Please be kind to reactive dogs (poodle, yorkies, bite, vet)
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Hey I’m a dog lover.
I take dog ownership seriously.
I’ve had and trained dogs all my life.
I take my dogs to the park near everyday and have seen dogs there that should not be allowed out in public that run around there being unsafe to others.
Yeah I might have been a bit gruff and I don’t take it back because it was an honest reply.
I could have said “oh you poor poor thing it will be all right” but that won’t help the person or animal that gets bit.
I’m just not a fan of untrained dogs that will give other dogs or children stitches because they “get triggered”.
The way I see it if you take on the commitment of dog ownership you should take on all the financial aspects of it as well, be that with their healthcare or with their training if you can’t do that.
Ok, well said. Neither the OP nor I are talking about untrained dogs or irresponsible owners. Wee talking about the difficulty of having a reactive dog, especially the assumption that such dogs are necessarily the result of a lack of training or an irresponsible owner. There are some dogs that are—and will always be—aggressive or reactive because of what happened to them early in their lives.
Hey I’m a dog lover.
I take dog ownership seriously.
I’ve had and trained dogs all my life.
I take my dogs to the park near everyday and have seen dogs there that should not be allowed out in public that run around there being unsafe to others.
Yeah I might have been a bit gruff and I don’t take it back because it was an honest reply.
I could have said “oh you poor poor thing it will be all right” but that won’t help the person or animal that gets bit.
I’m just not a fan of untrained dogs that will give other dogs or children stitches because they “get triggered”.
The way I see it if you take on the commitment of dog ownership you should take on all the financial aspects of it as well, be that with their healthcare or with their training if you can’t do that.
The OP is big responsible by keeping her dog leashed and not taking her dog to places where they will encounter off leash dogs such as at dog parks, etc. or come into contact with potential triggers for their reactivity.
I have a reactive dog and I also avoid dog parks and avoid coming into contact with other dogs and even many people when I’m out walking with my reactive dog. My dog was feral for the first part of her life. She missed a solid socialization window. What the op and people with reactive dogs are asking when they say to be kind is to not let your unleashed dogs approach, don’t get mad if we say your dog can’t say hi or if we decline a request to pet them.
I think people who have never had a reactive dog don’t understand.
I don't know what breed of dog the OP has, but I can tell you from my own experience that some breeds instinctively react to other dogs.
I had a retired racing greyhound (who sadly passed away from bone cancer), that reacted to small dogs. She would see them as prey and do what greyhounds do....run after them. She was always leashed and muzzled, but it didn't matter to her, she was off to the races - literally! I struggled to keep her under control and quickly learned to walk her where there were no other dogs and if I saw one in the distance, I'd turn around and head back the way we came.
So I really relate to what the OP is saying, it can be stressful owning a reactive dog.
Hey I’m a dog lover.
I take dog ownership seriously.
I’ve had and trained dogs all my life.
I take my dogs to the park near everyday and have seen dogs there that should not be allowed out in public that run around there being unsafe to others.
Yeah I might have been a bit gruff and I don’t take it back because it was an honest reply.
I could have said “oh you poor poor thing it will be all right” but that won’t help the person or animal that gets bit.
I’m just not a fan of untrained dogs that will give other dogs or children stitches because they “get triggered”.
The way I see it if you take on the commitment of dog ownership you should take on all the financial aspects of it as well, be that with their healthcare or with their training if you can’t do that.
MechAndy, either intentionally, or unintentionally, your posts are labeling the OP's dog as "untrained". The OP specifically states that this sort of assumption is exactly what their post is about. The OP's dogs ARE trained. The OP's dogs aren't going to dog parks willy-nilly (or even at all). So characterizing this as being an issue about untrained and aggressive dogs is unfair. But stick with me, for a minute, because I agree with you, too.
Like the OP said:
Quote:
Listen to the owner and stop offering unsolicited advice. Trust me, we've heard it all before and we're doing the best we can. My dog is doing the best he can too
Ok, so the OP's issue isn't an untrained dog. Let's establish that. And the OP has taken measures to insure that there are no "accidents" where someone has to go to the hospital and get stitches. It's important to establish this, because, MechAndy, I think you're right - there are plenty of people who have dogs who lack training, and shouldn't be in dog parks, or roaming off-leash in public spaces. There are also plenty of people who readily condemn dogs like OP's as being "untrained", when training isn't really the issue.
I would never be unkind to a dog, but I also believe that the reactive dog is the owner's problem and not mine. I am going to go along doing what I normally do and not adjusting my life to someone else's dog. Don't expect me to stop leash walking my dog because it makes your dog bark at the fence, sort of thing.
I would never be unkind to a dog, but I also believe that the reactive dog is the owner's problem and not mine. I am going to go along doing what I normally do and not adjusting my life to someone else's dog. Don't expect me to stop leash walking my dog because it makes your dog bark at the fence, sort of thing.
That certainly isn’t what I mean.
I think that people with reactive dogs just don’t appreciate the naïveté of dog owners whose dogs don’t have issues, especially when those owners do not leash their dogs.
This has happened to me numerous times. I have to stop my leashed, reactive dog, tell him to sit and wait as we see an unleashed dog on a trail. The owner of the other dog sees me and I have to listen to them say, “Don’t worry, my dog is friendly.” At this point, I pointedly state, “Well, my dog isn’t.” The person then scrambles to grab their dog who has been ambling towards us.
If their dog happens to make it to us, I have to turn my back and try to keep my dog calm. Or walk the other way as I forcefully restrain my dog and hustle him along because he will absolutely murder a strange, unleashed dog who approaches us.
I know these owners mean no harm but that is the OP’s point: dog owners with non-reactive dogs often don’t realize that not every dog is non-reactive or friendly towards other dogs. And it often causes the owners of reactive dogs quite a bit of stress.
StarlaJane we have a Australian Cattle Dog (aka Blue Heeler) and a Chihuahua.
They are the friendliest no nonsense guard dogs you will ever meet.
They are guard dogs no ifs ands or butts about it because of our needs and they enjoy playtime.
The area’s of our dog park are fenced off to separate dog sized and the shady bench where I sit is right next to the little dog section.
I can’t even count how many times that I’ve had to leave because the smallish untrained terrier types bounced off of the fence barking and trying to attack dogs on the other side (possibly pretending to) .
It’s just not fun or pleasant to be around such misbehaved dogs.
The 2 breeds I have are prone to be triggered more than most other breeds.
If I can make those 2 do their duties and still play like kids with other animals or children it’s telling me that others won’t put in the work or just can’t.
Sadly most of these people seem to pick the wrong rescue dog and get in over their heads right off the bat.
It’s almost like their dog is training them how things are going to be.
If people find themselves in a triggered animal situation it is up to them to correct it if they want to be a good animal docent.
Most bad behaviors can be corrected if a person is willing to put the work in.
If they don’t or can’t the bad behaviors will remain.
If you or someone you know fall into this category please consider using training tools if needed.
We have used several with great results.
A water squirt bottle works great around the house and yard to stop barking and aggressiveness and so does a frequency emitting wand. These work good to stop barking and going after things like a vacuum cleaner.
I have had to use a trading collar to work with my sons dog and those work well when properly used.
Lots of people use dog training services too.
That said, I don't appreciate the "don't worry, he's friendly!" crowd when their unleashed good boy or girl comes barrelling at us on a trail. Too many on-leash dogs have been attacked around here by these friendly off-leash dogs.
Neither do I appreciate it when ill-mannered children mistake him for a plushie and run straight at him screaming "doggie! doggie!" while the parents look on with doting expressions. I seem to recall teaching my child not to behave in such a fashion and that strange dogs were not to be approached. I have had parents get angry at me for telling their bundles of joy not to touch my dog and say that I shouldn't have him if "he's not safe around kids!!!" But that's not the point. He is "safe around kids." I just don't believe that my dog should function as a toy for strange children.
People have a right to have their reactive dogs on-leash in appropriate places; that's part of training them. By appropriate places, I don't mean dog parks; I mean public spaces where all dogs are required to be on leash.
StarlaJane we have a Australian Cattle Dog (aka Blue Heeler) and a Chihuahua.
They are the friendliest no nonsense guard dogs you will ever meet.
They are guard dogs no ifs ands or butts about it because of our needs and they enjoy playtime.
The area’s of our dog park are fenced off to separate dog sized and the shady bench where I sit is right next to the little dog section.
I can’t even count how many times that I’ve had to leave because the smallish untrained terrier types bounced off of the fence barking and trying to attack dogs on the other side (possibly pretending to) .
It’s just not fun or pleasant to be around such misbehaved dogs.
The 2 breeds I have are prone to be triggered more than most other breeds.
If I can make those 2 do their duties and still play like kids with other animals or children it’s telling me that others won’t put in the work or just can’t.
Sadly most of these people seem to pick the wrong rescue dog and get in over their heads right off the bat.
It’s almost like their dog is training them how things are going to be.
If people find themselves in a triggered animal situation it is up to them to correct it if they want to be a good animal docent.
Most bad behaviors can be corrected if a person is willing to put the work in.
If they don’t or can’t the bad behaviors will remain.
If you or someone you know fall into this category please consider using training tools if needed.
We have used several with great results.
A water squirt bottle works great around the house and yard to stop barking and aggressiveness and so does a frequency emitting wand. These work good to stop barking and going after things like a vacuum cleaner.
I have had to use a trading collar to work with my sons dog and those work well when properly used.
Lots of people use dog training services too.
All the best.
Andy.
You still don’t get it, Andy. It isn’t a matter of training. Your post illustrates that you continue to think that reactive dogs are untrained because your dogs are not reactive. This is precisely the OP’s point. You are lecturing people with reactive dogs without having a clue as to what having a reactive dog entails.
Reactive dogs are trained. But the training can’t undo the reactivity, it just manages it.
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