Are some dog owners a bit deluded about their dogs?

[jennylamb1]

Just putting it out there- my mum has dogs, but with a sensible attitude I think- the dog stays downstairs at nights, as a puppy he is being trained, he is treated well but not not like a human being.
Some dog owners though seem to justify their dog's behaviour out of some ill advised need to defend them at all times, even in the face of reality. A previous poster on here had a dog who was biting visitors, but justified it because he was a rescue dog and they were warning bites and hadn't broken the skin. I had to take a detour running on a woodland path yesterday because an aggressive barking dog was stood in my path and the owner just thought they'd tell them off without thinking of putting them on a lead/restraining them. This week at the vet a dog owner with two large dogs leaping up at my nervous cat's cat carrier said that it was OK because they knew cats at home and were fine with them (whilst leaping up at my...).
Are there dog owners and then dog owners?

I don't think people should dictate how and where your dog lives in your own home as long as its needs are met/it's well cared for. My dog sleeps next to me, is allowed on the sofa and I do take him out to dog friendly places with me if it's suitable.

I don't think it's fair to name and blame "doodle" owners either. My dog was taken to regular training classes and there were many other doodle owners there (as well as pedigree).

I have come across some really idiotic dog owners who will let their dogs jump all over you, chase your dog and harrass it and just have an awful lack of etiquette.

One in particular is an elderly lady with three dogs (jack Russell's and Yorkies) who is involved with dog rescue and the kennel club, her dogs are untrained, out of control and apparently are only being friendly when they have jumped all over me covering me in mud and hassling my on lead dog.

This particular lady has taken the time to tell me that my dog is not a breed (never said he was) is unhealthy (he's not) and that i will probably get rid of him when the next "fad" dog comes along.

I take great pleasure in having my beautifully trained dog walk to heel, off lead and listening intently to me walk past her in the park as she stands there screaming at her dogs as they run rampage.

It’s the equivalent language. Always happens on these threads from the “I love dogs more than humans” types.
repugnant.

What’s really saddened me after all these poor dog owners and dogs being allowed everywhere, is that I used to consider myself a big dog lover and I have gradually come to really dislike them.

It drives me round the bend. I can’t abide this level of delusion.

They end up with both the dog and the baby when they wanted neither

Definitely, some are.
I was at our allotment gate getting my stuff out of the boot when a man with a huge Weimaraner walked up to me with the dog on an extending lead. As the dog started sniffing at me I walked away from it slowly and he carried on letting the lead out so the dog could follow me. I do like dogs that I know but this one was making me feel nervous.
I asked him to pull the dog away and he just looked at me and uttered the famous words, ‘he only wants to be friendly.’ I said I don’t like big dogs I don’t know coming up to me. He stared at me totally incredulous like there was something wrong with me then yanked the dog way and marched off.
Tough. Like someone dared to not love his dog as much as he does. Why can’t these people read the room?

Why can there never be a conversation about dog behaviour without it turning on parents?

Yeah except a human child's legal rights are not the same as a dog's so suck that up.

Absolutely. Of course most dog owners are reasonable and sensible but there are definitely a few who seem to think there dog should be allowed to do whatever it pleases and go wherever it pleases.

When my eldest was a toddler we were at a park and an unleashed dog ran at him. He was barely 2 and was terrified and of course he started to cry and scream in fear. Dog owner didn’t pull the dog away, even when I’d scooped my child up and she could see he was very distressed. She just kept saying ‘he only wants to play!’ She was genuinely bemused and then genuinely annoyed by a small child crying and being scared of her unleashed dog. Mind boggling.

Yes.
My cousin has a dog and won't leave him alone for more than half an hour. She either takes him with her or gets people to look after him so he's passed from pillar to post and must wonder what's happening.
He doesn't have separation anxiety or anything like that (although he might do now because he's not used to being alone). He sleeps in her bed 🤢 and she calls him her "baby".

This is pretty much my experience too. I posted on another thread about a big dog putting it's chin on my table as the waiter set down my roast beef dinner in a restaurant. My impulse was to whack it on the nose. The owners thought it was asleep under their table apparently 🙄

Agree. It’s so tedious the way these dog-adorers always turn the opprobrium back on parents. Change the record ffs. 😡

Sorry, my post was in agreement with @Didimum.

@ChocolateAddictAlways - Now you see I think that was just all wrong. Any proper responsible dog owner would make sure their dogs were OK around children or other dogs. Some dog owners aren't great.

There are definitely some deluded owners out there. A lot of them seem to magically expect their dogs to train themselves. There is a totally untrained young terrier near us who behaves perfectly well with the dog-sitter but is hell on legs with the owner and who has now been referred to a behaviourist. IMHO all that's needed is half a dozen sessions with a sensible dog trainer who will tell the owner a few home truths. This dog has no recall, gets wild zoomies indoors, jumps up on people, and has very poor manners around other dogs (leading my older dog to tell it off, quite firmly, for getting in her face).

But training your dog properly is a commitment, and you need to be consistent. A lot of people either don't understand this, or can't be bothered, or have no idea what an absolute joy a well-trained dog is to have around.

A lot of people are also deluded about their dog's weight. Of the three dogs I saw when out this afternoon, two were seriously overweight. If you have to poke around to find Fido's ribs, he's too fat.

We had our dog just before all the covid stuff struck, so she wasn't a lockdown puppy but was a 'teenager', we lost a lot of ground. Her social skills with other dogs suffered, and we lost some of the basic skills there. We have since spent a lot of time and effort training. She is a 'mongrel' but heavy influence of one breed in particular, known for being difficult.

Our dog is a dog..yes, I take her lots of places, we holiday in this country, caravanning, so yes, on holiday she goes where we go. She stays home while we go out to non dog suitable events/ appointments, etc. It did take a while to get over separation. She has someone at home all the time, so she is used to the company. We got a trainer to help us.
She has enrichment classes weekly, giving her a 'job'/ purpose. In classes with the usual breeds spaniels/labs who do the type of enrichment, etc, she holds her own and is good at it. She is liked by all the other owners.
I hire fields for off lead. She is kept onleash otherwise.
I agree that our biggest issue is other owners letting untrained dogs run at her. then complain when she flattens them
She is very special to me, but she is a dog, not a child, not my baby. She is great company and a lot easier to be with than many humans!

Yep. Forget dogs, the behaviour of the future generation is something to really worry about.

Yes.

And it's become exceptionally rare to encounter a properly trained dog nowadays. Most owners are pathetically clueless, chronically lazy and embarrassingly inadequate. The deluded aspect is just another component of the massive shitstorm that dog ownership has become.

@MyPithyPoster that type of guy doesn't do any of the work involved anyway

I think when most people had mongrels (which seemed to be the norm when I was young), they were treated as pets and not beings with deep feelings and a love of interaction with strangers. They were trained to keep themselves to themselves and the owners expected they'd be left out of social situations. It's since dogs became an expensive investment with the advent of named mongrel breeds etc that they've been promoted beyond pet status.

We had visitors last week who brought their dogs without warning and told us they couldn't stay in our (secure) garden or the car with a window cracked - they made out we were being cruel to even think it. We've never had dogs so we didn't know what to suggest. They asked us how we knew our cats would be frightened of the dogs 🤔. Anyway, the dogs ended up coming in the house (one room only) and the cats got shut away. It made me uncomfortable and I couldn't wait for them all to piss off - the whole visit got taken over by the damned slobbering dogs and their needs. And I had extra work to do cleaning up once they'd gone.

Dogs bother me far more often than children do. I've never known anyone to want their child to approach or touch me, and no child has ever made me feel frightened that they're going to hurt me.

No, it isn’t. This is a you issue. You clearly don’t like that some people don’t care for kids, though why you care I can’t really see, and are having a go at something that doesn’t make your point.

Perhaps this sort of behaviour is why some people prefer animals over humans….🙄

“Perhaps this sort of behaviour is why some people prefer animals over humans….🙄”

They just can’t help themselves, can they? 🤣😂

It's the same as parents with kids really in my opinion.

True, but times and attitudes change. When I was young, formal dog training was not really a thing for most people. Dogs, mostly mongrels, were treated with less deference, as were children sadly. My best friend, daughter of the local GP, was bitten on the face by the family poodle when she sat on it by mistake. This was shrugged off as a bit of bad luck. The dog would probably have been destroyed today.

I agree! Had dogs for years, all large breed rescues, they sleep in the sitting room on their own beds. Not on our bed(to be fair they wouldn't fit) not on the sofa. Eat actual normal dog food. Don't go everywhere with us. Are left at home when we go out to friends, or pub etc. they do come on holiday with us & are part of the family. But they are dogs, they know they are dogs, behave like dogs & know I'm the Alpha & they are bottom of the 'pack' which makes them happy & well adjusted. I feel sorry for all the fashionable breeds which are so badly bred or weird cross breeds that can't breathe properly or are mentally unstable or significant joint issues.