When you trust your dogs and they act like total effing a-holes

[JamieHalverson]

So we went for a short walk today in the park. I have had a monster cold and had a minor surgery on my left hand yesterday so haven't been at 100% but they are pretty easy dogs so I figured it would be fine.

We see an off leash poodle so I put my dogs in a sit stay until they leave. No problem. Then a woman with a small dog straining at it's leash in excitement to meet my dogs comes towards us. I again put my dogs in a sit stay and she, very ironically, says "oh, you have good dogs" and asks if they are friendly. I responded that they are, but I don't allow on leash meetings because they get excited. At this very moment both my "good dogs" lunge forward to try to meet this little dog. Lillie literally hit the end of the leash I allowed and starting leaping off the ground and spinning around like a fish on a line... Yogi just steadily pulled until the woman and dog had moved on about 10 feet away, then they both sat again and looked at me like they had done no wrong.

Now, just Sunday Yogi was at a MyPitbullIsFamily.com group walk with about 35 dogs and their people through Minneapolis and is regularly around lots of dogs without issue. They are both around little and big dogs often. Lillie has NEVER and I mean NEVER pulled like that and acted like such an ass...

What was reinforced for me is that no matter how much you work with your dogs, they are still dogs and can act in ways you might not expect, even a short lapse in training can set them back a bit, two big dogs are a lot to handle if they decide to act like fools, and most importantly I can hang on to 160 pounds of ridiculousness with one hand!

 

[Nik]

Good thing you can handle them both even when they are being brats!

 

[Hector]

Yes, dogs are dogs. They act up when they want to lol.

 

[gilles]

no matter how obedient, sometimes instinct takes over especially with dogs like CAO...the other day was walking Kazimir 9 months 150-160lbs and Nita 7.5 months 120lbs it was at night and dark. normally they walk off leash no problem but i decided to put the leash because many jackals around ...there is also a stray dog around that normally they completely ignore...but this time Nita the bi..h decided to go for the stray dog and chase him , Kazi like a fool followed , i could not stop them ! they just went after the dog in the bushes in the wood in complete darkness, i could not follow them and they would not respond...after 30 minutes search ..nothing. went back home got sergei the trainer and he brought an ultrasound whistle and went back to the site where i left the dogs..after few minutes and few whistles, they came back..with an ass...le satified look on their faces...but i was very happy to see them...got the scare of my life!

 

[Max's mom]

I saw a side of my dogs that scared the hell out of me. I took them for their last potty in the yard before bed and they both went out as normal in our fenced yard. Bo ran to the fence and Max walked about 5 steps in the yard, let out the most outrageous deep growl then barking and running at the fence. I thought I saw a person and then heard dogs barking and growling. The neighbor kid says "sorry". I can't figure out why he was standing nearly in my back yard, nowhere near his house with an unleashed sheepdog and newfie. My boys were defininely taken off guard and scares me a bit to think how they might react if another dog really was a threat. I'm hopeful that it was the you don't belong in my yard or what are you doing here reaction and protecting me....but boy was my heart beating fast. No, you can't always trust them to behave the way you think they will. Always be alert.

 

[ruby55]

I never, & I mean NEVER take the dogs off leash. While they're very well behaved, it just takes one time, chasing after a cat, meeting a new dog/kid/person, to get themselves in a lot of trouble, or dead. It's my biggest fear. My housemate & I took Sunny & Bella to the nature preserve once; she decided to let Sunny off leash despite my protests. We were walking a narrow trail & Sunny took off like a shot around the bend. Turns out there was a couple coming at us on the trail & Sunny wanted to say hello. Scared the sh*t out of those people, even though he was very nice when he got to them. Once of many opportunities when I got to say "I told you so".

 

[dads318is]

Great experiences here. Subscribed. I agree with Max's mom. We must always be alert. Remember We are the Pack Leaders so we always have to be aware of the potentially unsafe and hazardous to the "its really not a wise choice" potential of our environments.
Yes. Dogs can be a..holes too! Great thread.

bmws jeeps tacomas

 

[JamieHalverson]

My dogs generally don't react to other well behaved dogs with more than a general interest and are easily redirected verbally if needed. But it took a very long time and a lot of work to get Yogi to that place mentally. And it's a fragile place... Throw at him a dog that's throwing a hissy fit itself, and he just can't maintain. We were too close for him, but didn't have time to leave. I work hard with my dogs, but I feel that no amount of training, at least at my level as a trainer, will be able to make them 100% reliable. I keep them close in public, they wear training collars of some type, and I know I can physically control them if necessary.

Luckily, my dogs are not dog aggressive or reactive at all. They are extremely friendly and dog savvy, but can get really excited (especially Yogi) with other dogs.

 

[JamieHalverson]

I saw a side of my dogs that scared the hell out of me. I took them for their last potty in the yard before bed and they both went out as normal in our fenced yard. Bo ran to the fence and Max walked about 5 steps in the yard, let out the most outrageous deep growl then barking and running at the fence. I thought I saw a person and then heard dogs barking and growling. The neighbor kid says "sorry". I can't figure out why he was standing nearly in my back yard, nowhere near his house with an unleashed sheepdog and newfie. My boys were defininely taken off guard and scares me a bit to think how they might react if another dog really was a threat. I'm hopeful that it was the you don't belong in my yard or what are you doing here reaction and protecting me....but boy was my heart beating fast. No, you can't always trust them to behave the way you think they will. Always be alert.

That's really weird... Maybe the dogs got out and he was collecting them?

At a year old, I'm now seeing some guarding behavior from Lillie on our property. It's surprising when it happens because it's pretty new, but she has started surveying the yard from the upper deck and when she sees or hears something she doesn't like she stands up and forward so tall and bold before springing into action to run down and investigate further. She's not a big barker, she's quiet, she'd rather investigate than alert. Yogi, on the other hand, has a ginormous bark that he alerts with, but zero protection behind it. The quiet girl is the one I'd be afraid of, but Yogi's bark would scare just about anyone away.

 

[Vantage]

I never, & I mean NEVER take the dogs off leash. While they're very well behaved, it just takes one time, chasing after a cat, meeting a new dog/kid/person, to get themselves in a lot of trouble, or dead. It's my biggest fear. My housemate & I took Sunny & Bella to the nature preserve once; she decided to let Sunny off leash despite my protests. We were walking a narrow trail & Sunny took off like a shot around the bend. Turns out there was a couple coming at us on the trail & Sunny wanted to say hello. Scared the sh*t out of those people, even though he was very nice when he got to them. Once of many opportunities when I got to say "I told you so".

I totally agree with you. Theres a time and a place for everything. If you have an enclosed area where you can be in complete control of your dogs, sure they can roam off leash. But anywhere else, where there are factors you can not control - they should be on that leash with the other end in your hand!

 

[Vantage]

and most importantly I can hang on to 160 pounds of ridiculousness with one hand!

You must got some mean grip strength! Thats a whole lot of dog . And good luck with your hand, hope it heals quick!

 

[gilles]

You must got some mean grip strength! Thats a whole lot of dog . And good luck with your hand, hope it heals quick!

haha when volka decides to chase a jackal ....,, you need a truck in reverse gear to stop him! i usually sense ahead of time what will happen and i wrap the leash around an electric pole or a tree or something...

 

[teodora]

yep, I totally agree. That's exactly why I spend my life like this:

He plays the crazy fish with any unsuspecting person (so obviously I get the leash back with the customary compliments asap). He doesn't do it with me just because I I keep the leash short and I lift his nose up when he tries to start "dancing" (he has a head collar and doesn't like it).

 

[JamieHalverson]

You must got some mean grip strength! Thats a whole lot of dog . And good luck with your hand, hope it heals quick!

Hahaha! I'm pretty sure I could not say the same if they were actually in drive. But they are fairly soft dogs, not too drivey or much to worry about with them. I can hang on during their silly antics!

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

 

[season]

I hope your hand is ok. And yes, they are dogs. That's why I usually shake my head when I hear people say that they "trust their dogs." Solo is well behaved. That doesn't mean I give him 100% of my trust. Especially when we are out and about. There is only so much you can control. And right when you let your guard down and think "they got it" then they prove you wrong. I know a lot of people believe in the notion that our dog's main function is to please us. Dogs please themselves first and foremost. Pleasing us is secondary.

 

[JamieHalverson]

I hope your hand is ok. And yes, they are dogs. That's why I usually shake my head when I hear people say that they "trust their dogs." Solo is well behaved. That doesn't mean I give him 100% of my trust. Especially when we are out and about. There is only so much you can control. And right when you let your guard down and think "they got it" then they prove you wrong. I know a lot of people believe in the notion that our dog's main function is to please us. Dogs please themselves first and foremost. Pleasing us is secondary.

Ya, trust is relative. I DID trust them not to act like absolute idiots, which we all failed at. But I didn't trust them so much that I wasn't prepared for whatever, if that makes sense. In the end, no harm no foul, and small lessons are good to have under your belt. And as far as pleasing us? Please... If dogs wanted to please us we'd have no need of things like behavior forums lol!

And thanks re my hand, really minor surgery, in and out in a half hour. What's really weird though is that I type all day in my job, so I can't work for a minimum of 2 weeks... But otherwise can do whatever I want. I feel like if I'm off work I should be convalescing, not walking dogs and going out to eat with friends and such.

 

[season]

Ya, trust is relative. I DID trust them not to act like absolute idiots, which we all failed at. But I didn't trust them so much that I wasn't prepared for whatever, if that makes sense. In the end, no harm no foul, and small lessons are good to have under your belt. And as far as pleasing us? Please... If dogs wanted to please us we'd have no need of things like behavior forums lol!And thanks re my hand, really minor surgery, in and out in a half hour. What's really weird though is that I type all day in my job, so I can't work for a minimum of 2 weeks... But otherwise can do whatever I want. I feel like if I'm off work I should be convalescing, not walking dogs and going out to eat with friends and such.

That's good to hear. And yes, totally agree, trusting them and trusting them not to act like complete morons are two different things. Well said.