Quote:
Originally Posted by GTOWN_REPRESENTA
Why do the people that own these animals feel that just because they're small that they don't need to be properly socialized or trained??
|
I ran into something like this the other day. I was leaving my apartment with Bandit. (He's a 72-lb Siberian Husky.) He was leashed. At the far end of the breezeway, I saw a couple -- man and woman -- with a Miniature Pincer, also leashed. When I saw the Pincer, I put Bandit on what I call "the short leash": I positioned his martingale collar up high under his chin and tucked him into a tight heel at my side.
The guy with the pincer was waiting for us. I could tell that he wanted our dogs to meet. He had his dog on a 6-foot lead and didn't have the dog heeled in. He was also standing right at the opening of the breezeway: I'd have to pass him to get out to the parking lot. I had about 2.5 feet of space for Bandit and me to squeeze through.
So as I approached him and he saw the precautions I'd taken with Bandit, he said to me, "Oh, your dog isn't dog-friendly?"
I said, "He is, but I don't allow on-leash meetings in tight spaces" and walked by.
A day later, I saw the guy doing the same thing with the other Siberian that lives in the complex, except that they were out in the open. That Sibe's owner saw the pincer coming and moved completely off the sidewalk onto the grass, allowing for about 8 feet of space between the dogs. The Pincer's owner again had his dog fully extended -- the dog was pulling against the restraint, trying to get closer to the Sibe -- and was walking on the side of the sidewalk closest to the Sibe. As I watched, the Sibe's owner kept having to back up farther and farther until he was practically standing in the bushes.
My philosophy when it comes to dogs is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'd rather be cautious and give other dogs plenty of space than risk face-to-face, leashed meetings with dogs I don't know. I'm not worried about the damage a small dog could do to my dog, and I'm not particularly worried about Bandit doing damage to the other dog. But as I always say about the dog park: I'm more concerned about the people than I am the dogs. I know Pincers are territorial, and I know that dogs on leash tend to circle around one another when they greet. They get all tangled up, and suddenly Dog A is standing over by the people belonging to Dog B, which could easily be perceived as a threat by Dog B. Then things could turn nasty...ESPECIALLY in a confined space. Why risk it?
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I haven't seen you post here before and FOXY is a regular. Guess I should try this next time. 
