Dogs.

[nickyboy]

I think that you do need to know your dog's limitations - I know that Ed isn't great at recall, and that he would follow an interesting scent for a long while, concentrating on nothing else, given the opportunity, so he stays on lead unless we're somewhere quiet, reasonably enclosed, and have a tennis ball to attract his attention.

I assume that people I don't know aren't ok with dogs, and get Ed to behave accordingly until we know the lie of the land.

Well done you. Our eldest son has a mental disability and is irrationally petrified of dogs. The number of times we've been out for a walk only for a dog to come bounding up to him, resulting in him going crazy with fear. Then to be told by the dog owner "don't worry, he's just being playful. He wouldn't hurt a fly". These owners never seem to apologise

 

[coffeejo]

Well done you. Our eldest son has a mental disability and is irrationally petrified of dogs. The number of times we've been out for a walk only for a dog to come bounding up to him, resulting in him going crazy with fear. Then to be told by the dog owner "don't worry, he's just being playful. He wouldn't hurt a fly". These owners never seem to apologise

That makes me both cross and sad.

 

[steve50]

Responsible dog owners should ALWAYS keep their dog(s) on a leash in a public place or if other dogs are around, you might well know your own dog is safe and means no harm to anyone but it is not always the case with other dogs. I hate it when someone lets their dog loose to "meet and greet" my dogs. My dogs are trained and non aggressive but when another dog regardless of size runs toward them they are going to react in the only way they can by barking. Some people interpret this as " aggression" and tell me I should control my dogs...........wrong! They should keep their dogs on the leash to prevent this from happening in the first place.
Due to us fostering we had to have our dogs certified as safe by dog behaviour experts (German Shepherds are on the foster services dangerous dogs list) we are probably among a very small minority who can prove their dogs are safe.

 

[Andy_R]

IDK if it's been mentioned yet, but my Staffie cross is a yellow dog. We were told about the initiative by our vet, after an interesting time waiting in the reception area with him last time he went for his jabs. He's very nervous around other dogs, and gets into a flight or fight state very easily with them. Contrary to this though, he absolutely loves people, to the point of sitting in front of total strangers, waiting for them to pet him.

 

[TrishE]

Responsible dog owners should ALWAYS keep their dog(s) on a leash in a public place or if other dogs are around, you might well know your own dog is safe and means no harm to anyone but it is not always the case with other dogs. I hate it when someone lets their dog loose to "meet and greet" my dogs. My dogs are trained and non aggressive but when another dog regardless of size runs toward them they are going to react in the only way they can by barking. Some people interpret this as " aggression" and tell me I should control my dogs...........wrong! They should keep their dogs on the leash to prevent this from happening in the first place.
Due to us fostering we had to have our dogs certified as safe by dog behaviour experts (German Shepherds are on the foster services dangerous dogs list) we are probably among a very small minority who can prove their dogs are safe.

Some dogs have idiots on the other end of their leads, I keep meeting a woman walking towards me with a dog on a lead when I'm taking Bonnie to daycare before work, she's on a lead attached to my waist and ignores people and dogs. This morning we stopped so Bonnie has the bike between her and them I thought the woman would walk past but no she lets her dog say hello to Bonnie which it does by growling and snarling, stupid woman was saying she's okay grr I said pull the dog away as it's not ok is it. Think we'll leave a bit earlier tomorrow and hopefully miss her

 

[steve50]

Some dogs have idiots on the other end of their leads, I keep meeting a woman walking towards me with a dog on a lead when I'm taking Bonnie to daycare before work, she's on a lead attached to my waist and ignores people and dogs. This morning we stopped so Bonnie has the bike between her and them I thought the woman would walk past but no she lets her dog say hello to Bonnie which it does by growling and snarling, stupid woman was saying she's okay grr I said pull the dog away as it's not ok is it. Think we'll leave a bit earlier tomorrow and hopefully miss her

If you see her approaching just call out to her to please keep her dog away from yours, some people need training to train their dogs.

 

[TrishE]

If you see her approaching just call out to her to please keep her dog away from yours, some people need training to train their dogs.

I will if I see her tomorrow it's difficult as I'm on the bike with Bonnie running alongside I always slow down but also stop if I think a dog will jump up, did that tonight with two labs off the lead. The owner was pleasant said hello and kept walking taking the dogs past and we just continued on our way.

 

[John the Monkey]

Well done you. Our eldest son has a mental disability and is irrationally petrified of dogs. The number of times we've been out for a walk only for a dog to come bounding up to him, resulting in him going crazy with fear. Then to be told by the dog owner "don't worry, he's just being playful. He wouldn't hurt a fly". These owners never seem to apologise

I'm sorry to hear that - I don't think it takes a huge leap of the imagination to understand that not everyone is as enamoured of your own pooch as you are, and owners shouldn't assume that everyone will be thrilled to greet Fido.

 

[screenman]

No your dog is not being friendly, it is jumping up at me with muddy paws and slobbering all over the place. Funnny how the same thing seems different to different people.

 

[User16390]

While on the subject of dogs, my personal grief is with the owners and breeders of status/fighting dogs. I once helped plan a raid on an organised dogfight. I have never been as appalled and sickened by anything in my career as much as I was that day.

Add to that the current proliferation of puppy farming fuelled by the designer crossbreed fad, and you may yet see my blood boil. But it isn't caused by folk who love their dogs too much.

I was cycling through Winson Green in Birmingham one day when I passed a guy with what looked like an oversized Staffie dragging a tyre behind it on a rope in the local park. That evening I mentioned what I had seen that morning to a friend, who told me that more that likely it was being trained for dog fighting. If this was the case the owner should be banned from ever owning an animal.

There are far worse things than molly codling your prized pooch.

 

[steve50]

I was cycling through Winson Green in Birmingham one day when I passed a guy with what looked like an oversized Staffie dragging a tyre behind it on a rope in the local park. That evening I mentioned what I had seen that morning to a friend, who told me that more that likely it was being trained for dog fighting. If this was the case the owner should be banned from ever owning an animal.

There are far worse things than molly codling your prized pooch.

I couldn't agree more, as for molly coddling, erm mine are a little bit too big and boisterous for that, the play looks a little vicious with them going for the throat but they never hurt each other and it is apparently quite normal for them to go for the throat.