Hi all,

Apologies in advance for the long post - really frustrated!

About 200m from our house we have a large field which is great for early morning or lunch time walks. Behind this field is a farmer's field with a public footpath running through the centre of it. This path is a dead end but leads to a shallow part of the ship canal which the dog loves to play in.

The latter part of the walk is always very quiet on the dog front (as most come across the field and don't realise there is a path from the back). For this reason I have noticed quite a few owners with dogs who can show aggression choosing to walk their dogs on the quieter back field.

As this walk is so close to my house I have befriended some of these walkers and we are now confident letting our dogs off the lead together to play. However, for the past couple of weeks a new lady has been walking in the back field. She had a puppy GSD about 6 months ago, which is now, a fully grown puppy.

The first time that I encountered this lady was one week after my bitch had given birth, and for obvious reasons I didn't want her coming into contact with other dogs so kept her on the lead, only to be encountered by a snarling and aggressive dog. This made me angry enough considering that I had a litter of puppies at home to think about.

My girl has a great recall so I have no problems there, this GSD does not. I don't have a problem with popping my girl on her lead while passing an aggressive dog, my problem with this lady is that she lets her dog off the lead in this back field (probably choosing to walk there as its quiet I'm guessing) but she cannot get it back on a lead before it has intimidated me and snapped at my dog a few times.

This happened a couple of months ago, and then again this morning. I really am sick of it. Today I popped mine on a lead seeing her coming only to let her off the lead to give her half a chance of getting away from this GSD who was uncontrollable.

The lady claims she walks it for a friend (which may be why I don't see her every morning) but then goes on a rant about how training it isn't her problem and I should find somewhere else to walk? Well I own a house 200m away so I think not.

Any advice on how to deal with her? Ditching this walk isn't an option as it is so convienient. We have other walks that we enjoy but some are 15-20 min drive away. I've always found in situations like this the owner is often worse than the dog so difficult to deal with.

Call the dog warden.  New additions to the law were brought in not long ago to allow DWs and the police to deal with repeat offenders like this.

If its aggressive and on a public footpath then report to the dog warden. Even if it has not done any damage (Yet) The law states that any dog "out of control" is just a serious and one that bites :-
Out of control
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:

injures someone
makes someone worried that it might injure them
A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if either of the following apply:

it attacks someone’s animal
the owner of an animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal

You should not have to put up with this.
Aileen

Thank you for your replies.

Is it persistent if it has only happened twice so far though? Also, as I don't see her regularly I'm wondering how a dog warden would deal with it? I don't know her name, address, or even if she owns the dog.

Keep a record of each event, in detail, and ask other dog owners you meet. Pound to a penny you won't be the only one affected. Someone may know who/where etc.

I'd be having a word with the police if this woman can't take no for an answer.  I don't see why you should be the one changing your walking area!   The police are taking more notice of dog on dog attacks (even if police numbers now don't allow as much policing as should be happening) and you could talk it up saying this is a dog dangerously out of control (re kids).   An accident in the waiting.

Thank you everyone for your replies. Have made detailed notes of the occurrences so far, one more incident and the dog warden/and or police will be called.

It doesn't matter if it's only happened twice.  Her attitude so far and her inability to control it would be enough to tell me that it's likely to happen again.  I'd be calling them now - the more that is on record, the more chance of something being done, even if it's not acted on at this stage.  Although personally, I'd want it acted on - I wouldn't be taking a chance.

Thank you everyone for your replies. Have made detailed notes of the occurrences so far, one more incident and the dog warden/and or police will be called.

I suggest you keep a camera running, phone cam or whatever you have - the states many things but one of them is 'if someone feels threatened' - words to that effect- then offence has been committed, a little scream on camera makes a statement.
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Nikita
the more that is on record,

Yes thats a good point, but, there seems to be an assumption that dog wardens are everywhere, thats an incorrect assumption, i dont think we've had one for many years and even then they only had them for a short time, their powers would be limited but what to only a local council which has one can say what theirs are.
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Hethspaw if everyone made a video with an "added scream" for affect we would have very few pet dogs left! To encourge fabrication of the truth is scandalous,dishonest and shameful. It also does a discredit to genuine victims.....

I hope the dog warden is more effective than the one round here. My neighbour found a St Bernard wandering round alone at 9am this morning and rang the dog warden who wanted her to 'hang on' to it for two hours. My neighbour is in her seventies and four foot ten, so I would say that was slightly unreasonable. I drove round the area till I found the owner walking with a lead in his hand. Job done .... twenty minutes. Lovely dog, daft as a brush, ten months old and the size of a small outbuilding!!

Hethspaw if everyone made a video with an "added scream" for affect we would have very few pet dogs left! To encourge fabrication of the truth is scandalous,dishonest and shameful. It also does a discredit to genuine victims.....

Yea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaeHRQgqmLg
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Hethspaw, not sure what you thought that video would show but it shows us how irresponsible YOU are, your dog should be muzzled if it behaves like that on a walk, and that despite the threat of constant zapping! If your dog is off lead in a park where lots of other dogs are off lead I would expect it to be able to cope with a dog walking up to say hello, if it can't then it should be muzzled and/or on lead.

Indeed.  The other dog didn't pounce on yours, or suddenly leap out from behind a bush, your dog saw it coming and turned to greet it, then lashed out.  The other dog did nothing wrong.

not sure what you thought that video would show but it shows us how irresponsible YOU are,

Ohhhh, really sorry about that......here, let me try and do something that you find, hopefully, compensates for my former failings...try this for your approval....(HP grovels)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSlx6XXWoUg
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Indeed.  The other dog didn't pounce on yours, or suddenly leap out from behind a bush, your dog saw it coming and turned to greet it, then lashed out.  The other dog did nothing wrong.

That seems, in fact I'm sure is, one of the best posts I have noticed you've ever written on this forum.........Indeed, it's nice to see that 2016 shows you making some progress from the previous years of struggling along.
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That seems, in fact I'm sure is, one of the best posts I have noticed you've ever written on this forum.........Indeed, it's nice to see that 2016 shows you making some progress from the previous years of struggling along.


Sadly Hethspaw the same cannot be said of yourself. Another New Year but the same old same old from you - maybe if you stick with this forum long enough you too may even see the light along with seeing the error of your ways. Not holding my breath though

Sarcasm being the lowest form of wit it would seem that I too have sunk to your level - it must be catching.

Reply to Chaumsong

Absolutely. The problem is with dog walkers who expect to have an 'exclusion zone' around dog and self. If your dog ( and you) cannot cope with friendly interaction, it is far wiser, and happier for all if you restrict your dog walking to dog control areas -there are plenty in towns and rural areas - where dogs have to be on lead. It is most unpleasant when a peaceful amble through the woods is disturbed  by shouting/threatening human voices simply because an inquisitive, friendly dog has approached a tense/stressed dog owner with similar dog.

I have a slightly different take on it Jan I have one very friendly, happy boy and another that is now reactive due to a "friendly" dog leaping on him on several different occasions. I do take my dogs to areas where they may meet other dogs and they do go off lead in places where I have 360 vision and the land is open enough for me to see whom and what is approaching. I always put my grumpy dog back on lead when I see other dogs and also my friendly boy but not everybody extends the same courtesy to my dogs and I.

It isn't possible to always walk them in dog control areas - there aren't any that I know of in my area except for the odd stretches of beach that have restrictions during the summer months. My dog will never start anything but isn't happy with other dogs invading his space nor jumping on or chasing him. Some people who say their dogs are friendly actually own dogs who have very poor  manners with other dogs but don't realise it. My grumpy boy is happy off  lead with dogs that he knows and has been introduced to properly. Not everyone understands dog language correctly and often mistake pushiness for friendly  and then blame the other dog for telling theirs off.

I am more than happy for my friendly dog to interact with other dogs but would always ask permission from the other owner - in my book if another dog is on lead you need to have the control over your off lead dog to stop it approaching another dog uninvited. Some dogs are on lead due to injury or frailty and those dogs too need to be given space. Being friendly shoudn't be a green light to approach others without invitation.

It just needs consideration and courtesy from both sides for everyone to be able to enjoy their walks

I agree Harley.
And consideration and courtesy is so important. It is never appropriate to shout abuse at other dog walkers, whatever the cause. It just ups the stress levels all round. One of my boys has become a bit insecure around other male dogs. This has developed since he inexplicably became infertile at around the age  of two. He is fine off lead in woodland, forestry land etc but I keep him on lead when I spend the day down in Eastbourne, looking after my granddaughter , who loves him. So, we go to a lovely local park where dogs are supposed to be on lead. Wouldyabelieveit  ?! He's twice been attacked by bully boy off lead dogs. It hasn't amounted to anything more than a scuffle and I keep things as calm as possible ( on the surface anyway ) but it does nark me that dog control areas are disregarded. I'm often writing on the forum about the need to walk nervous dogs where they can feel secure, namely dog control/onlead areas, only to find the laws disregarded.
And yes, most dog owners cannot read the body language of  dogs and do not recognise 'developing situations'. Seen it so many times. I often turn down offers from other dog owners wanting to walk with me. I usually have four of mine when we go out. I just don't take chances and would not be able to relax and keep an eye on what mine are up to.

I always try and defuse the situation by 'Politely' having a word/chat with the owner luckily/thankfully its always worked out well.

Britains Finest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpq6dehAfxk
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Sadly, this is a regular occurrence on the field near us. I'm sick of it. My girl needs at LEAST an hour off lead walking per day and I have no qualms with putting her back on to pass another dog. I do have a problem when the owner of the aggressive dog cannot extend that courtesy to me by putting their dog on a lead when passing another. I feel safe in assuming that if I am walking towards another walker who has their dog off lead and neither of us go to put a lead on, we are both comfortable and confident enough with our dogs social skills out and about, but then, there isn't a minimum level of intelligence needed to walk dogs.

> but then, there isn't a minimum level of intelligence needed to walk dogs.

LOL.

I agree with Harley, and disagree with Jan. Just because a dog does not like being approached by other dogs does not mean that it should be confined to "dog control areas". It and its owner should be able to enjoy woods, countryside and similar remote areas where other dogs can be expected to be off-lead. And they should be able to enjoy these areas without being muzzled.

In these situations the responsibility is on the off-lead dog's owner to control their dog, when they see that the other dog is on lead. They must be able to realise that there is a reason the dog is on lead - perhaps the dog is an avid hunter, or perhaps it is grumpy towards other dogs. There is no way to tell which from the distance; the only responsible thing to do is to leash or control your dog until you can ascertain whether the other dog is happy to say "hello".

perhaps the dog is an avid hunter

That was mine through & through, it was the very meaning, to her, of her leash life, she was allowed chases in most exercise places i use where it was safe to allow chases after i had established a reliable recall from chases by appx 9 months old, i think the expression of those needs could be summed up quite literally that if those principles needed to give her the essential freedoms she needed her life as a dog would have been ruined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e06Ck8azVc4
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hp
of her leash life,

Correction, 'of her off leash life'
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