Irresponsible owners with aggressive dogs.

[anne3149]

I am getting totally fed up with people who know their dogs are dog aggressive letting them run free or taking them to leash free parks. My dog is constantly harassed by a poodle/schnauzer cross at the leash free park. I have a Rott who is not only not aggressive but has been taught not to growl or bite to defend herself but to come to me. I have had to pull this little sod of my dogs neck twice now and I' m angry enough to give it a good kick in the butt next time. Never kicked a dog butt yet but if the owner does not do something about this awful mutt!!!!! Why don't owners of small dogs think they don't need obedience training? And again if your dog is aggressive then keep the darn thing under strict control.

[bk_blue]

Hi Anne, on another topic I posted a similar thing- the general misconception that people with small dogs don't always feel it's necessary to train them. It's the big dogs that usually get the training when they don't necessarily need it more than small dogs. I agree, if your dog is aggressive towards other dogs you have to be able to control it and letting it go off lead and harass other dogs is definitely not the answer.

I do have a success story, a heeler at our local off lead place was dog-aggressive (well, pretty unfriendly) he just got used to the other dogs gradually while on-lead and now he is just one of the off-lead gang. :)

[Carolk9s]

I take my dogs to a park area to run with other dogs also. So far (knock on wood!) no real aggression issues dog to dog.
I have to add, this is NOT an official dog park, most everyone is very aware that we are all flirting with the law. 99% of us pick up after our dogs, keep a sharp eye on our dogs, etc etc.
There was a woman one day with her very large lab/mastiff mix who made my jaw drop. Dogs were playing like normal, around the bend comes a lady with her two kids, one about 12 and a little girl about 6 or so. The little girl, upon seeing the dogs, got excited and was pointing at them while saying something like look mom dogs! She was still holding her moms hand and was not running towards the dogs or anything.
The woman with the big mix trots over to the lady and proceeds to tell her that the little girl will have to calm and quiet so her dog does not get overly excited and jump on the kid! When the woman came back my way, I reminded her that WE are the ones who must be on our best behaviour as WE are the ones not 'officially' welcome since our dogs are off leash. I said if your dog cannot be trusted around children who have the absolute RIGHT to be here, then YOUR dog needs to be on a leash. I'm not quite sure if she got it or not but after a few minutes she leashed her dog and left.
Candy is excitable and will jump on people, not a mean bone in her but still jumping on people uninvited, especially kids is a no-no in my book. I have to be vigilant with her and grit-my-teeth-smile when people say, 'oh it's ok!'
Well, no it's not really ok.

[bk_blue]

Oh Carol, some people just don't get it do they?!! (some people should not have dogs.) Have you seen that woman and her dog since?
Our local council is excellent re: dog parks, dogs are allowed off lead at about 80% of our parks (providing their owners are able to control them, of course). Most parks have doggy doo bags and bins, and most of us use them, there are some people who let their dogs crap everywhere ("well it's natural!" "the bloody council can pick it up, we pay enough rates as it is!" "i'm not touching something that came out of my dog's bum!" etc.) which I am afraid will one day result in some sort of dog restrctions :x
I always keep an eye on Blitz because of his play/dominance mounting habit... most dogs do not mind and he will leave them alone after he has proven himself top dog but others will get understandably annoyed and growl at him. Others turn it into a game which I am glad he does not win all the time! Though now every time I catch him trying to mount some poor animal I grab him and growl at him, make him sit and praise him for that, we are getting better but it is such a lot of effort, he is so stubborn. :-?
Thankfully he does not try to shag all of them otherwise we would be there all night :roll:

[Carolk9s]

Ya know I haven't seen her since! Maybe she's coming around other times. Now that it's dark when I get home I cannot take them during the week.
Jesse also has the annoying mount all dogs in sight habit. I do mean all of them too, young old male female whatever. Some days he's good and minds his business, other days he is on a mission to mount! Usually if the object of his intentions snarks at him he'll move on and try someone else, he ends up back on leash by my side when he gets too obnoxious.

[bk_blue]

LOL, we've just started daylight saving so it's light until about 8.30pm now... blissful. :D
Blitz is a bit like Sparky the gay dog from South Park (if you watch it)... not really into girl dogs, though maybe he likes boys because of the whole dominance thing... or maybe he is just gay, apparently it's not uncommon in the canine world? And his dandy red bandanna I make him wear out because he looks so damn cute in it may be causing him psychological harm. Just what I need, a dog midlife crisis :D :D :D

[Guest Anonymous]

I know exactly what you mean Carol. When I am out walking my dogs or at the park with them and they jump on someone I tell them get down and the people go no it’s ok. I don’t like that because then the dogs think they can jump up. As for irresponsible owners there are quite a few up here. Once at the park some people took a pitbull and was telling it to attack people. The animal control came and took it away. It was a group of teenagers. There are responsible owners here too. One of my friends here has 2 Pitbulls and they are the BEST behaved dogs I have seen. If he tells them to sit they sit, if he tells them to laydown they laydown. They listen to what he says and obey him. He walks them without a leash sometimes. I am a responsible owner but if my dogs got out of the yard they would probably take off and not listen to me. This town is not against pitbulls because it is so little. The dogs you hear about most here are Rotts and German Shepherds. There was a German Shepherd that attacked the guy that reads the electric meters. I am not against any dog just bad owners.:mad:

[deepseasnake]

we've got a couple off leash parks here but I'm to scared of them to take my dogs there. I'm more afraid of myself if a dog got into a fight with mine more than the other way around.
I would really like to participate in them though. There is one thats on the top of a good 10 or 15 minute hike that I have considered taking the dogs to but I'm just a bit shy. When I get my AB and whatever else I finally settle on :roll: I'm definatly going to do formal training and see if that changes my mind about going to the parks.

But what would you guys do if one your dogs was attacked and the ignorant owner didnt feel it was his fault? if I had an AB I'll bet 10 to 1 if the owner ever so slightly attested his guilt it would automatically be my fault no questions asked.

not to mention if it was a crazy abused pit or some other "born to fight" dog if I felt my dogs life was really in danger I'd shoot to kill and wouldnt miss, I dont even know if that is a justified reason to disscharge a weapon in most areas around here.
Off leash dog parks are a dangerous thing

[Guest Anonymous]

I won't take my dog to a dog park. I believe play groups, dates with dogs and owners that I know are a far better avenue for play.

deepseasnake, you are absolutely right. If an altercation occurred between a pit, AB, rott etc. and another dog, you can bet 9 times out of 10 the "dangerous" dog would be blamed regardless of circumstances.

Personally, I believe our working breed dogs in general are just not good dog park candidates. No matter how good our dogs are, we have NO control in a dog park situation of other people's dogs, and have no idea what might happen in a pack situation.

I've heard enough horror stories to not risk it.

[deepseasnake]

Amen sista :lol:

I've been reading on this site that hobbit gave me, which is simply freakin awsome by the way, he has a really good article on dog parks

http://leerburg.com/

[Shannon_C]

There seems to be a lot about large dogs in the press, not only about attacking children but also smaller dogs, mainly this is down to ignorance. Those owners dont think about having there dogs leashed when in the park or on a field, they would rather have them running free.....now some small dogs fear the large type because of there size and this is why you get problems which the owners think nothing of untill one of there dogs gets attacked...not all owners with bigger breeds have well trained dogs either but a lot of them do have them leashed,....so those with smaller breeds who are irresponsible enough to allow this to happen are going to end up with an injured pet or worse.

The only thing i can suggest is to go to another park that doesnt allow dogs off lead or maybe a field.

Good Luck! Please let us know how you get on.

[Guest Anonymous]

Ok I have been battling this off leash dog park aggression for a while now. I have been bringing my APBT to the park for some time "he is now 8 months" and he was a young pup and not into rough play. Well I have kept a watchful eye on him and have never let another dog severely dominate or attack him. The secret to my success.....drum roll.........................................If their is an aggressive dog in the park picking "biting" him I run up to the dog and yell NO very loud. Then I let it go. If it happens again I go to the owner and ask very politely that he make sure it does not happen again. If it happens again I go to the owner and say it is time for you to get your aggressive dog out of here or I will kick you and your dogs but over the fence! Due to the fact I'm a weight lifter and 252lbs people usually don't let it get to this point. In fact they usually leave, and you know what, People in the part wait till they leave and thank me for doing it, due to the fact that usually they have to get their dogs and leave out of fear of these out of control dogs. Now on the other hand I an very cautious not to let my dog play rough with other dogs now that he is older

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm a member at leerburg.com. I forgot to recommend it until I saw Hobbit post a link :roll: It is an excellent site, even though I don't vistit often. I know you don't have a rott, but rottweiler.net is a great forum also. And many people on that forum also own pits and ABs. Full of people with both working dogs and pets.

As an aside, Leerburg Kennels is located in the town I live in. Ed Frawley is a (the only, as far as I know) K9 police officer here.

[corgilady]

Goblin napisał(a):

I fthey don't respect you tell them they are not going to like it when Uncle Goblin have to come out their and give them a talking to! :evilbat:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Where do you live?

[anne3149]

Jamie I do in fact have a Rottweiler. She is the one that keeps getting attacked by the poodle/schnauzer. I have a GSD too. As for Rottweiler.net. Yep been a member there for a long time, great site. No mucking around there. I have learned so much from them and that's where I found my trainer even though its a USA sit and we (the trainer and I) are in Australia.
Not planning on a trip to Australia are you Goblin. There are a few parks around here with people with unruly dogs who could do with a dose of your 'wisdom'. Most of the untrained dogs are little ones and the owners are intimidated by my big Rott. She wouldn't hurt a fly. I just wish they would control their little sods.

[Guest Anonymous]

I suppose next time I address someone specifically, I should use their handle :roll: I meant that Deep didn't have a rott, but might find rott.net a good place to visit.


anne, you must be the lucky lady that gets to work with Mick :D

[anne3149]

Yes Jamie, I am the lucky one who gets to work with Mick. He is so good and my dog absolutely adores him. When she sees his truck coming down the road she actually cries she so excited to see him. What a trainer that man is.
Unfortunately we haven't done anything for about 4 months as Sophie had TPLO surgery and is just about at the end of her recovery so in a couple of weeks we are ready to go again. By the way, Mick is the one that picked up that something was wrong with Sophie's weight distribution. She wasn't limping with the cruciate so I would never have known without Mick being so observant and knowing Rotts so well. I had a physio come in a few times and she didn't detect the problem. That man know his onions as my father used to say.

[Guest Anonymous]

anne, I envy you :wink:

I'm glad your girl is doing well with her recovery!