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.

If you have an overly boisterous dog or one that is too rough and not gentle, you would keep a close eye on it or don't let it play with dogs that it could easily injure.

I rarely pick my dog up 6kgs

I keep her away from dogs on leads regardless of size breed because I don't know why they are on a lead - could be rubbish recall, could be that they don't like other dogs.

Annoying my dog likes to bark growl at anything larger than herself because she is frightened so my intervention is about her not starting a row or because some dog owners over react to her barking and assume she is very aggressive/going to attack. The reality is that she does the big I am then runs for the hills!!!!

If the other dog is calm/fine then all is fine but the issue is my dog and if that means picking her up to stop WW3 noise level I will sometimes. Usually I just call her over and make her stand and wait until the other dog and merrily gone it's way!

Earlier this year a puppy was killed by a larger dog that walked up and bit down on it's head. Just like that - no warning at all - just walked over and killed it.

It's not you, it's them. But they aren't wrong either.

I had a woman in the woods round my house (where I walk ddog daily and never see a soul) pick up a giant fat Labrador when she saw my small border collie running up the path.
She screamed to me to recall ddog, which I did immediately, and she returned to me before going within 10 feet of the owner.
Other woman walked off with lab dangling from her arms, shouting that he was terrified now.

She did not have terrified dog on a lead at any time.

It looked very dangerous as the dog's legs were trailing, twisting it's spine. If my dog had been aggressive, she would have been able to attack the dog's legs and stomach and it would have been defenseless as it was being held.

I think if you have an aggressive or fearful dog, or one which has been attacked, and want to walk it around other dogs, you should use a yellow jacket or lead to indicate a nervous dog. Most dog will try to socialise with another dog, but if you clearly show your dog is nervous responsible dog owners will make the effort to avoid you, for your dogs sake and theirs.

Irresponsible dog owners will continue not to recall problem dogs, and daft owners will pick up normal dogs until they turn nervous, but you can't really do anything other than avoid them (or pick up your own dog and scream!)

Of course the owners of boisterous dogs should keep them under control, but in the real world it doesn't always happen. I get that the dopey lab puppy or friendly staff doesn't have a mean bone in it's body but it still is 5x as big as my dogs. Imagine if a 10ft toddler wanted to play with you!

'He's only a puppy', 'he only wants to play' - the small dog doesn't care and doesn't enjoy getting bounced on.

I didn't pick my dog up until the day a lurcher bounded across the field at us and knocked him to the ground rolling him through the mud and trying to lift him around his middle like he was a toy. The dog may well have been 'only playing' as his owner reassured me but it terrified both me and the dog. I don't blame the other dog - he probably looks a lot like a rabbit - but now I lift him if a dog approaches us. it is nothing against the breed - I love lurchers (and staffies) - but my dog doesn't want to play with them and so many dog owners just let their dogs approach strangers at speed.

Two of the nicest, best trained dogs in the area that we meet daily on walks are staffies. I know them, I know their owners, so I don't hesitate to let my small dog greet them. The same with every other dog and owner I know.

For owners and dogs I don't know, I will keep my dog on a lead and if the owner is letting their off lead unfamiliar dog rush up to us then yes, I'll pick my dog up out of its way and wait to see if the owner comes over for a chat and it becomes clear they and dog are trustworthy, or I may call and say please call your dog away.

My last dog was attacked several times by off lead dogs and was always reactive because of it, my current dog would be easily killed. Someone I know had their thirteen week old puppy mauled by an off lead westie a few weeks ago and the chances of the puppy's survival aren't good. So size and breed of any dog I don't know isn't relevant and I'm afraid I'm really not bothered what anyone else thinks.

It's not personal op just some of us have encountered not so friendly off lead dogs that don't recall.
We have also encountered over friendly dogs that also don't recall.

I have a rescue greyhound as well as a collie.
Collie is off lead when in the appropriate places but has been trained not to approach off lead or on lead dogs. He's not bothered anyway and likes to go about his walk not being badgered by an annoying over or non friendly dog.
My greyhound loves other dogs but is always walked on harness due to being an ex racer with prey drive.

We get approached by all sizes of dogs on or off lead and as I don't know how well my dog will react when approached abruptly I pull her back and stand in front of her to create her some space.

Owners with dogs not on a lead are at fault if an altercation was to happen as the unleashed dog will be classed as not under control.

errr...because I don't want him mauled.

And likely it would be him that would initiate the mauling, mouthy little bastard he is.

A woman I see in the park now and then picks up her staffy and cuddles it making soothing noises whenever she sees me and DDog. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen, the staffy is massive and quite clearly not bothered about DDog in the slightest.

DDog is 13 years old, nearly blind and deaf, below knee height and fluffy. AFAIK she has never even noticed the staffy, and if she did she would only lick it

I'm sure people round our way think I'm bonkers as I regularly have one of mine in a rucksack/sling style bag on my front. The long story is that he's very elderly now and still loves going out for walks but can't cope with the full hour or so my younger ones need. So starts out on the walk fine but I end up having to carry him for the last part.

misses point of thread entirely but thought it might amuse

It's a last resort option in response to idiot owners who won't recall their dog despite being asked several times because, don't you know, their dog is friendly, and that's all that matters.

Here's an example:

In a wood. Encounter a German Shepherd who tries to have 'relations' with my Border Terrier. Scrabble unimpressed. I pick her up as enclosed path with nowhere to go. Owner says: "If you pick her up she can't learn."

So I put her down (this was wrong of me, I was exasperated). Scrabble growls/barks etc. Man then tells me off for not controlling her!

This is the madness I encounter too often. I don't want to pick her up, but occasionally will if I can't see a route past a dog that gives her enough space (we only need a few feet, but even that is apparently asking too much at times) or if a dog harasses her whilst twat owner does nothing.

I always pick mine up if I see a much bigger dog off lead heading towards her and I don't really care what anyone thinks. Shes friendly loves every dog she meets and I'm sure she would rather I didn't pick her up, but alot of dog owners are not responsible and will let their much bigger dogs come bounding over to mine, she's tiny I wouldn't want a to risk her getting hurt. I also have had experience previously with aggressive dogs off lead and on lead being aggressive to my dog, it's just not worth the risk. If it offends you tough im just keeping my dog safe.

If you have a dog that is nervous, reactive or not good with other dogs.
Isn't the onus on you to ensure that your dog has space and not of the other dog owners?
That means scouring your surroundings, zig zagging through parks or put your dog on lead so other dog owners can see on lead dogs.

Not when I'm already in a wide open space and a dog comes bounding up and won't leave us alone, no, it isn't. I am so very tired of this: I can be at the other end of a football pitched sized field, only to have a dog zoom from the other end whilst the owner does nothing. Then, if mine dares to respond in any way, suddenly I am at fault. Such people are deservedly given short shrift. I can only hope they don't learn the hard way that that isn't o.k.

Scrabble is also always on lead unless I can clearly see what is around us, so that's not an issue.

I had no space in the scenario just described. We were literally backed into a corner, and yet again, it's my fault. If he'd just let us pass for the 3 seconds it would have taken for him to recall his dog, it could have been avoided.

I can control my dog. It is a pity a worrying number of dog owners appear unable to control theirs.

In my experience off lead dog owners don't give a shiny shite about tiny nervous on lead dogs. My 3 month mini dach was jumped by two off lead staffies who ineffectual owner stood by saying they were only playing. Mini dach ended up grazed and bruised, as did I when I tried to protect her. As a result the pair of us are petrified of encountering other dogs.
I wont apologise for picking her up and not letting her be used as another dogs plaything.

I have no problem with owners who pick their dog up, and I would do the same as a last resort. A friend's on-lead puppy was nearly killed by an off-lead dog because friend was worried about making her puppy fearful and gave the other dog the benefit of the doubt....with terrible consequences.

Like other posters here it's the owners who let their dogs approach mine that really annoy me.

So anyone with a dog that doesn't love yours and want to play with him should hide in the bushes in a galaxy far far away?

Okay.

If you have a dog that is nervous, reactive or not good with other dogs.
Isn't the onus on you to ensure that your dog has space and not of the other dog owners?
Within reason yes ,but my issue is my dog is perfectly happy off lead playing ball and I will happily stay 100m away from any dogs that I know he won't like ( generally bull types and anything bigger than him) but other people think it's acceptable to let their dog approach mine and pester him whereas my dog will never approach another dog. So we could all live harmoniously if everybody just taught their dog to stay away from other dogs unless invited .

In my experience people with off lead dogs don't seem to care less if my dog is on lead even my Labrador who's friendly but does get nervous and will bark at dogs that come too close. Just the other day my lab on lead had 3 big dogs off lead come upto her, owners just laughed and smiled at me trying to keep 30kg of lab calm. Little dog wasn't there thankfully. 75% of dog owners have no consideration for others their dogs friendly so f?£k everyone else! Grrr!

That's a strawman rumbling. No-one has said that.

We only need a few feet to pass calmly. That's asking for very little.

And yes, an owner should have sufficient control of their dog to prevent it from zooming across an entire field to harass - and that is the right word - others. People who allow that are endangering their dog, in addition to being inconsiderate of others.

This isn't just related to aggressive dogs: other dogs might have health issues, be in training, be elderly and not want to play etc. Furthermore, people have a right to be left alone. It doesn't matter what the reasons are: just leave others in peace unless invited.

I think it's a dog owners responsibility to ensure their dog doesn't go up to another dog uninvited whether it's on a lead or not. If you don't have enough control to ensure that then your dog shouldn't be on a lead.

My dog will happily walk to heel only a few feet past a strange dog as long as that dog also ignores her. She will only be nervous if a dog approaches her.

I live in the country and walk across fields so generally there's plenty of space. The time the Lab came over to us it came racing from the other end of the very large field. No way should I have to have my dog in the lead all the time because other people can't control their dogs.

And yes, even if she's on a lead dogs will often come zooming over. And being on a lead when another dog is off lead raises nervousness in the on lead dog as they feel they can't flee if they need to.

I hate to say that it's possibly because your dog is a staffy. People used to literally cross the road when I walked my staffy. He was the softest dog ever, was very gentle with other dogs too! Funny enough people don't run away or pick their dogs up from my aggressive (fear based; she was abused before we rescued her) chihuahua! But honestly she would bite someone (I wouldn't allow her the opportunity obviously) out of fear whereas with the staffy, well, I'm not sure he was even aware he had teeth! I hate breed preconceptions!! My other two chis are very laid back as well so it's not even like the small breeds are snappy or aggressive!

People should not allow their dogs dart across the field to other dogs and certainly not to on lead dogs whatever the distance.
What if the other dog is off lead and close by?
There have been discussions on here saying that if a dog is reactive, fearful, aggressive etc that it should be recalled and put on a lead when other dogs are near.
So by being not on the lead, does that generally mean the other dog is ok?
And if people expect dogs that don't react well with other dogs to be recalled and leashed then if other dogs are near and you don't want other dogs to approach yours, wouldn't you also leash up so others can see it?