back to me.

Half of the fun for dogs on walks imo is meeting other dogs. She has quite a few friends that she plays with. Some off lead.like her and they hooley around. Some on lead dogs she says hello to.

The only time she ever reacts to other dogs is if she is on the lead and others come bowling over and get in her face. I usually let her go at this.point so she can get herself out of the way. She is a whippet and pretty quick when she wants to be with bags of stamina.

It also makes the other owners think about working on their recall when she leads their dog to the other side of the field. I call her back when the owner of the other dog is half way across the field.

Next time they see us they tend to put them on a lead. Grin

NavyandWhite · 05/03/2017 18:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BigFatBollocks · 05/03/2017 18:58

Bitey!! Wtf!! Don't own a dog then if you've got all these unreasonable expectations.

Ferrisday · 05/03/2017 18:58

If I saw a dog on a lead in an open area, I would think they didn't want to be bothered, for whatever reason.

However, in your case your puppy needs to get used to other dogs and learn how to behave with them.
Rolling around and being jumped on is playing and a really good way for them to suss each other out.
Mine just sniffs, walks on mostly, stops for a play/run if they are keen. If owner/dog non receptive then I say "this way" and he follows me.

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