Took my dogs out to the fields today as i do every day twice a day. I usually let them off the lead, and put them back on when I see unfamiliar dogs. I am very careful not to let them run over to dogs they do not know, and if there are familiar dogs on there lead I don't let mine off.  To be honest there are so many regulars on there that we all usually let our dogs play together, they are usually all off lead about 10 + dogs all running round having a good time.

All 3 of mine are good as gold and would never hurt another dog, I am known for this and so over the months my dogs have gained the trust of a lot of dog owners and there dogs.

today I took my lot to the river for a swim, I had them on there leads as I walked up to the fields and after having a good look to see that there was no other dogs I let them all off. There was a man hiding behind a tree with a dog. He had seen me and had watched me take my dogs off there leads, but had not said anything or even had made himself visible to me. My lot approached the bushes he jumped out and started to shout at my dogs. , his dog was very scared and ran off like a Looney across the fields. My lot ran with it. He started to shout real loudly at my dogs again , and scared my boxer so much so that he went off on a mad panic and I could not catch him again for 30 mins :rolleyes:

He then put his dog back on the lead and said i should have my dogs on a lead. I told him that had I known he was there I would of kept them on a lead, but he was hiding. And he said ahhh well,.
i was left to pick up the pieces. However i did get my other 2 back straight away.

Had I of seen him I would not of let mine off the lead, however he hid from me in the bushes so I was not to know.
Up in till this point I have not had an incident like this for a long time. In fact the boxer had really started to come on, and he recall had been really good. Just feel real crap now.

What a loony!!!!!!!! ( sorry, him not you!):rolleyes:

jumping out the way he did must have given everyone a fright. :( What an idiot. He was asking for trouble. You and your dogs were not at fault in any way. I would have warned him about his behaviour, adking him how he knew that my dogs wouldn't attack him the way he behaved. Some dogs would have. They would have been protecting you from an attack, wouldn't they? (All this said at the top of my voice, with a few extra words added..... ;) )

Go back to basics on recall with your boxer. Let's hope it hasn't put the training back too much :(

Nope he was in the wrong, but you need to get a better recall with your boxer.

There are some larks in this world :d :d

Agree with the others

Have to ask tho - what the h*ll was he doing hiding in the bushes in the first place? sounds a bit suspicious to me ;)

I wouldn't begin to ask whether I'd been wrong in the circumstances. Anyone who is lurking in the bushes in the way you describe, wolfwoman, has to have questionable motives. Either that or they are several sandwiches short of a picnic hamper. Here's hoping your Boxer is feeling better soon.

I'm afraid I don't agree with the others. Sorry.

When each of my dogs was under a year old they would be walked individually at least 50% of the time to bond with me, train basic obedience (recalls, heelwork on and off lead, stays and incresing the distractions) and to learn how to behave around other dogs without the support of the other dogs.

You have three dogs under a year old, one is beginning to be aggressive to the others and in another post you said that the other two choose to be with each other instead of near you and that dog.

In the situation you describe it isn't at all surprising that your dogs forgot about you and acted as a pack to chase a strange dog. They might not have been so brave if they didn't have the back up of each other.

No matter how unlikely you think your dogs are to hurt another dog to have zero recall in this situation is irresponsible at best and at worst its dangerous.

In my opinion you should be following the advise in the other thread (about the aggressive bitch) and getting a kind, reputable behaviourist and trainer in to look at your relationship with all your dogs. Working on your basic training and spending time with each dog by itself at least once a day. It might also help to walk them somewhere different to the fields, they'll see that as part of their territory now.

As for the man in the bushes it does seem suspicious (and he should have had his dog onlead if it was likely to run away) but there are other possibilities, e.g. he might have been giving his dog a rest in the shade. As you didn't know he was there you don't really know that he was waiting to jump out at you. There are lots of places I go where I walk through little overgrown paths to come out onto a field, I don't do it to surprise anyone. If I'd been in that man I may well have done worse than shout at your dogs.

I don't mean this to make you feel worse than you already do, but you have to take responsibility! People and dogs are always going to do unexpected things, appear from no where, be too friendly/aggressive, the list goes on. It might not be right but you have to be able to control your dogs in those "surprise" situations.

in reply to your post i have had a behaviourist in.
she has seen my dogs with me and has seen how i handle them and look after them. she did not really feel i had to change much if anything with regards to how i look after my dogs.

the core root of my bitches aggression is that my other bitch lupin is coming into her first season and as a reasult my dog has been finding her more intresting and so wanting to spend more time with her. also she is becoming more independent and less submissive and the extra attention she has been getting from the dog has boosted her esteem. i have been keeping puapa seperated when not supervised and it has really helped. we have had no incidents for nearly 2 weeks now. the behaviourist is there on the end of the phonew for advice.

i do walk my dogs seperately, and in fact there recall is very good. they are very well behaved outside and peopel who knwo me always comment on how well behaved they are.

the fields are open and there was just one small bit of bushes on the side of a path on a steep bank. offering no shade may i ad.  the man was just stood there and in fact he did see me becasue he started to shout at my dogs before i even knew he was there. my dogs did not so much as chase his dog, as that they ran away with it when the man started to shout becasue his shouting also upset his dog.

i recalled my dogs and my 2 bitches came back straight away. however my dog was so scared by the mans acctions he ran up the field in a  mad panic. and did not go near any other dogs, he ran and sat in the middle of the field on his own . it took me 30 mins to get him to calm down enoguth to get near him.  the man was well gone by this point.

just becasu eiu have 3 young dogs, and i walk them all at once it dosnt mean i dont have control. that s just being judgemental. i have better recall and control than most single owner dogs who are twixw thw age of mine.