Dog Walking *Rant*

[Third Opinion]

Some people would ban everything, ever...

I think you have more to fear from dog owners than the dogs themselves.

Agreed I am seeing a very different side.

My afternoon in a secluded area of a park with my dog and two children has been seen on here by some very differently.

I was out with a dog that has been likened to a Pit Bull Terrier, which I had no control of at all. I was totally unreasonable being in a park with my dog and should keep it muzzled and on a three foot piece of lead at all times. I can't be a good father and trust my pet in fact I better barricade us in our rooms at night in case the family pet turns into a monster and mauls us in our sleep.

I can now see where the hysteria comes from.

 

[MNuTz]

Completely agree. That attitude is very irresponsible. We used to have a collie/german shepard cross and was the softest most playfull thing ever, in fact i could describe her exactly as you have yours. However, if you tried to grab its food, or blew in her ear, then she would snap. Now, a child doesn't know that, especially strangers, so if you let your dog go up to them, and they provoke it, then it can attack. As a responsible dog owner, you should know that.

As you say, your dog is loving around YOU, and YOU trust it and no doubt it trusts YOU, but what about STRANGERS who [unintentionally] provoke it?

I would never own a dog that you couldnt take its food from, i see that as a precursor to something more dangerous down the line. Both of my dogs wait until they are told they can have their food and then i can remove it from them while they are eating.

If a dog in my house will go for anyone it will be me, i tug ears, pull tails, i annoy the hell out of them, and they take it. Family, friends, children and workmen we have had around the house. they are fine with all of them. I do everything to my dogs that a toddler would do, its the only way to be sure of the dogs boundaries and to tell you what you have to work on.

You cant describe it exactly as i have mine due to the the fact you then state it 'snapped' when you did certain things. If it snapped then it isnt totally playful and friendly and it means that it could snap at others.

 

[Beansprout]

Apology was made but then she gave me that old China about her country and it's laws. To be honest I wish she would get on the next boat and return there.

You took what she said completely the wrong way. Her point was that "I can see it's not a Good Idea, why can't you?!"

Drop the silly + defensive "go home" crap because it's irrelevant.

 

[Samtheman1k]

You cant describe it exactly as i have mine due to the the fact you then state it 'snapped' when you did certain things. If it snapped then it isnt totally playful and friendly and it means that it could snap at others.

So are you saying that if I came round to yours, then there is absolutely 100% no way that I could get your dog to snap?

 

[dustiestrat]

So are you saying that if I came round to yours, then there is absolutely 100% no way that I could get your dog to snap?

steve erwin accent "watch as stick my finger in its ass make it real angry"

 

[Wang Computer]

Completely agree. That attitude is very irresponsible. We used to have a collie/german shepard cross and was the softest most playfull thing ever, in fact i could describe her exactly as you have yours. However, if you tried to grab its food, or blew in her ear, then she would snap. Now, a child doesn't know that, especially strangers, so if you let your dog go up to them, and they provoke it, then it can attack. As a responsible dog owner, you should know that.

As you say, your dog is loving around YOU, and YOU trust it and no doubt it trusts YOU, but what about STRANGERS who [unintentionally] provoke it?

Both Border Collies and German Shepherds are fairly aggressive breeds. Of course you did the responsible thing by not allowing her to be in the sort of situation where she could potentially harm someone. However, to suggest that all dogs should be treated in this way is just wrong, in my opinion. Surely a good appreciation and judgment of a dog's temperament, behaviour and breed is the more sensible and moderate attitude to take... For instance, I know my Chocolate Labrador is perfectly safe around any person. She routinely tolerates my year old nephew pulling her whiskers and generally annoying her. Not once would she react. I do, on the other hand, keep her on a lead when I encounter children on walks. Not because they have anything to fear, but purely because of the often hysterical reactions I’ve had from busy-body mothers in the past. Shame really as quite often the children are very interested in petting her… Luckily I live in the country where finding dog walking areas is easy.

 

[MNuTz]

So are you saying that if I came round to yours, then there is absolutely 100% no way that I could get your dog to snap?

If you came around and did the kind of stuff a toddler did or other rough and tumble then no they wouldnt snap, if you beat them then the older one would cower and try to get away and the newer dog will bark at you. However, if you beat my dogs its not them you have to watch out for, its me!

Anyone that tries to provoke an attack should be beaten with a stick until dead.

Although, using violence to provoke and attack is not what this thread is about. this is about dogs that could attack when off a lead doing every day stuff.

Im sure your a nice guy, your trusted to go out in public without randomly attacking people. However, if someone came up to you and hit you then no one would blame you for hitting back! Same with dogs.

Except you will never hear someone that has been attacking saying "well yeah, there i was poking it in the eye and kicking it when all of a sudden, for no reason it attacked me!". Its always, it just came out fo nowhere, i wasnt doing anything wrong!

 

[MNuTz]

Both Border Collies and German Shepherds are fairly aggressive breeds. Of course you did the responsible thing by not allowing her to be in the sort of situation where she could potentially harm someone. However, to suggest that all dogs should be treated in this way is just wrong, in my opinion. Surely a good appreciation and judgment of a dog's temperament, behaviour and breed is the more sensible and moderate attitude to take... For instance, I know my Chocolate Labrador is perfectly safe around any person. She routinely tolerates my year old nephew pulling her whiskers and generally annoying her. Not once would she react. I do, on the other hand, keep her on a lead when I encounter children on walks. Not because they have anything to fear, but purely because of the often hysterical reactions I’ve had from busy-body mothers in the past. Shame really as quite often the children are very interested in petting her… Luckily I live in the country where finding dog walking areas is easy.

Well said.

I had my new dog in the car when i went to pick my brother up from primary school. Warm day, window was down adn the dog is leaning out of the window. Every kid that walked past came over and stroked him/petted him. He was great, didnt mind a bit.

However, he was still on his choke chain and i had the other end, there was no way he could have got out of the car. Yet, even when other dogs went past he was fine.

 

[Samtheman1k]

However, if someone came up to you and hit you then no one would blame you for hitting back! Same with dogs.

Well I think that sums it up nicely. A child may do that, whether intentionally or not.

 

[porkrind]

She had a foreign accent (European of some kind) and kept telling me in her country this would be illegal and that I would not be able to keep a dog like this. .

They Come here and expect to live my their rules .

GET REAL YOU STUPID ***** This isn't madness this is ENGLANDDDDDD!

 

[MNuTz]

Well I think that sums it up nicely. A child may do that, whether intentionally or not.

A child has not got the strength to 'attack' a dog like a man has, a dog would see that as playing. My dogs enjoy a good hard patting on their backs or heads, a childs 'hit' would feel no different.

Trying to use my own words against me is not going to work.

 

[Samtheman1k]

A child has not got the strength to 'attack' a dog like a man has, a dog would see that as playing. My dogs enjoy a good hard patting on their backs or heads, a childs 'hit' would feel no different.

So what if the child poked it in the eye? Or blew in its ear? Or tried to pull its tongue out? Or shoved a pencil up its nose? Or squeezed its nuts? Or tickled those hairs between its paws? All those playful things that children do...

 

[wordy]

A few months ago I took in a rescue Boxer dog. She is really lovely and very gentle. She had grown up around very small children and is excellent with them. She also loves people and is excellent with other dogs. I have children and although keep a close eye on her for sometime I deep down completely trust her.

Good for you getting a rescue dog

What she hadn't been is trained very well. She had never been taken for a walk and not used to being on a lead. She is however very obedient when called and sits down when told. I have now trained her on the lead and she is getting better and better when out.

If she is still going through obedience training maybe it would have been safer all round to keep her on the lead

The other day I took her to the park with my children. They were having great fun throwing the ball for her etc. We were in a quite isolated part of the park. Anyway a lady came along with her children walking fairly close to us. The dog being interested ran over to her stopped and had a quick look and ran off. This women went absolutely nuts and started screaming and waving her hands in the air. I could see the dog hadn't touched her but went over to investigate and told one of my children to put the dog on the lead.

Theres not harm in having your dog off the lead when in an an isolated area, but when you noticed people approaching you maybe a it would be an idea to recall it and get it on a lead, the dog would then be fully under control, and you would not have to rely on a verbal recall working

While your dog was only being nosey and not interested in making a fuss around them it could very well have jumped up at her or her kids and while you know he's not people aggressive she doesn't know that.

Maybe this woman is afraid of dogs, while she may never have been attacked by one she may genuinely does not like them. The same way some people don't like spiders.

When I got there she went totally nuts at me saying why wasn't the dog on a lead and how dangerous they can be round children. I tried to explain to her the dog was use to children and people and certainly not dangerous. She had a foreign accent (European of some kind) and kept telling me in her country this would be illegal and that I would not be able to keep a dog like this. In a fit of temper I told her she was not in her country now so tough and turned around and left.

As unfortunate events have proven in the past dogs can be deadly around children and very dangerous around adults. While your dog is probably great around kids she didn't know this as it was running towards her.

Maybe she was being over dramatic and going on about her country having better laws is a surefire way to get local peoples backs up. But again maybe she is scared of dogs,

Got the kids and we returned to the car only to have a park keeper chasing after me shouting. I stopped and talked to him and he told me I was not welcome back in the park unless the dog was leashed at all times due to a complaint made. I am furious and may write to the council.

People have more rights than dogs here and while it sounds that the warden took her complaints at face value and didn't hear your side of the story, it probalby wouldn't have carried much weight either and complaining to the council probably won't reverse the decision.

I Make this post as a dog lover myself and have grown up with a beautiful golden Lab. I also pplan on getting an Akita next and am doing a lot of reading into the breed at the moment

 

[ferretmaster]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I would shoot a Boxer if it came running up to me in the park if it was legal.

 

[Third Opinion]

I would shoot a Boxer if it came running up to me in the park if it was legal.

And people say dogs can be dangerous.

 

[MNuTz]

So what if the child poked it in the eye? Or blew in its ear? Or tried to pull its tongue out? Or shoved a pencil up its nose? Or squeezed its nuts? Or tickled those hairs between its paws? All those playful things that children do...

not a problem mate, neither dog has nuts for a start as they have both been and had them removed. Whenever they are licking me a grab their tongues and hold them, the missus is always trimming the hairs between their paws and i always blow in their faces or ears.

As for the rest they would act the same, either see it as playing or run off and hide. If you blow in my older dogs face he lies down and puts his paws over his face so you cant do it again. They are very tolerant dogs, i make sure they are by annoying the hell out of them all the time Its the only way i can be sure that they will be ok with it, like i said, id rather it be me a dog goes for then a kid.

What you have to remember is that in the news you hear of dog attacks, they dont happen all the time but when they do they are all over the papers etc. What you dont see is the thousands of meetings each day between dogs and humans that are paeceful.

Hundreds of thousands of dogs go their entire lives without attacking anyone. There are a handful that do, and i bet you that 100% of the time its due to how a human has treated it at some point in its life!

And people say dogs can be dangerous.

thats not dangerous, thats just plain idiotic and post that is being used to try and add fuel to the fire.

If a boxer came running uptowards me in the park, it wouldnt bother me, in fact i would probably end up rolling around on the grass with it

 

[ferretmaster]

hmmmmmmmmmm

And people say dogs can be dangerous.

Rather that than the chance of been savaged to death. Also the dog was out of anyones control.

Dogs out of control in a public place

If a dog is dangerously out of control in a public place - then the owner or the person in charge of the dog is guilty of an offence, or, if the dog while so out of control injures any person, an aggravated offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. In proceedings against a person who is the owner of a dog but at the material time was not in charge of it, it should be a defence for the accused to prove that the dog was at the material time in the charge of a person whom he reasonably believed to be a fit and proper person to be in charge of it.

Section 10(2) of the 1991 Act defines a public place as meaning any street, road or other place to which the public have, or are permitted to have access. This is a wide definition of a public place and one which specifically includes the common parts of a building containing two or more dwellings. It is intended to cover, for instance, those parts of a block of flats where, although there may be a secure front entry door so that the interior of the flat is not a place to which the public has unrestricted access, nevertheless the common parts are, in all other respects, a public place.

A person found guilty of an offence may face imprisonment or a fine, and the courts may disqualify the offender from having custody of a dog for any period.

 

[Third Opinion]

Good for you getting a rescue dog


Maybe this woman is afraid of dogs, while she may never have been attacked by one she may genuinely does not like them. The same way some people don't like spiders.

Then why approach me?????

People who don't like spiders generally avoid them. She wasn't on a foot path she chose to walk right up to the area we were in. She could have easily have walked about another 30 yards out and the dog would have ignored her. It only became interested because she CHOSE to walk straight through the middle of the tiny area of the huge park we occupied. Then went ape about the dog. Blimey it was like walking through the middle of a football match and then complaining you are scared of being hit by the ball.

I appreciate people not liking dogs so why do they walk smack bang into them?

 

[MNuTz]

I would shoot a Boxer if it came running up to me in the park if it was legal.

So if a jogger comes running towards you are you going to beat them to death with your pocket keyboard just in case they are trying to mug you??

Rather that than the chance of been savaged to death. Also the dog was out of anyones control.

Also, in your quote of the dangerous dogs act, it states that if a dog was out of control. The OPs dog was not out of control. It was under voice control and in plain site of the owner.

 

[Third Opinion]

Rather that than the chance of been savaged to death. Also the dog was out of anyones control.

It's a dog not a wild big cat. You quote a dangerously out of control act. The dog looked, wagged its tail and ran off.