I was walking Angus, my 10 month old goldie, in a park this morning - beautiful day, real pleasure to be out.  As I crossed into the second large section of the park, I noticed the only other occupants were a middle aged couple with two very large GSDs coming our way.  Angus is sometimes inclined to go tearing over to other dogs which I'm trying to discourage, so I put him on his lead and crossed to the opposite side of the field going in the other direction.  To my surprise, the couple with the GSDs then changed direction and came directly across the field towards me.

As they came up to me, I explained why I had put Angus back on lead.  It turned out they had a male and a female and they said the female could be very much 'in your face'.  However, the problem turned out to be the male who immediately stood growling over Angus who crouched right down submissively and was obviously frightened.  The woman then said, "he is inclined to tell puppies off but only does it to dominant dogs".   I replied that my dog was not dominant (he has never shown any sign of this and has never retaliated when other dogs boss him about or even have a go at him).  She contradicted me, saying he must be .  Her husband had made a move to remove their dog but she told him to leave it.  I then insisted that she removed her dog as I didn't want Angus having such unpleasant experiences at his young age.  She did as I asked but I was still very annoyed because if they knew what their dogs were like, why on earth did they deliberately go out of their way to meet me and Angus? 

What do you do with such stupid people?

I'm sorry to hear that.  It sounds a bit like a nightmare, would be mine anyway.  I'm scared myself of two Alsatians.   Nothing at all against Alsatians, but I'm scared since a child and can't do anything about it.  Maybe I should have one myself.  Anyway, I don't think there is anything you can do about it.  It always annoys me, when people leave their dog(s) off the lead, although they can see that I put my dog on a lead.

Lots of sympathy from an owner of an eight month old pup!!!

Thanks for the sympathy Bagpipe :).  I try not to prejudge any breed I meet out walking but people like this are the type who give GSDs a bad name!  I think what wound me up the most was the fact that the park is very big and they had absolutely no reason to come over to me, especially when they knew there could be a problem with their dogs :(.

Fortunately, Angus seemed to bounce back quite quickly and fortunately met some more friendly dogs soon afterwards :).

Glad to hear your pup took it all in his stride, we have a large Leo who is now 13 months old and i am very careful when he goes up to other dogs because of his size.  He is really friendly and gentle but i am aware that the size worries other owners.  He makes friends but some dogs, collie types mostly have a real go at him and he runs back to me.  I was surrounded by three dogs the other day while Boden was on the lead, two little ones and the ever growling barking collie.  The owner came up and tried to move them away as i just stood still, but he didn't say anything to me and was totally out of control of his dogs.  Luckily my boy was very relaxed but it made me mad as we were not even spoken to.

Probably the owner was too ashamed to speak!  He certainly should have apologised - my couple didn't apologise either :(.   The woman in particular was so convinced mine was dominant (she obviously felt she knew my dog better than me :rolleyes:) and seemed to think this justified her dog's behaviour

I have 2 leos, and a collie x :P I can take the collie x anywhere she is no problem - doesn't go to other dogs usually and will come back when called if she does. The leos, on the other hand, think every dog is theirs to play with! As soon as we enter any walk area, or any street for that matter :rolleyes: others are quick to scoop up their dogs and go the other way. The only problem we have round here are off lead staffies! and truthfully thats the only type you see off lead apart from one rottie, unless you go over the fields or woods. I really don't know what I or the dogs would do if a strange dog ran up growling or barking, I don't think mine would answer back and that scares me as much if  I knew they would!  But I know one thing for sure - the other owner would get a mouthful off me if they didn't control their dog.

I couldn't say the dogs were out of control Missie, more that the owners thought the behaviour acceptable so the stupid owners were the out of control ones :(

I think you yell at them!!!!  :)

Soon, by a process of positive punishment, they come to learn that letting their dogs go running up to other people's results in loud, swearing arguments with other people.  As a result, they stop doing the behaviour which has been punished (ha ha!!!).

Well, yesterday I was standing about 10 metres away from a man with a GSD on lead, and I had one of our dogs on a lead too.  He was leaving the park and I was coming in, and we were standing opposite each other.  His dog starts to do a HUGE poo, and to my complete surprise, the man then just walked on with his dog and didn't pick up the dog poo!!!!  Despite the fact there are lots of bins in the park!!!  I was speechless.  If I hadn't had my dog, I would have gone up to him and offered him a poo bag, but I didn't want to walk up to him with my dog, since I think his dog is aggressive towards other dogs.  I did consider yelling at him across the park "Hey - pick up your s**t!" but I didn't want to look insane.  I've been finding huge poos in this park for a while now, and I guess I've found the culprit :(

AAhh! so now I understand how to spot a dominant dog!  -  It's the one rolling on the floor, trying to look as submissive as possible :rolleyes: shaking head in amazement.

I wonder sometimes how some people manage to stand up, walk and breathe at the same time :rolleyes: it's obviously vey taxing for them :rolleyes:

Hopefully the new laws coming into effect today will help stop that.  I think it is was an £80 on the spot fine for not picking up poo!  Of course, they actually have to catch them doing it I suppose! :rolleyes:

I have a nice park within easy walking distance which is great to exercise my girls in, being totally enclosed and a great place to ensure your dogs are safe.  When I see someone not picking up I try to see which house they came from or which car they arrived in and then report them.  Sorry! but I don't want to lose this great venue that I can give my four a good safe run in.  One was a policeman with two Jack Russells.

I rush up and offer them a poo bag with a "Oh dear you run out?"  and stand over them until they have done the decent thing.

I did this to a man that stopped his car, let his little terrier out to crap and then let it back in the car.  He was most dispeleased but I waited until he had done it.

Wonder if it was my girls smiling at him that stopped him being rude to me

I don't mind peoplke thinking me crazed as they are pretty sure of that anyway.

it's up to a £1000 fine around her, but it needs someone to enforce it.

Well, their dogs didn't run over - they BROUGHT them over off lead, that was one of my complaints 123!  They knew these dogs - certainly the male one anyway - were inclined to be aggressive to puppies so what the hell did they think they were doing?   As I said, she was determined to blame her dog's behaviour on mine supposedly being dominant (yeah right) so I suppose if I had started shouting and swearing, she probably would have said no wonder her dog is dominant if she is like that!! :p

As for people not cleaning up after their dogs - don't get me started! :D.  It's no good at all having fines, however large, if no-one is enforcing them :(

we were out walking the other day when 3 dogs came up behind us , i was unable to stop mine from going back to see them, all were off lead and looking to play, mine approached the young black lab that was running up to him and it rolled over at his feet in total submission while he sniffed it, must have been a very dominant lab:rolleyes:I go to a lot of trouble to stop my dog approaching others but sometimes people still let their dogs run up to him which amazes me as he is a big GSd. he has a great nature but plays a bit rough for most dogs. we have just come back from 3 days walking in dorset, and had a fantastic time, met lots of dogs.

That is really unbelievable that they walked over to you. I'm glad your puppy wasn't too bothered. He sounds just like my Goldie puppy. Now if had been me, I'm afraid like 123, I would have voiced some opinions about her, and her dog's behaviour! Preferably to the point of her rolling over on ground in submissive posture - me growling over her - puppy next to me with tail wagging thinking you go mom - GSD hanging head in shame. Well you can day dream can't you!

Bring a water pistol with you so if they do it again you can squirt them both in the face. :-D

ROFL - what a lovely image and I like the idea of the water pistol :D :D.  I think Angus was frightened at the time Lori but soon seemed to get over it once the GSDs had gone.  I'm just worried that if this happens too often, he will start deciding to get in first :(.

I bet he was a bit scared. When a dog has a go at Milo I calmly step between them, well if I can. It's not always possible. So far my GR puppy has managed to completely ignore the numerous bad tempered dogs and he still loves the world. He gets to meet a lot of nice dogs though, at training school and now the doggy creche (I'm bringing him just for fun). If Angus has more good experiences than bad then hopefully his natural GR good nature will continue to predominate.

I agree Lori!
Should we be squirting water in the dogs face or the owners?
Poor Angus - I think he'll be fine, I don't think he'll become agressive because of this incident, just not in a goldens nature!
Must go and buy a water pistol!
Maria C

This is my worry as well, if my dog has too many bad experiences he will become defensive. We try our best to prevent anything awful happening but sometimes it's too late to do anything if people let there unfriendly dogs run over. We had this with an aggressive westie and my husband had to put him self in between tyler and the westie and then got a mouthful for shooing the other dogs away with his foot. But what are you supposed to do? We also had another incident where there were two dogs, and it wasn't until my dog came over too us with his gums bleeding that the owners told us one of the dogs is protective over the other. My dog thought both dogs were fair game and so did we, as we were told it's ok to let them play. The owners are the problems, and yes waterpistols sound like a great idea!!

Dogs if you want to kindly suggest your dog doesn't want to say hello. It doesn't hurt them and even sound sensitive dogs won't be traumatized. Owners if they get close enough and are rude! I wouldn't douse someone who was trying.

Many years ago I had a similar experience with my young weim puppy. She was sooo friendly, happily met anyone or dogs, no probs. Then I was on a playing field, she was about 4mths then, and a huge sized black Lab came bounding over. She just stood by me, this male dog was all over her, knocked her flying. I shouted at it, and then at the woman with it to get it back, but she said she couldnt as it was a friends that she was looking after. He wasnt good at coming back, she said he was friendly and just playing, he wouldnt bite her. All this time the damn thing was rolling my girl who was on her belly totally submissive. I managed to grab his collar, which I know is not the best idea, to find teeth and growls from him. I shouted at him, and got my body between him and my puppy, but he was pushing me out of the way. The woman was calling him, and telling me to leave him, as he was only playing! I tried to pick my pup up, only to be nearly knocked off my feet by this damn dog. I did get very naggy, and told her to get the ****** back and get it under control. She just kept saying to leave it, it was only playing and I was winding it up! I said some very choice words back, and then managed to scoop my pup from under the dog and lift her up. I turned my back to the dog, who was jumping up, and again told her to get the ******* thing off me, and on a leash under control. Eventualy she came over to me and caught him, I asked who he belonged to as he looked familiar(being so big for his breed and exceptionally bouncy) , to find I knew of the owner. I advised her regarding the dog, its actions and the fact she was on a playing field open to all, dog walkers, adults and children, and this sort of behaviour was not acceptable. She simply laughed, said I was making to much of it, and walked off. My poor girl was really upset and shaking, and up until the day she died (at 12 years) she hated big black dogs, and was nervous of such dogs bounding up to her, although she still played and mixed happily with well behaved dogs. She just didnt forget.

I did get hold of the owner, who had been told what had happened, he was very apologetic, but said it was my fault, if my puppy was nervous she shouldnt have been out without a lead! At the time his dog was on an exceptionally heavy choke chain, which he was leaning into and coughing, and refusing to sit despite yanks on the chain to make him. I let him know in no uncertain terms his liability regarding the dog, and the chance he start a fight with another dog with that attitude, all he said as he walked off laughing was that his dog could take care of himself! I later found that this dog had been used a number of times at stud, because, despite being not kc reg he was a fantastic working dog and the puppies produced from a working bitch would also make excellent working dogs! I despared. But, it was all a long time ago, all I would say to the OP is, with the knowledge of how it affected my girl, make sure your dog is exposed to nice friendly dogs of this breed that attacked it, so it remembers the good dogs, not the bad.

yes i know how you all feel the way i see it is they or you dont know what that dogs like so you/ i always lead them even tho i know mine will not harlm a fly you dont know what the other dog is like, had a bad one with a friends dog, took it out someone had there staff on the lead when they new it bites well i was at one end and it ran all the way down didnt listen to the owners call this dog grabbed her neck and was growling i stayed calm but got it off but it went for me, but the owner just walked off, its people like that that make my not like staffs anymore!

i just read this and couldnt agree more , its a nightmare when ppl let their dogs off the lead but can not control them , their is a forest by me where i walk max and tess , i find that small dogs  are the worse with tess9 who is kept on her lead) and i get told it must be coz she is a agressive dog , but the only reason shes on a lead is because 1) she ran off and was lost for 3 days , 2) because of her size ,
but as said i found f ' in and blinding does work with ppl that cant control their dogs :rolleyes:

they dont realise its important, simple as that, until they have an experience that teaches them that it is.