[Nikkisun]

Cooper's recall when we're on our own is fantastic, throw another dog into the mix however and he just goes deaf! So after getting advice on here I put him on a long line so he can't self-reward by getting to the other dogs.

We were minding our own business at the park keeping to one corner so he could practice coming back when other dogs were around but not too close (usually he'd run the length of the park to get to them) and three seperate people had a go at me!!

Basically their dogs came running over and jumped all over mine and when I wouldn't let Cooper off to play I was called all sorts and told I was making my dogs life a misery by keeping him on a lead. i tried to explain that I was trying to improve his recall but apparently I should get over myself and let him grow out of it!!

I actually left the park in tears and now it's making me not want to take him out when other dogs are around which clearly isn't going to help matters.

 

[Guest]

Don`t get yourself upset over it. They aren`t there to police you on what you should or should not do. And you are not making his life a misery. Think about it how much time does Cooper get to himself off lead at home? He can do what he likes for pretty much 99% of the day so why is it bad making him concentrate to improve his recall for a small amount of time? Just because THEIR dog wants to play doesn`t mean its compulsory
They will learn when their dog jumps over a DA dog and their dog is pinned to the floor

 

[Dogless]

Covering their embarassment at being unable or unwilling to train their own dogs perhaps by making you squirm? .

I have stupid busy bodies telling me to let 'poor' Kilo offlead a lot at the park as he needs to run - I go there for training as it's supposed to be 'onlead' only - what they don't see is the vast amount of offlead he also gets and it also excuses (in their eyes) their own dogs' bad behaviour.

 

[Nikkisun]

Thanks both.

Am starting to calm down a bit now!!

The thing that really pees me off is the woman who was really nasty has seen me over there nearly every day and knows damn well that Cooper is not always kept on a lead - he has loads of off-lead time I just want him to learn that he has to stop when I say so!

 

[Rah]

Forget them, the next time someone says something like that you just tell them that you actually give a hoot if your dog gets hurt or lost.

If I had been there I would have punched them in the face for you

I don't let George off the lead unless he's with Ruby (A Staffie who is his best friend at the park, he wont leave her alone)

Other than that, he's on lead all the time.

We are learning recall too, I'm using the basket ball court at my local rec. (when its not being used of course) That way, George is off-lead, but when another dog comes along, he can't run - like your dog, to the other end (George is exactly the same)

Tell those buggers to get lost and mind their own business

SJ

 

[Nikkisun]

On a slightly seperate note what do you do when your dog is on a lead and an off-lead dog comes over and starts bouncing all over them?

It wouldn't be so bad if Cooper was one of those dogs that just ignores the other one but he tries to bounce back!

I just ended up standing there holding on to a bouncy dog on the end of a lead looking like a right idiot!

 

[See A Man About A Dog]

How you train and handle your dog is YOUR business, not theirs. Carry on with what you're doing. Recall is vital.

 

[Dogless]

On a slightly seperate note what do you do when your dog is on a lead and an off-lead dog comes over and starts bouncing all over them?

It wouldn't be so bad if Cooper was one of those dogs that just ignores the other one but he tries to bounce back!

I just ended up standing there holding on to a bouncy dog on the end of a lead looking like a right idiot!

My dread after Kilo has been attacked whilst on lead by an offlead dog a few times. Unless he knows the dog well he is pretty frightened and used to either react with a load of noise or cowers and screams. What I try and do now is have Kilo sitting or lying down, step out in front of him and see the offending dog off. It doesn't always work unfortunately when there is more than one dog or a dog is very persistent or aggressive - but the ideal is that I show Kilo that he doesn't need to do anything; I'll handle it.

If they are friendly and the owner agrees sometimes they are then let off to play. More often than not though unfortunately the owner storms off muttering about 'snotty cows' or telling me that Kilo should be muzzled if other dogs aren't allowed to say hello, that I shouldn't perhpas walk in the park as only friendly dogs come here etc etc etc .

I know that Cooper is friendly and wants to play - but I'd still send other dogs off or at least get Cooper to sit calmly so he learns that onlead isn't playtime, but offlead and longline is.

 

[BeagleOesx]

Try not to take it to heart - at least you're bothering & caring enough to train him with his recall so that you know he will be safe as he gets older & recall to you. You're being the responsible one so don't let them upset you.

They obviously have never had a beagle :lol: they would have a field day with us if they saw us out, we have Willow who is offlead most of the time in parks/woods/safe areas as her recall is excellent and she never ventures far from us and then we have Harvey (beagle) who is on-lead most of the time unless we are certain he will recall or the area is safe to let him off in. Over the years we have had comments from 'oh is he vicious is that why he's on the lead?' to 'don't you feel cruel keeping him on the lead?'

 

[Nikkisun]

Try not to take it to heart - at least you're bothering & caring enough to train him with his recall so that you know he will be safe as he gets older & recall to you. You're being the responsible one so don't let them upset you.

They obviously have never had a beagle :lol: they would have a field day with us if they saw us out, we have Willow who is offlead most of the time in parks/woods/safe areas as her recall is excellent and she never ventures far from us and then we have Harvey (beagle) who is on-lead most of the time unless we are certain he will recall or the area is safe to let him off in. Over the years we have had comments from 'oh is he vicious is that why he's on the lead?' to 'don't you feel cruel keeping him on the lead?'

Funny you should say that - one of them was a beagle owner - it was the beagle jumping all over Cooper while the woman told me it's what dogs do and there's no point pulling him away cos he'll only run straight back over again!!

I tried to say that's exactly what I was trying to train Cooper not to do but she just walked off muttering leaving her bloody dog behind jumping all over mine!

 

[Cleo38]

Ignore their silly comments - they don't know you or your dog

I rarely meet people when out on walks but when I do a few have made comments about Roxy being on a long line (where there is a big possibility deer are around).

One couple I met actually told me I was 'cruel' to use this yet freely admitted that their dogs (young labs) only had a 10min off lead walk (they didn't 'believe' on leads apparently! ) as they had a tendency to run off if out for longer

I met them again at the weekend with one of their dogs .... apparently the other one had died after being knocked down by a car as he had run off. Yet this still was not a warning to them that they needed to keep their dogs under control as their remaining dog was still running about with no sign of a lead anywhere

 

[MyMillie]

On a slightly seperate note what do you do when your dog is on a lead and an off-lead dog comes over and starts bouncing all over them?

It wouldn't be so bad if Cooper was one of those dogs that just ignores the other one but he tries to bounce back!

I just ended up standing there holding on to a bouncy dog on the end of a lead looking like a right idiot!

Millie is the same as Cooper, I have this problem too as Millie is super excited when one does come bounding over and I worry then that the other dog will get aggressive I dont know how to handle that one either, apart from asking the person to remove their dog, but all you get is "They are friendly" eeeerm maybe be, but could soon turn on Millie for her bounciness

As for those stupid other owners saying that to you, I would do what Rah said "tell em you care about your dogs safety, they dont just flipping grow out of it"....grrr, they make you so mad eh! what a ridicules comment that was.

 

[GingerRogers]

Around here but its mostly countryside and I try and steer clear of the woods and beaches when its likely to be busy, we don't have parks or anything where dogs all go to play. We do have one or two know-it-alls who say 'Oh let her off, trust your dog, dogs need to run' all of which are very laudable things when you can trust your dog, recall it and let it run without it getting itself in potential trouble
We have numerous amount of 'oh its friendly' pillocks, which was a real problem with Rory as he was likely to be aggressive as are my friends two, 'which is why we just put them on their leads, you moron, your saw us doing it, we didn't do it for our own health', with Ginge its more likely to be like Cooper, but she can backflip .

Met a friend of Ginges yesterday, but as she was a little bit bad at the weekend she was on the long line till we have worked some more on her recall (if not forever). I got completely tied in knots as they tried to run about in the turnip field. She was only able to get into a pickle as I had been brow beaten into 'letting her be a dog' by numerous people and let my better judgement slide.

Basically do not take any notice of the irresponsible people who think they know best, you are doing the right thing by your dog, let them carry on doing the wrong thing and they will unfortunately find themselves with a dead or injured dog like the people cleo mentioned.

Feeling like an idiot is better than being one.

 

[8tansox]

Pah, they don't know anything about you or your dog so personally, I'd let them think what they want to think. If they are so ignorant not to see what you're working for and trying to achieve, you're not going to get through to them what the end result is. Don't worry about people like that, they're not worth the time.

Just remember to practice your "smug" face and smile next time you see them frantically trying to get their dog back and yours comes back straight away. Look at the bigger picture, don't worry about know-it-all's, they never do anyway!