Don't know what I would do with a nasty dog.

[cazza]

We were walking ours a few weeks ago and they were happily running around and we met a couple of ramblers who said "wasps on strings - get a labrador"  How rude! The really annoying thing is when you come up with all the clever retorts an hour after the moment has passed 

  Get a labrador  sorry that made me laugh - wonder what they would have thought if they had met me with a cocker and a lab

On the dalmation front tho - I know of some fabby ones and also one that is awful, but then again I think alot of it is the owners

[johndoran]

Get a Labrador, yes that is quite funny. Bonnie Boo has met all sorts of dogs on our walks. Staffies, GSD, Rottweiler's, American bull dogs, dobermans you name it, pretty well all of the breeds people tend to worry about. The only dog that has had a serious nasty go at her was a Labrador

[smartietopdog]

'........they don't have a brain cell between them.'

He might have a point there 

We were walking ours a few weeks ago and they were happily running around and we met a couple of ramblers who said "wasps on strings - get a labrador"  How rude! The really annoying thing is when you come up with all the clever retorts an hour after the moment has passed 

I was going to say that!! Cockers can be a little, how shall I put it, um, intellectually challenged, sometimes!! Just me then!!!
I don't personally like terriers, but that doesn't give me the right to go round giving everyone who choses to own one, my opinion.
It does just sound as if the bloke was getting at you, to cover his own dogs behaviour. Try not to dwell, the world is full of p****s, you did nothing wrong

[ClareB]

It can be very stressful walking an aggressive dog, and yes, it can take the pleasure out of walking them.  But, they need walking the same as any other dog and it shouldn't be too much of an issue if they're under control. 

My last Cocker was fear aggressive due to lack of socialisation as a pup, but he still needed to be walked.  He was always walked on a Flexi and Halti and we avoided the most popular walking areas, or chose open places where we could always see what was coming and could change direction. I have to say, the most stressful thing was other dogs running up to him while their owners tell you they just want to play!  The worst situation was when we were road walking and a young Lab was being walked off-lead straight towards us. I crossed the road to avoid them, and the owner promptly had a go at me because his puppy might have run across the road to see us! 

No-one wants an aggressive dog, but if you've got one you have to manage the situation as best you can.  Problems arise when irresponsible people own them, or they're in denial about their dogs having a problem!

[Emilyoliver]

I often have to ask myself why people like this man with the dals (and the ramblers) waste so much energy on being unpleasant. 

[Sarah.H]

I'd say that nowadays 95% of his reactions are caused by other owners and their dogs, either other dogs not noticing Billy's "stay away" signals ( he will look away, then he will freeze, then he will growl and then he will launch/snap)  or other owners allowing their dogs to come bounding over too close to Billy. It's not deliberate I know, but some people just don't realise that if a dog is on lead it' usually for a reason.

Couldnt agree more

I walk with a friend who owned a very elderly dog. He was deaf and mostly blind and as a result his confidence off lead plummitted ad he became dog aggressive. I was horrified at the number of dogs that came up to him despite him giving off every calming signal there was. Meanwhile the owners would slow amble up behind with comment such as "oh do you not like other dogs?" whilest their dog continues to bounce in his face. Im surprised my friend held her tongue. My thoughts were "yes so can you please take your (insert swear word here) dog away"

I always think leaded dogs either
1)have something contagious - such as kennel cough
2) are in season
3) are dog aggressive
4)are post operative
5)have poor recall

So out of the 5 options theres only the poor recall dogs that arent going to mind my dog fussing round. Odds are the owners and the other dog isnt going over, so I call them away and lead them while we go past. If the owner wants to socialise their dog they will often stop and chat.

Well said.  Someone I had one to one training sessions with described dog socialisation (from the owners responsibilities) like a person going to the pub, they wouldn't run up to everyone they met and give them a hug and a kiss on the lips and keep on doing that for the whole night  . I think what got my back up a bit about this thread (and I know it's not intentional) is the word 'nasty'. Dogs react they way they do for a multitude of reasons but not because they are nasty.

[Black Red + Yellow]

My Finn is one of those dogs who can be unpredictable.......and his unpredicatable side comes out when?........................owners of uncontrollable dogs that let their dogs run 500 yards over to the other side of the park and jump all over him..............so who is in the wrong?  Finn for telling the dog to bog off or the owner?    Personally I believe this to be the owner who has allowed their dog to be too far away from them and therefore, at the end of the day, they are not fully in control of their dog because they can't even see them

I agree with other posters on how there is such a luck of understanding when a dog has some issues......the owners who've let their dog charge over will often say 'oo are you grumpy?' to Finn.......so I often reply....can I ask you how you would like it if I ran straight at you, charged into your legs, jumped on your back, hung off your ear and generally roughed you up?....................guess who has a red face

Dogs are dogs but it is up to us to reach them to respect each other's personal spaces

[Lily Freya]

My dogs were not far from me, nor were they invading the space of the other dogs.   If that had been the case, I would have totally understood the dogs' reaction, especially as they were on lead.  I am not quite that insensitive.  Although I do know that other people can be.

I just felt so sorry for the dogs, and for the man a bit................and it just left me wondering what on earth I would do, or how i would cope given the same problem.  I am sure I would manage in one way or another, as I care about each and every one of my dogs very much.  You can't just abandon a dog because it has a problem.  I just wondered how I would cope, and I have had that answered in this thread.  Thank you everyone for your replies.

[saffysmum]

Why do we have this situation nowadays?  I remember when dogs got to roam during the day when your dad went to work and they would meet other dogs and sometimes they got on, sometimes they didn't.  A dog fight was not the end of the world and sometimes taught your dog some manners for meeting a dog the next time.  Dogs were never on a lead - at all- ever!  If fact, I don't even remember our dog having a lead. 

So why nowadays are we putting up with dogs which are biting children and aggressive to each other?  I don't think dogs like this have a place in modern society and I would PTS an aggressive dog and if fact have done. 

[ClareB]

Hi Lily Freya

Sorry if you thought I was having a dig at you, it wasn't what I meant at all!  The point of my post was really to confirm that it isn't pleasant to own a "nasty" dog, but if you did, you'd learn to cope and be responsible about it. 

I totally agree that the Dally owner was out of order, there are too many people with unpleasant dogs who aren't as considerate as the majority. 

I agree Saffysmum; some dogs really shouldn't be alive and if I thought one of my dogs was really dangerous, I wouldn't hesitate in having it pts. Barney was only aggressive to dogs he didn't know and in fact had many doggy friends that we saw regularly.  He was completely reliable with people, children and other pets. 

[Lily Freya]

Hi Lily Freya

Sorry if you thought I was having a dig at you, it wasn't what I meant at all!  The point of my post was really to confirm that it isn't pleasant to own a "nasty" dog, but if you did, you'd learn to cope and be responsible about it. 

I totally agree that the Dally owner was out of order, there are too many people with unpleasant dogs who aren't as considerate as the majority. 

I agree Saffysmum; some dogs really shouldn't be alive and if I thought one of my dogs was really dangerous, I wouldn't hesitate in having it pts. Barney was only aggressive to dogs he didn't know and in fact had many doggy friends that we saw regularly.  He was completely reliable with people, children and other pets. 

Well at least he was lucky in that he had someone who loved him enough to cope with his problem and to take all the necessary precautions to help him. 

No..........I didn't think you were having a go at all.  I really love that you get honest opinions on this site, and that you can get answers to your questions.  I have been thinking about the situation of the dogs, and the man since it happened.  I am one of those who always tries to put myself in that same position in order to try to understand...............Just didn't know what I would have done in his place.  I condemned him for thrashing out at his dogs.........but, maybe it was his only way of getting control....don't know!!!

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

My Finn is one of those dogs who can be unpredictable.......and his unpredicatable side comes out when?........................owners of uncontrollable dogs that let their dogs run 500 yards over to the other side of the park and jump all over him..............so who is in the wrong?  Finn for telling the dog to bog off or the owner?    Personally I believe this to be the owner who has allowed their dog to be too far away from them and therefore, at the end of the day, they are not fully in control of their dog because they can't even see them

I agree with other posters on how there is such a luck of understanding when a dog has some issues......the owners who've let their dog charge over will often say 'oo are you grumpy?' to Finn.......so I often reply....can I ask you how you would like it if I ran straight at you, charged into your legs, jumped on your back, hung off your ear and generally roughed you up?....................guess who has a red face

Dogs are dogs but it is up to us to reach them to respect each other's personal spaces

Completley agree with this  

I have a dog that could be termed "nasty" although I know its all noise and fear.

She is completley under my control and has never ran up to another dog to start anything and will let dogs walk past her without a second glance. Well mannered dogs I can walk her with and there will be no problems at all. What she will react to is dogs invading her space and being rude.

I had the dogs out this morning and as I was coming to the brow of a hill I saw Amber stop and freeze, I immediatley called her back and put her on lead as I guessed there were a group of dogs down there (two of which attacked Amber a while ago resulting in her needing vets treatment but apparentley thats ok as they are "nice" dogs normally )

Amber is terrified of them and will bolt when she sees them so I kept her on lead while we passed and I also had Liv on lead.

All my dogs passed them by even though the other dogs ran at them   but this english bull terrier followed us  

Despite repeated requests for its owner to come and get their dog they were too busy chatting  

After a few minutes and them still not making any effort apart from the odd pathetic call Amber was frothing at the mouth, screaming and just about chocking herself she was so stressed out by this dog jumping on her and Liv who has bad joints and arthritis was also being jumped on which is very painful for her. So I booted it and told it to get lost  

That just made it leave me and it was still running around with my other dogs who were off lead and it got to the point I was leading mine up to go home and its still there while the owners gabbing and cant even see her dog. It then ran up to someone just coming into the quarry with a dog onlead and started bouncing all over that  

I was very tempted to carry on walking home and let the stupid mutt be ran over on the road but of course I didnt as i knew it wasnt the dogs fault. I called its owner again and she finally came to get her dog, i was so angry i said to her that if she couldnt control her dog she shouldnt have it off the lead   Her reply "dont blame my dog because yours has a problem with other dogs, mines just being friendly"  

i cant write what i said back to her on a family forum  

Why do we have this situation nowadays?  I remember when dogs got to roam during the day when your dad went to work and they would meet other dogs and sometimes they got on, sometimes they didn't.  A dog fight was not the end of the world and sometimes taught your dog some manners for meeting a dog the next time.  Dogs were never on a lead - at all- ever!  If fact, I don't even remember our dog having a lead.  

So why nowadays are we putting up with dogs which are biting children and aggressive to each other?  I don't think dogs like this have a place in modern society and I would PTS an aggressive dog and if fact have done.  

But some dog that have bitten children it has been completley the owners fault and COL'ers have rehomed dogs who were about to be PTS for bitting children and those dogs are completley safe when looked after properly

[Black Red + Yellow]

My dogs were not far from me, nor were they invading the space of the other dogs.   If that had been the case, I would have totally understood the dogs' reaction, especially as they were on lead.  I am not quite that insensitive.  Although I do know that other people can be.

I just felt so sorry for the dogs, and for the man a bit................and it just left me wondering what on earth I would do, or how i would cope given the same problem.  I am sure I would manage in one way or another, as I care about each and every one of my dogs very much.  You can't just abandon a dog because it has a problem.  I just wondered how I would cope, and I have had that answered in this thread.  Thank you everyone for your replies.

I wasn't having a dig either - as far as I can tell from your post, you have taught your dogs to be respectful of a situation that wasn't being handled terribly well by the other dog owner

[seaangler]

We were walking ours a few weeks ago and they were happily running around and we met a couple of ramblers who said "wasps on strings - get a labrador"  How rude! The really annoying thing is when you come up with all the clever retorts an hour after the moment has passed 

  Get a labrador  sorry that made me laugh - wonder what they would have thought if they had met me with a cocker and a lab

On the dalmation front tho - I know of some fabby ones and also one that is awful, but then again I think alot of it is the owners

Me two....lol...

[Lily Freya]

My dogs were not far from me, nor were they invading the space of the other dogs.   If that had been the case, I would have totally understood the dogs' reaction, especially as they were on lead.  I am not quite that insensitive.  Although I do know that other people can be.

I just felt so sorry for the dogs, and for the man a bit................and it just left me wondering what on earth I would do, or how i would cope given the same problem.  I am sure I would manage in one way or another, as I care about each and every one of my dogs very much.  You can't just abandon a dog because it has a problem.  I just wondered how I would cope, and I have had that answered in this thread.  Thank you everyone for your replies.

I wasn't having a dig either - as far as I can tell from your post, you have taught your dogs to be respectful of a situation that wasn't being handled terribly well by the other dog owner

No worries, honestly.  No offence at all taken.  I like to have feedback from you all.........I learn an awful lot from this site.  This time I guess I learned that there are quite a lot of people dealing with dogs that have problems because of past encounters......and they are having to deal with this, and the reaction of others towards their dogs.

As I said, I was just left wondering what on earth I would do...........or more to the point........how I would deal with it.  Because I didn't like the idea of this man having to be so fierce with his animals.