dog walking etiquette

H

horsies4coursies

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 July 2011
Messages
179
Visit site
sorry i have to ask this question as i am a tad confused - both myself and my young dog EIthin have now been attacked 3 times in the space of 7 days by totally out of control dogs off lead -

when we're out walking when we see a dog off lead approaching at a distance i always recall her and place her on a lead i then keep her to heel and we walk on the route we were heading in towards to approaching people and dog which is off lead - sometimes the O of said loose dog recalls their animal attaches a lead to it and continues on their path past us but the majority seem to not recall and 90% of the time regardless if we continue to walk past at heel my dog and/or i both get attacked and 100% of the time the owner of the other dog does nothing until i shout at their animal or use my body to shift their dog/dogs off mine - and when they do step in it's to F and blind at me??

Eithin is now getting to the stage where she is unsure about what type of behaviour to display when she see's a dog at a distance and i am worried that we will end up going from a happy dog to one that is terrified.... along with her owner - we don't dog walk at popular times as my job doesn't allow it - 7 am in the morning and at present coming up to dusk at night - can anyone enlighten me as to what i should be doing or if i am entitled to tell people to keep their dogs under control or is this just something we have to put up with....

sorry for the very long post tea and biscuits to those that have got this far
 
After one too many incidences like you've described I have perfected a loud and frosty "CALL OFF YOUR DOG!". If they fail to, and the dog is about to fly at mine, I will step between them and put the boot in if necessary. Probably the wrong thing to do and I'll get bitten one of these days but it makes me feel better.

My poor spotty dog can be extremely anxious around strange dogs (he's a rescue, no idea what kind of socialisation he had but I'm guessing not much) and having painstakingly taught him how to be calm and pass other dogs without reacting fearfully it's bloody annoying to have everything undone by a loose dog leaping on him and pinning him by the neck. Equally my other dog is pretty damn reliable these days, after more intensive training, but won't hesitate to retaliate if a dog starts on her first - and the other owners have the cheek to pass comment on my 'aggressive' dogs! :mad:
 
Having a fear aggressive dog I completely understand your fears, my dog was made that way by the sort of people you describe. It has taken a lot of hard work for her to be comfortable around strange dogs and then some bloody out of control dog jumps her and you are back to square one.

I would try and avoid going where the vast majority of other people walk their dogs and if possible find someone you could walk with who has nice safe dogs to get your dogs confidence up. I would be very tempted when meeting numpty people whose dog is off lead to call out keep away my dog has mange and its very contagious.
 
i wouldn't mind but getting bitten on the calf badly enough to rip my trousers and break skin and my dog getting her skin punctured even though i had picked her up to shoulder height (5foot) before the dogs attacked and then when i stuck the boot in to remove said dogs - the owner had the audacity to tell me off for hurting her dogs :(

But thanks for your advice i may have to work on my northern irish hard a** b**** voice ;)
 
Ditto reporting to warden in that instance.

I witnessed a repeat offender (the ASBO great dane for those that remember him!) chasing and knocking down my neighbour this morning while she was out running. Absolutely terrifying with any dog but especially one the size of a horse! I encouraged her strongly to report it, as I have done in the past, the more reports made the more likely action will be taken. Dog control orders can be issued.
 
thanks dobie girl i did actually report that one which happened on friday early evening to the dog warden on monday morning when i got in to work along with the number plate of her car..... awaiting to see what happens and haven't walked in that area since myself to avoid said animals and woman....the rest haven't attacked me per say but they have attacked her so just wondering how best to get us both over it... the idea of walking her with a buddy might well be an option will have to see if i can find anyone at work willing to get up early to walk their mutt with my lil springer
 
is there a reason that you put your dog on the lead as soon as you see others? i have found it better to leave mine off lead if others are also off lead and the dogs normally just say hallo and we go on our way. i only put mine on the lead if i spot someone with a dog on the lead just for politeness as i know mine will go up to say hello.....it may be that the dogs(including yours) are picking up on your worry and reacting to it....my collie cross used to be a bit nervous of other dogs if she was on the lead and started to put her hackles up and i think it was because she felt she couldnt get away, i decided to try leaving her off lead and she is now fine(is now ok on the lead as well) hope that helps a bit, and you manage to sort this out as it must be spoiling your walks...
 
Certainly is, said neighbour is a super-fit ultra-runner and even she was shaken up by it, and covered in mud! We were all on a bridleway, I dread to think what will happen if I ever meet it on horseback, my horse is as brave as they come with dogs but this one is seriously huge and unruly.
 
If ours are off lead and we see other dogs we always put them on lead regardless as to whether the others are off or on.

Occasionally either Elsie or Poppy will be so overcome with excitement they will run towards another dog, and even if it is off lead and friendly, the owners are a bit apprehensive when they see a Staffy and/or a Rottie flying towards their dog :D

Even if they had perfect recall the etiquette is surely to put yours on a lead if the other dog owner puts theirs on?
 
Agree, I do call 'Call your dog' if I am not happy with it approaching and will step in front of my own dog and if I have to I use my body language or my voice, but firm and calm, not stressy, very often it is our reactions that heighten conflict between dogs without even realising we are doing it.

I keep my dog on a lead around others/strange dogs and ask for an invitation before letting him off, he can get a bit pushy with other dogs so it is best to err on the side of caution. A fat lab ran over last week despite me asking them to call it so I actually let him off, he slamdunked her and then they raced up and down the beach for ages and the lab was knackered, but I DID ask them to recall her.

Plus no one really wants to see a GSD charging at them :p
 
horsies4coursies said:
sorry i have to ask this question as i am a tad confused - both myself and my young dog EIthin have now been attacked 3 times in the space of 7 days by totally out of control dogs off lead -

when we're out walking when we see a dog off lead approaching at a distance i always recall her and place her on a lead i then keep her to heel and we walk on the route we were heading in towards to approaching people and dog which is off lead - sometimes the O of said loose dog recalls their animal attaches a lead to it and continues on their path past us but the majority seem to not recall and 90% of the time regardless if we continue to walk past at heel my dog and/or i both get attacked and 100% of the time the owner of the other dog does nothing until i shout at their animal or use my body to shift their dog/dogs off mine - and when they do step in it's to F and blind at me??

Eithin is now getting to the stage where she is unsure about what type of behaviour to display when she see's a dog at a distance and i am worried that we will end up going from a happy dog to one that is terrified.... along with her owner - we don't dog walk at popular times as my job doesn't allow it - 7 am in the morning and at present coming up to dusk at night - can anyone enlighten me as to what i should be doing or if i am entitled to tell people to keep their dogs under control or is this just something we have to put up with....

sorry for the very long post tea and biscuits to those that have got this far
Click to expand...

I can relate to this having a nervous lurcher who is chased practically everyday by out of control dogs with stupidly thick owners who a)have no control what so ever over their dog/s and b) really couldn't give a toss if their dog terrorises yours anyway.After numerous requests to the idiots who own them to call them off and often totally ignored I have lost all patience, I now give the dog a good hiding as it's the only way I can protect my dog.
The worst offender round here is a policeman who owns 2 dalmations and one American Bulldog they all chase my dog aggressively every time they meet us and yes, every time we meet I shout at him to call them off long before they start becoming a nuisance but he will still wait until there is a problem before he starts calling them, every one in this area knows about him and has the same problem.He's moving to Australia next month, I CAN'T wait!
 
splashgirl45 said:
is there a reason that you put your dog on the lead as soon as you see others? i have found it better to leave mine off lead if others are also off lead and the dogs normally just say hallo and we go on our way. i only put mine on the lead if i spot someone with a dog on the lead just for politeness as i know mine will go up to say hello.....it may be that the dogs(including yours) are picking up on your worry and reacting to it....my collie cross used to be a bit nervous of other dogs if she was on the lead and started to put her hackles up and i think it was because she felt she couldnt get away, i decided to try leaving her off lead and she is now fine(is now ok on the lead as well) hope that helps a bit, and you manage to sort this out as it must be spoiling your walks...
Click to expand...

I wanted to say this too. If there is a reason and if you have yours on the lead then others should follow suit. But if not a reason to lead yours then I'm tempted to allow the dogs to display their natural behaviour.
 
my problem and concern about the off lead thing is she is only 6.5 months old and although she is good at coming back (i think we have yet to hit the adolescent phase ;) ) what i didn't want her doing was charging around and making a nuscience of herself as i think of myself as a responsible owner and she's great when she's on her own she hasn't had the most amount of socialising on walks as she has not had any doggy friends to really play with (i'm new to the area and work unsociable hours but have no fear she rides shotgun with me at all times as i frequently need a navigator :) )

we are under the instruction of a really good dog trainer who is great with her (and me) and he's very impressed with how she is doing in terms of her recall and overall obedience - but i'm not 100% confident on how she would behave when meeting other dogs off lead so i felt (possibly wrongly) that i should be responsible and ensure i have complete control of her when she is approached by other dogs as i can't yet hand on heart be confident that she would come away from a "play" situation. I don't know if it is expected that a dog would be reliable at this stage but the spangle massive that is my dog is not i feel at this stage right now. so my method of avoiding getting a rep was to place her on lead but any suggestions as to how i get past this stage and ensure recall would be fab - as i type this she is wandering around the living room with her blanky over her head possibly to get my attention :rolleyes: obviously i'm more worried about this than she is right now :) either that or her brain cell isn't big enough to cope with trauma and the comfort of home at the same time :)
 
I can also relate OP, my little terrier has been jumped on and knocked around many times by larger dogs , and as a result now will run away when she sees bigger dogs running towards her.
She is absolutely fine with smaller dogs, and merrily shared a stick with another terrier today on our walk :D
But unfortunately when I tell people she is nervous of larger dogs , 9 times out of 10 they have no recall whatsoever and are jumping all over her with the owner apologising and running after it :(
I have just accepted now that shes going to be like this, and just wont take her to places where I know full well there are loose dogs everywhere.
 
oh i see now. personally i would try letting her off when there is only one other dog and see how you get on. obviously as long as there is no chance of her getting onto a road or in any other danger....maybe if you see a dog in the distance, rather than put her on the lead do a quick recall with a very tasty treat, or squeaky toy(whatever she finds most appealing) then let her have a run with the other dog and once she has got over the initial excitement, try a recall with the same reward, let her go back to play, then recall again with the same reward and put her on lead to carry on with your walk. sorry for the essay, but i am just thinking what i would do...good luck and have we seen piccies of your lovely dog? if not can we?
 
I do understand now as I'm going through same thing with my slightly older rescue and don't really want habit of "running up" to develop. We are doing obedience training and instead of putting her back on lead I am asking her to "watch me" until dogs are nearer and then allowing her to meet naturally. I agree though when you are unsure it's a little nerve racking to let her run up. If you can steel yourself I would try to keep her close until they get to her and then let her while you are close enough to take control. IME most dogs are not attacking just a little over exuberant, mind I have no shame at shouting at other people's dogs if they take things a bit too far if the owners are still half a mile behind their dog!
 
splashgirl45 said:
oh i see now. personally i would try letting her off when there is only one other dog and see how you get on. obviously as long as there is no chance of her getting onto a road or in any other danger....maybe if you see a dog in the distance, rather than put her on the lead do a quick recall with a very tasty treat, or squeaky toy(whatever she finds most appealing) then let her have a run with the other dog and once she has got over the initial excitement, try a recall with the same reward, let her go back to play, then recall again with the same reward and put her on lead to carry on with your walk. sorry for the essay, but i am just thinking what i would do...good luck and have we seen piccies of your lovely dog? if not can we?
Click to expand...

I like the way you think splashgirl!
 
Get a walking stick, they really help. My dog was attacked and is not happy when others come near her. I have a walking stick which is great as its something to put between mine and another dog. I also bang it on the floor to get them away.
 
I am afraid this is a subject that makes my blood boil! :mad:

I have to walk my Collie on a flexi lead as she has a crucuate ligament problem, and on a daily basis, my Collie has to endure other loose dogs racing up to her, and either bouncing all over her, or attacking her. In my opinion, if you are walking your dog off lead and you see someone else with a dog on a lead, it should be common sense to put your own on a lead - a dog is on a lead for a reason, either because it is agressive, or its recall is not up to scratch or in my dog's case, for a health issue. I have politely tried to "have words" but all I get is abuse. :mad:
 
thanks for all the advice guys we will try the ideas you have given me and i will let you know how we get on and hopefully when the OH gets back this weekend we will update you all with pics of our wee growing dog :)
 
This happened to me twice. The first time I was walking my dogs in the woods above me and a rider with a dog loose came over and bit one of mine. This caused a large wound, leaving my lad very sore and a large vets bill.

We found out who the owner was and where they lived. I went round to see them and presended with the vets bill and did not leave until they payed me.

I saw them again out riding this time with out the dog, they had left it at home.

The second occation a dog came from out of the blue and bit another of my dogs causing a puncture wound. My vet was coming out to see one of the horses so he gave the dog a shot of antibiotics.

Now when walking my dogs I always take a large stick with me. I would happly use it if need be.

All mine have excellent recall.
 
I was livid last week when a dog, couldn't tell the breed, bounded across and dragged my nearly 15 year old labrador to the floor :mad: Then when I helped her up (she's wobbly on her back end enough as it is) he proceeded to mount her whilst I'm trying to drag him off and also keep my poor girl from collapsing. I'm the least confrontational person ever, but on this occasion I told the owner to keep it on a lead around my dog in future if it isn't well trained enough to come back to the call. She was embarrassed and apologetic at least.
 
I get really angry when people SEE you put your dog on a lead and don't respond with calling theirs under control (on a lead or at heel at least)
I can't always be arsed to put mine on a lead so I generally get a squeaker out and get their attention with that.
 
well!!!!! today the shoe was on the other foot, i was walking both of mine on the lead next to an unfenced playing field, mine were on lead as i was close to the road... 2 dogs came running over and one of them which looks like a whippet/staffie cross was jumping on mine in a humping way not aggressive..my lurcher growled at him which is very unusual for her and the owner did call them away. he called the little whippet cross to him and hit him!!!!! i was furious:mad:, but they were too far away for me to have a go at him. however this is a very small village and its usually his wife who walks the dogs so next time i see her i will drop him in it. as the dog got to him it cowered down was was obviously expecting a smack and i heard it yelp...... yet another numpty owning a dog!!!!!
 
It has never occurred to me to put my dog on a lead just because someone else does, where I walk in the local park it would mean never letting my dog off, we seem to have a mix of off the lead dogs, and dogs on those extending lead things(which personally I hate but there you go!) and most of the time things work out OK. My dog will go up to dogs on the lead and politely say hello but has learnt they don't play and will ignore any showing any aggression what so ever.

If you are forever putting dogs on the lead however are the supposed to play and learn to socialise. I'm talking about open spaces away from the road?

I also take my dog out with the horse onto the open New Forest so wouldn't want to get off every time someone put their dog on a lead, which they do a lot when they see horse riders.
 
burtie said:
It has never occurred to me to put my dog on a lead just because someone else does, where I walk in the local park it would mean never letting my dog off, we seem to have a mix of off the lead dogs, and dogs on those extending lead things(which personally I hate but there you go!) and most of the time things work out OK. My dog will go up to dogs on the lead and politely say hello but has learnt they don't play and will ignore any showing any aggression what so ever.

If you are forever putting dogs on the lead however are the supposed to play and learn to socialise. I'm talking about open spaces away from the road?

I also take my dog out with the horse onto the open New Forest so wouldn't want to get off every time someone put their dog on a lead, which they do a lot when they see horse riders.
Click to expand...

Sometimes people put their dogs on lead because they are injured. People letting their dogs go up to your dog in this situation is a total nightmare and really unfair to that owner and dog. Even if your dog is only going to "politely" say hello, the other dog in contained on a lead and may get very OTT, which when you are trying to get them over an injury is the last thing you need.

If you don't want to put your dog on the lead, could you train him not to stay with you when you see a dog on a lead and not to approach at all? It's really not on or fair for you to allow your dog to approach.
 
burtie - I don't want strange dogs, no matter how friendly they might be, coming up to my on-lead dogs. They are on a lead at all times in public places (high drive working dogs, poor recall, it's a breed thing). Too many times they have been set about by an 'oh, he's never done that before'. Both of them were second hand and had missed out on their critical socialisation periods, both had various issues regarding other dogs that needed work, every single rude off lead dog that came bounding up and crowded them, never mind actually gunning for them, set us back weeks of training.

They go off lead and socialise at our training club in a controlled environment or with dogs belonging to friends and neighbours that we know well. I have zero tolerance for strange dogs these days. Sounds awful and curmudgeonly but it really is a case of once bitten, twice shy.
 
And yep, same applies for injured or very elderly dogs. D was on very restricted walks for a while following a dislocated hip, I didn't dare take her anywhere but pavements so we could be sure the local ASBO dogs didn't send her flying (as they did this afternoon, so my fear was not unfounded!).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top