I am DONE

[blackcob]

Done diddly done. Walking along a footpath through the middle of a huge field, two people with a dog enter from the far end and start running around the perimeter. The dog is sticking close to them and they're a good distance off so I leave small dog off the lead, him similarly sticking close to me as usual.

A minute later there's a man's voice bellowing, I turn around and the dog is at full tilt behind us, before I can even blink small dog has bolted with it in pursuit. The bellow and subsequent pointless whistling are from a man who's just entered the field - evidently it's his dog, was chasing the runners rather than belonging to them, and decided to redirect on to us.

Small dog is saved by being able to run through a gap in the hedge that this dog couldn't, leaving it hunting up and down the hedge line. Man catches up with his dog and whaps it on the head with the lead. Thankfully there's a big woodland beyond the field, with a nice family walking in it that were able to tell the mad sprinting swearing lady which way the small black dog went and he came back in probably under a minute, but you can imagine how long that minute felt.

I've changed where I walk, what time I walk, what collar he wears (having backed out of one when attacked on the lead previously). Things like this have happened on pavements in town and residential streets, not just 'off lead dog walking areas'. Obviously he will now be on a lead at all times in case I misjudge a situation again but I'm left wondering how on earth it came to that. ?

 

[splashgirl45]

just bad luck, i find it better to walk in my local park where i know the people and dogs rather than out in the fields where they are strangers. these days its not easy to walk safely, either some muppet lets their big dog who has no manners run loose and said dog jumps all over me with his muddy paws or there is the worry that someone will steal your dog , even worse seemed to be much easier in the old days when the only people who had dogs really wanted them and made the effort to train them properly...

 

[CorvusCorax]

He should have whapped himself on the head....

 

[Rowreach]

Since mine were attacked by the two GSDs a few weeks ago, they are wearing big orange harnesses with No Dogs written on them in large letters. Now I am aware that dogs can't read, but I was hoping most humans can. Yesterday I was standing with them in my neighbour's gateway, half on the pavement, chatting to him as he stood in his garden. I saw a bloke with a Staffy on a lead coming up the road, reckoned I was well tucked in, the road is wide and no traffic at that point, and there's a pavement on the other side. Sort of assumed he would give us a wide berth. Bloke decides to walk right by me, I had nowhere to go (neighbour was in the way) at which point the Staffy just launched itself at us, really aggressive and nearly pulled the bloke over before he dragged it on up the road.

Honest to God, my dogs can't cope with much more.

 

[ponyparty]

Mine is now on lead at all times, unless I have a very clear view into the distance of what's around us, and even then he's usually on a long line (and has a GPS tracker on just in case too... overkill? Don't care!). Any dog approaching, whether I know it or not, he's straight back on the lead. It's made our walks a bit different, I used to get quite a march on, but I want to give him chance to sniff so I'm dawdling along at times.
I'm also done with other owners; my previously lovely relaxing walks now feel like going into battle, as I mentally prepare myself for having to rip someone's head off if they let their dog jump all over mine. I'm half dreading the weather improving as it means there'll be more of the idiots out and about. Sigh.

 

[Annette4]

I have to admit mine only get lead walks with OH present and play time on a long line when there is no one on the field (luckily I can see the whole field from my office so can pop out at quiet times) and the only time they are off and I'm relaxed is at sports or our weekly visit to the freedom field. I have to work harder for fitness but I'm throughly fed up of other people and their dogs. Even Fizz who had never bothered about others is becoming reactive.

 

[Moobli]

There seems to be so much of this going on just now. I used to enjoy getting away from "my hills" to walk my dogs in different places, but with tales like these so often told these days I think I am better off just staying put for now, especially as every moron and his mother seems to have bought a dog in lockdown!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I do wonder where all these fields are where it is acceptable to let your dogs run loose. We take our dogs to a designated secure field, for which we pay an hourly fee but I do see plenty of other people walking their dogs off lead through my neighbours' fields, regardless of where the stock is. I would be livid and would have the footpaths fenced so that neither dogs nor owners could stray.

 

[Pinkvboots]

During this lockdown we have just dog walked around the farm next doors crop fields he doesn't mind, and we hardly ever see anybody it's been bliss the woods opposite is a no go it's just full of paid dog walkers that have too many dogs to be safe.

 

[blackcob]

That's a point, aside from anything else I was the only one of the bunch actually on the footpath.

I can't travel to 'my' fields during lockdown but it is a great comfort to know that they're there for later in the year, it is the one time I can unclench a bit on a walk. As PP says it otherwise feels like preparing for battle. We've already got a meticulous regime in place for the big dogs who really, really cannot be launched on by dogs due to age and ailments.

Weirdly I had fewer problems (actually none!) walking through Hyde Park every day in the middle of summer than I do on an average walk on rural footpaths.

 

[skinnydipper]

You will probably remember one of my lurchers was mauled by a dog who ran across a field to attack her, she lost two chunks of muscle from her back, and another of my dogs had 2 staffies hanging from his neck, if he had been a short coated dog it would have resulted in horrendous injuries but fortunately he only sustained punctures due to the very thick fur round his neck - he had been sitting quietly at my side when the staffies left their owner and ran at him. The Christmas before he died, a dog ran to attack my GSD when he was walking quietly at my side on his lead.

I trust no-one now. I regard every dog owner as incompetent or an idiot and then I am pleasantly surprised if they have control of their dog

 

[Clodagh]

We live 1 mile, as the crow flies, from a motorway and airport and are surrounded by new housing. We never experience any of these morons, and I am so grateful.
We trek for miles and literally rarely see another dog, if we do it is either one we know or under control.
Makes me scared to think of moving somewhere more ‘rural’.

 

[AmyMay]

We live 1 mile, as the crow flies, from a motorway and airport and are surrounded by new housing. We never experience any of these morons and I am so grateful.
We trek for miles and literally rarely see another dog, if we do it is either one we know or under control.
Makes me scared to think of moving somewhere more ‘rural’.

Thankfully, me neither. And I am rural x

 

[BBP]

I definitely understand the ‘preparing for battle’ comments. Between that and the sea of mud, and him not being good to walk near traffic (for a non-muddy walk) its genuinely putting me off walking my dog, which is crazy. I’m always thinking of who I might meet on what route and how early or late I need to go to avoid them, and then add in the dog thief risk too and it’s no where near as enjoyable as it should be.

I’ve just got quotes in for fencing my fields off as dog and horse secure, I’m massively looking forwards to having a safe space for him to run and train off lead, but there’s the possibility that it might then mean I never want to take him anywhere else, which would be a shame.

Edited to add that it had felt bonkers a while ago to spend ££££ of my savings on fencing a field purely for my dog, but more and more I’m seeing it as a really worthwhile investment.

 

[Cahill]

teach your dog recall by wacking it around the head when it gets it wrong.

 

[L&M]

So feel for you black cob and thank goodness no physical harm was done.....

Weirdly since lockdown our local park has become much quieter, whereas the more rural canal paths next to our house have become lethal bottlenecks, with a combination of undisciplined dog walkers, cyclists, joggers and toddlers on scooters, all fighting over the same 5 ft wide path, (I posted last week about the mad jogger!), so have started taking mine to the park instead.

A bit of a pain having to get in the car but the dogs quite enjoy the change of scene and different smells in town, and feel safer in the park as huge and can see what/who is approaching from a long distance away, so can put the dogs back on leads if I am unsure.

We are also very lucky that we can walk them on our own land, only 3 acres, but when we want to avoid all human contact, is the safest option!

I am just hoping that when the schools start to go back, that will eliminate a small percentage of 'foot traffic', and that the 'out of area' dog walkers will come off furlough at some stage and return to their own patch......

 

[ponyparty]

I’ve looked into secure dog fields round here, the nearest ones are fully booked and not accepting new clients, then the others I’ve found are 30 mins drive away. It’s not really feasible to do an hours round trip to walk the dog regularly - even once a week at the moment would be a push due to family commitments. Plus I have perfectly nice, off road, FREE walking on my doorstep so it rather galls me to have to avoid it and pay to go elsewhere due to obnoxious morons and their equally obnoxious dogs. I think I will have to book one soon though, even if just a couple of times a month for something a bit different to do.

If I let mine off lead he stays either next to me, 20ft ahead or 20ft behind as he’s stopped to sniff something. He doesn’t run off away from the footpath. He likes to be near me. If he were running amok all over fields I’d be mortified and he’d be straight back on the lead ? let alone running over to/chasing other people’s dogs..!

 

[ponyparty]

teach your dog recall by wacking it around the head when it gets it wrong.

Quite. No wonder it had run off from him!

 

[blackcob]

So feel for you black cob and thank goodness no physical harm was done.....

Not a mark on him thankfully, only mud. I have never been so grateful that he is both quick and relatively fit; the dog was a lot bigger than him.

I try to squash down any resentful thoughts I have about the increased foot traffic in the countryside because after all, there is not a lot else to do at the moment and it can only be a good thing that people are enjoying the outdoors and getting exercise, it ought really to be celebrated. Then we will get launched at by another dog or I'll step in some crap or a family will walk five abreast and not budge over an inch and I have to really work hard on the squashing down. ?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

They walk 5 abreast across the roads here and then when they finally realise that there is a car coming, they split into 2 groups and wander to each side of the road, where there are no pavements and a 40ph speed limit. If we are lucky they take their dogs with them.

 

[tda]

The track past our house has become a lot busier, walkers, joggers, people with pushchairs til they get stuck in the mud and turn back.
I keep our dogs on the lead all the time now, as you just can't see who is coming round the corner.
Because we are way off the road on a farm track I often take them for a run out after dark, me on quad bike, dogs following

Edited to add, I always have a walking stick and would not hesitate to use it if another dog was coming at us.

 

[paddy555]

I definitely understand the ‘preparing for battle’ comments. Between that and the sea of mud, and him not being good to walk near traffic (for a non-muddy walk) its genuinely putting me off walking my dog, which is crazy. I’m always thinking of who I might meet on what route and how early or late I need to go to avoid them, and then add in the dog thief risk too and it’s no where near as enjoyable as it should be.

I’ve just got quotes in for fencing my fields off as dog and horse secure, I’m massively looking forwards to having a safe space for him to run and train off lead, but there’s the possibility that it might then mean I never want to take him anywhere else, which would be a shame.

Edited to add that it had felt bonkers a while ago to spend ££££ of my savings on fencing a field purely for my dog, but more and more I’m seeing it as a really worthwhile investment.

that's what I have done. When I got a dog it never occurred to me how difficult going for a walk would be. We are pretty rural but I cannot go down one road as he will be attacked by 5 loose sheep dogs. They go for the horses but they can stand up to them. A grey hound and lurcher are both off the lead and bound up to him, there is someone walking 2 BC's on leads and it is difficult to get past on the bike even without a dog. I would be scared to do with this a dog as they are so aggressive. Riders don't keep their dogs away from us. I keep him double leaded and rammed up between me and the hedge but they just won't keep away. If one more walker tells me their small dog running loose likes large dogs (mine is a GSD) I shall stuff the thing down their throat.

I thought I had enough problems with walker's dogs on the horse and eventually trained him to walk over the dog. That method did actually get the dog owner's attention.

So I have around an acre fenced for him, it is nice. A stream to play in and some woodland. Squirrels to scent, birds to chase. He runs free and can do whatever he wants safely and seems happy. I am lucky to have been able to do that but I didn't think when I got him that was what I would be doing.

40 years ago I had the same sort of dog and we walked everywhere, town, country, on trains, even in the red light district of Plymouth and I cannot remember any other dogs coming up to disturb us.

 

[TwoForTwo]

My boy dogs come to the yard with me but my mums terriers I walk for her and never let them off lead as they are snappy, the have yellow warning ‘I need space’ banners on there leads and utter morons still let there dogs crowd them! I often shout to the idiot owner no where near there dog that they aren’t friendly and get blank looks back, I now shout if they bite your dog it’s your fault or, if it comes close I will kick it! Still get mainly blank looks back ??

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I feel so lucky in that in our area I have rarely had a problem with other people's dogs and so far never a serious one although I do know of others who have. I did used to meet a neighbour and his terrier who was a bit undisciplined and was always loose. It grabbed my old boy by the hair round his throat once and my reflexes took over, I walloped it with my lead, only a soft one so didn't hurt but the look of shock on that dog's face was priceless. My boy was the least aggressive dog you could wish to meet and I wasn't having him upset by that little horror. The owner tended to avoid me after that thankfully.
How about one of these to try to make your point.

 

[Karran]

Poor Mrs Spaniel has been bowled over twice this week by two different Cane Corso types. She was SCREAMING! Miss Collie utterly furious with their behaviour and told them off promptly. I got into a screaming match last summer when Miss C was still on the long line with someone who allowed their Weimaraner to bound up to her. I used the "She's infectious" line and got a mouthful of abuse for bringing her to the park and potentially infecting their dog who tried to mount mine.
There was an incident in a local park that made the local FB pages where a idiot woman let her whippet pup bound up to a woman with a large dog being walked on two leads, despite the woman shouting that hers wasn't friendly and to recall the whippet. Sadly the whippet ended up in vets and the facebook page was full of people sympathising with Whippets Owner as it was "being a pup/normal dog and being friendly" and saying that people shouldn't be allowed to have dogs they can't control and abusing the large dogs owner which made my head hurt a lot.

 

[blackcob]

How about one of these to try to make your point.

I have thought about using something along those lines but IME they work brilliantly at places like agility shows where everyone's under close control and you're surrounded by 'dog people' who know what they mean, but if a dog is far away from their owner and can't be recalled in any case then it makes no difference. Certainly yesterday's bloke never got close enough to have read a tabard, never mind a lead sleeve or harness or owt, even if he had been able to call his dog off.

Went out at lunch time today and there was an enormous dog crap on the end of my driveway, I'm not sure what I have done to piss off the universe this week. ?

Pondering a bit more on things now I've calmed down. There's been similar discussions on other forums in the last few weeks where there was almost a 50/50 split between people who have similar 'ready for battle' experiences and some posters who say that everyone should stop being so uptight, let dogs be dogs, they will sort it out between themselves, it's healthy for groups of strange dogs to mix and play etc. The one time I unclench a fraction and don't immediately put him on the lead for a dog way off in the distance, look where it ends up. If I err on the side SD describes of assuming other dog owners are incompetent idiots it's definitely due to experience, not out of being overly precious.

 

[skinnydipper]

....

 

[palo1]

Yesterday, for the first time in well over a year I had to take Red Irish Terrier somewhere 'public' as I had to travel for work. On the way home from work I stopped at a country park (woodland type!) and walked him there - on and off the lead. I was really, really careful as there several other people walking their dogs on the pathways. Red's recall is pretty good but I certainly didn't want to chance a mistake in that location with unknown dogs so at times where it was busier I put him on the lead. All was good and we had a happy time. Red was thrilled to go somewhere with so many places to pee and sniff other dogs!! Just as we were walking down one woodland path back to the car we saw an elderly lady wallking her JRT on a long extendable lead. I put Red on his lead but for some reason this JRT was really, really exciting. So I stopped a distance away and just held him (holding the lead and his body, turned away from the JRT slightly and trying to get him to look at what was in my pocket). I could have kept walking or turned and walked in a different direction but it didn't seem a biggie tbh. I don't generally want my dogs engaging at all with strange dogs tbh.
However this small elderly lady let her JRT come sooooooo close to us, smiling and not even remotely trying to shorten the flipping extendable lead, at which point Red was whining and straining to get to the dog. I hung on, not really acknowledging the woman and working rather hard to keep Red's attention on me. When I was able to move on, Red stopped focussing on this very exciting terrier and I was pretty impressed with that!

How on earth did this woman know that :-

1. Red isn't a 'difficult/aggressive/anti-social' dog that I was restraining for her dog's safety?

2. Why did she think it ok to let her very long lead and JRT approach a dog very closely (within 2 feet..) that was clearly being deliberately restrained and turned away from her?

3. Do you think she wouldn't have minded if my 21 inch and 22 kg dog had hurtled enthusiastically towards her/her dog and bowled one or both over? (possible but preventable I would hope but I am cautious tbh!!)

4. Is it normal practice to keep an extendable lead very long when you are walking in a public place?

I am lucky that we never usually need to go anywhere public but is this really kind of normal? I was a bit boggled tbh though most of the other dogs I saw were really well walked imo.

 

[skinnydipper]

4. Is it normal practice to keep an extendable lead very long when you are walking in a public place?

Most definitely. Especially on pavements where the dog can run 10m into the road. And, always popular with other dog walkers, allowing the lead to wrap round the other dog walker's legs or, worse still, round the other person's dog's legs

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Most dog owners I meet who uses extendable leads, both knows that there is a stop button on it, and how to use it. It's a bit strange though, because after I've met someone who didn't seem to know that their extendable lead had a stop button, I often seem to meet a few more within the following weeks. So it's like they come in clusters.
But fortunately, and thankfully, I think it's actually some years now since I last met a dog owner with it, who didn't use it in a sensible way.

**Hope I haven't jinxed myself by saying this*