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beach chick

most dogwalkers are nice...

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... but when you meet a nasty one oh my :shameonu::shameonu: sorry this is a bit long.

 

this morning I was walking Oz in the country park, there's a lake with a stream running along one side of it and a path between. Oz's favourite game is : I throw stick in stream, he retrieves it, repeat ad infinitum.

 

so we rounded the corner about to start our stream game, and saw a man, woman and child with a HUGE staffy X type just standing there, all 3 of them holding on to the dog's collar - no lead in sight. when I was about 15 yds away, having thrown the stick in the water and waiting for Oz to bring it back, this happened:

 

man: can you come past?

me: I'm just waiting for my dog

man: well my dog won't like it can you hurry up

me: ok well as soon as he brings me the stick we'll go past you

 

we go past - Oz has no interest in the people or the horrid dog (which growls) as all he is interested in is the stick and how quickly he can get back in the water

 

me: I'll go past, but my dog will want to go back in the water I'm afraid

woman: well my dog will have yours then

me: erm, dont you think you should have him under control?

woman: well your dog's not under control is he, he's not on the lead

me: erm, he's not gone near any of you, he's not bothered, he just wants to get on with his walk

woman: I'm warning you, my dog'll have yours and it'll be your fault not our dog's.

me: (thinks) oh *&&^*% off you stupid woman.

 

horrible people, horrible dog. I met about 3 other dog walkers on the way back up to the car park, and warned them all. if your dog is not trustworthy then surely you shouldnt take it somewhere where you are bound to meet other dogs and people until you have done some training etc. if they'd said "we're trying to socialise him, but he's still anxious/aggressive or whatever" it would have been completely different. as it was they were rude and threatening.

GRRRRR :twisted:

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This happens to me all the time and usually that type of dog, I have 2 border terriers - the most laid back friendliest pair you could meet. There is one bulldog x who always strains at it's lead and growls at mine and the woman always acuses mine of starting it, mine are usually wagging their tails waiting to say hello :evil: I'm afriad I usually do say a bad word :talk2hand:

 

2vj4qyo.jpg

Scary aren't they :lol:

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they are a bit scary, you're right scarlett. and actually on the way up the hill I was thinking what a wimp I was and I should really have SAID something - but in fact discretion is the better part of valour and all that!!

 

I hate when people are unnecessarily nasty; I guess they were afraid of their dog's reactions/behaviour but that's not right for the dog is it? they should do the training and get it sorted so the dog can be a dog - but I dont suppose they ever will because their own reactions aren't normal are they...

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Sorry but I have to stick up for the breed here- its the owners that are morons! My Bulldogs are perfectly well behaved! I met a total muppet on the common last week with a mental Border Terrier on an exendable lead that was of the opinion that because his dog couldnt be trusted to run free, mine should be on the lead too :shock: Funnily enough he wouldnt approach me closer than 20ft as Zeus was giving him the Hairy Eyeball :lol: You might want to use this next time-

 

"The Animals Act 1971 states that the owner or person responsible for any animal must take reasonable care to ensure that it does not cause injury or damage. The owner can be held liable for any damage caused."

 

Ive been attacked by someones Vizla the owner said "He only wants to play"- presumably with my corpse, and when one of the Forestry Commision blokes' Choc Labs went for my Welsh Pony the response was to send an 8yo child to catch and control 6stone of deranged canine flab.

But yes most dogwalkers are nice, and I carry on doing my bit for Positive Bully Propaganda.. :wink:

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Beach chick, what an idiot that owner was :evil: . Thank goodness he didn't let go of his dog :anxious: . It's such a shame when a dog behaves badly and it's all the owner's fault :( .

 

Scary aren't they :lol:

 

Aren't they just :lol: .

 

I have a friend who has 2 Vizlas who are gorgeous but totally out of control :roll: . They jump up and slobber all over your hands - I don't mind too much but I can imagine some folk would absolutely hate it :? . They are big dogs, after all.

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I am sure most are nice and I would be inclined to tip the police off about that one. There was one who allowed there huge dog off the lead to jump up my toddler son and he was dog phobic for years. Another was not controlling a dog poss a staffie which was straining at the leash and I told him in no uncertain terms to control his dog or I would kick it if it came near my son. The air was blue believe me. OH and ES stood open mouthed as I told this guy off. The other classic is those bad owners who let their dogs fawn all over you - licking and french kissing with their tongues.

So you have it I am not a dog lover generally but find some and stress the SOMe owners really annoying. Oh and if someone doesnt like my cats I remove the cat and put it outside - so I do practice what I preach.

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woah Rhapsody!

 

the breed was irrelevant really - could have been any sort of big dog with owners who couldnt handle it. I guess I could have left it out all together.

BUT, there are a lot of people who get bull breeds as some kind of status symbol. I know you are not one of those, and I totally agreed - deed not breed.

 

the fact the owners this morning were complete idiots is not the dog's fault, and I was trying to make that clear in my last post?

 

sorry, edited to say that I didnt mean to offend you Rhapsody.

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Or me Rhapsody - was just trying to point out that is usually staff crosses or similar that these ignorant people own so that gets passed onto the dog. You're right Beach Chick dogs should be trained and allowed to be dogs ie be used to saying hello to other dogs, maybe having a play and then coming when called - basic training :x

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Dont mean to sound anti dog - its the owners. yrs ago a friend who is still a friend had a border collie in a 3 bedroomed house in Surrey. This dog was mad jumpy and bouncy and caught OH unawares when he was sitting down and stuck its tongue down OH's throat. OH was in shock - he had a tonsillecotomy yrs back so no damage done except I wouldnt kiss him for weeks cos of his dog breath :lol: same dog did the same to the postman who never came back. We are still mates shes in Os - I got my own back - she used to sneeze round my cat - did I move him from the room ?- you bet I didnt :lol:

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I didnt mean to cause offence either I just get a little tired of the broad brush with which all Bulldogs are painted, they have outstanding temperaments and you can see in the other bulldog thread what fab farm dogs mine are. I would really like to see a government with some cojones do something about the breeding and sale of ALL dogs, impose a huge tax on dogs imported from Ireland (which is where the puppy farms have moved to) have all dogs of all breeds muzzled in public (yup!) and tax income from sale of dogs at the highest level. And lets use the money to fund Dog Wardens properly so they can go out and put the fear of god into these idiots who impose their bratdogs on us all :x

Here endeth the rant :P

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I totally agree with you - except about the all dogs being muzzled in public, I think that's a hammer to crack a nut, and penalises the vast majority for the sake of the idiot minority.

 

puppy farming is a VILE trade, producing poorly socialised unhealthy animals, and the treatment of the breeding females/stud dogs is despicable.

 

what to do about the status symbol dogs - I dont know. those who acquire them as status symbols are hardly likely to bother with insurance or a dog licence, or go to training/socialisation even if it was mandatory. and even these dogs are rehabilitable (is that a word?) sometimes, so I would not like to see euthanasia as a matter of course on confiscation in cases where it went that far.

 

and there is the whole 'rub off' effect on the bull breeds, which as you say DO have lovely temperaments and in the right hands are fantastic dogs.

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If neither dog was on a lead then neither of you are classed as 'in control' even if the other dog attacks yours without being provoked, the degree of training and good behaviour is irrelevant apparently!

 

If your well behaved dog isnt on a lead and the provoking dog IS then you are worse off still even if it attacks yours - I found this out to my cost a few years back :roll:

 

You are right though its a real shame that some dogs and owners just cant behave themselves!

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If neither dog was on a lead then neither of you are classed as 'in control' even if the other dog attacks yours without being provoked, the degree of training and good behaviour is irrelevant apparently!

 

really? I never actually knew that. thinking it over, I guess I should have put him on the lead to walk past and then let him off again when we were at a safe distance. on the other hand, they did not move away in the opposite direction, so I was a bit stuck really

 

If your well behaved dog isnt on a lead and the provoking dog IS then you are worse off still even if it attacks yours - I found this out to my cost a few years back :roll:

 

why Redwing?

 

going back to whether all dogs should be muzzled in public - I do disagree. I dont think that any/many of the tragic incidents where children have been killed were really to do with well-socialised dogs. as for rabbits/chickens - surely there arent many running free in public places, except wild bunnies?

 

one of our chooks was killed by a visiting Labrador whose owner took her eye off him for a minute. much as it was a shame, it happened in our garden pre-electric fence days, and I dont think I would expect a visitor to muzzle their dog, UNLESS I knew it was potentially dangerous (for want of a better word) in which case I wouldn't invite the dog in anyway...

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My children have both been bitten by dogs in a public park.

My friend had a chicken killed by a dog that jumped her fence.

My StaffyX was chased into a busy road by a dog that was biting her.

I have been bitten by a 'playful puppy'(see above)

 

None of this would have happened if the dogs had been muzzled. I cant think of a single coherent objection, sorry.

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I have a tiny chihuahua who is very friendly and couldn't do any damage if she wanted to............I'm not sure all dogs need muzzling. :? I don't even think they make them that small. :lol: Mind you I used to have a german shepherd too (just lost her :( ) and she was a big wimp.

 

Well the women was right. It wouldn't have been her dogs fault it would have been hers!

 

I always keep my chihuahua on a lead (mainly cos I don't trust her not to run off) and have to pick her up when other dogs are off the lead and owners let them run up to her. She is really scared of other dogs since once one ran at her and bowled her over trying to play. :(

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My children have both been bitten by dogs in a public park.

 

yup, that's a public place so I see your point, especially as it is your children that were hurt - I really, really hope that they were not badly hurt, or too frightened, and it hasnt given them an anti-dog complex, but I guess with your lovely beasties that's not the case? :D fwiw, I was savaged by a Dalmatian twice on the same day, in a friend's garden - badly bitten on one arm; owners suggested we 'made friends' and it bit me on the other arm. stitches, tetanus jabs, etc etc, and I was PETRIFIED of dogs (apart from our lovely boxer) for years. I still dont particularly like Dalmatians, although they are beautiful creatures, and I am prepared to believe I met a bad one. this is now almost 40 years later, and I work for a pet food company!!

 

My friend had a chicken killed by a dog that jumped her fence.

 

not nice, but if the dog jumped in from a neighbouring garden then 'public muzzling' wouldnt have made a difference?

 

My StaffyX was chased into a busy road by a dog that was biting her.

 

ok, but if on a busy road she should have been on a short lead? not to criticise you, but I know Oz is capable of the odd lunge if he wanted to, so if we are near the road = lead is short and I am between him and the road. of course the other dog's owner should have been in control of their dog, but as we all know that doesn't always happen. would muzzling have made a difference?

 

I have been bitten by a 'playful puppy'(see above)

 

I've had the odd nip off a puppy while learning to control itself. however, this was always my parents' pup (they had 4 boxers while I was growing up) and they were taught not to nip by removal of the stimulus (ie game stops etc). if someone else's 'playful puppy' bit me in a public place then I'd report them....

 

None of this would have happened if the dogs had been muzzled. I cant think of a single coherent objection, sorry.

 

Muzzling all dogs simply allows cretinous owners to carry on getting away with being idiots in my opinion, while good owners and well socialised dogs are left to carry the can. why should my gentle, well-behaved dog have to wear a muzzle because some owners cant be bothered to work with their pets?

 

What we need is RESPONSIBLE dog ownership - and I'm by no means suggesting I'm perfect, of course I'm not - I know my limitations and that of my dog and most of the time we get it right; education all ways round - what pet owners should do; what children should learn about dogs - their own or other people's - and greater responsiblility should be what makes the difference.

 

OMG someone get me off my soapbox! :D

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My friends chicken was killed by a loose dog that came over from the public common.

My StaffX was chased 800 yards from the middle of a dog exercisde area into the road.

If the 'playful' Vizla had been muzzled I would not have recieved a painful bite, nor had an unpleasant confrontational conversation with its owner.

Compulsory muzzling (which is successfully in force in Scandinavia) would cut injuries and deaths at a stroke, and derelict owners would be clearly visible.

My dogs are 100%, but if it would save a life at the paws of an unsafe dog i would muzzle them tomorrow.

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Many serious injuries caused by dogs involving children each year happen within the owner's home or that of a family friend or relative. Compulsory muzzling in public would not prevent this. I also personally know of a registered. tattooed and neutered Pitbull Terrier who is currently awaiting euthanasia. It's owner chose to remove it's compulsory muzzle in order to set it on the dog of an innocent dog walker and her dog. I am afraid that imposing rules and regulations that impact on thousands of responsible dog owners will not prevent many of the dog related issues that we currently see. Two people were bitten in this Pitbull incident, a dog required extensive surgery and the Pitbull is going to die - so much for that bit of legislation :roll:

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