what is with people not putting there dog on the lead when they see you in the park!!!!!?

Question

I own a male staff bull, when ever we are walking in the park or in the woods if I see another person or a dog i always put my dog on the lead straight away, loads of other irresponsible dog owners dont then the famous line comes out he only wants to play!!!!!! My dog doesnt particulary like other dogs and he doent want to play!!!! I just dont know what they are thinking. Why do they not bother to put there dog on the lead???? Any ideas why people are such idiots???

just to answer you mcdannells, he is a staffordshire bull terrier not a pit bull terrier thanks for you info

the thing is that my dog isnt aggresive towards the other dogs so any one saying that i make the dog like that by not socilising him he lived with two other dogs until i moved out of my moms about 4 months ago so i think that he is perfectaly social!!!

Answer 1

They have their heads where they sit..

Answer 2

I agree with you!
Staff bull you mean a pit bull? We have a bull mastive which weighs more then I do, one fifty or so. If you are in a dog park this is one thing, but out on the streets or in a public park it is safer for a dog to be leashed.
We also have a saint Bernard and a Aussie/border collie mix. Out of these three dogs the littlest one (which is the mix) is the most unsocial one (got him off a VERY big ranch and older, no people around) and if anyone will bight it is him. Peeps do not realize that when there is a 6' kennel which is a good size you do not put your hands inside fence to pet the littlest dog.......
People are funny arnt they??
I wonder how peeps would feel if we took the massif or the saint Bernard out without leash on? They would probably call the cops on the "big dogs".......
I feel your pain!

Answer 3

Lots of people just don't realise that certain owners don't want their dogs interfered with. One of my rescued dogs has severe hip dysplasia, and he's had both dogs and toddlers litterally jump on top of him. Parents and owners automatically think "what a cute Golden Retriever - perfectly friendly and safe!" I don't like the fact that people do this, but they just don't know better. I have my dog perfectly trained so that he will obey me no matter what happens, and when things like this happen, I immediately tell my dog "down" and explain to the other person that he has a health problem and is in pain. When I do this nicely and calmly, they're usually sincerely apologetic - they honestly didn't know.

In addition to owning two formerly vicious abused Goldens, I now focus on rescuing "pit bulls" and other bad rep dogs. It is imperative that these dogs be taught complete off-lead reliability, especially around other animals and children.

Answer 4

I live in the country, and although I always carry my leads, I rarely put them on my dogs. If I see someone walking a dog coming towards me, I keep close control over mine by talking to them constantly. If I put them on leads they get protective towards me, (they are Spaniels).
If I was to see a Bull terrier (of any description) or Rottweiler etc. I'd be inclined to avoid the other owner, but would put my dogs on leads.
I have to admit that living here, my dogs no nearly all the dogs in the area, and we don't have this problem.
But we are not ALL IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS.

Answer 5

Red van man you speak so much sense, I take my 2 dogs out for 3 walks every day they meet/socialise/play with other dogs, DOGS NEED TO SOCIALISE!! they are pack animals and if idiotic people put them straight on a lead whenever they meet another dog they are telling them that there is a problem and will make them very uptight each time, consequently you get aggressive dogs! obviously if someone shouts out to me that their dog isn't good with other dogs then fine I will protect mine but it is the owner of this unfriendly dog that is in the wrong by taking it to a public placing knowing that it has 'issues'!!

Answer 6

Basically it all boils down to bad manners! As dog owners we have a responsibility to make sure that our dogs are not a public nuisance and the 'oh he just wants to play' routine just is no excuse at all. I have 2 dogs, and although my male is neutered, he is very protective and can be rather verbal if dogs get too close to me, he is not very aggressive just noisy but some dogs take it as confrontation and a situation can arise so to avoid this happening I always put him on the lead and am constantly infuriated by irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs come over to him despite him being on a lead...one of the other classics is 'oh he's alright, he's friendly'...so bloody what? My dog is very friendly most of the time and some of the time he makes it clear to dogs he doesn't know that he doesn't want them around...just because he is a big fluffy spaniel does not automatically mean he is not capable of aggression. Then if your dog does get a little excited despite being on the lead, they get all abusive, should have him under more control, should have him muzzled, etc YEAH? well at least we have the decency to put our dogs on a lead so try looking at the behaviour of yourself as a dog owner and a bloody human being with the manners of a speck of dust in future you dooofus!!

Answer 7

Please don't take this the wrong way, but most dogs do want to play and be sociable, maybe it would be better if you walked your dog in a less busy place. I have 2 old English sheepdogs and the elder one is now 7 and can get very grumpy with young dogs jumping around her, I tend to put them in the car and take them to the woods. A lot of the time we don't meet a soul.

Answer 8

I agree that people shouldn't let their dogs approach another dog that is on a lead but I am a bit surprised by so many of the answers which all seem to say that dogs should always be kept on leads when other dogs are about.

I have three very sociable dogs who all went to puppy parties & puppy socialisation classes before starting dog training classes. The adult dog training classes also included socialisation with other dogs and people.

We can all control our dogs with obedience training or physical restraint but dogs can only learn how to get on with other dogs by socialising with them.

All my dogs learned how to approach other dogs correctly so that they do not provoke aggression. I walk them in areas where it is perfectly acceptable for them to be off-leash.

I only put them on leash if I see someone grab their ant-social dog and hang on to its collar or lead. Having put my dogs on leash I get them to sit watching me until the aggressive/fearful/anti-social dog is out of sight.

My dogs can meet any number of dogs while we are out and I often walk with other owners who have several dogs. These include at least two male Staffordshire Bull Terriers who have both been well socialised and regularly compete in Breed shows.

I would never allow my dogs to approach a dog that was being restrained on a leash as it is so obvious that the dog is either afraid and/or aggressive. This is a great pity because with the right sort of socialisation, starting at a very early age and continuing through adolescence, most dogs are capable of learning good canine manners.

Walking one dog is great; walking more than one is better; being able to walk with friends and acquaintances with multiple dogs is fantastic.

P.S. A dog that lives with another dog or even two dogs is not necessarily well-socialised. Dogs need to meet as many other well-socialised dogs as possible when they are puppies and also as they mature. To say a dog is socialised because it has lived with two other dogs is a bit like saying someone who has only ever had contact with two other humans is well adjusted socially.

Dogs that live in a small pack of two or three learn to get on really well with each other ( or not!) but this doesn't equip them with the skills they need when encountering dogs they do not know.

Many people who own more than one dog assume that their dogs are well socialised. In fact the opposite can be true and closely knit family dogs can be fearful of meeting unfamiliar dogs.

Answer 9

I have same problem with my dog she is very nervous of other dogs so I have to keep her on a lead at all times,if she is off lead and another dog came near her she would run away. She gets plenty of exercise in our garden playing ball,I appreciate that some people may not have a garden so they take their dogs to parks etc for exercise butI do think all dogs should be kept on a lead

Answer 10

because they are irresponsible dog owners , besides dogs shouldn't be let loose off there leads in public areas if they need a run buy the dog a horse lead which can be 20ft long at least you will still have some control over the dog

Answer 11

I have a very friendly Retreiver,rightly or wrongly? I put mine on the lead if the other dog is on the lead, i interpret an owner to lead up a dog if it is agressive to other people or dogs, so it's not fair to the leaded dog to be harassed by a loose dog.