Not really sure where to post this but here goes.
I used to see a chap (Older maybe late 60's) with a lovely Goldie pup, male, He walked at the country park where I did. His dog was just a youngster and the man had problems with it's recall. It would chase about after my girls to play so I always stopped for him to catch it. I could see problems even then (4 years ago) as he had the wrong attitude to it and once he caught it he would smack it or tell it off. Then he started not letting it off the lead and shouting at it if it looked like it wanted to say hello. Told me it needed to learn not to annoy other dogs. All my gentle hints than it was good to socialize with other dogs fell on deaf ears and I used to dread meeting him for the dogs sake. He would get defensive if I tried to offer any help. Then he started using a spray can of compressed air if it got to strong and pulled him about and at least twice I saw it pull him over and he was fighting with it and spraying into its face. It was snapping at him (I do not blame it at all ) Anyway I stopped going that way and have started to use a different part of the country park (Better for me) but over the last couple of weeks I have seen him in the distance and this morning I had the older 2 girls with me when this dog came running over to say hello. It has a great temperament with other dogs and is not aggressive. It is however very very fat! it would need a larger gap to get through than 3 normal sized Goldies !! The man walked over to me (I stopped walking as there was a small copse between us that my girls like to nose about in and they had all gone into it and the man was shouting for his dog) it called out that he was fine and they were having a play and my dogs were happy with that, so he started to walk with me and the dogs had a lovely time together. We got chatting and he told me he had done a little showing with a goldie many years ago and that he had had a succession of goldies. 2 of these had been PTS for biting his child (Many years ago) The though struck me that this was heading in the same direction a couple of years ago but maybe he had sorted this out. We approached the gate at the end of the walk and I called the girls to me. He tried to catch his boy who lay down and every time he tried to grab the collar it showed its teeth. He started waving his lead about threatening to hit it and cursing it. He did not actually hit the dog but his attitude was again so wrong. I told him I would walk on as maybe my girls were upsetting the dog as he wanted to continue to play. I walked away but kept an eye on him and he did eventually get the lead on it. He then proceeded to yank it about curing it for misbehaving. I am so worried about this lovely dog. It has terrible issues that he has created, it is obese, and I can see it being PTS as well if someone does not manage to make him see the error of his ways. I have tried in the past to give him some help but I know from bitter experience he does not accept it well. I know that I will start to avoid him if he continues to walk the same way as I cannot stand to see the way he is ruining a good dog. Anyone got any ideas as to how I can help the dog without making things worse. I fear he will get bitten one day as he has frightened this dog to the point where it fears something nasty whenever he tries to put it on a lead and he is just compounding the fear all the time.
Aileen

I would report him to the RSPCA as he is mistreating the dog . If the dog is obeses then that again needs addressing. Do you know where he lives ?

No but I could possibly find out. I do not think the RSPCA will do anything as I have not seen him hit the dog this time. Maybe he is miss-treating it but I doubt they will see it that way. They would quite possibly take him to task over its weight but that is not the worse problem. I suspect the RSPCA would not get involved, anyway I would rather try to make him see what he is doing as if he were to PTS or have the dog removed he would just get another.
Some folk really do have a blind spot when it comes to training. I think he must be a Cesar follower. :-(
Aileen

Oh, this is awful, even more so as it is my breed, a Golden Retriever. It's such a shame to hear of such a good natured dog being treated in such a way. Goldies are renowned for their good nature and desire to please. This poor dog is having that good side punished and I have no doubt that you will be proved right. One day he will snap, nip his owner and may well be put to sleep. Given the age of the owner, not too far off my age, he has grown up in an era where training a dog involved a punishment when they did something wrong rather then ignoring it and rewarding good behaviour. Barbara Woodhouse was on the tv and I can see her methods being used by the man on his dog now. I guess the dog must be food orientated, as well as probably not getting enough chances to run around and keep his weight down. Perhaps you could suggest that giving the dog a food treat when he returns would be a good way of getting a good recall. Could you demonstrate that with your own dogs? Be prepared for the man to say he thinks its just bribing the dog and they only come if you've got food. Is is a typical response from some in my age group. Frankly I couldn't care less. If a food treat gets the dog back quickly and safely, then it's fine in my book. It's a difficult situation for you as I'm sure you just want to keep away and not see how the poor treatment is ruining a perfectly nice dog. Is there anyone else you know who walks at the park? Would a two pronged attack help, also would be backup and support for you. Hopefully someone else will come along with some more suggestions. Horrible situation.

I know you say he gets defensive if you offer advice but maybe just get blunt.  Something like, 'I know you don't want advice but if your training style was going to work it would have done by now, let me help you both'.  

He obviously doesn't think that he is part of the problem and just thinks he has a naughty dog and his pride is getting in the way of improving their relationship with a change of behaviour from him.

Your story takes me back to 1993 when I worked for the local council.  I spoke to the dog warden there as she was a collegue.  So for a couple of days me and my dog, her and her dog walked across the common where I knew the couple with the dog would be and just left the dog warden to chat to them.  Everything was amicable and things improved 100%.  Maybe if you have got a dog warden in your area maybe they could help.

I could only read so much of this, it just upset me too much but my first thought was dog warden maybe she/he could be at the right place right time kind of thing so it doesn't look like he's been reported

Merlot, personally I think you have been far too nice your gentle hints have fallen on deaf ears. He's been allowed to get away with this behaviour. I know you are frustrated and you must be really upset seeing how he has ruined this dog, but I just think it is all 4 years too late.

I wish I had bumped into him 4 years ago...........

I'm afraid I would have lost it when I saw him smacking a puppy for not recalling and playing with other dogs, I could not have kept my mouth shut. Once I saw my kindness and advice didn't work I'd have told him he had better not dare do that to his dog in front of me or I would call the RSPCA, no way would I have tolerated it. You don't need to get angry just show your distain for the dogs treatment and with the threat of a higher authority getting involved.

It may have worked it may not..... but, I'd prefer the man to not like me and avoid me rather than you feeling upset and having to avoid him to stop his dog getting treated badly.

The dog has had 4 years of bad training and is reacting the only way it knows either it cowers and submits or it stands up for itself, you're right it will bite......... we can all see it coming........eventually it will bite and it will be pts. It's not your fault, absolutely not, but I guess it's long overdue that you at least try to do something, so do call the RSPCA. :-)

The trouble is, I think you are right.......will the RSPCA come out for this? I don't know...... lots of people train with dominance and damage dogs, but I guess it is worth a try, for your conscience you need to at least try. :-)

If the dog ends up over the next few years being pts you know you gave advice and you complained. There is unfortunately nothing more you can do. Unless, :-) you feel brave enough to let rip at him as nice and gentle doesn't work in this inst, but he probably still wouldn't change, but I would not allow him to do it in front of me I'd walk off and tell him I'm upset at the very least.

If only the pup had gone to a different home it would have had a different life and been a happy dog, poor boy, GR's are such happy laid back dogs in the right hands, it's heartbreaking.

Feel for you, it must be horrible to see this and know what is coming. {{hug}}

Could you turn this around, and offer help in a way so that he does not feel like he is being criticised? Maybe carry a flexi with you, and some treats. Then the next time you see him (try and arrange it so it's sooner rather than later, for the poor dog's sake), tell him that one of your girls had been turning a deaf ear and wouldn't come back when called. So you tried a flexi, as someone had suggested you do, with some tasty titbits and what a difference it made to her! Offer to try it on his dog (so you're demonstrating what to do and how the dog will respond so quickly with the right incentive/handling). Might mention that you had to do this for a while, until she was 100% responsive before you could think of letting her off, so he knows it's not going to be a quick fix. In the ideal world it would then be followed by using a long-line, getting the dog used to hand in collar = sweetie, etc but see how it goes. Being a bloke it's unlikely he will be able to take too much advice on board in one go lol.