My big rant about other dog owners (labrador, biting, vet)
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I keep ours on leash because I never know what she'll find so overwhelmingly attractive that she'll ignore me...dead seagulls and fish were a problem..or in pursuit of a rabbit (that she'll never in a million years catch). So its more for her safety than that she'll bother a person or another dog. Even if your dog is friendly, not everyone wants a strange dog coming too close. If you have a biter or jumper...there's no excuse for letting them run loose.
That is why I never take her out alone off leash (my husband is the only one she will listen to 100% as 'pack leader'--I am just Mom the food feeder!). She is the same way as your dog...a bird dog (lab/pointer/maybe border collie mix). She gets a scent and she is off...will not listen to anyone...
She spayed so it's not her scent that gets these 'crazy dogs' flying to us, just curiosity. Sorry, it's not the dogs who are crazy, just the owners.
One day we were in another park (not a dog park hence your dog(s) need to leashed, right?) Well, another old couple is walking towards us with 2 unleashed dogs...one is an Airedale (or Welsh terrier--I know because I love how they look and I wanted one!!) and this little yappy dog (not sure what it was). The Airedale sniffed our dog and was okay, but the little snarly one, the old lady was trying to hold her off from attacking...
My husband WAS bitten in NY by a dog when he was jogging. Should have sued...
Please if you have a dog, get control of it or you may find yourself sued.
Can't add to the great previous responses, but would like to offer one little suggestion for the other issue (and OP happens to be in Sox Territory):
Quote:
Originally Posted by MAK802
And the NY comment? We're from the East coast and my husband speaks like a true New Yorker. Gets comments on that all the time! Hey, I'd rather be from there than anywhere else in the country! There's a reason so many people flock to that area! :-)
A hearty "Twenty Seven, Baby!" should clam 'em up just fine :
I know I may get slammed for this and I totally agree that the other owners did not behave well and didn't have their dog under control...but your dog was off leash too. I'm not sure how you can complain about other dogs being off leash when yours was as well?
I live in an apartment too so I understand the need for creative ways of exercise - not a dog park fan anymore - but I don't believe that any dog is 100% under control when off leash.
I know I may get slammed for this and I totally agree that the other owners did not behave well and didn't have their dog under control...but your dog was off leash too. I'm not sure how you can complain about other dogs being off leash when yours was as well?
I live in an apartment too so I understand the need for creative ways of exercise - not a dog park fan anymore - but I don't believe that any dog is 100% under control when off leash.
I have to agree with you on this one. I know when we first moved to Anchorage and we were in a small one bedroom apartment we would walk our 2 dogs every evening after work in a very nice park close to where we lived; we "always" kept both dogs on their leashes. For the large pit we had she was on an extended leash so we could find an empty field and just let her get some exercise (but never off the leash). Plus we took long walks which both dogs loved.
There were always joggers and those on bicycles or just walking. It was infuriating at the people who left their dogs off leashes and we would stand aside until they passed since if a dog ran up to us our dog would take that as a threat. I got sick of yelling to the owners when it appeared the dog was going to come near us "get your dog please."
Even though the OP states the dog listens to her husband; a dog is a dog and there may come a time when the dog will "not" listen and that is a chance I would not want to take, and even though a dog appears to be under control, if it is off the leash then it's just as bad as those who do the same and don't control their dog/s.
I am still livid about this...today we took our dog & son to the park. The dog has to work off steam since it has been so cold and frigid here. We were all having a good time, she was off the leash but we are always wary because of other dogs that might show up.
We always get her right on the leash as soon as we see another dog to avoid an incident. Well, out of the blue rush these 2 huge Newfoundland dogs. One starts bounding up to my husband and dog (he was trying to get her leash fastened ASAP) and then it kept running up to my son and me.
The 2 owners, an older man and his wife were ambling very slowly from the woods to us. My husband asked the guy please call off your dogs. The guy feebly tried but the dog didn't listen.
Meanwhile my dog was jumping and twisting to get away from these huge dogs bothering her. My husband was very angry and asked the guy to get his dogs but the guy started mouthing off at my husband. (bad idea).
They got into a war of words and I kept saying, just let's go...we did try to leave but the old guy started getting nasty at US--said get your ass out of here, go back to Connecticut or New York (wtf?) and kept shooing us. Bad idea.
My husband got really mad and told the guy we live here and we have EVERY right to be at the park. We're at the parking lot and the guy is still mouthing off at us. I am embarrassed and the wife of the guy is too. I say I am sorry to her but I am pissed about the NY comment....I tell the guy we live here and he starts spouting how we hate dogs.
No, I don't hate dogs. We love dogs but I hate dog owners who let their HUGE or small ,yappy dogs, or any misbehaving dog off leashes and cannot control them. My son could have been knocked over by these dogs (they are huge dogs). In addition, it is dangerous to let your dogs bother people (law suit).
If you are a dog owner, either KEEP them leashed or damn well get some training for them.
This is the third or fourth time this has happened to me...(I always have her leashed and some ass lets his or her dogs harass her even though we ask to have them call off their dogs.)
My dog is skittish thanks to other dogs...she's been rushed several times and the owners act like WE ARE IN THE WRONG...
Is it not dog courtesy to get your dogs away from someone who asks you to?
PS OLD PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE HUGE DOGS THEY CANNOT CONTROL.
Please chime in...
I agree that the other owners need to have better control of their dogs BUT you also shouldn't take your dog off-leash in a public park if you know that your dog has issues. Is this a dog park or just a regular park??? The owners may have seen your dog off leash and thought your dog was there to play. Obviously that is a bad assumption. Luckily, it sounds like the other dogs were friendly, just not disciplined.
Maybe I am passing judgement here but I also sense your dog has picked up the anxiety and skittishness from you. I have seen so many dogs with high-strung, anxious owners, invariably the dog behaves the same way.
That is why I never take her out alone off leash (my husband is the only one she will listen to 100% as 'pack leader'--I am just Mom the food feeder!).
She is the same way as your dog...a bird dog (lab/pointer/maybe border collie mix).
She gets a scent and she is off...will not listen to anyone...
She spayed so it's not her scent that gets these 'crazy dogs' flying to us, just curiosity. Sorry, it's not the dogs who are crazy, just the owners.
One day we were in another park (not a dog park hence your dog(s) need to leashed, right?) Well, another old couple is walking towards us with 2 unleashed dogs...one is an Airedale (or Welsh terrier--I know because I love how they look and I wanted one!!) and this little yappy dog (not sure what it was). The Airedale sniffed our dog and was okay, but the little snarly one, the old lady was trying to hold her off from attacking...
My husband WAS bitten in NY by a dog when he was jogging. Should have sued...
Please if you have a dog, get control of it or you may find yourself sued.
Is this the same person who started this thread???
The one who wanted to "rant about other dog owners", right?
I agree that your husband should not have gotten bitten while jogging but is sueing another dog owner always the answer?
I've said it before.....
Bringing your dog to a dog park is like playing Russian Roulette with their life.
Unfortunately, even hardcore dog lovers are ready to sue another dog owner in today's world...
but, whenTHEIR dogs are off leash -- it's somehow different.
Last edited by World Citizen; 12-31-2009 at 09:52 AM..
Both parties were in the wrong, IMHO. Unless you are able to recall your dog no matter what is going on, it should not be off leash. Too much potential for disaster. What if your dog got frightened by the other big dogs and bolted? What if your dog bolted before you could leash it and ran into traffic, or was attacked by the other dogs? What if you needed to leash your dog but it was trailing a scent and wouldn't listen, and ended up getting hurt? The old folks, certainly, were in the wrong for having their large, untrained dogs running off leash, and rude on top of it by mouthing off. But your situation probably would have been less hectic if your dog had been leashed, and it's a bit hypocritical to say "shame on you!" to other dog owners when you have admitted that there are times when your dog can not be controled when offleash (won't listen to anyone when on a scent trail...)
I do agree about ignorant owners just letting their dogs run & jump on others & taking their sweet time about getting them under control. My personal pet peeve is when people let their pooches or kids com running up to my leashed dog while I am walking her, without asking if it's ok.
I let my dog run offleash at our local dog park, but I would never let her run offleash at one of the city parks. At the dog park, I've never run into problems with other owners. They get their dogs under control quickly if there is a situation- new dog entering the park, disagreement between two dogs over a toy, ect. My own dog has an excellent recall, and I have faith in her to obey quickly and completely. If I couldn't trust her to listen to my commands, she would not even be offleash in the dog park.
You guys have a point about not letting a dog off a leash. I never do it myself, my husband does, as I said before. I do not trust the dog alone to listen to me. We only take her off briefly to run because she NEEDS to run and we always go to a very secluded place in the back (not near a road) of a park.
Did you ever see a lab who isn't exercised properly? They wind up in shelters...or chewing on walls and sofas. And yes, we walk her...she gets 2 or 3 30-40 minute walks a day plus mini-walks...
You can judge whatever you want, and I do see what you are saying but my dog has NEVER rushed anyone in 2 years. She stays with us and one of us always has the leash ready the few moments she is off. When she sees a person or dog she sits down and wags her tail, not bolts to them.
The main gripe I had was the fact when people DO have dogs in parks (dog parks, whatever) and you ask them to call them off, why do they act like WE are the nutty ones? We tried to defuse the situation yesterday yet this man was nasty to us just because we asked him to call off his 200 plus Newfoundlands...(my dog is 50 lbs). Would you like to be 'rushed' by two huge dogs? Would you like someone telling YOU to get your asses out of the park? I didn't think so.
Grrr, how annoying! Whatever happened to common courtesy anyway? Sheesh. I have to say, I would have been reacting just like your husband.
My dog has been attacked by a loose dog - although it escaped from its house and the owner was very apologetic. Ever since then, we've both been very skittish of other dogs. I make an effort to avoid even on-leash dogs.
I have no problem whatsoever yelling and threatening an off-leash dog. I love dogs, but I will kick if I think it's necessary. Any idiot like those people in your story had better round up their dogs - to protect them from me!
Which is kind of funny, 'cause I'm a petite female...but I was ready to tear that dog apart, that was trying to eat Sienna. She's my baby. Don't mess with my baby!
Dogs can often sense when you mean business, though...I was once able to keep 3 huge labs several yards away from us just by shouting and staring them down. Sienna and I were outnumbered, but I would have gone down fighting!
And I don't have a problem with off-leash dogs, as long as they can be recalled. Sienna is off leash all the time, but she doesn't rush anyone, and one word is all it takes to stop her in her tracks. She's a velcro dog. Would I do this with my parents' ACD, that likes to chase cats and harass other dogs? Not on your life.
Gypsysoul, as long as your dog was under control, I don't see any fault with your dog being off leash. Obviously the Newfys weren't under control!
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!" should clam 'em up just fine 
:
My big rant about other dog owners...
