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AIBU?

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Original poster

Sick of ‘little dog’ owners.

186 replies

Ratdoghater · 26/01/2025 08:49

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.

OP posts:
bakerroo · 28/08/2025 07:52

No it’s not just little dogs, my post this morning was about a large dog not under control. Bloody thing just wouldn't bugger off. What’s so annoying is the owner thinks it’s not their fault!

Springtimehere · 28/08/2025 07:59

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Melsy88 · 28/08/2025 08:03

I think, on the whole (and appreciate there will be exceptions before anyone sends me a photo of their German Shepherd and Chihuahua playing!) small and big dogs are not a great mix!
Little dogs are anxious around bigger dogs (understandably given bigger dogs can be 10x their weight) and they never will be a good match for playing together.

I have a small dog and only ever have had problems with big dogs - she's been chased by German shepherds, growled and snapped at by staffies, and labs, although not aggressive, don't seem to take no for an answer and pester her constantly until she snaps at them. So it's not only a small dog issue... But if I owned a big dog, I'd probably see more of the issues with small dogs!

Titasaducksarse · 28/08/2025 08:05

I'm a little dog owner and I get pissed off with other little dog owners too for all the reasons OP stated.

Chompingatthebeat · 28/08/2025 08:08

I've been attacked by big dogs, never little

Tigercrane · 28/08/2025 08:11

Just what we need dog owners attacking each other.
My little dog is sometimes aggressive to bigger ,big dogs because he was twice attack by big dogs that were not on leads.
Once when my daughter was walking him, the owner dig not appologise just disapeared really quickly.
I must go around hating big dog owners now ok.

Chompingatthebeat · 28/08/2025 08:16

Tigercrane · 28/08/2025 08:11

Just what we need dog owners attacking each other.
My little dog is sometimes aggressive to bigger ,big dogs because he was twice attack by big dogs that were not on leads.
Once when my daughter was walking him, the owner dig not appologise just disapeared really quickly.
I must go around hating big dog owners now ok.

Quite, such sweeping generalisations are ridiculous

BuddhaAtSea · 28/08/2025 08:17

I’ve got an idiot small dog who lunges. 9/10 times she doesn’t, but every so often some switch goes in her head and she goes for it.
She’s always on the lead. And although she never gets anywhere near the other dog, I feel bad. She’s 7. Distracting her when we pass a dog doesn’t work if she’s hell bent on going for it.
When we’re walking in the countryside she goes of the lead. Good recall, plays with other dogs we meet after some sniffing.
But every so often she loses it and I can’t find a reason for it.

Takoneko · 28/08/2025 08:18

My sister has a little tiny dog that is very well trained (her partner is a dog trainer) and her pet peeve was people encouraging or rewarding behaviour that she was training out (barking, mouthing, begging for food) when it was a puppy because they thought it was cute.

JustPassingThruHere · 28/08/2025 08:27

Was with you until you went gross and judgemental at the end there.

I have 2 yorkies who are leashed, without fail, for their own safety. I have had staffs and other big dogs, unleashed, come up to my dogs uninvited and I'm terrified for my 2 who are quiet and docile.

A husky smashed my little dogs head into the ground. True, it was playing, but my dog was scared of big dogs after that because he couldn't get away as he was leashed and Husky wasn't.

Agree all dogs should be leashed.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 28/08/2025 10:33

Whataninterestinglookingpotato · 28/08/2025 07:27

Any dog that doesn’t have good recall is annoying and should be on a lead.

I run with my medium sized working breed dog (who has fantastic recall) and whilst out recently a cockerpoo type dog was chasing mine. Now my dog is happy to coexist with other dogs and will never go out of her way to run up to them or be aggressive. However, she hates being jumped and snapped at. I warn the owners and ask them to call their dog back as she doesn’t like other dogs up in her face. The little dog completely ignores their half hearted attempts so I call my dog back to me as I can see she isn’t enjoying being harassed by the little dog. Said little dog then proceeds to snap at me whilst I’m running. Again I have to tell the owners to call their dog back and again it ignores them! All the while jumping and snapping, it actually managed to bite me at one point (luckily not hard). In the end I gave it a swift shove with my foot to get it away.

this sort of thing happens quite a lot. It’s not all little dogs, I used to have some little dogs who whilst a bit mouthy, were well behaved and had good recall. But it does seem that on the whole smaller dogs are not as well trained as bigger dogs and their owners often think they’re being cute when they’re actually being aggressive.

I always walk past dogs when I'm out running. Some just can't resist the urge to chase something moving (and I don't run that fast!). My dog can't be allowed near anything moving or she'll try to wrestle it to the ground.

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