How to complain about another dog walker

gettingready

Caroline - not sure how it works but I always feel Zara is.. racist

She will ALWAYS be good with other GS, even ones she meets for the first time but with other dogs.. not always so

krlyr

As others have said, I would try to clarify the situation before reporting the owner to the dog warner. As a 16 year finding herself with a dog reactive GSD (with a bunch of behavioural and health issues from bad breeding), I found it gutting to have people shout abuse at me - which they did, from telling me that my dog should be put down to even calling me rude names. All the while, my dog was on-lead, with a headcollar to give me the physical control (she was a very strong girly for one with such bad hip problems!), trying my best to exercise my dog to the regime the vet gave us whilst avoiding other dogs (for our sake and theirs). I couldn't just not take my dog out though!

Now I'm older, I have a bit more confidence to tell people what to do to make everyone's life easier (E.g. can you please recall your dog while we pass as mine are afraid) but with reactive dogs, you can often feel quite hated by the general public!

The situation you faced sounds hard to judge, I doubt it's black and white. I'm not saying you're to blame, but there are so many factors to consider. For example, did his dog run up to yours, did yours run up to him, did they meet in the middle somewhere, maybe yours gave out body language you didn't see, maybe his did, etc.

Maybe his two dogs on-lead are aggressive, maybe they're only on-lead because of recall issues, maybe they're showing barrier frustration because they want to play with other dogs, and so on.

He should not have shouted abuse at you, and I do feel that if he's struggling to control the on-lead dogs then he would become quite stuck if he needed to retrieve the off-lead one, but I would wonder if he perhaps needs someone to give him a break and maybe help out by recalling their dogs to give him some space (on that note, check out the DINOS scheme). Maybe the situation with your dogs was just the straw that broke the camel's back after a nightmare walk?

The Dog Warden may be worth speaking to if you do wish to complain. I have contacted mine about a straying dog (the owners let it have free access out of the garden nearby) and they were good at contacting the owner informally to try to deal with the issue (it took a few attempts but, touch wood, it seems to be sorted now). Otherwise the local police may be interested if you do genuinely think there is a risk of someone getting injured. A dog-dog attack is a civil matter, and something the police won't generally get involved in, but if there's a concern that a human may get bitten they may pop by for a chat if they can identify the owner.

lostinrates

Caroline_a wrote: »

Slightly off-topic, but relevant I feel. Last Saturday I was out walking with my 2 and my friends 2 Shepherds. So 3 Sheps in all, 2 white, one black and tan. Woman walks past with small-ish terrier type. Dogs start trotting towards dog to say hello, to be called back by us. All came back except her younger Shep who has ears that turn on and off at will... Well I say that, he got within about 20m of them and then turned back to us.

My friend said (as this woman gathered up her dog) 'it's ok, they are friendly'. That's fine said the woman, but this one doesnt like German Shepherds.

Now. How on earth can this dog differentiate breeds? What are his feelings towards Shepherd crosses? and there are many many different types of Sheps, from the huge ones like mine, to tiny ones as I saw at Crufts this year. Lots of different colours, long and short haired...

Might it be more that the owner doesnt like Sheps, and her reaction provokes a reaction in her dog?

Just saying...

We've had dogs that hate westies. I mean westies. They are totally inoffensive and sweet and we have no problem with them. They like other dogs of that size and shape....my guess is they met one snappy one and then passed it amongst them selves never to trust another.

Also, inversely , a friend and I rode two ponies together all one summer, the one I rode was not mine but one I was competing for some one else and just got on with my friends pony well for hacking out purposes so we met and rose out most days over a summer, Then for ever after her pony would stop at shows by the ring of (distinctive looking) ponies like the one I'd been riding calling for his 'mate'.

My current lot like everyone, thank goodness.

krlyr

Caroline_a wrote: »

Slightly off-topic, but relevant I feel. Last Saturday I was out walking with my 2 and my friends 2 Shepherds. So 3 Sheps in all, 2 white, one black and tan. Woman walks past with small-ish terrier type. Dogs start trotting towards dog to say hello, to be called back by us. All came back except her younger Shep who has ears that turn on and off at will... Well I say that, he got within about 20m of them and then turned back to us.

My friend said (as this woman gathered up her dog) 'it's ok, they are friendly'. That's fine said the woman, but this one doesnt like German Shepherds.

Now. How on earth can this dog differentiate breeds? What are his feelings towards Shepherd crosses? and there are many many different types of Sheps, from the huge ones like mine, to tiny ones as I saw at Crufts this year. Lots of different colours, long and short haired...

Might it be more that the owner doesnt like Sheps, and her reaction provokes a reaction in her dog?

Just saying...

I have the opposite actually, mine are much less reactive to GSDs. I suppose because they've been on social walks with the breed, and because they interact with each other. As Katy says, it may be certain traits or perhaps certain physical attributes they are reacting to, but I have definately noticed a better reaction to GSDs.

Obviously I haven't met every type, and Casper had an instant grudge against our previous neighbour's GSDs, but it is interesting that my two do seem better with the breed. They also both seem to have a soft spot for Leonbergers!

lostinrates

katy721 wrote: »

I think it may be breed traits, rather than breeds specifically they can differentiate between.

LS has a thing about collies, although I suspect it is more the eye contact and the lowering of the head that they do which he doesn't like.

As lostinrates said about the afghans, some dogs I am sure are worse on leads than others. LS prances around like a lunatic when he sees a dog, which makes him look awful as he is straining at the end of his lead and he looks aggressive. I do have hold of him however, and he is in training so eventually (I hope!) he will calm. He is also muzzled.

A dog on a lead can look 'out of control' but if they are on a lead and cannot get to your dog then I am not really sure what else you can ask of the owner.

My grey for all her other obedience (quite decent clicker training, very reliable off lead recall , and some other odd trained behaviours) still leaps on a lead when over excited. I'd rather have her leap on a lead and me be considered (rightfully in this case) a failure for not having trained out this behaviour that her leaping off the lead inappropriately. (Actually most of the time I'd rather walk her off lead but its not always appropriate.)

chris_n_tj

SnoopDoop wrote: »

Thanks Bromley86. I think I'll try contacting the local council first and see what they say.

I may need to avoid as there for now as there would be no way of preventing his dog with no lead/collar (yet he yelled at me to have my dog on a lead).

Just such a shame a few spoil it for the many.

I dont see how you can complain about another dog being off lead when, if I have read your post correctly your dog was off lead also? Or was your dog on a lead? Sorry your post is a bit unclear x

meritaten

Caroline_a wrote: »

Slightly off-topic, but relevant I feel. Last Saturday I was out walking with my 2 and my friends 2 Shepherds. So 3 Sheps in all, 2 white, one black and tan. Woman walks past with small-ish terrier type. Dogs start trotting towards dog to say hello, to be called back by us. All came back except her younger Shep who has ears that turn on and off at will... Well I say that, he got within about 20m of them and then turned back to us.

My friend said (as this woman gathered up her dog) 'it's ok, they are friendly'. That's fine said the woman, but this one doesnt like German Shepherds.

Now. How on earth can this dog differentiate breeds? What are his feelings towards Shepherd crosses? and there are many many different types of Sheps, from the huge ones like mine, to tiny ones as I saw at Crufts this year. Lots of different colours, long and short haired...

Might it be more that the owner doesnt like Sheps, and her reaction provokes a reaction in her dog?

Just saying...

Yes they can differentiate between breeds - I wasn't even aware my normally very dog friendly springer didn't like GSDs. it was while she was kennelled this was noted by the kennel owner who had to move the dogs further apart as meg was getting more and more upset! (in fact she ended up moving meg into her home!). The kennel owner said she loved having meg stay as meg was 'reliable' with new inmates (sorry, kennel guests), and it upset HER to see meg behaving so out of character! (Meg often stayed weekends at the kennels while we were down the caravan - which she disliked going to - so the owners knew her very very well)

meames_2

Caroline_a wrote: »

Slightly off-topic, but relevant I feel. Last Saturday I was out walking with my 2 and my friends 2 Shepherds. So 3 Sheps in all, 2 white, one black and tan. Woman walks past with small-ish terrier type. Dogs start trotting towards dog to say hello, to be called back by us. All came back except her younger Shep who has ears that turn on and off at will... Well I say that, he got within about 20m of them and then turned back to us.

My friend said (as this woman gathered up her dog) 'it's ok, they are friendly'. That's fine said the woman, but this one doesnt like German Shepherds.

Now. How on earth can this dog differentiate breeds? What are his feelings towards Shepherd crosses? and there are many many different types of Sheps, from the huge ones like mine, to tiny ones as I saw at Crufts this year. Lots of different colours, long and short haired...

Might it be more that the owner doesnt like Sheps, and her reaction provokes a reaction in her dog?

Just saying...

Actually, Womble doesn't like Labs or golden retrievers. No idea why, the first week I had him, I walked him on the lead we passed a lab, Womble pulled back so his collar came over his head and bit it's bum! He had never seen him before because W came from a different part of the country. This lab now avoids us! I had no problems with any breed!

SnoopDoop

A dog on a lead can look 'out of control' but if they are on a lead and cannot get to your dog then I am not really sure what else you can ask of the owner.

Thank you for all your points of view.
I was jogging with my dog amd he was off lead at the time.

I do take your point of putting my dog on lead and do put him on if I see someone approaching me who puts their dog on lead.

The key matter for me was that walker would not have been able to control their dog. It had no collar for a lead to be put on and if he had a lead, he would have struggled to put it on with a large dog in each hand.

As I previously commented, I think he perhaps needs to re-think taking all three dogs at once as I can't see how he can control all three should something happen.

End of tether or not, he had no right to shout at me nor call me the names that he did.

lostinrates

SnoopDoop wrote: »

A dog on a lead can look 'out of control' but if they are on a lead and cannot get to your dog then I am not really sure what else you can ask of the owner.

Thank you for all your points of view.
I was jogging with my dog amd he was off lead at the time.

I do take your point of putting my dog on lead and do put him on if I see someone approaching me who puts their dog on lead.

The key matter for me was that walker would not have been able to control their dog. It had no collar for a lead to be put on and if he had a lead, he would have struggled to put it on with a large dog in each hand.

As I previously commented, I think he perhaps needs to re-think taking all three dogs at once as I can't see how he can control all three should something happen.

End of tether or not, he had no right to shout at me nor call me the names that he did.

Its possible to hold two sight hounds in one hand ( done it often, regrettably, unfortunately done it with more, but not leaping ones). Then use a slip lead for the third. Very easy one handed.


Absolutely agree, he had no right to shout or be offensive, no one ever does.