too frightened to walk my dog again

gucciali

I was never afraid of dogs but recently I have developed a fear of them .
I got a westie (female ) and was walking her one morning when I turned around and there must have been 4 or 5 dogs standing there two of which were bearing there teeth I just froze to the spot , then picked my dog up and walked away all the time in a sweat , as i turned the corner to my estate a dog jumped out from over the wall at me and was very aggressive so again I picked my dog up and headed for home .

Also there is a nice little small park where I live where a lot of people walk there dogs but unfortunately these dogs are very large and don't have muzzles on or even leads I find it too frightening to go any where near them . one time while walking by myself I was going in the gate of the park while a lad was coming out with a large dog , he stood waiting for me to pass him but I froze as this dog was huge , no lead no muzzle and I was to pass him with two small babies in a buggy , when I asked him to kindly put on the lead so I could pass he looked at me like I had ten heads , these are mostly the reasons I'm afraid to go walking by myself or even walk my dog anymore ,anyone else feel like this ? also what are your opinions ? thanks

Cherry Blossom

Edited

<This is my opinion of what happened>

OK, I'm going to put this as simply as I can, your dog was in heat! You cannot take a dog in heat out in public near male dogs unless you wish to risk your life, by picking her up you put yourself in a lot of danger. You need to confine your dog to the house for the next 3 weeks, this is assuming that she isn't already pregnant as you suspect.

scudzilla

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

OK, I'm going to put this as simply as I can, your dog was in heat! You cannot take a dog in heat out in public near male dogs unless you wish to risk your life, by picking her up you put yourself in a lot of danger. You need to confine your dog to the house for the next 3 weeks, this is assuming that she isn't already pregnant as you suspect.

How do you know that the OP's dog was on heat? And how do you know the OP suspect's it's pregnant?

lrushe

I'm sorry to hear about you recent experiences. Do you drive? Maybe you could drive you're dog to a park which strictly enforces their on leash rules, Marley Park springs to mind. At least you'll be sure of no off leash dogs worrying you.

Whispered

scudzilla wrote: »

How do you know that the OP's dog was on heat? And how do you know the OP suspect's it's pregnant?

OP has another thread about how her westie accidently got pregnant by her friends yorkie. Apparently she's having "workies".

coolhandspan

you seem to have confidence problems yourself. please give more information about your own dog.
this is not a huge problem, it is more to do with you getting more confidence in yourself than dog, dog will be ok 99 per cent of time. even in a dog fight, dogs rarely get injured. just take a deep breath and get some professional advice

andreac

gucciali wrote: »

I was never afraid of dogs but recently I have developed a fear of them .
I got a westie (female ) and was walking her one morning when I turned around and there must have been 4 or 5 dogs standing there two of which were bearing there teeth I just froze to the spot , then picked my dog up and walked away all the time in a sweat , as i turned the corner to my estate a dog jumped out from over the wall at me and was very aggressive so again I picked my dog up and headed for home .

Also there is a nice little small park where I live where a lot of people walk there dogs but unfortunately these dogs are very large and don't have muzzles on or even leads I find it too frightening to go any where near them . one time while walking by myself I was going in the gate of the park while a lad was coming out with a large dog , he stood waiting for me to pass him but I froze as this dog was huge , no lead no muzzle and I was to pass him with two small babies in a buggy , when I asked him to kindly put on the lead so I could pass he looked at me like I had ten heads , these are mostly the reasons I'm afraid to go walking by myself or even walk my dog anymore ,anyone else feel like this ? also what are your opinions ? thanks

I dont see the problem?? Just because a dog is large doesnt mean it has to wear a muzzle. The only dogs that are required to wear muzzles are the ones on the restricted breeds one.
By law dogs dont have to be on a lead so its totally in the owners right to have the dog off lead.
Doesnt sound like that dog in the park with the man was doing any harm whatsoever so really dont know why you had a problem with him. He sounded very well behaved actually.
What was your problem with him anyway? The dog didnt go near you, he stood waiting for you to pass. Do you expect everyone not to walk their dogs because you are afraid of them??

The other instances are obviously down to you walking your bitch when she was in heat in public which is a very irresponsible thing to do.

gucciali

andreac wrote: »

I dont see the problem?? Just because a dog is large doesnt mean it has to wear a muzzle. The only dogs that are required to wear muzzles are the ones on the restricted breeds one.
By law dogs dont have to be on a lead so its totally in the owners right to have the dog off lead.
Doesnt sound like that dog in the park with the man was doing any harm whatsoever so really dont know why you had a problem with him. He sounded very well behaved actually.
What was your problem with him anyway? The dog didnt go near you, he stood waiting for you to pass. Do you expect everyone not to walk their dogs because you are afraid of them??

The other instances are obviously down to you walking your bitch when she was in heat in public which is a very irresponsible thing to do.

these large dogs i am talking about are the restricted breeds . I didnt want to say as I know these dogs are getting a lot of bad press at the moment and its not fair to say they are all the same .

gucciali

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

OK, I'm going to put this as simply as I can, your dog was in heat! You cannot take a dog in heat out in public near male dogs unless you wish to risk your life, by picking her up you put yourself in a lot of danger. You need to confine your dog to the house for the next 3 weeks, this is assuming that she isn't already pregnant as you suspect.

adrenalinejunkie this was actually quite a while ago maybe a year ago my OH walks my dog now instead , how do you know she was in heat ? would the dogs not have acted like this if she wasn't

andreac

What breeds were they? If you have a problem with un muzzled dogs then call the dog warden.

But it doesnt sound like these dogs have done anything wrong, bar not complying with a stupid law which is the owners responsibility not the dogs.

I could understand if something actually happened, like your dog was attacked or the dog attacked you, but these dogs dont actually seemed to have done anything to you.

If you have a fear of big dogs then that is not really anybody elses problem and everyone is entitled to walk their dogs in public.

You say this was a year ago, then your bitch probably was in heat then, they come into heat every 6 months.

You wouldnt get so much attention from wandering dogs unless your bitch was in heat.

Cherry Blossom

gucciali wrote: »

adrenalinejunkie this was actually quite a while ago maybe a year ago my OH walks my dog now instead , how do you know she was in heat ? would the dogs not have acted like this if she wasn't

That's generally what happens when a bitch is in heat, every male dog in smelling distance will be after her. Any owner of a non-spayed bitch is responsible for keeping an eye on her heat cycles and keeping her confined when she is in heat. The agressiveness of the dogs will have been toward each other in a bid to decide who would get to her and probably towards you for trying to keep her from them.

gucciali

andreac wrote: »

What breeds were they? If you have a problem with un muzzled dogs then call the dog warden.

But it doesnt sound like these dogs have done anything wrong, bar not complying with a stupid law which is the owners responsibility not the dogs.

I could understand if something actually happened, like your dog was attacked or the dog attacked you, but these dogs dont actually seemed to have done anything to you.

If you have a fear of big dogs then that is not really anybody elses problem and everyone is entitled to walk their dogs in public.

You say this was a year ago, then your bitch probably was in heat then, they come into heat every 6 months

You wouldnt get so much attention from wandering dogs unless your bitch was in heat.

these dogs would be pitbulls and alsations , fair point though , maybe it is just a fear I have .

gucciali

lrushe wrote: »

I'm sorry to hear about you recent experiences. Do you drive? Maybe you could drive you're dog to a park which strictly enforces their on leash rules, Marley Park springs to mind. At least you'll be sure of no off leash dogs worrying you.

Thanks Irushe, will do that

pitbull_fanatic

never pick up a dog!!!!! most dangerous thing you can do. by doing so u look afraid and you make your dog look afraid. your dog wasnt afraid of the dog just because he was big. next time you walk your dog past another dog dont even look at the other dog. def do not make eye contact. stand up straight and walk right past him keeping your leash loose. just imagine what you want to happen. as another poster pointed out...be confident. dogs sense fear and it drives them mad. remember you are in charge. and never freeze!!! keep walking. most of the biggest dogs you'l meet are the most gentle animals on this earth.

Cherry Blossom

Edited

gucciali wrote: »

these dogs would be pitbulls and alsations , fair point though , maybe it is just a fear I have .

<In my opinion>
Personally I'd be a lot more wary of a strange Westie than any 'pitbull' or 'alasations'

There are very few true pitbulls in this country, maybe a handful (as far as I know) and any german shepards I know are the friendliest dogs.

Fuzzy Clam

gucciali wrote: »

these large dogs i am talking about are the restricted breeds . I didnt want to say as I know these dogs are getting a lot of bad press at the moment and its not fair to say they are all the same .

How do you know these are all restricted breeds? Did you stand there identifying each breed? If you are going to start a thread, be honest please.
Picking the dog up can possibly make things worse. Let the dogs sniff each other and move on. I have 2 large dogs. One (male) is a horny guy but will leave the bitch alone after a few minutes.

pitbull_fanatic

gucciali wrote: »

these dogs would be pitbulls and alsations , fair point though , maybe it is just a fear I have .

i dont think you should brand a dog by breed. its just plain ignorant. its comment like these that we try to prevent by fighting bsl laws. i have a pitbull myself, my buddies have rottweillers and alsations and we take them all to a field to run and swim. never any trouble with other dogs in the area. my pitbull got attacked about 7 times in the last year. by jack russels and bichon frieses. pitbulls are one of the most loving dogs i have ever met. i'v met lots of pitbulls and their owners and i honestly have never met an agressive or dangerous pitbull. once you meet one you will fall in love with the breed. garanteed. (bad spelling!) a breed is only an outfit a dog wears.

gucciali

pitbull_fanatic wrote: »

i dont think you should brand a dog by breed. its just plain ignorant. its comment like these that we try to prevent by fighting bsl laws. i have a pitbull myself, my buddies have rottweillers and alsations and we take them all to a field to run and swim. never any trouble with other dogs in the area. my pitbull got attacked about 7 times in the last year. by jack russels and bichon frieses. pitbulls are one of the most loving dogs i have ever met. i'v met lots of pitbulls and their owners and i honestly have never met an agressive or dangerous pitbull. once you meet one you will fall in love with the breed. garanteed. (bad spelling!) a breed is only an outfit a dog wears.

hi pitbull fanatic , if you read through my posts I originally said "large breeeds" as I didn't want to brand any dog , but when I was asked I named them , yes honestly I may not know the correct name of the dog , (call me ignorant if you wish ) I really did not want to go into this as it is another topic altogether and as I said I am aware that all dogs are not the same , I understand its never a bad dog it's the owner ,and seeing your username you clearly love pitbulls and I dont want to cause any offence.

pitbull_fanatic

gucciali wrote: »

hi pitbull fanatic , if you read through my posts I originally said "large breeeds" as I didn't want to brand any dog , but when I was asked I named them , yes honestly I may not know the correct name of the dog , (call me ignorant if you wish ) I really did not want to go into this as it is another topic altogether and as I said I am aware that all dogs are not the same , I understand its never a bad dog it's the owner ,and seeing your username you clearly love pitbulls and I dont want to cause any offence.

none taken

Bullseye1

Sorry to read about your experience but if your dog is in heat then it's best to avoid a situation which could be potentially dangerous to you and your dog. If you are not breeding her would you not consider having her spayed.

With regards to the comment about large dogs off lead and your confirmation that some of them were on the restricted list, I really cannot understand how some people become so defensive. If the dog is restricted then it has to be muzzled and on a lead in public places at all times. End of story. And this is coming from someone who owns a restricted breed.

Time for these irresponsible owners to cop on and stop giving the rest of us owners of restricted breeds a bad name.

gucciali

Bullseye1 wrote: »

Sorry to read about your experience but if your dog is in heat then it's best to avoid a situation which could be potentially dangerous to you and your dog. If you are not breeding her would you not consider having her spayed.

With regards to the comment about large dogs off lead and your confirmation that some of them were on the restricted list, I really cannot understand how some people become so defensive. If the dog is restricted then it has to be muzzled and on a lead in public places at all times. Endof story. And this is coming from someone who owns a restricted breed.

Time for these irresponsible owners to cop on and stop givg the rest of us owners of restricted breeds a bad name.

Thank you Bullseye. nice to hear from someone that actually knows about these things.

Robin132

andreac wrote: »

What breeds were they? If you have a problem with un muzzled dogs then call the dog warden.

But it doesnt sound like these dogs have done anything wrong, bar not complying with a stupid law which is the owners responsibility not the dogs.

I could understand if something actually happened, like your dog was attacked or the dog attacked you, but these dogs dont actually seemed to have done anything to you.

If you have a fear of big dogs then that is not really anybody elses problem and everyone is entitled to walk their dogs in public.

You say this was a year ago, then your bitch probably was in heat then, they come into heat every 6 months.

You wouldnt get so much attention from wandering dogs unless your bitch was in heat.

A bitch does not need to be in heat to get attention from other dogs, i walk a bitch who is spayed on a regular basis and still get a lot of attention to similar to this from dogs in the area and she definitely is not in heat! Why do ye all automatically assume the owner was being irresponsible :rolleyes:

OP - some people do have issues with bigger dogs but most are harmless, an old dog of ours used to show his teeth... beleive it or not he was smiling (well we liked to think so!) but he would never harm a soul, it wasn't meant in an aggresive manner. All you can do is as some people have said just walk tall and keep going, they wont come near you especially if you're on your own (ie without your dog!) and as you get used to them without your dog you'll be better able to deal with them when you do walk your dog.

boxerly

I walk 2 huge GSDs 3 times a week for someone.I NEVER EVER let them off their leads,they are both muzzled at all times and the biggest fella also wears a halti.They are massive but big babies and nearly knock me over with affection when I call,but yet I still get dirty looks off people,people cross the road wih their small dogs who are going ballistic and the 2 I have are just enjoying their walk:)Restricted breeds should be on a lead and mzzled at all times in public but it doesnt mean they are dangerous.Never ever walk a female in heat its just mad.I have 2 boxers (big ole lovable egits:) ) but some peeps think they should be muzzled because they are big?Ive been around dogs all my life and had my first dog bite a few weeks ago:( I fostered and minded all breeds,shapes and sizes.The dog who bit me was a bichon and I still have the scare,had to get a tetanus and all.SO big doesnt always mean dangerous just as small fluffy and cute doesnt mean sweet

Bullseye1

boxerly wrote: »

I walk 2 huge GSDs 3 times a week for someone.I NEVER EVER let them off their leads,they are both muzzled at all times and the biggest fella also wears a halti.They are massive but big babies and nearly knock me over with affection when I call,but yet I still get dirty looks off people,people cross the road wih their small dogs who are going ballistic and the 2 I have are just enjoying their walk:)Restricted breeds should be on a lead and mzzled at all times in public but it doesnt mean they are dangerous.Never ever walk a female in heat its just mad.I have 2 boxers (big ole lovable egits:) ) but some peeps think they should be muzzled because they are big?Ive been around dogs all my life and had my first dog bite a few weeks ago:( I fostered and minded all breeds,shapes and sizes.The dog who bit me was a bichon and I still have the scare,had to get a tetanus and all.SO big doesnt always mean dangerous just as small fluffy and cute doesnt mean sweet

Excellent post.

Bullseye1

Muzzles are there for the protection of the public, the handler and the dog in question. For some reason people react to it in a negative manner yet if the same dog was not muzzled it might get no reaction yet it may be a Restricted breed. I recall bringing my dog into the Vet and he was curious as to why he was muzzled. I had to tell him it was the law.

pitbull_fanatic

when i walk my dogs on the road i have a muzzle on them. i do it but i dont agree with it. muzzles should be there for aggressive dogs. a responsible owner should know if their dog needs it or not. its not fair to have my dog muzzled walking down the street n have him attacked by an unmuzzled dog. a blind eye will be turned because the attacker is unrestricted. stupid. dogs are still under control on a 2 foot lead. i have noticed the difference a muzzle makes to the public. if i dont have a muzzle on them some people turn back or cross the road, but if i do have a muzzle on then EVERYBODY crosses the road and people stare out their car windows. especially if i'm pushing a buggy wit a dog either side of me. i think this list should be reconsidered as there are quite a few dogs on the list that shouldnt and visa versa.

pokertalk

pitbull_fanatic wrote: »

when i walk my dogs on the road i have a muzzle on them. i do it but i dont agree with it. muzzles should be there for aggressive dogs. a responsible owner should know if their dog needs it or not. its not fair to have my dog muzzled walking down the street n have him attacked by an unmuzzled dog. a blind eye will be turned because the attacker is unrestricted. stupid. dogs are still under control on a 2 foot lead. i have noticed the difference a muzzle makes to the public. if i dont have a muzzle on them some people turn back or cross the road, but if i do have a muzzle on then EVERYBODY crosses the road and people stare out their car windows. especially if i'm pushing a buggy wit a dog either side of me. i think this list should be reconsidered as there are quite a few dogs on the list that shouldnt and visa versa.

tbh dont think any dog should be on the restricted
maybe a restricted owners list would be better:D

hadook

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Edited
<In my opinion>
Personally I'd be a lot more wary of a strange Westie than any 'pitbull' or 'alasations'

Me too. My 14 stone Great Dane had to have several stitches a couple of years ago after a Westie attacked her. MooDog is quite submissive and rolled on her back giving the little white terror her entire belly to chew. And chew he did :rolleyes:

OP, if you have a fear of big dogs interacting with your smaller dog then I'd suggest going to a dog friendly park and seeing if you can find a small-dog-friendly large breed to let yours play with. Most large breed owners will happily tell you if their dog gets on with small breeds. There's nothing like seeing a midget terrier boss something 5 times it's size to put things into perspective And as a large breed owner I'd be fairly certain that your terrier will come out on top of any friendly dog play.

Jennyfer

Shouldnt all dogs be on a lead in public places anyhow? This used to be a big problem for me with my last dog, always kept him on the lead because he was a hyperactive 29 kilo boxer who hated other dogs with a passion and it used to get very messy with other dogs off THEIR leads running up to him. My OH actually has a scar across his hand from where the lead cut down into it trying to pull him off another dog who ran up and then just wouldnt leave it be. So while people can say their own dog is fine off lead and not a danger, that may be true, but they can still contribute to tricky situations such as the one I mentioned above.

phasers

Sorry to hear about that OP, my Mam used to walk our dog all the time until he was attacked by a rogue pitbull. She was petrified after that and refused to walk him for a long time.

She really missed it so I eventually persuaded her to come to a dog park. Everyone is on leads and it's extremely safe. I think it would be a good idea, especially to rebuild your confidence while walking her. Dogs pick up on your tension and feel tense too.

I would also echo everyone else RE: bitches in heat, it is completely unacceptable to bring a female out when in heat, it puts everyone in danger. Be careful!

pokertalk

Jennyfer wrote: »

Shouldnt all dogs be on a lead in public places anyhow? This used to be a big problem for me with my last dog, always kept him on the lead because he was a hyperactive 29 kilo boxer who hated other dogs with a passion and it used to get very messy with other dogs off THEIR leads running up to him. My OH actually has a scar across his hand from where the lead cut down into it trying to pull him off another dog who ran up and then just wouldnt leave it be. So while people can say their own dog is fine off lead and not a danger, that may be true, but they can still contribute to tricky situations such as the one I mentioned above.

there is no rule/law stating that your dog must be on a lead in a public place unless the dog is on the RB.really the dog should be on the lead if it does not respond well to recall or the owner has just not bothered to train it .but any good dog owner will have there dog on a lead in this case because somevpeople may think "sure my dog is harmless so y put him/her on a lead" and that may be the case but another dog on a lead that does not get on well with other dogs in the same area as the loose one is asking for truble as the loose dog may have no recall. long story short;) no or little training= leash .well trained and responds to recall=optional
and there would be no problems

kaiser sauze

pokertalk wrote: »

there is no rule/law stating that your dog must be on a lead in a public place unless the dog is on the RB.really the dog should be on the lead if it does not respond well to recall or the owner has just not bothered to train it .but any good dog owner will have there dog on a lead in this case because somevpeople may think "sure my dog is harmless so y put him/her on a lead" and that may be the case but another dog on a lead that does not get on well with other dogs in the same area as the loose one is asking for truble as the loose dog may have no recall. long story short;) no or little training= leash .well trained and responds to recall=optional
and there would be no problems

+1

I walk my corgi everywhere, including across roads/crossroads/pedestrian crossings, with no lead. I carry a lead for when I am going INSIDE (:D) somewhere with her.

The rule is that the dog must be under the owner's control at all times, leads are not even mentioned.

ppink

OP I was just wondering if there was any dog training/behaviour place near you that you could go to to get some advice on dealing with these loose dogs. From reading it appears to be a fear you have and it is a hard one to overcome by yourself.
If you went to a training class where you would be exposed to all different sizes of dogs and get to meet some of them and get some tips on how to behave when you meet them loose. Unfortunately people do not always keep their dogs on a lead and muzzled so it may need you to take yourself to a more confident place to be able to deal with it?

gucciali

ppink wrote: »

OP I was just wondering if there was any dog training/behaviour place near you that you could go to to get some advice on dealing with these loose dogs. From reading it appears to be a fear you have and it is a hard one to overcome by yourself.
If you went to a training class where you would be exposed to all different sizes of dogs and get to meet some of them and get some tips on how to behave when you meet them loose. Unfortunately people do not always keep their dogs on a lead and muzzled so it may need you to take yourself to a more confident place to be able to deal with it?

Thanks for all your reply's guys:) ppink -yes the more I read of the replies I have come to realise it's actually something I might fear rather than fear other dogs go near my dog . I think it is actually MY fear and something I need to get over for myself . Another suggestion was to take my dog to Marley park where they have a rule for leashes so I will do this first to build up confidence again .thanks guys .

edit: great advice ppink thanks.

boxerly

Maybe you could even meet up with some peeps who have dogs that are great off lead and who ignore other dogs so you will get some confidence xx