AIBU to want to kick dogs that jump on top of my puppy and splat him on the floor

[aandme]

what is it with people that cannot control their dogs - twice it has happened today - big dogs running full pelt towards me and my lil pup and dive bombing on top of pup. he yelps, I shout at other dog and try and shoo it away

owners can't call their dog back so when they finally get to us i say "you ought to get control of your dog"... which starts an onslaught of abuse... and the dog is still bothering us

what am i supposed today - is is ok to kick someone's dog?????

but it's probably good for your dog to go through the getting squashed and learning how to react process,

unless they are actually attacking him with teeth it's an important part of the socialising process.

if the owners don't intervene then have a word,

but if they come across don't have a go, or else in a couple of years time and your dog is jumping on their pup you will eat your words!

as for kicking... I personally wouldnt for many reasons the top two being 1. the dog may go for you instead 2. the owner might.

You would be BU to kick the dog. YANBU to be disconcerted by it, though.

If your pup is getting hurt and bothered, you could try carrying a heavy-duty water pistol or similar when out for a walk. Give the offending dog a hefty squirt when it starts to pounce, and it'll soon learn.
(A Fairy Liquid bottle is ideal for this.)

Dogs do play rough, however, and if Pup bounces back well enough and no teeth are bared, they are probably just playing and sorting out which one is the boss.

SmallClanger's advice about the water pistol is very sound.

But it's normal for a pup to be a bit squished by a big dog. It helps them learn to interact with adult dogs and builds their confidence in a big scary world. If you let the pup get on with it (to an extent of course - don't let it get hurt or anything) the pup will quickly learn how to stand up for itself without learning to be aggressive. Puppyhood is the only chance you get to socialise a dog.

If it is building up to get a bit out of control, pick up your pup and take it out of the situation. Try not to let the pup feel any hostility towards other dogs through you. It's scary amazing what they pick up from us.

YANBU in expecting other people to be able to control their dogs though. I always expect my two girls to come immediately to heel if I ask them to, no matter what they're doing!

YABU. I think you are being very over protective. How would you like it, if next year, somebody kicked your dog for wanting to play with somebody elses?

YABU. That's how they get socialised, and that's how they learn how to behave around other dogs.

I'd recommend letting him off the lead as soon as you can. While they are small they are unlikely to stray too far, which is good practice for when they are bigger, plus, it allows him to approach other dogs on his own terms, rather than being stuck in one place while other dogs approach him.

My dogs LOVE puppies, and having witnessed them get trampled over and over again when they were smaller to no ill effect all, I let them get on with meeting new dogs, however bog or small. If I thought that they might harm a puppy, it would be a different matter.

If you kicked my dog for dive bombing your puppy, I would kick you.

Good luck with the pup, what breed is he?

As the owner of a LARGE golden retriever that does exactly what you describe...

I wouldn't thank you for kicking him, but I would understand if you were upset and I try at all times to control him. I have tried every trick in the book to try to calm him down around other dogs, however he is too friendly for his own good. He means absolutely no harm whatsoever, but can be very boisterous. He has had a few growls, even nips, usually from smaller dogs and I take the attitude that he deserves what he gets if he is overpowering or too boisterous. He is starting to learn his lesson, at last, he is not a puppy any more by any means!!

That said however, if he is off his lead on the field where we exercise him and another dog with owner subsequently comes on, unless they are prepared for the dogs to play and accept that a larger dog is possibly going to be more boisterous than a smaller one, then it is up to them to judge the situation. I have also been in several situations where smaller dogs have 'had a go' at mine for no reason, all part of dog life as I see it. I find that the majority of dog owners are quite understanding and we usually end up having a laugh and comparing notes re dog behaviour, breeds, etc.

I wish you well with your pup - hard work, worse than kids sometimes I reckon. Wouldn't have another big one!

pmsl at the thought of your puppy going splat on the floor. Sorry.

If they're playing, I could live with it.

I walked my dog this afternoon, however, and an old man with a dog on an extending lead was there.

He saw us, then watched as his dog ran over and actually went for my (terrified, little) dog. I took her away from it and he called after me "did he snap? He does often snap."

Then keep him under control you idiot.

The only reason I didn't bollock him was because he was a pretty old guy and, despite what I think of his pet owning abilities I do have respect for the elderly.

([grin except when it comes to badmouthing them on mumsnet, obviously )

this seems a bit like the equivalent of pbf in the petowner world.
Sorry!
YABU about thinking about kicking any dog...and I think you would be subjected to more than verba abuse if you did this, tbh!

PFP? This is how dogs play. If there are no teeth its all good.

Oh and my dog plays rough and tumble sometimes

I own a 9 yr old lab/rottie cross who is a big softy and very well behaved. I adopted her 18 months ago and she is perfectly behaved in the house (no jumping up, quietly sitting when kids visit, no begging etc). However she is not tolerant of dogs that rush her and invade her space. She used to rush at other dogs when i first had her and if the other dog got upset, my dog would retaliate (and because she has rottie in her, she would win!) She pulled on the lead and had no real experience with other dogs. I needed to teach her some socialisation manners very quickly. In dog world and human world it is not acceptable to rush into another dog/human's space. When you meet someone for the first time, do you go up and grab their arse and run your hands over their face? No? well it's the same with dogs.
I've had people tell me their dog is being friendly whilst it's jumping up at me and causing my dog to be defensive. I've had one nasty woman report me to the police and I had to give a statement to the dog warden as she said my dog was out of control (her dog jumped up at me, pulled her on the lead, didn't sit when she told it ....).

It is never too late to socialise a dog and it should be done over the course of the dog's life. I take my to dog classes and she is brilliant. Much more relaxed and experienced with her world now. You CAN teach old dogs new tricks. I now don't walk my dog in areas where I know idiots run around with their out of control dogs.
I would kick a dog if the owner did nothing to control it. I would tell them first to take control of their dog and that I'm training mine. If they don't do anything, then believe me, my boot in its arse is better for the other dog than the damage my dog can inflict.

You can spoil a puppy if it has a bad experience with other dogs - the experience can make it scared, defensive or aggressive. much harder to correct this problem. I always look at the owner to see if they have control of the dog. If not, I walk quickly away.

barkerbird,agree entirely with your comparison between dog/human space. This is the thoughts I have had when trying to stop mine being so over-friendly with other dogs. I also try to explain this to the other people who, when he is being too fussy and I am trying to train him, say things like 'ohh, he's ok, bless him, come here' etc.

OP, it works both ways, there are people who seem determined to thwart your attempts to control your dog despite your best attempts!!) He is also VERY strong, has had me on my backside more than once if I have had him on the field on the lead and he has decided to suddenly pull off after another dog, etc.

Whenever possible I only let him off his lead on the field when it is entirely empty of other dogs, or if there is one of the dogs on there who we know well and with whom he plays on an equal footing. However, as I say, if another dog comes on after us, I have to keep trying to stop him from being overbearing in the hope that one day I may hit on a successful method. He is now 4.5 but I cannot and tbh WILL not always put him immediately back on his lead. Ongoing socialisation as you said. He ALWAYS gets words from me if he gets OTT and marched back home if he is exceptionally defiant. I know he only wants to play but I fully accept that not everyone else does. If he was an agressive dog I would be taking entirely different methods/measures. I just hope they can see that I am doing my best to be responsible!!

You will find that dogs have a heirarchy and the only way a puppy learns this is by interaction with bigger and smaller dogs! Of course any dog off the lead should be under control and you have a right to ask the owner to put it on a lead if it is aggressive or a nuisance. But dogs do bound up to each other and jump on each other and as long as no teeth are bared it is a learning experience for your puppy.

This is how she learns to roll over to older dogs in submission and to play well with all dogs.

Please do not kick any dog.

A dog is a dog, it's doing what they do.

Kick the owner.

seashel, that was meant to be pfb not pbf, lol...and is short for precious first born

Yeah lol I was asking if op had a precious first puppy.

I hadn't even noticed you'd got it muddled untill you pointed it out

duh....lol...I am seriously blond today
Oh pfp is brill

YABU. do not kick the other dog. they are doing what dogs do. by not allowing your pup to play, you are preventing them from vital socialization

Perhaps you should pop pup in your handbag a la Paris Hilton?

Try not to worry, we have a couple of really nasty dogs in our area who attack everything in sight but even they seem to leave the puppies alone.

Your pup needs to learn to read the signals from these other dogs and as he gets bigger he will get better at responding. Dogs all have their place on the agression - passive scale and the sooner your dog is able to work out where he is on this scale and be able to communicate this to other dogs, the better.

My dog is huge but very very passive. It doesn't matter though because he knows it and he makes sure that other dogs know it (usually by pissing himself ) but the upshot is usually that everyone is happy!

Shoot the owner. If it had been your child the owner would have had just as little control.

Don't kill the owner. Maiming is suitable for a first offense.

Puppy socialisation groups ("puppy parties") might help you and your little dog, as well. They are normally advertised at the vet's.
They are well worth it, not just for the confidence around other dogs yours will get, but for the other li'l puppies to go "aah" over.

Glad to see reason and rationality are the order of the day onager IMlimited expeience as a lifetime dog owner, dogs react very differently to other dogs as to when they see children. my dogs love to play with other dogs but give strange kids a wide berth as they dont want to be kicked by irrational people have their tails pulled etc