A tiny wee rantette about dogs on and off lead

[Spudlet]

Just need to get a little winge out here, sorreeeee.....

Was walking Henry the Reformed Character today, and met this woman coming the other way with four dogs, two of which were on leads and two of which were off. So, we used our new, super recall skills

and put Henry on the lead as a courtesy.

Now is it just me, but if you had seen someone do this, would good manners not suggest calling the two loose dogs back rather than letting them run straight up to Henry? He was a little intimidated as they were bigger than him and of course he was now restricted - a situation in which some dogs would react badly.

Yet the woman with these dogs just ignored the other two in favour of making a fuss of the other two on the leads which were barking - in all fairness she kept them well off Henry although she was making a dreadful fuss and no doubt reinforcing their behaviour

Really, how rude people are

Harumph, harumph, harumph.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

I would have done as you did and I would have expected her to put her other 2 on a lead until you had safely passed. Not fair on the dog on the lead (in this case the lovely Henry) if they had got stroppy or he had got stroppy with them.......

PS want to swap St Sweep for Henry???

 

[CorvusCorax]

Now today I have to say, for once, at the beach, everyone was quite polite, two people put their dogs on leads when they saw us coming and the third had a lab off lead, which was obviously jolly good at reading B because he kept a polite distance and B was great too because he didn't feel our space was being invaded.

As I have mentioned before, this is a beach where dogs often come running up and thrusting their heads up B's bum while I hang on for dear life shouting 'CALL YOUR DOG!!!!'.

Sounds as if she can't handle all four at once, to be honest...what would have happened if her other two had a go at Henry, while she was trying to calm the two on leads?!

 

[MarleyandDarcy]

I always straight away call mine back to me and put them in a down/ the less trustworthy ones on a lead if I see someone put theirs on a lead - as I always assume the dog is being put on a lead for a reason.

I also normally put my nervous-aggressive bitch on a lead if we are going to pass someone - but you'd be surprised at the amount of people that let their loose dog right up to her even though she is desperately warning them off - this really annoys me as I am reinforcing her fear behaviour by putting her on the lead and then not being able to protect her once she is on the lead - but I do this as I am trying to be responsible for her less than social behaviour.

Maybe next time suggest to her that if she needs to pay so much attention to training the 2 on the leads she should do 2 separate walks

 

[kirstyhen]

I have felt like ranting about this sooooo many times! If the other dog/s are off off the lead I leave Otto, however if they are on the lead, or under control I put him on the lead.
We met a lady with about 6 dogs, all off the lead but walking at heel, so I put him on a lead, and she proceeded to shout at me to let him off, and then tell me he would have been much better off the lead, as her dogs swamped poor Otto!

 

[Annette4]

I am adamant people doing that is why my boy is slightly dog aggressive on the lead....Yes your lab/collie etc may be very friendly but my much smaller dog is on a lead is going to snap when they jump on his bloody head!He now growls before they get a change. He's only little....I wouldn't appreciate a 6ft bloke jumping on me either.

 

[Spudlet]

Henry has redeemed himself over the past week or so, so not swapping, even for lovely St Sweep

Silly woman, if her dogs had been stroppy I'd have kicked them into the middle of next week! They were friendly, it was just that Henry found both at once a little uncomfortable. He did do a stunning demo of how dogs are meant to behave on the lead though as we marched past

In fact he's been so good lately I think he may be sickening for something....

 

[silverbullet]

Yep i'd say its rude. My 3 are walked off lead but if I see someone put theirs on a lead coming towards us i'll always call mine back and put them in a sit or down stay until the person has passed. Or on a lead if I have them with me.

How did she know you weren't putting him on his lead because he was aggressive to other dogs??

 

[Spudlet]

The thing is, I know what it's like when your naughty dog goes bounding off to say hello before you realise the other dog is on a lead, because I have been that person running round after my dog attempting to rugby tackle him

so I'm not holier than thou about this, things will happen sometimes and no dog is perfect! But she had seen me stop and put Henry on the lead, and this was before her dogs had spotted us so she had time to call the other two.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

[ QUOTE ]
Henry has redeemed himself over the past week or so, so not swapping, even for lovely St Sweep

[/ QUOTE ]

Damn!!

St Sweep's halo is in danger of strangling him today

- so far has nicked the pate of the side and has just launched an assault on the biscuit bin - again!!

And to think on Boxing Day I was worried about him as I thought he was poorly.....definately watch Henry - he is hatching his next crime wave......

 

[Spudlet]

I'm glad he is feeling better! It's always a worry when they are too good **watches the biscuit tin like a hawk**

 

[Starbucks]

I don't really get what the big deal is about all this lead stuff. I think if all owners were a bit more chilled then there would be no need for rants.

 

[twisteddiamond]

im sure you wouldnt be chilled if your dog was attacked because you didnt bother to put it on a lead

 

[Charmaine18]

Oooh, I was peeved by this the other day actually. I was staying with my grandparents on Boxing day, and they've got an adorable little Patterdale/Jack Russel/Norfolk terrier and a geriatric cocker spaniel which are both walked off lead once they're away from the roads. Neither has perfect recall, it's more of a "they'll come back when they're ready" thing, but they NEVER put them on the lead when another dog is coming towards us.

I said "aren't you going to put them on the leads?" and their answer was "no, they're very friendly, they'll only want to play". Yes, your dogs might be friendly, but the ones coming towards you might not be!

They didn't seem to get it at all.

Actually, the whole weekend was spent being mildly annoyed by my grandma's handling of her dogs.

She encourages the spaniel to take her Christmas presents out of the bag, unwrap them and shred the paper, which I think is dreadful because one of these days he's going to open the wrong thing and get told off and it won't be his fault! When I was opening my presents, she kept telling me to give them to him and let him open them because it's cute and he enjoys it, but I refused to because I didn't want dog slobber or tooth marks on my presents.

Bah humbug.

 

[Spudlet]

I only put Henry on the lead if another dog is on the lead already, it's a good manners thing. If other dogs are off-lead I leave him to it - however he will wind dogs on the lead up on purpose!

 

[CorvusCorax]

SB, as I have told you before, many times on these sorts of threads when you tell us about how your dogs do whatever the hell they like, it really isn't that simple, read about Marley and Darcey's bitch, that could equally apply to my dog, only replace the word 'fear' with the word 'defence'.

Like TD said, you wouldn't be so chilled if my dog took a lump out of yours. I don't know if he would do that or not anymore, but I don't want to take that chance and as a responsible dog owner, neither should you.

You believe you have the right to walk your dogs the way you want to, and so do I, that means not having other dogs right up in our face unless I say it is OK for them to be.

I love to see dogs interact - but they have to wait for me or the other owner to allow them to, first.

 

[Starbucks]

I do the same. Some people do seem to get very angry for no reason though and I think it's a bit strange. Not saying that's you BTW!

My dogs are quite sensible and don't go near angry looking ones... thank god!

 

[Starbucks]

I think I'm a better dog owner now and I do put them on the lead if I see someone else with one on.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yay! Group hug

 

[Spudlet]

I do love a good old group hug **squeeeezes**

When Henry was on the lead after his big op in May I used to go psycho if people let their dogs run up to us cos I was terrified Henry was going to split the whole length of his guts open again, I'm sure people must have thought I was a nut but I had a good reason

 

[Irishcobs]

One of my dogs will go for others if she is on the lead. I guess its a fear thing or she is trying to protect us.
She is fine off the lead but we would never let her approach other dog without checking with the owner it was ok and if that dog was on a lead we would put ours on leads to.

What really annoys me is when people have them on extendable leads and let them come up to ours. As we are trying to move away from them they say, 'oh don't worry he/she is friendly'. It might be but mine isn't!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Well, that is one of the many reasons that flexi leads should be piled on a big pyre and roasted, Irishcobs - new rant, anyone?

 

[Annette4]

CC....can I keep my extending lead? I have a corgi who has a habit of wandering off in search of dead things to eat/roll in...but his flexi lead is locked short if we meet another dog so he's under control.

 

[littlemisslauren]

I am always being told 'oh don't worry... he just wants to play' when we meet dogs off the lead.
My dog does NOT just want to play, idiots letting their mutts climb all over my dog has made him so much more nervy of dogs when he is on the lead

 

[CorvusCorax]

[ QUOTE ]
CC....can I keep my extending lead? I have a corgi who has a habit of wandering off in search of dead things to eat/roll in...but his flexi lead is locked short if we meet another dog so he's under control.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmmm...OK, we'll do a deal - if the dog is below knee height and under control, then OK, if not, BURN IT!

I use a long line.

Sorry to rant but there are a couple who walk a husky in the park near us on a harness attached to a fully extended flexi lead and the bloke's arms are still pulled out of his sockets - yay, attach yourself to the strongest part of a big dog by a small lump of plastic, and give him plenty of lead so he has the torque advantage - ARGH!!!!

 

[Annette4]

Oh no I totally agree....my mums best friend has her out of control westie of one and she can't use it and won't listen when my mum tries to tackfully show her how to use it properly...'it obviously doesn't work

No way I'd use one on something that pulled.....I may not have many brain cells but I do have some

 

[Spudlet]

Henry had an extending lead when I first got him as he couldn't be off the lead until I'd had him a while, until the fateful day that he lashed Mum's legs together

It hasn't been out since!

 

[CorvusCorax]

PMSL


Annette I wish more people were like you using them!

 

[Blanche]

Hoppy very funny re your Mum , I can just picture it (but please don't tell her so incase she gets v. cross!!!

) .

In my village (which I won't name as I don't want lynching if these people frequent these hallowed forums!!) there is a man who walks what I think is a lab x , bigger but looks a lab . On numerous occasions I have seen him with TWO extenting leads on the dog

. The first few times I thought I was going barking ( which again is a distinct possibility!!

) but have seen him so many times since I have realised what I was seeing was right . He has one in each hand and every time I've seen him they appear to be about half way extended . One is attached to the choke and one to the normal collar . He is always screaming at the dog when I see him

( who seems to take no notice and seems a very sweet , lovely dog ) but I feel a rising "Cayla " and want to tell him ............. Well I want to say an awful lot

, especially as he is so smug . I feel my inner "Cayla " rising so I must stop before I kill the keyboard !!!

 

[Cyrus]

[ QUOTE ]

Sorry to rant but there are a couple who walk a husky in the park near us on a harness attached to a fully extended flexi lead and the bloke's arms are still pulled out of his sockets - yay, attach yourself to the strongest part of a big dog by a small lump of plastic, and give him plenty of lead so he has the torque advantage - ARGH!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

One day that flexi is gonna snap and its bye bye sibey, our two sibes only ever go on a flexi attached to their collar if i`m going somewhere I know there will be no other dogs even though they are trained to ignore other dogs with a simple "on by" harnesses should only ever be used to a sled dog when you want them to pull

On the off lead thing only Loco our malamute goes off lead we allow her to stay off if those approaching leave there dogs off lead even then she never rushes up to the other dogs she approaches slowley and stands still whilst the other dogs have a sniff she will then return to us until the other dogs walk past or decide then wish to play.
If the dog approaching is either on lead or put on lead at the approach she is recalled and placed back on lead.
Shes a strange girl is our Loco even when she is running around playing with other dogs she will return to us periodically to check in before being released to carry on playing. She`s very much a people dog than a dog/dog