Just a general question really. We are lucky enough to live, backing on to lots of fields. Perfect Dog Walking areas.

I find it strange, that when I'm out walking woody. Ive noticed this a lot, only 2-3 dog owners who we meet regularly, will stop and allow the dogs to say hello to each other. A lot og the others, seem to be very wary of there dogs with other dogs. As soon as I see another dog. I put woody on his lead. To 1st determine how there dog will interact with woody. As I knoew he is boisterous, hes nearly 7 months old and a lab. That says it all really.  I fully appreciate. that not all dogs get on with others. So some owners do not like there dogs mixing. I wont let him of the lead again, until either the other dog is out of site. or Myself and other owners have chatted, and mutally agreed that they can have a bit of a play together. I enjoy meeting other dogs/owners while on our walks. I just find it a shame. That alot of the owners we see, are off s soon as they see another dog. I dont smell honest :D

Is it just me or what?? Yet when we go for rides out, to parks etc. dog owners cant wait to talk to about your/there dog

Alix

The trouble is that with strange dogs, you just don't know :) I stopped to talk to a man last week (I was with a friend who knew this man) - he had a small, pretty lurcher bitch. Tara was on the lead - the lurcher sniffed at Tara's nose and then snapped at it - fortunately she didn't make contact, but it came out of nothing :( OK - nothing serious, but you just don't know what may happen.

Daisy

I think you have to assess the situation and decide what is the best course of action ! :)

I know the majority of dogs in our village and know which are ok to let the girls go and bound over and say hello and I know the ones where caution is needed and leads on :) I will take the second option until I have spoken to the owners and then get to know what are the boundaries :)

Lucy
xx

I know, thats why i always put woody on the lead till i know what the other dogs/owners are like. But all this is part and parcel of woody's socialization. I find it strange though, that most will turn and go in the total opposite direction, rather than allow there dog to socialise, and
which obviously makes the situation worse. as these dogs, will never really get on with other dogs. as they are never givern the chance :(

alix

I am surprised it is most :) I find that it is probably the minority where we live that do that ! :)

Lucy
xx

It might possibly be that the other people see you putting your dog back on his lead as a warning that your dog is not able to play. Whenever I see dogs I don't know I ask my dogs to wait. If the other person doesn't seem bothered and isn't frantically calling their dogs back and putting leads on I just carry on as normal. Dogs sniff, humans say hello and off we go again. If however the other people restrain their dogs then I'll put mine on leads and walk past like that.

I imagine if you have a 'boisterous' lab some people may misinterpret this ( :rolleyes:) or know that their own dogs can't cope with bouncy dogs. Don't take it personally, it is far better to be safe than sorry, especially at such a young age! People know their own dogs best, and if the other person isn't confident that their dog will behave appropriately then you should thank your lucky stars that they're responsible enough to prevent any mishap!

:-)

Sometimes it's not the dog, but it's the people who don't want to socilise.  I'm very much like that, when I walk my dogs, I will just say hello to whoever I walk past and carryone calling my dogs with me, however my dads the opposite and will talk to everyone and so the dogs will play.  Also I'm not with one dog who doesn't like other males who try and dominate him or look at his girl.  So everytime I see another dog he goes on lead unless I know the dog ahead is a girl.  We also have some nasty dogs in this area, unfortantly one VERY dog aggressive GSD who is the only dog I know one of my bitches will get all snappy at, this GSD is barely controled and scarey and will go for bitches, the owner is chinese and doesn't speak english!  He dog has an order against him to be on lead at all times, but last time we saw it was on a flexi, luckily I was head with my brother and two dogs, my parents behind with 3 dogs and the GSD casme out of the close we had just walked past, this ment I could shout to dad who was holding the dog and bitch who will protect the rest that the GSD was about and to get his two under control.  Giving me and joe time to get two dogs in the house and me run back to help dad who had two dogs and walk back with mum, dad crossing the road with the male.  Luckily it was all near home, but had I had of had to stop for another dog poo, it's likly I would have come face to face with this GSD attacking two of our dogs which where going to crufts the next day! Now I have to be careful of any GSD we see.  Of which there's afew in this area, all nice I'm sure, except this 1!

daisy have u seen the massive doberman called mojo? he is beautiful and he is 2 and the man ha just started letting him off the lead. he played with max who gave as good as he got in the over boisterous stakes and the man was nearly having a heart attack every time the dog was more than a yard from him. i think some people make their dogs over nervous which is what i am trying hard not to do but i always ask if a dog likes to play before i let him off and stop him from running at dogs

Yeah Katy

Thats what I do, cause Woody can be very boisterous, thats why I always put him on the lead. Its got to a stage, where, if I see someone on one field, Unless its a woody frriend, I automatically go off onto the other field. Woody was having a paddle this morning, and some bloke who i see regularly walked past the railings on the other side. Saw woody, and did an about turn    :D . Cause I was walking back in that general direction, I said, its ok Im going now anyway. And back the man comes. Its such a shame, cause his dog is a lovely chap, very friendly. And on the few occasions weve met. Hes dying to have a sniff at woody. There is no malice in this dog.

I just think its me. I think that if its the kids and dogs, and i think if there is an oppertunity to play. they should.

Just come to our house in the summer, when i have gardens full of kids, and probably dogs this year. Oh mi god

Alix

I have to admit if there is a dog that my partners staffie doesn't know, then I am a little warry, with dogs he knows he is great, he will run into the pack or sit by their owners feet. If I see a dog with a ball, I will put him on the lead though as I have witnessed too many fights over a tennis ball.
My dog was the opposite, he would want to play with every single dog in the park so my morning walk would take ages.... In his last couple of years I had to put him on the lead a lot as he lost his hearing and his recall was non-existent.
When Barnie died though, sam didn't want another dog near him and would growl a lot, but a couple of weeks on, he is fine again.
I have met some great people in the part walking the dogs and every morning we tend to walk round together and not one of them is worried about them with their dogs.

our Staff loves all dogs fortunately but is a bit wary of large dogs, but we are always careful because their reputation precedes them and we dont want to alarm people, although I have forgotten the amount of times owners have said that she has a wonderful nature but of course this is after they have met her.
Last Sat morning about 7.30 I took Giorgia out over the top of the mountains near me, have only ever seen one or two people and never this early so wasnt expecting anyone. She was about 20 ft in front of me and all of a sudden a very tall and wide GSD appeared and ran over to her. The owners were trying to call it back but it didnt want to know and I was trying to catch up, meanwhile Giorgia out of fear has run the other way towards the exit to the road. Anyway the GSD eventually went back to his owners and Giorgia came to me when she heard me shouting. I was terrified because I thought the GSD would chase her onto the road . I put Giorgia on the lead until the GSD was far in the distance and so we make our way back having taken Giorgia off the lead again. All of a sudden in the distance  I can see the GSD turn and sprint  but at the time I didnt realise he was heading our way. Now I can run fast as I am a regular runner but Giorgia is in front of me and the next thing I know the GSD gets to her first. Fortunately Giorgia runs to me this time. The owners just watched all of this without calling their dog, turned their backs and kept on walking. It was almost as if they thought oh well the Staff isnt nasty so we dont have to worry!
I was fuming and a little scared because their dog could move and was big. The funny thing is this is the only occasion Giorgia has ever run from a dog, she has met an 11 stone rottie and allsorts of large dogs and sometimes seems a little wary but has never run away so frantically. I wonder if this GSD was nasty and she sensed it, who knows!