I accept that sooner or later many of our dogs get out somehow and take themselves off for a merry romp on their own.  My peeve is their owners who cannot believe their dogs often act completely differently when I meet them on their freedom romp than they do when accompanied by their owner. 

Yesterday a large black collie/GSD cross, who is not nice even when with her owner, came charging down the trail at me, hackles raised, barking, straight at me.  It was scary.  This time she was with her teenage boy owner.  Once before she was on her own.  She's big, loud and acts aggressively.  Her owner does not believe me, even after witnessing a milder version of this behaviour.  She thinks her dog must have a twin in the neighbourhood.  Yeah, right down to the same name?

Other neighbours think their dog is timid, laid back and friendly.  She is when she is with them.  But when she goes down the trail with the grandchildren she is a different dog.  She obviously thinks it is her job to look after those kids and she greets people and dogs alike with a defensive attitude.  I can tell the owners don't believe me.

How would you react if told your dog had an alter ego when not in your presence?  Can you think of how you would like to be told in order to accept it better? 

A video camara?

It really depends if you are friendly with the dog owner - in which case you could offer to help stage the circumstances so she can see it and work together for the common good as it were.  If it isnt somebody you know very well or have a way of chatting with it does become more difficult - the only thing is perhaps ask her to speak to her grandchildren and get their view.  After all they are the other people that have seen both sets of behaviour. I think its worth persevering though after all if it frightens you what must it do to other people that arent experienced with dogs. Good Luck, Maxine. 

I would like to be approached in a light hearted manner, or a direct but concerned manner, but friendly not challenging which might cause me to act defensively. Last month I saw a cavalier crossing a busy road and running up and down the pavement. I stopped the car and managed to call him over to me, luckily he was a silly friendly thing. I walked back to my car intending to ring the number on the tag but the owner came up from a side street. We had a long chat, I said how lovely and trusting the dog was and that it had been "playing with the traffic". The owner indicated that this wasnt the first time he had escaped. I think I managed to convey how vulnerable the dog was without making the owner seem bad, because I noticed that he changed his front gate to a more secure one.

But everyones different and not all are responsible owners are they! In the last resort I think I would contact the dog warden anonymously.

Some dogs behave better without their owners.  I can think of one dog who used to run up to my old boy, the owner would start shouting at him, then a fight would break out.  The day she was riding her horse several fields away, I just carried on walking and the dog went on his way after just a bit of stiff leggy posturing.

Of all the dogs we've met out loose, only one was ever a problem and she was eventually PTS for biting someone trying to approach their house.

It wouldn't be hard telling me about my dogs' behaviour - I'm quite prepared to believe they'll get up to anything without supervision.  The people who brought my terrier back (when the fence had a hole in it that we just couldn't find) all said how good she was and I kept saying, "What?  Really?"

>I accept that sooner or later many of our dogs get out somehow and take themselves off for a merry romp on their own.<

My dogs have never got out.I would utterly freak if they dissapeared,and most surprised as the front door and back gate could stay open all day and they wouldnt venture out,if i'm not out the front then they have no interest in it.But my dogs have no road sense so if for some reason they did take themselves for a romp i doubt very much they would make it back alive :(

As for dogs acting different when not around their owners,i do agree with this.I've found this mostly goes for aggressive or anxious dogs,who's owners are equally anxious transfering their angst on to their dogs.I sometimes walk a dog, who is a nightmare when out with her owner,but is fine with me.

>How would you react if told your dog had an alter ego when not in your presence?<

I think they probably do believe you,wouldnt the grandkids tell her?She may be to embarrased to acknowledge it when you tell her??

I would want to be told straight out,but not in a lecture kind of way,not in a softly around about way either as this can often come over as condescending.

Phew, thanks for rescuing the Cavalier June! My boy got out twice while our neighbours were replacing their fence, but luckily he was spotted by near neighbours who knew him both times!! I don't think he'd be much different in behaviour, but I do worry about dog stealing - he's so silly and friendly as you said, that he'd be no trouble to walk off with. Luckily the new wall is super-secure and he has to stay put!!

Thanks all, for your ideas.  Not every owner I've spoken to has disbelieved me.  The owners of a young adult Akita who ran up, grabbed my arm in her jaws and wanted to play were frightened to think what might have happened if she'd done that to a child and took pains to keep the dog under control.  I guess I will just keep on as I have been.  I do try to be sensitive to the other owners.  A video camera would be nice, hmmm, when's my next birthday?