can I have another moan about stupid people and there precious ickle puppies.

[ditavonteesed]

grrrrrrr, walking in park again, cherry onlead and completly under control and a puppy ran up, saw it from quite a way off so I say to the owners my dog is aggressive, as the puppy was ignoring them and coming right up I said do you mind if I get your puppy and got hold of the puppy by the collar at one arms length while holding cherry at the other arms length. the woman then had a go about who brings an aggresive dog to the park. My dog was on the lead and completly under control, yours wasnt.

:o

who brings an aggressive dog to the park?

Um, the owner of an aggressive dog, obviously.

It's not like you were anything other than responsible and helpful.

I never realised how horrible people can be until I got dogs. I am getting quite good at sticking up for myself though which has to be a good think a year ago I would have walked off and cried, as it was I asked her where she would like me to take it and pointed out that my dog was under control and hers wasnt.

Good for you! I'm sorry you were put in that situation I have been similar.

It didnt bother me, but the woman I was talking too has just rescued a dog that is a bit unpredicatable around other dogs and she was really upset, saying you get used to it and you are doing nothing wrong doesnt really help.

This happened to me - my lurcher hates any dog rushing up and under her back legs, and you'd be surprized about how many terrier and puppy owners just let their dogs do this. I had a little terrier puppy run under her trying to nip her legs, my dog (on lead) was freaking out, barking, trying to get puppy, I was trying to get my dog away and not step on puppy at the same time, puppy carries on runign under - owner of puppy walks really really really slowly across despite me shouting for her to come and get puppy - she lifts puppy up and say 'now you really must come when I call you' as if the puppy can understand. I was incensed - no apology

just wanted to add - we hadn't had the dog for long and I just held it together to get home and then found myself shaking and in tears - I just kept picturing the worst scenarios - me treading on puppy, my dog biting puppy - it was awful - have to toughen up. Our dog is such a softie, but not when her ankles are being nipped!

Argh.. when will people realise that 'oh, she'll just lick you to death' is NOT OK!

My Mum's dog is the sweetest dog in the world, brilliant with the kids, has never bitten ever (and she's almost 10 - so not going to happen).
Around other dogs she is terrified, and bares teeth and really would bite if a puppy came too near (almost always on a lead anyway, but excellent recall too). People need to control their bloody dogs.

the rule I have alwsy worked on is you dont let your dog approach a dog on lead unless you have checked with the owner. I hate walking in the park anyway, only took her because I had taken eric to have a ten minute ball chucking and she gave me one of those looks, you all know the one. wish I hadnt bothered although still quite proud of myself for saying something. also wish people would realise when I tell you my dog is aggresive and you have a dog wwith you it doesnt mean that she is aggresive to people.

One of mine is very aggressive. It's fine, we keep her away from temptation. I nipped her and mini beast home the otherday and took out dim boy by himself. A lady in the pack on the field gave him a stroke, mentioned his similarity to the evil dog with the evil lady and her bad beasts. Apparently dogs have been damaged ... the owner is aggressive too. Am Actually rather friendly and smiled brightly as I introduced myself:)

Do you muzzle your dog aggressive dog when out in public?
People do take young dogs,puppies to socialise in the park and may not yet have mastered a reliable recall.

dyspeptic.

I get a lot of 'looks' out walking my muzzled dog with the DCs. Especially when I'm walking him with DS2 in the pushchair. People leap out of the way more too when he's muzzled which, if they thought about it, is rather irrational; he isn't able to bite. He's muzzled!

Sorry you got a mouthful today op.

Well done for saying something. I find that dog owners fall into two camps - those that understand that dogs can not be expected to like all other dogs and we have no idea what looks they are giving each other so just shrug and smile if my dog decides to do her F* off bark as we call it if one rushes up too close and even apologise - and the other camp - the 'he just wants to play' etc. there must be something wrong with your dog. Just wish I could spot them at a distance.

no I dont muzzle her, she is always under control, has never bittten a dog and I dont let dogs get to her, I body block, catch unruly puppies and sometimes end up spinning in circles to keep myself inbetween her and another dog. she is fine with most dogs but just unpredictable. of course puppies need to be socialised, part of that is learning that some dogs dont want to be approached.

No she is never muzzled, there is no need she gives plenty of warning that she doesn't want to play. If the other dog keeps coming, only ever because they are aggressive actually, I hold her head. Very easy because she has a head collar.

In practice we walk so fast and away from people that we are rarely glimpsed:)

Betsyt the muzzle response is funny isn't it. I had a big boy I had to muzzle, he was a kill first bark later dog and he would trot affably by the buggy as people shrank away.

I think dita the average pfb dog owner just hasn't got a clue, about their responsibility to keep their dog under control and away from other children and dogs unless overtly welcomed. Their world is full of nice fwendly doggies and insufficient dog understanding, the ones that keep fucking up and damage the dog then get rid, so some bugger like me can spend an age trying to repair the damage. Humph cynical moi?!

"the rule I have alwsy worked on is you dont let your dog approach a dog on lead unless you have checked with the owner."

This is the rule I have for my children. My 4 year old has learnt it - don't pet cute doggy until you've asked the owner whether it's OK.

I don't want them to be scared of dogs (I am a little) so I just tell them that not all dogs like to be petted.

"People do take young dogs,puppies to socialise in the park and may not yet have mastered a reliable recall."

If your young dog doesn't have reliable recall, it shouldn't be off the lead in the park.

You'll need to find ways of socialising it that don't involve an uncontrolled dog running up to other dogs and children.

It was a puppy with shit recall that got into the play park and bit my Ds on the back of the leg whilst he was sat on a bench. The owner picked it up and declared she must of been terrified what with all the children running around.

Unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world,where everybody`s dog behaves impeccably.Dogs are living creatures and can be unpredictable,no dog can be relied on to have 100% recall at all times.
As there are many idiot dog owners,and there always will be,I would have thought that if your dog is known to be aggressive to people or other dogs a muzzle should be worn in public.

That would be all dogs in muzzles then, surely?

An aggressive dog with a responsible owner who keeps it under control presents no problem to anyone and doesn't need to be muzzled.

As I said, I'm a little fearful of dogs, but I've no fear of any dog that is under control.

bobby, you are right, but in a muzzle my dog is anxious, frigtened and very very unhappy, she doesnt wag her tiil or trot along, why should my dog be miserable because other people are not responsible?

'Dogs are living creatures and can be unpredictable..'

Children are living creatures and can be unpredictable - should we put them on a lead and cuff them in public to they can't go up to unknown dogs and throw sticks at my dog

Bobby, aggressive means many different things. My 13 stone male who would go straight for the kill was usually muzzled certainly in parks and similar. But he was an extreme example and actually many dogs, maybe most dogs are aggressive to some degree if they are on lead and have an off lead dog approach.

The onus therefore is on owners to keep their off lead dogs away from dogs on lead. If they fail they should be proactive and apologetic. Any dog legging it around instead of recalling is learning no recall, training works within a dog's limits. A long lead can be used whilst they are little. The problem is with owners who have little sense of how to train a dog and a poor grasp of their own responsibilities.

Honey that is awful, I hope your ds was OK. Makes me mad.

I wouldn't say my dog is aggressive-he's scared. We adopted him; because of his working history he'd never encountered other breeds before he started walking out with us. He needs to socialise but if another dog comes up to him and is too friendly or bouncy he gets agitated and growly. If he's muzzled I know I can be relaxed when he meets other dogs. He can get up close and so can they and there's no risk.

If he weren't muzzled I'd be a lot more tense on his encounters with other breeds and he'd learn, as I tensed up on the lead to stop him lunging, that other dogs = stress. Luckily, because of his ex job he's used to the muzzle and doesn't bat an eyelid when it's applied.

I agree that even the best behaved animals and children disgrace themselves on occasion. A sincere apology and as much evasive action as possible go a long way.

So sorry about your son Honeydragon .

I am glad that you are all responsible for your dogs and have them under control,but there are alot of dog owners with aggressive dogs that do not have them under control,even when on a lead.

I purposely take my young dog to the local common about once a week, to practice his recall in an environment where there are lots of dogs. We live in a very rural area, so walks at home could be for an hour without seeing another dog.

So anyway, I took him to the common yesterday afternoon. The schools had all broken up, the sun was shining so it was rammed with people, dogs, bikes, picnics - a perfect gamut of temptation.

Almost every dog we met was off the lead but we met one woman walking a staffie on the lead. I always call or pull my dog away from dogs on the lead. This woman, however, was walking her dog through the very middle of the busiest area and constantly shouting at people, 'call your dog away, mine's aggressive'.

There are masses of less populated routes she could have chosen. Why on earth was she there stressing herself, her dog and others?