LolaLayla Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I am on to have a rant! Lara is now 5 months old and really enjoying our beach walks. When we got her at first I was not sure if I would ever feel confident enough to let her off her lead. However following advice here and from her obedience class I now let her off. This only happens away from roads etc as she is only a pup. I would not let her off near people or other dogs if I thought I would be unable to call her back. In the last week she has been really much better on recall and we can walk places with people/dogs in view and even if she starts to go towards them will come back as she knows I have a treat for her. We are lucky here and have a choice of woodland or beach walks. The beach is great as I can throw her ball and she really sticks close by. However on two occasions she has been chased and knocked over by larger dogs who will not return to their owner. Today I saw a lady with a spaniel further ahead and I made sure Lara was paying attention to me. For some reason the lady decided to double back and Lara spotted the dog. She started to go about 10' away but I called and she came straight back however the spaniel raced over from about 50' away and started to circle me as Lara was running round me away from it. Lara then ran away and was pinned to the ground by the other dog and yelped. The owner was calling but the dog wasn't bothered and she did not even apologise for what happened just walking on ahead again. I am so angry!!!! I do not pick Lara up when other dogs are around as I don't want her to be a snappy little dog, however would do if a huge dog appeared. I wondered if I should have though in this instance with a medium sized dog or if I should have grabbed the other dogs collar? Our walk was ruined by this person and I just hope Lara won't become frightened of other dogs as this has now happened to her twice in a week What would other dog walker have done in this situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 It's not easy if your dog is behaving, I have shouted to the other owner to come and getting their dog quickly. Sometimes a distraction works like throwing a treat near to the aggressor (giving you enough to sort your dog out). Mine all sit and wait off lead ignoring the dog until the dog/s have passed then they get a treat for being good and calm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 How annoying for you. I tend to keep both of mine on the lead when other dogs are near as they are both very fast and while Ruby will come back to me, Cyrus can be a bit deaf when he wants to I certainly wouldn't let them off around a puppy which is being trained. I agree with you not picking Lara up as that just turns it into a game for the other dog. I'd have hollered for the owner to collect it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 I think the idea of throwing the treat for the dog to get may be an idea and then I could lift her up. As I said I don't really want to do that because if the other dog was behaving Lara would be staying near me and staying on the ground. I think what really annoyed me most was the fact the owner did not apologise particularly as her dog obviously hurt Lara. If that had been a child it could have been hurt by being bowled over Also that fact that she started walking towards me on a huge, virtually deserted beach when she obviously had little control over her dog was so stupid. She was too far away to sort things out apart from trying to call for her dog. Infact she did not even attempt to come to retrieve it. Once it had got Lara on the ground it ran back to the owner and they walked on. I felt like saying something but knowing my luck I would probably end up meeting the owner is some social setting next day! I am careful with certain dogs and if I see greyhound or similar off the lead I keep Lara on hers because she may look a bit like a large furry rabbit and they would not be to blame for trying to catch her while she is running and jumping about. I thought a spaniel would be ok but I was wrong. The other dog that bowled her over was a retriever whose collar I did grab! Perhaps you can tell I am still angry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 You are right about the beach - it does annoy me when i am on a deserted beach or in an empty field and people walk towards me with their dogs..... there's the rest of the field/beach out there I usually muzzle mine when they are running on a beach, partly to stop them eating rubbish that's been washed in and also to avoid any accusations of them hurting another dog which involves itself. I also muzzle them when they are playing with other hounds as they can all get very boisterous when together; it's more a precaution than necessity. People are used to seeing hounds muzzled and it's never been an issue, the dogs wear them when racing, so are used to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I'm not surprised you're cross . It's shocking how badly some dog owners behave - no wonder their dogs are awful, if they themselves can't behave properly . I hope Lara is OK, poor little thing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Nothing wrong with grabbing the other dog's collar and hollering at the owner to come and get their dog back, or shooing the dog away. You have every right to be able to walk your dog without being jumped all over by other dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Just be careful with grabbing dogs you don't know, even if they are not known to bite humans they can transfer aggression without knowing what they are doing. If they are attacking your dog grab the attacking dog by the back legs and pull they away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Has anyone else seen the Yellow Dog project? I must admit that I didn't know about it until recently so it's obviously not well advertised it's all about fearful dogs or ones which their owner doesn't want bothered wearing yellow - a t shirt or ribbon on the lead. A good idea but not unless everyone knows about it. Cyrus is quite fearful on a lead still and I had to steer a dog away from him this morning whilst I distracted him with a treat. Ruby came over to be Lurcher Police and warned it off for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 That Yellow Dog Project thing sounds great... I wish vets advertised it, many people would then be aware... I'd walk around carrying a huge yellow flag!!! We had so many issues in Charlie's first year (he's now 3), with dogs, all off leash, running up to him, then starting to growl and snarl and snap at him... twice, he was properly attacked by a black labrador, which left him in deep fair of black dogs for a long, long time... he is much better now, but still nervous of any dog, especially black ones, that don't appear immediately playful or friendly. Nothing frightens him more than a dog that comes towards us, well ahead of the owner, and then stands strongly on the path, staring intently, then suddenly beelines for us and starts barking and growling... and boy does that happen a lot!!!! Thankfully we've met some friendly dogs in the last year or so, and Charlie was able to run around the fields playing with a couple of dogs, which made him realise not every dog is going to try to rip him apart... This being said, he is still a nervous dog, and I try to let other dog walkers know this by changing direction slightly when seeing other dogs come towards us who don't appear relaxed and playful, and giving the owners a 'look', so Charlie doesn't have to face the dogs, and I chat to him while walking so he doesn't have to feel he has to walk towards the dogs that worry him, but never, ever, has an owner tried to call their dog back... even if barking or growling starts, they just go on chatting on the phone, or even walk slowly away, leaving me to deal with the situation... It drives me mad, as there are a lot of people round here who have dogs and do not care what their dogs do (that includes fouling the paths in the park...) yet when confronted act all offended and seem to suggest I shouldn't be there with my dog, or should let my dog run free where I don't feel I should, just so it can run away when their dog comes to bother it... I've had to involve the dog warden on one occasion, who reminded the other woman that each owner is supposed to be in control of their dog, so if one is on leash and the other one isn't, and the one who isn't runs up and attacks, it's automatically the wrong of the off leash dog owner... I think the truth is, few people can fully control their dog, or have perfect recall... Even the ones who call their dog back, the dog doesn't instantly run back to the owner, it stays to cause trouble for a while, then goes back, and those owners fool themselves they have good recall... I understand the issue, Charlie's recall is not inexistent, but with the right distractions, he will choose to totally ignore me for a couple of minutes too, which is why I keep him on leash unless I am in fields where I can see what's around us... My OH's point is always 'let him off leash, we won't lose him, he'll come to find us', and my point is 'yeah, sure, but what will he get up to between being let off, and coming back to find us?' Sorry about the long rant, this is something that has been getting to me for long... Back to LolaLayla's issue... one thing the dog warden advised me to do, was to never touch the other dog, but carry lemon juice around (the kind you can buy from supermarkets, in a lemon plastic shape) and have it ready when a dog approaches, and if it looks as if things might turn sour (forget the pun!!), squirt the other dog, as it won't harm it but it won't like it and will run away... that or carry one of those noise pet correctors that are pressure-activated, and make that big noise like an angry goose on a murder intent... apparently those work well too to startle a dog with unfriendly intent, and focus the dog on you and wanting to get away from you, rather than on your dog... I've not had to try either of these as I've taken to walk Charlie either in deserted fields, or in town where other dogs are on leash, but I'd like to start taking him back to parks and so on, so might go shopping for lemon and what I call 'crazy goose' horn... Good luck, And here's to hoping this yellow ribbon thing catches up!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I agree about being careful about grabbing unknown dogs; an acquaintance was bitten by a dog when he tried this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I would be very angry too. Too many owners don't train their dogs and then just let them off the lead and don't seem to care what they get up to. We let our labrador off the lead when we are in the park or a field, but our shih tzu we keep on the lead as she hasn't learned recall properly yet. Also if I saw a big dog approach our shih tzu I have to say I would pick her up! Our local farm shop has a great dane and our little shih tzu is fine with him, so it's all about how a dog is trained. We have a friend who has a little cockerpoo and he was nearly killed by a pair of greyhounds who used him to play a game of tug of war. Some people really shouldn't be allowed to own dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 My dog is small and I've found that the dogs that seem to be mean to him more often are the small, jack russell terriers. He gets on just fine playing with great danes but I think I read somewhere that very large dogs often have more laid back personalities. I suppose I've been lucky so far not to meet a large dog who is aggressive as they would obviously do more damage. It really annoys me when people let aggressive dogs off the lead at our local park knowing that it is always full of dogs What makes it even worse is when they say 'oh he loves to play' as their dog is chasing my dog trying to bite him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I heard about the Yellow Ribbon thing only the other day - I agree it is a good idea but not enough people have heard of it. I know people have had vests made up for their dogs with 'Please give me space' or similar in large letters on it but the yellow ribbon idea is definitely much simpler! Okay - duff advice about grabbing the other dog, but agree with the Pet Corrector suggestion (crazy goose horn, love it ). It's easy to slip in your pocket and definitely does make dogs stop in their tracks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I guess you could also use a personal alarm, that'd stop it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 ANH - Lara seems fine thanks. I think she got a fright rather than was bitten. Interesting to read all the comments. Ziggy - I love the lemon idea and will certainly buy one. The only problem I can see with making a noise is that probably Lara would be frightened too. DM- A yellow ribbon would be a good idea and hopefully this idea will catch on. It is quite hard to judge which dogs are ok to approach when on the lead. Lara is too old for the puppy socialisation class now and only sees a few dogs at her obedience class so it is nice if she can have a 'chat' with some other friendly dogs. LBB- I will try to remember the leg pulling tip if things get really bad anytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Going to rant, but before I do I'll say thanks for the link to the info on the Yellow Dog project - it came in handy just now, though for the wrong reasons. Walking my two dogs on their leads in the country park, a woman coming the other way saw me and my dad coming and let her two dogs off their leads. She proceeded to walk along the path towards me, leaving her two so far behind we came between them and her. The chihuahua went past us without incident, the poodle snapped and snarled at my two dogs and then snapped and snarled at my dad, and refused to go away. I went back with our dogs to see it off and only when my dad eventually threw gravel at it did its owner show any interest. "It's got a special collar on" she yelled from a substantial distance "It shows it's nervous". Armed with the necessary information from here and trying to stay rational and not just throw the snappy-yappy into the lake (and her poodle with her ), I pointed out that the ribbon should be yellow (it was a small red bow) and should be on the dog's lead where it can be seen, and the dog should be on the lead too. You cannot expect people to give it extra space when it's chasing them. Don't think the owner was expecting an informed response, as she stomped off still shouting, with the poodle still running loose, I came home with our dogs, and my dad's stomped off back to the park to report the incident to the park warden. Rant done and thanks again for the info. It may not have improved the situation, but I felt a lot more confident having the knowledge. Hope my dad doesn't run into them again at the park - poodle might be learning to swim (after it's learned to fly) ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 How annoying for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Much better today when we walked round and met pleasant folks with well-behaved dogs on leads I avoid confrontation and I'm not usually much good in a shouting match, but being armed with the right info from my fellow Omleteers certainly helped give me confidence. My dad found the warden and it's not the first complaint he's had - apparently the poodle attacked a small dog and the dog's owner about a week ago, and the poodle owner told them it was their fault because their dog had provoked it I'm starting to feel sorry for the poodle ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 I know how you feel, there's a woman who walks her dogs in the park, she has two tiny Chihuahuas on extending leads. I have never seen such tiny balls of fury in my life!They hurl themselves, screaming at any other dog they see, no matter how far away it is..... makes walking there a tad stressfull Anyone else see Alan Titchmarsh tear Cesar Millan apart? I was cheering when I watched the recording Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Anyone else see Alan Titchmarsh tear Cesar Millan apart? I was cheering when I watched the recording I saw that too. Some people have said it was too harsh but I'm glad he asked the questions he did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Anyone else see Alan Titchmarsh tear Cesar Millan apart? I was cheering when I watched the recording Yes, I thought AT did a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
