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The doghouse

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Original poster

Quick multiple choice question: if you see someone coming towards you with a dog on lead, and your dog is off-lead, do you:

30 replies

TheKitchenWitch · 30/08/2014 10:12

a) put your own dog on lead
b) call your dog to you and hope it walks to heel as you pass the other dog
c) let your dog go rushing up to the other dog barking furiously while making no attempt to call it back whatsoever?

Angry

c) Part Two: also, when the owner of the on-lead dog asks you to call your dog back, do you then say "why don't you let yours off? mine won't do anything" even though you have met this particular owner and dog numerous times, and she has painstakingly explained to you that her dog is highly reactive and has to be on lead when passing other dogs in order not to lunge at them?

Angry Angry

OP posts:
Fragglewump · 30/08/2014 10:17

I put my dog back in his lead. He's crap with other dogs and is really excited by other dogs especially ones on the lead and he jumps all over them barking and growling.

Fragglewump · 30/08/2014 10:17

Pressed to soon - she sounds very annoying!!!!

youbethemummylion · 30/08/2014 10:20

Call my dog to me and carry on walking. She walks right next to me and ignores the other dog. If she didn't I would put her on the lead or hold her harness until the on lead dog has passed.

AlpacaLypse · 30/08/2014 10:25

I'd call mine in and grab collar, while also shouting ahead that mine's usually fine, if she wants to let it hers off. To which reply might be 'mine's in season/a bit awful with other dogs/will KEEP jumping on people' or might be 'oh brilliant, let's let them get acquainted'. You don't know until you ask.

tabulahrasa · 30/08/2014 10:26

D. Mine is already on lead as he's reactive, so I'll be behind a bush waiting for you to go past, lol.

It's annoying when it's the same people over and over again, eh?

SpicyBear · 30/08/2014 10:34

How annoying OP.

I do a) unless I know the owner/dog and that it's definitely okay not to.

Original poster
TheKitchenWitch · 30/08/2014 10:40

Honestly, I saw her YESTERDAY, I moved over onto a field with my ddog and she shouted out "Is it because of me?" to which I replied "No, it's because of your dog, as you well know!".

Then today, same thing again except she let him come bounding over!

I admit I got VERY annoyed with her. I am training ddog1, we've had lots of problems with her recently (massively over-stressed due to situation at home at the moment) and she's always been selectively reactive, and I've even done a whole walk with this woman and my ddog2 (who gets on with everyone) discussing the problem of ddog1 and why I CAN'T just let her off-lead.
And EVERY BLOODY TIME she does this.

OP posts:
Isthatwhatdemonsdo · 30/08/2014 12:09

Always lead both my dogs.

ender · 30/08/2014 13:33

I put bouncy friendly lab on lead. GSD stays free because he only cares about his ball and completely blanks other dogs when off lead, but barks and lunges like a loon when on.

JadeJ123 · 30/08/2014 13:51

Both of my always on a lead, most people avoid us though as male dog is muzzled, usually they get there dogs back when male dog starts going nuts at their dog/ them

LEMmingaround · 30/08/2014 13:58

Really depends. If the other dog looks reactive then ill grab my dog. I have two. One is always on the lead as he can sometimes kick off. If its enclosed area then ill grab my dig. On the beach/woods then prob leave my dog to say hello. In the circumstances you describe id put my dog on the lead.

guineapig1 · 30/08/2014 14:03

A) unless as spicy says I know the dog/owner and am confident that there is unlikely to be a problem.

monkeyfacegrace · 30/08/2014 14:04

Mine gets put back on a lead as she is 10 months so don't entirely trust her to stay to heel yet.

I ask other owner if their dog is friendly. If yes, I re release Honey, and she has a sniff then wanders off. If they say no we walk past until out of sight then I re release Honey.

That should just be bloody normal Confused

Owllady · 30/08/2014 16:26

I put mine on the lead and carry on walk ing
Say
A-do! To owner

I can't stand idiot dog owners
.can you get one of those dog coats that ssy GIVE ME SPACE or something?

NCISaddict · 30/08/2014 22:05

My dog never goes up to a dog on the lead, not something I've trained(at least I don't think I have) but he just seems to know not to. If he ever attempted to I would call him back and leash him, he just never has, gives them a huge wide berth, I estimate a 20 metre distance.

mrslaughan · 30/08/2014 23:42

As soon as I see other dogs, my ddog is called back and put on lead, whether they are on or off lead (unless I know them). This is because ddogs recall when it comes to other dogs is selective and I don't want to reinforce the whole running off to see other dogs, he is entire and some dogs take exception to that, and 3/ he is a giant breed and dome owners take exception to his size

Canidae · 31/08/2014 12:29

I will either put both on leads or move to one side and put both in a sit stay depending on the area/other dog.

GSD will never approach another dog but hates dogs bounding up to him while he is on lead. Golden will tail wag but will walk on or sit stay on command.

SauvignonBlanche · 31/08/2014 12:32

A).

Eastpoint · 31/08/2014 12:38

Goal is a, sometimes b happens & occasionally c. Try hard to keep dog 2 under control as he has poor social skills & thinks barking is saying hello instead of politely sniffing.

Original poster
TheKitchenWitch · 31/08/2014 17:09

See, I thought it was generally accepted that you basically made sure your dog did not go running up to the on-lead dog. Obviously if your dog is running around and suddenly someone appears with their dog on lead, it's maybe not possible to immediately stop your dog from wandering over, I do understand that.
But the scenario I'm talking about is where you are approaching each other along a country lane, in plain view. And most of us around here know each other, so this woman in particular actually knows why I don't let ddog1 off lead around other dogs, and yet she still thinks it's fine to let her dog come rushing over to us.
This leaves me with only two options really - I either let ddog1 have a sniff and then start growling/lunging etc, and hope that the other dog backs off rather than going for her, or I put myself between the 2 dogs and basically tell the other dog to piss off, thereby trying to show ddog1 that I have everything under control and she is not required to do anything at all.

OP posts:
NCISaddict · 31/08/2014 17:25

If an off lead dog comes up to my dog I shout 'AWAY' in a very firm voice and move myself between the dogs to show mine that I am in control, my dog couldn't care less if any dog approaches but it's just not good etiquette to let your dog go up to any dog on the lead regardless of how they react. Like you TKW I thought that was generally accepted in the dog fraternity.

I use 'away' as a command because it's probably what people say when the dog's being a pest at home as in 'Go away'
Seems to work.

moosemama · 31/08/2014 17:28

I know it's not ideal, but if this woman insists on not listening, would there be any value in doing some walks with her, her dog and your reactive dog and getting them to know each other so that it isn't such a pain when she suddenly appears on the horizon? Parallel lead walking is ideal for this and would benefit your dog, as well and developing a way around your dog reacting whenever she lets hers approach unannounced.

It really depends on your dog. in our case, reactive dogs have always been ok with those we've taken the time and trouble to socialise/habituate them to, even if they still over-reacted to 'stranger dogs', iyswim.

Just thought it might take the stress out of dog walks for you, if you weren't on edge waiting for her and her off-lead dog to appear any second.

Aked · 31/08/2014 19:09

I recall mine if the other dog is on lead, and put her on the lead too. She would never walk to heel while another dog walked past her! Except in a training situation - but she knows the difference unfortunately. Hopefully I see them first and get her back, but she is over-friendly and will rush over if she sees another dog. However her recall away from other dogs is very good, in which case I call her back and apologise to the on lead owner.

I think a majority either don't care or realise to be honest. When mine is on lead loads of people allow their dogs to come up to her, and they have no idea why she may be on the lead. It must be very frustrating if you have a reactive dog. Luckily mine is just bouncy and I just stand while she bounces about with the other dog until they go.

ToomuchIsBackOnBootcamp · 31/08/2014 19:17

My Ddog is never interested in other dogs and will just go past other (off-lead) dogs or allow them to have a brief sniff then carry on his way. He would also completely blank on-lead dogs too, but as the other owner doesn't know this obviously, I just call him to me and either put him on lead for the few minutes it takes to pass each other, or hold him sitting if they are close and passing us. I know he would be fine, but just don't want to stress the other owner/dog.
I am always a bit Hmm with the "don't worry he's just being friendly" brigade. It's like an abdication of responsibility.

Aked · 31/08/2014 19:36

I agree toomuch. Mine IS just being friendly but I would never say it. Her eager-to-be-friends-ness makes her ongoing training quite challenging and is not an excuse to allow her to jump all over everyone and everything. I'd like one who ignored the rest of the world when we were out!