Dogs! Who was at fault?

[TheSpottedDog]

I was walking my dog in the park early this morning. She’s reactive and not friendly with other dogs so I keep her on a long line and stay in open areas where there are no people/dogs. So, we’re happily exploring a large grassy area when a dog comes running up off lead ... face to face ... ok for a few seconds but then my dog starts to get arsey. The other dog ran off. I get my dogs attention back and we carry on but this off lead dog comes running back ... this time my dog reacts straight away and tries to run after it barking ... poo bag goes flying, I nearly end up on my arse ... the owner unsuccessfully trying to call his dog back ... in the end I say loudly “Right! Let’s go!” And walk away with Cujo/my dog. I hear the man mutter something to his dog about “come on mate, it’s not a nice dog” 🤬

So I’m trying to look at it objectively- his dog was clearly friendly (and bloody cute! A young SharPei) and mine is the reactive one. BUT mine was on a lead, his wasn’t and he clearly had shit recall. So, was I at fault for being in a park with a reactive dog or was he at fault for not having control of his dog?

(We are in intensive training for her issues and have been for over a year, she’s much better than she was)

YABU - I’m at fault
YANBU - he was at fault

Why are you so upset? You dog was indeed not nice.

I tell my very friendly dog that those who snap/bark aggressively are not nice. That doesn't mean I don't think they've done anything wrong or are not lovable, they are just not pleasant.

Just like kids or adults.

Both at fault if you want to blame someone. Your dog shouldn’t be on a training lead for walks and that Other dog should have been on a lead.

I have a reactive dog. We walk her at quiet times and use a yellow lead with nervous on in big black letters. Unfortunately some people are ignorant and assume that because their dog is friendly that it can harass other dogs. She was attacked by a small dog as a puppy so is therefore very skittish around them and as she is a mastiff cross she could do damage if we don't have control (touch wood, not happened yet). I will never understand the mentality of owners letting dogs off lead if they are not 1000% sure their dog can be immediately recalled.

Glad you see the issue with the long line. They're perfect for allowing unreliable dogs a bit of freedom, we an extendable for ours, but you do need your dog close to you around other dogs. It's also really good to teach them that they see a dog and come to you, turning that attention away from the dog to you.

We have a jacket for our dog aswell and it works miles better than the collar did. People actually put their dogs on a lead when they see her without me having to say! It says "training" because I am actively training her around dogs but you can get "no dogs" ones. People notice that a dog is wearing a jacket whereas they dont notice a collar.

You just need to be a bit more proactive, there are alot of shit dog owners, that will never change.

YANBU, if you cannot successfully recall your dog then it should be leashed when another dog on leash is around. It is just being a decent dog owner imho.

Also assuming your dog isn't at risk of tearing chunks out of another dog. It is totally normal for an older dog to put a younger dog in its place. Something that perhaps you and the other owner both need to learn.

Just to add. I do think that if you own a reactive dog they should be by your side on a short lead. You then have control if another dog approaches.

At the point at which you saw this dog you should have got yours on a proper lead so you had control. A longline won’t do in this situation.

Fundamentally you should have control of your dog, ie on a lead, which you did so he was wrong

It's a non event really op,put it out of your mind,but if your dog is aggressive being on a long lead is.no good as in a situation you have very little actual control.
A dog our way,only a patterdale so not big,is very aggressive with other dogs and is kept muzzled and o on a short lead.
However one day as I walked past the lead slipped from the owner's grip and her dog jumped on one of mine and had her on her back and was at her throat in seconds.She was still on the long lead only the owner only had the handle bit.If she hadn't been muzzled she would have killed my dog,no doubt,despite me getting between them(I know you're not supposed to) immediately it wasn't enough.
So please consider a muzzle on your dog too.

Other dog was not on a lead, so YANBU in my book.

I don't get why you and other posters are making it an issue or looking for fault.

Nothing bad happened! You dog reacted but didn't upset it otherwise he wouldn't have come back and hung around.

The guy said your dog wasn't nice, at that time, which was factual. You could have told your dog that the other wasn't very obedient which would have been fact too.

But ultimately no harm was done. You making drama of a situation that didn't warrant a second thought.

I disagree that his dog was clearly friendly - a well socialised dog doesn't go hare-arsing up to another one face to face, then come back for more when the other dog is clearly uncomfortable with the interaction.

With the kindest will in the world though you are perhaps overthinking it a little bit, you're trying your best and you will unfortunately meet knobs who don't understand dog behaviour and body language, who have no recall and/or who think your dog is there for their dog's entertainment. Their opinion doesn't matter a jot.

Keep a few stock phrases in mind "We don't want to play, thank you!", "We're training right now, sorry," work on your dog's focus on you, keep it breezy and keep everything moving so there's fewer chances of a stand-off. 2-3 seconds face to face then "This way!", jam some chicken under the nose, about turn, walk off briskly.

You’re giving this too much headspace. You’re both in the wrong and you’re both in the right - no one likes dog-aggressive dogs, and no one likes badly trained dogs, so you’re both in the right for respectively feeling annoyed.

Nothing more needs to be mulled over, you can’t please everyone in life and you’ll always come across people you butt heads with. This situation really doesn’t require any introspection

Another with a reactive dog here. Always on lead unless I can see no dogs for half a mile front and back and side. Ddog has good recall. No incidents for years but will look at yellow lead/coat - trouble is until it's universally accepted and much more common a lot of people dont know. Usually I warn owners of loose dogs with a "mine's not friendly" shout. But I sympathise OP - I was walking Ddog on tight lead through countryside when two large dogs came barrelling up with no owner in view. I did tell them firmly NO! when they came up being friendly. Owner appeared a few minutes later and accused me of frightening her dogs who "wouldn't do any harm". I pointed out that I didn't know that and I was more afraid of my dog causing harm and that trying to separate three dogs in a potential massed brawl is impossible for one person. And what, when she'd lost sight of her dogs, would she have done if a dog phobic person or child had been there? No comment.

Well nothing actually happened, and from what you say he didn't actually call his dog back, so doesn't really have shit recall, and when told to come it did.
Some people just expect that all other dogs will want to play, which isn't the case. Mone is the same because he's getting older but still looks quite young so people assume he's going to be really friendly. I get a bit annoyed when people keep letting their dogs come up to him (he's always off lead because he has good recall and really doesn't give a shit about other dogs or people) because I know he will put up with it a few times and then he gets a bit arsey, and people get annoyed, but my dog isn't the one chasing their dog, so I just let him warn the dogs off. They usually take the hint from him, even when they don't listen to their owners.

The trouble is that you have explained that you nearly ended up on your arse and the poo bags went flying. If you'd tripped over the lead, or your shoulder bag handle ( if you'd placed your bag down in the panic) you might not have been able to control your dog adequately. This would be especially so with a long lead and if an unleashed dog came up close.

Your in the minority, as most do owners are able to achieve recall and can trust their canine. Unfortunately, the world of parks and etiquette seem to be devised around the expectation that dogs will be sociable and want to befriend one another. This is what I have observed, although I know little about dogs and don't have one myself. Other dog walkers, as I've noted, are not very prepared for a dog to snap at their dog, and they might lower their guard more because yours is leashed and so they think she is controlled. But if you nearly slip and the lead is long, she isn't under your management.

I have huge sympathy with your situation. My friend has a female dog who snaps and is aggressive to other canines. I have helped to walk this dog, and it is very difficult when other animals approach. . My friend has really tried, and has signed up to training - with four different providers - and the dog is still aggressive and the training hasn't totally worked. The dog, like yours, may be better-behaved than she was, but that is not a reason to be entirely optimistic about what she might try. I think you have to be vigilant and keep the lead shorter . Only you know whether you think she'd physically hurt another dog, but be prepared to take all the steps you need to in order to manage your pooch. Even if the other owner is at fault for letting his dog roam when it won't come on command, that won't console you if your dog gets into a scrap. It will be unpleasant for you, and walking your dog will be less enjoyable if other regular walkers have marked your pooch's card.

I'd hold on to your dog very tightly when you see another overbearing canine approaching. It will be easier in the long wrong than thinking you shouldn't have to do so.

I’m not intending to make a drama out of it 😂 I was just mulling it over and after initially being irritated by this bloke, I wondered if my own behaviour could have been improved too. Now I see I was partly at fault.

People might think I’m giving it too much head space but I have very little else to think about right now so I’d at least like to make sure my dog walks are as good as they can possibly be.

My dogs blind, I have a lead with blind dog on it, complete waste of time because most other dog owners completely ignore it and let their dogs run at us, 3 different looses dogs charged at us this morning and only one had some sort of recall but was only called back after he had ran full pelt at us and nearly knocked me over and terrified my dog. Every single time when I tried to explain why they need to call their dogs away I was told that their dog was just saying hello. I honestly have no idea what im supposed to do to avoid these idiots.

I could have written this ten times over. We have just adopted a rescue who has come from a neglected type environment. He’s not yet two and extremely nervous of other dogs and men. We’ve had him a couple of months now and have never let him off the lead because we don’t trust him to come back. Every single fucking time I walk him some other dog, not on a lead will come bounding over and start jumping all over him or trying to play. The owner invariably says “oh this one’s friendly” and doesn’t bother to pull their dog away. I’m sick to death of explaining my dog’s history and why he’s not ready to interact with other dogs, or at least he needs to do it on his terms. I’ve stopped being polite now I’m so sick of it.
It’s fine people having their “friendly” dogs off the lead, but you never know what anyone else’s dog is like and the reason why they might be on a lead. I don’t blame you for being pissed off. I am too.

I think muzzling. The dog of another friend of mine killed a pet cat. His owner kept him muzzled after that incident.

Although I really hate long stratchy leads. A man actually tripped me up with one at 6 months pregnant I feel on my bump. All because he couldn't pull his dog away from mine, and was blocking the full path. Him at one side, aggressive dog, squaring up to mine on the other, next to us and we had nowhere to go.

It happens op,
it is a dog, not a child
i would have thought him rude in your case too

it is just one of those things. I wouldnt overthink it. Noone got hurt. Lots of dogs have the odd squabble, but ultimately yours was on lead and his wasnt, so yours was under control. Neither of them actually attacked each other, so no harm done.

I know how you feel. Two days running an off-lead dog ran up to mine. I had mine on a short lead. Mine barked and lunged and I apologised to the other owner.
I'm still annoyed at myself for apologising as he knew the second time yet still didn't call his dog back, just walked on.

I now don't walk my dog in a park at all, just keep to nice quiet residential streets and when things are better I'll be able to take her back to the secure field where she can have a good run.