Is my dog driving people nuts?

Mrs. Delany

I walk my dog off lead every day on a beach/wild area that's very popular for dog walking. She's a mid-sized terrier mix, about 10 kg. My issue is that she's very friendly and has to say hello to every dog and dog walker on the beach, including jumping on other dog walkers occasionally (mainly people who have given her treats at some time). She'll play with lively dogs and move on if the dogs aren't interested. Most people seem ok with it, just pet her etc. She always comes back to me but can spend a minute or so with the other dogs/dog walkers. Would you be ok with this behaviour or is it secretly driving people nuts? Answers only please from people who walk dogs in busy dog walking areas. Thanks. (ps she's 8 months old, high energy, and I do a reasonable bit of obedience training with her, not all of it sinking in yet though)

westies4ever

ah sounds like my maggie (ihave two westies)! I dont think most people mind if you're nice about it and the dog is friendly - keep working on the recall. Maggie is 4 now and while she wants to greet everyone, I only let her do it to other dogs/walkers we know. its important for the dog to socialise.

she did it one day (years ago now) to a lady who was very nicely dressed and mucked her trousers and I apologised profusely - she said she didnt mind but I know she was cross. I felt awful for her! The other thing to be wary of is your dog getting into trouble - ie going up to another not so friendly dog and getting a nip!

I tend to let mine off lead in areas where other like minded people are doing the same.

andreac

Im a dog lover and owner but to be honest, i dont like strnage dogs coming up to mine when they are on the lead as they can be a bit funny with strange dogs in their space and my male is an entire rottie so can be a bit temperamental with male dogs.

My female can be a bit sharp with other females too so i wouldnt let mine go up to strange dogs so i wouldnt be too impressed with loose dogs coming up to mine just in case.

If my dogs are on lead which they usually are in a busy place it would really annoy me if loose dogs kept running up to them as its hard enough to walk them without this hassle, just being honest.;)

tk123

I had to walk my dog on lead for 8 weeks after he had surgery and I have to say it could be a pain in the ass when off lead dogs were coming up to him. One muppet dog repeatedly jumped up on him and cost me €170 in xrays when he went lame the next day!! Seriously thinking of bandaging the leg up for walks this time around so people get the message. I find as well a lot of people with smaller dogs think its ok for their dog to approach other people and dogs because they're small. My dog is well socialised and now that he's better I have no problems with him playing but if he's on his lead and eg we're doing some training its a pain. A lot of people have dogs but can be afriad of other dogs so i respect that and make sure my guy leaves them alone. I'd always call him back when other people are approaching so he doesn't bother them.

Mr. Manager

westies4ever wrote: »

I dont think most people mind if you're nice about it and the dog is friendly

Not always a case of the off lead dog being friendly.

I've 2 dogs that are extremely protective of each other and if one kicks off barking/growling the other one joins in.

When walking them they're always on the lead, unless it's at the business park at night, as I don't like it when a dog comes bouncing up to me off the lead. Especially if the owner has no recall control.

Bullseye1

To be honest if you see another dog walker coming towards you and they have their dog on the lead or they stop to put their dog onto a lead I would follow suit. You can always ask them if the dogs can meet.

barbiegirl

Always ask can they approach when on lead, I know hard when they won't always come back. :rolleyes:
My guy is actually quite aggressive on the lead to some other dogs and a complete sweetheart off it. His recall is 95% of the way there and so long as we are playing ball with treats more like 99%.
But when he's on lead it's really not good for strange dogs to approach. As for me so long as their friendly and I'm not dressed up on my way to work etc it's fine. Although I would say that you also never know who's pregnant, ill, has an injury and a dog jumping on them is not ideal.

toadfly

It does annoy me at times mainly because mine will be onlead and will want to go play. Especially when I'm out on my own with lexi, she's always onlead as she's a RB and I feel bad because I know she wants to go with the other dogs! But as long as the dogs coming up to us are friendly it's not a big deal.

I would be afraid of your dog getting a nip from another off lead dog who isn't so friendly.

ppink

used to drive me bananas to be honest. I went ot great lengths to prevent my dogs from bothering anyone and it was very frustrating when other dogs came after us. This could be because one of mine does not like other dogs. however I also know loads of people who walk with no dogs and it really upsets them to have unsolicited approaches from dogs off lead.
If you want her to socialise or play with other dogs then I would ask first.

Ddad

My daughter and niece; both small girls, were knocked over by an overly friendly boxer pup. The dog got to them before I did and they panicked. They were terrified and are now very wary of dogs.

No badness in the dog at all and I knew this at the time. The owner was a numpty who told me he was only a puppy with the two girls on the deck.I was very irate, to say the least. A westie looks big next to my wee one.

I have been and I will be a dog owner again soon. I love dogs. I understand that owners feel the need to allow their dogs freedom but this should never be at the cost of making others uncomfortable.

If your dog is off the lead you should have control. If you don't it shouldn't be off the lead. So yes, your dog is a pain for others but not all others.

Cherry Blossom

Mrs. Delany wrote: »

Would you be ok with this behaviour or is it secretly driving people nuts?

Yes, you are driving people nuts

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=73418276

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=73877679

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=73029780

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=73863045

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056212849

All of these threads are within the last 2 months - that's a lot of people who are at breaking point over dogs that are not kept under control by the person walking them!

aisher

I love to let my own dog off leash but I do stick to the more empty pitches where we will only meet the odd walker. If the place is more crowded I use a flexi leash so I can pull her back if she is getting too friendly or trying to run straight over to other walkers/dogs. She is only a puppy but with this approach I have noticed she is becoming calmer and is faster to respond when called - I think if I just let her off leash all the time she would become a problem to others.

TG1

In my experience most people who can let their dogs off do, so those dogs on leads are on them for a reason.
Mine is let off the lead but if we meet a dog on the lead he is called to heel and will walk past on the opposite side to the on lead dog. He's mostly border collie, so I take very little credit for how good off lead he is, but if he didn't respond to me the way he does I would be wary of letting him off the lead.
I walk mine with someone who has a dog aggressive Yorkshire terrier, and I know if off lead dogs are left to approach her it does annoy her as she usually has to pick hers up to avoid conflict, which enforces the fact that there is an issue in her dogs head.
I would think if she's not coming back as soon as you call her, if you see on lead dogs put her on till you get past them for the moment. And keep working on the obedience, it'll sink in eventually!

kylith

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

Not always a case of the off lead dog being friendly.

I've 2 dogs that are extremely protective of each other and if one kicks off barking/growling the other one joins in.

When walking them they're always on the lead, unless it's at the business park at night, as I don't like it when a dog comes bouncing up to me off the lead. Especially if the owner has no recall control.

This. 1000 times, this.

My dogs are not dog friendly. They do not react well to strange dogs approaching them. I can't count the amount of times I've had some dog coming running over with the owner off somewhere in the distance yelling 'It's ok, he's friendly', then looking at me like I'm awful when my dogs go ballistic.

It's made it impossible for me to teach the worse of mine that other dogs aren't something to be worried about. How is she supposed to learn to relax when, from her point of view, she's being attacked on a daily basis?

Please keep your dog away from other dogs unless you have already talked to the owners and know that it's ok. One day your dog might try to make friends with the wrong dog and wind up in big trouble.

ohmfg

Honestly, yes, both you and your dog are driving (most) people nuts.

I abhor loose dogs coming up to my two. One of mine is ok with strange dogs and one is not so much - at least not when they come hurtling into his face when he is on lead - so he hates when it happens. Being as they are both RB dogs, they are never off lead in public, altho they are never muzzled, so they shouldn't have this inflicted upon them.

I hate with a passion when something like that happens and my
not-so-loose-dog-friendly guy barks or grumbles at the invader and both I and my dogs get "the Look" - other RB owners will know what I mean, the look that says, "See, I Knew It, Savages!":mad:

westies4ever

well arent you all a friendly bunch - put up a list of where you all walk and i'll make sure to avoid you!:P

portgirl123

i am a dog owner and feel it is bad manners to let a dog jump all over other dogs and walkers. whos to say the walker isnt terrified of dogs, maybe the dog ur guy is going to jump all over aint injurted. where i walk my dogs mostly of lead we met the same dogs/walkers and owners most days so they all run and greet each other, but if we happen across a stranger we call our dogs back and put them on leads till they pass. myself i think this is just good manners. i have small and large dogs and this applies to all the dogs. this morning we met a elderly man with a walking stick, dread to think what would happen if my sons gsd jumped up on him.

jamesd

I have an 8.5 Stone Akita and I am also sure people would not like him running loose and jumping - I hate being out for a walk and loose dogs all running up to him and he gets very excited over it as he is always on a lead, his re-call is useless and with his size he scares people if he was loose.
I think if there are other dogs around then people should put their dog onto a lead as you dont know hoe the other dog or person will react.

evilmonkee

Personally if my dog and another dog are both off lead I do not have a problem with them meeting but I will always call him to me and shout to the owner asking if it is ok for them to meet.

When I see an on lead dog I will recall my guy and either put him on lead or make him heel beside me. If my guy is on lead I do not appreciate off lead dogs running up to him, regardless of the fact he is super friendly.

I don't like on lead dogs being approached by off lead dogs as I have seen it get nasty and I feel that its better to completely avoid a situation where that may happen even if the dogs have previously met.

**Vai**

If you have a big dog you keep it on leash for peoples safety. If you have a small dog you keep it on leash for its own safety. Thats not me being a RB racist, just common sense. People with dogs off leash have been nothing but a hassle in my experience. The on lead dog can be seen as being weak because its being controlled by a human and that can lead to serious trouble. My GSD likes to try control dogs that she sees as being out of control, ie walking in front of their human, zig zagging all over the road. Can be quite difficult to get her to give it up. Obviously some people have dogs with perfect recall, in that case, let them off leash all you want but lets be honest 99% of dogs do not have perfect recall.

tk123

westies4ever wrote: »

well arent you all a friendly bunch - put up a list of where you all walk and i'll make sure to avoid you!:P

It's nothing to do with (un)friendliness it's about respecting an owners decision on whether THEY want their dog to meet yours or if they want to pet them etc.

We walk in a few places but mostly in a park where the dogs are allowed off lead at certain times and get to play with each other. During on lead times there's an area where dog owners meet and let their dogs off to play if nobody is up there eg playing ball, having a picnic etc (i always want to shout and tell them to get off the grass its dirty cos the dogs poo there!! lol:pac:).
When somebody is walking by with an on lead dog everyone calls their dogs back in to us so they don't bother people walking by.
If an offlead dog wants to come and join the gang they're more than welcome to join the fun.
The only time I've seen fights break out between dogs in my park is when an owner is too lax with their dog - he's only playing, he's only trying to be dominant, he's only marking your leg and belongings :mad: :mad: etc etc. When the owners are repectful of other owners the dogs seem to follow the example so there is generally a gang of friendly dogs playing with each other and owners chatting away and no drama - which at the end of the day is what everyone wants!:pac:

westies4ever

tk123 wrote: »

It's nothing to do with (un)friendliness it's about respecting an owners decision on whether THEY want their dog to meet yours or if they want to pet them etc.

We walk in a few places but mostly in a park where the dogs are allowed off lead at certain times and get to play with each other. During on lead times there's an area where dog owners meet and let their dogs off to play if nobody is up there eg playing ball, having a picnic etc (i always want to shout and tell them to get off the grass its dirty cos the dogs poo there!! lol:pac:).
When somebody is walking by with an on lead dog everyone calls their dogs back in to us so they don't bother people walking by.
If an offlead dog wants to come and join the gang they're more than welcome to join the fun.
The only time I've seen fights break out between dogs in my park is when an owner is too lax with their dog - he's only playing, he's only trying to be dominant, he's only marking your leg and belongings :mad: :mad: etc etc. When the owners are repectful of other owners the dogs seem to follow the example so there is generally a gang of friendly dogs playing with each other and owners chatting away and no drama - which at the end of the day is what everyone wants!:pac:

I was only being cheeky - like I said, I only let mine off in areas where I know there are like minded people. If I meet a stranger they go back on the lead - your post makes total sense but some of the posts on here are down right frosty!!

**Vai**

westies4ever wrote: »

I was only being cheeky - like I said, I only let mine off in areas where I know there are like minded people. If I meet a stranger they go back on the lead - your post makes total sense but some of the posts on here are down right frosty!!

Just out of interest, I just noticed you're from Laois too, can I ask where you let yours off leash? I feel bad thinking about letting mine off anywhere not enclosed and child-free just in case, its not such a risk with westies though I suppose!

westies4ever

**Vai** wrote: »

Just out of interest, I just noticed you're from Laois too, can I ask where you let yours off leash? I feel bad thinking about letting mine off anywhere not enclosed and child-free just in case, its not such a risk with westies though I suppose!

corrig hill (portarlington), garryhinch (between portarlington & mountmellick), the curragh plains (kildare), most of the walks up in the slieve blooms.

my female westie is off lead in all these places as her recall is now excellent - i meet the same people/dogs most days. my male westie is still a pup - he only gets off at the curragh as its wide open space and I can see him - his recall is not 100% as yet. They're both non aggressive and friendly. TBH its the dog/owner rather than the breed.

**Vai**

Oh yeah definitely, I agree totally but people dont tend to **** themselves when they see a westie running full pelt toward them. Different story with a GSD.

As I said earlier, if the recall is perfect, fair play, let them have their freedom.

tatabubbly

TG1 wrote: »

In my experience most people who can let their dogs off do, so those dogs on leads are on them for a reason.

That's bull****. I keep my two on leads because I respect fellow dog walkers, cyclists, joggers, walkers and any other person who walks by. My dogs are brilliant with people and rarely give me bother, both puppy and older doggie are brilliant. I would have no problem letting them off lead but as someone who never liked dogs until I got my own, I think it's the height of rudeness, you don't know if the person coming up to you likes dogs, so don't impose your dog on them. You can buy ultra long leashs these days, there's no excuse.

TG1

tatabubbly wrote: »

That's bull****. I keep my two on leads because I respect fellow dog walkers, cyclists, joggers, walkers and any other person who walks by.

I think you misunderstood my post, hence the reaction! I wasn't for a minute suggesting that every dog on a lead was aggressive, I was just suggesting every dog on a lead was on for one reason or another (including the reason you mentioned yourself!) and so as such shouldn't be bothered by an off lead dog.

I only used the dog aggressive terrier as an example as I have personal experience of walking with her!

tatabubbly

TG1 wrote: »

I think you misunderstood my post, hence the reaction! I wasn't for a minute suggesting that every dog on a lead was aggressive, I was just suggesting every dog on a lead was on for one reason or another (including the reason you mentioned yourself!) and so as such shouldn't be bothered by an off lead dog.

I only used the dog aggressive terrier as an example as I have personal experience of walking with her!

I'm sorry but it didn't sound right the first time I read it. I think if you are going to have a dog ensure you have the space and additional running around room for them. Mine have the reign of the house and our backgarden as well as my mums in addition to their walks .

Maybe we should just say "aggressive dog" instead of mentioning breeds as it gives a certain stigma to breeds. I have 2 JRT and I hate people asssuming they are aggressive

Shammy

tk123 wrote: »

When the owners are repectful of other owners the dogs seem to follow the example so there is generally a gang of friendly dogs playing with each other and owners chatting away and no drama - which at the end of the day is what everyone wants!:pac:

+ 1 , Dog socialization , Human socialization and respect .

Dublinstiofán

Personally i wouldn't be so rude as to let my dogs off their leads running around
jumping all over people and 'playing' with other dogs. Its clear to see that my
dogs don't enjoy a walk as much when they are interfered with by several other
dogs. I'd never say anything just smile and walk on but i'm thinking it. If you cant
control your dog to walk beside you and not interfere with others it should be on
a lead in my opinion.

One example of such is when i was walking my two one day and another owner
had her dog off the lead talking to a friend. As i passed her dog seemed a bit
viscous so i stayed as far away as possible. But the dog started circling us. I
continued walking hoping the further i got away the better the chance of it going
back to its owner. Long story short about 10 minutes later queue the idiot owner
trying to run after me to catch her dog having not been minding where it was for
ten minutes. Then giving me an earful for walking so far away with her dog. I
bit my tongue but should have told her to **** off and put her dog on a lead if s
he cant control it or at least keep and eye on the ****ing dog instead of having
long ridiculous conversations about which babywipes are best (they were having
this conversation while i passed)