Wwyd if you saw a huge dog running straight

[Girliefriendlikespuppies]

for your small on lead dog?

Had this happen yesterday and interested to know how other people would have handled it?

The big dog had zero recall, owners were far away and it was running straight towards my (already nervous) dog with its head down.

@Lightningrain sorry for being a bit grumpy, I had a stinking headache when I first replied plus it’s really hard seeing your dog scared.

I was aware when we got him of ‘small dog syndrome’ and did everything I could to socialise him, he did puppy classes, the KC good citizen scheme, agility and obedience. His recall is brilliant. He always played fantastically with other dogs and had plenty of dog friends who he loved to meet up with. However other dogs have taken all that away.

We used to just have the occasional incident and my BT would brush them off but then we had a run of bad luck with big dogs, labs, GSDs, a rottie, some greyhounds and now he trusts no other dogs. Doesn’t help that my old boy was PTS in November and I think that’s made my BT feel more vulnerable. My old boy was utterly brilliant and totally bombproof and it’s very hard having a reactive dog and never being able to enjoy a walk and constantly scanning and keeping him away from other dogs.

I had this happen twice earlier tonight. One was a big dog no recall whatsoever. The second a small poodle. My dogs are on leash so I told them to sit until the brain dead sackless owners came to get their dogs.

[quote DartmoorDoughnut]@Lightningrain sorry for being a bit grumpy, I had a stinking headache when I first replied plus it’s really hard seeing your dog scared.

I was aware when we got him of ‘small dog syndrome’ and did everything I could to socialise him, he did puppy classes, the KC good citizen scheme, agility and obedience. His recall is brilliant. He always played fantastically with other dogs and had plenty of dog friends who he loved to meet up with. However other dogs have taken all that away.

We used to just have the occasional incident and my BT would brush them off but then we had a run of bad luck with big dogs, labs, GSDs, a rottie, some greyhounds and now he trusts no other dogs. Doesn’t help that my old boy was PTS in November and I think that’s made my BT feel more vulnerable. My old boy was utterly brilliant and totally bombproof and it’s very hard having a reactive dog and never being able to enjoy a walk and constantly scanning and keeping him away from other dogs.[/quote]
Not a problem. I do understand where you’re coming from when it comes to owners that have never done any training end expect others to deal with their bad mannered dogs.

My parents have two dogs and one is reactive to certain dogs so he’s always been kept on his lead.

We also had a rescue terrier when I was a teenager who was really funny about other dogs approaching him when he was on his lead (fine if he was off it).

All dogs are different and some are more prone to being anxious/fearful/reactive. I do feel for those dogs but I don’t think every dog should be confined to a short lead for its life if the owner is willing to put in the time and effort with training (I admit this type of owner isn’t the majority!).

@Lightningrain Yes to training. I’ve been working hard on reestablishing “watch me” he’s now looking to me for treats first off when he sees another dog rather than launching into “fuck off don’t come near me” chopsing which is definitely helping him as he’s focused on me not them but still relies on the other dogs having a recall!

I can pick the little dog up

Problem is when I walk the bigger dog, I can't just pick her up. She's fast though (lurcher). If I was at the right place, I could slip her off lead & let her run for it, but she wont' run very far before flagging. Suppose I'd get in way of big dog.

Just to say I'm still here reading, think it's a really interesting discussion to be had.

I would absolutely hate for my dog to be confined to a life on the lead and we (myself and teen dd) have spent hours training recall and 'wait' commands. That said no dog is perfect and we've occasionally misjudged our timing and the temptation for our dog to run and greet another dog is too much.

However a small breed dog running towards me/my dog wouldn't cause the same fear and panic as a massive/strong breed dog running straight for me/my dog. Maybe that is unfair 🤷‍♀️

Please don’t hit the other dog with a stick.

I’ve been the other side of this when my then very friendly lab said hello to a small terrier. They started bouncing around in what I know was play. The elderly owner freaked out and started really hitting him with her stick.

It ruined him. He is terrified of most small dogs now and is fear aggressive. Walking him has become an awful chore because it’s embarrassing to walk past other dogs with a 40kg snarling hellhound. And I can’t let him off lead in the woods like we used to.

He didn’t run at the dog, he wasn’t out of control, it was a very gentle sniff about before they both started playfighting. The lady (who I now now has quite severe Alzheimer’s) just didn’t read it as play.

To be honest @JensonsAcolyte , she may have known her own dog well enough to know he was not going to put up with a big dog bouncing on him however playful it looked. She may have seen her dog attacked that way, or she knew a big dog jumping on her may result on a fall.

The fact that you were not in control of your dog or anywhere near to pull him back makes me think she didn’t ruin your dog. You did, letting a big dog running towards an elderly person, with a dog and a stick and asume your dog will be regarded as “friendly” is irresponsible to boot, your dig may have caused the woman to fall! (And at that age a fall may mean not leaving home for walks ever again 😡)

He didn’t run at her. This was literally outside my house and I was right there. The whole thing was over in seconds.

She stopped to say hello, not me. And my dog was on a lead.

Jensons- YOU knew it was play, the other person did not. It gives me the absolute rage when people let their dogs come up to me and my on the lead dog and then say “he’s very friendly/just playing” or whatever when they can see that I don’t like it. I do not want your dog near me, I don’t want to be bounced or jumped up at, I don’t want to say hello to your dog, I don’t want my dog to play with your dog (that’s why he’s on a lead). your dog will frighten me regardless of how friendly your dog is. I will use my stick if I feel threatened and I will shout at you to call your dog. Control your dog!

She approached us, not the other way round.

My dog literally bowed at the other dog before they both jumped up and started batting at each other. Classic playing. She misread it.

It’s not up to the other person to ‘read’ your dog - it’s up to you to be sure that other people are happy to be bounced on! And by approached us do mean was walking that way down the path!

I was coming out of my house, she was walking past. She stopped to say hello to us.

Not the same situation as my out of control dog running towards another.

It was horrible. The only aggressive factor in the whole interaction was the lady with the stick.

Your dog was on a leash but you couldn’t control it/ pull it back before she hit him? That says a lot really.

Honestly, I am really fed up of dog owners saying “oh he just wants to say hello” no matter how much I insist my little dig is not friendly. My dog was attacked by a dog, she was all nice and friendly but after that, I never know how she is going to react, she can play but if anything makes her feel she may be attacked again, she will bite, and being a small fog biting a big dog, she may be killed if the other dog bites back.

I just really wish people didn’t judge the possibility of attack based on their own dog, there’s another dog there who’s history you know nothing about and, in any case, you don’t know when your dog will attack a dog for the first time either.

My ex had the most soppy Labrador in the planet but as friendly as he looked, he went for small dogs. He resorted to walking him in the early morning and very late at night to avoid people coming straight to him to let their dogs have a sniff.

I did pull him back! But I had nowhere to pull him to, if you see what I mean, I was outside my locked front door and she was blocking the way to the path.

It was all over in a matter of seconds, I got past her and dragged my shivering cowering puppy away while she kept swinging her stick at him.

I saw her the next day and she kept on about how my dog had attacked hers. It’s not what happened at all.

Anyway I only posted really to say please don’t go straight to hitting dogs with sticks.

I'd go by my dog's reaction. Most of the time, he doesn'tt mind a big dog running to him and they as I, usually can pick up that it's a friendly run.

If the dog looks aggressive or just too boisterous, I pick up my dog.

I have the opposite problem.
Small dogs like pugs etc , run up to my medium size dog and yap . She's actually scared of them.
The owners can't catch the little things.
All I get is she's friendly. Also those mongrel things that are mixed with poodles . Some are bloody evil and run at us barking .

@Sittinonthesand

It’s not up to the other person to ‘read’ your dog - it’s up to you to be sure that other people are happy to be bounced on! And by approached us do mean was walking that way down the path!

I always ask in advance, but I have a Saint Bernard and always assume before leaving my property that not everyone likes dogs and she has to behave. Lead clipped on as default in case of other dogs in distance. Once coast is clear she is let off lead again. You must have your wits about you with a giant breed!

Give it a fucking big kick in the mush if it got close enough.

He didn’t run at the dog, he wasn’t out of control

Why do people always use this argument?

It is not about what you think. If is the other dog owners perception of the situation. If they believe their dog is in danger in the few seconds they have to decide, then they may decide to beat of yours.

Keep your dog on a lead and you avoid this scenario.

He. Was. On. The. Lead.

Is anyone actually reading @JensonsAcolyte posts? Like, at all?

She was ON HER OWN FUCKING DOORSTEP with her dog ON A LEAD and the other dog ran down her garden path and up to her. She had nowhere to go due to being ON THE AFOREMENTIONED FUCKING DOORSTEP with the front door shut. It was not her dog that was out of control.

Thank you!

@Girliefriendlikespuppies

Just to say I'm still here reading, think it's a really interesting discussion to be had.

I would absolutely hate for my dog to be confined to a life on the lead and we (myself and teen dd) have spent hours training recall and 'wait' commands. That said no dog is perfect and we've occasionally misjudged our timing and the temptation for our dog to run and greet another dog is too much.

However a small breed dog running towards me/my dog wouldn't cause the same fear and panic as a massive/strong breed dog running straight for me/my dog. Maybe that is unfair 🤷‍♀️

A small breed dog running towards an on lead dog is as dangerous if not more dangerous than a large breed dog in my opinion. The small dog is at risk of being bitten and killed by a large reactive dog on a lead, and even if the reactive dog is muzzled it can still injure a small dog. If you own a large reactive dog, it can be more scary/stressful when small dogs approach as you have to try and protect a strange dog from being injured when this should be the responsibility of the small dog’s owner, whereas larger dogs are less likely to be injured by an on lead muzzled dog and it would be a fairer fight. Also, many people find small dogs just as scary as big dogs. Small dogs can still bite and cause severe injury, and people that are not familiar with dogs may not know that your small dog is friendly. So having a small dog doesn’t excuse allowing it to be out of control in any way.