My dog is mean to other dogs. Problem is, as a puppy she was attacked by other dogs—not once, but twice. So despite my best efforts to socialize her with other dogs from a very early age, she really hates them. But she’s still a good dog, and deserves to go for hikes in the woods and whatnot, as all dogs love to do. So when you see me standing off to the side of the trail, holding my dog’s mouth closed with my hand, and telling her to “be nice,” that’s a good indication to you that she really isn’t all that nice. Oh, I know, your dog is friendly. You always tell me that in your cheerful voice, “He’s friendly!!” That’s great for you, it really is. But that doesn’t change the fact that my dog isn’t. She just hates other dogs. Your dog’s friendliness is not going to instantly change my dog’s lack thereof. So, please, get a clue and either put your dog on a leash or otherwise prevent it from getting right up in my dog’s face, just begging to get bit.—Anonymous
I, Anonymous
Good and Mean
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Use a muzzle, for god’s sake.
Stupid bitch! (Meant in the canine sense of the word, of course).
@tora If someone is in an area governed by a leash law and has their dog on a leash and under control is it really too much to ask for other people to leash their animals. Seriously I almost wrecked on my bike tonight when a dog some idiot was walking off leash on a city street decided that a bike looked like a fun thing to chase. Leash laws are there for a reason and in this case leashing your dog might also keep it safe.
I agree with anonymous.
Dog owner’s need to understand that leash laws don’t just exist to protect other people and animals from THEIR dog, they’re also there for their own dog’s protection.
Muzzles are dangerous to have on certain breeds for health reasons. Also, when you muzzle a dog, you take away it’s ability to defend itself if it needs to, and if an unleashed dog comes along that’s aggressive, your dog might need that defense.
I don’t know about a lot of other dogs, but when my dog is muzzled, it makes him crazy, and I can only imagine how much crazier he would be in a situation that provoked his aggression. Can we criticize the dumb person who broke the law before we suggest that the writer take extra steps?
YES! Our first dog was very dog-aggressive, and although we went to great lenghts to keep her away from other dogs, people were quite ready to have their pets come right up to her, despite us saying, “She’s NOT friendly and will bite.” Dumb owners!
YES, I totally agree! Been there, done that – keep your “friendly dogs” away from mine – ESPECIALLY if mine is on a leash and barking/growling and yours is running free!
When did people in Portland become so uptight about their damn dogs? It certainly wasn’t like this when I was a kid, so I can only assume that this shit was imported from elsewhere with all the idiots who have moved here in the past 20 years. Get over yourselves or, preferably, go back to where ever you came from.
Wow, I could have written this column myself. We are in the same situation with our dog and it infuriates me when we are out walking and other people allow their dogs to run free. I know it wouldn’t be our fault if our dog was leashed, but I would be dismayed if he ever attacked/injured another dog that was allowed to approach him. Sometimes I think it wouldn’t be so bad if he went after the idiot owners but unfortunately he only hates other dogs and they would be the ones to suffer.
My happy dogs suggest that all of doggiedom (bitches, studs, nutes, and eunuchs) unite in the singular noble doggie objective to rid the world of squirrels and letting pass any derisive petty squabbles. Because, everyone agrees, Squirrels are really annoying and therefore they simply need to die.
Exactly. Lets follow the rules. Lets follow ALL the rules. Because that’s when we have the most fun. OR- Anonymous could realize that her pup’s got issues, and while still loving the little critter, take the lumps with the good.
Or even better yet, all you apologists GROW A PAIR and train your damn dogs. Nowhere is it written that you have a right to own any pet, let alone a poorly trained one that is a menace in whatever way. It’s unfair to the dog and is true mouth-breather act.
sounds like holding the dogs mouth shut and telling it to be nice technique is really working great anon. you could easily be approached by a friendly dog on a leash while on a public trail so don’t make it a leash issue. you are the one responsible for your dog and the way it acts when you are in a public space. get the right equipment, work on training your dog, and take it for walks at night or in bad weather when people aren’t around. i know you are jealous of my friendly well trained dog, but don’t hate.
hey nobarkx:
Not all dog owners are responsible for their dog’s behavior.
I got mine through a rescue group who saved her from a bad breeder. Her only experience with other dogs previous to us taking her on was rape. To compound her problems, the breeders were heavy smokers and kept her inside in a cage, unable to get away from it. The smoke damaged her tear ducts and the dryness went untreated which created scarring and vision loss. Other dogs make her extra nervous and defensive because she can’t even see them properly.
Years of abusive owners and reinforcement that other dogs = suffering is hard to reverse, (although I am trying), but it doesn’t mean my dog doesn’t deserve the best life I can give her from here on out.
My dog loves all people; even plays (very gently) with poking, prodding, screaming toddlers. She loves cats too, and likes to “clean” mine. She’s great in the house, doesn’t chew anything she’s not supposed to, is perfectly house trained, doesn’t bark or whine, and is in all ways a wonderful member of our family. Us “growing a pair” and properly training her isn’t the issue.
If other dog owners followed the leash law like I do, there would never be a conflict involving my animal.
Making ignorant comments like yours is the real “mouth-breather” act.
I agree that everyone should follow the leash laws. Friendly or not, no dog should be allowed to run freely. But if you’re walking a dog that you know is potentially dangerous then you have to accept some responsibility and mitigate any potential damage. If physically holding the animals mouth shut works, great but that is no guarantee that the dog won’t get away from you. A muzzle might help and would certainly alert other idiot dog owners to keep away.
Torajima:
I don’t believe muzzles are a great solution when dealing with dog-aggressive dogs for a couple of reasons.
First, muzzles just aren’t safe for certain breeds of dogs. Some english bulldogs, for example, are unsafe to put in muzzles because they need heavy wide mouth panting to help them keep cool. Not only can they easily overheat if their breathing is restricted, but they can die due to mucus that forms that can block their breathing passage when they’re breathing hard.
Also, you read of dog attacks all the time where an aggressive dog that got loose from it’s yard attacked a leashed dog that was out for a walk. In the case of an aggressive unleashed dog confronting mine, I want her to be able to defend herself.
i am in such support of this article. it is great that some dogs can be off leash with no worries, but the one dog on leash one dog off leash is a dynamic that is difficult to deal with. no one wants to be the tied one, and with your dog untied you are really not as able to intervene as you would like. i would love to take a walk or hike with my dog on leash and be able to relax, knowing that when my dog and i encounter another dog, at least we’ll all be able to say hello or not. at our discretion, and yes, guided by leashes.
that said, i certainly advocate for the need for dogs to be off of their leashes. there are specific public places for that where one might socialize with other off leash dogs, as well as vacant fields, quiet beaches, early mornings and many other scenarios for the dogs who need their leash to get off of it for a while. it helps with the leash aggression.
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wow doesn’t anybody watch the dog whisperer? instead of a muzzle, a good fitting gentle leader lets you control the dogs pulling or any other forward motion (like snapping at a friendly dog that wants to sniff hello). yeah, the dog might not love it at first, but that is the heart of the issue of who is in control, the person or the dog? early learned behavior is tough to correct, but on that show they usually are able to prove that the fault usually is with the owners, and that old dogs can still be trained to change for the better.
Hey assholes,
Why should a dog, on a leash, next to the owner’s side be muzzled when it is other dogs RUNNING at her that are the problem? The problem isn’t a rabid dog un-minded chasing “nice” dogs – you idiot. The problem is arrogant owners who think they don’t have to 1.) follow leash laws, 2.) pay attention to non-verbal and verbal behavior and 3.) are so lost in the world of blahblah that they think everyone else thinks their dog is perfect. Give me a break. Why should a mindful dog owner, have to be on guard because of clueless dog owners?
I think you should be muzzled for your ignorant, unrealistic and down right arrogant comment.
this article is written for owners of “mean” who are not mean because of poor training. this is about dog owners who follow all the rules and are beyond accountable. The issue is NOT the “mean” dog, the issue is the dogs off leash running up to this dog. It happens in the city too. I have a dog with the same issue and I can be walking down the street and have a dog from across the street (off leash or pull away from his owner) and rush my dog. I am the only human in the mix trying to keep my dogs muzzle closed while fending off this other dog. Oh and the new mothers with a baby stroller and three dogs on a cell phone – I really want to kick you for being so clueless. Ain’t no way you have control over all those dogs. I have been on the receiving end of an escape.
Point is, don’t assume that just because your dog is “friendly” that my dog will respond in agreement. If your dog comes up to my dog and i have warned you, which I do while holding my dogs muzzle – you cannot be angry when your dog gets nipped. It should be you that gets the nip.
I just wonder why people with “nice” or “friendly” dogs are so arrogant and clueless. Why don’t pay attention and mind your dog? Why not follow the leash laws so I don’t have to be terrified when I walk my own dog?
Why make this an ego battle… why not just do the right thing?
Shouldn’t I be allowed to walk my dog, on a leash, down my own street without being attacked by an off leash dog?
Take the dog for a walk at night or in bad weather? Seriously? So I am relegated to walking in the dark or when it’s pissing rain because some other dumb dog owners let their dogs attack mine in her formative puppy age? I DID do training, a lot of it. And she’s much better than she was but there’s only so much you can do. Sometimes you can not completely fix bad behavior.
And standing off the side of the trail and holding my dog’s mouth closed with my hand isn’t considered doing enough to mitigate the situation?? As others have said, muzzles are cruel and only exacerbate many dogs’ aggressive behaviors.
tw, you give dog owners a bad name
Just to clarify…
this isn’t a leash issue. This is an issue of compassion and responsibility – the flippant comments on the board are disheartening. This is a fixable issue and requires that people who have dogs without behavior issues recognize how lucky they that their dog was not attacked as a puppy and show compassion for people who work diligently with a dog or dogs who have trauma issues.
If your kid was brutally attacked or abused and thus had issues from it (which he or she would) – would you really think restricting his or her park time would be the answer? Would you be so quick to blame the parents for how jumpy the kid is? What about context and taking time to consider that there is a story behind it? And that your only helpful response is compassion.
Take notice that the article says “put your dog on a leash or otherwise prevent it from getting right up in my dog’s face”. I am not saying all dogs have to be on a leash 100% of the time. There are lots of off leash dogs that just run by us, without even stopping or who actually obey their owners’ commands to “leave it”. Those aren’t the problem. The problem is the clueless owners who do nothing except tell me how friendly their dog is, like that’s going to solve the problem. It’s not.
Dog owners who don’t obey the leash law piss me right the fuck off. They completely dismiss the feelings and health concerns of the allergic, the phobic, and the law abiders. Take your dog somewhere where there are no leash laws or put the damn leash on you twits.
sorry to offend and not sound compassionate, but to clarify i am not the one who said muzzle the dog, i suggested a gentle leader which is not the same thing. i would say that no, holding the muzzle has not been working based on your letter, because that action in itself tells the dog it’s time to stress. i have to agree with you after thinking about it that if you warn people or ask them to stay away and they still let their dog go up to you, that must be super annoying. i like walking my dog at night or in bad weather when less people are around just becuase it’s peaceful and and quiet, what’s the big deal about any of that?
I can see where you would think that holding the dog’s mouth closed tells the dog it’s time to stress but it doesn’t really matter because she will behave aggressively to 99% of dogs that get up in her face, especially the off leash ones. there is a dynamic of inequality that is created when one dog is on leash and the other isn’t. Hard to understand as humans but that’s how dogs are.
It’s great that you like to walk at night and in the rain. I don’t. I shouldn’t be forced to do so because of other people’s inconsiderate behaviors.
Regarding the dog whisperer, just fyi, they only show you the successful cases on TV. He, nor any other dog trainer, can completely fix every single dog’s behavior problems.
Btw, the dog in question is afraid of cats. That tells you how logical dogs are.
To quote Cesar, dogs live in the moment, they don’t hold on to past experience. It’s you the owner who perpetuates this fear, it’s your anxiety that prompts your dog to react as it does.
Muzzle your dog and yourself. Relax, don’t anticipate the worst happening otherwise it will.
Simply put the dog down and get one that’s not a freak.
Wow. Some people have no compassion. In my world, it is wrong to throw away a living creature just because it isn’t perfect.
My dog, a beagle, is pretty scared of larger dogs. She feels threatened by their size and demeanor, and she has a reason to be…because she’s been attacked by larger dogs on several occasions. Dogs definitely hold on to past experiences. To say they don’t is to say they can’t learn and that is obviously not the case. In her case, we have been able to socialize her enough with good friendly dogs that she is much better than she was when we first adopted her from the SPCA, but there are still times when strange dogs creep her out, especially if they rush at her really quick and seem aggressive rather than playful. She understands playful. She doesn’t understand when a dog is trying to be dominant towards her and I see that a lot in “friendly” dogs.
I can understand why people would rather let their dogs run free (and there are places where you can do that safely.) But it isn’t fair to dogs who have fear & aggression issues, or to their humans, or even to humans who are afraid of dogs who happen to be out in a public place. Leash laws just make sense. It is a way to keep everyone safer. I think it is very fair to everyone involved.
pdxmilf: can you read? I guess you know that anon’s dog will be just fine if anon would just relax. I guess anon probably doesn’t know what his/her dog is going to do based on, ya know, having owned it since it was a puppy. You probably know everything, huh? Like that you’re a milf? Self referring as a milf: fucking pathetic.
freshmaker: you’re suggesting that the dog be put to sleep because it has behavior problems as a result of previous trauma? Great solution. Hope someone puts you to sleep. or better yet, gives you a swift kick in the nads.
Take some time and train your dog properly, it’s not that hard. Even dogs raised and trained for fighting can and have been retrained to be functioning and loving members of the family.
YOUR dog has a problem with other dogs and if you really give a shit about it you will find the time to fix it’s aggressive tendencies.
shock collars for all dogs. dont cringe, hippy hipsters. my my friendly rottweiller has one and he hates it so he is on his best behavior when its on and i hardly ever even have to use it….well except when hes eating children.
icanread:
Apparently you CAN read. It’s the comprehension part that you seem to lack.
Hugs and kisses.
the Baron
My dog LOVES other dogs and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind other dogs running up to say hi. *I* do though for multiple reasons. When I was a kid I was in the middle of a dog fight and strange dogs, be they Chihuahuas or Golden Retrievers, running up to me do not put me in my happy place. Also, I only allow my dog to meet “safe dogs” IE I know that they are current on all their shots etc.
God I hate dog owners. Just have a few kids and relax a little. Your stupid ass dog problems will melt away like the polar ice caps.
I absolutely agree with Anonymous. Off-leash parks were created for dogs who play well with other dogs to romp around freely together. If my dog attacks yours because your dog was off-leash and approached my dog, that’s irresponsibility on your part. Also, to owners of little dogs…lifting the dog up into your arms creates a dangerous situation for both you and your dog. Keep it on it’s leash, and avoid dogs outside of off-leash parks.
I understand the writers point of view completely, It’s always the stupid people who let their dog off the leash that want to blame the other persons dog and punish it. Your dog has to be on leash almost every where except your contained yard, house, car or posted off leash area. Otherwise it has to be on leash that’s the law. You know like not smoking in a bar.
Sounds like someone needs some Cesar Milan!