Dog advice

[itispersonal]

I have a nearly 3 year old small cavalier spaniel cross. At the local playing field today, my dog is off lead, as in need of a good run around, which she had had. We were walking down the path and my dog is a few steps ahead of me. Along the path is a lady with another dog similar breed to mine but on lead. (I will in the main put my dog on lead if I see people with dogs on lead, especially if they are indicating dogs shouldn't get close, their body language etc)

My dog meets their dog, lady and her dog stop, dogs sniff each other , I'm just about to ask lady how old her dog is, when her dog barks and bites out at my dog, causing both dogs to go mental at each other! She never spoke to say her dog can get funny, like some owners do, and if dogs have snapped, my dog goes all sheepish, even on smaller size dogs.

I then struggle to get her back on her lead as she is barking at the other dog and jumping up at the lady to get to the dog and I don't want to get in the lady's face with covid. I admit I had lost control of her, recall wasn't working, so I tried running off to try and get my dog to follow which eventually worked and she went back on her lead. My dog has never been aggressive with another dog and will submit to other dogs when she meets them. The lady and I exchange choice words after she has a go at me, which we were both in the wrong for.

I will obviously do some retraining with her, especially on recall/ following. But would you now not let off lead? Would it also be worth the vet checking her over, making sure she's not ill, with her behaving so out of sorts for her. I also have a feeling she may come into season very soon too!

I don’t like anyone who allows their off lead dog to run up to an on lead dog, it’s irresponsible, there are numerous reasons a dog is in lead.
I’ve fostered many dogs and done a lot off training with them and it’s my pet hate.
Your dog could be badly injured if they run up to a dog who is uncomfortable with it.
Unless your dog will stay near you and has perfect recall, keep on lead.

Oh and get her speyed, if she’s not and you don’t know when she’ll come into season definitely on lead.

Your mistake was letting your off lead dog go up to an on lead dog.
Then a scuffle ensued and your dog was too wound up to listen to you.

Does your dog usually come back when you call? If so, I would write this off an a mistake on your part and just make sure you recall your dog before they reach the on lead dog.

My dog gives off all the ‘friendly’ signs- wagging tail, lays down etc but when a dog gets too close he loses it and will react.

She will be spayed but the lockdown and her last season and waiting 3 months. Stopped that.

As I said I will put her on a lead, in general If passing, but woman was smiling and stopped to let them sniff! So I thought the woman /dog was ok! Granted it wasn't.

Yes she does normally come back, hence it being a shock!

Sometimes perfectly friendly dogs just have a pop at each other.
I wouldn’t worry too much

You can have her off lead where you are confident you won't meet another dog or you can recall her back onto the lead. What happened today was you made a mistake and let your dog be out of your control, learn from it and be more careful.

Why is she not spayed? Pyometra is real risk for bitches as they get older.

Xpost

You are aware that you shouldn't have let your dog go up to a dog on a lead so I don't expect you will do that again. From your description, the other dog kicked off first so not your dog that started it. As another pp has said, sometimes (and this can be after standing close and sniffing each other for 2 mins or more), they decide on reflection that they don't like each other and it is suddenly handbags at dawn. All you can do then is get your dog away as quickly as poss to stop the quarrel. It doesn't mean your dog should always be on a lead. Just look ahead and be constantly observant and if you are getting near an on lead dog, call yours over and clip her on. Then, if they want to meet and greet, but tails stop wagging and they start to be a bit stiff, you can easily pull her away (I say, cheerfully, "Come on, off we go!" which helps diffuse tension in my dog and get her away). There is never any need for owners to get nasty if they have both tacitly agreed to let their dogs meet but they don't hit it off. Just one of those things.

Your dog shouldn’t have been allowed to approach a leashed dog.
I think you were 100% in the wrong here.

Dog fights/spats can break out in seconds.

You really do need to recall her whenever you see other dog on a lead - my dog is fine being approached when he's off-lead, but he can be reactive on his lead (he's never bitten but he can lunge and bark). He finds it really stressful when unknown dogs get in his space and he can't get away.

Maybe this lady didn't feel comfortable or confident asking you to remove your dog? I often stop when other dogs approach to give their owners a chance to come and remove them.

All you can really do now is learn from it - all dog owners make mistakes. Just on't let her approach on lead dogs anymore - unfortunately in the law if something happens, you'd be held responsible as your off-lead dog would be seen as out of control.

I don't mind off lead dogs coming up to my on lead dog as he really loves dogs, all dogs, so I wouldn't have minded. Normally people let you know when their dog isn't friendly so this one probably was. Something just went a bit wrong between 2 dogs and they had a bit of a scuffle. They are dogs. Your dog did not start it and has not given any indication that she is going to start attacking other dogs. I would just work on recall and put her on the lead when you think there may be a potential problem with another dog.

Sorry OP but you were in the wrong here. Never let your off lead dog approach on lead dogs.
I let mine off lead for a run around but alway put him back on lead when see another on lead dog approaching, even just for a few seconds until they've passed. You never know how they will react, even if usually friendly the on lead dog will often get nervous as they can't get away from the off lead dog at free will.
On the opposite side, several times in the last few weeks while my dog has been on lead, we've been been approached by 'friendly' off lead dogs, my dog then gets over excited and it pisses me off that the owners come bumbling over saying "oh it's ok he's friendly " .. when that's really not the point.
At the end of the day it just one of those things you'll learn from. Hopefully though in future you'll just pop her lead on for a few seconds when near on lead dogs.

Don't ever let your dog go up to an on leash dog. One of mine is reactive. I rescued him and it has taken a lot of work to build his confidence up. The other dog may be on a leash for a reason.

Agree with others about not allowing your off lead dog to approach an on lead dog. There are reasons people keep their dogs on lead and you should always presume its due to their dog either not liking other dogs, or being too infirm to be off lead and running/playing with other dogs, or in season. Personally my dog is friendly but bouncy so when he’s on lead I do not want other dogs running up to him because he is then a handful to control on the lead pulling me about. He has plenty of offlead time in certain places it is safe for him to be offlead. I do not appreciate owners who just allow their dogs to run up to mine. It’s rude.