Dog related question
Discussion
Quick question.....am interested in what dog owners think
Was out for a walk yesterday in a seaside town. As we were wandering down the front a very cheerful looking springer spaniel was haring around seemingly having a good time. I waved my arms at it to attract it's attention, but to be fair it wasn't remotely interested and just continued on it's merry way - which I gave no thought to obviously.
Then hear this shout and this lad goes "oi I wouldn't f**king do that, he'll bite you"
My reply "well if he bits then I suggest you have him on a lead"
Him " no I f**king shouldn't, you shouldn't wave your arms at dogs you don't know you t
t"
Well we had wandered past by now and to be honest I couldn't much care so left it at that. The dog was out of sight all this time....in an area full of families with children playing.....
So. I play with 'strange dogs' all the time.....and this one was clearly having a god day (it looked as likely to bite someone as fly to the moon but heh). Now surely if it WOULD bite someone it should be on a lead or similar shouldn't it? I understand people can be protective of their dogs but this was all a bit odd!
Cheers
Night
Was out for a walk yesterday in a seaside town. As we were wandering down the front a very cheerful looking springer spaniel was haring around seemingly having a good time. I waved my arms at it to attract it's attention, but to be fair it wasn't remotely interested and just continued on it's merry way - which I gave no thought to obviously.
Then hear this shout and this lad goes "oi I wouldn't f**king do that, he'll bite you"
My reply "well if he bits then I suggest you have him on a lead"
Him " no I f**king shouldn't, you shouldn't wave your arms at dogs you don't know you t
t"Well we had wandered past by now and to be honest I couldn't much care so left it at that. The dog was out of sight all this time....in an area full of families with children playing.....
So. I play with 'strange dogs' all the time.....and this one was clearly having a god day (it looked as likely to bite someone as fly to the moon but heh). Now surely if it WOULD bite someone it should be on a lead or similar shouldn't it? I understand people can be protective of their dogs but this was all a bit odd!
Cheers
Night
Hmm well we have a very cheerful looking springer spaniel that probably would only have been interested in you if you were carrying food and we were on our local beach yesterday!
Ours is the softest dog you could ever want to meet but she'd be pretty put off by you waving your arms at her and I can imagine that dogs that are slightly more twitchy might find it aggressive so I can see why the owner might be bothered.
I don't think it's a great way to get the attention of a dog that you don't know, better is to crouch down and hold your hand(s) out (or in Lola's case wave chips!).
If the dog was truly aggressive it shouldn't be off the lead in an open area, the fact that it was makes me think the owner was trying to get through to you that your approach wasn't great.
Ours is the softest dog you could ever want to meet but she'd be pretty put off by you waving your arms at her and I can imagine that dogs that are slightly more twitchy might find it aggressive so I can see why the owner might be bothered.
I don't think it's a great way to get the attention of a dog that you don't know, better is to crouch down and hold your hand(s) out (or in Lola's case wave chips!).
If the dog was truly aggressive it shouldn't be off the lead in an open area, the fact that it was makes me think the owner was trying to get through to you that your approach wasn't great.
Piglet said:
Hmm well we have a very cheerful looking springer spaniel that probably would only have been interested in you if you were carrying food and we were on our local beach yesterday!
Ours is the softest dog you could ever want to meet but she'd be pretty put off by you waving your arms at her and I can imagine that dogs that are slightly more twitchy might find it aggressive so I can see why the owner might be bothered.
I don't think it's a great way to get the attention of a dog that you don't know, better is to crouch down and hold your hand(s) out (or in Lola's case wave chips!).
If the dog was truly aggressive it shouldn't be off the lead in an open area, the fact that it was makes me think the owner was trying to get through to you that your approach wasn't great.
But I've never, ever , met a dog I would say was put off....(maybe waving arms at it was a bit if an overstatement). The crouch down technique I'd totally agree usually. Always offer back of hand from distance etc and rate it's mood. BUT - this is an area teeming with young children. If it can be that easily spooked or whatever, and it did bite, the it would be destroyed. Surely that's got be bad for both owner and dog?Ours is the softest dog you could ever want to meet but she'd be pretty put off by you waving your arms at her and I can imagine that dogs that are slightly more twitchy might find it aggressive so I can see why the owner might be bothered.
I don't think it's a great way to get the attention of a dog that you don't know, better is to crouch down and hold your hand(s) out (or in Lola's case wave chips!).
If the dog was truly aggressive it shouldn't be off the lead in an open area, the fact that it was makes me think the owner was trying to get through to you that your approach wasn't great.
There are some local bye-laws about dogs having to be on lead on some roadside footpaths. Dunno if this is the case here?
Anyway - if the dog bites then it will be classed as dangerously out of control in a public place under the DDA. Will probably be seized and could be destroyed.
Bloke was a numpty and the type to get all dog owners a bad name, along with more draconian laws introduced.
Strange dogs - I don't approach them at all (unless I need to catch one that is loose). I'm happy for them to come to me, but I don't look at them or touch them as it can spook them. Stretch your hands out to one of mine and he will bolt in panic.
Anyway - if the dog bites then it will be classed as dangerously out of control in a public place under the DDA. Will probably be seized and could be destroyed.
Bloke was a numpty and the type to get all dog owners a bad name, along with more draconian laws introduced.
Strange dogs - I don't approach them at all (unless I need to catch one that is loose). I'm happy for them to come to me, but I don't look at them or touch them as it can spook them. Stretch your hands out to one of mine and he will bolt in panic.
yeah its fair to say I was of precisely zero interest!Simpo Two said:
Odd. Knuckledraggers don't usually have springers.
That is what I was thinking, usually more ruperts... However, if his dog is off lead I would expect it to be friendly, to both dogs and people. If a dog bites a person then it can be destroyed under the DDA and if a person fears they might get bitten, it could still be destroyed.
I'm going with the people who are saying it probably was not a dangerous dog and maybe the owner was trying to tell you not to spook it or to ask before you touch. You should always ask the owner before you interact with an unknown dog.
Unpredictable/ odd (read sudden waving arms and shouting for example) people are a bit of a pain. My dog is fine with other people and dogs but is a bit of a timid breed and easily put on edge and will bark at whatever the problem is.
I know she likes to chase anything that moves so if I see someone on a bike or jogging I will call her back to me and get a hold of her until the person has passed. But people can be unpredictable. I was walking her yesterday and there was a chap coming towards us, no problem the dog will ignore him. He walked 100yards towards us then when he got within 5 yards set off into a sprint then stopped 20 yards later. Luckily Dog was right by my side so I just grabbed her harness. The guy was in jeans and a hoodie so not an obvious jogger or anything.
Another instance was on one of our morning walks and we always go down to the same field near my house and have been doing this for a year and a half. Every morning we see a woman with her about 10-12 year old daughter and a little dog walking to school. Now I know children can be a bit unpredictable so I usually have the dog near me around them or on a lead but every time we have seen this girl for over a year she has just calmly quietly walked with her mum. Then one day she just ran on ahead of her mum right when my dog was near her and the dog got spooked and barked and the girl screamed. No harm done dog did not even go up to her she just came back to me and the girl has never done similar since.
I was told as a child never to do anything unexpected around an unknown dog as you don't know what it may do. I was brought up around Belgian/ German Shepherds, not dogs to be messed with. Just wish people would be more sensible around animals. They should do an afternoon session on how to be safe with pets at school as otherwise the majority of children just wont be told.
Despite being very fond of dogs I will always meet a new one with caution and ask owner approval. I have been on the receiving end of a spooked dog when on my bike. I slowed right down to walking pace as I went past the dog and owner in some woods but the dog jumped at me and went for a bite but luckily only tore a large hole in my shorts. I stopped to talk to the owner but he just denied the whole thing and told me I ripped my shorts despite his dog's slobber around the hole. He was a prick.
Unpredictable/ odd (read sudden waving arms and shouting for example) people are a bit of a pain. My dog is fine with other people and dogs but is a bit of a timid breed and easily put on edge and will bark at whatever the problem is.
I know she likes to chase anything that moves so if I see someone on a bike or jogging I will call her back to me and get a hold of her until the person has passed. But people can be unpredictable. I was walking her yesterday and there was a chap coming towards us, no problem the dog will ignore him. He walked 100yards towards us then when he got within 5 yards set off into a sprint then stopped 20 yards later. Luckily Dog was right by my side so I just grabbed her harness. The guy was in jeans and a hoodie so not an obvious jogger or anything.
Another instance was on one of our morning walks and we always go down to the same field near my house and have been doing this for a year and a half. Every morning we see a woman with her about 10-12 year old daughter and a little dog walking to school. Now I know children can be a bit unpredictable so I usually have the dog near me around them or on a lead but every time we have seen this girl for over a year she has just calmly quietly walked with her mum. Then one day she just ran on ahead of her mum right when my dog was near her and the dog got spooked and barked and the girl screamed. No harm done dog did not even go up to her she just came back to me and the girl has never done similar since.
I was told as a child never to do anything unexpected around an unknown dog as you don't know what it may do. I was brought up around Belgian/ German Shepherds, not dogs to be messed with. Just wish people would be more sensible around animals. They should do an afternoon session on how to be safe with pets at school as otherwise the majority of children just wont be told.
Despite being very fond of dogs I will always meet a new one with caution and ask owner approval. I have been on the receiving end of a spooked dog when on my bike. I slowed right down to walking pace as I went past the dog and owner in some woods but the dog jumped at me and went for a bite but luckily only tore a large hole in my shorts. I stopped to talk to the owner but he just denied the whole thing and told me I ripped my shorts despite his dog's slobber around the hole. He was a prick.
First day in vet school lesson one: Never trust an uncastrated male regardless of what species! (the ladies laughed at that one)
Dog owner being a bit over the top but had a point, strange dogs should be left untouched unless the owner says it is okay. If anything happened to you it would have been your fault for 'spooking' the dog in the owners opinion.
Dog owner being a bit over the top but had a point, strange dogs should be left untouched unless the owner says it is okay. If anything happened to you it would have been your fault for 'spooking' the dog in the owners opinion.
R300will said:
First day in vet school lesson one: Never trust an uncastrated male regardless of what species! (the ladies laughed at that one)
Dog owner being a bit over the top but had a point, strange dogs should be left untouched unless the owner says it is okay. If anything happened to you it would have been your fault for 'spooking' the dog in the owners opinion.
lets be very clear...had I got bitten I agree it would be down to me. (btw I never got closer than about 25 feet to it....wasnt reaching out to grab a passing dog or anything!)Dog owner being a bit over the top but had a point, strange dogs should be left untouched unless the owner says it is okay. If anything happened to you it would have been your fault for 'spooking' the dog in the owners opinion.
Considering that when small boy and I were briefly exchanging views the dog was out of sight in the play area, his view was that it WOULD bite a stranger was odd to me and just wanted to check with owners on here that really isnt on i suppose. think we all pretty much agree anyway.....
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