During walks do you let your dog meet unfamiliar dogs?

[kenny]

We have two 6-yr old 10-pound dogs that were litter mates, female and spayed.
I feel very protective of them so I'll cross the street if I see an person walking an unfamiliar dog approaching us from down the block.

Our dogs get very very excited and bark at other dogs, pull hard on the leash to try to get to them.
I can't tell if this is it's a fear thing or an aggression thing or just natural and nothing to be concerned with.
I just don't like the drama.

(How do you socialize dogs unless you let them meet new dogs?)

They are very well-behaved and LOVE meeting new people and especially kids.
They are well disciplined; they just go bananas when they see new dogs.
We did take them to puppy training, and they are fine with a few of the neighbor's dogs that they know, but I'm afraid to let them meet new dogs, which probably reinforces the problem.
Well it's not really a problem, I just wonder if lots of other people allow their dogs to walk up to and meet strange dogs.

Also, I've heard the leash is a factor, that if both dogs are off the leash they are more likely to get along - but then you lose control if there's a fight.
Also, since we have two dogs I suspect there is more potential for the other dog to experience fear/threat and react with aggression.

So, when you take your dog on a leash for a walk how often do you let your dog meet unfamiliar dogs you encounter?

 

[MissElizabeth]

my pup is certainly extremely friendly - i will let him socialize with any person we come across. but, that being said, i really try my best to keep him from mingling with strange dogs that are larger than he is. he's 6 years old, 11 lbs full grown. but, he's a big dog trapped in a small dog body, and therefore will bark at any dog larger than him that sniffs him too closely.

so, my answer is sometimes. he is allowed to socialize with any people we meet, but only with dogs that are equal in size or smaller than him. just to keep the peace

 

[kenny]

For those who allow it, how do you judge when the meeting dogs are okay, and when they are about to cross into fighting behavior?

What are the signs?

 

[LJL]

My dogs are very well socialized and love to meet other dogs. They think the dog park and daycare are just great because they are so playful. I dont hesitate to let them meet other dogs when they go on walks because - most dogs who get taken on walks are socialized by virtue of being walked. If an owner's dog is not likely to do well meeting others, I expect that person to actively avoid me and this is something that happens often. I applaud these owners for knowing how their dogs would react. I dont think we have ever had any problems on walks with un- or under-socialized dogs. It happens occasionally at the dog park but I dont worry about my dogs because I know they can hold their own. They are medium-sized and I trust they can read the other dogs' behavior enough to know which ones dont want to play. If the dog gets snappy, mine are always more than quick enough to run away. They have never shown significant concern when meeting multiple dogs, even when we only have one of ours at a time.

What you should be concerned with is what happens if your smaller dogs are aggressive with larger dogs that may not take well to that. I think your best bet - now that your dogs are a bit older- is controlled interaction. This can be on walks or trips to the pet store where they will likely only see other dogs that are well socialized and where you do have a leash on them and can pull them away at any time. Might also be best to try them with smaller dogs first, then move on up. Dog socialization is a complicated thing as dogs get older- but it does sound like they have some reference with neighborhood dogs... maybe you should give them a chance next time you see a docile creature down the sidewalk.

 

[Enerchi]

We have 2 dogs and we walk them every night after dinner - sometimes they get a bonus weekend morning or afternoon walk - and they are on leash all the time, down our dead end street. There are 33 houses on our street, almost all have dogs (25 houses have at least 1 dog, some have 2, none have 3 or more) and the walk is 2km (is that 1mile?) round trip, door to door. There are a few people on the street that think their dogs are perfect and leave them to run loose. Ok - news flash - YOUR DOG IS NOT PERFECT! Control your dog!

Our 6 y.o. lab could not care less about other dogs - if it is not a ball or food, it does not register in her brain and therefore does not require attention. Our 10 y.o. airedale loves small dogs. LOVES them! He wines, moans, whimpers to go see them, but big dogs - - - no time for. I always have the retractable lead on the shortest setting, when we see a dog approaching. I'm not a huge fan of the "love me/love my dog; let my dog run loose and unattended and sniff the crap out of your dog while I laugh on the other side of the street and try to calm him lamely by yelling 'stop/bad Rover' in a barely audible whisper" approach. (Geesh, I'm out of breathe describing that!!) I am a big believer in controlled, well behaved dogs. That is just responsible pet ownership, plain and simple. A well trained dog is a pleasure; an untamed beast is a nuisance to everyone.

So... when it comes to these neighbours who do not control their dogs, I just keep moving. I have my dogs on a short leash, pull them along, say hello while I am moving forward and ask them to call their dogs off my dogs. For the well trained/leashed dogs - happy to stand and chat and let the dogs say hello because I can see a well socialized, friendly dog with a wagging happy tail. As for the others - and the idiots who own them ---- you shouldn't be a pet owner and I'm not going to let my dogs 'play' with your dog!

The leashed dogs are usually the well trained dogs on our street, and I can judge by the happy tail and the eager to sniff behaviour. If the ears are down, the tail is alert but not moving and the mouth is twitching, all bets are off and we back off.

 

[MsP]

I will go out of my way to avoid other dogs.

My dog isn't aggressive towards other dogs in general... but I don't risk it. I take him to doggie daycare where all the dogs have been temperament tested and are always monitored by staff. I have slowly stopped going to the dog park because people bring dogs that just shouldn't be there. I guess we all have differing ideas of rough housing... but I just don't really feel safe.

My dog is small but will not hesitate to get in a brawl with a big dog if they're pushing his buttons (don't ask me what his buttons are though haha). I don't need the headache or vet bills.

 

[LJL]

Miss P, all dog parks really should have big dog and small dog areas, dont you think?

I suspect that my dogs really seem to be roughing up some of the littler ones but its the only way they know how to play. They are easily called off, but they dont understand what they did wrong. I think if all parks had separate areas, all the owners would feel more comfortable.

 

[MsP]

Miss P, all dog parks really should have big dog and small dog areas, dont you think?

I suspect that my dogs really seem to be roughing up some of the littler ones but its the only way they know how to play. They are easily called off, but they dont understand what they did wrong. I think if all parks had separate areas, all the owners would feel more comfortable.

All of ours do actually have separate areas... but define "small" and "large". People who have what they consider more docile big dogs are always in the small dog area, and some consider a 45lb dog a "small dog". Or if someone has a big AND a small dog they usually just bring them both into the small dog area. IMO very annoying. Just because your big dog is friendly towards my small dog...doesn't mean my small dog is going to be friendly towards your big dog. He's terrified!

And then there are the hoards of owners who are too busy chasing their kids to pay attention to their dog...and then those who have NO DOG and bring their kids to the dog park for petting zoo time.

I just stay away now. Too much drama.

 

[Haven]

For those who allow it, how do you judge when the meeting dogs are okay, and when they are about to cross into fighting behavior?

What are the signs?

I'd never let my dogs interact with your dogs, Kenny, based on the way you describe their behavior, and yours, on the walk.

We also don't interact with dogs that are walking ahead of their owners, or worse, pulling their owners. We don't interact with owners who appear fearful or anxious. Basically, any cues that the dogs are not well-trained, or the owner or the dog is nervous or anxious, and I'm not going to let my dogs near them.

Basically, it's pretty easy to spot a poorly socialized dog, or a dog that isn't well-trained on the leash, or a timid owner. Those are the ones we avoid. It's not just about the drama--an anxious or nervous owner or dog can cause an otherwise safe situation to escalate very quickly. If you're nervous or feeling protective of your dogs they will sense that, and once they sense that something is wrong (according to you) they will become protective of you, and are more likely to cause problems with other dogs.

When we approach other dogs, both of our dogs remain calm, they continue walking right next to us, and they don't approach the other dog unless they get the signal from us that it's okay. This isn't magic, we spent a lot of time training them, and now we are reaping the benefits. (Beyond walking, of course.) We attended a lot of training classes, especially after we found a really good trainer. (There are a lot of bad ones out there.) We read books, we watched videos, but most importantly: We worked with our dogs every day, multiple times a day, for as long as it took. It was not always easy, at times it was so frustrating that I was ready to give up. But now I can say it was all worth it. We can walk them off-leash and they won't stray from our side, even if there's a delicious looking bunny or squirrel nearby. They are well-behaved around people and dogs. They're absolute pleasures to live with, every moment of the day, on leash or at home. That's what we set out to achieve, and now we have it!

If this is something you're actually interested in changing with your own dogs, Kenny, I recommend finding a good trainer in the area and attending some more classes. A good trainer won't just go through the typical commands with you, they'll use the group setting to help your dogs learn basic social behaviors that will translate to walking on-leash. (Among other things, of course.)

 

[LJL]

Miss P, all dog parks really should have big dog and small dog areas, dont you think?

I suspect that my dogs really seem to be roughing up some of the littler ones but its the only way they know how to play. They are easily called off, but they dont understand what they did wrong. I think if all parks had separate areas, all the owners would feel more comfortable.

All of ours do actually have separate areas... but define "small" and "large". People who have what they consider more docile big dogs are always in the small dog area, and some consider a 45lb dog a "small dog". Or if someone has a big AND a small dog they usually just bring them both into the small dog area. IMO very annoying. Just because your big dog is friendly towards my small dog...doesn't mean my small dog is going to be friendly towards your big dog. He's terrified!

And then there are the hoards of owners who are too busy chasing their kids to pay attention to their dog...and then those who have NO DOG and bring their kids to the dog park for petting zoo time.

I just stay away now. Too much drama.

Wow, it def sounds like too much drama lol. The park close to our home only has one section, but little dogs mostly stay next to thier owners, while the others run around. Mine are 40lbs and 50lbs and we would never be in with small dogs if the park had separate areas...I would say 20lbs or less =small. I do often have problems (mentally, not out loud) with the people who bring tons of kids. You arent even supposed to be at our dog park if you are under 12 years old, even if with a parent but people dont listen to that. I think the bringing-in-of-fast-food is one of the most annoying things to me. We also have a lot of ppl with like 4-5 dogs, I think they might be dog walkers, who cant possibly pay attention to all of the dogs. There is a 2 dogs per handler limit at my park, but again the rules are thwarted. If people just followed the rules, I would be good!

Socialization is so important.. it was our #1 goal when we got a dog. I dont care if you poop in the house once a week as long as you play well with others

 

[Haven]

We have 2 dogs and we walk them every night after dinner - sometimes they get a bonus weekend morning or afternoon walk - and they are on leash all the time, down our dead end street. There are 33 houses on our street, almost all have dogs (25 houses have at least 1 dog, some have 2, none have 3 or more) and the walk is 2km (is that 1mile?) round trip, door to door. There are a few people on the street that think their dogs are perfect and leave them to run loose. Ok - news flash - YOUR DOG IS NOT PERFECT! Control your dog!

Our 6 y.o. lab could not care less about other dogs - if it is not a ball or food, it does not register in her brain and therefore does not require attention. Our 10 y.o. airedale loves small dogs. LOVES them! He wines, moans, whimpers to go see them, but big dogs - - - no time for. I always have the retractable lead on the shortest setting, when we see a dog approaching. I'm not a huge fan of the "love me/love my dog; let my dog run loose and unattended and sniff the crap out of your dog while I laugh on the other side of the street and try to calm him lamely by yelling 'stop/bad Rover' in a barely audible whisper" approach. (Geesh, I'm out of breathe describing that!!) I am a big believer in controlled, well behaved dogs. That is just responsible pet ownership, plain and simple. A well trained dog is a pleasure; an untamed beast is a nuisance to everyone.

So... when it comes to these neighbours who do not control their dogs, I just keep moving. I have my dogs on a short leash, pull them along, say hello while I am moving forward and ask them to call their dogs off my dogs. For the well trained/leashed dogs - happy to stand and chat and let the dogs say hello because I can see a well socialized, friendly dog with a wagging happy tail. As for the others - and the idiots who own them ---- you shouldn't be a pet owner and I'm not going to let my dogs 'play' with your dog!

The leashed dogs are usually the well trained dogs on our street, and I can judge by the happy tail and the eager to sniff behaviour. If the ears are down, the tail is alert but not moving and the mouth is twitching, all bets are off and we back off.

I should have just dittoed your post, Enerchi. I agree with everything you wrote.

Kenny--The biggest signs that a dog is well-trained and exhibiting proper social behaviors when meeting a new dog, are that they remain calm, and they go to sniff the rear first rather than approaching the other dog face-to-face. If a dog is lunging toward another dog, that is clear anti-social behavior. (Humans often like to tell me, "Oh, my dog is just so friendly he can't wait to meet yours! As their dog is yanking their arm off and lunging at my dog's face. Um, no thanks. You can assign whatever human emotion you want to it, but your dog is being anti-social, and I don't want any of that to rub off on mine, or to cause a problem.)

Owners are typically the easiest to read, probably because we are more used to reading people than dogs. If an owner looks nervous or anxious, I'm out of there. If an owner's on the cell phone being dragged along by her dog, I'm out of there. If the owner is overly excited and talking a mile a minute, I'm out there. All of those things translate to the dog. The calm, collected owners who have the dogs calmly at their side, leash slack, those are the ones I'm happy to meet and greet.

 

[Haven]

I will go out of my way to avoid other dogs.

My dog isn't aggressive towards other dogs in general... but I don't risk it. I take him to doggie daycare where all the dogs have been temperament tested and are always monitored by staff. I have slowly stopped going to the dog park because people bring dogs that just shouldn't be there. I guess we all have differing ideas of rough housing... but I just don't really feel safe.

My dog is small but will not hesitate to get in a brawl with a big dog if they're pushing his buttons (don't ask me what his buttons are though haha). I don't need the headache or vet bills.

I totally agree. At least, around here most of the dogs in the dog park are the ones that are totally out of control. My favorite is when owners say they brought their dogs there to get exercise. Um, no. You should be exercising your dog before you take him to the dog park. The dog park is not a place for exercise, not when you have no idea who he will be meeting there and what kind of owners the dogs have.

We'll go to the dog park at off hours when it isn't so crowded. We always start by walking the dogs around the perimeter once on leash, then twice off. They know they aren't allowed to run off until we give them the okay. If too many of the other dogs come up to us and exhibit poor behavior, we just go home and let them run around our yard with a neighbor's dog.

We also never bring toys or balls to the dog park. All of the problems I've seen with other people's ill-trained dogs at dog parks have been over toys and balls.

We do go to the dog beach all summer. For some reason, the people who bring their dogs to the beach have much more control. The dogs aren't interacting with each other as much as chasing balls into the water, so that is a big part of it, too. If there's a beach near you, I recommend giving it a try!

 

[AGBF]

We have a special problem with Griffin (our Newfoundland). He is very mild-mannered and ready to socialize appropriately with other dogs, but I have found that asking if another dog's owner if that dog is "friendly towards other dogs" (something my 19 year-old daughter still does), does not always elicit enough information.

The other dog's owner sometimes knows his dog well and may say, "He is fine with females, but doesn't do well with intact males". Or he may say, "He is fine with little dogs, but doesn't like bigger dogs". Often, however, the owner simply doesn't know his dog's quirks himself and the dog may not manifest his reaction until it is too late!

The worst thing is that we have found that many dogs are, apparently, fine with all other dogs in the world except Griffin. (And, I would assume, with other Newfoundlands.) There have been multiple owners-I would guess as many as ten-who have assured us that their dogs were fine with all other dogs, only to have them snap or growl at poor Griffin! He is a) huge and b) looks a bit like a bear. He is just intimidating, for one thing. Through no fault of his own. He is a sweetheart. But he is gigantic. And for another, I am not sure whether dogs recognize him as one of their own species by sight due to all that fur. Surely they should by smell, but reactions to him have been weird.

I am fairly cautious about letting him interract with other dogs and ask children if they want to approach him rather than allowing him to approach children. Before the children approach, I warn them about his drool!

Deb/AGBF

 

[lyra]

Never ever. Our current dogs are small and could easily be killed or severely wounded by a dog just having an aggressive moment. I also don't want them catching anything from an unfamiliar dog. We don't walk them much because in the summer it's too hot on their paws, and in the winter it's too cold. They run around our large hilly backyard daily all year round.

When we had a big dog, he loved to socialize but other dog owners were usually afraid of him on sight. He wasn't very vulnerable with his size and heavy coat. Small dogs liked to snap at him, he always just wanted to play. Man, I miss him so much!

 

[TooPatient]

We have 2 dogs and we walk them every night after dinner - sometimes they get a bonus weekend morning or afternoon walk - and they are on leash all the time, down our dead end street. There are 33 houses on our street, almost all have dogs (25 houses have at least 1 dog, some have 2, none have 3 or more) and the walk is 2km (is that 1mile?) round trip, door to door. There are a few people on the street that think their dogs are perfect and leave them to run loose. Ok - news flash - YOUR DOG IS NOT PERFECT! Control your dog!

Our 6 y.o. lab could not care less about other dogs - if it is not a ball or food, it does not register in her brain and therefore does not require attention. Our 10 y.o. airedale loves small dogs. LOVES them! He wines, moans, whimpers to go see them, but big dogs - - - no time for. I always have the retractable lead on the shortest setting, when we see a dog approaching. I'm not a huge fan of the "love me/love my dog; let my dog run loose and unattended and sniff the crap out of your dog while I laugh on the other side of the street and try to calm him lamely by yelling 'stop/bad Rover' in a barely audible whisper" approach. (Geesh, I'm out of breathe describing that!!) I am a big believer in controlled, well behaved dogs. That is just responsible pet ownership, plain and simple. A well trained dog is a pleasure; an untamed beast is a nuisance to everyone.

So... when it comes to these neighbours who do not control their dogs, I just keep moving. I have my dogs on a short leash, pull them along, say hello while I am moving forward and ask them to call their dogs off my dogs. For the well trained/leashed dogs - happy to stand and chat and let the dogs say hello because I can see a well socialized, friendly dog with a wagging happy tail. As for the others - and the idiots who own them ---- you shouldn't be a pet owner and I'm not going to let my dogs 'play' with your dog!

The leashed dogs are usually the well trained dogs on our street, and I can judge by the happy tail and the eager to sniff behaviour. If the ears are down, the tail is alert but not moving and the mouth is twitching, all bets are off and we back off.

I should have just dittoed your post, Enerchi. I agree with everything you wrote.

Kenny--The biggest signs that a dog is well-trained and exhibiting proper social behaviors when meeting a new dog, are that they remain calm, and they go to sniff the rear first rather than approaching the other dog face-to-face. If a dog is lunging toward another dog, that is clear anti-social behavior. (Humans often like to tell me, "Oh, my dog is just so friendly he can't wait to meet yours! As their dog is yanking their arm off and lunging at my dog's face. Um, no thanks. You can assign whatever human emotion you want to it, but your dog is being anti-social, and I don't want any of that to rub off on mine, or to cause a problem.)

Owners are typically the easiest to read, probably because we are more used to reading people than dogs. If an owner looks nervous or anxious, I'm out of there. If an owner's on the cell phone being dragged along by her dog, I'm out of there. If the owner is overly excited and talking a mile a minute, I'm out there. All of those things translate to the dog. The calm, collected owners who have the dogs calmly at their side, leash slack, those are the ones I'm happy to meet and greet.

Yep. A confident, calm owner will likely have a calm, well-socialized dog. (or at least be aware enough to say that they are still working with their dog and he/she is not ready to meet yet)

We avoid dog parks. I've never been to one that isn't full of out of control dogs. The people I know who take their dogs there also have problems with fleas.

Our dogs are 30 pounds and 70 pounds. The 30 pound dog is very high energy (2 years old, herding breed). I know her moods and, if she is calm, I let her to meet other dogs. Otherwise, I try to stick to the streets without dogs until she gets worn out and calms down. Our 70 pound girl is very very calm and sweet. I have no hesitation in letting her meet any dog (if they are calm too) or kid. I've never had a problem with her (had her for 16 years).

 

[justginger]

I am jealous of your well trained dogs, Haven. Mine are very good, however we have never been able to get them to stop pulling on the lead when they meet new dogs. They are perfectly in step with us all around the neighborhood and park, slack leads, but when new dogs come into the equation, they always tug. It's something that doesn't bother me enough to take the time necessary to fix, honestly - I just shorten the leads to keep them by my side. They are extremely non-aggressive and will always retreat when other dogs snap, so I will allow them to 'meet' as long as they are right next to me on the lead. It is easy to judge whether a meeting is going well and adjust accordingly. I do not allow my dogs off the lead in public. Ever.

There are some terrible owners around though and IMO (I need to stress that, MY OPINION and MY EXPERIENCE!), it is often the small dog owners who have done the least amount of training with their dogs - maybe they think they aren't a risk because they are small? The little white puffballs are always the ones that snap and growl at my large dogs (and me!). My favorite experience was the time a chihuahua cross latched onto my great dane's neck and was HANGING from her. Poor girl, she just looked up at me like, "Help Mom, what's it doing?!" The entire time the chihuahua's owner was screeching at me to, "DO SOMETHING!" Like what? Buy your little monster a leash because you don't feel it necessary to do so?

 

[rainwood]

I voted "almost always" but I have an 80-lb Labrador who generally gets along with other dogs so it's a completely different situation.

I let my dog make the initial decision. If she wants nothing to do with another dog, we don't make contact even if I think it would be okay. When I've ignored her reaction, there's sometimes been a problem caused by the other dog. I also avoid if the owner looks anxious or distressed by my dog unless I can explain that she stalks like a mountain lion until she gets close then turns into a complete chicken. Most dogs aren't scared by the stalking, but some owners think my dog is going to tear their dog to bits and life is too short to go where you're not wanted.

I also avoid certain breeds that can be a problem unless it's clear that the dog is super friendly and my dog seems okay with the encounter. Pits and Rotties fall into this category. I know that most of them are sweethearts, but if I guess wrong my dog would be toast in a fight so we tend to cross the street. She's had bad experiences with both German Shepherds and Akitas and has developed kind of a phobia about them so we always avoid both those breeds. And my dog and I both sometimes avoid other dogs because they're just too yappy. Your dogs, Kenny, would probably fall into that category for us. Being small dogs and having two seems to magnify the problem from what I've seen on our walks.

 

[Haven]

I am jealous of your well trained dogs, Haven. Mine are very good, however we have never been able to get them to stop pulling on the lead when they meet new dogs. They are perfectly in step with us all around the neighborhood and park, slack leads, but when new dogs come into the equation, they always tug. It's something that doesn't bother me enough to take the time necessary to fix, honestly - I just shorten the leads to keep them by my side. They are extremely non-aggressive and will always retreat when other dogs snap, so I will allow them to 'meet' as long as they are right next to me on the lead. It is easy to judge whether a meeting is going well and adjust accordingly. I do not allow my dogs off the lead in public. Ever.

There are some terrible owners around though and IMO (I need to stress that, MY OPINION and MY EXPERIENCE!), it is often the small dog owners who have done the least amount of training with their dogs - maybe they think they aren't a risk because they are small? The little white puffballs are always the ones that snap and growl at my large dogs (and me!). My favorite experience was the time a chihuahua cross latched onto my great dane's neck and was HANGING from her. Poor girl, she just looked up at me like, "Help Mom, what's it doing?!" The entire time the chihuahua's owner was screeching at me to, "DO SOMETHING!" Like what? Buy your little monster a leash because you don't feel it necessary to do so?

I think you have to have a lot of drive and a very high tolerance for repetition to *really* train your dogs for all situations they'll regularly encounter. Don't be jealous, there were weeks when I thought it would never pan out, that our pup would always pull on the lead, and that it would all be for nothing. It probably took a good full year of regular reinforcement for her to really walk well on a lead and never pull. If our larger dog wasn't a Pit mix I'm not sure we would have been so diligent about it, but her breed is so misunderstood that we wanted to train her very well. You really have to be dedicated. I don't know if I'd have had the same dedication if we adopted a breed that isn't judged so unfairly.

It does seem like small dog owners are less likely to really train their dogs, at least that gels with my own experience, too. We inherited our small Shih Tzu, and he was a bit of a monster when he first came home. He was about 8 years old then, and it took a lot for him to start responding to training because I'm not sure he'd ever had any before. It helped that we already had Bailee and she was so well-behaved. But after owning my first small dog, I can understand why so many don't bother with the training--it's easy to look at them and think that they'll never be a real threat, so it's hard to put in all that work. Of course, this is so far from the truth, if an ill-behaved Chihuahua provokes a larger dog, that little pup is likely to get hurt.

I have a line that I used to say when I taught high school students, but I think it can apply to dogs, too: "I've never been surprised by a student's behavior after meeting his parents." Honestly, I've never been surprised by a dog's behavior after meeting his owners.

 

[lliang_chi]

Sometimes I allow my dog to meet other dogs. TBH, Kenny, I'd never let my dog meet yours, and I don't think she'd want to. The only dogs that I'm OK with meeting are if they are walking well controlled with their owner. No tugging, to frantic lunging/scurrying/jumping etc. Most of the time when I'm walking my pooch, and I see another dog, I'll put her in a heel so she walks with me. Most of the time we'll just walk right past each other. But if the other owner knows their dog is friendly we'll stop and I'll release her from "heel" so they can meet. But only if the other owner's dog meets the same criteria Haven stated.

And I agree with Haven and Ginger, my experience is most of the crazy dogs are the smaller breeds. Maybe I'm just not accustomed to small breed temperaments, but I just avoid any kind of anti-social behavior. It irks me with dog owners glaze over their pets' poor behavior as 1) harmless or 2) cute.

 

[Autumnovember]

I voted always.

I know my dog well and know when she is not into another dog. The moment I notice she feels like another dog is sniffing too closely and she doesn't like it, I continue on with my walk.

I've been taking her to an area downtown that always has tons of dogs walking around so its been easy for me to identify when she is uncomfortable.

I also used to take her to the dog park when she was younger and she used to do really well there with the other dogs, especially because they were also well behaved.

I've also noticed that she typically likes bigger dogs and dislikes high energy dogs like pugs.

 

[webdiva]

Normally no. So many people have dogs with bad doggie manners that lunge at my big male dog. Then he growls to put them in their place and the owners get all upset. Sorry, your dog has no manners and my dog is giving him his boundaries. He's not going to eat them, relax. Both have great leash manners (other than pulling) and don't react to other dogs on leash. Or people hold the leash so tight that dogs can't introduce themselves naturally. A tight leash holds the dog in the "dominant" position with head high up - which is seen as a challenge by other dogs.

My girl dog came to us last year with really bad manners all around and little training so she doesn't get to meet other dogs on leash unless we know them and she's demonstrated that she's calmed down. We're slowly training her on every aspect of doggie and people manners.The older dog on trained her on the house manners when we got her, so they're both well behaved in the house.

Pet peeve - people letting their dogs go wild on hiking trails. I'm here to walk. My dog is here to walk. This is not a dog park. Etiquette is dog within 6 feet of you, under verbal control or on a leash. Don't get me started on the evils of flexi leashes. As well, understand that the unleashed/leash dog dynamic is a tricky one and that you should control your dog. My dogs can't be off leash due to their breed and tendency to run, run, run - so please respect that and move on. Please don't let your dog jump on mine while we're trying to hike. Thinking of getting a tshirt that says that...

The dog parks here suck - ghetto people who don't train their dogs, bring food into the park, bring their small children into the park, bring ball aggressive dogs with BALLS who attack my dog for wanting to play, bring overall aggressive and unfriendly dogs, bring unneutered dogs (my boy dog is NOT a fan, animal control could use him to sniff out unneutered dogs to fine their owners...) and bring small dogs into the big dog area (when the sign CLEARLY says no dogs under 32 lbs). There are signs prohibiting ALL of this. My girl dog has a high prey drive and your small white fluffy dog yipping at her looks like a rabbit. So don't give me a dirty look when I leash up my dog to leave to avoid tragedy. There's only one park 30 minutes away that we'll take them to, since they have the most responsible dog owners and other big pointy earred dogs that like to play rough.

Both go to day care regularly to play with temperament tested, flea free dogs in a supervised environment. They have a ton of friends and also some dogs that they don't get along with. It's like people...you don't necessarily like all people, either.

Kenny, if you're in LA - check out Laura the trainer at Zoom Room on La Brea. Both my pups did classes there and she's awesome!

 

[kenny]

Thanks WD, and all, for the helpful suggestions.

 

[Enerchi]

WebDiva, that is totally my thinking as well- its the owners that need the first level of training, then the dogs will follow suit. I don't understand why people expect that their dog is special, their dog doesn't need to follow the rules, their dog won't run/chase/fight/mount other dogs... etc. I don't get it, but I sure see it. Its typical of people with an 'entitled' mentality - its not my fault/problem/responsibility.

We rarely go now to dog parks, for almost all of the reasons you (and others) have listed. We have good dogs, we care for them, walk them, spend time with them, (maybe not train as perfectly as we could, but they can hold their own in a crowd , so to speak...) and yet there are so many people who just go to the dog parks and 'dump' their dogs out in the grass and dont bother to watch them or control them or even PICK UP AFTER THEM!!

ooooh, there's another pet peeve of mine. Food in/food out... and it is YOUR responsibility, dog owner, to look after both ends! As I had said earlier in this thread, there are people on our dead end street who are the 'dog park mentality' and when we walk our dogs, we are constantly finding 'treasures' along the way. Its gross!!! We walk with a baggie swinging beside us, full of ... stuff... and that's just how it is. It doesn't disappear, people, it isn't going away - deal with it! (ARGH - MAJOR irritant with me!!)

geesh, I gotta go calm myself down!!

 

[kenny]

There are topics like religion, politics, abortion, gay marriage that people have really really strong opinions about - to the point where they do not see their opinions as mere opinions, but as truth that hold true for everyone.
How dogs and their humans should be is another is a topic that people get very righteous about.

I have to decide whether the three of us have a problem that warrants solving.
Over the last several years I've been walking our dogs in our neighborhood around 90% of the dogs do the exact same thing our dogs do.
They pull on the leash and bark and want to meet the other dog.
IMHO this is natural.
It can be trained away, but I have to decide if it's worth it.
After reading the variety of opinions expressed in this thread I'm leaning towards ... no we three do not have a problem that warrants solving.

My "solution" has always been to cross the street well before the meeting, and just ignore the barking and drama and the moment quickly passes.
Our dogs are never off-leash and never go to dog parks.
By protecting my dogs from contact with all new dogs IMHO I am being a polite citizen and doggie daddy.
I'm also protecting all other dogs from potential incidents.

If you feel your dog should not react when it sees another dog and you choose to train that into YOUR dog, fine, that's your business.

 

[AGBF]

It's funny, but I often think of this thread when I'm walking Griffin! As some of you know, he came to us at 16 months from the breeder, having lived outside in the kennel all his life. He wasn't housebroken; couldn't climb stairs; and although he had been shown as a puppy, he didn't know how to walk on a leash.

Progress has not been fast, but I am quite proud of him. Today he walked on my left most of the time, getting a bit confused only when he inadvertently lifted a huge branch (that had come down in last night's storm) with his body and moved it down the sidewalk. Once I got it off his back, he resumed his place at my side instead of leading the way! He also does stairs as long as they are outside stairs, not steps inside the house. And he sits (pretty well) on command and knows that we sit at edge of every curb and that he cannot get up until I say, "OK". He also seems to have become familiar with the "Stay" hand signal and command although he doesn't obey it religiously.

He's a very good, big dog given the late start he had! I have to take 2-3 poop bags with me even on my short (half hour) morning walk with Griff. I buy really good quality bags, but I still sometimes need two to deal with one of his poops. And if he poops twice, I definitely need another bag! In his defense, I have to say that there are many no poop days like today.

Deb/AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Double Post

 

[kenny]

I'll add that in my neighborhood every dog is on a leash; our city has a leash law.

Also, there has been only one single time a dog owner made a deliberate effort for his dog to meet ours, since he believes dogs should socialize as often as possible.
He called out and waved as I was crossing the street.
The meeting went well; fortunately all three dogs got along fine, and his dog weighed around 50 pounds - but every dog meeting is a risk.

Where I live NOT allowing dogs to meet during walks (and the dogs barking and pulling on the leash) is by FAR the norm - probably 90%.
But it has been interesting and informative to read the variety of opinions here.
Thanks.

 

[QueenB29]

Ditto to everything Haven said, with the caveat that I don't let my dog (8-year-old yellow Lab) interact with ANY other dogs when she's on her leash.

When we adopted Belle, she was extremely aggressive towards other dogs, and because she's 85 pounds and I'm 5' 3", I lost control of her a couple times. But we took her to an excellent trainer who trains police dogs and specializes in aggression. It was $$$$ and a lot of work, but so worth it. Now if we see another dog when we're out walking, she might look, but she keeps heeling and walking or sits depending on the command. (As long as they're a few feet away, that is.) She actually makes other owners jealous and embarrassed as she's sitting there politely and their dogs are pulling and barking and growling. I don't trust those dogs or their owners because that dog is either 1) aggressive or 2) extremely friendly but has no boundaries, which my dog may interpret as aggression, and either way, the owner should have corrected the problem.

But the worst are the loose dogs. A loose dog (or a dog on a long, extended lead) coming up to a leashed dog, no matter how well trained, is a recipe for disaster. When Belle is off lead at the dog park or dog beach or daycare, she loves to play with other dogs. The leash completely changes the situation, however, and she sees any dog that gets too close as a threat to her and especially to me.

 

[webdiva]

Hate the loose dogs. For those, I carry citronella spray (Animal Shield from Petsmart) and for extreme cases - MACE! If I'm alone with 2 dogs totalling 130 lbs and 5' 3 1/2" me - and some dogs charges us - that's one way to get the situation under control. Plus I carry my cell with animal control on speed dial.

 

[JulieN]

Never, but only because I know my dog and he is aggressive. I don't have problem with other dogs.

It sounds a bit like your dogs are getting rewarded for high energy. I don't like dogs that go crazy when they see other dogs. Interest, a little excitement is ok and normal, like wanting to walk in their direction, alertness, tail up, maybe some whining, but barking and leash tugging/charging would make me annoyed. I get especially annoyed when little dogs do it, since it seems that many owners of little dogs let them get away with it.