Chepi is now 13 weeks and actually really nervous of other dogs, well until she started day care last week she hadn't been with dogs since 8 weeks. She is starting to socialise at day care now, thank goodness. We had a walk by the Thames a couple of days ago and stopped at the lock so she could have a drink. As I was chatting to some canoers I didn't see this TALL black lab come up to say hello. She wasn't bothered. The lab was a lab and she hangs out with the labs at day care. He was off lead. I was relaxed. Why was she ok? Today we went to our secret meadow where other people had discovered the secret! They had dogs on leads that made me edgy, bigger than Pomeranian but looking like that breed. Chepi hid behind me, tail down. Was it my tension she picked up on or where these hairy beasts baduns? Am I a whimp? Should I not worry? Am I making her nervous?
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? Perhaps it's a little bit of everything! Dogs will definitely pick up on your tension in certain situations, especially if you are on the other end of the lead, so if you are worried about something then Chepi will be able to tell and this will make her worry too. She may have been nervous as they might have been dogs she hasn't seen before - Penny was nervous when meeting a very large long haired German shepherd the other week as she's not many (if any!) long haired dogs. So perhaps this Pom/spitz type was unfamiliar to Chepi. Other dogs may be on lead for many reasons - they could have poor recall, be recovering from injury, be in training, in season, in an unfamiliar place so the owner wants a bit more security - it doesn't only mean that they are not good with other dogs.
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? I don't quite understand why you were wary if the dogs were on lead. Is it as Penny suggests and you thought that meant they had problems with other dogs? Even if so, why would you have let Chepi approach them (at all if they were on lead)?
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? We arrived at a tiny car park at the same time. Chepi didn't approach the dogs, the dogs dragged their owner over to Chepi, who hid behind me. I am new to having a dog. I have read LOTS OF NEGSTIVE reports on this forum about encounters with dogs. Some people on this forum have stated that dogs should not be introduced when on leads. I really am a learner just trying to do the right thing, that's why I asked the question.
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? Ok, Jane, the circumstances weren't at all clear from your post. All you said was "They had dogs on leads that made me edgy". In the situation you describe, I would simply make it clear to the other owners that you don't want them to approach. A surprising number of people pull backwards when their dog is pulling forwards but non the less follow them. I have never actually met anyone who couldn't stop their dog when I've said "no, no, we won't say hello - no, really, we won't say hello". To answer your first question, I wouldn't be wary because a dog was on lead, no. In my experience, many more dogs are off lead when they shouldn't be, than on lead when they should be. In terms of allowing your dog to interact with others on lead, there isn't a right or wrong answer. Some people decide not to allow it for various reasons - they don't think it is good discipline, they think it encourages (or doesn't help) lead reactivity, they don't want their dogs to expect to say hello to every dog they meet. Some people think that some dogs are reactive on lead partly because they cannot express "normal" doggy manners of approaching another dog sideways on, turning away, and so on when they are on lead. Other people are quite happy to allow dogs to interact on lead and allow it without problem. If you decide to do this, a good idea is also to decide what exactly you want your dog to do eg quick sniff and walk away is fine, starting to play is not. And so on.
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? I tend to think that bad encounters are written about more often than good ones because they make us scared or angry and we need to let off steam. In over 30 years of dog ownership as an adult I've met very few aggressive dogs. Of course you want Chepi to be safe but most dogs are friendly and if they're on the lead I doubt they'd be pulling towards you if they were fierce. I think if you find yourself in this situation again I'd put on a jolly voice and say 'hello are you coming to meet my puppy' while holding out a fist for the dog to sniff. I'd also speak immediately to the dog's owner, telling them how young Chepi is and how she's just getting used to other dogs. Hope you have some nice friendly encounters soon.
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? I am more than happy for Lola to meet and greet off lead less so when both are on lead. I just keep walking. Just personal preference cause I think it can change their body language, but saying that I have had some nice encounters on lead.
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? There are definitely two sides to the argument of allowing dogs on lead to interact. The argument against could be that being on lead means a dog may feel trapped and has nowhere to go if they feel scared or threatened by a situation so they are more likely to react with an aggressive response eg. Lunging and barking, growling etc. The argument for is that it gives nervous dogs a bit more confidence as they feel they have back up in their owner (however this can go too far the other way and give a dog too much confidence and produce an aggressive response, it's a minefield!). I experience all these scenarios with Penny but the majority of the time being on the lead when greeting dogs gives her confidence and allows me to better control appropriate behaviour and remove her from the situation if I feel it's going to turn. In fact all of our negative encounters with dogs have been whilst she has been off lead!
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? Don't feel worried about seeing other dogs on lead, Jane, 99% of them will be friendly (if possibly also boisterous). But, having said that, I am one of the people who doesn't allow on-lead interaction as my dog gets too excited when he sees other dogs on lead (though we make an exception for our obedience class where all the dogs are friends anyway and it's a calm environment). For us, it's just about learning self-control. Plus, my dog has plenty of off-lead time with other dogs. Dogs do take their cue from us so it's really important to stay relaxed and, above all, keep that lead loose. Never be the one to make the lead tight. That's a signal to the dog that "we need to worry now!!" which is a message we don't want to send. When you see other dogs and Chepi seems nervous, just go to a distance where she seems more relaxed and start posting a stream of treats into her mouth. That will help her view the sight of other dogs as a positive thing (good this happen when other dogs appear). If I were you I would also be trying very hard to find opportunities for Chepi to play with other quiet dogs or puppies. If play gets too boisterous and Chepi seems to not be enjoying it, step in and stop it and let them have a brief time out.
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? Hi Jane, just thought I'd add my thoughts So, we are a couple months ahead of you and I have been on a major learning curve as well : What I have found with dogs on lead is that 99% of the time they are friendly, non-threatening dogs; they are just on lead because they've never been off lead (and there's lots of those), they are absconders, the dogs are nervous of strangers or types of dogs, etc. Usually if I come across a dog on a lead the owners will say as you approach them that the dogs are likely to bark, etc, if they don't I ask if it is ok for us to say hello. If there is any doubt about the other dogs behaviour I just smile and move on! I generally have Maisie off lead where we walk as it is very quiet during the week and I've got know a lot of the dogs who are out and about. But, with the school holidays now upon us I have noticed that there are lots of different people out with there dogs, especially kids, so I am having to do more walking on-lead. It's good for a bit of extra training!!!! If I see a dog on-lead approaching me I always put Maisie on-lead. Early on Maisie was difficult to control on a lead when approaching a dog, but with training, she can now approach a dog she knows or doesn't know without pulling, jumping about or getting too excited, etc. Hope that helps! :
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? Thanks so much, I just needed reassurance . Chepi had her 4th day at day care and had a brilliant day interacting with the others; I am so glad she is socialising and finding her confidence. Thanks for your helpful comments everyone
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? Glad Chepi is enjoying day care As a first time dog owner too, I know how you feel as to wether or not if you are doing the right thing. In regards to other dogs, if Harley is off lead and they are on, I put her on lead til we are passed and clear. If Harley is on lead and the other dog off, I distract Harley so she pays attention to only me and tell the owner we are training. Occasionally, I let her off lead to say hi. If both are off lead I let Harley say hi and take cues from her. If she's unhappy I call her and say bye. Hope this helps a bit x
Re: Am I right to be wary of other dogs on leads? We do the same as Naya. Great to hear that the daycare is going well A good daycare is such an asset!
