Keeping small dogs safe on walks

[Cockapoodled]

Ok , so I have a little 8kg mini Cockapoo who from the first day I got her has always been nervous .
I got her at 14 weeks old ( too late i know) and so socialisation , puppy classes etc had to all be rushed . She has improved a lot , reappy has but with dedication every day and not pushing her too hard . The dog trainers even said to me that she would not cope with daycare as most likely as she's so gentle and shy she would be picked on and this would only make her confidence worse.

The problem i have found since getting my little sweetheart is keeping her safe . I've only had her a year and she's already had two incidents happen.
Firstly , a big wolfhound mix type dog would not leave her alone . She was screaming and i was telling the owner to get their dog on a lead or at least hold them until we passed . But apparently " they were just playing."
This dog got in between us and ran across my dog. She subsequently needed an xray, general anesthetic and months worth of vets visits for treatment on her shoulder muscle.

Then ,more recently, she was chased by two dogs off lead ,while the owner virtually laughed and watched. She went missing for a couple minutes and ran off the beach because this dog was trying to nip her in the kneck .

So now I don't know how to relax because it feels like every time i try to enjoy taking her for a walk if i am not careful something happens.
This morning a lady had a big boxer off lead run (despite having whole beach) straight at us and the more i say to people with big dogs to keep away ,the worse they seem to be . As if i am not even allowed to be cautious for my own dog. To me it's no different than a teenager "just playing" jumping around in a ballpit with toddlers .

I just don't know what to do . I already do u turns and change routes . Yet meanwhile there are people prancing around the beach not even looking or caring because their dog will not come out of it badly, if a fight was to happen .

Sorry for long post.

You can buy yellow vests and leads that have ‘nervous’ written on them so that people know not to let their dog approach yours. Obviously they shouldn’t be allowing an off-lead dog to approach an on-lead dog anyway but a lot of people don’t seem to know that!

This site is useful. It has info, links and a shop.

www.yellowdoguk.co.uk

I also have a little dog of 8kg, however he is not nervous and will growl, snarl and try to chase off other dogs which is worse. I also worry that he will come off worse if a dog retaliates. We sometimes meet off lead dogs whose owners insist their dogs is friendly when it’s clearly overly interested in my on lead, not friendly dog! I know it’s not recommended but if the other dog comes too close and the owners do nothing I usually pick him up and walk past or put a couple of meters distance between us as we pass.
I would just put your dog on lead if you see an unknown dog and continue walking or turn and walk away. It’s difficult, I wish I could talk to my dog and tell him it’s better just to walk past quietly than to growl and pull and draw attention to himself! We get through a lot of treats as he is rewarded when he sees another dog and comes back and then I use the treats to keep him focused as we walk past but it doesn’t always work.

Could I just ask whether your own dog is on or off lead?

The best thing you can do is to go on the defensive. The yellow coat is a great idea but you can’t expect ignorant owners (or their badly behaved dogs) to get the message. Can I suggest that you invest in a pet corrector spray @Cockapoodled? it’s worked brilliantly for me and my very gentle big dog. Since lockdown there’s been an absolute dog explosion in my area. Unfortunately many of these newbies are the small yappily aggressive types over whom their owners have absolutely no control. Frankly, they’re mostly clueless and always fall back on their dogs size as an excuse for bad behaviour; as in ‘s/he’s only little and wouldn’t hurt anyone’ Tell that to the dog who’s belly and throat they’re biting …
Anyway, the PC is just a small aerosol can of compressed air. It’s designed to be used as a distraction to curb bad habits but it works equally well to distract a dog coming towards your own. A quick squirt towards an approaching dog will make that dog stop on its tracks. It buys you some time to ensure your dog’s safe and (hopefully) for the other owner to move theirs.

Keep her on a lead? If she’s off lead on a beach running around you can’t really complain when someone else’s dog is also off lead. You can ask for someone to put their dog on a lead- but it’s a bit hypocritical if yours isn’t.

I would keep her away from other dogs if she’s not comfortable around them. And yes is she on a lead or not?
It isn’t too late for training. For both of you.

I feel your pain, I regularly yell at people to call their big breeds off my small breed dog. I don’t care if they are ‘being friendly and just want to play’ they are 4 x his height and he can’t get away. You wouldn’t want a massive 7ft bloke jumping in your face so don’t let your dog do it to mine. The most ridiculous thing is that our dog is not that timid and will eventually start growling at them to back off and then the other owner gets annoyed 🙄

In terms of daycare, is there one that specialises in small dogs near you? Our goes to one that doesn’t take dogs over 12kg and it really helped him learn to relax and play with other dogs. There is also a dog walking group in a local park where dogs have to be under 15kg to join.

The thing is, if she's off the lead then other owners will think it's okay to let their dogs come over to her and say hello. It's very normal for off-lead dogs to greet and have a sniff and a bit of a play, especially somewhere like the beach where it's very safe.

It's not the fault of the other owner that your dog is nervous and liable to run off - if that's the case, she should be on a lead, or a longline so that you have more control over the situation.

Cockapoos in general are nervous dogs though - I walk one that's nervy around other dogs, therefore if I see strange dogs in the distance, he goes back on his lead so he's safe and can't bolt off.

Thanks for the replies . New here, so not sure whether to reply individually or add another meassage . I shall try to remember what i have read .
For clarification my dog was on a lead . She will sometimes go to the beach and at times when not many people around i will take her off , just to run about a bit . When another dog comes close i try to give a wide berth and usually call her straight back and she's back on lead . Occasionally, i will ask if its ok for a dog near her size of the owner wants them to play .
I have trained her and that's why it's so frustrating as because of what keeps happening we have been recommended by the local dog trainers to come back to puppy class and regain her confidence.
I just am feeling very stressed and disappointed how hard it is to enjoy walking with the dog .
I am lucky that i live a few minutes from a beach and my dog loves it or at least should do . The house also backs onto public woodland ,which the locals use for huge hounds offlead so that is already a no go.
It's become such a hassle that i started to wonder if i should either get a larger dog to protect my little one? Or live somewhere with a big garden and just never leave the house .
I've signed up for some scent training also which i know she will love and be safe .
The yellow lead idea i shall do although i doubt with some it will work .
In the last week alone I've had a grown man swear in my face after asking his dog to get his out of my girl's face after I'd already crossed the road . Apparently, " you will get dogs off lead on a beach and they won't do anything to my dog." Implying i am the that shouldn't be on the beach at all . This charming lady stormed about 20m or so to tell me this with the Boxer still off lead, right next to me .
I think the problem seems to be that everyone has different ideas of what socialisation is and there doesn't seem to be much enforcement.

I feel your pain it is frustrating. We viewed a house recently with a big garden outside city. And although the house wasn’t right for us I was thinking how amazing it would be if it meant I could just walk her in the garden. We never go to the beach to be honest, just stick to quiet woodlands. It’s a shame.

But gardens, no matter how big, are not a substitute for walks.

Walks are about so much more than exercise and I think many dog owners have forgotten that.

I know with dog walks a lot of it is sniffing and having different things to think about right ? The problem is my Cockapoo generally hates walks , she even lays down to avoid them .
Is it not possible to have a big garden and use enrichment exercises, aswell as physical exercise? Genuine question .

Same with my dog OP. She’s a nervous wreck now because of other dogs and their owners 🤯 she hates going out for walks and pulls to get home all the time! 😰

Your dog is small enough to pick up to get her up and out of the way of an incoming space invader. That's what I do if needed with mine who is 6kg. It shouldn't be something you do often, but it IS in your back pocket if you need it.

It sounds like a very busy beach where you are walking her. Are you able to go somewhere else, or at quieter times?

The best defence I have for my dog is to avoid other people and dogs as much as we possibly can.

i think it is important to recognise where the fear originated from so you can deal with it and mange it going forwards. No dog is born disliking big dogs (or little dogs) and let’s be fair as many little dogs are likely to tear over as big dogs. So if they aren’t bothered so much by dogs tearing over and rude approaches- and it is the big dogs it is worth assessing your own feelings towards big dogs.

you mention things like huge hounds etc. before you got your dog what was your feeling towards big dogs? Would you ignore them when you were out, and it’s only since you’ve had your dog that you’ve been worried about them?

I ask because our dogs are very good at reading us. And you may need a little honesty on where this cycle is starting. Are you anxious walking because of your dog, or is your dog anxious because of you?

you need to identify that first. A dog will look to it’s owner for guidance on the situation and if you are nervous they will think that that is the appropriate response

places like national trust gardens (if they allow dogs) state that dogs must be on lead- so if you want to go for calm sniffy walks they are a good place with dogs around but not approaching.

I also wonder if your anxiety is rubbing off on her? It's totally understandable to feel very protective of your furbaby but they're so sensitive to our feelings!

You talk about taking her to classes, but do you ever let her socialise with dogs in an informal setting?. I ask because it's totally normal for dogs to mingle in parks, it shouldn't be an automatic reaction of "Oh shit, there's a dog, let's get away from it!" It's really important for dogs, as social, pack animals, to get the opportunity to meet other dogs and PLAY with them. Which might involve some chasing, some rough and tumble, some barking with excitement! If all these things are triggers for YOU to take your dog away, of course she's going to learn that they're frightening things to be avoided.

Well all i can say is that she was incredibly nervous from day 1 of getting her . Of any dogs at all and I've done a juggling act of allowing meetings of dogs ,whilst trying not to push her too hard. She has a few doggy friends ,a few since she was a small puppy who are quite big but i know they will be careful with her .
The issue i have with larger dogs is that it's a fact that they can cause more damage to her ,either intentionally or otherwise .
However, i can see where you are coming from a bit because it's become a cycle that most days we have a walk ,we end up having to walk away and virtually hide away from loose irresponsible dogs and i know it's not then sending a calm message to her .
It's still better than if something bad happened though .
The poster here saying about group dog walks and daycare for dogs under 15kg would be absolutely amazing if they did that here but unfortunately it's all mixed here at daycare .
National Trust i take her to sometimes and she's been out today . She had a lovely walk sniffing ducks and the owners were all lovely today ,made a huge difference .

But enrichment isn't just about what you can provide as an owner - it's so much more than that. Sniffing where other dogs have been, learning about their environment, getting used to different noises and smells and experiences so they stop being scary.

Of course dogs can survive with just a garden to run about in, but it's not really much of a life for them to be so scared that that's all they can cope with.

Your goal should be about making your dog confident, secure and happy, not allowing her fears and worries to restrict her life to a garden for the next decade.

Is she your first dog? Did you have much experience of dogs before now, particularly larger ones?

I have a nervy small dog, I just keep him away from other dogs.

If a large dog makes a beeline for your dog just pick her up?

Your dog needs to know you'll keep her safe and her confidence will improve on walks, can you find walks near by that have less people on them?

Other owners are a pain unfortunately so you just have to find ways to manage it, I have physically blocked other peoples dogs from getting to my dog, I've also thrown treats on the floor to put them off getting too close.

I have picked her up on occasion yes( i know you're not really supposed to ) but it's got her out of two Frenchies going for her and also another smaller one the other day .
It really doesn't work for bigger dogs though! I've seen dogs jumping up on 6 foot walls, i am just over 5 foot tall .
In the past I've also thrown treats down for space invading dogs and tried to physically block . It just annoys me that i have to go out for a walk expecting a battle . If it is not the other big dogs, then it's random people trying to run their filthy chops through her hair.
The beach i take her too is usually quite quiet. I have strangly found that worst though because you tend to get friends meeting up and chatting whilst their two or three boxers/ alsations run ahead . I've found my dog less scared at higher tide when we're all squashed in a bit and other owners can't pretend to not see their dog sprinting halfway across the beach at us.
I'm also going to cut down the amount of times i go to the beach . I took her for a lovely walk in the forest the other day but then someone let their Hound just out the car by itself!
Does this happen everywhere?

Can I ask, does your dog do anything that encourages the other dogs to come over? I ask because my own dog is a little timid and she tends to lie down and look at the other dogs. I believe this is a submissive “come over and say hello/play with me” posture. And it does seem to make dogs want to come over and see her. I find it frustrating and we get far too many dogs pestering us because of this. I just wonder if your dog may do the same? I don’t have any special advice for this though as I am not sure myself how to manage this better. But wondered if it may explain why you get a lot of dogs coming over all the time?

I think you might need to shift your perspective a little on this, you have a small timid dog I understand but most big dogs are just fast and playful- on a beach they are able to let off steam and run around at full speed being dogs - also dogs playing is very physical - it looks aggressive but it's just normal playful behaviour. They are coming up to your dog with the best of intentions- no idea how big they are and sadly scare the xxxx out of your dog.

To me you need to do the opposite of what I'm doing (big playful teenage dog owner) and to try to walk your dog away from where the big ones are off lead and being dogs - likewise I worry when mine is off lead and a little dog appears - mine wants to say hello and play but has no idea how huge and bouncy she is - a lot of little dogs snap and she doesn't come close but it's all learning. I guess other options are private field hire and using the beach when it's quieter as your dog has to be able to be off lead and happy.

We are working on socialising but from the opposite side - I love Amelia's dog training on Instagram and she has some videos about working with timid dogs as well as boisterous teenage ones - I'd take a look and try some of them out.

But I do think, thinking that a big dog is harmful needs a bit of rethink, obviously if they were in a fight they would be scary but it's very unlikely. Small dogs can do a lot of damage nipping and biting too.

Most of all good luck

I agree. If your dog is so nervous you need to not put her in a position to be anxious. I would also remember 8kg isn’t tiny!! I have wolfhounds who mix fine with all sizes of dog but they don’t bounce rudely at them. Training classes may help her socialise safely (without being bounced on) and may help you relax.

Not that i can think of . But i do think she gives off a timid vibe perhaps and so when they come over she will run away from them . This of course means they chase her more. I'd really think it would help if she would stand her ground a bit. It's rather silly as sometimes she will decide eventually she will chase them back afterall ... but usually they've gone by this point.

I think it's just where the last wolfhound ran over her and hurt her needing vetinary help, that is why the weight difference generally worries me . I have had a lovely Golden Retreiver play very nicely with her before though and adapted their play ,so obviously some big dogs can play nicely .