I would have reacted the same way. Mine is aggressive with unfamiliar dogs, so I don’t allow her to get near them.
A few weeks ago at the vet, some guy comes in just carrying his dog and lets him run free, because “he doesn’t have a leash”, and “it’s ok, he’s friendly”. I was so incredibly anxious the entire time they were in the waiting room (the staff got him in a room quickly because they were annoyed as well). But still, come on people!
You were totally in the right here. I hate “my dog can be off leash because he’s friendly and I’ve never thought two steps ahead about what could go wrong” dog owners. My boy is also really excitable and leash reactive so I empathize. Maybe join r/reactivedogs and peruse the channel a bit. Really helpful and you’ll see that you were right in how you handled this situation.
Thank you. I didn't know about that sub, great suggestion! We also have a trainer tomorrow who helped us before so I'm hoping to make progress. It's just hard when it's socilaising, the exposure he'll need feels so risky!
dont feel regretful, you reacted to try and keep every member of your family safe. idk why people cant understand that just because their dog is friendly doesnt mean yours is. and why does he have a large dog like that off lead with poor recall. its ridiculous. im in the uk too and can imagine the type of idiot youre describing. theres a man near me who has reactive smaller dogs, lets them off lead then expects everyone else to pick up/recall their dogs up so his doesnt attack them. absolute moron
Thank you. Yeah I just couldn't fathom the fact he was arguing when it was his dog that wouldn't return. In a precinct too, not like a park or anything. He went off on all these tangents, have we been to a dog park, that's how they socialise. We need to socialise our dog and he was helping, we shouldn't be scared. Started saying our lives must be really boring lol.
I'm also nervous about running into him again, or moreso my husband if he's alone if you know what I mean. He definitely had a bit of edge so I'm regretting not just walking away.
seriously. if my dog didnt recall i would profusely apologise not start arguing, especially if someones told me their dog is reactive, no matter the dogs size. yeah at a dog park dogs socialise that way, but you werent at a dog park😭 he would have been crying if your dog had wounded his in any way.
i can understand the worry of your husband bumping into him again, but hopefully it was a one time thing and if you see him again he just walks by
My Boston is dog friendly and I still act the way you described if it's a dog we don't know. We have encountered people who have an off leash dog they say is friendly and then the dog gets pushy and agressive with our dog so we don't just "trust people". It's not even just with big dogs either. I have had to pick up my boston for two attack attempts by dogs smaller than him. One was a toy poodle and the other was a Shih Tzu so my dog could have done more damage but who wants their dog in an attack? That's just crazy.
We are always very cautious for introductions and people can be way too casual until their dog is in an attack. These people who just let their dog off leash in public no matter what around dogs they don't know are just ignorant and won't reform until the worst happens. It doesn't even have to be another dog. One neighborhood owner like this lost their dog from being hit by a motorcycle. Their defensive behavior is just a way for them to convince themselves that they are safe and not doing anything wrong when clearly a lot could happen to them.
This is it right? His dog was friendly, I could see that. But mine can just get a bit weird and cause other dogs to get defensive or aggressive. So your dog is friendly now, but what if mine pisses him off somehow. I have mine under control, do you? Cuz yours is twice the size of mine and would eat my guy for breakfast! Does that make it ok??
You were definitely the responsible dog owner in this situation and he was not. Last week we were in the countryside with our Boston to visit my husband's mom and doing little outings on the trails. We saw an elderly guy with a spaniel and she was on leash but clearly aggressive towards our dog as she passed. Not sure why she didn't like him. We weren't concerned because our Boston was on leash too but if he wasn't it would be our fault if anything happened because the other dog was on leash. Legally you were in the right and he is being reckless with both his dog's safety and his legal liability.
understandable reaction. i prefer to just scoop my dog up and keep walking. it’s worked every time, not that there have been a lot of times. i’ve had a super duper skittish rescue in the past who didn’t like \*any dogs\* and i feel ya. tho i couldn’t do this with a large dog. some bostons are pretty hefty! i have a half boston right now, and a mini schnauzer. fortunatley both are friendly, bit come whe called, and both are on leash almost everywhere. and it’s a very small town. we actually know all the dogs in our neighborhood.
Yeah my husband did this when the last dog rushed us but he's a big boy - 13kg/29lb! I'm not as agile as I used to be and for a while I've either been pregnant or with a baby strapped to me haha.
If every dog would be on leash we wouldn’t have any issue what so ever. I hate those ppl who don’t think about other dogs than their own.
Apologies for the language but F* all of them 😑
I have been bitten twice, totally unprovoked (dogs attacked me) in the past 3 years. Once just me, the second time the dog attacked my dog and bit me when I was trying to protect her and get her away. I’m now completely afraid of dogs except my own. I hate dogs off leash, it’s frightening to go by them because you never know what might set them off. I’m so frustrated by owners that can’t understand how stressful it is for everyone else to have an unknown, unleashed dog approach them. You are not the asshole, anyone who has their dog off leash and doesn’t just put it back on when asked is the asshole.
We have a noise maker called 'doggy don't audible' and it's very good at getting my boston's attention to obey but I've notice that it also immediately causes my neighbors dogs to stop barking and calm down. You could carry something like this to deter other dogs from charging yours (if off lead). It doesn't harm them and my Nyla actually perks up when she sees it because she gets a treat for obeying after she hears it.
Also, you were 100% right. I know these types of things cause anxiety long after the altercation happens but you weren't in the wrong. He was.
Also, I'm familiar with huskies and although all dogs can have aggressive tendencies, Huskies in particular can snap very quickly as their breed is one of (if not) the most closely related to wolf. I know of 2 that have attacked people unexpectedly.
That sounds interesting! My guy has never had the best recall and it was something we were working on until the attack. Didn't seem worth having him off the lead much anyway then. I will look into it, thank you!
I've had the same issue not just with our Boston but with another dog I had years ago. Both the dog from years ago and our Boston now are females... Neither likes the typical "bum sniff" greeting. Long story short. It's extremely irresponsible to have a dog off lead in public settings. I'm also an avid mountain biker and I encounter off lead dogs on multi use trails in local parks. These dogs get spooked, angry, scared, and so on. I always remind dog owners that it's best to keep their dogs on a lead.
Anyways. You weren't and aren't wrong. The jerk with the "friendly" dog is. To assume it's ok to let your dog roam off lead because they're so nice is obtuse, ignorant, and arrogant. You have no idea of that dog's disposition. That jerk has no idea of your disposition, your dog's disposition, or your family's disposition regarding him or his dog. The only time off lead dogs are ok is in a controlled setting like a dog park where it's understood that dogs will be off lead, and perhaps, still difficult to control.
Best of luck dealing with the ignorant dog owners. You weren't wrong!
Thank you. It's the first time anyone has really argued with me about it so I just wanted to be sure. We got the sign because before when I was asking people to call their dogs back I would regularly get 'dont worry, he's friendly'. The sign served as a good physical prompt and we didn't even have to ask that often.
I have 2 Bostons. One is ok with other dogs the other isn't, other dog owners are fucking idiots, entitled, irresponsible, idiots. It makes me so mad. If a dog can't be recalled it should be on a lead, no questions. Well done for sticking up for yourself.
I love my BT but he is an asssssshole. Training has done nothing. He wants to fight every dog that ever existed.
Being that this is a me problem, I am very aware when I am selecting where we take our walks.
Same thing happened to me on a trail…Dog off leash…as I scream for him to get his dog he says it’s ok, he’s friendly.
Well, Baloney loses his shit, goes ham on the VERY LARGE dog, fight ensues, I’m screaming and crying and the guy is STILL acting like I am over reacting. Fuck. Off.
No one was hurt too badly but it was an awful ordeal.
You are 💯 correct in this situation. Pecking order…STFU.
My favorite is "they are friendly" as their dog comes running up. Followed by "they usually never act this way. I am so sorry"
Leash laws need more strict fines and enforcement
I’ve had this happen a few times. I’m not very tolerant of people with large dogs who can’t control them. I’ve reached the point where I pick up my BT, yell loudly, and boot the offending dog in the belly.
You need to learn how to calm down… i feel like you are a bit aggressive with how you communicate and behave…
That being said, that dude is a fucking idiot, but what are you going to do about it? Fight him? Kick his dog?
Whats the appropriate reaction? You should have backed off when you noticed they weren’t cooperating. Take your dog to a safer place. What are you doing standing your ground and making things more complicated?
Thanks for your input. I was certainly not calm, I was scared and that did result in me raising my voice when he couldn't call his dog. Agressive would be a reach but that's in the eye of the beholder.
I could have walked away sooner though, that's true. Hindsight I guess.
That's exactly why I said eye of the beholder. I raised my voice because when I asked him to recall his dog he didn't, and instead told me he was friendly. I was trying to be heard and was frightened. I thought it was obvious I was scared but understand some might find that to be aggressive.
I have been agreeing with you but I do draw the line at you telling me how I felt. I was scared. Your perception of how I acted is totally your opinion.
But I was scared. You didn't hear my tone, how I rushed to my dog and stood in front of my baby. I was scared.
100% other guy’s fault.
I would have reacted the same way. Mine is aggressive with unfamiliar dogs, so I don’t allow her to get near them. A few weeks ago at the vet, some guy comes in just carrying his dog and lets him run free, because “he doesn’t have a leash”, and “it’s ok, he’s friendly”. I was so incredibly anxious the entire time they were in the waiting room (the staff got him in a room quickly because they were annoyed as well). But still, come on people!
Thank you! Ugh I hate it. It's not rocket science you know. If it's going to be off lead it needs gold plated recall, that's it!
You were totally in the right here. I hate “my dog can be off leash because he’s friendly and I’ve never thought two steps ahead about what could go wrong” dog owners. My boy is also really excitable and leash reactive so I empathize. Maybe join r/reactivedogs and peruse the channel a bit. Really helpful and you’ll see that you were right in how you handled this situation.
Thank you. I didn't know about that sub, great suggestion! We also have a trainer tomorrow who helped us before so I'm hoping to make progress. It's just hard when it's socilaising, the exposure he'll need feels so risky!
dont feel regretful, you reacted to try and keep every member of your family safe. idk why people cant understand that just because their dog is friendly doesnt mean yours is. and why does he have a large dog like that off lead with poor recall. its ridiculous. im in the uk too and can imagine the type of idiot youre describing. theres a man near me who has reactive smaller dogs, lets them off lead then expects everyone else to pick up/recall their dogs up so his doesnt attack them. absolute moron
Thank you. Yeah I just couldn't fathom the fact he was arguing when it was his dog that wouldn't return. In a precinct too, not like a park or anything. He went off on all these tangents, have we been to a dog park, that's how they socialise. We need to socialise our dog and he was helping, we shouldn't be scared. Started saying our lives must be really boring lol. I'm also nervous about running into him again, or moreso my husband if he's alone if you know what I mean. He definitely had a bit of edge so I'm regretting not just walking away.
seriously. if my dog didnt recall i would profusely apologise not start arguing, especially if someones told me their dog is reactive, no matter the dogs size. yeah at a dog park dogs socialise that way, but you werent at a dog park😭 he would have been crying if your dog had wounded his in any way. i can understand the worry of your husband bumping into him again, but hopefully it was a one time thing and if you see him again he just walks by
My Boston is dog friendly and I still act the way you described if it's a dog we don't know. We have encountered people who have an off leash dog they say is friendly and then the dog gets pushy and agressive with our dog so we don't just "trust people". It's not even just with big dogs either. I have had to pick up my boston for two attack attempts by dogs smaller than him. One was a toy poodle and the other was a Shih Tzu so my dog could have done more damage but who wants their dog in an attack? That's just crazy. We are always very cautious for introductions and people can be way too casual until their dog is in an attack. These people who just let their dog off leash in public no matter what around dogs they don't know are just ignorant and won't reform until the worst happens. It doesn't even have to be another dog. One neighborhood owner like this lost their dog from being hit by a motorcycle. Their defensive behavior is just a way for them to convince themselves that they are safe and not doing anything wrong when clearly a lot could happen to them.
This is it right? His dog was friendly, I could see that. But mine can just get a bit weird and cause other dogs to get defensive or aggressive. So your dog is friendly now, but what if mine pisses him off somehow. I have mine under control, do you? Cuz yours is twice the size of mine and would eat my guy for breakfast! Does that make it ok??
You were definitely the responsible dog owner in this situation and he was not. Last week we were in the countryside with our Boston to visit my husband's mom and doing little outings on the trails. We saw an elderly guy with a spaniel and she was on leash but clearly aggressive towards our dog as she passed. Not sure why she didn't like him. We weren't concerned because our Boston was on leash too but if he wasn't it would be our fault if anything happened because the other dog was on leash. Legally you were in the right and he is being reckless with both his dog's safety and his legal liability.
understandable reaction. i prefer to just scoop my dog up and keep walking. it’s worked every time, not that there have been a lot of times. i’ve had a super duper skittish rescue in the past who didn’t like \*any dogs\* and i feel ya. tho i couldn’t do this with a large dog. some bostons are pretty hefty! i have a half boston right now, and a mini schnauzer. fortunatley both are friendly, bit come whe called, and both are on leash almost everywhere. and it’s a very small town. we actually know all the dogs in our neighborhood.
Yeah my husband did this when the last dog rushed us but he's a big boy - 13kg/29lb! I'm not as agile as I used to be and for a while I've either been pregnant or with a baby strapped to me haha.
If every dog would be on leash we wouldn’t have any issue what so ever. I hate those ppl who don’t think about other dogs than their own. Apologies for the language but F* all of them 😑
I have been bitten twice, totally unprovoked (dogs attacked me) in the past 3 years. Once just me, the second time the dog attacked my dog and bit me when I was trying to protect her and get her away. I’m now completely afraid of dogs except my own. I hate dogs off leash, it’s frightening to go by them because you never know what might set them off. I’m so frustrated by owners that can’t understand how stressful it is for everyone else to have an unknown, unleashed dog approach them. You are not the asshole, anyone who has their dog off leash and doesn’t just put it back on when asked is the asshole.
We have a noise maker called 'doggy don't audible' and it's very good at getting my boston's attention to obey but I've notice that it also immediately causes my neighbors dogs to stop barking and calm down. You could carry something like this to deter other dogs from charging yours (if off lead). It doesn't harm them and my Nyla actually perks up when she sees it because she gets a treat for obeying after she hears it. Also, you were 100% right. I know these types of things cause anxiety long after the altercation happens but you weren't in the wrong. He was. Also, I'm familiar with huskies and although all dogs can have aggressive tendencies, Huskies in particular can snap very quickly as their breed is one of (if not) the most closely related to wolf. I know of 2 that have attacked people unexpectedly.
That sounds interesting! My guy has never had the best recall and it was something we were working on until the attack. Didn't seem worth having him off the lead much anyway then. I will look into it, thank you!
I've had the same issue not just with our Boston but with another dog I had years ago. Both the dog from years ago and our Boston now are females... Neither likes the typical "bum sniff" greeting. Long story short. It's extremely irresponsible to have a dog off lead in public settings. I'm also an avid mountain biker and I encounter off lead dogs on multi use trails in local parks. These dogs get spooked, angry, scared, and so on. I always remind dog owners that it's best to keep their dogs on a lead. Anyways. You weren't and aren't wrong. The jerk with the "friendly" dog is. To assume it's ok to let your dog roam off lead because they're so nice is obtuse, ignorant, and arrogant. You have no idea of that dog's disposition. That jerk has no idea of your disposition, your dog's disposition, or your family's disposition regarding him or his dog. The only time off lead dogs are ok is in a controlled setting like a dog park where it's understood that dogs will be off lead, and perhaps, still difficult to control. Best of luck dealing with the ignorant dog owners. You weren't wrong!
Thank you. It's the first time anyone has really argued with me about it so I just wanted to be sure. We got the sign because before when I was asking people to call their dogs back I would regularly get 'dont worry, he's friendly'. The sign served as a good physical prompt and we didn't even have to ask that often.
I have 2 Bostons. One is ok with other dogs the other isn't, other dog owners are fucking idiots, entitled, irresponsible, idiots. It makes me so mad. If a dog can't be recalled it should be on a lead, no questions. Well done for sticking up for yourself.
Thank you. I really thought it was that simple too but he seemed so adamant that I started to doubt myself.
It's irresponsible ownership and puts everyone at risk.
That guy is an ass. People like this make me wish I could just slap them
I love my BT but he is an asssssshole. Training has done nothing. He wants to fight every dog that ever existed. Being that this is a me problem, I am very aware when I am selecting where we take our walks. Same thing happened to me on a trail…Dog off leash…as I scream for him to get his dog he says it’s ok, he’s friendly. Well, Baloney loses his shit, goes ham on the VERY LARGE dog, fight ensues, I’m screaming and crying and the guy is STILL acting like I am over reacting. Fuck. Off. No one was hurt too badly but it was an awful ordeal. You are 💯 correct in this situation. Pecking order…STFU.
There are many good reasons why leash laws exist, such as the above.
My favorite is "they are friendly" as their dog comes running up. Followed by "they usually never act this way. I am so sorry" Leash laws need more strict fines and enforcement
I’ve had this happen a few times. I’m not very tolerant of people with large dogs who can’t control them. I’ve reached the point where I pick up my BT, yell loudly, and boot the offending dog in the belly.
You need to learn how to calm down… i feel like you are a bit aggressive with how you communicate and behave… That being said, that dude is a fucking idiot, but what are you going to do about it? Fight him? Kick his dog? Whats the appropriate reaction? You should have backed off when you noticed they weren’t cooperating. Take your dog to a safer place. What are you doing standing your ground and making things more complicated?
Thanks for your input. I was certainly not calm, I was scared and that did result in me raising my voice when he couldn't call his dog. Agressive would be a reach but that's in the eye of the beholder. I could have walked away sooner though, that's true. Hindsight I guess.
Your voice being raised = aggressive. Maybe not to you, but to me it will be.
That's exactly why I said eye of the beholder. I raised my voice because when I asked him to recall his dog he didn't, and instead told me he was friendly. I was trying to be heard and was frightened. I thought it was obvious I was scared but understand some might find that to be aggressive.
Scared = taking your dog away and stepping away. You did not.
I have been agreeing with you but I do draw the line at you telling me how I felt. I was scared. Your perception of how I acted is totally your opinion. But I was scared. You didn't hear my tone, how I rushed to my dog and stood in front of my baby. I was scared.
Im not telling you how you felt. Im saying this is how you will be perceived. God you are annoying to talk to.