Interaction with other dogs??? - Page 2

Hello DebiSue,

Enjoyed the description of your neighbourhood  'quiet walk with the dog'!!!  lol.

I also loathe those retractable leads.  Puzzled by people with their dog on lead (whether retractable or not) who is pulling towards another dog or something else, the Owner is suggesting to the dog that he/she should not be pulling towards whatever, but they just go with the dog!!  Why not pull the lead with the dog back????

When I am walking with my dogs from A-B, they are walking with me.  They will have the opportunity to explore when the leads are off and we are in appropriate surroundings, but not before.  Otherwise, it is similar to a tribe of Indians, with the Chief declaring a forward direction, and then having to keep stopping and looking back to see who is coming and who is not!!!! 

By the way, could you not put a small fence around your front garden, for a bit more personal privacy?  Terrible waste of a nice drink if it goes flying in the path of marrauding dogs!  lol


Regards,
Vixen

My GSD male hated other dogs from about 6 months of age, and it has been a mission of intense training to keep him quiet and behave when another (strange) dog is close by.  We also have a 6 year old Golden Retriever who is our GSD's best friend and playmate and there has been no real purpose to have him socialise and play with strange dogs. It takes him too long to get to know and trust other dogs so for safety sake I keep him at a distance. I have had several occasions on walks where unleashed dogs have rushed at us sometimes in a playful manner, sometimes barking and aggressive and our GSD won't tolorate either behaviour from dogs approaching us in hurried fashion, he will attack them if need be.

Knowing how my GSD can react to strange dogs, I wouldn't take the risk of allowing him to play.

I do not allow my dogs to play with other dogs.  I don't care if the poeple think I'm not nice about, keep your dog away, period.  When you have a large dog if anything happens it will be your dogs fault, even if the little ankle bitter started fighting first.  Mine behave when we are places and we have no problems around numerous dogs at our club.  I am tired of people showing up at stores and such and turning their yappers loose though.  I've been braced up in the pet food store by two loose dogs, it won't happen again......

Hello Rexy,

The good thing is that you obviously act responsibly with your dogs.  I do wonder when folk call out; "He only wants to play" when their dog is either hurtling towards another dog or they are going by on lead with the dog barking madly.  I tend to interpret "He only wants to play" to mean "I can't call him back"!!!  

Regards,
Vixen

Vixen,

Glad you enjoyed the story...regular happening around here.  I thought about putting a short hedge around the front yard but more effort than it's worth.  Some people would open the gate and come on in anyway. 

We have a young couple across the street with two well behaved children and one sweet but totally untrained mix breed, Wishbone (half greyhound half golden).  Wishbone dragged the oldest child, a girl about 12 at the time over to visit.  It was pretty comical to watch as the young girl was really trying to hold her back but Wishbone may have outweighed her at the time.  The neighbor with the beagles from hell was sitting with us enjoying a drink when her beagles charged the larger dog.  Sweet, sweet Wishbone went on the defense and snatched one of the beagles up by its backbone and tossed it, the other beagle thought twice and turned tail.  Once we got everyone calmed down and determined the beagle wasn't harmed you would think the neighbor would take her beagles home but no.  She just sat back down like nothing had happened.  The little girl was very apologetic and truly upset that Wishbone would bite anyone.  She started to try to get her back home when the stupid little beagles seeing a retreat went at her again.  And again the same little dog got bit in the back.  By now I'm thinking GO WISHBONE!  I should be ashamed but thanks to the neighbor I am beginning to hate beagles.  The little girl is crying, the neighbor is yelling (which is all she does) and I am dying!  We finally get Wishbone home and I explained to the little girl that Wishbone apparently was protecting her from the charging beagles and she should be proud of her.  At the same time I am telling the beagle mom that her dogs may have been thinking the same thing (if they were capable of thought) and protecting her from the big dog as they have never attacked anything.  In fact the one who got bit has never gotten close to another dog...she barks and runs the other way normally.  I also strongly suggested to my neighbor to keep her girls on lead when out in public...so far two years later I haven't seen it yet. 

I'm looking forward to the circus I'm sure to see this summer once it warms up enough  to sit out front and have a drink.  (And yes, many a drink has been spilled!)

 Deb

Hello Deb,

Why not have done with it, and hold a Dog Show in your garden????   You could charge the Owners AND the audience who participate or watch.   Even set the Programme, i.e. Best Long Down Stay for the dogs, and 'Quietest Person'' for the Owners!  Nice little earner me thinks!!!! 


Vixen

Vixen, you slay me!

A Dog show!  I kid you not, I know of no one in this neighborhood whose dog even knows the meaning of down.  Most don't know come, heel or sit either.  And the same goes for the owners!!  Unfortunately most of the folks around here think they might hurt their puppies widdle feelings if they were to discipline them.  The old, "my dog just has a mind of its own." excuse for misbehaviour.  Well, just let me say that more than once I have picked up dog poo in a plastic baggie and chased the offending parties down and handed it to them!  I have a reputation for being the crazy lady that doesn't want dogs to crap in her yard.  Well, DUH!  Most of these people are really nice but when it comes to their dogs they just get dopey. 

I do love your idea though but I have a feeling if money was involved no one would participate.  Hmm!  Come to think of it, guess I could always say, "Oh you must be here for the dog show, that will be $5.00." and watch them skedaddle off my lawn!  LOL! 

Gotta get for now!  Have a great day!!
Deb

Deb, you can at least thank these Dog Owners for adding to your sense of humour 

Bye for now,
Enjoy your day,
Vixen

Hi Vixen,

Our boy from 4 months of age took a liking to barking at strangers with an arrogance about him that uncontrolled could lead to a problem dog that wanted to bite anyone or anything unkown to him. He seemed to know he was a big scary dog and anyone looking for trouble, he was going to sort it out??.

He is 22 months old now and is 80% controllable after extensive training and getting better by the day. But we know he's a tough fearless boy that won't back out of a fight with another dog if the situation arose and so we conduct our public outings with him accordingly for the sake that we trust other dogs less than we trust him to behave. I can keep him away from other dogs even off leash now, but I wouldn't  trust I could "out" him yet if another dog charged at him/us.

We had a scare only today walking when an unleashed Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) that can be an aggressive breed charged over to us barking and bearing it's teeth. Trying to lead my GSD away with the other dog following trying to snap at him there was nothing I could do other than slacken the leash a little for my boy to lung at him which scared him off. His owner appeared who had no control over her dog off leash apologised for the incident, but the comment I expected from unresponsible dog owners who allow them to run free, that my GSD could have killed her dog, when her dog "only wanted to play" she said???. 

Rexy