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The doghouse

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Original poster

Preventing other dogs approaching mine?

46 replies

MadisonMontgomery · 24/09/2017 11:56

My dog is super friendly with people but hates most other dogs and will go for them if they come up to him. Obviously I put him on a lead when we see another dog, but because he is little and cute people just let their dogs run up to him, despite me asking them not to, then of course he goes for them and I'm the bad dog owner. I did once see a harness & lead set which said something like 'do not approach' - think it was designed for rescue dogs. Has anyone seen anything like this or has any good ideas?

OP posts:

pigsDOfly · 29/09/2017 11:50

Seems it's not just some owners who can't read dog body language, but a lot of dogs as well.

My dog isn't reactive at all and although she loves people she tends to completely ignore most other dogs. But it's unbelievable the amount of dogs who will run at her over and over or try to sniff her bum when she's clearly not happy about it because she's sitting down and trying to twist her bum away from the sniffing dog.

Occasionally she'll be pushed enough to growl, still doesn't deter these annoying dogs and in those circumstances I'll call her and we'll move to another part of the park because, of course, owner wouldn't dream of calling their dog off when clearly, another dog is being distressed by their dog's behaviour.

Have to wonder if annoying owners = annoying dog.

MiaowTheCat · 29/09/2017 11:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsJayy · 29/09/2017 11:58

My dd got a mouthful from an owner the other weekend when she asked them to get their dog back the arsewipe then said your dog is fucking nuts and tried to grab her hand away from the lead, because our dog went for his. We have a yellow attachment for the lead .some owners are just total idiots. Poor dd was in a right state .

StaplesCorner · 29/09/2017 12:03

Interesting thread, this might help me. My dog is nearly 1 and is still a bouncy puppy with pretty crap recall. If I see another dog approaching on a lead, I put my dog on a lead in advance to avoid any issues. Sometimes I ask if its ok to let my dog off, if their dog is off, or ask if they'd like me to put my dog on a lead etc. Try to be friendly and accommodating.

But in my local park there are quite a few owners walking dogs on leads who really freak out if any dog comes within 10 yards of theirs. Makes me wonder how on earth they manage because not everyone is going to care one way or another and there are lots of bouncy dogs about off lead and the owner 500+ yards away.

My previous dog hated every single other dog. He was always walked on a lead as he hated other dogs so much if he so much as saw one, he'd run away. Usually pursued by the other dog. However, I never made a fuss or was rude unless an unleashed dog would not leave mine alone, and the owner did nothing. A dog just walking up (or even bounding up) I would wait until the owner retrieved it. I certainly wouldn't have been freaking out when it was a good 30 foot away.

I think with my current dog the coloured vests/harnesses etc are an excellent idea so that if I saw one of those a long way off I could get my dog back on his lead a lot earlier. Really its just common courtesy between dog owners, but then if people are not considerate of others in RL anyway, suddenly having a dog isn't going to make them considerate!

StaplesCorner · 29/09/2017 12:05

I certainly wouldn't have been freaking out when it was a good 30 foot away - sorry OP I wasn't suggesting you are like this, just recounting my experience.

StaplesCorner · 29/09/2017 12:06

Poor dd was in a right state - I never let mine DDs age 14 and 16 take the dog out on their own for this reason, as I say, if other people aren't considerate or are indeed arsewipes normally, getting a dog isn't going to make it any better !!

MrsJayy · 29/09/2017 12:09

Dd is almost 20 and she is usually ok and telling people or turning the other way tbf this man really scared her,

pigsDOfly · 29/09/2017 12:10

Please don't judge all small dogs as being annoying little shits MeowTheCat.

My dog weighs around 5 kilo and yes she is fluffy, she doesn't have a squashed in nose however, but she is well trained and never annoying to other dogs or their owners.

When we're in the park she's off lead playing with her ball or we do a bit of training or just walking - I actually had the owner of a young collie whose recall wasn't great say to me about how obedient my dog is the other day.

The annoying dogs that run at my dog are frequently large. We had three very large dogs leaping around her the other week that the owner didn't seem able to control, but somehow I manage to accept that not all large dogs are out of control and owned by idiots.

MiaowTheCat · 29/09/2017 12:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MipMipMip · 29/09/2017 12:18

If a dog is on lead I put mine on (once I spot their lead - not always easy!) and ask if mine can say hello? If the dog is off lead then the dogs are free to go up to each other and play.

This is in response to the poster who was saying off lead dogs shouldn't go up to each other until owners had both signaled to each other that it was OK. That seems crazy to me - if you don't want your dog playing just put them on as lead where you see other dogs.

MsGee · 29/09/2017 12:20

We have a yellow lead with nervous on it which helps a lot - I got it from amazon. I got so sick of cheerily stating that DDog is horrible to people (she is not really, just fear aggression).

I would never walk her off lead though, it is too much of a risk.

I also walk her with other dogs that she is ok with to try to address this, and also address it through behaviour training.

frisbeefreedom · 29/09/2017 12:27

OP I don't think you'll ever get away from idiots who don't think about it. I always put mine on the lead if I see a dog on lead, and give a wide berth to anyone with a yellow/warning lead/harness (if you google 'warning lead' there's a few options). But frankly, I'm not the irresponsible owner you're worried about and there's no real way to stop those ones.

pigsDOfly · 29/09/2017 12:32

I understand that has been your experience MeowTheCat but as the owner of a small fluffy dog that would most definitely not run at your dog and would most definitely give your dog a very wide berth it feels very unfair when people just make the assumption that all small dogs are the same.

Madbengalmum · 29/09/2017 12:34

The only thing I find works to stop other dogs approaching is a raised stick. I take it out every time with us and it does keep other dogs away from us if needed.

BiteyShark · 29/09/2017 13:37

MipMipMip that was me because where I walk you might not necessarily see the other person approaching because we don’t walk in a park and when a dog comes round the corner suddenly off lead I get my dog to sit and usually the other owner then comes into view and I have been told many times by the OTHER owner that their dog is afraid of other dogs so by shouting is it ok I am giving them as much warning that my dog is here. My dog is submissive and doesn’t bother other dogs so we happily walk by (as I said now recall is good I don’t necessarily avoid other dogs) but I have had issues where the other dog isn’t friendly and the owner hasn’t spotted us in time so if they say theirs isn’t great I can turn around which gives them time to get hold of their dog.

LittlePearl · 29/09/2017 16:08

People don't always appreciate that when you're trying to teach a reactive dog to be calm and focus on you it takes months of tiny little gains and is painstaking work.

If a dog just rushes up, even though I don't think my boy would bite, he does get very agitated and stressed. Every unplanned encounter has the potential to set him back and erode his confidence.

I'm always grateful to other walkers who call their dog away and put it on the lead when they see us.... and my heart always sinks when I see a dog bowling towards us while the owner blithely strolls on leaving me to pick up the pieces.

Oops4 · 29/09/2017 17:40

Oh not much annoys me more than dogs that are out of control off leads. Which is what they are if they don't come back when called, friendly or not. If you're dog is out of sight how can it possibly be under control, and how can you know if it's does the toilet?

I previously had a dog aggressive dog. She was never off the lead, I was always looking way ahead incase of approaching dogs, took alternative routes, moved off paths etc but yet it was still her fault when she would react to the "friendly" out of controls dogs. My daughter has been knocked clean off her feet FOUR times. Once was when a huge bounding Labrador took her biscuit out her hand as his owner ran screaming along the path, waving the lead in an attempt to get his dog back. Did he immediately realise the error of his ways and clip his OUT OF CONTROL dog back on his lead? Did he diddly, because he's "friendly".

My current dog is the friendliest sole you could meet. I am as certain as you can be (without being psychic) that he would never instigate aggression to another dog and at his size couldn't knock anyone over. But that's not the point. He is too friendly. Until I can confidently walk past other people and dogs with him calmly giving them space he won't be off the lead. My dog is not more important than others. Don't get me wrong, most dogs we past he gets to say hello to but not until he's calm and I'm sure it's ok.

Working on keeping him calm, when I saw someone approaching I took him to the side and he had to sit for a treat as they passed. We don't have to do that anymore as he (mostly) walks past without jumping for a loss but many other walkers mistook this as me moving him because he wasn't friendly and would ask if their dog could approach or would clip their dogs back on. Might be worth making an obvious point of moving to the side and holding your dogs attention as they pass. It won't work 100% of the time, some people are just more important, but might help a bit

MipMipMip · 29/09/2017 17:43

I apologise Bitey , that was unfair of me. You obviously have your reasons. Just too used to idiot owner round here! " how dare you let your dog come up to mine" say man in dark clothes with black unlit dog at night. Well I might not have had I been able to see you!

Coloursthatweremyjoy · 29/09/2017 17:49

I also came on to mention yellow dog...great minds.

People letting their dog run up to mine is a huge bugbear for me. And mines not aggressive, just not interested. We are there to walk not socialise! Dog does a fantastic snarl (all noise no teeth) if jumped all over for too long though...then I get looks. Well he was ignoring you!

BiteyShark · 29/09/2017 18:10

That’s ok MipMipMip I have been on both ends where I didn’t want off lead ones running up to mine on lead when his recall was shit and I was trying to move him away but where we walk now is probably great for walking reactive dogs off lead as it is quite remote and I walk very very early in the morning so I tend to check that the other dog is ok because my dog doesn’t stick up for himself.

It’s so hard because unless you know the dog and owner it’s always a guess on how the dogs might react.

SleightOfMind · 02/10/2017 18:38

I feel your pain OP. One of my old greyhounds had extreme fear aggression around other dogs and it is infuriating when people let their 'friendly' dogs run up.
I second the muzzle, lots of owners keep their dogs well away when they see one.

In the longer term, the Watch Me command worked wonders in getting her to ignore offlead botherers and just keep walking. Our old land shark was rock solid at ignoring after a year or so.

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