To be annoyed about other dogs

[Anewhope]

Every day we go on a walk to some nearby fields. My dog is a small spaniel and is obsessed with her ball. If another dog comes over she doesn't even glance at them, all she's bothered about is us and the ball.

Every day she gets mobbed by other, (usually bigger) dogs. It's not too bad if there's just one of them because she generally runs off and the owner can shout them back but recently there have been groups of 3 or 4 big dogs that come bounding over to us, so the owner isn't close enough to stop them. It happens every time, different owners and dogs.

My dog tries to get away, she isn't interested. But they end up all crowding around and jumping all over her. It's awful. She gets stressed and barks if there isn't any space for her to get away and I worry they might hurt her. I don't know how to stop it, I imagine it would be worse if my dog was on her lead cause she couldn't even get away.

Any advice? Would you say anything? Or do I just suck it up and let it go? Or change dog walk location? It's perfect for us other than that, she's a spaniel so needs that free, off lead time really.

Merrykegs but what you say your dog does and you do (take the dog away) is not what the OP was talking about.

Sorry, totally precious plus her dog bites. The OP needs to work on her dogs socialisation skills. It is not everyone else's problem that her dog doesn't socialise well.

Usually happy for my dog to play with other dogs BUT when I am training him and he is clearly walking to heel off-lead it really pisses me off when owners let their dog run over. People are oblivious, wilfully or otherwise.

fessmess you are correct but theres no telling these people. Same sort of people who let their kids run amok disturbing people in libraries etc I suspect.

Surely though the op knows her dog doesn't like other dogs so if she sees one coming she could recall hers and put it on lead and walk away.

I know exactly what you're saying OP because I've had the same thing happen to my dog and I think a lot of people are missing your point.

It's not about another dog coming along and sniffing politely or bowing to see if a dog wants to play, or being sociable in anyway at all. On the contrary it's actually very anti-social.

My dog is small and happy to play with her ball or just have a sniff and wander round the park, something she was doing happily when three very boisterous, very large dogs came charging towards her and started bouncing around her. They weren't being aggressive but neither were they being friendly and playful. It was more like the big kids in the playground surrounding a small one and just running at her and jumping on her.

I don't see why it's unreasonable to expect the owner of such dogs to call them off when they can see the one small dog is clearly overwhelmed and not enjoying their dogs' rude behaviour.

Like the OP's dog, my dog didn't need to have her fun stopped by being put on the lead, nor is she nervous or timid.

Sometimes owners of boisterous over 'friendly' dogs need to realise that not all dogs welcome this behaviour from other dogs. Doesn't mean that the dog is lacking social skills or friendliness.

Pigsdofly perfectly put. Couldn't agree more. They won't get it though.

I'm going to come at this from the other side of the fence.

I have a small rescue dog that wasn't socialised properly as a youngster, barely walked, and was lacking social skills to the point that he was a frustrated greeter that barked at dogs he couldn't immediately go and say hello to (eg because they were on the other side of the road)

Thankfully we've managed to sort the frustrated greeter barking bit out but he does still like to do 100mph greetings. I know this is bad dog manners, but my chances of teaching him this without him playing with other dogs are... limited. Thankfully, 8 months in he's finally starting to slow down when he's 5 yards or so away from the other dog.

I deliberately walk in very dog heavy areas do that he gets lots of doggy social contact and because any pragmatic dog reactive dog owner won't be there. I do keep an eye out for yellow jackets etc but can't remember the last time I saw one. I call him away if he's really overstepping the mark (eg lacking respect for older dogs that clearly aren't going to engage in a game of chase) or if the other dog clearly isn't interested.

But I would really appreciate it if anyone who doesn't want my dog engaging with theirs could use a prominent yellow jacket, or give me a simple "can you keep your dog back please" or "I think my dog has had enough, can you call yours away please". I do offer when I think it's a bit borderline. On a similar note, I often reassure owners of big dogs that are happy to play with my little one that he's not delicate and they shouldn't worry about theirs being a bit boisterous. If I know, I'll call my dog away, but I'm not psychic, I don't know your dog's likes and dislikes, and I need a bit of help identifying what you and your dog consider acceptable. If we all communicate it's a lot easier to know what everyone's needs are

When my dog was a puppy, someone's big scooby-doo fucker of a dog came over and tried to have sexual relations with him, and the owner didn't see the issue at all and refused to pull him off. SMH. Some dog owners are highly irresponsible. There's a level of interaction one might have to accept if walking in a park etc, but there have to be lines.

Most people ignore yellow jackets/leads. I've never had a single person respect it, in years of having a nervous dog.

I have 2 labs who as a breed are notorious for being over friendly and bounding up to people and dogs. I only walk them off lead in areas where off lead is the norm. What I have noticed is that when they come across a spaniel or similar who is only interested in their ball or squirrel hunting, they seem to realise there is little point in being sociable and inviting play. They get the signal and move on. I do think we underestimate our dog's ability to work out social situations as long as they have been socialised when young. But perhaps I am fortunate. I can see why OP would get fed up.

I suspect that a lot of people have no idea what a yellow jacket or lead indicates ThymeLord.

Perhaps what's needed is practicing how to yell 'call your effin dog off' in a very loud voice. Perhaps that would be more effective.

Even then you'd probably still get the 'it's all right he's friendly' brigade ignoring you.

punter it sounds like your dogs have very good manners , my dog has a few selected dog friends but doesn’t like other dogs interfering with him or his ball games , his friends know that they just ignore him . He often gets mobbed by other dogs who cannot read the body language and because he’s now had 3 altercations where blood has been drawn ( his once and mine twice ) I ensure that I’m never too far away from him and if I think a strange dog is going to harrass him I get to him first hold onto his harness and tell the other owner to keep the dog away . This generally works but you still get the odd twat like earlier this week where a huge staffy ( his least favourite breed) came bowling over and in response to my ‘ keep your dog away please’ the owner said ‘ she only wants to play with his ball with him’ , well that’s fine except he doesn’t want to play ball with her . In the end I just picked him up and carried him away .

Hang on MerryKegs, my dog doesn't bite. I've never said she has. I said if she's being mobbed by more than one dog she barks. That's it.

I do recall my dog, who immediately comes and stands by me. The other dogs follow her and continue jumping all over her.

Its not about dogs being friendly, that's never an issue. I relear, my dog is friendly. She just isn't interested in other dogs. She's well socialised and well trained with excellent recall. My dog isn't the problem here.

Pigsdofly you've completely summed up what I was trying to say - thank you!

You shouldn't have to put your dog on a lead if they aren't engaging;

No, you shouldn't have to, but unfortunately you do. I can't see any other way to solve it. Life's not fair.

You do purely because people refuse to believe that their dogs can be total pains in the ass. Which is utterly wrong.

Completely know where you're coming from and it drives me potty when irresponsible/lazy owners suggest some of the "solutions" I've just seen (because clearly the fact your dog doesn't appreciate being accosted by large groups of intimidating dogs means that you should be banished from the dog park and only walk your dog at ridiculously anti-social times of the day because it's YOUR dog's fault, not the lazy complacent owners!!!)

We occasionally have the same issue. Our dog has a gorgeous nature and loves to play, but she is wary of other dogs until she has "sussed them out" and will keep her distance until she's sure about them. I've lost count of the number of times some idiotic owner has allowed their large pack of 3, 4, 5 dogs come barrelling over, surrounding her, at which point pack mentality takes over and they start cornering her, posturing at her, barking, growling, trying to dominate her. Even when the dogs happen to be good natured she is clearly intimidated if multiple large, unfamiliar dogs have circled her and feels backed into a corner. Poor girl simply freezes, doesn't know what to do with herself and it's left to me to extract her from a very tense situation which often ends with the other dogs getting growly or barring teeth at her. Useless owner stood by doing absolutely nothing to try and call their dogs away, no apology, nothing.

I have no problem with another dog approaching mine if they are both off-lead, but when you are responsible for walking multiple dogs and you can see they are intimidating another dog, FGS do the responsible thing and call your dogs away or come and retrieve them. It's not hard.

Bloody selfish behaviour, usually exhibited by the type of people who say things like "dogs will be dogs" or "he's doing no harm"

Regardless of friendlinesss of dog, no owner should allow their dog to leap on and generally annoy another dog. My dog is old and unsteady. He may be trotting around the park, but if knocked, he will fall over. If another dog is too invasive, he will tell it off and he’s no longer as tolerant as he used to be. Some owners couldn’t give a shit what their dogs do, they’re on their phones, don’t see can’t be arsed to pick up after it then get all twatty when you ask if they can recall their untrained animal who’s annoying mine.

And if I hear ‘He just wants to play’ or ‘It’s ok, he’s friendly’ as I desperately try to get my dog away, I’ll fucking scream! What if mine weren’t? What if I don’t want your 45kg dog leaping on my 19kg old boy? Some owners are idiots.

Apologies OP, I thought when you said "snaps" you meant bites.

Completely know where you're coming from and it drives me potty when irresponsible/lazy owners suggest some of the "solutions" I've just seen

Is that directed at me, as I posted a solution above you?

I can assure you that I'm not an irresponsible/lazy owner and I'm not sure how you've got that from my posts?

That's ok Merrykegs, but I didn't say snaps either.

@Merrykegs it was me that said snaps. And I made clear in a subsequent post what I meant by that.
In my pub groped analogy it would be the same as you telling the bloke to "fuck off" - warning snaps come well after a lot of other signals that the dog wants to be left alone but can (though I've never had it go that far) lead to a full bite for some dogs.
Other posters have articulated far better than I have as to why "off lead=fair game" is an incorrect assumption
As I say I keep my dog off lead to help keep her below threshold- it does not mean she wants to play and if I ask someone to recall then I damn well expect them to do so.

I've been reading up on it all night. I wonder if putting myself between the other dogs and my dog in a kind of 'alpha' way would help? Or would I just make myself look silly?