Not another, ‘it’s okay, they’re friendly’

[thebemusedone]

There’s two Doberman boys that live on our estate, not in our street, but have now taken to being walked through it by their owners, as there’s a shortcut to a walking area now.

They’re littermates and the owners don’t appear to have much control, they’ve run off before or only the husband can walk them, even if the wife is present, them wearing haltis and being on the tightest, shortest leads.

They appear lately to have adopted a new strategy which is to walk them through the streets off lead. All great until my dog was on a lead, on our drive, waiting for the door to be locked so she could be put into the car for her vet check up appointment after only recently having emergency surgery and nearly dying, whilst both of these dogs charged through the street, onto our drive, at her. Whilst this is happening, the owner shouts, ‘it’s okay, they’re friendly!’

Obviously he didn’t know about her surgery but why do people still think it’s acceptable to walk their dog without a lead, out of control and then try and excuse it that they’re friendly?! Will people ever learn?!

Side note, I love Dobes but not out of control ones with the size and power to do damage to a recovering dog not even out in ‘public’ as such.

Grrrr, this really is a pet hate of mine! I have 3 dogs, all spaniel cross breeds. Soppy things, wouldn't hurt a fly but I always have them on a lead in public, simply because they can't be trusted not to chase cats & squirrels! Any dog can be 'dangerously out of control' if they are out in public & chasing/attacking other animals/people and not being controlled by the owners.
Why do people do this?? I hope your little floof is ok 🥺🐾

Urgh I dread this. Last time I got the 'its only a dog, love' from big bloke with big angry looking dog that I turned away from. He got an expletive ridden lecture back.

I hate this, just because your dog is friendly doesn't mean mine is.

They may well be friendly towards their owner but who knows how they'll be with anybody else. You can't ever trust an animal 100% because, it's an animal

It pisses me off. I no longer have a dog, but a family member has a bloody massive dog that’s a nuisance. He’s always shouting ‘she’s friendly’. If other people’s dogs are on leads, keep yours the fuck away, I don’t care if it’s saying hello likewise my kids are used to it, other peoples kids not so much.

We were out for a walk last week and I ended up saying I think needs to go back on it’s lead. The answer, oh no she’s fine, no one minds. Yes they really really do, they’re too polite to call out your shocking control and recall.

We try and avoid most walks, but were ambushed last week. We also try to walk a good way behind to disassociate ourselves.

@PennyDreadful66

I hate this, just because your dog is friendly doesn't mean mine is.

This, exactly this! I’ve tried explaining until I’m blue in the face. All I get is ‘well mines friendly’. Yeah, good luck with the vet fees mate.

Ooh this is cathartic

next time a dog owner tells me their out of control mutt is friendly, I'm going to reply 'I'm not though, so fucking well call it off'. I live in a place with many dogs, few of which have been trained at all. They crap all over the place and make a row.

You obviously know them quite well to know they're littermates. I take it the owner is someone you find difficult?

Troll - No, it was just visible on social media when one of them ran off and they were posting in a local group thanking the person that eventually found them.

So annoying how common this is, recall is so important for dogs for their own safety as well as anyone else’s! Dogs could be recovering, elderly or reactive to others, or it could be a child, it’s not acceptable to just let your dog do whatever it wants.

Duchess - Thank you, she’s getting there, she’s a young Lab so usually fairly sturdy and playful but don’t need her jumping/getting jumped on after 5 intestinal incisions and her neck stapled for a feeding tube removal on our drive.

on no defiantly should be on leads walking through the streets. I do think though that owners say don't worry their dog is friendly so as not to alarm you. my dogs really good and I've taught her to ignore pretty much all dogs now as she is really fast when she plays and unfortunately there only seems to be small dogs where we live. there has being the odd occasion though where she has decided to go over to a dog and the first thing that I say is don't worry she is friendly so they don't panic, it's not in a oh it's fine she went over kind of way. I then immediately apologise and retrieve her but for me it's to reassure them she isn't some big viscous dog.

@turtlesanddragons please don’t tell people your dog is friendly! Lots of people don’t like dogs/fear dogs etc. And you undermine the work that some parents do to warn their kids not to go near any strange dog.

I’m so with you. All 3 of my kids are scared of dogs due to years of “friendly” dogs who run towards them/chase them barking. I didn’t realise they pissed off other dog owners too but am reassured to hear it.

Dogs should always be on leads when outside. I'm so sick of so called friendly dogs.

One bit DH recently. It could so easily have been a small child instead.

I hate this! I couldn't give a shit if your dog is friendly, mine isn't I've stopped walking mine in dog walking hot spots because of this. I have my dog under control & he's never bit or gotten to another dog, but the stress it causes him when a "friendly dog" comes up to us isn't nice :(

@WaverleyPirate

Dogs should always be on leads when outside. I'm so sick of so called friendly dogs.

Well said👏 Here's hoping we get some proper laws soon....

My dog is friendly off lead but would be very reactive in that situation as he would be on a lead and it could all get nasty.

If you can't control your dog then they need to be on a lead. My dog has awful recall so isn't off lead unless it is a secure area like a dog field.

I don't care how friendly anyone's dog is, I don't want it on my property and they should properly control it.
Few weeks ago my 5 year old gave someone a stern about it. "Errr, do you mind, keep your dog off my garden, I don't want to play where it wees and poos. Eww. I'm allergic to dogs you know" in a snarky voice and flounced off. I couldn't contain myself 🤣
Said woman's had it on a short lead ever since....

I've never known anyone with a dog call "watch out, he's aggressive and will bite you" even when you know that's the case so "he's friendly" does not reassure me at all.

My poor rommie rescue would attack a dog in that situation out of fear! I don't give a rats a$$ how "friendly" a dog is, they should be kept on leads in public unless there's a specific dog walking area

Had a huge row this weekend with a huge bloke with two dogs that came running up to me and my children, jumping up at me with paws on my chest, sticking their faces in the sleeping baby's pram, sniffing at my 4yo daughter. I was shouting at the dogs to get down when owner strrrrrrollllled over giving it "don't worry, they're friendly". I told him in a ... Firm tone to get his dogs on a lead now and get them away from us, and pointed out that if they don't come back when called that they are poorly trained and shouldn't be off the lead. And got the predictable response. Fuck off, stupid bitch, and a new one of demanding who did I think I was I'm not even from here (I live in the Midlands but have a Southern accent). All this in front of my 4yo who was actually pretty cool about the dogs (I'm scared of them, she isn't, and knows to stand still and wait for the owners if approached by one she doesn't know) but became frightened by the shouting and burst into tears. I was then told I needed to look at my parenting skills, told once again to fuck off, and on his merry way he went to terrorise someone else.

The dogs were actually fine as badly trained dogs go. They WERE friendly. But (a) I didn't know that when they put their faces in my baby's pram, (b) being friendly doesn't make them clean and (c) I FUCKING HATE DOGS no matter how friendly or clean they are and don't want them touching me or my children.

It's ok mine isn't and I'm not too. Would work

It's ok mine isn't and I'm not too.

Is yours called Wellard & are you Dean Gaffney? 😆😆😆

I think people seriously misunderstand what recall is. I'm sure most owners think it means that your dog will come back to you eventually so that you don't lose it. They fail to understand it means, call it to you when you see another person or dog and put it on a lead.

If your dog does not have recall, keep it on a lead all the time.

Yanbu. My 4 year old is terrified of dogs to the point where we can’t even walk past a dog on a lead without him clinging on to me in fear because of ‘friendly’ dogs who have knocking him over, jumped all over him, snatched food out of his hands and chased him. Usually followed by an ineffective owner pathetically shouting the dogs name while they are ignored and then telling me it’s ok because they are friendly. The majority of dog owners are responsible and have control over their dogs but anyone that can’t control their dog with voice commands shouldn’t be letting them off a lead