did I overreact? - Page 1

On Wednesday I took my dogs (2 german sheps) for an 8 mile hike. The park I take them to is "leashed only, pick up after your dog" . A little ways into the hike a golden retriever and lab come barreling around a corner, off leash, no owner in sight, heading straight toward me and my dogs. The lab appeared yound and mischievous, all the hair on his back was standing..

Both of my dogs have had leash aggression issues toward other dogs in the past, but thankfully they've made big improvements. One situation they do NOT do well in is when off leash dogs approach them, especially at a run. I figured it wasn't worth the possibility of a fight, and I put my dogs behind me and yelled in a very serious way to drive the lab and golden off. I could hear the owner calling his dogs, but they just stood there. He came around the corner a few seconds later and put them on their leashes, muttering, bad dogs, and gave me a very dirty look as he walked past.

Did I overrect? The look on his face was, "if your dogs aren't up for socializing, leave them at home. I have a lab and a golden, they can do whatever they want because they're friendly...". I had a friend watch me do this another time when a stray dog approached and she seemed to think this was a bad idea. Like if I just allow the dogs to meet, they'll be fine, but if I yell at the other dog, I'm feeding my own dogs' insecurity. I have also tried giving off leash dogs the benefit of a doubt... and seen them attack my dogs. This time my dogs showed no aggression whatsoever. They just stood behind me and waited until the owner took them away.

I think you did the right thing. If it became an issue and the off leash a__holes didn't stop I would not want to think about the mess.... I also cannot believe the look the guy gave you.

I probably would have been talking, loudly, to myself about stupid people not following the leash requirements as the stupid person walked by with his dogs.

animules,  ME too.  LOL,  very loudly !!  maybe even uttered something about "reporting"  the stupid person who does NOT follow the rules,  This is the stupid thing good dogs get shot over,  Just think if crimsonribbon would have been an LE that golden and that lab might very well have bullets in them,  they're attack MAY have been viewed aggressive.   (OMG I'm so laughing inside right now I promise)

Heck no you didn't overreact.   Are you kidding?  Just because those dogs were so-called "friendly" breeds doesn't mean they don't pose a threat to your dog.  Never mind the dog fight issue... what if they haven't been vacinnated, are sick, have parasites... who knows?  A multitude of possible scenarios.

You were very calm in fact in how you handled the situation, much more so than I would have been.  I personally don't tolerate BS from off-leash dogs and their well-intentioned but uninformed owners.  Example:  one day I was tracking a dog when a Golden came running up, off leash, with owner ambling behind.  I told my dog to Platz because I knew he had dog aggression issues (this is dog from years ago, not current dog) that I had to control with obedience.  My dog lay down on the track and I held his fur saver while yelling to the woman at the top of my lungs, "GET YOUR DOG!  GET YOUR DOG!"  I kept yelling that over and over again.  Her dog pulled up short when I started yelling, and the owner started jogging to pick up her dog.  She put her dog on leash, obviously flustered and embarassed, not by her foolish judgement but by my pervasive yelling, and she mumbled the usual, "He just wanted to say Hi."  I growled at her, "Your dog might be friendly but mine is not," and she hurried on her way.

The world is full of idiots, and unfortunately some of them own dogs, and do not recognize the danger they put their dogs in, or yours, when they allow them to roam free.  I hope you never run into such a situation like this again because the next time might not turn out so pretty.

FYI... after that incident I started carrying pepper spray with me.  Not the girly little keychain crap, but a large can of "Counter Assault Bear Spray".  I've used it on dogs that run loose and charge my dog with much success. 

Yvette

Trust me, you were nice about it!!!! He would have been  if it were me walking my dogs!

The most aggressive dog my msle has ever met was a black lab! No way you did the right thing. KUDOS for your dogs, just waiting unitl you handled it.

You did exactly what I do when I encounter loose dogs with my own with me. YOU were following the rules, not him. And how are you supposed to help your dogs improve unless you take them in public?  He had no right to shoot you dirty looks. People are so ignorant with their animals it drives me nuts.

Thanks, I was pretty impressed with my dogs' behavior.

Your dogs must think you are supreme!  Good for you showing them you can handle difficult situations and they don't have to be on guard every minute.  You must have very content and happy dogs.