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Fending off jumpy dogs in the dog park

18 replies

Pucarbuile · 21/12/2021 21:02

I'm wondering about the etiquette here. I take our dog to a designated, fenced part of a local park a couple of times a week to run around off lead and play with other dogs. He loves it. He's a big greyhound and where we live it's illegal to have a greyhound off lead on unsecured land so the fenced area of the park is perfect. Equally perfect, a lot of the dogs who go there are lurchers, labs and retrievers so big and fast enough for my dog to get a good run around and a bit of rough and tumble. Problem is while the labs are big, they are young, mostly under a year so they are still very bouncy and boisterous. It's good natured but I'm getting a bit tired of suddenly having a lab face in mine with paws on my chest. The owners tend to do a token, "oh sorry, down boy, don't jump" and I try to step back and say a sharp "no/down" when they jump up, but it doesn't seem to work. I don't carry treats (praise works with mine and he's got a muzzle on anyway so I can't feed him while out) so they aren't reacting to smells from me. I'm utterly uninterested in other people's dogs and children so I don't encourage them. The owners are nice people, mostly parents after the school run and they know each other so there tends to be distracted chatting. I absolutely won't be making a big fuss about it, the dog park is too valuable to my dog for me to cut my nose off to spite him, but could I give the loony dogs a better indication of my utter lack of interest in them?

OP posts:
user313213521 · 21/12/2021 21:11

Turn your back to them - they soon realise that you're going to be incredibly boring.

My dog is funny about other dogs jumping up at me, so it's a technique I often use.

Pucarbuile · 21/12/2021 21:25

Good idea, thank you, I'll try that.

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 22/12/2021 08:15

Turn your back, fold your arms and avoid eye contact. When they sit down or have all four paws on the floor, lots of praise and attention Smile

weaselwords · 22/12/2021 08:18

I agree with the others. Folding arms and turning my back worked really quickly on my two idiots to teach them to keep their paws on the floor. Works on my friend’s huge leaping hound too.

Avarua · 22/12/2021 08:21

This is great advice. I'll try this with my jumper -upperer.

CovoidOfAllHumanity · 22/12/2021 17:12

Mine is a jumper upper and this is slowly starting to work on him. Back turned, arms folded and he will then usually remember to sit for a fuss. We have less jumping up now but still some if he hasn't seen you for 5 mins.
Owners would probably appreciate it too
Might doesn't jump on strangers unless they encourage him but surprisingly some people actually do. If he gets the idea you want to play with him then he will jump and some people pet him even when he's done it which rather undermines my efforts.

Pucarbuile · 22/12/2021 17:22

I'm happy to trun my back, but really, do I need to fuss about them when they don't jump on me? I just want to keep an eye on my own dog and not have to deal with other people's...

OP posts:
CovoidOfAllHumanity · 22/12/2021 17:45

No I don't think it's your job to do that
Just make it very clear that there is no attention for jumping up
Apparently even pushing them off, saying off or no or any interaction at all can be interpreted as you wanting to play accordingly to our trainer who was helping us with this

CovoidOfAllHumanity · 22/12/2021 17:48

You have my sympathy BTW. A very big dog jumped up on me at the park even though I turned my back. It's paws were on my shoulders and it stole my bobble hat! It's owner was slightly apologetic but said 'yeh she really likes fluffy hats'
If your dog is very big I would have thought there is a particular duty on you to stop it jumping or have it on a lead.

MissyB1 · 22/12/2021 17:56

The thing is you’ve chosen to go to an off lead park area and you want your dog to engage in physical play with other dogs. All the dogs get a bit boisterous and excited during this play and some dogs assume that all humans who are there would like to say hello to them. I’m not saying it’s right for any dog to jump on other people but you yourself said these are young dogs. I just think you are being a bit unrealistic.

Yes try turning your back but make sure you have an old coat on as they might not get it straight away.

Pucarbuile · 22/12/2021 19:43

Yes, you're right MissyB1, which is why I was asking about the etiquette and ways for me to deal with it rather than asking the other owners to modify their dogs' behaviour.

OP posts:
Tiramesu · 22/12/2021 21:15

A Great Dane jumped on me once, put it's paws on my shoulders, and the owners didn't say a word...gobsmacked (and covered in muddy footprints)

LadyShrek2k19 · 22/12/2021 22:54

Can I ask a general, genuine question?

As the owner of a 5 month old jumper upper who just wants to say hi to everyone, I am always mortified when he doesn't listen to me telling him to sit. He is jumpier when on the lead, and i make a point of telling him (loudly, so people can hear) to "keep walking, not everyone wants to say hello".

I am always apologetic and will always warn people thar want to say hello that "he might jump".

What I really want to say is "please ignore him until he has 4 on the floor".... is that rude?! It's lovely that people want to fuss my pup, but ultimately I want a polite dog who doesn't jump.

How do i do that without coming across as That Rude Woman?!

Avarua · 22/12/2021 23:54

@LadyShrek2k19 it's never rude to be assertive.

icedcoffees · 23/12/2021 06:39

@Pucarbuile

I'm happy to trun my back, but really, do I need to fuss about them when they don't jump on me? I just want to keep an eye on my own dog and not have to deal with other people's...
I mean, you don't have to do anything, but if you choose to go to an off lead dog park then you kind of have to expect that some dogs are going to run and jump at you.

Personally I don't understand why you'd take your dog to a social event/place like that and never give the other dogs any fuss or attention though - isn't that whole point? So your dogs can all play and socialise together and with the humans too?

Pucarbuile · 23/12/2021 14:01

Personally I don't understand why you'd take your dog to a social event/place like that and never give the other dogs any fuss or attention though - isn't that whole point? So your dogs can all play and socialise together and with the humans too?

Same as when I brought my kids to the park when they were small, I didn't interact with other children then either. And my dog is as anti social as I am when it comes to humans Grin he just wants a bit of a run around with some dogs, couldn't care less about the two leggers standing shivering in the mud. Obviously I'm not a proper dog person (actually I knew that already) but I don't think I'm wrong asking for ways to minimise (not eliminate, I'm somewhat realistic) being jumped on.

Anyway, useful suggestions and insights to think about, thanks everyone.

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 23/12/2021 16:03

I don't think I'm wrong asking for ways to minimise (not eliminate, I'm somewhat realistic) being jumped on.

The praise and fuss when they don't jump is part of minimising the actual jumping though. You don't want to reward the jumping but you do want to reward the correct behaviour which is having all four paws on the floor.

If you don't want to fuss them, praise or a treat (with the owners permission of course) would be just as effective. Dogs learn via praise - if they know you'll praise them and give them attention for having four paws on the floor, they're more likely to repeat the behaviour.

MrsWinters · 06/01/2022 19:09

You can absolutely ask people to only say hello when 4 are on the floor. I find if you explain it as training and that they are helping you, most (normal) people actually like the idea that they are involved in actually helping you to train your dog. Everyone who wants to fuss your dog is an animal lover, so if they feel they are helping to train your dog, or they are learning more about dogs they enjoy the encounter more.

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