Interaction with other dogs??? - Page 1

When I walk my dog I prefer not to stop and chat with others as we are not necessarily working but I expect my dog to stay at my side.  I abhor those retractible leashes!  My dog doesn't need to explore the neighborhood and whiz at every possible spot.  I don't buy into the "Well, they're dogs and dogs will do what dogs do" mentality either.  My dog does her business at home before we go for a walk.  I don't have to carry a plastic baggy.   I will sometimes cross the street to avoid another dog especially if I see the retractible leash. 

Sometimes my husband and I will sit in our lawn chairs in front of our house to just watch the circus that unfolds each evening with people and their dogs.  Usually we have our dog laying there with us and it rarely fails that we will have to put our girl inside because idiots will stop to visit and let their dogs run all over on those damn leashes.  We have had to jump out of our chairs to avoid being pulled over by an undisciplined dog having wrapped its lead around the chair legs.  People just assume you want to pet their dog so they let out the leash so their dog can come jump on you demanding to be loved.  I know several people think I don't like dogs and wonder why I have one because I will push their dogs away. 

More than once we have witnessed dog fights in our yard because more than one party has stopped to visit and their dogs get into it.  One evening we had a lady stop to visit with her Sheba Inu on retractible, very friendly little dog.  Along came a gent with two mini schnauzers on retractible, one friendly, one a fear biter.  So far so good.  We had our girl, then 3mo old on a six foot non retractible lead snugged up to about three foot next to me.  Everyone was being friendly, sniffing, tails wagging, even the shy schnauzer.  Then the next door neighbor let her two beagles out, off lead and the circus began.  They came charging over, baying like crazy.  The shy schnauzer started running in circles, barking and snapping at everything.  The good schnauzer began barking and running around in circles chasing the shy one in an attempt to dominate her.  He even snapped at my pup, much to her surprise.  The Sheba Inu remained remarkably calm but also was running around.  Needless to say, the people involved all participated in a strange yet familiar dance trying to untangle several feet of retractible leads while yelling at their dogs who kept running around yapping.  The woman with the beagles stood in the yard screaming at her beagles to come which they eventually did having never actually joined in the fray.  The beagles got put away, their owner came over to say hi but no apology.  The gent managed to snatch his shy schnauzer up and get his male untangled from the Shena Imu's lead and all was calm until the male schnauzer peed on the beagle mom's foot.  How appropriate!

And people wonder why we don't bring our dog out everytime we feel like sitting in the yard.