Unfit Dog Owners

Kimberley

When letting dogs off the lead it's at your own risk, if harm were to come to your dog from either another dog or something else like getting hit by a bike etc then you are responsible, the same as if a person were to come to harm by your dog and no matter how the other owner is with you it's your responsibilty to ensure your dog is under control. I agree though that politeness and an apology would have been nice.

Lynxette

I have the general rule that if I see a dog, I reflect the other owner's behaviour; I know that my dog is perfectly safe and happy to play with other dogs, but if an owner I am approaching puts their dog/already has their dog on a lead, I'll recall Bella to leash her.

davsidipp

sorry for what happened to your westie and hope its ok but i do believe your dog did not grasp the fact the border collie did not want to know and thats when trouble happens. my two jacks are like chalk and cheese one does not mind other dogs but is wary unless they know them and the other one hates other dogs as she was attacked by a staff when very young.as your westie went up to the other dog i feel you cannot complain, as if that was me knowing certain breeds are not keen on others borders being one of them i would have been wary.just be on your guard next time and try to stop your dog going up to one they dont know.

Di-Dough

Lynxette wrote: »

I have the general rule that if I see a dog, I reflect the other owner's behaviour; I know that my dog is perfectly safe and happy to play with other dogs, but if an owner I am approaching puts their dog/already has their dog on a lead, I'll recall Bella to leash her.

I agree with this - I recall him and put him on his lead if there is a dog on its lead or the owner says something about their dog being unpredictable - my point was that the other dog's owner did not have his dog on a lead and as my dog approached his - he just continued to walk along slowly and did not even let me know that his dog did not like other dogs and would go for them.

Di

sammy_kaye18

Have to say sometimes though dog owners can be too unresponsible - i work in a coop adn a lady was stood outside with two jacks and a staffy - form no where another staffy appeared and began attacking her staff. The poor woman was fighting to try adn get her staff away whilst keeping hold of the two jacks (on leads) and them away form the other attacking dog - it took three of us to seperate them in the end. The owner of the attacking dog was round the corner of the shop talking and hadnt realised his dog was causing trouble. he said it was never leashed and 'did its own thing' - it had no training in the slightest.

People who dont control their dogs or go to help when there is a situation between animals really bug me. In fact i could stay on here and rant all day about it but ill be good.

My dog Bruno is like this though - he will run at another dog to go and see them (not in any form of attacking way) hes naturallly a playful friendly dog - he has never laid down when dogs have come near him though in a sort of ready to pounce position.

He did this last week - i took him up a doggy walk - its a secluded trail, no roads, no dangers so the dog can jsut run and its like a wide path, I let him off the leash and he bolted ahead of me, across a bridge and round a bend (i couldnt quite see round it) but i ran after him wondering what he'd seen that i hadnt (thinking it was a rabbit or squirrel and he was being a typical jack). Got round the bend seconds after Bruno and saw a woman with an Akito dog (the japanese fighting dog breed) on a leash and she was spinning round with her dog, shouting at mine, and trying to kick him.

Bruno wasnt doing anything agressive just there looking at the other dog with his tail wagging like a loony (he has never been aggressive to any dog in his 7 years of life). I ran up and grabbed Bruno and apologised to the lady if he had shocked her and her dog (her dog was perfectly calm and if anything a bit bemused as its tail was wagging ten to the dozen) so obviously there was no agression from either dog. and she had the nerve to call me an irresponsible dog owner because he wasnt muzzled or leashed :eek:

:mad: :mad: :mad: had he ran up and savaged her dog then fair enough , but he was wanting to play and make a friend :mad: :mad: :mad: and if i thought for one second that he was an aggressive/nasty dog I wouldnt have released him off his lead! and i have never muzzled him as there is no need to!

Di-Dough

When I take my mum's dog out he is a very happy little dog and likes other dogs - if he sees another dog he will walk (not run) up to it with his tail wagging - other dog owners will sometimes say "I'm sorry my dog is a bit snappy" or whatever and you can generally tell when an owner does not want your dog near theirs and I recall him and he comes back quite happily.

The attitude of some people through really annoy me ..... would the other owner have been so laid back if it was my dog doing the attacking??? If he even apologised it would not seem so bad but he seemed to think that it was our fault for his dog attacking mine?? He even knew what his dog was going to do because he said "dont worry he is only telling him to go away" so if you knew your dog did this type of thing would you not call them back when you saw another dog going towards them or put them on a lead where there were other dogs??

I do admit that most dog owners are responsible it is just the odd one or two that spoil it for all the others

Sorry for the rant:o (and the long post)

Di

pboae

Sorry sammy_kaye18, I (at least partially) agree with the other owner. Your dog was out of your sight and not under your control. You shouldn't have allowed that to happen.

He shouldn't be running up to on lead dogs either. If the other dog had been aggressive and attacked your dog, you would have been considered to be in the wrong, because your dog was off lead and not under close control. You shouldn't have to run after him, if he won't recall when you call him, he shouldn't be off lead. I don't see why a muzzle would be necessary though.

I keep my dog on lead because of health problems. The number of times I've had 'friendly' dogs come running up to him, bump into him and knock him over. Yes, they only want to play, but everytime he falls over he risks dislocating his hip, and if that happens he won't survive it. What comfort will it be to me that the other dog was only being friendly?

But really, these places are communal areas, not the sole territory of dog walkers, and lots of people are frightened of dogs. You know your dog isn't aggressive, you can't expect other people to know that. It's not acceptable to let him run up to other people, whether they are alone or have a dog on lead with them.

It's because of incidents like this that more and more councils are banning dogs from being off lead in public parks and walking areas, and in some cases banning them altogether. It will be a sad day if people end up unable to let their dogs run free anywhere, because of problems like this.

pboae

Di-dough, your situation is quite different and I hope your Westie has recovered now. Sadly, you can never rely on other dog owners to take responsibility for their dog's behaviour. It's probably best to assume that it's not safe to let your dog approach, unless the other owner has specifically said so, and even then, you need to be wary. It's sad that it's come to that, when dogs get so much pleasure from playing together, but you have to put your dog's safety first.

Di-Dough

pboae wrote: »

Di-dough, your situation is quite different and I hope your Westie has recovered now. Sadly, you can never rely on other dog owners to take responsibility for their dog's behaviour. It's probably best to assume that it's not safe to let your dog approach, unless the other owner has specifically said so, and even then, you need to be wary. It's sad that it's come to that, when dogs get so much pleasure from playing together, but you have to put your dog's safety first.

Thanks pboae - my mum's dog is 12 (nearly 13) and when he goes out somewhere where he can play he is generally let off the lead - however I don't think I will be letting him off the lead in the near future (which I don't think he will understand :sad: ) but I don't feel that I can trust other dog owners

Di

ameliarate

I let him off the leash and he bolted ahead of me, across a bridge and round a bend (i couldnt quite see round it)

I have to agree with PBOAE that this is irrespondible. If your dog had come running up to my dog in this way my dog would have been so scared she would have tried to attack. I always keep her on a lead as she is scared of other dogs and will attack if they come running at her.