I'm turning into Victor Meldrew!!

[deb_l222]

And you know how he ended up......

It's always irritated me when I'm joined on walks by random dogs but just recently I've taken to having a proper hissy fit at the owners. Think I may need anger management before someone finds my body in a shallow grave in the woods.

Rufus has always been rubbish with other dogs. He's got a reactive temperament and tends to act first, think later. The solution, just bob him on his lead when we see another dog and life is grand. All fine and dandy until a strange dog starts bouncing in his face. He doesn't 'have a go' when he's on his lead but it's annoying when it's slippy and muddy and you have someone else's dog jumping about in front of you.

This morning I could see this particular pooch making a beeline for us. It crossed a 40 acre field to join us, with the owners shouting and whistling miles behind. I carried on walking, Rufus on lead, Button following (off lead) and random dog bouncing about between the two of them. Owners eventually caught up and I didn't say a word until he shouted "well, it would help if you stood still".

Hmmm red rag to a bull springs to mind and I went off on one about why should I be responsible for his out of control dog and would he like me to catch it for him (I've done that before now with a staffie). In the old days, I would have just put it down to experience and muttered stuff about hopeless dog owners but I'm definitely getting more 'gobby' in my old age.

Pointless post really as nothing will change. I may need to take up chamomile tea however or pick my final resting place in the woods!!

 

[PorkChop]

Glad its not just me I went through a phase of googling passive aggressive - husband said there is nothing passive about it

I am so bored with other peoples dogs not having a recall, I only go to remote places

Same thing happens when I am riding, then the lovely dog owner gets the humph with me when I "shoo" the dog away - aaarrggghhh.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Oh yes, I had one that ran across a huge field and squeezed itself under sheep fencing to the laneway where I was walking, so it could stick it's nose up my dog's backside. Mummy was half a mile away, being roundly ignored as she called his name.

Also see: dog in a down stay getting jumped on, dog minding his own business having a poo when angry muzzled dog comes up barking and head butting him.

A well placed OIIIIIIIIII! at the top of my lungs seems to do the trick these days, followed by a 'YOU'RE WELCOME!' to the unapologetic owners.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I had similar at the weekend. I was on land that I rent-it's stock fenced. Old setter likes a bit of a play with others but isnt up to very boisterous young dogs.

Dog from up the road jumped out of garden and then into my field. Only sign of owners was a rather pathetic shout coming from their garden. Young dog was ok but wouldnt leave us alone-it went off and I started back and then it followed us and I wasnt sure whether to take it back towards their house or not. I did in the end and shouted if they'd like their dog back. Got shouted back 'yes, but I've got no clothes on!' (girl) from their back door-bearing in mind I am still a good 500 yards away and across two fences and a large burn.

I am past the age whereby I try and handle strange dogs after I was attacked by an EBT in Edinburgh (which I wasn't trying to handle, I was just walking past). Eventually she came out and got him back but it took her forever.
I was going to get shirty but it was a young setter lol. I do remember what mine was like!

 

[twiggy2]

Many moons ago my (then) husband myself and the kids were walking on the south Downs when a black lab appears over the brow of the hill behind us, bouncing all over the place and saying hello to all of us including our 2 dogs, the calling of the very well spoken owner had the kids falling all over the place as the was calling 'Berkley Berkley come here you damned dog', the adults in the party managed to keep straight faces whilst we waited a good few minutes for the owner to appear and get hold of her dog, the lady apologised and we went on our way within about 30 seconds the dog was back more excited than before and this time trying to get hold of my husbands walking pole, my husband was not very clued up with dogs and his reaction had myself and the kids falling about as we carried on on our way-I will always stop and halt proceedings amongst my group for an oafish dog to be caught but I wont do it again a second time on the same walk if the owner is daft enough to let the dog loose again. It took the lady about 30 mins to get hold of the dog a second time and she said the reason she let go of it again is because he was too strong for her-my reply 'get someone else to walk him'
I am an old grouch too

 

[Indy]

I've got two collies who when they see other dogs tend to drop to the floor and stare them out. They don't move unless the other dog is off the lead and runs up to them then it's fair game as far as they're concerned. One day there was a woman walking 3 or 4 dogs - big dogs they were and my two did their usual on the floor not moving and staring. She had a right go at me for not putting them on their leads and claimed that they were sending negative energy towards her dogs. Her dogs were completely unperturbed about being stared at but she was a proper twonk and for once in my life I was completely struck dumb.

 

[planete]

I am very lucky. I have two bitches who can be reactive when on leads if a loose dog runs at us. If this happens I just let my male lurcher, who has been well socialised since a young pup, intercept the incoming dog. He is totally non aggressive but puts himself between the incoming dog and us, shouldering them off course and accompanying them a short way back towards their owner if necessary. As he is also faster then most dogs we meet, it has worked a treat so far but I would not let him do it if I lived anywhere with really aggressive asbo dogs and owners.