Set off today for a five min walk on the lead down the road with my 12 year old Border Terrier. Coming towards me, about 50 feet away, was a man with a mid size dog, pretty thing quite happily walking along. The owner suddenly pulled her lead really hard and dragged her into the road giving me a very wide berth. As he approached he said she was attacked by a Border Terrier last week,  and 'I'm not getting anywhere near that thing' nodding at my boy who was too busy sniffing to acknowledge another dog!. His poor dog ignored mine completely but I wonder what his actions are teaching her?.

So what was wrong with what he did? the way you wrote the guy dont know you!
.

Surely far more sensible if he was worried would have been to ask if my dog was friendly rather than sending signals to his dog that every BT or similar she'll ever meet is a danger.
Do you have a particular breed Hethspaw?. If so does one 'bad' one prove that every individual dog of that breed will be a danger?.

Natural I would think. Getting close enough to ask would risk a confrontation.

I give Pits/Staffies/Ban dogs a wide berth unless I know them. I wouldn't call myself a "Panicky owner" by any means. It's just a learned response to a bad experience.

I can understand him being cautious after a bad experience, giving the dog a wide berth etc but I have to agree, a reaction like that is only going to make the dog VERY wary of border terriers (if it doesn't then generalise to other breeds) and potentially trigger fear aggression.

I will avoid dogs that I think will frighten Willow while I'm working through her reactivity, but I do it in as calm-yet-upbeat way I can in order to not make the situation worse next time.

His rudeness didn't help, I'd rather he'd ignored me completely. Of course an attack could have meant all sorts - was his dog off lead and it approached an on lead dog and bothered it?. Was it a play fight?. Was it a a lot of noise and nothing else even!. I just thought it was a shame that his nice calm dog was forcefully pulled into the road, which is actually a very quiet road at a dead end - he could have called out ages before, we saw eachother in plenty of time.

I agree people are too reactive when they see other dogs which I stills a reaction off the dog.

My dogs have been attacked by various dogs over the years. I avoid the known offenders and avoid them but other same breeds are not something I have ever made a conscious effort to avoid.

I also hate people who react when I a dog comes upto them by standing throwing their arms around . Just stand still !

It's a shame for his dog. As a youngster mine needed treatment after being attacked by a German Shepherd. It was an elderly dog, apparently with poor eyesight. The owner let it out the front door just as my husband and (on lead) pup were walking by. The owners think it panicked, not being able to see who was walking, causing a lot of distress etc but the owners paid the vets bill and promised not to let it out unattended again. Since that day I can tell he's been wary of the breed and I'm fully aware that the ones we see out aren't going to be a threat but I take control, make my boy sit down and keep everything calm. I always tell the owners that he can be a bit funny, which to be fair does him an injustice, he's a lovely lad, it's just easier. I certainly wouldn't dream of telling them they had dangerous dogs which is more or less what this chap said to me today.

I think that people do tend to panic for whatever reason and have seen it myself as I own a large hairy dog who is exuberant but isn't allowed to go bowling over to others off lead. I keep him on lead where there are other dog walkers as he is nearly always bigger than other dogs and could, sometimes does, scare them as he is still young and bouncy, although he doesn't have a bad bone in his body, they don't know that. He always socialises with other dogs that we know or who are happy to socialise once all parties are happy.

I was always taught that fear travels down the lead. If an owner is apprehensive then it follows that the dog will be. Much better to put the dog in a sit position using a treat or something equally interesting and wait until a dog or threat has passed and then calmly walk on. There is no need for confrontation in my opinion. My old girl was attacked badly as a pup and as a consequence is now very verbal when she sees small dogs, I wouldn't dream of telling an owner that they had a dangerous dog because of my girls behaviour. I focus on her and she knows the protocol. So I agree, this chaps behaviour was unnecessary.

I'm a panicky dog walker my pug got attacked a couple of months ago by a staff. My dog was on lead and the staff was off just attacked for no reason I had to swing him on the end of the lead in all directions why I tried to get hold of the staffs collar the owner was hitting it with her lead and kicking it witch didn't help at all.
I managed to grab its collar and she put it on the lead.
My poor dog had what looked like a fit I picked him up and rushed him to the vet glad to say he's now recovered. But I'm not. if I see a staff now I would rather walk miles out of the way then walk past one it scares the life out of me if I see one loose. I know not all staffs are like that and my dogs not bothered by them at all. But I must admit I can't help the terror I feel I wish I could. So I can understand that dog owners point of view. My pugs met a Saint Bernard today didn't bat an eyelid and a Leonberger the other day so they mix with all different breeds and I want them too. But I can be panicky now.

Do you have a particular breed Hethspaw?

Yes, but mine are european genetics, no UK breeding in them & apart from markings not behaviouraly or health comparitive.

If so does one 'bad' one prove that every individual dog of that breed will be a danger?.

I have read several posters on here where the posters take precautions & I agree with all of them.
.

I was at a country show in Suffolk today and there were loads of dogs there and they were all friendly. There were a number of little terriers who can have a tendency to have a go at larger dogs, but not a bit of it. Lots of waggy tails and happy dogs. Brilliant.

> Yes, but mine are european genetics, no UK breeding in them & apart from markings not behaviouraly or health comparitive.

I don't see the relevance of that comment - it's temperament being discussed here, and yes I would think a lot of people see your Dobermann coming and cross the road to avoid it.

Yes, but mine are european genetics, no UK breeding in them & apart from markings not behaviouraly or health comparitive.


The UK seems to be over run with European Dobermanns at the moment, imported by rescues, usually docked and cropped. Seems to be one breed with a problem in Europe as so many end up being imported here in order to find homes. I know one Hungarian and one Romanian Dobe.

It might have been a better experience for all concerned had this owner not been RUDE.  I'd take huge exception to either of mine being referred to as 'that thing' for starters.

However, as my Whippet is inclined not to like many dogs, my husband tends to steer clear of any when out with her and I've often suggested to him that tightening the lead and crossing the road just might be sending her the message that there IS something to be worried about.    I suppose this is how he deals with the possibility she might spook. 

The UK seems to be over run with European Dobermanns

at the moment......a)imported by rescues

Do you mean all breed rescues, I have only spoken to one Dob rescue in recent years, appx 2006m we did not go in depth but I was told around 30% ended up on rescue, they were talking about UK dobes & I would be surprised if any UK Dobe rescue's take many, if any, from outside UK......can you expand?

b)usually docked and cropped.

Thats a good lead, as far as I know only the/or some, ex communist eastern block countries, still dock & crop, cropped dogs cannot be shown in some countries.

Seems to be one breed with a problem in Europe as so many end up being imported here in order to find homes.

The whole of the ex eastern block, east europe, had a massive black economy culture as 'normal' from around the early 20th century. When communism collapsed throughout the eastern block, appx 1990, corruption, backhanders & a pronounced black economy remained as a part of the cultures. Of course it is decreasing & those countries are slowly emerging but comparitive to 'western' europe they and their econonomies are are decades behind and with poverty comes 'somethings on the side', selling pedigree dogs with bent backrounds would be just one of hundreds of financial areas where lots of Joe Blogs can make quick buck --- I doubt very much its just Dobes though.

I know one Hungarian and one Romanian Dobe

That does not surprise me at all, in a post earlier this year several people here were talking about duff this & that all breed pedigree dogs were subject of problems from eastern europe.

I for my part said that there was/is a warning about eastern european Dobes on the German Dobermann club (breed registration club) site, I put that warning either late last year or early this.

I have not had chance & dont have much surplus time to research properly but most of the 32 'claimed' Hungarian specific breeders web pages take you to the 'page 4004 not found' page, there is a 'claimed' Hungarian Doberman club site which is completly deviod of any information at all, its just a web page..end of....

I did find one site which claimed to be a breeder..it gives a warning which amounts to....such as i have written above...check out what it says at the link below
http://tinyurl.com/l8cm8q9
.
.

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The whole of the ex eastern block, east europe, had a massive black economy culture as 'normal' from around the early 20th century. When communism collapsed throughout the eastern block, appx 1990, corruption, backhanders & a pronounced black economy remained as a part of the cultures. Of course it is decreasing & those countries are slowly emerging but comparitive to 'western' europe they and their econonomies are are decades behind and with poverty comes 'somethings on the side', selling pedigree dogs with bent backrounds would be just one of hundreds of financial areas where lots of Joe Blogs can make quick buck --- I doubt very much its just Dobes though.<br />

I can confirm the truth of this, being a bilingual second generation Pole, who spent all my summers visiting Poland, from mid 70's to late 80's, and occasionally since.  Of course we have a lot of extended family still there.

and yes I would think a lot of people see your Dobermann coming and cross the road to avoid it

Wheres that come from? she deals with things as they are!....most of the time so do others..........but, as the saying goes "There's always one"

Aug 2014 + July 2012
http://youtu.be/-vmh2VhrY5M
.

> ..........but, as the saying goes "There's always one"

There sure is.... everything you post kind of leads back somehow to your ONE dog and its supposedly superior European ancestry.

I'm sure I'm not the only one yawning.

Now be fair Mrs T. Not every post is about his dog.

He does try to bring up electric collars too....

Arched
As he approached he said she was attacked by a Border Terrier last week,
|
His poor dog ignored mine completely but I wonder what his actions are teaching her?

The thing is Arched, dogs & human tempraments are 'contextual', what can be seen most of the time, under normal circumstances, as an amiable dog or human or can be a completely different mammal in other circumstances. The guy presumably took account of his recent experience and he did what he did, took precautions as the result of his prior experience.

I doubt it had any effect on his dog, but it affected you to the point you saw fit to post on it.
.

I also avoid Staffs and large breed dominant dogs on walks.
I will cross roads and do about turns if i see we will come face to face with them.
My girl has been attacked twice now by a Staff and i refuse to risk putting my dogs in potential harms way because said owner doesnt have control.

Avoiding dogs I can understand, but doing what this chap did, pulling his dog hard and dragging her into the road wasn't necessary and in future could possibly cause his dog to react out of fear. He could simply have walked around me, without being rude!. As I said earlier with the breed that attacked my dog, if I see one I take control of my dog and reassure him, I don't drag him away harshly making him think that the oncoming dog is of danger.

Suejaw, it was obvious to this man I had control of my dog, he saw me walk out of my house, dog on lead happily sniffing the bush outside.
Yes, I will avoid off lead dogs always and get really annoyed with off lead dogs that are allowed to run over to him.

I object to dogs running around well away from it's owner, even if it does come back to a whistle. They will still run up to an on lead dog and the owner is too far away to do anything about it - and on a different note they are often the dogs that will mess somewhere and the owners don't know because they are too far away!.

For goodness sake...I've had mothers push their children into hedges to save them from my big bad boxers.....people are people with all their quirks and prejudices.

> By the way, I love your thumbnail photo, been there a while now, is it your dads dog? nice photo:

I'm not sure if they have internet where my dad is - as he's been deceased for almost 12 years - but thanks for the idea, I'll change it to one of the many dogs he owned in the past, instead of one of mine.

.
PPS....do you enjoy me taking ya to the movies?????
.

> PPS....do you enjoy me taking ya to the movies?????

For what's it's worth, I never click on any of your links -as I suspect 99% of other posters here don't.
Enjoy your 1%,  Denis.

I've got them on ignore.....

I think if you were a neighbor or something, then it would make sense for him to ask whether your dog's friendly. Otherwise, it might not even be worth the time investment for him.