Owners that pick up their dogs.

[MarcoPoloCX]

Why do people do it?
Inevitably it's small dog owners.
They see another dog approaching, their dogs are also off lead. They quickly recall and pick them up even when the other dog shows no aggression.
It just encourages them to fear the other dogs.

I have a Staffie mix that likes to play with other dogs. He doesn't go up to on lead dogs and is very gentle.
There are a few in the park that would recall and pick them up when they see him.
Today I saw one of them so I decided to turn the table round.
I shouted to my dog to come back, picked him up (all 20kg of him) and ran while screaming killer dog as the little one started yapping.

OP you made my day with that (I'm a staffy cross owner too )

Well I don't do it.

However it annoys me when an off lead dog comes over to my off lead dog. Just because she's off lead doesn't mean she wants to play. I do try and encourage her if an off lead dog comes over.....so I will intercept the dog and make a fuss of it while reassuring her. By doing this I have progressed from her bolting like mad a good distance and not stopping while screaming like a possessed toddler to now just skulking about behind me.

She's scared of other dogs after a friendly lab bounced up and down on her. But he was only playing so that's ok!

My dog is not tiny but even 'friendly' dogs that are not on a lead often come up to him and try and stand on him. I don't pick mine up but do ask the owners to recall their dog.

I suspect owners of tiny dogs just get fed up of other dogs bouncing on theirs and you just can't tell which dog off lead is going to do that or not.

I thought I posted. Where did that go?!
Some owners have had bad experiences and had their dogs attacked.
I wouldn't do it even if I could. But my dog is massive and I would need a fork lift!!!

Dogs go up to one another to play, no? I don't let my off lead dog go up to on lead dogs but I do if they're off lead.

Maybe you need a yellow dog coat if your dog is really nervous Possum?

And in answer to the OP, it drives me bonkers. And totally reinforces other dog = scary

Having said that, I keep him away from tiny dogs as he is quite enthusiastic

I should clarify my dog doesn't approach other dogs on or off lead, but gets plenty of disapproving sniffs and panicking scooping up of tiny dogs from other owners as she bimbles past in her own wee world.

Maybe they have had a bad experience?

I think you are being oversensitive.

They are not judging your dog.

I rarely pick my boy up because of other dogs as I think it encourages dogs to jump up at him. but I don't blame anyone who does: my ddog was rolled by another dog who the owner insisted was friendly and gentle. He now has a permanent hip problem and will suffer pain all his life. I do pick my 3.9 kilo jrt cross up if it's too wet, cold or damp slightly inclement if his hip plays up and or if he starts limping. I hope you are very sure why they are avoiding your "gentle, friendly likes to play" dog as I expect you come across slightly unhinged running across the park with him in your arms

Likely they don't want their precious snowflakes mixing with any old dog. .
No offence to your ddog!
As a rotty owner (who was attacked by a toy poodle) I wish I could have lifted her out of the way though!
Told her not to retaliate as it would have only got stuck in her throat. .

An elderly lady picked up her dog and started squealing and shouting for me to 'get that dog away or I'll effing shoot it!' Unfortunately, a squealing woman turning in circles with an unfamiliar dog was much more interesting to my dog than I can ever be, so it took me a minute to get him back.

I pick up my dog when I see the local mini schnauzer cos he's an awful yob of a dog, tries to play but just pisses my dog off by jumping all over him. Also when I see the jack Russell that tries to pee on him. The only other time I've picked him up outside is when he was injured, when another owner has had trouble calling their dog away from mine and when some toddler started screaming/chasing him whilst the little darlings parents looked on.

He's not that small though 8/9kg.

I do also pick him up at home for cuddles!

I started to do with certain dog owners after my dog was attacked. She was already nervous and was on a lead due to that and these owners never called their dogs back even when their dog had snarled and gone for my dog. She wasn't a particularly small dog but no way was I letting another dog attack her.

Maybe because they don't know your dog, or how 'friendly' or otherwise he is and can't take the chance of a fight / attack - if two reasonably similar sized dogs get into a scrap it's unlikely to be fatal, however if a staffy / rottie / collie / husky attacked my dog (10kg) they are very likely to seriously injure or kill him. I'm not willing to take that chance because your dog wants someone to play with. My dog is very happy go lucky and loves other dogs but unless I know the dog in question I'm not taking the risk. And it pisses me off no end when dogs run up to mine off lead and under no control (ignoring their owners)

I do it until they finish getting their jabs. I'm not keeping an active lab in the house until they've been fully vaccinated so I'm just careful where we walk and lift them if another dog appears for the first few weeks.

I recently saw a staffy cross off it's lead run up and attack a spaniel. The guy picked the spaniel up and had to kick the sx away as it was still jumping up to get at it. That kind of thing is probably why, it's not like that kind of thing never happens. Last year in my road a man was walking a little dog and a staffy that had escaped from someone's house ran up and bit it and took some getting off.

They are lovely dogs, but staffys aren't well known for loving other dogs are they?

I pick up my dog.... It's not from choice she's 7 kg.... And on a lead for a reason

Random dogs comming over are at risk from her, if I pick her up she's ok if I don't she straining and wanting to eat them... I don't care if the other dog is friendly....mine most definitely isn't... were working on it.

Have come across people who are annoyed I picked her up....as their dog could 'hold there own' ... And we should just let them sort it out......ummmm no

I do because my dog doesnt like other dogs and if another dog comes right up to her she is likely to snap/bite. So I'd rather just pick her up as I dont want her getting hurt in retaliation. Dont see how that can bother you in the slightest. Doesnt affect you or your dog.

I don't think staffies are bad with other dogs. I do think that when one does 'go for' another dog, it doesn't nip but grabs and holds on. That is the problem.

Also, some bad owners are attracted to staffies.

The thing is you don't know the background - my dog was attacked by a staffy and a bulldog last year so I'm very wary of who he mixes with now as he's very feisty and if a staffy came near him he'd probably kick off to try and get in first iyswim . I did pick him up when the attacks occurred because the other owners were doing very little to stop their dogs and particularly with the staffy if I hadn't I'm fairly sure he'd be dead.

I don't know what it means to a dog to be picked up in that situation. Does anyone know anything about dog psychology?
I don't pick my dog up because he's heavy and an awkward shape (he's the biggest pug I've ever met, weighs 10.5kg).

I have 2 small dogs that don't like to play with other dogs down to being squished too many times by exuberant larger dogs who 'just wanted to play'. I don't pick them up but they will both give other dogs a mouthful if pushed and then they get the reputation of being yappy small dogs.

The one time DH did pick them up was when a Husky, whose owner insisted 'just wanted to play' was getting too aggressive, the Husky subsequently killed a yorky it was 'just' playing with.

I used to have two tiny chihuahuas and I never picked them up. It was hard at first because one bite and they could have been severely hurt but they learned that if they were frightened, they could hide behind my legs instead.

Most of the time they said hello, (well one did, the other gobbed off) but if they were bouncy rough dogs, they would get behind my legs and I would block the dog from getting to them. Worked for us

My dog is often on the lead as his recall is shit, he is an Italian Greyhound, sighthounds have notoriously bad recall. He will be off lead depending where we are.
On the lead, he is a gobby little sod and will be barking and straining to get to the other dog. If I pick him up, he doesn't bark, therefore I tend to pick him up.