Irresponsible Owners

Titchy Reindeer said:
I find many puppy owners are oblivious to the dangers their puppy is risking.

At dog club, I tend to work one of my dogs (which depends on the week, but all three have joined at least once) in the big puppy class (roughly 6 to 10 months old - variable depending on size and maturity) as I'm busy teaching during the adult dog class. I'm amazed at the number of people who are busy having a chin wag and have no clue what their puppy is up to even at the end of its shortish lead. I got a bit sharp with one woman because she was letting (through inattention) her rather large and boisterous golden retriever puppy pester a dog that had been tied up to a tying point while its owner sorted out the paperwork and the poor dog was showing all the signs of having had enough. I told her once, the puppy was at it again. I told her twice. She then let her puppy get in Liberty's face, so I got even sharper. On another occasion, same owner got an ear hole full from the treasurer after she'd let the golden go up to the treasurer's papillon. Treasurer not impressed at having to fend of a large puppy from her tiny dog.
People also let their puppies approach others in lessons despite being told not too and being warned to be especially careful of certain dogs (mine!). Once case that really floored me was the man with the tiny chihuahua, that was merrily letting it go up to pretty much any dog. It was so tiny that one snap from Monster would have finished it off. I can't comprehend how the owner couldn't see the danger to his tiny pup.
I've got pretty good with all the stock phrases at dog club: "Give us space", "you're too close", "watch your dog", "move away, now!". I also regularly give a speech at the end of class (with the teacher in charge's permission) about exactly what you said, CC, keep your innocent puppies innocent as long as you can. It doesn't appear to sink in, the careful owners are still careful, the away with the fairies owners are still away with the fairies and still don't have a clue what their dog is up to less than 2m from them
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I know you can't protect them forever (and I appreciate that is part of my own problem which I have created) but there is a guy at my club with a huge Dobe and people let their small fluffy dogs run up to him all the time, which again, has caused issues. I don't know why, if you had a dog you even slightly liked, you would let it run over to a large Doberman that you didn't know, which was on a leash. One wouldn't (I hope) let it run over to a moving car, or an operational chainsaw, etc etc.
 
Titchy Reindeer said:
I find many puppy owners are oblivious to the dangers their puppy is risking.

At dog club, I tend to work one of my dogs (which depends on the week, but all three have joined at least once) in the big puppy class (roughly 6 to 10 months old - variable depending on size and maturity) as I'm busy teaching during the adult dog class. I'm amazed at the number of people who are busy having a chin wag and have no clue what their puppy is up to even at the end of its shortish lead. I got a bit sharp with one woman because she was letting (through inattention) her rather large and boisterous golden retriever puppy pester a dog that had been tied up to a tying point while its owner sorted out the paperwork and the poor dog was showing all the signs of having had enough. I told her once, the puppy was at it again. I told her twice. She then let her puppy get in Liberty's face, so I got even sharper. On another occasion, same owner got an ear hole full from the treasurer after she'd let the golden go up to the treasurer's papillon. Treasurer not impressed at having to fend of a large puppy from her tiny dog.
People also let their puppies approach others in lessons despite being told not too and being warned to be especially careful of certain dogs (mine!). Once case that really floored me was the man with the tiny chihuahua, that was merrily letting it go up to pretty much any dog. It was so tiny that one snap from Monster would have finished it off. I can't comprehend how the owner couldn't see the danger to his tiny pup.
I've got pretty good with all the stock phrases at dog club: "Give us space", "you're too close", "watch your dog", "move away, now!". I also regularly give a speech at the end of class (with the teacher in charge's permission) about exactly what you said, CC, keep your innocent puppies innocent as long as you can. It doesn't appear to sink in, the careful owners are still careful, the away with the fairies owners are still away with the fairies and still don't have a clue what their dog is up to less than 2m from them
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It's always the (amateur) golden retriever people (or the doodlers). Because their breed is known to be jovial and friendly, and because they are conditioned to think everyone finds their dog cute, they don't seem to realise the issue. You don't seem to get the same level of complacency from other large dog owners, like the Alsatian owners, Rottie owners etc.
 
CorvusCorax said:
I met a Lab owner the other day and as we both readied ourselves (his dog was very waggy and dragging him towards mine, who had ears like radar dishes, hackles up like a toilet brush and scorpion tail), he said that his dog 'can't read the room'. Never a truer word spoken :p
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Meanwhile I have one who can absolutely read the room, but is pretty sure he can convince everyone to be friends with him anyway 🙄
 
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