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 🙄
 
CorvusCorax said:
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.
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Don't be so sure! (See 'Incident 3' below)

This is going to be a long outpouring of several incidents over several months that I've been saving up! :) Tonight's the night to rant! 🤣

Incident 1
Driving through my village - cars parked either side of road with room for one car only down the middle. Way ahead of me, a guy steps out between two parked cars and crosses the road. No problem. I carry on. Then, as I am just about parallel to him, I realise that he is holding a flexi lead which extends back across the road and that the dog is on the other side of the road to him!

Incident 2
One of my dogs has recently had to have very expensive surgery at the Willows on his neck. He is currently on 3 x 10 mins lead walks a day. He wears a soft cone. You would think that a 'safe' place to walk him would be on the pavements around the village, yes? WRONG! :mad: We seem to be populated with arrogant entitled eejits that think they are above the law and allowed to walk their dogs off lead on the pavements. Not only that but they can't stop their bXXXXy mutt running up to accost mine either - you would think that the cone may give them a clue to keep away/exercise caution. They then get arsey when I apply my boot or stick to the nether regions of their mutt.

Incident 3
Driving down a local single track road with passing places, high banks and hedgerows either side, so poor visibility. Also, bends and up a hill. Catch a glimpse of something moving in my peripheral vision to my right. Next thing I know is a golden retriever jumping over my bonnet and shooting down the side of my vehicle, retrieving a ball and then legging it back up the hill to where there was a XXXX bloke stood with a XXXXXX ball chucker.

I despair! Do we really need to introduce an IQ test prior to anyone owning a dog?
 
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Just to prove I'm not a terrible person who owns a monster that shouldn't be out in public, just now on a straight bit of the same path, see lights approaching, eyes reflected in my head torch and a green flashing collar. I do my prep and call out 'HIya, sorry, this might be noisy, I wasn't expecting anyone else to be mad enough to be out, HAHAHA'.
Dog and person mind their own business and pass by. A bit of frustrated struggling from my end but no barking or noise.
This was the experience the puppy could and should have had the other day
 
I never ever have my dogs in the waiting room at the vets... except this morning because I knew I was the last appointment and there'd only be one dog due to come out. Well, that dog was allowed to veer at the full extent of its lead into my dog's space (on my lap!). Predictably and reasonably he growls, I pointedly get up and move seats. Owner follows me across the waiting room, arm outstretched, to let it do it again. I ended up handbagging mine under my arm and standing behind the reception desk to keep it between us and the dog, while the receptionist pissed herself laughing at my expression (good job I used to work there and she knows I'm not a complete nutter...)
 
Nah the receptionist is a good egg and knows she doesn't have to intervene for me, I'd got it handled. Remember I did that job for years, I was the dragon behind the desk who'd hand over a mop so people could clean up their own dog's piss. 😏

There's a reason I am no longer client facing. And I needed the reminder to always leave the dog in the car, even the small tolerant one.
 
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