Did I do something wrong??

seagullstar · 2022-09-19T14:30:45+00:00

So my 16 month old lab is getting better at recall. I took him to the beach - it's a BH weekend and was busier than usual . I let him off the lead.... A lady had a similar sized dog in front of us and her dog was off lead - ok I thought- then as my dog gets nearer to hers she puts hers on lead? Her dog then barks at mine and she shouts over 'get your bloody dog!' Luckily I call and he comes running back (phew!) BUT what did I do wrong? If her dog doesn't like dogs why was it a) off lead and b) on a busy well known dog beach? I don't get it? Did I do something wrong?

KangarooKenny · 19/09/2022 15:32

Did she see you letting yours off and then immediately put hers on the lead ?

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 19/09/2022 15:32

Yes, if you're not sure of your dog's recall (hence the 'phew') you DO NOT let if off the lead in public places!

You don't know if her dog has a reaction to other dogs. You don't know if other people are scared of dogs off lead. Keep your dog on a lead.

Grandeur · 19/09/2022 15:49

OP is clearly still in the middle of training him off the lead. How is a dog supposed to learn to behave well off a lead if it's never allowed off it?

tonystarksrighthand · 19/09/2022 15:51

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 19/09/2022 15:32

Yes, if you're not sure of your dog's recall (hence the 'phew') you DO NOT let if off the lead in public places!

You don't know if her dog has a reaction to other dogs. You don't know if other people are scared of dogs off lead. Keep your dog on a lead.

So why does the other persons dog trump off lead?

KangarooKenny · 19/09/2022 15:54

I have a dog that others seem to like to chase. Mine isn’t interested in other dogs and would never go over to them or bark at them, but she doesn’t want to be chased.
So when I go in a park I gauge what others are doing. If someone puts their dog on the lead when they see me, I put/keep mine on the lead too.
If their dog is off lead and not interested in mine, I let mine off. If theirs looks like it might bother mine, I leave her on.
I think you need to be constantly aware of what other dogs and owners are doing.

Ollybob · 19/09/2022 16:08

Was your dog allowed on tbe beach? Some beaches ban them for part of the year at least.
I do like dogs, stroke their fluffy ears when I come in contact with them daily (with owners and dogs permission)
But
Not everyone likes dogs, I get scared when one comes running up to me as I don't know how friendly they are. The same could be said for many people on the beach.
Some dog owners are so incredibly selfish as they think that because they love and trust their dog everyone feels the same. They really don't.
Keep your dog on a lead!!!!

SlouchingTowardsBethlehemAgain · 19/09/2022 16:16

Well you have to let your dog off the lead to teach it recall. She knows her dog and was probably afraid that it would go for yours and she did not know if that would put her in the middle of a dog fight - she was scared so she shouted. You did not do anything wrong. She was out and about with a reactive dog in a popular dog walking spot so she was putting herself at risk. You have to have your eyes everywhere when out with your dog, reading other dog's and people's body language. Keep working on the recall. I have found that hiding from my dog sometimes when I call just gives him that bit more incentive to respond. When the recall is perfect you can feel so proud when you are out with your dog, most people don't train their dogs in recall and could not get their dogs to come even if they were waving a juicy steak.

Original poster

seagullstar · 19/09/2022 16:22

SlouchingTowardsBethlehemAgain · 19/09/2022 16:16

Well you have to let your dog off the lead to teach it recall. She knows her dog and was probably afraid that it would go for yours and she did not know if that would put her in the middle of a dog fight - she was scared so she shouted. You did not do anything wrong. She was out and about with a reactive dog in a popular dog walking spot so she was putting herself at risk. You have to have your eyes everywhere when out with your dog, reading other dog's and people's body language. Keep working on the recall. I have found that hiding from my dog sometimes when I call just gives him that bit more incentive to respond. When the recall is perfect you can feel so proud when you are out with your dog, most people don't train their dogs in recall and could not get their dogs to come even if they were waving a juicy steak.

Thank you. We work very hard with him and his recall and are v conscious of other peoples dogs. What confused me today was her dog was off lead - if hers had been on lead I wouldn't have let mine get so close to hers to start with. I think you are exactly right with the situation.

Thanks for being kind with your reply

OP posts:

RunningFromInsanity · 19/09/2022 16:23

Sounds like you did exactly the right thing.
Both dogs were off lead - fine
She put hers on lead, so you then recalled your dog.
All fine.

Original poster

seagullstar · 19/09/2022 16:24

Grandeur · 19/09/2022 15:49

OP is clearly still in the middle of training him off the lead. How is a dog supposed to learn to behave well off a lead if it's never allowed off it?

Thank you! We are working very hard with his recall

OP posts:

Original poster

seagullstar · 19/09/2022 16:26

RunningFromInsanity · 19/09/2022 16:23

Sounds like you did exactly the right thing.
Both dogs were off lead - fine
She put hers on lead, so you then recalled your dog.
All fine.

Thanks - these things can really knock your confidence

OP posts:

HebeSunshine · 19/09/2022 16:29

I can't see you did anything wrong OP. Think no more about it.

AlwaysGinPlease · 19/09/2022 16:32

You did nothing wrong she was being a dick. Her dog was also off lead. Think no more about the silly rude woman OP

YelloCar · 19/09/2022 16:34

Was your dog bothering her dog after it was put on the lead? As soon as you noticed her dog was put on a lead you should have recalled yours.

dontbringthatbirdinhere · 19/09/2022 17:00

Did your dog go charging towards hers?

Some dogs find this very threatening, and just because your dog is ok with it doesn't mean they will be. A lab coming at you at speed can be worrying, especially for smaller dogs.

I have 2 small dogs and have lost count of the amount of times a larger dog owner calls out "it's ok, mine is friendly" as their dog barrels towards us while my pups are clearly terrified, and makes no attempt to call them back. I'm not saying you did this at all, but this may be how the woman felt.

It sounds like you are a responsible owner and did the right thing, but in future try to call your dog back when it's approaching other dogs, especially if you see the owner putting their dog on lead. It's generally a sign that their dog may not be friendly to other dogs or prefer not to be approached.

You might also find training an emergency recall command helpful, using really high value treats, so you can be certain your dog will always come back.

figmaofmyimagination · 19/09/2022 17:12

Off lead is fine, but you shouldn’t have let your dog bound up to hers, especially the second you saw her start to put hers back on lead.