Walking my puppy this weekend I have bumped into two different people with what can only be described as unpleasant dogs.
The first one was very reasonable, a clearly responsible owner who quickly put her dog on a lead and changed direction. We bumped into her again later and her dog muzzled wanted to attack us, it was very aggressive. She did everything she could to stop this though. She was very apologetic and I felt sorry for her having to be hyper vigilant all the time.
The second owner had an alsation who bared its teeth at us and tried to lunge. We hung back and, mystifyingly, she slowed down. We changed route and she seeme to follow us. I couldn't understand this. She looked at us as though we were being unreasonable.
Both dogs seemed very unpleasant and it just made me wonder how people with dogs who are aggressive feel about being out and about with them, about having people over to their houses. Do people feel stuck with them, or do they still get pleasure with a dog they have to muzzle.
AIBU?
Unpleasant dogs
Revolvingwhore · 25/09/2022 19:37
Am I being unreasonable?
79 votes. Final results.
POLLCatGrins · 25/09/2022 19:47
Also lots of dogs just don't like puppies!
Revolvingwhore · 25/09/2022 19:49
Yeah I definitely get that. But the first dog was muzzled and harnessed like Hannibal Lector and it really made me wonder if a dog like this feels more like a life sentence.
CatGrins · 25/09/2022 19:47
Also lots of dogs just don't like puppies!
Revolvingwhore · 25/09/2022 19:49
Yeah I definitely get that. But the first dog was muzzled and harnessed like Hannibal Lector and it really made me wonder if a dog like this feels more like a life sentence.
CatGrins · 25/09/2022 19:47
Also lots of dogs just don't like puppies!
SirSniffsAlot · 25/09/2022 19:53
her dog muzzled wanted to attack us
A dog that is visibly aggressive is - almost always - a dog that DOESN'T want to attack. That's why they are expending so much energy warning you.
If you wanted to attack someone you wouldn't yell: "I want to attack you!" from afar, giving them a chance to get away. It's counter productive.
A dog that is barking and snarling is, almost certainly, communicating that they need more space to feel safer. They are using communication to reduce the chances of 'having to' attack anyone.
It's important for all dog owners to know that, because the chances are reasonable that you will see a degree of similar behaviour from your puppy sooner or later. Even if just fleeting and at a lower level, as they mature. It's best you know what it is, so you can help them through it.
SirSniffsAlot · 25/09/2022 20:01
Yeah, this one would have bit if the muzzle wasn't there. He tried very hard to.
If true, that does not mean he wanted to attack. It means he believed an attack was the only way to stay safe.
That's why I believe all dog owners need a better understanding of reactivity and aggressive behaviour. Especially those raising puppies. It's almost always rooted in fear and a safeguard against it is to understand early stage fear and support/train the dog so that those fears do not escalate to this level.
I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. I'm saying it because it is genuinely useful knowledge when raising puppies.
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 25/09/2022 19:43
All dogs should have a QR code on their collar and there should be an app you can scan to rate the dog out of 10.
Bottom 5% every month go up the rainbow staircase, top 10% get free treats from <well known dog treat manufacturer>
I’m joking…before you start typing…
kingtamponthefurred · 25/09/2022 20:12
That is actually a brilliant idea!
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 25/09/2022 19:43
All dogs should have a QR code on their collar and there should be an app you can scan to rate the dog out of 10.
Bottom 5% every month go up the rainbow staircase, top 10% get free treats from <well known dog treat manufacturer>
I’m joking…before you start typing…
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.