I have been walking my DDB in my local park.  I walk off lead and he is never further than a few feet from me.  I have been noticing over the last few days, that owners of very small dogs... shitzu's and yorkie types, freeze when they see me and the dog.  I flash a big smile, but they don't come any closer, most stop walking altogether.  I bring him for socialization, but he seems to be written off by older owners (pensioners) and small breed owners.  I'm a tad fearful of frightening anyone to death, but would love to know if there is any suggestions on mingling in the park. 

On a side note, i love the way they stare at me to see if im going to pick up the large poop that my dog just put in the middle of the lawn.... as if to say, let's see you handle that!

My small breed dog doesn't get walked in parks very often but up on the Downs he meets and plays with a variety of large dogs and Nips usually gets described as "their lunch"!  I can't say that the size of any particular dog has ever worried me since some of the most evil mutts I've come across are about the size of floor mops. With added teeth!

Hi, I have rotts and walk all three of them off the lead. They can be quite noisy and we get some funny looks and even have people tell us to have them muzzled etc etc. Unfortunately there are alot of people that haven't got a clue, so I tend to find that getting them back on a lead, putting them in a sit or down and telling them to stay usually puts the ball in their court, as I have three well trained dogs that do as they are told, they cannot complain about anything.

I also find if it is doggy people that are a bit 'funny' then they tend to have small fluffy dogs. I'm sure they have a slight fear of larger dogs and this can go down the lead to them. Just to clarify I do run obedience, ringcraft and puppy socialisation classes twice a week and have breeds from shit-zu's to danes that come so I am not against any breed of dog!!

I always find that if we see new people with their dogs in the park that if we put them back on leads, say good morning to them AND also to their dog, that they tend to eventually say hello back!! If you always walk in the same area, people will get to know you, and eventually they will be fine.

There will always be one person that may rock the boat, but you have to carry on being nice. Unfortunately if you own a large breed or a dog with a stigma attached (rotts, dobes, gsd's, etc) then it comes with the territory. It's all part of keeping the name of the breed in good light.

I can see both sides to this,i have huge dog(BM) and 2 small ones(pugs).
The thing that puts me at ease when i see a big dog coming toward my little ones is iff the owner calls out that his dog is good with little ones,or something in that vein,call out to them and let them know your dog is fine and is not going to eat them for breakfast :p

If a large or vicious dog attacked one of these little guys they would have NO chance,they would more than likely be killed or seriously injured,unlike a large dog who could defend himself. You should see the confusion on small dog owners faces when i am out walking my dogs,they are happy for the lil pugs to come up and have a play,but the big boofer is always ambling along behind them,he wants to play too I just quickly let them know he is as gentle as a lamb and wont hurt their precious little dogs ;)

How does your dog react around other dogs? Is he calm or does he rush up to other dogs in a boisterous fashion? All i can advise is to talk them first before they have a chance to react to the >big mean dog< :rolleyes:

I have found the smaller terriers or staffy type dogs are the ones to worry about,the giants like the danes DDb and mastiffs tend to be laid back I must admit i do tense up when a staffy appears,but i never show the owners how i feel coz i know how horrible it is when a total stranger brands your dog,but these are the breeds i have seen the most aggressive problems from when it comes to other dogs.I make sure and get their attention before we get close, to ensure its ok for our dogs to mix,i have never had a dog whos owner says he is ok be anything otherwise :)

I have been noticing over the last few days, that owners of very small dogs... shitzu's and yorkie types, freeze when they see me and the dog.

I'd say it isn't anything so much to do with large dogs as with irresponsible owners -and of them there are plenty sadly. I know I would not go anywere near a large dog with my papillon unless I kenw the person and the dog, and I have 6 large dogs myself -even if they are not AS large as DDB.  Let's face it, a small dog can so easily get killed, even if it is unintentional, even in play.

goldmali and sara good points... tomorrow im going to try again.....

note to self: do not try typing after a few galssses fo wine....

this reminds me of my best mate who has a bright white deaf great dane- 11 months old! she obviously isnt ever let off lead in public areas- so when we go to park- numpty really goes loony and gets all excited- we play with her on the lead- she weighs more than me, but when we walk through the park- we clear it, or if someone comes close enough with their dog- they keep a 10 meter perimetre around us, poor numpts just stands there as if to say 'come on- lets play!' poor babe.. but the thing is numpty knows to be gentle around small dogs and pups, but if its another dane or rottie etc- its a straight boxing match!!hilarious- she'll mature... one day....!

there are a few elderly people around here with small dogs who avoid mine for the simple reason that they are frightened of being knocked over purely by accident, they know he doesnt mean any harm but as they are older they are more worried about falls etc. we can become a bit sensitive and imagine people avoid us with our big dogs because they think we are a problem but often its something quite different.

why dont you take your dog up to them while he is still leaded start a conversation let them see that your dog wont hurt them or their dogs and they may settle down.

I do agree that it is because of irresponsible owners who have not bothered to train their dogs of what acceptable behavour is. I often come across this with my red cattle most people see a red cattle and think this dog is phsycho in no way is my girl like that she is the most gentle loving girl.

I am accustomed to strangers giving me and the dogs a wide berth but it doesn't bother me in the slightest....all the more space for us :)Anyone who knows us in our regular haunts know that the dogs are friendly. I don't allow them off-lead around strange dogs until it has been established with the othe owner that it is safe for all concerned to do so.

I am used to people picking up their little dogs when they see mine coming. One day (when I only had one dog) I saw a gentleman approaching with two Yorkies. I put my dog on lead and he scooped his Yorkies up into his arms. We exchanged pleasantries as we passed each other and I said it was okay for him to put his dogs down as mine wouldn't bother them. His reply was "Your dog might be friendly but these two are little buu$$ers and they just love having a go at bigger dogs" He went on to say that they had escaped from his garden a few days previously and he found them down the street where they had cornered a neighbours Staffy So big doesn't always mean bad ;)

Hi
I would just like to say ,that as an owner of a large Basset and a small Yorkie, the yorkie is never picked up and will want to play with any dog, large or small.
They both like all the dogs we meet on our regular walks, and one a rottie is their favourite, he is really large and soppy we also meet a large G Shepherd and they all get kisses.
I think if you always pick up a small dog it will pick up your own feelings of fear and will react accordingly.
Jus my two cents
Carol

I would say that the owners you are coming across have either had a bad experience with a larger dog or have under socialised their own dogs.

It may be that their dogs are aggresive to certain dogs, in which case I'd be grateful that they do this - maybe they are acting like responsible dog owners?

Don't let this stop your dog having a good time though, if you're sure of his temprement and he stays near you then I am sure other owners will eventually build some trust seeing you walk him.

I wouldn't take it personally, I'd assume that the owners can't trust their own dogs reaction and be thankful they'd disappeared

I would say that the owners you are coming across have either had a bad experience with a larger dog or have under socialised their own dogs.

That's rather an unfair statement! Don't forget all it takes is one large dog's paw raised in play (as they DO, mine do!) and hitting a small dog across the back and the small dog could be dead! Doesn't have to be any aggression involved whatsoever!

Very true Marianne.  Didn't we have a very sad Poster who lost their Chihuahua puppy in boistrous play with a large dog?  It's certainly something I was aware of when excercising my Dandie, not a particularly small breed but long backed, with my friend and her Newfoundland.  It was just as likely too, for her to be concerned and put her big lad on a lead for a bit, particularly when he was younger, if he looked like getting too bouncy.

Exactly Isabel. :) There was a poster who had their Chi die when their bigger dog fell on it.

I think I can possibly see both sides a bit more than some (and I used to be the same, feeling upset at owners of small dogs that took a wide berth when they saw my large dogs -before I'd been on the other side so to speak)  because my smallest dog weighs in at 2.8 kgs and my largest at 40 so I've seen both sides -and one thing is for sure, you are as a dog owner treated differently when you are out for a walk with a large dog and when you are out with a tiny dog. With the tiny dog, large dog owners tend to often scowl and make silly remarks about the size,  such as "Hey, watch out, you've ended up with some dirt on the end of your lead!" and the little dog owners smile at you. Then when I walk a large dog the same owners of little dogs stay well away and the same large dog owners suddenly smile at you. (Not only a walks either but at training classes as well!)

There's a lot of discrimination going on (as we have seen here as well in the past) between the two "camps" -large vs little, but what so many tend to forget is the very real dangers of large dogs mixing with tiny dogs due to the size difference. I cannot even let my OWN large dogs meet my tiny own due to it, and I KNOW my own dogs and there is no aggression involved. It's just common sense.

I can't understand the offence people take, unless the other owner is picking up clods of mud and chucking them, where's the skin off their noses

and would that not be classed as a bad experience then??????
Not all owners of small dogs would feel the need to keep their dog away from larger dogs - the point I was making is that there is probably a reason why these particular owners keep their dogs away from the OP large dog and the reason needn't be personal to the OP.

I was not generalising - merely suggesting a possibility. Read what you've quoted me on - do I suggest that all large breed dogs are aggresive???? No, I certainly do not. Do I suggest that all owners of small dogs should put their dogs on leads??? No, I do not.

Any dog of any size could or can be attacked - the OP wondered why the small breed owners in her local park put their dogs on leads when they came across her well behaved larger dog - there could be a million reasons why, I was simply offering my thoughts (isn't that what this is for????)

The quote from you I used said the owner either had had a bad exeprience or under socialised their dogs, my point being the answer could quite simply be they are being SENSIBLE. Nobody needs to have had ANY bad experience OR have under socialised their toy dog to be sensible enough to NOT let it say hello to a large DDB!

- maybe they are acting like responsible dog owners?

hhmmmm - try reading my post again - I think you may have misread what I was saying - I did also say maybe they are acting like responsible dog owners!!!!!!!!

All dog owners should be wary of letting their dog say hello to ANY strange dog, regardless of breed, shape, size or your own dogs temprement - thats just common sense but not everyone puts their dog on a lead at the first sight of any dog.

I trust this clarifies what I was trying to say.

Maybe you should pick up on comments further up the thread rather than linger on mine

I'd rather be safe than sorry. I have a Chihuahua male that is only 1,8kg and really small. he's a sweet, friendly boy but I WILL not let him play with larger dogs. Not because I'm mean and I don't want my dog to play, but because he is very fragile and could get killed in an instant. He went to obedience classes (for socializing reasons and basic commands) and was the only chi there. He had best friends of different breeds (Airedale Terrier, German Shep, and others), but they were always under control and on the lead. If I go for a walk and I see a leashed dog approaching us, i have absolutely no problem and would never pick him up. I simply ask the owner if it's okay to say hello and sniff and I'd let him do it if he wants. But if i see an unleashed, larger dog running toward us, I'd pick him up, no questions asked!! I think it's my right to protect my dog without people judging me......

And he does play with other dogs every week....... I don't deprive him of anything. We have Chi/other toy breeds meetings and they can play all they want.

It certainly is your right to protect your dog and I would do exactly the same (and have done) when dogs have charged at my puppy.
Be they small dogs or large dogs - any dog that is not under the owners control and I did not know would not be given the opportunity to say hello to my puppy until I was certain it was safe for both of them

As others have said, it depends on the dog. I have Cavaliers and a Yankee, so fairly small. Most of the big dogs are fine and I don't worry about them, but there's a couple of people, one with a totally uncontrolled rottie, who is totally friendly, but she has knocked my young bitch flying and made her yelp with pain / shock in the past. This man doesn't even have a collar or lead on his bitch and it totally ignores his occasional whistles to call it. :-( There's another man with a GSD who chases my little dogs, and I was dismayed to meet him with a new husky / malamute type breed today! As we passed each other with me watching his dogs very warily, he said 'that one's ok but I'm not sure about the other' Luckily for him I was speechless, something along the lines of 'what the **** are they doing offlead then???' would have been in order. But as I say, most big dogs aren't a problem.

Been meaning to ask for a while.  You refer to your girl as a Red Cattle, so I wondered were you refering to her colour and breed, or do they have the blue and red ones as seperate breeds in Australia.

Here in the UK we have the Australian Cattle dog recognised by the kennel club as breed, and they are Red and Blue, and I assume the two are bred together in the same litters.

alot of people do that,to my BCs,so its not just huge dogs!

Hi, i have ddb's and get a similar reaction when walking mine, i tend to try and avoid the park because of peoples reaction to them. An incident did occur where i took them on the field were it is normally quite, a young man apeared with a staffy, totally freaked out when my girls went to say hello, started screaming at me and threatening to hurt me if i didnt put them on the lead, but because of the comotion he was causing they were confused and wouldn't come to me. I had to scream back at him to stop shouting at me as he was scaring them. He clamed down i got them back on the leads , gave him a right telling of for his reaction, he made matters 10 time worse.

but then another take on this is what do you do when you have large breed(mastiffs in my case)and someone allows their smaller breed to run up and act very aggressively towards your dog thats on a lead,and trying to look away from the dog,,mine was almost whistling this morning,and looking in every direction except the labs,this dog has been going at mine all week,well today it went too far and actually tore into my bitches face,the owner just said in her happy come here voice,come here Harvey good boy,and oh hes only doing it because hes scared,then when I said she ought to keep him on a lead or muzzled,(ahem did whisper under my breath or even a gun would do the trick)she flew into some sort of demented rage,screaming like some lunatic banshee that I should'nt walk my dogs there,public park,which my garden backs onto,and its only mine hers has any trouble with,then it ran off and attacked a staffie,who by the way did not fight back,but was covered in blood by time lab had finished with it,now my prob is,what if it comes at one of my stud males who will fight back,and weighing in at eighteen stone,then what,am actually quite worried about this scanario,
Wendy

When small dog owners walk away/pick their dog up i just smile and carry on theres no point getting stressed/annoyed due to some peoples concerns it would spoil your walk otherwise.

I personally wouldn't let mine play with a small dog the same as i wouldn't let my 6yr old play with under 16's football, the size is an issue with mine when running they do tight corners and usually end up skidding on the grass/sand on their arse imagine if a jrt was running alongside in fun and they fell on top of it

but then another take on this is what do you do when you have large breed(mastiffs in my case)and someone allows their smaller breed to run up and act very aggressively towards your dog thats on a lead,and trying to look away from the dog

Oh I know, I get that too. NOBODY should allow their dogs to run up to ANY dog without asking first -regardless of sizes involved.

An incident did occur where i took them on the field were it is normally quite, a young man apeared with a staffy, totally freaked out when my girls went to say hello, started screaming at me and threatening to hurt me if i didnt put them on the lead,

To be honest though although he did make it worse, you should have made sure you dogs didn't go up to any other dog without having owner's permission first. Or did I misunderstand and he appeared out of nowhere so you were taken by surprise?

we cant change the world, just try to be true to our own beliefs, its frustrating but a sad fact that if you have a big dog, owners of little dogs think that one bite from yours and thats it, theirs is a goner, the tiny dog next door chases mine all over the place and the owner is frightened mine will turn round and bite him.(im as sure as i can be that he wont, he thinks its a great game) there are also people out their that are so scared of big dogs(for whatever reason, we dont know their history) that fear makes them unreasonable, im afraid you have to develop a bit of a thick skin. I dont let my dog play with little dogs in case he steps on them, thats the only reason, hes very clumsy and it would happen. if a dog approaches me offlead looking to play then i let mine of to play or run away as he sees fit, i cant and wont hold him trapped on a lead while another dog is free. sorry if i am wrong, but it works for me.

Hi, yes i was taken by surprise, i always scan and check for anyone that's about before letting them of,I was scared his staffy was going to go for my girl because of his reaction, i wouldnt walk them of lead if they were atall aggressive, people just look at thier size and judge them. They have been well socialized,totally placid, pathetic guard dogs infact lol. I have been put of talking my dogs to parks etc because of looks, reactions and comments i get.

I understand doguegone, different scenario if you were taken by surprise :) that must have been very frustrating then! :( I had a similar thing happen once, arrived at the nearest fields with 2 dogs (Golden and Malinois), some people with Greyhounds ON LEADS were a few hundred yards away. Started to shout at me to not let my dogs off. I'm like huh?? why? Asked (well had to call out as they weren't close of course) why and explained my dogs would not go anywhere near theirs, got no reply, just a load of abuse saying don't you dare let your dogs off. So I gave up, let my 2 off, who didn't as much as look at theirs, and we were heading in the opposite direction to what they were walking in, away from them. Yet as long as I could hear them they kept shouting at me calling me names. I still don't understand why!

Have your dog wear a bandana if you think people are scared of it - my GSD used to wear a jazzy bandana and a pink collar - everyone wanted to stroke her when she was dressed in those - I think it softens the image some people have of a big scary dog!

What a good idea

I am the opposite i am more worried about little dogs when out walking, the other day my husband was out walking our gr and said a little westie came running over frothing at the mouth and growling, tyler was on the lead and the other owners were shouting there dog to no avail, when my husband decided to stand in between the two dogs (he ended up falling over in his panic!!!), as tyler is soft as grease and could have ended up with a nasty bite, anyway the couple started saying my husband was kicking the dog, which he would never do unless he had to. So they got into a huge argument. I think because it was a little dog they thought it was ok for it to bahave like that. Big dogs i have no problems with little ones i am always wary they will be intimidated by my dog as some little dogs are. So i always check if they are ok with larger dogs.

Personally I have two little dogs and wouldn't intentionally shy away from any dog, however if I saw that the other dog was off the lead I might be more inclined to.  At the end of the day you may well have your dog 100% under control but how do I know that?

The thing I have never understood is if your dog is off lead and stays only a few feet away from you, why bother having them off the lead??  There is a spaniel that is walked off lead near me, always along the side of a busy main road - true he never strays far from his owner but why take the chance - who knows what may distract him!?

The thing I have never understood is if your dog is off lead and stays only a few feet away from you, why bother having them off the lead??  There is a spaniel that is walked off lead near me, always along the side of a busy main road - true he never strays far from his owner but why take the chance - who knows what may distract him!?

How do you know he's not under command just then to stay close? Very irresponsible I agree, but people probably think the same of my dogs (NOT near roads) -always a few feet away or righ next to me heeling, so why off lead -well that's simply because if I've seen another dog or say a child or whatever they get told to stay close, and can then run off further again when we are on our own. :)

I would mention that your dog is friendly to other owners. Its such a shame when you are trying to socialise your dogs and this happens.  I understand that due to his size he could easily hurt a smaller dog etc. Also another reason may be that the owners themselves may be intimidated by your dog. Not all dog walkers/owners are comfortable with all breeds. My dog is always walked off lead in the woods on the beach, but if i see another dog owner with dog on the lead then i always call him to me and put him on his lead until we pass unless the owner says their dogs are/are not friendly.  I have to say I have heard all sorts from other dog owners. I was walking my dog (black lab) with my friend and her dog (staffy x) and one lady said she wouldnt allow her dog to mix with crossbreeds , I was totally shocked and asked why, she said i dont like crossbreeds.   There is one couple who walk their DDB in the woods we use and he is just a total grump when it comes to other dogs of any variety, but they always warn other dog walkers and tend to take him very early or late to avoid confrontation.   If you can get to know some friendly dog owners and dog that dont mind their dog playing with yours why not ask if you could meet up for walks?, if commitments/times allow you to.  I personally would love to meet your dog, i love DDB :) and my dog will play with any dog.

yes i would love to meet you too, the bigger the better