Dog Walking Rage

[Ickyockycocky]

My dog is a bit nervous, especially when she's crouching for a poo. I think she feels a bit vulnerable. Anyway, today she was on the lead and happily doing a poo when two dogs came up and started sniffing her bum and generally milling around her rear end.

I started saying shoo, go away etc., but one of them was determined and was on the verge of stepping in the pile. I used my foot to protect the dog from stepping in the poo, I'm not sure if there was any contact but if so, it was the dog pushing against my foot.

Anyway, the dog's owner shouted at me aggressively, telling me not to kick his dog. I can't see any way he could have thought that I had kicked his dog. So I calmly said "I didn't kick your dog". He replied that his dogs were only sniffing because that's what dogs do, you silly woman".

I lost it a bit and told him that "actually my dog was having a shit, you silly man". He shouted at me again and I told him he should keep his "fucking dogs under control".

I'm not happy about having dog rage but honestly what type of idiot allows their two dogs to get right up the bum of another dog having a poo?

What would you have done in similar circumstances?

Sorry tried to edit post so not as long but didn’t work!

My dog is very friendly with other dogs and has good dog manners. I do generally put her on a lead rather than interacting with strange dogs though because I have no idea what that dog (and more importantly, their owner) is like.

There are a lot of owners out there who think "dog socialisation" is the most important thing for their dog..but what it means in practice is their dog jumping all over my dog and scaring her. That's not socialising, it's rude. I appreciate the dog means no harm but I'd still rather my dog didn't have to deal with, mainly because I think there's a chance she'll end up having to tell the dogs off herself if I don't intervene first.

I've had dogs try to hump her, nip her face so much she had slobber all over her muzzle, run at her from a distance of over 200m full pelt, roll her over and so on and so on. Not once did the owner intervene. Who has the dog that needs socialising and training in these situations?!

As with most things it's the owners who are the main problem!

As with most things it's the owners who are the main problem!

This ^

I would say 90% of people are considerate and will apologise if their dog runs up and happens to have an off recall day etc or steals my dogs ball and they have to chase their dog to get it back. I have no issues with that.

Unfortunately you still get the 10% who do the 'they are only being friendly', 'they just want to say hello', 'they are just a puppy (at 16 months old )' or 'they are just being dogs'. Can you imagine the riot if people let their kids wander up to other kids and whack them on the arm, or say they should be forced to play with them.

There are a lot of owners out there who think "dog socialisation" is the most important thing for their dog..but what it means in practice is their dog jumping all over my dog and scaring her. That's not socialising, it's rude

You are right. That’s not socialisation and yes it is rude! Socialisation is about a puppy meeting lots of new people and dogs whilst also being exposed to lots of different things within the world eg children crying, laughing, cyclists, joggers, cars, different noises. Socialisation goes in hand with basic training.

Why do people have a puppy, keep it in their lap for the first year, do absolutely nothing with it then decided to take it for a walk. How many frightening noises and scenarios will that dog have to deal with in one short blast??

I meet one lady regularly on the morning walk. She is very frustrated as her dog won’t recall. Dog is now over a year old. She’s had it from 8 weeks. She screams at other dog walkers to keep their dogs away from hers. Her dog is chomping to get off the lead and meet the other dogs - who are all friendly and play with each other. The other dog is missing out. Lots of dog walkers, including myself, have offered advice about training her dog to recall. She refuses point blank as she is scared if she lets him off the lead he won’t come back. Whenever high value treats are mentioned she says she doesn’t give her dog treats as it will make him a fussy eater.

Poor dog has no chance!

Most people who have trained their dogs from puppies won’t allow their off lead dogs to approach an I lead dog because they don’t want the vet bill. It is becoming more and more common now for people to start screaming from the other side of a field “Dont come near my dog. Keep your dogs away. My dog doesn’t like other dogs”. Of course there are valid reasons why some dogs are reactive but it seems to be the norm these days.

I often wonder why people who don’t want their dog to come into contact with other dogs take them to places, where they know other dogs will be running and playing off lead??

If a dog is not allowed off lead to have fun and excercise why don’t they get walked where there is likelihood of coming into contact with off lead dogs?

There are many threads where people complain about friendly, offlead dogs approaching their reactive dogs. The owners seem very frustrated by this.

By the same token people who take their well trained, high energy dogs out to give them appropriate excercise and training opportunities get very frustrated when they get screamed at and constantly having to leash their dogs because somebody hasn’t put the time and effort into training their dog. Once or twice during a walk is fine but it’s becoming every few yards now!

The same with a dog walking club I’m a member of. We have up to 20 dogs on weekend walks. They all get along fine. Very often people ask if they can join to “socialise their 2 year old spaniel/collie/GSD/whatever....

It’s not going to happen. It’s too late!

Gahhhh! This morning's dog walk was a case in point! Out with my collie cross bitch. Happily chasing her ball and minding her own business. She 5.5, I've had her as a rescue since she was 16 weeks. One dog (retriever) came over and started following her/cutting across her exit route. Told owners she prefers not to play chase. They called the dog's name about 30 times. It completely ignored them. Then SIX other large breeds (all with one walker) all bounded up to her from various directions at the and time, one of which snatched up her ball and refused to drop it. My girl tried her best to ignore them but SEVEN dogs all bundling in one ONE STRANGE DOG THEY'VE never met is not going to end well.

In the end I had to shout to the walker of the six dogs that she needed to get her dogs under control and return my fucking ball please. My girl was clearly feeling stressed. I did what I normally do and called her to me and stroked her/calmed her and STILL this walker's dogs were sticking their noses up her arse. How she didn't totally fucking lose it with these other dogs is a miracle. She bared her teeth at the very end because she'd been hanged up on and had had enough and frankly I don't blame her.

This is nothing to do with an antisocial dog. Well not my one at least. Fucking furious!!!

The thing is the other dog is probably on the lead for a reason. Case in point my 45kg very friendly lab. He's walked off lead usually but if I'm taking DS out for a walk in the pram he's on lead, purely for the fact he's extremely protective of him.
If you want to let your dog bound up to him and the pram while he's on the lead whilst shouting "he's really friendly" good luck to you.

I understand OP.

My 6 year old dog has always been happy around other dogs, but has recently been diagnosed with early arthritis and other joint related issues. This has changed his attitude to walking (he's in pain and now takes short walks) and he's become nervous when other dogs run at him.

I had an incident last week when I had baby daughter in sling, dog on lead, turning a corner to a main road when two other dogs ran at him barking and growling from a good 50 odd metres away. My dog is whimpering then starts growling as the other two go nuts snapping at him. Owner finally appears at other end of the street, on her phone and casually recalls them. Queue my death glare at her, but on she goes totally oblivious.

purple You say you train guide dogs for the blind and hearing assistance dogs, you must be the highest level of dog trainer there can possibly be in the country yet you have no comprehension that a dog may have its own personality and temperament, unbelievable! Literally! So it’s totally pointless then puppies are assessed in their foster homes as to whether they show the right traits and temperaments for the role......

Yeah I call bovine excrement on that claim too Betty.
I know trainers (and other staff) for Guide Dogs and they are far more savvy than that (even if I don't agree with all the charity's policies)

I have met many different breeds of dogs whilst out walking, over the years - most with fantastic temperaments, a minority not so - but the minority seem to be getting greater every year

I find this, too. My own theory is that more and more dogs are being bought/re-homed/adopted by people who watch too much Disney and think that a dog is just a little person in a fur coat. And also, many, many dog owners are out at work for much of the day.

This leads to people who don't realise that dogs need to be socialised 1) keeping their dog on leash all the time and pulling him/her away from other dogs
2) keeping their dog on a lathe while he/she is a puppy "in case he ri=uns away" and then letting them off when they think they're "old/big enough" and then the poor dog goes bananas because he/she isn't used to freedom and hasn't been taught recall and doesn't know not to jump on other dogs
3) picking up dogs which are small - I can totally understand that owners are afraid of their dogs being attacked, or even trodden on, by larger dogs, but picking a dog up makes it fearful and aggressive. - better to squat down with your dog to reassure them, of teach them to stand or sit between your feet.
4) don't check their over-exuberant dogs, and complain if someone else's dog (on or off leash) gets sick of being jumped on and air-snaps at them
5) don't exercise their dogs when they come in from work. perhaps only walking them at a weekend, so the poor dog goes crackers when they get out because they have been under-exercised and bored sick all week
6) get a dog because they like the look of it, and don't take breed requirements into consideration
7) I also wonder if early neutering causes problems because it interferes with the hormonal development of the animal, and prevent full maturity - you could be left with a permanent adolescent
8) many people with unfettered bitches still publicly walk them, often off lead, and expect owners of male dogs to keep their animals under control and away from their randy little bitches

I know not every dog owner does these things, but the number that do seems to be increasing.

When I was young it was in the days when people let their dogs out on a morning and they wandered the streets in dog "gangs" all day. You would often see packs of pet dogs of all shapes and sizes trotting purposefully along on their own business. There were rarely fights - when these happened it was usually because there was a bitch in season (dog neutering was not a "thing" - you kept your bitch in or she had puppies).

There was very little dog-to-dog aggression, and very few dog attacks on people. Even much-loved pets were treated as dogs, and not as over-indulged children - they knew where they stood, and so did people. As a child I was taught from an early age NEVER to touch a strange dog, NEVER to take food off a dog, tease a dog, take toys off a dog, or disturb a dog in its bed. Children today too often seem to thing that dogs are toys to be pulled about - and their parents let them. They seem to think that any dog in public should be theirs to pet if they want to- and it isn't fair on the dogs.

Mind - although there were very few fights or bites, there was a lot of dog mess all over the streets . . .

*un-neutered bitches, not unfettered

My own theory is that more and more dogs are being bought/re-homed/adopted by people who watch too much Disney and think that a dog is just a little person in a fur coat.

I blame Marley and me.

Schadenfreude
Your post made me think of Hairy McClary!

I'm not being ageist or sexist or perhaps I am but the majority of the rude owners I've encountered are older men. The ones least likely to clear up are also older men. All in my humble opinion, of course.

@PurpleTango when you say walk places where there's no other dogs trying to have fun, where is that place please?

I do hire a secure field and ninja around others, walk at odd times etc but y'know what.. wherever I am with my dog it means dogs are allowed so it's no surprise there'll be other dogs there.

And actually I don't want all dogs to disappear. I just need at 5ft radius around my reactive dog. That's it. You can have the whole park but if your dog comes into my space then it's not under control. You don't sit above the law on this.

This is so clear. There's no arguing with it. It's the law.

I've had my dog from 10 weeks old. She was attacked at 18 weeks old, then at 6 months old, then twice in 5 days by the same "pack" at 8 months old, then twice by different dogs running out of their front gardens to go for her as we walked past, all before she was a year old.
Despite all the hard work socialising her she became dog reactive due to these incidents. Although I've always owned and trained dogs I'd never owned a reactive dog before. The behaviourist we saw gave us appalling, outdated advice as did the person who runs our local dog training class and has owned my dog's breed for 50 years.
After discovering "Reactive Dogs UK" on facebook and learning about counter-conditioning and reactivity in general it has turned our lives around. From reading other owners accounts, and my own experience, I've realised that no matter how much work you put into a puppy any dog could become reactive given the right circumstances, so probably best not to judge.

Russell that FB group was a godsend to me with my reactive Rommie! I remember he once dragged me 4ft face down across concrete after one avoidable incident...i felt like such a failure but the group members were amazing with unpicking the situation & giving me tactics for future scenarios. We became very good stealth ninjas thanks to them!

mustbemad they are fabulous aren't they? I've learned so much and everyone's so supportive.

damnderek that's a good poster and perhaps should be more widely displayed as it's common sense but clearly ignored by a select few.

Their well-being and social interaction is 100% due to their owner who took on the responsibility to raise them from puppyhood.

That is utter bull shit. Breed, personality, their newborn days, and experiences outside the owners control all shape who that dog will be. In the same way it does people.

Firstly I think there is a massive difference in breeds. For example I have spaniels, a big breed trait for them is their friendliness toward other dogs and people. My brother has a reactive, rescue Jack Russell type - whilst she has obviously had a bad experience in the past, her breed made her more likely to be anti-social in the first place than my spaniels.

My older spaniel has had 2 bad experiences with other dogs. Both left him shaken and nervous of large dogs for a few weeks but his friendly, happy personality won out and he came round well. On the other hand I know of a number of dogs, of naturally less dog friendly breeds, who've turned reactive after similar encounters, despite having had at least as good an early socialisation as mine.

Secondly it has now been shown that newborn puppy experience (and even experiences whilst still in the womb) have a life long impact on the dogs behaviour and temperament. Also the mother's socialisation, experiences and temperament can have a lifelong impact too. Whilst a future owner may be able to overcome some of these to a certain degree, with the right socialisation, they will still impact and mean that sometimes it doesn't matter how perfectly you socialise them they will never be great with other dogs. For this reason I would never take on a rescue puppy - ever, yet I would consider an adult dog rescue (issues caused from early experiences are known from the start if it's an adult but not if it's a puppy).

Thirdly, you can have the best socialised dog possible and a single traumatic experience can destroy it all.

Thirdly, you can have the best socialised dog possible and a single traumatic experience can destroy it all.

^^ this

Like humans really.

I'd hope that we're all accepting of the common mental health myths around anxiety, depression and PTSD. We know that You could have an idyllic childhood but if you were mugged then yeah odds are that you're not going to love strangers running up to you are you?

@BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo my sister in law is a dog trainer for assistance dogs and she very much stated that certain dogs have certain temperaments. She warned me off the breed I currently have (for different reasons) specifically because of their often highly strung nature.

My brother trains collies for mountain rescue work. Both of them would categorically disagree with @PurpleTango

Thirdly, you can have the best socialised dog possible and a single traumatic experience can destroy it all.

Yes yes.

My dog was quite 'brave' of new situations until he had to be hospitalised for many days at the vets and is now very nervous of new situations, lots of noisey environments and loud barking dogs. It's taken time and patience to get his confidence back and he's still not back to his old self many months afterwards. Nothing to do in how he was socialised as a puppy.

I’m getting very pissed off with this at the moment. My dog is lab sized and friendly but she’s 9 this year so starting to tire a bit more easily. She has time off lead at the start of walk then goes on as paces herself comfortably for the rest.

Yesterday she was on lead and 2 labs from 2 different owners came up to her and they all started jumping around and slamming into my bad leg. One owner was off in one direction and one in another. I was clearly struggling, didn’t want to let go of the lead as worried they’d get tangled up but couldn’t get it off. Took ages for owners to realise as were so far off they couldn’t hear me.

It is only a minority who are arseholes but we’re finding an increase in shit owner behaviour here.