I hardly take my dogs for walks anymore.

[MaryOnACrossss]

Because I'm so sick of dealing with idiots.

I've honestly lost count of the amount of times my dog (a pug who is scared of bigger dogs or any dogs really!) has been run at/bitten/snarled at/pinned of just plain intimidated by other dogs.

First we stopped going to the playing field.
. Then we stopped going to the park.

This morning we went round the circle we live on. Just round the cirle and some guy come round the corner with 2 putty on steroid looking things. One on lead, one off. This is walking round avenues, not a park or anything. And of course the one on lead start dragging him over and the one off lead runs right across the road. I tell him my dog doesn't like dogs, please keep him away.

So he grabs the off lead dog by his back leg???!! Whilst trying to grapple the one on lead away from her too.

He drags the dog by the leg until they're back on opposite side of the road and I pick my dog up and hurry away whilst looking for a gate I can get into if the off lead dog manages to escape.

I'm so fucking sick of it.

Why wasn't it on a fucking lead?

I was shaking. I have anxiety and so does my bloody dog.

It feels like every time I take her out something like this happens.

So we play in the garden alot rather than go on walks.

I don't blame you OP. I don't have a dog, but I don't like walking with my friends and their dogs for exactly this reason. Their well-behaved dogs are trotting along and sniffing and then suddenly some fucking American XL bully type thing with cut ears or a bloody Alsatian comes charging across the park 'to play'. It then chases their dog around in circles for ages, while we watch anxiously and try to walk away, while the owner either stands there boring on about their dog or is miles away on their phone totally ignoring their dog. It's the least relaxing thing I can think of doing and the thought of running this gamut every day is enough to make me want to lie in a darkened room with circles of cucumber over my eyes!

I hardly walk my dog in parks anymore because of this. He’s anxious and people happily let their untrained off lead dogs charge at him. He’s going blind and more anxious now and I’ve stopped putting him through it. We largely do lead walks now around my neighbour as thankfully don’t see any off lead dogs there. He gets to go off lead with his dog Walker at least, for now anyway until his vision goes

I hear you. My greyhound isn't aggressive but doesn't like other dogs approaching him, so he's always muzzled and on a lead around other dogs. He has fear anxiety, which has improved a lot over the years, but he's never going to be a social dog who wants to play with random dogs. There are several owners in my neighbourhood who never have their dogs on a lead when they walk them around the streets. I keep my dog away from them, but often their dog will cross over to us and the owners never manage to recall them. Inevitably I'm stuck trying to break up the fight whilst the other owner casually strolls over to move their dog on.

I grew up on a sheep farm. If I had my way it would be illegal for any dog to be off lead anywhere in public or in open countryside.

I'd settle for people not on their fucking phones when walking their off lead dogs.

People believe their dog has great recall and can be off lead but then they need to pay attention, apply the recall and stop them coming up to my highly anxious rescue who had been massively mistreated and frankly prefers being on a lead and next to me when out of the house. The only way they can do that is by paying attention to their own dog not head down scroll socials or chatting to a mate!

It's awful isn't it when you start out with a happy dog and through. I fault of your or their own, things change

I'd settle for people not on their fucking phones when walking their off lead dogs.

Tell me a fecking bout it! To be fair, I wasn't worried about my dog the last time this happened. A little off-lead pug x started running towards us but stopping way short and barking at my on-lead dog as they were approaching each other. My dog just raised her eyebrows kind of thing but I tried to distract her to stop her making eye contact with the dog who was clearly scared. Idiot owner looks up from phone and tells his dog to stop it. I altered my route as much as I could to give the dog as much space as possible and tried to make my dog 'invisible' to the other dog by distracting her. Idiot owner passes by and looks up from his phone to mutter sorry. I thought it's not me you need to be apologising to.

This x a million

It's common sense and good manners to recall your dog and put on a lead if necessary if you are approaching an on-lead dog. The 'it's okay, he's friendly' brigade are clearly out in full force on this thread

My neighbour carries a stout "walking stick" with him on dog walks these days... He started after there were a spate of dog-snatchings in the local area (he has a gorgeous pedigree retriever). But now it's to fend off unwanted advances from other out-of-control dogs, which seems to have got worse in the past couple of years.

I made a post recently where I said most people shouldn't be dog owners.

So many people seem to get them for entertainment but have no real interest in meeting the dogs needs.

I agree. Status dogs rather than loved pets. So many just don't pay any attention to them on walks at all. Just let them wander off going from dog to dog causing chaos.

If I hear "it's ok he's friendly", whilst he's towering over my toddler, sniffing her face; I think I might pop.

Having dogs off lead isn't the problem, entitles owners who haven't bothered to train them to come back and not harass other people is.

It doesn't matter if you're nervous, if your dog's nervous or what. It's your space. Why do people think it's ok to make out like you're the bad person because "he's friendly"?

I'd just like to say I feel exactly the same. It's a growing problem. After coming face to face with a massive loose XL bully dog in a car park recently I'm becoming phobic about going anyplace I am likely to encounter one...especially since I'll be giving off fear! In America people actually arm themselves for this reason as the problem is so prevalent. From reading up I have learned the only defence is to choke off one that is attacking...if you can...using its collar or anything like a spare lead or even a hoodie sleeve. All owners of them should be made aware to do this in a circumstance where it attacks. Dog trainers actually do this for military & police training situations

Inconsiderate irresponsible dog owners are ruining a lot of places for all of us, let alone other dog owners. They’re everywhere now even in bloody cafes and restaurants. This just fuels the entitlement and selfishness.

There is no nice day out now without some mutt getting in your way and the dumb fuck owner gormlessly saying ‘…he’s just being friendly’ - just control your sodding dog. Or better still, leave it at home.

@GSD20 thank you
Was getting so cross reading this then you came along with some sanity !
I'm a vet and def seeing more wounds as a result of aggressive dogs than usual
And so much entitlement on the part of dog owners.
Last wound was on a sweet friendly little cockerpoo or some sort , I asked what happened and owner was very aggrieved as they told me how their friendly little dog had run up to a dog on lead , just to say hello, and been snapped at. I tried a bit of education at this point but no it was clearly the fault of the person who had their dog under perfect control !

@rowbotham I am also unfortunate enough to work in veterinary 😄 We are forever patching dogs up too at the moment!

Im struggling with the education side also. Nobody cares as long as their dogs having a brilliant time. Why should their dogs fun be spoilt for 30 seconds to be nice to
someone else. It’s all fun and games until it runs up to the wrong thing gets bitten!

Only last week I was walking an 80kg giant breed, friendly but not the point, he has paws like concrete shovels and is clumsy to boot. Endless dogs launched for him with almost every owner laughing and saying something about small dog syndrome. The final woman was instant her 5kg wet through cockerpoo needed to play with him despite being told repeatedly it would get hurt. She actually stood and argued with me about it. No doubt the bigger dog would have been blamed hence why he wasn’t put in that position but the woman couldn’t understand why I was trying to protect both dogs. Not to mention the mental effect on the larger dog being constantly hassled or lunged at and not being allowed to retaliate. So entitled and so stupid but it sums up the mentality of dog owners these days!

I didn't choke it, but I grabbed an offlead dog who was circling my toddlers and the owner repeatedly screamed at me to let their dog go. When I told her to come and get it and move it away from my children then, she told me it just wanted to say hello and I should teach my children how to behave around a dog.

I feel utterly deflated. Ddog has been recovering from being attacked by a loose dog, a couple of week’s physically and work in progress with his nerves. He is a terrier, anxious and is always walked on the lead.

Done a few short confidence building walks and today took him to a pay to use dog park. He had a great time. I then walked him up to a cafe to grab a cold drink and sit outside.

out if nowhere came yet another loose dog which launched at him, owners were in the cafe and eventually came out - probably because of the horrendous noise. No apology nothing just a fucking cats bum face as they struggled to get hold of their dog. Ddog is unharmed but still shaking. Im so fed up with it I could just cry.

I didn’t say anything as the woman looked spoiling for a fight. I don’t know what else I can do now apart from use the pay as you go parks. His confidence must be shattered.

Something similar happened to my collie whilst he was working, a boxer dog came into my field and attacked him, my dog now has nervous aggression with strange dogs and people. Such a shame as it was a situation that need not have happened.

@Gingerbeerfear I feel for you. This is the situation I'm in with my terrier.

First attack he was on a lead as coming to the end of the walk and near a road. Off lead greyhound runs over, picks him up and starts ragging him. He was 8 months old at the time.

Managed to get him over that and good with other dogs again.

Then 2 years ago, again he was on his lead and a big dog came over, mine wagged his tail, owner of big dog said it was friendly and then it grabbed my dog.

Owner was kicking it to get it off mine.

Now he's a nightmare towards big dogs. Fear aggression. And I get the whole "oh little dog syndrome" comments. No he was fine with all dogs until stupid owners let theirs attack him.

Probably already been said, but the kind of scum owner who is likely to own an untrained massive dog is the same type of owner who is unlikely to get out of bed early in the morning to walk it (they'll be too busy sleeping off the 10 cans of lager they drank the night before).

I have noticed that if I am out walking earlier there are a lot fewer dogs and owners of a certain "type" out and about.

1. Reactivity is multi-factoral. Anyone claiming it was definately caused by A or B is someone who doesn't know how much they don't know.
2. Dogs can be attacked by off and on lead dogs. Leads cause some dogs to react more than they would off lead. The lack of lead causes some dogs to have the freedom to attack they wouldn't have if they were on lead.
3. Dogs are not especially social creatures. Like any carnivore, there are severe consequences to attempting unwanted socilisation with another individual who has a mouthful of weapons. Injury reduces hunting succeess, reduces chances of staying alive. Therefore, they have developed complicated communications that reduce the need for close interaction with strangers. Dogs 'in the wild' do not go about running up to strange dogs for play etc. They keep their distance unless there is a specific reason for them not to (eg a fight over resources).
4. All pet dogs should be under control at all times. What that means will vary by dogs and environment but a dog that has been allowed to approach another that doesn't want to be approached (or where it is not clear if they want to be approached or not), is not under control - or the person with the control is a fool.

Anyone claiming it was definately caused by A or B is someone who doesn't know how much they don't know.

For clarity (because I realise on reading that back how it sounds): I didn't mean to include owners in this, who know their specific dog and observed a specific event triggering reactivity. This is still likely to be multi-factoral, albeit the event was the final factor that triggered it - and often this is very clear to those that know their dog.

I'm absolutely sick of the "he's friendly" bunch not even calling their dog away when explicitly asked to. I hear "Oh, look she wants to play!" in response when my dog is exhibiting clear signs of anxiety and backing away. When I point out they've misread her they won't hear it. I think they know they have no control so to be directly asked to recall their dog reminds them that they simply cannot. Sometimes they then get defensive/aggressive.

It's often owners of pugs or frenchies too, perpetuating the stereotype. My dog was attacked twice by offlead unrecallable frenchies as a puppy and is incredibly apprehensive around them even with extensive training.

So very many ignorant and entitled dog owners out there.

Why does anyone need to be made anxious about strangers dog coming over- i go out with my young children who fear dogs and are prone to run, risking dog thinking its a game biting and also making the child run across a car road.

all dogs should be on lead and with muzzles in public