Just need a vent - clueless owners

[tootyfruitypickle]

I've been taking my nervous dog to a NT place where dogs are on lead.

Today a huge doodle or poo of some sort ambushed us 3 times. Not on lead . Third time I asked the owner what the hell she was doing . It had recall but not instant so it came right up to us leaping around.

It took me 40 mins to get my frozen dog out again, and he was making such good progress and walking so well for the past few weeks. We're going to have to take some steps back now. I was standing there with this terrified dog who wouldn't move thinking that she had no idea what stress she had caused.

The only positive I can take is that I advocated for him instinctively which is something I've had to learn. I stood in front of him, put my palm up to the rushing dog and said 'wait'. It did thankfully . And asked the owner to recall - nicely twice - third time I did lose my shit a bit though.

Just so entitled . She can go anywhere with her dog. Why come to somewhere where dogs are on lead and think it doesn't apply to her ? My dog has a yellow nervous vest too.

I just shout "this one bites". You'd be surprised how quickly they take their dog away.

When I had a very reactive foster lurcher I had to shout "mine will kill yours" a few times to owners with small yappy off lead dogs with no recall at all. I was walking on farmland, wearing high viz and very clearly not a fun prospect, I got oh mines friendly. Well mines not, through no flat of her own and is now even more reactive because of your stupid dogs.

So I hear you.

I cannot reiterate enough the necessity for a off lead dogs to have perfect recall. Not it comes when nothing else interesting is happening - it comes back mid beeline to a dog/in the middle of play/whatever is going on. Instantly.

It takes a lot of repetitive, consistent training over years. I've put so much work into my lab and she's rock solid - which means she can go off lead and have a lovely life without causing distress or harm to other dogs of healed.

It's so so frustrating and I totally feel for you.

I'm afraid I've become old and grumpy and just shout recall your fucking dog now.

I walk reactive dogs and have been known to shout "if yours comes any closer, it'll get bitten."

You'll be surprised how quickly people move, lol.

Yeah I did that with a small dog the other day but wasn't so cross as it was open ground - but I did say 'I really wouldn't let him come up close 'and the owners got him back sharpish!! He did recall immediately as well but it did stagger me they'd let him run up to a big dog wearing a nervous vest !!

Ok , I'm going to shout 'he bites ' next time !! It's taken a lot for me even to be so firm shouting' recall your dog' and I feel bad for the times early on when I didn't advocate (he's a rescue ). But having read a lot and watched a lot of trainers videos I'm clear now that owners that let their dogs run up to strange dogs are morons so best treated like that .

To be honest we have a ginormous Newfypoo puppy who is fine off the lead, when there are large or no other dogs about. We try to be considerate to all other dog owners, but sometimes dogs just suddenly appear and our enormous beast just wants to bounce and play. It is frustrating to us when she won't recall, but she is a work in progress.

@Henry176 but that would set me back weeks and weeks if it was my dog yours jumped around . And it's why I try and only go places where dogs are on lead (which is what made today so infuriating).

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

I walk reactive dogs and have been known to shout "if yours comes any closer, it'll get bitten."

You'll be surprised how quickly people move, lol.

Except when it goes like this...

Me: 'Mine's really nervous'
Clueless owner: 'Oh don't worry, he just wants to play!'
Me: 'I know, but she'll bite.'
Clueless owner: 'That's OK, he's got to learn, hasn't he, ha ha!'

Yes, he has, and it's your job to bloody teach him - not my dog who's freaking out and thrashing around like a landed fish.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan that's how mine reacts. I could feel him leaping around behind me through the lead but was focusing on stopping the dog in front.

Is there anything else I could have done for my dog in this situation ?

@Henry176

To be honest we have a ginormous Newfypoo puppy who is fine off the lead, when there are large or no other dogs about. We try to be considerate to all other dog owners, but sometimes dogs just suddenly appear and our enormous beast just wants to bounce and play. It is frustrating to us when she won't recall, but she is a work in progress.

Keep your dog on a bloody lead if it won't recall it's not that hard, surely?

Oh yep, I've had that too @JesusInTheCabbageVan.

I walk a dog who is reactive to strange dogs but fine with ones he knows. I was walking him on lead with two other dogs the other day - all minding their own business when a lady let her little terrier thing come running up to them

I shouted at her to recall her dog as mine aren't friendly - she ignored me and predictably the reactive dog growled and went to lunge and she tutted at me for "having an aggressive dog in public" lol.

Mine was on lead and not even bothered by hers until it ran up into his face.

There's no teaching some people, I swear!

It doesn't help that a million numpties got a dog in lockdown and have no clue how to train them. I've got a reactive dog after he was attacked, and a very very nervy young sprocker. I'm so sick of having to walk at the crack of dawn or at last light to avoid all the idiots who've got no idea what recall is.

Gives me the absolute rage OP!!!!

“Don’t worry mines friendly”

I literally couldn’t give a flying *uck get your dog away from mine

If your dog doesn’t have 100% recall don’t let it off until it does, imagine if my dog bit yours and I said oh sorry it’s work in progress

Rent over back to my wine

@tootyfruitypickle if you are at a NT site where they are supposed to be onlead mention it to the people at the entrance / exit and they will likely have a word with her . My dog can be unpredictably reactive on his lead ( fine off lead ) and I always find that responding to ‘ don’t worry he’s friendly ‘ with ‘mines not ‘ does tend to get the offending animal moved pretty quick .

*To be honest we have a ginormous Newfypoo puppy who is fine off the lead, when there are large or no other dogs about.
*
A 'Newfypoo....'? You mean a mongrel?

@Floralnomad yes they're lovely at the site and told me to report any off lead dogs. Problem was as i watched her saunter off towards the exit I knew I was stuck there for quite a while . We only got out with a mixture of small drags and lots of treat throwing (why do I never have quite enough)

I actually might start carrying a stick and wave it threateningly at out of control dogs. There was a trainer I saw who said he carries a spare lead so if a dog attacks his he can use it to pull the other dog off (wrapped around the neck is the only way ). I carry nothing but treats in my pocket but maybe I should create a dog walking bag with spare lead, stick etc

Another 'positive' is that I used to beat myself up for doing the wrong thing by throwing threats, giving cuddles etc when he freezes - but I've realised that when scared he's frozen like i am with vertigo and it's literally a case of doing whatever works . We had a few weeks of really good walking up to this incident and I was able to 'properly' move him on when he stopped as it wasn't due to white hot fear so I can see that the usual advice just isn't applicable when he's so scared.

Was just so galling watching this idiot walk off probably without a second thought.

@tootyfruitypickle it's tough, isn't it I've recently bought a handheld dog scarer - it emits a high pitched burst of noise which dogs find unpleasant. Haven't had the need to use it yet, but will see if it helps!

@fairylightsandwaxmelts YES!

And even when the owner is chilled out about their dog getting bitten - they don't understand that their pup hasn't just had a lesson in manners. More often it's a case of, hey presto, now YOU have a dog who thinks that all dogs on lead are dangerous, or all dogs of a certain size/shape/colour are dangerous. It only takes once, sometimes. (Oh, and what are the odds they then make it 100 times worse by walloping their fear-reactive dog for being 'rude ' If I had £1 for every time I've seen that...)

I agree and it’s frustrating. Our dd is always called to our side if we see a dog on a lead and when he was a puppy he’d go back on the lead. That said I’m always puzzled when posters say you can only let a dog with perfect recall off their lead for a walk. How do you train that without the interim period of not being totally sure dpup will recall despite distractions. There’s only so far garden training will get you.

“How do you train that without the interim period of not being totally sure dpup will recall despite distractions“

With a longline.

@Henry176

To be honest we have a ginormous Newfypoo puppy who is fine off the lead, when there are large or no other dogs about. We try to be considerate to all other dog owners, but sometimes dogs just suddenly appear and our enormous beast just wants to bounce and play. It is frustrating to us when she won't recall, but she is a work in progress.

If he's a work in progress you keep him on a long line (not a retractable one) until your job as an owner - recall - is done.

How many times do we need to point it out.

I do t care if he wants to play. He can traumatise a reactive dog. No recall, no off lead.

In my experience, dogs tend to react worse if leashed.
l walk around a huge lake with a group of dog walkers, 8 adults , approx 13 dogs all off lead and they all do their own thing, some go in the water, some chase sticks and some just plod around, we never have any incidents until we start learning them at the end where several become growly with one another.

I think over anxious dog owners do pass their anxiety on to their dogs, dogs need to run and let off steam, and get used to other dogs. A lot of anxious dog owners want all dogs on lead because theirs is anxious, l think that's selfish.
I have rehomed several nervous dogs and they improved enormously once they were allowed to roam off lead and just get used to being around other dogs.

Mines a sighthound and I wouldn't let off lead.

And the place in question had a rule ALL DOGS ON LEAD which is why I walk there.

Also worth pointing out that a lot of people don't like dogs running up to them / are afraid, so no dog off lead should run up to strange dogs or people .

“A lot of anxious dog owners want all dogs on lead because theirs is anxious, l think that's selfish.”

Nowhere near as selfish as letting a dog with poor recall off tbh.

Some people have dogs with very severe behavioural issues, some are just a bit anxious, some have arthritis, some will be recovering from an operation, some will be blind... you have no clue why a dog is being kept on lead and away from other dogs.

Mine is just a git, he’ll bounce on other dogs whether they want him to or not, so he stays on lead unless it’s a pre-arranged meet-up with a dog I know.

@Moonface123

In my experience, dogs tend to react worse if leashed. < This is true.

I think over anxious dog owners do pass their anxiety on to their dogs, dogs need to run and let off steam, and get used to other dogs. A lot of anxious dog owners want all dogs on lead because theirs is anxious, l think that's selfish. < This, however, is bollocks.

My dog is much more relaxed off lead. She also has a high prey drive and is very poor at reading other dogs' body language, despite hundreds and hundreds of hours playing with her small group of mates who 'get' her. If she saw an unfamiliar on-lead dog, she would run up to it happily and then attack it if it put its face too close to hers.

I don't want all dogs on lead because mine is anxious. I'm actually working very hard to get her used to off-lead dogs, but it makes my life a hell of a lot harder when a big bouncy dog with zero recall keeps crowding her and the owner does fuck all to pull it away.

Don't assume you know more about our dogs than we do.