Puppy told off by woman for wanting to play with her dog!

[ohnoudidnt]

She screamed at her to go away and told me to put her on a lead as her dog didnt want to play and she picked her little dog up....I called my 6 month gs pup back and she came to me and we walked a different way.Not sure if this should be in aibu but it really just pissed me off as she did nothing wrong.

Since when did everybody have such unsocialized dogs that other dogs can't come near? I think it's a real shame that dogs' lives are getting more and more constrained. They are social creatures, and should be able to socialize.

But it is not thst simple, of course they should be alowed to socialize, dogs desperately need the company of other dogs, but it should be under your control, not just a massive free for all. A miriad of reasons have been given up thread, illustrating why this is not fair in many instances.

Providing dogs are close by and under contol of their owner then all is well and good, if your dog is miles away or even worse actually out of site, how the hell can you know that everything is okay?

We have a prime example on our park of a woman who drives her two dobermans to the park of a morning, lets them off, then sits on a bench and plays on her iphone for half an hour while the dogs shit everywhere and play merry hell.

Did she pick the poo up? Dobermans have huge energy. Are they agressive to other dogs?
Teacake, your dog snapped at the spaniels. Was any harm done? Why did you feel you had to drag your dog away? Is it agressive?

There are some dogs who are not safe off-lead and could cause any number of accidents. Most ordinary trained and socialised dogs are safe to run around. On-lead dogs can be seen as a threat to off-lead dogs. On lead dogs have nowhere to go and can rightfully be very defensive. It is best to avoid on-lead dogs where possible. In my experience, urban dogs tend to be better socialised than their rural cousins. Another problem is that most people don't know how to break up a fight with minimal damage. Unless dogs are properly socialised they are likely to cause problems. Again, the owners are at fault.

It is true that the context you walk in makes a big difference to the question of whether an unfriendly dog should be on-lead or not. I'm a rural dogwalker with a high-energy dog. He is unfriendly when approached but I don't think I should keep him on-lead on the offchance of a poorly controlled offlead dog approaching him, whose owner is not paying attention to my body language or my dog's. But if I was walking him in a busy park thronging with dogs I guess I would keep him on lead.

There was the suggestion upthread that the owner of a dog that doesn't want to socialise should keep that dog on-lead just to make it clear to others that the dog is not up for socialising. That seems unfair. A dog should only be restricted to the lead if that is necessary and helpful for the purposes of controlling him. If he is fully under control without the lead, then other owners should be prepared to look out for a range of cues.

When necessary, I make it pretty obvious by giving a verbal warning to other owners. I always say "Sorry, but my dog is a bit grumpy so your dog shouldn't approach." But often the other owners pick up on the situation without me needing to do that. We usually rub along ok.

Generally on lead dogs are used to being on lead and are okay. The owner continues walking and the moment passes. Most dangerous dog owners walk their dogs off in a different direction if they see trouble ahead. This is really no big deal. If a dog doesn't want to play it's perfectly capable of putting that across. Most dogs I see like that trot on or snap if a cheeky dog gets too close. No harm done. If your dog will actually attack it should be on a lead and muzzled.
I go out specifically to look for dogs that my dog can play with and so do other owners. It's the best thing for my dog to have a good run before being cooped up while I go to work.

My dog is such a coward that he makes a wide circle around any dog that he meets until said dog makes friendly overtures. Then he plays like a lunatic. He is particularly scared of small dogs with Napoleon complexes. Dog woman would have approved of him.

The on-lead off-lead protocol is tricky sometimes when the lead in question is one of those extendable things.

Often a dog on an extendable lead ranges at a not inconsiderable distance from their owner, and they are really thin (the lead not the dog ) so very hard to see at any distance.

I always scrutinise oncoming dogs to see if they are on one of the detestable things even if they look off-lead, but sometimes can't see it at all... Then as my dog approaches off-lead, the owner starts reeling their dog in like a fisherman with a carp, this often disrupts the otherwise normal greeting which has started and then the dog can end up all defensive and a problem which needn't have happened.

This problem also means the that I miss the chance to put my dog on a lead to mirror the on-lead dog, which could be a problem if it is on the lead for good reason and not just because the owner has never managed to train it to recall properly and thought a retractable lead was an excellent substitute

MothershipG Awwwwww fanks

MothershipG, that's an awful thing to happen to the yorkie

I am sure if we met each other on a walk we would get on fine :) I am always impressed by the small dog owners who ask if their dog can say hello because they want to socialize it.

Gobblersknob, I agree that people should know what their dogs are up to. But it's a shame there is so much angst about dogs. If people trained and socialized their dogs properly, there wouldn't need to be. I assume you were using a general 'you' because my dogs are never miles away and out of sight.

Older dogs can find puppies really annoying. Ill dogs don't want to play.

I don't walk dog on lead very often unless I am on a pavement. Often I am running and dog/lead/me running tends to be an accident waiting to happen. He is a very shy dog as I said and wouldn't approach a dog without being fairly sure it was friendly. But I often wonder if other dogs owners with on-lead dogs get pissed off as they don't know he's friendly.

Sorry not 'friendly' I meant non aggressive.

Ormi, I would have said of course not and I doubt anyone gives it any thought, but am not so sure after reading this thread

I may be reading this tread wrong but the implication appears that the general feeling is that dogs sort things out for themselves, and all dogs understand each other, and there will be no bullying or inappropriate behaviour if you leave dogs to it their own devices. Unfortunately this is not the case. A lot of owners do not understand the body language of their dogs and this just causes trouble.

I would not want any dog of mine to have to snap at other dogs to ask them to be left alone. It is my job as an owner to make them feel secure and safe. It is not my dogs job to have to fend of unwanted bouncy dogs if they do not want an interaction.

Just some common sense and manners means that all dogs and owners can walk together but I do not feel that because I have my dogs off lead it is an open invitation for them to be forced to interact with dogs.

Interesting link here from a previous dog walking etiquette thread that seems to generally disagree with this thread previous dog walking etiquette thread

Does your dog 'have to snap' every time you're out?
I doubt very much that you're making your dog feel secure if you're constantly fending off 'bouncy' dogs. A lot of owners might not know their dogs but if they stopped and chatted with other dog owners they might learn a lot. Dogs are meant to socialise.

You are so right, cuebill. Yes, dogs are "meant to socialise" but what does that mean exactly? There is nothing particularly natural about them having to socialise with myriad strange new dogs on every walk. Some dogs like it, some don't. Having to meet so many new dogs all the time is a fairly new phenomenon for dogs, coinciding with growing car ownership, growing dog ownership and the newish tendency to take dog welfare more seriously than before, all of which mean that good dogwalking spots are often much more heavily used than a decade or two ago.

For a lot of dogs, meeting unknown dogs is a source of stress. And this isn't just a case of them being poorly socialised. My dog was very well socialised at obedience classes and with a few dogs that he met regularly. And until his wary temperament made itself clear I used to assume the best and allow him to interact with good-natured stranger dogs. It became clear he was never going to take this in his stride and so I changed tactics -- supported by my dog trainer, who said that "socialising" dogs primarily means training them so that they can encounter other dogs whilst still being under their owners' control, not encouraging them in a playful free-for-all which is great when it works out but risky when it doesn't.

I know that my dog only wants to nip and intimidate, not to launch a full-on attack, but this does carry risks. Long ears can get torn, delicate whippet limbs might get severely damaged, loose wrinkly skin on some dogs can get caught, apprehensive temperaments can be pressed to the point where they become aggressive temperaments if my dog bites, etc.

My dog has severe nervous aggression, and he particularly frightened of puppies as they bounce in his face and do not display normal adult dog body communication. There is no polite tail wag, and cautious approach, they are pushy unpredictable. He attends classes, has private trainers come to the house and is walked with other dogs, but still, face on face greetings upset him.

If I shouted at you to get your puppy away this would be because mine was tensed and displaying body language that told me that he might attack. I have mine on lead, but if your dog is off lead and jumps at him it may get injured.

As my dog is on-lead and under control hence of no risk to any dog other than those that force themselves into his face I am not muzzling him. The muzzle increases his fear, and make the whole long term situation unmanageable. No one should allow their dog to force itself on anyone, human or dog.

So, shrug, if someone doesn't want your dog near theirs just listen and get off your high horse about it.

My old boy (greyhound) detests GSDs because he's been set about by 3 different ones - including an escaped pup who ran straight up to him, bit his ankles and his nose. Because of this, he's immediately arsey with this type of dog. Oh, he's also very racist, in that he doesn't like white dogs, of any breed

For me, it's not that I'm generally concerned about whether the other dog is friendly/not friendly, it's more that either one of my greys (but particularly the dog), could take exception. Both my dogs are walked on lead though....

Cuebill, you are right that many owners aren't very good at reading dog body language. And some dogs too. They need to have the opportunity to learn when they are puppies. Sadly I see many people (near where I live) who never even give their dogs the chance to learn this, and then end up with fearful or aggressive dogs.

I think dog owners need to be tolerant of each other. Dogs are living breathing creatures and even the most well-behaved dog can still sometimes make a mistake. Once we have a well-trained dog, do we all forget how hard it was to start from the beginning?

It shouldn't be such a big deal for other dogs to come bounding up, unless they are aggressive. We can train our dogs to be tolerant too.

I should add about my dog, she is like she is as when she was a puppy she was attacked by a small pom dog. She was so scared she wee'd herself and was literally crying all the way home (as dogs do). She is fine with dogs the same size as her and has many successful intros with huskies, other GSD's and more, but I have to keep her on lead because of the small dogs and puppies who are not under control and now muzzled as she actually nipped a pup once who owner had no f'ing clue whatsoever and even though my dog was on lead and barking manically she STILL allowed her puppy to come straight up to my dog :( . I do not want my dog to be responsible for seriously injuring another dog who's owner is in the wrong so I have taken these steps to reduce the issue. I should add though she seriously hates the muzzle :(

A bounding over dog broke the leg of a foster dog - it is a HUGE deal

That's a terrible thing to happen, Cuebill, and it is a big deal. But it's not the likely outcome when a dog runs up.

There are two incidents on this thread alone so it is an outcome that does happen. Other posters have mentioned issues with fear in some dogs that will only have occurred from inappropriate socialisation of dogs

However I know it is my responsibility to keep all my dogs safe and I will choose the dogs that they interact with. They have a great social life and meet many dogs each week through agility, flyball and obedience. They walk with other dogs regularly but I will avoid interaction from unknown dogs or owners who feel it is ok for all dogs to bundle in together. Each to their own.

I think the OP needs to recognise that is was a perfectly reasonable request for her to be asked to call her dog and not too get "pissed off" at the request. We all have a right to walk our dogs in a way we choose.

The poor dog must have been in terrible pain Cuebill. It's an awful thing to happen. But it's not what you could reasonably expect to happen when a friendly dog approaches.

Yes, you should check before your pup runs to play with other dogs.

My dog is older with poor eyesight and hates pups running up to him. He was attacked by a dog that ran up to play. So i would ask you to recall your dog at once.

Agree with cuebill, each to their own and assume everyone has a reason.

Just wanted to pick up on Cuebill's point, with which I completely agree. Unless you've got superhero powers, you can't see if the dog walking quietly along may be carrying an existing injury, may have arthritis or poor hearing or sight.

A friend's greyhound recently had an accident which involved stitches - they had terrible problems while hound was recuperating with "bouncy" dogs coming over while they were trying to walk quietly along. Injuries and convalescence are not so rare as to be unusual - a bit of consideration goes a very long way. Our foster bitch will be spayed shortly - the last thing she'll need while recuperating is some bonkers dog clambering all over her.

Our very much missed late greyhound bitch was elderly, frail towards the end of her life, had poor eyesight and arthritis in her shoulder, yet she still loved her walks. We just had too many experiences with cannonball pups that really hurt/intimidated her - no wonder she was grumpy. It was not her job or role in life to be a punchbag for someone else's pup, and like others we made sure she had a great social life with dogs she knew. We made every effort to walk her in a time and place that minimised likely contact with strange or badly behaved/controlled dogs yet it still happened from time to time. Painful and stressful for her, annoying for us, especially since we would be walking on lead in the middle of a huge green area, usually walking away from an approaching dog - how many more cues can you give, short of shouting "Off you fuck, cuntychops"?