Sick of ‘little dog’ owners.

[Ratdoghater]

Every damn walk! Every sodding walk without bloody fail a little dog attacks or lunges or snarls or chases aggressively my large (retriever) dogs.

I am sick of it. Today’s dog was a cockerpoo. Yesterday it was a JRT. Day before it was a chihuahua.

Every fucking time the useless piece of crap owners say ‘he’s just playing.’ Newsflash, if your dog is snarling, lunging at my dogs, curling their lips or jumping up and snapping it is NOT playing. If my dog is backing away, my dog is not happy. If my dog is screaming, it is not happy

Big dog owners also often suck, but at least they have the decency to say sorry and put their dog on a leash. Or often leash their dogs before we meet. Little dog owners just laugh…and say ‘well he’s little so he won’t do any damage’ and then once I’m past let their dog go again - which 9/10 times means their dog chases mine!!! Honestly, do they not understand that being attacked for most dogs, when it happens near constantly, does affect their confidence and is a prime reason why so many dog do suddenly snap and turn aggressive?? Its basic common sense.

I know this thread will make no difference - little dog owners will continue to be entitled and incompetent. And little dog owners will pop onto this thread and say ‘my dogs not aggressive.’ Great. BUT disproportionately little dogs are the main instigator in most dog fights or dog on dog attacks I’ve seen.

A 5yr old was attacked reportedly unprovoked by a Jack Russell in my local area last week - bite marks looked quite nasty!

Can't trust any dog or should I say any irresponsible dog owner!

‘Big dog owners also often suck, but at least they have the decency to say sorry and put their dog on a leash’

You’re only being unreasonable here- I see people with big dogs off leash all the time. Personally I don’t think dogs should be allowed off leash unless at dog parks

The only time I've been bitten by a random dog it was a jack russell terrier. They really are yappy little things, and can be so so annoying. I still like them though because I'm soft and they're cute. Haha. I'm not a dog owner though so don't need to worry about my dog retaliating.

My friend has a yappy old JRT and she says he's such a pain in the ass. Always growling at everything and everyone, and generally just awkward when out and about. She's very good with him though, and keeps him in a short lead and is really on it when there are other dogs nearby. The dog is a delight when he's the only dog around, which is probably why she still has him. 😁

The existence of pet dogs is a net negative on society as a whole.

I have a 15kg dog. An elderly rescue I rehomed four months ago.

She is 100% always on the lead. She even wears an 'indoor' lead.

She is absolutely terrified of other dogs and will often lunge and snarl. But she's on the lead, having intensive training and I'm always in control.

Recently, I was just walking back from town, busy tying up a poo bag, and two large dogs appeared out of nowhere. No lead. No owner in sight. They both shot off, yelping, after mine bit them when they jumped on top of her. Yes, she was on her lead.

She actually has two leads, one on her harness and one on her collar. I warn owners of off lead dogs that she's reactive so they have a chance to recall theirs. I've lost count of the number of times those owners shout 'well, is YOUR dog on a lead' and I yell back 'she's on TWO leads!'.

OP, don't judge every owner of a small dog the same way. Large dogs can be the same. It's just general people who are ignorant. The same type of people who won't stop at a zebra crossing, queue jump in shops and never say thanks if you hold a door open for them.

Some people have consideration. Others are ignorant bastards.

There are a lot of net negatives in society , most of them human

Me too. They tend to be far more likely to snarl/yap/bite than bigger breeds in my experience.

That isn’t true. Numerous pp have said clearly their dog’s reactive. One of mine is, the other isn’t. The one who is reactive is kept on a short lead whenever other dogs are around and I pull her in when we’re passing other dogs. What’s the problem with a dog on a bench?

We have two next door to us and they have a dog flap in their utility room door.

Looking at the yappy little sod across the road, a cat flap would be big enough.

Is your dog an intact male OP? As that will be the cause of many of your issues.

Do you know what? I have 2 little yapsters, they are however always on a lead when out and I always correct them. Not much you can do about them barking and getting excited when they see a fellow canine...that's just dogs for you. A real dog lover would understand that.
There are so many terrible things going on in the world and you choose to get your undies in a twist over this?
A sense of perspective is needed here I think.

What's the problem with a dog on a bench?

Why the f would you put a dog on a seat meant for humans? Does your dog not sit on the floor like normal dogs? Do it's paws not get muddy?

The only dog I've ever been afraid of has been a Yorkshire Terrier - the family thought that her being aggressive was cute and funny, right up to the moment it launched up at me as I sat talking to my best friend (I was 8) and was literally hanging off my face by its teeth. The fuckers were still laughing then, too.

Bastarding thing attacked every morning when I knocked for my friend to go to school and I never sat down in her house again in case it came for my face (it apparently jumped onto the back of the sofa to go for people as well - also said laughingly). And because I wouldn't sit down to let it scar me for life, it would constantly snarl and yip yip yip snarl yip yip yippety yip yip, looking for the chance to go for a careless hand within leaping range - I kept my arms up and folded away from it and tried to keep the thing always within sight, standing on the first step of so of their stairs so it couldn't sneak up and bite my lower leg in yet another attack. Nobody took me seriously because I was so relaxed around other animals, all the way up to and including Shire horses - they thought it was even funnier that this kid who would cheerfully interact with 17 hands of solid muscle and every other dog, cat, bird, wildfowl, lizards, insects, spiders was scared of a pound or so of hair and rage.

It took until I was about 13 to realise that actually, as it was smaller than my cats, never mind my Beagle, I could sweep it aside with my foot without causing any injury to either of us when it attacked. One non damaging hoofing with a muttered teenaged 'Fuck off!' later when my friend went upstairs to get her schoolbag and the little furry shit kept eight foot away from me at all times for the rest of its life.

Bet you'd not be so calm if your "little yapsters" were the ones being bitten or lunged at.

I voted YABU because it's not a size thing, there are shit, entitled owners of all dog sizes. I have a dog and I love dogs but I do believe they should be on a lead in all public places and muzzled if reactive.

My little dog will shriek at bigger dogs if they come too close but mostly because he's been lunged at by so many bigger dogs he's just terrified. They're just playing but please remember little dogs are little - for my chihuahua it's like a human being lunged at by a giant, it'll always be scary. Big dog owners brush it off as my dog having "little man syndrome" when in reality he's terrified. He's always on the lead, he's always close to me. He will never approach another dog. Yet when a bigger off-lead dog sneaks up on him and tries to play-pounce on him, the big dog owners will act surprised when he shrieks. Poor little guy :(

Ultimately, the real villains here are people who let their dogs approach others without looking out for their behaviour. Doesn't matter if they're big or small. But I do get that it's easier to pick on us small dog owners sometimes.

I feel the same but about big dog owners. They let their dogs come running over to my small dog. He has been attacked three times by dogs bigger then him and now if a dog runs over his first response is to snap at them as he gets scared. Those dogs are also very friendly and playing apparently. My dog was socialised as a puppy, he was always fine with other dogs but years of dickhead owners have left him nervous. He's not reactive, he just will walk past and mind his own business but other dogs run over to him.

Thank you @Porcuporpoise that is exactly my point.

@blossomtoes you have demonstrated the issue with many dog owners. They do not consider the impact their dog has on other people - those who have allergies for example. More generally, how would you feel if I took a massive shit, didn’t wipe my arse and sat my naked bum on a bench? Would you happily sit on it afterwards?

The OPs problem is not with “small dog” owners it is with the increasing number of dog owners who cannot be bothered to train their dog properly or set boundaries and think of it as a furry human baby with the same access and participation rights as a person and fuck anyone who feels uncomfortable.

I find this a bit offensive and upsetting. I have a smallish dog, a Cavalier king Charles spaniel. He has many many faults and behaviour issues, but he is LOVELY when meeting other dogs. Never barks or growls or lunges or anything, just sniffs. He is always on lead and I am very careful with him.

I have found it can be any size dog that can act badly. My dog has been 'attacked' so many times by bigger off lead dogs.

Totally agree , I have an aging lab , who has no interest in other dogs just likes to plod along on walks sniffing and pottering
a woman in my neighbourhood, ( who has seven plus dogs , two of which are jack Russell’s , they are crazy barking aggressive
and completely out of control,
she can’t manage them even on leads when out walking, she called me to say keep your dog on a lead !! Mine walks to heel not a problem, she said my dog bites!!and is dangerous !!!
honestly she is nuts I suggested she muzzled her dog when out with her uncontrollable pack
they pull her around etc

Came here to say the exact same thing! But we usually get shouted down for this viewpoint.

Also at least if it’s a small dog they are no real threat to me or my children.

@User67556 I do keep them on a lead if there are other dogs about, they are snack sized and at grave risk of harm from other dogs due to their size. The whole anti dog thing on here just makes me so sad.

How can any of that be an exaggeration

It all happens

YABU just because you've clumped all "little dog owners" together. It's like saying 'all men are dicks'.

I have a dachshund. He's never off the lead because he has no recall and, being so small, he can be a bit barky at anything bigger than him (basically most dogs). For that reason he's kept on a lead on walks and at the park.

Inevitably, it's big dogs that harass him. Even though people can see my dog is on the lead and I'm keeping him close, they'll let their off-the-lead dog bound over to mine, which sets him off. "Oh they're friendly, don't worry" is the usual comment. I'm sure they are but I don't want him sniffing my dogs arse and getting in his face. It's not all dog owners. Some are very good at controlling their hound, but 98% of the time it's labs, lurchers (who think my dog is prey), German shepherds, labradoodles and other dogs of similar size.

It's less about the size of the dog and more about the owner imo.

I agree I have a lab who is still excitable (work in progress) so annoying when dogs (and yes it's always little ones) come over and rile him . Some are aggressive, I dont want a reactive nervous dog. And if my dog retaliated he could kill them .

Having a small dog seems to excuse poor training.