I am absolutely fuming. I'm so mad. I will try and explain things clearly but please forgive me if things get a little muddled!! I've just been to the park with Penny for her evening walk. As soon as I enter I do my usual scout for people and dogs and note that there is a group of teenagers (maybe 13 to 15 years old) with a jack russell at one end of the field. Knowing Penny isn't great with small dogs as she is too boisterous for them and generally not trusting a group of teenagers to control a dog, I set out and walk in the opposite direction to keep our distance. Sure enough they have no control over the dog, they're not watching what it's doing at all, it's darting all over the field and they are screaming at the top of their lungs to call it back but really are more interested in messing about hitting sticks on the gate. Sure enough the little dog makes a beeline for Penny. Now Penny is usually really good at ignoring dogs across the field and doesn't bat an eyelid unless they want to interact with her or come bombing over like this one does. It's face to face interactions that need a little fine tuning which is why I generally keep my distance unless it's a dog I know she's fine with. She won't go out of her way to see a dog which is why I feel happy letting her off lead on the opposite side of the field. So the little scrawny thing comes racing up to her (I'm not a fan of small dogs already, if you can tell) and Penny gets excited at this new playfriend. She does a little bounce and a playbow and the littl rat gets it's teeth out and starts snarling at her. To which Penny reacts by rolling it over and and growling at it. The jack russell starts screaming, and one of the teenage lads come racing over screaming her name. I'm already there and lifting Penny off. Being the sort of person who needs to reassure children (for really that's what they were) I call over 'they're alright, it was all just noise, they're ok' which is the truth. If you're experienced with dogs you know that the more noise there is the less chance of any damage being done as it's all just posturing really. The lid gives me attitude back 'your dog bit my dog!' But said it that stupid teenager moody attitudey way. I immediately got annoyed and felt like giving him a peice of my mind about why children shouldn't be in control of dogs and that if he had been as close to them as I had he would have in fact seen his dog bite my dog! but I stayed calm and replied that if he checked his dog over he wouldn't find any wounds, it was just a scuffle. To which he grabbed the dogs lead (it was running around with it attached) and flounced off back to his mates. I carried on my way over the side of the field and I could see them checking the dog over and they promptly left the park. I am so, so mad now. Unfortunately I live in the sort of area where parents think it's fine to not discipline their children and let them take the dog out with no responsibility for their actions. Now because of this Penny has had a negative experience with a small dog which will take her weeks to move forward from and I'm wary about taking her back to the park at all. I've never seen that dog before so I don't think they're a regular there but I know if we see them again Penny will immediately be on the defensive towards that dog. Grrrrr!! I'm sorry I just wanted to vent. It's such a frustrating thing to happen and all because people think it's ok to let their kids take their dog out.
Re: I am so mad right now! Hi Lauren, I am sorry you and Penny had such a negative experience with the teenagers and the little dog and I hope Penny is OK. I always try to defend teenagers as they are NOT all the same, I have 3 teenagers aged 19, 16 and 14 and I know they would never speak to anyone in that way because they have been taught respect. My teenagers take Hattie out for walks and they take responsibility for her as I firmly believe children should learn how to look after their pets or what is the point of having them ??? But I agree if these teenagers were not paying attention to their dog they should not be allowed to take it out, probably the parents just couldn't be bothered to do it themselves Do you have a friend or neighbour that has a little dog that you could maybe go for a short walk with the reassure Penny that not all little dogs are horrible? Is there anywhere else you could take Penny for a few days or maybe a different time to go back to the park? I hope you are OK and vent away we all do it and that's what we are all here for. Please take care xxxx
Re: I am so mad right now! How horrid. Poor you, and poor Penny. I very much dislike meeting terriers (apart from just one or two lovely exceptions that we've been lucky enough to meet) - I'm really sorry to say that the vast majority of these have been just awful, snappy, little bullies. Charlie is not like Penny, and just tries to get away - he won't stick up for himself at all. They snap and bark at him and he hates it.
Re: I am so mad right now! Thanks guys. Helen - I know I'm being harsh on teenagers and I don't mean it really, I was just so mad with the situation. Unfortunately where I live (right on the border of a bit of a nasty area) the moody antisocial teenager is all too common and we don't tend to meet the nice ones that often its all too common round my way to meet gangs hanging out in the park and the kids aren't so much brought up as dragged up. They're not exactly doggie people, rather people that have dogs, if that makes sense. I think really I'm more mad about the fact that the kid accused my dog of injuring his dog when it wasn't that way round at all and he wasn't even paying attention. I would be just as mad if it was an adult. My mum has a small yorkie so we will be working extra hard on small dogs = nice thing.
Re: I am so mad right now! Glad you and Penny are ok and not hurt In relation to teenagers........I am a youth worker and come across these attitudes daily due to the areas I work in! But, having said that, there are also loads of teenagers that are brilliant, and they have been left to bring themselves up a lot. Sometimes its because they are bored, but I don't condone their behaviour with their dog. They should be responsible, but I am guessing the parents kick him out and tell him to take the dog too many teenagers have this kind of upbringing unfortunately I hope this doesn't affect Penny too much. Big hugs to you both
Re: I am so mad right now! I'd be mad too, at the situation my dog had been put in by those kids and their parents. As far as the rudeness and attitude goes, those kids are just brats and not worth wasting energy on. But next time I'd tell them that if their dog runs over to you and menaces Penny you'll put it on your spare lead and take it to the pound as it is an out of control dog in a public place.
Re: I am so mad right now! Horrible situation to suddenly find yourself in ... well done for managing so well
Re: I am so mad right now! This might be fighting talk! But don't you think that many teenagers have been brought up with no example as how to behave, how to have manners, so by treating them with good manners may begin to teach them there is a different way.
Re: I am so mad right now! [quote author=Stacia link=topic=4411.msg53582#msg53582 date=1392113426] This might be fighting talk! But don't you think that many teenagers have been brought up with no example as how to behave, how to have manners, so by treating them with good manners may begin to teach them there is a different way. [/quote] Trouble is, there is a problematic externality - if you are the only one that does this, it'll have no impact while everyone else gets the satisfaction of telling them they are objectionable brats. ;D Seriously, you are right, of course. And it's a good thing to remember.
Re: I am so mad right now! I don't want this to turn into a argument about teenagers etc. that was never my intention. The fact of the matter is that it was a group of people who couldn't care less that they weren't in control of their dog and it resulted in our dogs having a fight. I would have been equally as mad if it was a group of adults, regardless of their age. In fact that has happened in the past - Penny got attacked by a little crossbreed terrier thing owned by an old lady and I was just as peed off by that situation as by what happened yesterday.
Re: I am so mad right now! Sorry to read of your horrible experience . As a lifelong owner of terriers along with gundog breeds ( my current second dog is a Jack Russell X type ) I believe that the responsibility must always be with the owner . I think that far too often , a breed will behave in a certain way purely because the owner thinks that this is the expected behaviour of that breed and seems to encourage that behaviour simply because its a terrier, or a staffy or whatever . Excuses are made, putting it down to expected behaviour when in reality , any breed can be a potential danger if not socialised and trained , even our dear Labs , heaven forbid : My Millie is good as gold with 99% of dogs, but for some reason ( she is a rescue so no background ) she will take exception to the other 1% so I take great care to protect others, not that she bites but will object to the odd one who comes up to sniff . I truly believe that any dog who is aggressive to others needs to see a behaviourist or be kept on a lead, the trouble being that the latter often makes them worse if they are that way inclined . I`m glad that you are helping Penny to overcome her fears .
Re: I am so mad right now! What a horrible experience!! Nothing more maddening than a nasty dog who has nasty owners. Poor Penny and poor you.
Re: I am so mad right now! [quote author=Lisa link=topic=4411.msg53976#msg53976 date=1392265462] Nothing more maddening than a nasty dog who has nasty owners. [/quote] They often go together dog's aren't often nasty of their own volition
