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The doghouse

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Original poster

How to get an over-friendly dog to go away?

33 replies

TheDelectationOfSmaug · 28/04/2013 13:24

Was recently out in a local park with DC.

A large labrador (or possibly golden retriever) came bounding over - not on a lead - owners nowhere in sight.

It was jumping up at my kids and was taller than them on its hind legs - they were crying and very scared and running away, but it followed us. It didn't seem aggressive but very over-friendly.

Eventually my DM who was with us got it to go away by growling at it and hitting its nose.

I was very shaken (as were DC) and couldn't help thinking what might have happened but for DM (herself a former dog owner).

Have any of you dog owners got good advice about how to fend off a dog like this and get it to go away and leave me and my kids alone?

OP posts:
YNK · 28/04/2013 13:27

Try turning your back on it and folding your arms. Do not reward it with any attention at all.

daisydotandgertie · 28/04/2013 15:55

Hitting its fucking nose. Really? Just for being too friendly? That is horrific.

The poor dog didn't actually do anything badly wrong. Your children need to learn how to behave with dogs; running away will make it chase you. Crying and screaming will not help. What exactly did you think an over friendly dog would do to you? It was hardly going to lick you to death.

A over friendly dog is an entirely different problem to an agressive one.

MadAboutHotChoc · 28/04/2013 15:58

Teach the DC to stand still like trees, arms folded and no eye contact. Definitely no screaming and shrieking.

I am a dog lover but can understand how scary it must be when a large large runs over to you.

MadAboutHotChoc · 28/04/2013 16:00

Never ever hit a dog - you risk getting bitten.

saintmerryweather · 28/04/2013 16:01

Dont hit a strange dog, thats one way to get yourself bitten. teach your children to be a tree. turn your back, fold your arms and ignore it. if your children run and scream the dog will think you want to play and it will chase them.

no the dog shouldnt have been out of control and its owners should have been in sight of it but if your children react the dog will just get more excited

SauvignonBlanche · 28/04/2013 16:01

Poor dog! Sad

colditz · 28/04/2013 16:03

Shout at it loudly then turn your back with your arms folded.

If people don't want their dogs to be aggressively treated by non dog lovers, they should maintain control of their animal

colditz · 28/04/2013 16:05

Daisy, a large over friendly dog can do some serious damage to a small child without being at all aggressive, and it's disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

colditz · 28/04/2013 16:05

Also the vast majority of dogs DO nderstand "no"

MrsPeeWee · 28/04/2013 16:07

Your DM should be ashamed. There was no reason that warranted the dog needing to be hit. Unbelievable.

rainbowslollipops · 28/04/2013 16:07

Your dm put you all at risk by hitting and growling at it. As previous posts have said you ignore the dog. No speech. No eye contact you simply turn and ignore.

flowery · 28/04/2013 16:10

Stand still, ignore and make yourselves as boring as possible. Screaming and running not a good plan as dog will think its a game.

idirdog · 28/04/2013 16:54

If you hold your hand up, with arm outstretched and take a step towards the dog and say "away" in a firm loud voice 99.9% of dogs will pause and turn away.

Do encourage your DC to stand still when a dog approaches as running away, screaming etc will excite most dogs.

I actually think over friendly dogs are more of a menace than aggressive dogs. Aggressive dogs are usually on a lead they may be barking and lunging but are usually controlled by their stressed and embarrassed owners, however the "he will not hurt you, he only wants to play" brigade can cause a large amount of fear in children and other dogs.

saintmerryweather · 28/04/2013 17:00

I would probably try telling.the dog to sit as well, in a firm voice.

DeepRedBetty · 28/04/2013 17:07

Stand still. Fold arms, turn your back. Train your children to do the same. Sadly rather too many dog owners think it's ok to let their friendly big hairy muddy pawed pet charge up to anyone they see.

Try to persuade DM not to hit dogs, not because it's cruel (although it is that too) but because she's lucky, the dog could have reacted badly, and in any case it's engaging and therefore 'rewarding' the unwanted behaviour.

Meanwhile, if you ARE the sort of person who doesn't mind dogs, please don't 'reward' dogs for jumping up. I'm trying so hard to persuade the younger Retriever not to do this, and it's very depressing when someone appears from behind a bush and immediately starts petting him, holding his paws, or even giving him biscuits.

HoneyDragon · 28/04/2013 17:12

DeepRedBetty

I feel your pain Sad

And it's bloody hard to recall a dog from fuss, praise and attention.

daisydotandgertie · 28/04/2013 17:13

But which is likely to do the most damage?

An over friendly dog who is being at best irritating or an over friendly dog which has been HIT on the nose by a stranger and growled?

With no prior knowledge of the dog, I'd put my money on the HITTING and growling being the most dangerous way of dealing with that situation. Over friendly is likely to knock over a small child, frighten a child, maybe even scratch it. Not savage it which is the serious risk the DM exposed them to.

The dog itself did nothing badly wrong. Yes, badly trained, badly controlled and too excited. Sounds like a fabulous dog tbh, to take all of that and not turn nasty.

BUT it is worth remembering it is impossible to 100% guarantee the behaviour of a dog, no matter how well trained. 99% maybe, but that's optimistic, tbh. All dogs have the potential to forget their manners and training at any time. It would therefore be handy to know how to react safely to a dog at any time by following the 'be a tree' advice on this thread.

I'm afraid I can't agree with the statement upthread which appears to suggest that agressive treatment of a non aggressive dog is in any way acceptable.

ChewingOnLifesGristle · 28/04/2013 17:18

'What exactly did you think an over friendly dog would do to you? It was hardly going to lick you to death.'

Hmm..How many times do we hear Oh, don't worry he wont hurt you..! As doggy slobbers and deposits mud everywhere.

It's not just about being scared. Some of us just don't like it. The mud and slobber all over my coat/dc for one thingHmm

MrsZoidberg · 28/04/2013 17:19

Whilst I agree with the majority of advice on this thread, I must disagree with the tone and comments from DaisyDot.

If the OP and her children are not dog savvy (and it's not a crime to not be) then a large Lab bounding over is very scary. I was attacked by a lab when I was a child, and have never liked them since. I do not know the ages of the OP's children, but I was 8 when it happened and it was bigger than me.

One of my dogs wouldn't bite anyone, she is the softest thing ever - but she does jump up in excitement, and she curls her claws (like a cat - don't know if this is a husky thing or just her but I don't know other dogs that do this). It really, really hurts when she does it. She has left massive welts on me, that bruise horribly.

So the dog in the op may not have been aggressive, but this does not mean it didn't hurt. It also doesn't mean the children were wrong to have been scared.

OP, as many have said. Stand still, turn back or sideways on, no eye contact or vocals, no screaming and definitely no running. Try and stand between the dog and the kids. I would then have got your Mum to issue a command such as sit - it's usually the first (and sometimes only) command that owners teach.

TheToysAreALIVEITellThee · 28/04/2013 17:21

The only risk I see here is your dc thinking its ok to hit a dog to get it to go away because they saw an adult do it

colditz · 28/04/2013 17:51

That's odd, because I can see a real risk of a child losing an eye from "he wouldn't hurt a fly"s claws

coffeeinbed · 28/04/2013 18:03

A very firm No! should do it.
Then turn away, don't run, don't jump, don't shriek.
And don't hit.

rainbowslollipops · 28/04/2013 18:05

I look after my parents newf sometimes and he's always on a lead. When I see someone coming especially with a dog I pull over to the side, make my dog sit and wait for the people to walk past us. It works and that way if the people want to say hi, they can without having him pull me towards them. There's also a lovely staff who always says hello to me in the afternoons and whenever he jumps up at me I always no jumping and step back. His owner doesn't mind and if anything I think is grateful to feel confident that I'm in control eventhough he isn't my dog.

Whoknowswhocares · 28/04/2013 18:13

Your mother should be thoroughly ashamed of herself. As a former dog owner she should know better than to put all of you at risk of being bitten.
Why on earth did she not just restrain the dog by its collar until the owner was spotted?

TheToysAreALIVEITellThee · 28/04/2013 18:18

Turn back on dog - risk of loss of eye, however minute already massively reduced

Hit a dog on the nose - possible bite from dog trying to defend itself