Small dog syndrome. Leash reactivity.

[Iulicris88]

It's not always as easy as handling your business, as Season says. For exemple, I have a neighbor who owns 2 small breed dogs and always keeps his front gate open. Guess what, whenever I take Thor out for a walk they are all over us, to the point of nipping at our feet. Last night there were four of them, maybe they decided they needed reinforcement? Now, he's a pretty good dog, more on the curious/ friendly side but if he gets bitten I'm not sure he'll take it too nicely. And he's too big to be held back if he decides to go rogue. I asked the fools to keep their freakin' gate closed, but I guess they don't care about their little critters enough. I'll probably have to buy a muzzle for the him, which is sad because he's a very gentle dog.

 

[Nik]

It's not always as easy as handling your business, as Season says. For exemple, I have a neighbor who owns 2 small breed dogs and always keeps his front gate open. Guess what, whenever I take Thor out for a walk they are all over us, to the point of nipping at our feet. Last night there were four of them, maybe they decided they needed reinforcement? Now, he's a pretty good dog, more on the curious/ friendly side but if he gets bitten I'm not sure he'll take it too nicely. And he's too big to be held back if he decides to go rogue. I asked the fools to keep their freakin' gate closed, but I guess they don't care about their little critters enough. I'll probably have to buy a muzzle for the him, which is sad because he's a very gentle dog.

Yes this is exactly what I was trying to get at. We have a number of people in our area who seem to think it is totally fine to let their dogs wander about off leash in the neighborhood. Some of the dogs are friendly and not issues but some of them are definitely issues. I hate that even the friendly well behaved ones are left off leash though because I have seen some of them multiple times wandering off leash without the owner present. Our neighbor does this and every single time I put my dogs back in and go pick up their dog and bring it back to their house "Excuse me I think your dog "escaped". Here he is." So irresponsible letting their dogs wander like that. Ugh. And 9 out of 10 times it is the small dog owners. GRRRR

 

[Boxergirl]

Yes, I can go merrily about minding my own business with my fearful dog that I've spent years working with every day just so he can walk around the block. One off leash dog, friendly or not, sets us back months. Of course Al has a default behavior, which is to drop behind me and sit. It took years to get that from him and all it does is allow me to make the other dog go away by whatever means are necessary. I've been told that it's a way to "proof" my work with Al. No. It's not. Any proofing is controlled by me. It's not right that owners of any size dogs think it's okay to let their dogs run around free in on-leash areas while I behave responsibly with my dog. And unlike what the 911 dispatcher said when I called - I do NOT have to walk somewhere else. I should be allowed to take my dog on a walk in my own neighborhood without being accosted by other animals.

I did also want to say that I get the whole, "Ignore the rude dog" comments. I really do. But please remember to be conscious that many people with reactive dogs are actively working with them and those comments can be - insensitive? I don't know it that's the right word. But I can say that when you've made huge strides with your dog and you hear that comment it is disheartening.