To ask what you’d think if you saw someone putting their dog on a lead?

[LionsShare]

I always think they don’t want me to go near their dog so stay away or walk further away from them.

When I was walking my dog today I put her on the lead because she can sometimes be reactive to other dogs. Mostly she’s fine but she was attacked and gets scared if dogs approach her sometimes and I could tell she was in one of those moods today so I put her on the lead as the other dog was approaching and started walking a bit away from them. The man kept coming directly towards me, he had a big husky so thought I was putting her on because I was worried his dog would be aggressive. He kept walking towards me saying it’s ok he’ll only want to play, I was like I know but my dog won’t want to

Am I unreasonable in thinking if you see someone recall their dog and put them on a lead you stay away? Not sure what else I could have done to keep her away? She started showing her teeth, she doesn’t go for the dogs just warns them away because of her fear, but I always worry about the other dog reacting to her and things escalating.

We have been going to training classes and she is getting better but doesn’t like dogs who jump around her still. Walking past dogs etc she’s absolutely fine.

Why didn’t you just say your dog gets nervous and barks.
He spoke to you, why didn’t you say something friendly back?

I put mine on a lead for 2 reasons - DDog1 can be reactive and she's bloody fast, the lead is the only way to stop her.
Ddog 2 is easygoing but I put him on a lead because he's sociable and likes to wander up to dogs / people to meet them and I know not everyone would like that.

I hate people who shout to tell me their dog is "ok" or "friendly." I think that's lovely but my dog may want to bite yours because she's going to have nowhere to run on a lead
I never understand that mentality tbh

@LolaSmiles I agree it's complex. My medium size dog has been aggressive since she was nearly killed (walking out of a pub on lead, picked up and mauled by unleashed bull mastiff). She now, five years later, is better behaved, but still thinks of any big dogs as threats. I've schooled her with lots of dogs (on lead) and she is down to a warning snarl if another dog crosses her scent trail.

However, I do walk her on lead unless I have a decent sight line so I can recall and releash for other dogs. I call ahead to ask people to keep their dogs clear - which well trained dogs do. Some don't and you never know which owners have control.

Unlike you I let my dog swim off lead - it would be hard for her to do any damage to another dog - but also because I'm either in there with her (sea) or in high boots (river).

My worst moment was walking my dog on lead when two large dogs came bounding towards it from nearby woods. Apparently with no owner. I told them NO! firmly and they did mainly obey. but still did a few sorties. Then the owner appeared five minutes later and accused me of shouting at her dogs. I am always more wary of what my dog could do to other dogs.

So what would you advise?

Pisses me off when people do this. My dog is on a lead because he can be a bit of an arsehole and does not like other dogs at all. He won't want to play so keep away please!

crosstalk
You sound really reasonable. The owner in your situation was out of order, but they'd have been out of order regardless because they were an arse.

My issue on threads like this is that some people seem to have the view "my dog is on a lead therefore you should all put your dogs on a lead too because it's rude otherwise" and then lots of examples of badly trained off lead dogs.
For example, nobody's told me why other should put their dog on a lead because I happen to put one of mine on around water if I don't want them swimming. Or why someone should be psychic and vary their walk on seeing a dog on a lead, or what happens when multiple on lead dogs need to pass. It's too easy to get frothy because of a minority of poor owners and ignore that some of the expectations are ridiculous

It's a convenient juxtaposition to create "fearful or reactive dog" vs "boisterous out of control off lead dogs" because it allows people to pedal nonsense that suits the outcome they want when the reality is that it's all a bit more complex.

Courtesy would be to not have their dog bound up to an on lead dog, which is fairly standard.

Agree. If your dog is well-trained enough to trot along without paying any attention to my on-lead dog, then you have a very good boy/girl and I have no issue with that. I don't expect every dog to be put on a lead as we walk by, I only want to be able to walk my dog in peace.

She started showing her teeth, she doesn’t go for the dogs just warns them away because of her fear, but I always worry about the other dog reacting to her and things escalating

Not read the full thread, I'm just coming on to say please act on this immediately and keep her away from other dogs.
She isn't comfortable.

My dog started out like this, I spent a long time not really acting on it, farting around, not doing much because people kept telling me 'she's just setting boundaries' 'totally normal' 'she's not biting' etc

It escalated. And because I had left it so long and it had become so ingrained I couldn't fix it no matter what I did.

I just keep her away from all dogs now and walks are much more pleasant.

Keep her away from other dogs.

Disclaimer: I don't have a dog. I'm just answering what OP asked in thread title.

I try to fuss over any dog who seems friendly. Owner swiftly putting dog on lead as I approach probably means they think folk are offended by their dog. I think this is very sad.

Because I mostly encounter dogs when I'm out running, I don't want nice doggy chasing me (I like nice doggy but I don't want to take it home). So being on lead is good, so I don't have to shoo doggy back.

I haven't observed what OP describes: one owner putting on lead & other owner oblivious & the dogs upsetting each other. But I very frequently see owners firmly keeping their dogs far apart.

I never really assume why they are putting their dog on the lead, but I will automatically put my dog on the lead as she has selective hearing and her recall is hit and miss. Generally I pop her on the lead around other dogs anyway if they're not known to us and then if the other dog shows an interest in mine I ask if they're alright to have a play. Bloody embarrassing when someone is trying to have a nice relaxing walk with their dog and your dog starts bugging them to play

Goodwinter
You're totally reasonable with that.

I think my irritatation comes from the expectation that it's somehow reasonable to demand unreasonable responses from all other dog owners because of the behaviour of the conduct of a minority.

Nobody should be allowing their dogs to bound up to other dogs, but me putting my well trained dogs on a lead and being told I should alter my walk direction because someone wants their on lead dog to have the whole path and not to encounter other dogs is unreasonable.

I've ended up having to walk my dogs back across a park towards the owner of a friendly but disobedient off lead dog before. It annoys me having to do a whole detour because someone is ineffective and making almost no attempt to control their dog. It's not my job as a fellow dog owner to create the right conditions for every other possible doggy personality and owner preferences. I don't mind if someone is starting their off lead training in an area known for off lead dogs, and I'll happily call mine to me to help them train their dog (there's no other way to train off lead around distractions than around other off lead dogs and distractions) though.

I think on the whole Im a believer in courtesy and common sense, but not a fan of placing undue expectations on others based on the temperament of my dogs.

Probably the same as you unless you've seen me put my ddog on the lead in a wood near where I live. Because she goes off for 10 minutes chasing squirrels and it's for mine and the squirrels sanity that she's on a lead

@VenusTiger I did talk to him and tell him why I’d put her on the lead. But he was already right up to me before he spoke to me and I was getting my dog and trying to walk a bit away from him before then. I just think if you see me put her on the lead and change my direction to move away you don’t keep walking towards me? But he seemed to think it was ok because his dog was just wanting to play. I don’t expect anyone to change what they’re doing but he could have called his dog back and walked past me instead of coming towards me.

YANBU. Even if you shouted 'stay away' there are still people who are arsehole enough to insist they know better and keep approaching you.

My dog is friendly but I put him on the lead whenever someone comes close because its polite I think? Some people are scared if dogs etc I wouldn't automatically think someone's dog is unfriendly because they put them on the lead.

People don't put their dog on a lead when they should because they are incapable of calling it or getting hold of it so they say stupid shit like it only wants to play. My GSD has been attacked numerous times when on lead by off-lead little dogs. I always shout (over the barking) can you call your dog please - and they can't - they literally have sweet fuck all. They are lazy arses who cannot be bothered to teach their dogs basic recall so the poor little sods don't know how to behave.

Why are the options still on lead or arsehole who doesn't control their dog?
Mine quite happily return to me on command and sit until whatever I want them to avoid has gone past. This is the norm with most off lead dogs we encounter on our walks.
People who are irresponsible owners will be irresponsible regardless of claims people should put their dog on leads because other people have a dog on lead.

OP
I misunderstood one of your earlier posts. If you changed direction and then he continued to approach then he's wrong for that. I misread it as you were expecting him to change his course because you'd put your dog on a lead. Apologies.

@LionsShare fair enough, I was trying to put myself in his shoes in that, he may have you either you or your dog was afraid of his, as huskies are huge dogs, and he may have wanted to prove his point that his dog is friendly.
It’s difficult in enclosed path situations I’m sure.

*may have thought either

@LolaSmiles yes I changed direction to try to get past them. We were on a big field walking across so I turned to walked down the field thinking he could carry on across and go past us but he just kept walking right towards me saying his dog was fine.

I don’t expect other people to put their dogs on a lead if they see me put mine on, if they walk past us then great my dog is fine with that. It’s when they still let their dog come over to us once I’ve put her on the lead.

@frostedviolets we are working on. We’re doing training and positive reinforcement with her so she is better around the majority of dogs, it’s just the ones that bounce around her which she still gets scared of.

My dog is unpredictable to recall. We have been to classes and had a trainer. She is brilliant other ways but just recall. So it is best she is on a lead. Like I have said so many public places have this notice .
All too often we have seen dogs who are off lead squat. Their owner is not near so doesn't clear .
Mine was a long time before she would paddle , but doesn't swim .
I still avoid dogs off lead. My own dog was almost attacked by dogs off lead.
I also had to phone the dog warden when 2 bull mastiffs would not leave the front of my house and were quite dangerous.
To me a dog on a lead is safe and the owners are responsible in public places.

This thread has made me think. If i saw a dog on a lead or being put on a lead i would bring mine to heel the other side of me and walk passed.

However, my dogs do like to play and greet other dogs and quite a lot of dogs (and owners) are looking for this too.

I don't want my dogs to be on a lead if they can have the opportunity of a friendly interaction with another dog.

I can control them immediately though and i can assess a situation and bring my dogs away.

If I see someone put their dog on a lead I assume they recognise my daughter and say thanks. She hates dogs approaching her. I've been teaching her, and she can now cope with one dog at a time, so long as it is fairly predictable. If it is excited or there is more than one passing her on the pavement she gets upset. She now calls 15 metres up the road 'excuse me can you keep your dog away from me' (or less diplomatically, 'excuse me, I don't like dogs') which is an improvement.
I also hope that the owner doesn't then want to chat. Good owners manage to walk their dogs without letting them approach clearly agitated children, but my daughter struggles to tell the good from the bad. She isn't scared of assistance dogs because she knows how well trained they are, and because they don't approach her.

As someone who grew up around dogs and owned dogs, I’d understand what that meant and not think twice about it.

If I see someone put their dog on a lead, I put mine on his lead. Just incase he decides to go for a snif and the other dog doesn't like it.

I would think they're being sensible in a situation where their dog will be likely to be a dog.