Dealing with off lead dogs...

[StarfishDish]

I was walking my 14 month old lab and my baby in her pram in our park. A dog came bounding over from nowhere! I told my dog to sit (he is very excitable and just wants to play!) which he did.

This other dog was bouncing about, near me, near my dog as my dog sat there. As soon as it went near the pram, my dog jumped up but sat down as soon as I tokd him.

The owner is strolling up at this point, shouting this dogs name. The dog ignored her as he continues to jump around us.

Eventually, the woman manages to get her dog and then starts shouting at her for being a bad dog!

What can I do in that situation, should it happen again? I didn't want to let mt dog play as i wasn't sure if the other dog was friendly but I was so annoyed with the owner!

The suggestions that a dog should be trained to ignore all other dogs is absolutely ridiculous and weird.

[quote Colin56]@Sweetleftfood I agree with your post. Its odd that learning to ignore other dogs is not really trained in the UK. Its an exercise that if got right is brilliant - same as recall. Needs amazing amount of work though.
A friend is a professional trainer and she trains this with reward for running by a dog on lead without stopping so the running dog is only fixated on the end result - food/ toy etc as opposed to the other dog. Very useful to have a dog trained like this.[/quote]
Useful for a police dog, not for a pet.

People who buy a dog, then lock it in a crate for hours and never let it off a lead or interact with other dogs…lazy, incompetent and cruel.

Not saying that’s you OP. And I do think that dog owners should train their dogs properly before letting them run in public areas. But puppies and young dogs do have a learning curve.

Why does it have to be one extreme or another? Nobody will disagree that it’s cruel to not let dogs interact with other dogs ever in any circumstance. Worlds apart from letting your ‘friendly’ (all too often a rude bully of a dog) do whatever it likes in the name of ‘socialisation’ even when it’s clear it’s worrying or inconveniencing other people and dogs. There’s a huge grey area in between of taking responsibility for your dog’s actions and respecting other people’s experiences, space and needs. Even if you don’t always agree with them.

@WowIlikereallyhateyou

You should have 100% recall of your dog for it to be off lead in a public space. If not then it should be on a lead. It is only polite to put your dog on to a lead if there are other dogs around on a lead. It isnt an entitlement for your dog to be off lead in a park.

Yes to this @WowIlikereallyhateyou

My dog is not reliable with other dogs and gets anxious if approached. I keep her on her lead when out for a walk. It really infuriates me, this let them play it’s all fine bollocks. Just rude, and likely to cause fights and upset- maybe with the dogs too.😃

It happened to me at the weekend. I was taking my dog where I knew there would be other dogs and continuing her training to ignore. She was doing so well, til a totally untrained dog came running up, wouldn’t leave, owner couldn’t get it back.

@wouldbegood
Maybe your dog wouldn’t be so anxious around other dogs if she was socialised with them instead of being kept on a lead and made to ignore. Something so creepy about keeping a live, sociable pack animal chained up and kept away from its own species.

@TrudyRuby

The suggestions that a dog should be trained to ignore all other dogs is absolutely ridiculous and weird.

Not weird at all - it's very sensible.

It doesn't mean "never ever let your dog interact with others", just that the default should be to ignore other dogs unless given the "okay" to greet and play.

She is being socialised, thank you @Coronawirekess. She meets other dogs regularly, and is a bit sad just now as my other dog recently died.

She’s not chained up either 🙄 She’s a JRT and loves people: she’s very attached to me and my DCs, and is with me all the time.

I find this attitude strange. Dogs have different personalities and don’t necessarily want other dogs randomly approaching them

@Prattypatel

People,who dont let their dog off lead in safe areas,are people who either cant be bothered to train their dog,dont know how to train their dog,or in general(probably also with their kids) very anxious people.All dogs want to play( of course some areas are unsafe),like all children want to play.it is an important part of development.it is your responsibility to teach safe,responsible play.If you cant do this: DONT HAVE A DOG.

Bloody rubbish!!! My rescue pup has zero recall, no way am I going to be so irresponsible as to let her off with lots of other dogs around. We starting with a trainer in a couple of weeks so hopefully this will change. My dog’s nervous and I am sick, sorry and bloody tired of being told ‘He’s friendly’ ‘He won’t hurt’, etc when my dog is clearly terrified and desperately trying to get away.

Or they’re people who are ACTIVELY training their dog. Like me, with a reactive dog who needs safe introductions and to be on lead as per our qualified behaviourist advice and instructions. Letting your boisterous and rude dog approach an on lead dog who is learning how to socialise and be less reactive because you’re an idiot you think you know it all, is setting back the progress that dog is making and potentially putting your own dog in danger. Anyone who thinks like this mustn’t care that much about their own dogs safety

This completely applies to my situation too.

Wow such a strange thread, so us with dogs that not necessarily want to play but have a good recall and HAVE been socialised are in the wrong for not wanting young boisterous dogs bounding up to them and annoying them? is that it?? very weird

I’m not saying that aggressive dogs should be allowed off lead etc etc and dogs should not bother people - it’s very easy to train most dogs to leave people alone.
But you’ve socialised your dog you’ll know that it’s mostly young dogs and pups who bound up and want to play with them - just like a child will want to play with other children - and when you can see a flustered owner trying to call them away you’ll be tolerant. Only people who keep their dogs permanently on a lead for a slow (by a dog’s standard) full walk will get uptight about this.

*Dull walk

Most dog trainers are happy to advise letting a dog gradually off lead more and more.
I accept that a particularly anxious dog may be frightened of other dogs - but then why walk them in a public place full of other dogs and expect everyone to put their dogs on a lead permanently because of YOUR dog?
Ditto if you are so uptight you probably shouldn’t own a dog.

I couldn’t agree more.
Play should be managed carefully rather than a free for all.
I’ve got a nervous rescue and a grumpy older dog. Neither like dogs running up to them and despite the number of times I’ve asked them to call their dog away it doesn’t happen.
There are too many dogs around for people not to take more control and care over this, and it’s vital that owners learn how to read signs more and body language rather than approach all dogs.
Socialisation is way more than letting dogs charge around together.

Once more for the people at the back

I might, in the course of a walk:

1. walk dog on lead down paths to woods or field
2. assess the situation at woods or field and let dog off for recall training, retrieve training etc. This is the important bit for her. She’s bred to work, we are learning to work together.
3. put dog on lead for walk back

Only at 2) do I welcome interaction with my dog and only with other dogs whose owners ask first and are clearly in control of their own animal.

I don’t want untrained over-friendly dogs to interact with mine. She won’t be sad, depressed or oppressed by this. Maybe have a bit more of a read around the subject of dog socialisation and exercise if you truly believe dogs should be let off the lead to rumble about in a field together for an hour. I suppose it’s easier than training, though. Must be why so many owners do it, 🤷‍♀️

This is a strange place indeed.

I was walking my dog, in order to help with socialisation, specifically somewhere it was required to keep your dog on a lead.

As an aside, a walk with my dog is like a walk with a toddler: stopping in amazement at everything- including her own pee 🤣

@Coronawireless

Most dog trainers are happy to advise letting a dog gradually off lead more and more. I accept that a particularly anxious dog may be frightened of other dogs - but then why walk them in a public place full of other dogs and expect everyone to put their dogs on a lead permanently because of YOUR dog? Ditto if you are so uptight you probably shouldn’t own a dog.

Sadly many dog owners are forced into a situation where they have no alternative where they walk as all parks are so busy now. I can and do, walk in the quietest areas possible but still get faced with pillocks who have zero control over their dog. I’m not the uptight one- it’s my dog!!! Be more considerate

@Saucery

Once more for the people at the back

I might, in the course of a walk:

1. walk dog on lead down paths to woods or field
2. assess the situation at woods or field and let dog off for recall training, retrieve training etc. This is the important bit for her. She’s bred to work, we are learning to work together.
3. put dog on lead for walk back

Only at 2) do I welcome interaction with my dog and only with other dogs whose owners ask first and are clearly in control of their own animal.

I don’t want untrained over-friendly dogs to interact with mine. She won’t be sad, depressed or oppressed by this. Maybe have a bit more of a read around the subject of dog socialisation and exercise if you truly believe dogs should be let off the lead to rumble about in a field together for an hour. I suppose it’s easier than training, though. Must be why so many owners do it, 🤷‍♀️

👏

I am considerate and my dog is trained and I don’t let him bother dogs on leads.
But I always feel sorry for the dogs forever on leads.

but then why walk them in a public place full of other dogs and expect everyone to put their dogs on a lead permanently because of YOUR dog?

This is very telling. Too many owners don’t understand that there is a middle way between On Lead and Bouncing Up To Every Other Dog They See.
That middle way is training a recall. Getting your dog to concentrate on you from the day you get them, to listen to your instructions. But if you haven’t bothered to do that because it can be hard work, or because you cared about what the Know It All down the park said when they were a puppy (“oh let them off, they want to play!”) then you’re going to try and defend your lack of training by accusing other owners of being ‘uptight’.

I do too but sometimes it’s unavoidable. I feel very sorry for owners of reactive dogs - I’m on my second- really most of the time our dogs just want a quiet life and to be left alone.
My dog is off lead but will react to dogs that barge up to him or are rude- I don’t blame him with some of the adolescent dogs!!

For me it’s the training to ignore other dogs I don’t get. If it’s a service dog it makes sense, but seems odd for a family pet. Allowing play is so important for their well-being and happiness.

@Stellaris22

I am also of the unpopular opinion that dogs should be allowed to play and interact. I live in a very happy doggy community where people allow their dogs to play from puppies, they all run around together (under control) and none of the dogs are reactive. Some of them are a bit wary of being petted by people, but none of the dogs are wary or reactive to other dogs. They sit nicely for treats and share toys.

Training a dog to not be a nuisance and to have solid recall is a must to be off lead. But in my experience, its the being allowed to play and socialise that is hugely important, and a lot of that is down to relaxed owners letting their dogs play together. The enjoyment they get out of it is obvious.

Hmm... I live near two parks that people describe like that, that’s not what I see if I walk through them though.

I see overbearing dogs with terrible social skills playing with stressed dogs that their owners don’t seem to notice the lip licking and appeasement behaviours their dog is giving off.

Yet they’ve got whole Facebook groups about how nice it is to see their dogs playing...