Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone had any advice or tips for what to do if your dog gets into a fight? Honey hasn't ever yet (never even really shown aggression to another dog) but I'm terrified that if she does, she can do a lot of damage (HUGE 7 month Great Dane puppy). We have just discovered this off-leash park near us which is fantastic for socialisation and free play and we have been trying to take her there at least once a week. She seems to get on very well with most of the dogs, even though she is very boisterous and plays very roughly - the few times a dog has snapped or snarled at her when she was chasing it, she would back off or go and look for someone else to play with. But I'm worried in case she does retaliate one day and it turns into a dog fight...what should I do? I've heard that you should hose fighting dogs with water - obviously, I can't do that at the park but should I take a water-gun with me to the park? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?
Or am I worrying unnecessarily? (again!) :)

Thanks,
Hsin-Yi

I think those dog parks sound pretty risky. I've never been to one because they don't have them here as there's so much wilderness and places to go anyhow. But I wish you could find someplace to go off leash that's safe that isn't filled with a bunch of other dogs. Dogs will be dogs. For socialization, the obedience classes and such are good...more controlled.

Well...I have always thought a hose was good but like you say, you can't do that at a park and I don't think a squirt gun would be enough to stop them. What I came across in my reading on breaking up a dog fight is for each owner to grab the tail of their dog (if they have a tail) and try to pull them back, away from eachother. If you get too close to their heads or other parts of their body you could get bitten. They may even possibly turn in their confusion and panic and bite you anyhow it seems to me. It's very dangerous. I don't have any first hand experience with this method though. You might do a search online and see what else you come up with.

Maybe someone else will have a better idea.

Carrie

99% of all dog fights are over in 10 seconds. Which means: stand still and count to 10 slowly. Dogs don't fight to retaliate. So there is no need to worry about that. NEVER attempt to pull your dog away from a fight, you will only make things worse. Also shouting, using hoses or water guns etc. will only make your dog fight harder in order to try and clear the air. That's all it is really. Most dog fights end without any damage to any dog unless owners get involved...

Let your dog get told off by other dogs in a nice way (short growl, little snarl) as this will only teach her to respect other dogs. If she backs off - great. If she doesn't, keep moving away from her and gently ask her to follow. Don't try to split dogs up that are tense with each other unless you have learned how to split up from a professional.

I can't agree with dog parks being risky as meeting other dogs off leash is the best way to meet them. But make sure all dogs are off leash that she meets. And if you see that another dog doesn't want to meet (turning away from your dog etc.) then call her away. She needs to learn that some dogs rather not meet (those are the dogs that will tell her off nicely).
You will probably find that she will soon learn which dog is in for a play and which dog would rather have a sniff around and be left alone. Dogs are experts at communication.

I have to agree with the last paragraph.  My and my friends dogs get so much interdog socialisation at the various lovely off lead places around near where I live that they are quite blase about other dogs.

We have often met other walkers and had a dozen or so dogs of all shapes and sizes mooching around together, doing their own thing or playing a bit with each other.

Most recently my firve met up with a ldy I know with ehr 3 standard and two mini sznauzers, and then we were joined by various other sogs as we walked around.  The dogslearn to comunicate with each other really well, and this is what avoids fights.  Of course the owners have socialised their dogs well since puppy hood so that they are comfortable, adn are able to call their dogs waus from one that is obviously uncomfiortable being greeted.

Thanks for both your replies, which were really helpful. I'm sure you're right - dog fights look scarier than they actually are! I'm not so much worried for my dog getting hurt as her injuring someone else's dog because she is so much bigger and stronger...I'd feel awful if she hurt another dog and the other dog's owner got really upset and thought that Danes are vicious beasts! Having said that, all the owners at this park seem very relaxed - usually when we go out walking, we often get negative reactions like people snatching up their dogs or crossing the street to avoid us, which really upsets me - but here at this park, they seem quite happy for Honey to play with their dogs and can see that her rough play is not intentional but just puppy boisterousness.

I will definitely try not to interfere if a doggy tiff occurs! So far, she has been snarled at and snapped at a couple of times and she has backed off, so I hope it won't ever come to that. She also seems to be getting better at what you say: figuring out who wants to play and who doesn't. The great thing about this park is that there are SO many dogs (50+ every evening), she just shrugs and goes off looking for another playmate when a dog gets grouchy with her - rather than keep on pestering that one dog to play with her.

One question though - her Recall is useless when there are other dogs around so if she does get in a fight or if she is approaching a dog who obviously doesn't want to greet her, I don't think doing what you suggested (calling her away) would work! I have tried getting her attention with a treat when she is in the middle of playing (just to see if I can get her attention) and she has totally ignored it, so I don't think a treat would help in a fight either. Does this mean, then, that I shouldn't let her off since she hasn't got a reliable recall?? But I have to admit, I really agree with you about the off-leash park being a great thing. Honey had real problems meeting dogs on leash - lunging and mounting them and immediately trying to engage in rough play without even a sniff introduction (and consequently, getting snapped at 9 times out of 10) but ever since we have started going to this off-leash park and letting her have free play, she has gotten so much better at canine interaction. She now meets dogs more calmly (when on leash) and will sniff first and also lunges less and seems to go less beserk when she sees another dog - I think because she has opportunities to play with them and so the novelty factor wears off. Also, the biggest thing I notice is that other dogs respond MUCH better to her when they are all off-leash - they usually just play and outrun her, whereas on leash, they often go for her.

Anyway, thanks again -
Hsin-Yi

Fairdogtraining,

While its true that most dog fights are over in seconds, the statement "dogs don't fight to retaliate" is not strictly accurate.  Its obvious that you've never met a bedlington terrier, they rarely (if ever) start a fight with another dog but heaven help the dog that starts a fight with them.  If they really feel that the dog is serious then they won't give in and owner intervention is the only way to stop the fight.  This is not only a trait of bedlingtons - other breeds/xbreeds can react in the same way.  You are also forgetting that if more than one dog gets involved in the fight it can turn very ugly.  I know of a dog attacked by a pair of german shepards who would have been killed if his owner hadn't managed to beat them off, as it is he spent a long time being stitched at the vets and months recovering.  Also read the post on General forum about the puppy attacked in the park :(

Hsin-Yi,
If you are worried about your dogs recall the answer is training and more training :) but of equal value in a fight is the "OFF" command.  You can teach this anywhere but its best to start at home.  When playing with your dog (raggy pull or similar is best) at random moments tell her OFF and stop playing (you keep hold of the raggy) when she lets go treat her and tell her how good she is and wait a few moments before you start again.  At first she won't want to let go but as she gets the idea she'll get quicker.  Eventually you will be able to whisper it and she'll respond.  At first don't let her get too excited before telling her OFF but as she begins to repond immediately you can wait until she's a bit more excited  before the command.  Eventually you will reach the stage where she's really excited and responds to a whisper immediately :D  A clicker will speed this training up drastically.
If you socialise your dog as you have been you will probably never need to use the above, but you will feel better having a safety command just in case :)

Hsin-Yi , you really do look for things to worry about. ;-)

Fairdogtraining's comments do sound a bit more theory than practise! Try leaving a dog to fight it out for 10 seconds and I'll bet you the other owner dives in before 2 seconds have gone by!

I'm not so sure about 99% being over in 10 seconds, the majority yes but you'd be lucky to get away with only 1 in a 100.

In 10 seconds a great dane could probably kill or permanently injure a small dog. I've seen a lurcher fatally wound a terrier in less time, and yes the terrier started it and yes the lurcher retaliated and no they weren't on leads!

However, I would say most cases where damage actually occurs is where a dog (or dogs) attack another, pretty much unprovoked. (As described in the posts mentioned above). This is different to what you are asking, but I'm sure that Gwen wouldn't have waited 10 seconds to see if the other dog stopped!)

Best advice is prevention. Train as much as you can, socialise as much as you can, use Dill's tips on the "off" and then hope for the best! Realistically if the training and control breaks down with your comparative sizes theres really not much that you're going to be able to do about it. ;-)

"Best advice is prevention. Train as much as you can, socialise as much as you can,........... Realistically if the training and control breaks down with your comparative sizes theres really not much that you're going to be able to do about it."

Absobloominglutely! :;):

Can't say I agree with dog parks, on the one hand it's lovely for your dog to play and romp with other dogs but on the other hand whilst the majority of dogs are friendly there are a few out there who are not. I have seen too many dogs' confidence ruined or turn into fear aggressors themselves due to an unfriendly encounter. I especially wouldn't take a puppy to a dog park (if I had one) instead I would prefer to socialise my dogs with friends' dogs or any dog that is known to be placid and well balanced in open countryside away from other walkers, that way the risk of my dogs having a bad experience and being psychologically damaged is minimal.

One of my dogs was attacked when he was a pup and believe me it takes less than 10 seconds to do a lot of damage. A good way to break up a fight is to starve the one who has latched on with teeth of air, so that it has to release it's grip to take a breath, at this point it can be pulled away. A good way to do this is to pour water over it's face, but not everyone happens to walk around with a canister of water so the next thing would be to twist it's collar and use as a throttle. NOT a good idea as it could easily turn around and bite you or you could damage the dog's throat. Which brings me back to dog parks, if you don't go to them then you reduce you and your dog's chances of being in this position in the first place.

I've broken up dog fights with a hose and good water pressure, but of course, that's not an option probably at a dog park. Another thing each owner can do is get hold of the back legs and lift up the dogs like a wheel barrow. But, there is a risk still that the dog may forget himself and turn and bite so one would have to be careful and manuver the dog in such a way as it couldn't turn it's head. I've seen plenty of serious damage done to dogs in fights. I agree with Harriette. I think dog parks are a bad idea. For socializing a puppy, it's better to get it around dogs you know well and know are gentle etc. But I understand the delima if you live in the city as opposed to someplace like where I live.

Carrie

Dog park: If you go to a dog park with so many dogs that have all been socialized well then a fight is very very unlikely. Yes, there are dogs out there that will attack but this can happen on the pavement on the way to the park... no need to go to a dog park for that.

Recall: you don't have any chance to get a dog back from a fight no matter how good your recall is. But you can work on a good recall with certain methods so you can get your dogs attention to prevent a tense situation.

Nasty fights: I was talking about fights without damage. If another dogs sinks his teeth into your dog and doesn't let go within 2 seconds you will need to do something. I can't suggest what you would do, that is entirely up to the owner, depending on how many injuries you are willing to risk yourself. If a nasty great dane would attack my terrier and bite untill blood is visible I would probably collapse in fear, if a the terrier was mine I would probably grab him and try to open his jar....

Other owners: it is always good to stop other owner from interfering with unbloody dog fights. Although I must admit that a lot of owners won't listen...

Theory and practice: I am a professional dog trainer and work with gentle methods that are based on the dogs own language. I have been keeping and training dogs very successfully for 15 years. Apart from my work as a professional dog trainer I also train dogs at the RSPCA for free (my little donation...).

FairDog Training, I just knew you were going to tell me how much experience you had when I made my post! lol ;-)

"you don't have any chance to get a dog back from a fight no matter how good your recall is." - I've only had one of my dogs ever involved in a PROPER fight (as opposed to being mugged by other dogs). Opposing springer started it out of nowhere, my small lab retaliated (which shocked me completely - shes the only lab I've ever has that wouldn't walk away from a fight and she's tiny!). Very firm "pack it in!" from me followed by a "come here" (or words to that effect!) and my lab stopped fighting and came back to me.

I would genuinely expect my dogs to stop doing anything I can think of, if I tell them to. They know I mean it!

Good for you helping the RSPCA! :-)

Yes sireee Havoc,

There are the professional dog trainers just out of school who have some great ideas and techniques and really work at it. And then there are the oldsters like us who have been doing it for eons...I mean doing it. LOL.

Carrie

I'm only a mere youngster Carrie! ;-) and when compared to many on here I've probably not been training that long. Circumstances have allowed me to cram in more than most in that period though.

The thing i've found is that if you start off with the right 'material' dog training is really not that hard.

I really hope that this thread doesn't get out of hand and get the padlock treatment. I only want to have a debate, and not offend or fall out with anybody! It always seems to be the 'interesting' topics that start getting heated, hope this doesnt happen again. (I wanted to chip in on the Dobermann debate and got thwarted by the padlock! lol)

Well I'm sorry Fairdogtraining, if you think that only well socialised friendly dogs frequent these parks then you are being very naive indeed. Obviously if people live in cities then they have no option but to use dog parks. (poor them) and more than likely city parks are different with more resposible owners using them.

For those of us lucky enough to live in rural areas as I do, then dog parks are strictly a no no. It is well known in our area that only lazy folk use our local dog park. People who can't be bothered to do long walks or climb hills etc. Lazy folk means that they are less likely to have bothered to train their dogs and usually have little control over them. They wouldn't dream of joining a forum such as this so live in blissful ignorance about such details as training, picking up after the poop, letting a bitch out in season etc.

I only feel sorry for the elderly people around us who can't manage a good country trek so have to use the park. Many have told me of how dogs are roaming free at the park with no sign of their owners and how some have got into fights with dogs whose owners know what their dogs are like but still let them loose around other dogs.

I speak from experience of such parks myself. Once upon a time I too was of the opinion that it was nice for my dogs to have their doggie friends, I loved to see them playing with them and all was well to start with. It didn't take long for one of them to fall victim of an attack when he was still quite young, the mental effects are still evident today and it's just ruined his temperament. I would hate for this to happen to the original poster's dog just for the sake of a bit of social play. It's just not worth it. If you have a choice other than a park then why on earth risk ruining a good dog?

Havoc, sorry about the picture I had in my mind of you. You sound like one of the more mature people on here and I pictured you.....well, let's just say, mature. Hee hee. You're right. Dog training really, when it comes down to it is a lot of common sense and some planning. Some have a way with animals...that I do believe and witness. Yes, it's too bad about how things turn sometimes on these threads. What were you going to say about Dobes? I'd be interested. Maybe you can start a new thread and set the tone in your very talented way.

Harriet, I'm so sorry your little dog is still affected by that attack. Yes, the more population, the more the odds go up that one dog out of so many will be aggressive. Dogs are not little human children that you can say, "Now, you share and share alike." They have their instincts to contend with and all kinds of factors. While it is so important to socialize our dogs to people and dogs, surely a more planned out, structured group get together with friends or dogs that you know well would be better. I have a few dogs around here that Lyric can play with that we already know will get along and it's usually only one or two at the most at a time,  plus his classes where he really got used to a lot of dogs, albeit mostly (not all) puppies. He, so far seems to like every dog he meets.

But, I do see how hard it is if one lives right smack dab in the city. I have a hard time even going for a visit to Seattle to see my kids. There's no place convenient to take the dog off leash. This dog needs that. I'm so thankful to live where I do. There are unlimited places to go on hikes and such off leash. I think you have a great place too. I guess if I had to live in the city, I'd only have a toy breed or one that didn't require the exercise this Dobe does.

Carrie

Dont worry Carrie, I've been accused of much worse things than being "mature" ;-)

Thanks again everybody for your comments. I don't know if I feel more reassured now or more worried!! :)  First, I have to say that I don't have the option of taking Honey out into rural countryside, which is at least an hour's drive away and so not possible during weekdays. Even on weekends, if we did take her out, the rules in NZ are very strict about letting dogs off-leash in the countryside due to protected wildlife like the kiwi bird...in fact, it is law now in Auckland that you can only let your dog loose in off-leash parks and any other place would see you with a heavy penalty. This was in response to several dog attacks and so now, the council have designated certain parks as off-leash exercise areas and families who go there know that there will be dogs roaming loose. Of course, you're still meant to have your dog under "effective control" at these parks. But anywhere else, you HAVE to have your dogs on lead.

I have to admit, I personally think that the parks are a good idea (especially in my situation) as I feel that free play is very important for canine social development. We do take Honey to Obedience class every Monday so she gets that kind of controlled, structured socialisation too but she cannot really play properly with any other dog and I really believe that she needs a bit of free play. She just gets very frustrated at Obedience class and lunges and pulls and also, dogs seem to behave a lot worse when they'e on lead and problems often arise. It's only since she's started getting off-leash, free play at this park that her interaction with other dogs have drastically improved and she is also a lot calmer when meeting them on leash.

I understand that it is better for her to have a small circle of "doggy friends" who are all known to be reliable, to meet up with (as suggested by Carrie) rather than risk a big park full of unknown dogs - but unfortunately, I have very few friends who own dogs (I have very few friends full-stop, as we have just emigrated to NZ!) and none of them are suitable. It is not easy to just find friends with suitable dogs to play with your puppy (especially if your puppy is enormous and weighs 47kg and is very rough!) and ultimately, I feel that it's important for Honey to learn that not all dogs are friendly anyway. By exposing her to a wide variety of strange dogs, I think she's getting the opportunity to learn more than if I only allow her to play in an artificial environment. Plus she seems to be learning to temper her behaviour because other dogs will tell her off if she is too rough, whereas a friendly, indulgent familiar dog may put up with her behaviour and never teach her to restrain herself.

I know there is a chance that she might get emotional scarring from a bad experience but I think it's like children - you can't try to protect them from EVERYthing in life and make them live in a bubble. Sometimes, you've got to let them be and let them live life a little, including the negative things. When you take your child to a birthday party with lots of other children, you're running the risk that one of them may slap her or kick her or she may fall down or something...but that wouldn't stop you letting her go to the party, even at an age when she is too young to understand "Share alike" etc...same applies to nursery school. Everytime you let your child loose into a group of children, you can't control what will happen and whether she will get a negative experience from one of them but doesn't mean that you should keep her at home forever! If you don't expose her to these things as a child, then she'll probably grow up into a socially dysfunctional adult. I think it's the same with puppies. Someone said that puppy socialisation shouldn't be done at these parks...but then if you don't socialise with other dogs as a puppy, they will never learn, will they? They will grow up still unable to cope with strange dogs. Honey did go to puppy kindergarten as a very young puppy, where she only socialised with puppies her age but she is now, at 7 months, too old for that and aside from Obedience classes, I think she also needs free play interaction with a variety of dogs.

I hope that as long as she has had a good foundation of strong socialisation and comes from lines with good, solid temperaments, then she should cope with what life may throw at her. I know that may seem a little naive and irresponsible to some but I really don't believe in over-protecting our dogs. I have heard of people who go to great lengths to protect their dogs and always ensure the perfect environment for mental health - and then they still get attacked anyway, by chance, say walking down the street (you can't possibly predict and prevent EVERY dog encounter) and their dog is emotionally damaged anyway. In fact, maybe if that dog had been allowed more free, natural interaction, the attack might never have happened as it might have learned canine communication better and not provoked the attack or learned to appease the attacker...who knows? So I'm not worried about these parks from Honey's emotional health-point of view but more from what she might do to another dog. From her behaviour and temperament so far, it's very unlikely but I just wanted to be prepared in case anything did happen one day.

The one good thing about this park is that a lot of people seem to be "regulars" and all the owners seem to know each others' dogs by name, so it isn't a completely different, strange set of dogs everytime we go there. So I guess you could say it's close enough to a group of known, friendly dogs that Honey knows and can play with. I have seen a few "tiffs" occur (none with Honey!) between other dogs but they seemed to sort themselves out quite quickly. I guess I'm just worrying unnecessarily (you're right, Havoc!) but I do feel a BIG responsibility in owning a giant breed.

Anyway, thanks again everyone for your tips and suggestions. I will certainly work on my recall. Honey already knows the "Off" command but I use it when I want her to get off something (like when she jumps up on the sofa). She also knows the "Drop it" command, which is to drop whatever she has in her mouth - we use this when we're playing tug-o-war or fetch and I can stop her mid-play with it, but would that work too in a dog fight? The other command she knows is "Leave", which I use whenever I want her to leave something alone, including dogs...would that be the best one to use?

Thanks,
Hsin-Yi

Well, it is different there in NZ with all the regulations. So, in that case, I guess the dog parks are the only way to fly.

"Plus she seems to be learning to temper her behaviour because other dogs will tell her off if she is too rough, whereas a friendly, indulgent familiar dog may put up with her behaviour and never teach her to restrain herself."

I had to laugh because the familiar dogs to my dog, Lyric.....his own "family dogs" aren't very indulgent with him. That's for sure. They get after him all the time...he's such a pest. LOL.

It sounds like you've got a plan that will work for you. But try and remember that dogs aren't really so much like children. They don't go by the same rules, have the same kind of order or heirarchy establishing methods or learn the same way. The outcome of certain things will be a lot different with dogs than with children.

I don't think you'll have to worry too much about other dogs picking on Honey at any rate. If I were a dog, I sure wouldn't. LOL.

Carrie

Gosh, Carrie, I just went and read the thread in the General forum about the Cocker spaniel pup that was attacked - how awful. Now I understand better where you and Harriet are coming from about dog parks and I can see why you think they are a bad idea. I guess I'm just lucky in that my puppy towers over everyone else and is very unlikely to get bullied (they would just get squashed by her camel-like foot! :)) so maybe that's why I'm less worried. I would probably be more protective if I had a Cocker puppy which must be really small and vulnerable at 6 months. In fact, most dogs - even of the "large breeds" are still quite small at 6 months - whereas it's different when your 6month old puppy is bigger than all the adult dogs in the park! The only thing bigger than Honey is an adult Dane and even then, she is bigger than a lot of them...apparently, she is very big for her gender and age, even within the breed. Hey, are we allowed to post photos on this forum? I have a recent picture of Honey which shows just how big she is!! :)

Hsin-Yi

Hsin-Yi,
Wow, I can't believe how restricted you are! I 'live and breath' dogs but I think if I was that restricted i wouldnt keep a dog. I really cannot imagine ever not being able to let my dogs off the lead in places where I can spend most of my time not having to deal with other peoples dogs!  Fair play to you though, for trying to make the best of it!

I'm with you on not being too over-protective of dogs. You certainly seem to be doing the best you can to socialise and train your dog.

Calling your dog off a fight is really not something that the average person can specifically train for. If you can't call her out of playing, I doubt you'd be able to call her off a fight. In a situation like that its unlikely to matter what command you use - I really can't remember what I said to my dog when she got in a fight, my tone of voice told her everything she needed to know! ;-) Very unlikely that is was a specific command word though! (May have involved a bit of good old-fashioned swearing though! ;-) )

Keep doing what your doing, enjoy her & stop worrying ;-)

No, you can't be too over protective or they'd never have any fun. Come to think of it, I'm not too protective. I don't have much chance of running into too many dogs, if any where I hike and walk. But, there's the odd chance of running into a bear or moose. I'm more worried about moose than the bears. And there's the really off chance that there could be a cougar. But my dogs are NOT allowed off the trail except if they have to to go around some obstacle. When they step off track too much, I say "eh-eh-trail" and it's funny.....they're learning that word...just started that one a few days ago. They hear "eh-eh" and know their doing something wrong. When they step back onto the trail, it's "good trail" and wa-lah....they're getting good at it already. There are certain places where we walk through the woods and there is no trail, as it's all nice and bare underneath the pines, but they have to stay pretty close.

Someone that lives north of here, had a Rottweiler that was killed by a big cat. So, there are those risks. But with my singing (from the diaphram, mind you, lol)  on our walks and other noises, (Chihuahuas) I'm pretty sure we'll give those animals plenty of warning to move out of the way. So, not much worry about dog fights, but the alternative doesn't sound too great does it. LOL.

Carrie

Carrie,

Where do you live, America, Africa, India?! :D  Rottwiler killed by a big cat!!  I take it you mean big as in Cougar, Lion, Leopard.  Ha ha, read your post and thought at first that the Rottie was killed by a large kitty, am very tired.

                                                                                          Kate

edited:  Sorry, just reread your post, you live somewhere in America. Sorry

Ha ha. You don't have to be sorry. I live in America....north Idaho and it's quite a wilderness. Yes, there are cougars, but mostly they stay up higher in the mountains. I am in the mountains, but not too high an elevation. Occasionally they have been seen down here, but very rarely. But there definitely are moose and black bear. This is also grizzly habitat, but mostly we see black bear which are pretty shy. But there are something like 400 miles of trails which are taken care of by the forest service. There's a golf course that we can use for running if there are no golfers, mostly spring, fall and winter. There's a big lake with lots of beaches. There are only 600 year around residents that live in this whole area. But there are vacationers in summer and a lot of summer cabins and a few resorts where people come on weekends or vacations. People come from all over to snowmobile on the 400 mile groomed trail system that actually goes to Canada I believe. So, it's a great place for the dogs to explore and run. My own propery is 5 acres and there are woods and some pasture with a creek running through.

It's funny. Everyone around here LOVES dogs. They're so into them. A few times, my Lab has escaped and she goes and visits this one family. If I don't go get her first, the guy there will bring her home and then he has an excuse to ask me for a beer and a visit. He's very jovial and everyone loves Bonnie. If someone else would see her, they'd know exactly who she belongs to.

I can bring my dog into the pub or into the little stores for socializing. No one pays any attention to the laws about having dogs where they have food. They don't pay any attention to laws like not taking your beer outside on the stoop of the establishment with you. They ask if you want your drink for here or to go. (like McDonalds hamburgers) LOL. That's totally weird isn't it. You will still get in big trouble if you drink and drive, but some people live just a very short distance and they just want to grab a drink and take it home, so they do it. It's just a funny little place where everyone knows everyone. Any place you go, the people are your aquaintences or friends. Funny.

Carrie

Well I live in Bristol, and am lucky that there are an awful ot of Public Green spaces where one can excersise dogs off lead, but of course I do expect to meet other people with their dogws enjoying this freedom.

Being a gregarious doggy person I love meeting lots of new people with their dogs :D

I wouldn't want to be out in the middle of nowhere withjust the dogs, much more fun to walk with other like minded folk.

brainless, you don't have to knock someone elses homeland to make yours look better.  you can say that you too have a great place to walk and play with your dog.  that it is different bacause there are other people walking thier dogs too on trails.  but you don't need to imply that yours is better. 
for you info. this place where carrie lives is also where i live and it is fantastic.  there are lots of other people with their dogs all around.  at the store, at the resorts, on some of the hiking trails, etc.  it is just that sometimes it is nice to enjoy nature without anyone around.  i think it is great that we have the option either way.
your place sounds great too. 

Elija, I'm not sure where Brainless is knocking anyone's homeland?

Elijah,

No one was knocking anyone's homeland.  Brainless simply said she would prefer to live in a more populated area. 

I think you were being a little too sensitive.  Northern Idaho sounds rugged and beautiful.  

Stacey

perhaps too sensitive.....but "i wouldn't want to be walking around in the middle of nowhere with just my dogs, much more fun to be around other people......"  to me, that had quite the neg. tone.  anyhow, perhaps im too sensitive.....perhaps others are too defensive.

Elija, some people like rural areas and some people like towns. I'm told some people even like cities! ;) Just as some people's ideal evening is a quiet meal with a friend, and someone else loves partying and clubbing all night. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with any of them. Taking offence where none was intended only causes bad feeling.
:)

thanks jg for truely explaining things to me. 

i don't need you to lecture me.  i totally agree with you.  which is why i commented on the brainless post in the first place because she was insinuating that my place sucks.  no one needs to act that way on this forum.  to each to his/her own.   i certainly didn't cause a bad feeling......it was brainless's comment that caused a bad feeling in me, which is why i commented.

I'm sure Brainless didn't intend that. I certainly didn't read that into her post. She was merely stating her preference, not casting aspersions on yours! Just like I certainly wasn't lecturing you, just giving an analogy, but you chose to take it as a lecture!

Maybe we all need to take a chill-pill! ;)

JG,

I think we better give up on this one.  If someone chooses to be offended where no offense was intended, it's their choice. 

Stacey

I think you're right, Stacey. Shame.

Well, that sounds just wonderful...lots of green. It's great to let the dogs off leash isn't it. They love to explore around the brush and trees and sniff holes that ground rodents have made. They're sure they're going to find something. LOL.

My niece also goes with me often with her dog and we do occasionally run into other dogs, especially on the beach.  When we all go together, it looks like a real pack...5 dogs all roaring around together. We see so much wildlife and nature, beautiful, unusual mosses and huge old growth cedar trees hundreds of years old, waterfalls and creeks. And along side the water are beautiful flowers...Trillium, Skunk cabbage, Bleeding Heart and Lupin. And the smell of Pine is my absolute favorite. It brings back memories of when I was a kid. Smells do that to me. It makes me think of when I was riding horses as a kid. I can almost smell the leather and horse sweat too. LOL.

So every single day, we get out and do this. It's the highlight of their day. Dogs love to go for walks don't they.

Carrie

"I wouldn't want to be out in the middle of nowhere withjust the dogs, much more fun to walk with other like minded folk."

I just noticed that sentence. Well...I'm sure you won't have to. LOL.

Hi Brainless, your post reminded me about some nice walks I have had in your area on my way to and from places.  There was one place I remember, can't recall its name, that was almost next to a main road, and when you were there it seemed like Bristol must be miles away.  I shall have to try and rack my brains.

regards

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