Abusive Jogger

[FragileTitanium]

Just got back from taking my puppy for an early morning walk. We met a very nasty male jogger who started abusing me because my tiny puppy started to jump up on him while he was jogging. I agree that this is unacceptable behaviour for my puppy - who is still learning. It didn't help that he was prancing about the place as though he was playing with her.

I'm a really responsible dog owner and I work really hard at it. I follow Gwen Bailey's perfect puppy advice (which is hard work), etc, etc.

However, so many people (joggers included) stop and pet the puppy and play with it that it undoes my training to ignore joggers. So it makes it so difficult when you get the odd jogger who really reacts badly.

We were walking in the country at the crack of dawn (literally), which is the only place my puppy is off lead.

It also didn't help that at 6 months old, her recall has suddenly gone to pot and when I call her, she runs away. I'm told this is typical teenager behaviour but it didn't look good in front of the abusive jogger when I couldn't catch my doggy to put it on the lead.

No point to this post, just letting off steam really.

Oh....re teenage thing. Should I start walking her on the lead in the country while her recall is unreliable? What are other people doing? Not much in Gwen Bailey on the teenage thing.

Hi there

Thanks for the advice all. My last post on this thread. Just for info, my little doggy was in a private, open field this morning, at 6am to which we are lucky enough to have access.

Not a place commonly used for jogging and inaccessible by bike. Was training my doggy at time. Jogger came up behind us from behind a bush and I didn't see him until it was too late. Then he started prancing and hopping about. Puppy thought he was playing a game with her.

Like I said, it is unacceptable for a puppy to jump up and I understand that. I am an inexperienced dog owner and it's taken me a little while to realise I dont' have my lovely compliant puppy anymore but a unruly teenage one.

I will be more careful in future but a little compassion from both sides of the fence wouldn't go astray.

Nobody ever solved anything by abusing the people they are trying to persuade.

I think you will find you got different responses if you had said in the first place that its private property as that's a bit like saying someone shouted abuse at me because my dog jumped up them when they came into my garden . That would be a totally different situation !

I had some issues with this too so i feel your pain. You get in the position where you are training them to recall but it isn't perfect yet so they end up doing something unacceptable. You keep them on a lead then you can't check how your recall training is working!
My advice is to persevere. My pup is 15 months now and doesn't bother chasing joggers now, or bikes. She also recalls pretty easily from other dogs too. I never, ever thought we would be at this stage.

A couple of ideas to help your recall problems:

1. Do you go to training classes? If not, join one asap. There is no substitute for training in a controlled environment with expert help where you can manage distractions.

1. Play the recall game. You need two people in a small enclosed space like a garden. Crouch a few metres away from each other and take it in turns to call the puppy in a high pitched, excited voice. Reward everytime the puppy comes. Repeat often and in different places.

1. Save your best food rewards for recall, e.g. liver, sausage, cheese.

1. Find a suitable place (empty, no other people) and long line your puppy. That is put a very lightweight, long line on her collar and allow it to trail behind her (it should be very lightweight so that she forgets about it). Let the dog run loose, then call her. If she does not come immediately, step on the line and walk on it all the way to your dog. Gently place your hand under her collar and walk backwards to where you originally were when you called her. When you get there, praise, reward and release her. Repeat ad nauseum. Don't let her off the lead at other times. If you keep this up for 3-4 weeks it works wonders.

1. Don't always put on the lead and leave when you recall her. Recall her often and then let her go continue her walk free. Also always reward the puppy for being near you voluntarily.