Who was unreasonable? Dog walking.

[Bearlover16]

Walking my dog up the field. Let him off lead for a run. He approaches another dog to say hello who was on lead. Other dog attacks my dog, bites him quite nasty on the leg. My dog retaliates. Owner rants at me that my dog should be on a lead and she's sick of people like me as her dog gets the blame being a bull terrier. I respond that surely my dog should be allowed to have a run off lead?
Who was being unreasonable? Should her dog be muzzled if it's viscous even on lead?

I'm a horse rider who only sticks to bridlepaths and people like you infuriate the hell out of me.

I've lost count how many times 'friendly' loose dogs have bounded up to my horse, a 500kg flight animal who doesn't fucking know or cares if the dog is friendly. Then the dog owner wonders why it's dog ran off screeching after being kicked in the head, and it's my fault

user6666

Totally agree. You can’t protect somebody else’s dog from your horse if it comes hurtling up. My horse badly injured a retriever once when it bounded over to us in a field I had permission to ride in and tried to jump up. It ended up being trodden on and broke a leg. It was a horrible, horrible experience. The owner was screaming and crying, totally distraught. My horse was completely spooked. I was terribly upset about the dog, and worried about the owner. It was horrific and completely preventable - if the dog owner had trained it or kept it on a lead it wouldn’t have happened.

My dogs are always off lead, but are older and do not jump or bounce on other dogs or people. As a rule, if I see a dog on lead, I always snap their leads on and move to the side to let the other dog pass. I always assume there is a reason and do it to keep my dogs safe. It is difficult for an owner of a dog with issues to prevent a bite when a dog runs towards their dog, and tbh, she was probably traumatized a bit herself. However, a dog that bites should be muzzled. What would have happen if it was a child that approached the dog? We pass many toddlers, and little ones on bikes, and I immediately put my dog on lead. Who knows how she will react now that she is older and possibly in pain with her arthritis? My dog was bitten in her first year by a dog on lead, that passed us. She was not jumping on him, he let her pass and then turned around and bit her. As it turned out, this dog had bitten two postmen as well and there were civil cases against the owner. It is difficult when you have a safe, well-socialized dog, but it taught me never to trust a dog that is on lead. Happy walking x

@Blanchedupetitpois

It is just awful, for us and the dog owner.

I know some of the not so friendly dogs and owners that still use the BP so if I see one I tend to divert quickly. Although I shouldn't have to!

Failing that my long dressage crop around the backside of a dog usually does the trick, dog goes away with its tail between its legs.

Owners don't particularly like it but that's tough, a sore arse is minor compared to serious injury or worse

YABVVU

I hate dog owners like you. I keep my dogs on a leash when out, one has been attacked several times whilst on her leash by off lead dogs with irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to run up to mine with no attempt to even call them back. Last time I was at the vet I saw the woman whose dog had attacked mine twice, she refuses to muzzle him.

Poor dog was getting stitches after the owner allowed it to approach another dog and finally a dog snapped and defended itself.

My dog is very nervous and every time an unfamiliar dog runs up to mine and the owner gives no shits a part of me dies inside. Control your Dog!

Peace and love, please? (Also, talk guidelines).

YWBVVU, OP.

I have a small rescue dog. She spent the first two years of her life being picked on mercilessly by the other 6 dogs in the household. This has taught her that other dogs are to be feared, and that she needs to get the first strike in. She has attached herself to me, and her recall is amazing; if I see other dogs approaching then I call her back and put her on the lead, stand to one side and tell the owners of the other dog(s) that she is a rescue, and nervous, and not good with other dogs. And yet some people STILL let their off-lead dogs come charging up to her, and then I get dirty looks and snide comments when she snaps at them. What more am I supposed to do?!

And like hell am I going to muzzle her and take away her only means of defending herself if people ignore me and she feels really threatened. I shouldn't need to. If people would just listen to me and keep their dogs away, whether by putting them on a lead or recalling them, there wouldn't be a problem.

Btw, the point about children approaching is null and void. Children shouldn't be running up to strange dogs any more than dogs should. And anyway, she's fine with children.

People like the OP infuriate me. There’s literally nothing worse than trying to enjoy walking my dogs or riding my horse and being pestered by some untrained ‘friendly’ dog that the owner can’t recall.

Plus a dog that approaches an aggressive dog clearly has no understanding of social clues in order to get that close to be bitten in the first place.

In my teens I had two dogs. One was a large retriever who who immensely tolerant; the kind of dogs that would let kids climb on its back etc.

However, he had the recall of a cat with a full belly, of that makes sense ;) he came back when he was good and ready thank you, you know, when he'd sniffed everything he was interested in, like twigs, poo, that plane on the Sky, every blade of grass...

Consequently, he was rarely, if ever, off the lead. But he was mostly tolerant of dogs that approached him, and people too (the worst he ever did was piss all over someone who didn't ask to stroke him, rolled him on his back to stroke his belly, and, well... I found it funnier than they did). I think cos he was a particularly large retriever, he was pretty confident and not prone to fear or nerves.

Anyway, one day we walking along with both my dogs on their leads, and this Alsatian approaches us and began jumping up on the retriever's back, trying to sniff his bum, and getting increasingly antsy.

After a good ten minutes of this my retriever was starting to get fed up, not aggressive, but clearly not the enjoying it. In spite of my "ffs mate" comments, the owner wouldn't, or couldn't, call it off.

Then the Alsatian began on my Labrador, who was smaller, and while it never bit in its life, it was considerable less confident than my retriever. This was the final straw for my retriever. It wrapped the lead round my legs as bounded past me, knocked the Alsatian on its back to the ground. Then from somewhere in it's gut it growled like I'd not heard him before.

The Alsatian went very quiet. I pulled my dog off it, and it ran back to its owner, who was finally coming over. The owner began with "wtf whys your f'in dog doing that?!" I was young and mouthy, has a sweat at home and walked off.

The point of this laboured story is that there are many reasons why owners have their dogs on leads, and even a usually calm and tolerant dog will react. That dog and it's owner was lucky that my dog had self control. I'm thankful that he did too.

Every owner has a responsibility to make sure their dog doesn't interact with dogs and people in ways that might frighten/provoke them. Don't blame others, take responsibility for yourself.

YOU!!

My god the number of times I’ve had this argument with walkers with offlead dogs allowing them to rush up to my onlead dogs. It’s incredibly rude. Yes your dog in entitled to offlead time but that doesn’t give you the right to just let him roam anywhere. Keep him away from onlead dogs. If you can’t recall him away from them then put him on a lead when you see other dogs. It’s not a difficult rule to follow. I’m so frustrated that people can be so entitled—we all have to share the space. Your dog is not entitled to do whatever he wants just because he’s offlead.

I have two labs, they have a LOT of off lead exercise and they are well trained enough to come back to me immediately when called.
I know I can have them walk to heel past on lead dogs, but to be honest, I always put them back on leads. I always worry that the 'on lead' walker does not know that mine will be good, so why worry them when it is so easy to just leash them for a couple of minutes?

Unbelievable that the op is STILL blaming the other dog/owner. Bog standard dog walking etiquette, keep your fucking dog away from others unless you know it’s friendly. Mine have the right not to be harassed. They don’t like other dogs ever since one was attacked as a puppy. And please, get lost with your ‘what if it had been a child?’ bollocks. Mine are reactive to DOGS, not humans. They love children. Dog owners like you make my walks far more stressful.

For a pp saying dogs who react to other dogs are poorly trained, do educate yourself. Mine are trained to voice, whistle and hand signals. I’ve been asked on multiple occasions to help others train theirs.

My dogs are reactive...They are soft Spaniels who only want to play with each other and their ball..they do not like other dogs coming up and sniffing them..especially running and bounding up..they go on the defensive straight away. I leash them both when I see another dog in the hopes that the owner will get the message. It works 90% of the time..Please don’t let your dog run over and ‘greet’ other dogs..it’s so stressful.

Omg, are you me?!

You were unreasonable

Oh you are part of the "oh but my dog is friendly" brigade . Yabu . Keep your dog under control . And no the other dog doesn't need to be muzzled

On lead until you have rock solid recall. I'd be annoyed if I was her too - she could have a damaged rescue who is severely set back by things like this.

@Bearlover16 no they don't ! Dogs shouldn't be running towards or approaching a dog on a lead. Are you actually stupid ??

@peonylover123 I totally agree with you. If it was a chikd everyone would be in uproar demanding this dog me muzzled. It is no dofferent just because it was a dog. If the dog is vicious and bites it should be mimizzled.

I agree with others that you were at fault for allowing an off lead dog to approach an on lead dog.

Agree with all comments on here as an owner of a reactive, rescue dog that is kept on a lead to protect your dog from getting hurt. You are responsible for yours so either put it on a lead or train it to come back.

I cannot cope with the stupidness on this thread.
Your poor dogs.

You were massively unreasonable. Dogs are usually on leads for a reason - no recall, recovering from an operation, reactive / frightened of other dogs. If you see a dog on a lead recall your dog and clip it on a lead. If you can't instantly recall your dog it shouldn't be off lead.

I don't care a dog is friendly and "only wants to play". My dog doesn't. One irresponsible dog owner can undo months of careful training or lead to thousands in vet fees.

@TopBitchoftheWitches who's poor dogs ?

Was it not obvious from the other dog's body language that he wasn't friendly? There would have been warning signs before he attacked your dog; tensing up, baring his teeth etc, at which point you should have noticed and called your dog away. If he's not trained to come back then keep him on the lead.

Tbh the fact your dog retaliated instead of running away suggests to me that he wasn't actually being friendly to start with. A dog who was just going up to "say hello" would be shocked and run away if they were attacked when they were expecting to play, so he was probably already in the fight frame of mind.

I put my dog on a lead to pass other dogs, and often get a cheery "don't worry, he's friendly!" from the other owner, who's dog is literally frothing at the mouth to get to mine and does not look friendly in the slightest. It's shocking how many dog owners don't understand dog body language.

You can’t compare a child to a dog! If a child approaches my dog on a lead I can tell him/ her not to touch him please or tell my dog to sit and I can control the situation.
If an out of control dog runs up to my dog, it’s very hard to control the situation.
My dog (who is blind) could well react. Why should he be muzzled because of of other owners that can’t control their dogs properly?