Today was Cody's first day on a long lead (like a lunge lead) for recall training. It was all going so well until a black lab appeared (with no apparent owner). This lab followed another dog before bombing off to the other side of the field - then its owner dawdled onto the field. As she meandered around her lab saw us and as he came hurtling towards us I shouted at her - politely (but loudly) to put her dog on a lead. In no rush at all when she finally got to us I explained we are training and whilst Cody is very good with other dogs he is strong and when the other dog isn't being controlled we have no hope in managing him the way we want to. Her reply? Is that why you have a long lead? ermm.....yes! We explained he has no recall at the moment and she said "hmm tell me about it" whilst trying to catch hers. Our boy was stood still watching whilst hers was running around like a loon and refusing to be caught. I caught him and she put him on a lead to be pulled around the field. I was so angry but I also feel oddly guilty that I had spoilt their walk and that I may have upset this women who had little to no care about her dog doing as it pleased. Anyone else get this?
Well, I do get it, but over time I've developed a different view on it. If you train in public places, well, they are public places. I very much wish that people would stop dogs running up to other dogs, and I wish other people felt the same as I do about dogs running up to other dogs even when they are on lead. But they don't - and that's that. In the UK, dog owners mainly expect their dogs to mingle happily with every other dog in the park and they don't expect anyone to be doing any training or to mind this. There are a LOT of advantages to this culture. It's a culture where we all have dogs off lead and - in the main - expect them to sort themselves out and - in the main - they do. This is a valuable thing. So, much as other dogs interrupting me can make me scream when I'm trying to train, I think the onus is on me to train my dogs to ignore other dogs and focus on me so I can use public places to train. I completely appreciate how difficult this is when you are starting out training something, but unless you have your own private land, then...it is was it is I'm afraid.
He is very good with other dogs don't get me wrong, he will happily play - and we will let him. He comes into regular contact with dogs so this isn't the issue. More that her dog was apparently not trained at all and was completely unresponsive to anything - her included. We have land to train on but he won't learn unless he experiences others in a real environment. Its just so frustrating. I dont mind other dogs off leads if they actually had recall - we meet many. Its those that don't which ruin it for everyone else
Yep - I get it. But I think most pet dogs have really rubbish recalls. They have a recall - after a fashion, usually in their own sweet time once they have said hello to another dog, they'll trot off and follow their owner very happily. I rarely see any pet dog in the park with a whiplash recall away from other dogs. I do understand how you feel. If you look back on my posts on this forum when I was trying to train Charlie (I don't actually expect you to! ) then many a time I would rant about other dog owners annoyingly interrupting my training. But now I think it's just how it is - no matter how much you may want it to be different - it just isn't. So if you train in public places, you have to cope with it.
That is pretty much the US view except more so. When we go to a dog park, we primarily go to let the dogs inter act with each other. Some like Cooper really like to play with other dogs. Tilly (at 11) walks around and says hi, but not much more. Cooper has a great recall, even when she is interested in other things. Tilly's recall is terrible now, mostly (we think) because she is pretty deaf. I sometimes use a radio collar on her because it is the only way I can get her attention if she is more than a few feet away. Not an issue most of the time, because she will come back on her own anyway, but if I need her to come back NOW I need some way to get her attention. I need a smell recall, but it would only work when she was down wind.
I wouldn't feel angry, possibly irritated but understanding. Maybe you will now cause her to stop and think about training her own dog
Well I for one and becoming increasingly irritated and saddened by other dog owners and how they interact with their own dogs. Yesterday on a beautiful rural walk, a favourite of ours as it is usually quiet. I came across a family sat on the path, where it widens slightly. Odd I thought. They had their dog on an extending lead. My two (Bramble and Benson ) were curious....when I spotted their dog on a lead (albeit an extending one..) I called my two close. The family then extended the lead..so they dog came towards mine, I wasn't bothered, it was a friendly thing, although excited in a frustrated sort of way. Even so, I kept mine in a close walk. The owner then called out something along the lines of "I am training him not to jump on other dogs...by shouting NO when he does..." wtf???? I just walked on praising mine and treat streaming to get by. I was really, really annoyed though. I am also coming across a lot more owners yelling "Be nice" to their dogs, then screaming "No behave!" when their dogs start barking and leaping around, just on Saturday with Bramble. When do they all go in the winter??? This has been literally in the last two days...sigh...rant over...
We get it here this time of year you see dogs that you never have before. the simple answer seems to be these are the dogs who never come to the park any other time of year maybe round Christmas too. They have no training and no idea how to behave with other dogs. We call them the Sunday dogs we avoid them as much as possible .
I must then be one of those annoying dog people, as we use 'Be Nice' . We use it when she interacts with puppies that are younger than her. Given that she is only just over a year. This is normally given prior to the engagement, which then makes her a very gentle dog. We where lucky in that we where able to train this with a another dog on the Oval who was smaller and a couple of months younger. But we don't shout, no need as it is a cue given prior to the engagement as we work more on interactions between us two But we have only once been to a dog park and that was to meet her sibling middle of the day no other dogs. We drive past the dog parks here, and sorry to say not in a million years (unless it was really quiet and maybe one or two). Otherwise it is pretty much mayhem and owners either on phones or reading books and dogs misbehaving with plenty of out of control and fights...
We have fair weather walkers here. I have done so much training over winter in the park. Now I cant really go as much without the fear of having my arm pulled out of its socket due to all the other dogs off lead, and Rolo being on lead but still excitable....Roll on winter ( NEVER thought I would say this )
I agree I love the winter and rainy days because the people I want to avoid stay at home. I know a lot of my dog walking friends like it for this resson too
I find the opposite! I am always amazed that the 'weekend dogs' who come out with young children and the owners do not seem to interact with the dog, have a perfectly behaved dog who stays close to them
Several of my local walking areas have started to become busier, and with that has come owners and dogs who have no idea about recall or anything. I put Harley on lead yesterday as we were near the gate to leave the woods and because I seen 2 collies running over full pelt towards us. The owner was shouting 'it's ok, they are friendly but a bit OTT'. I asked her to call them back, she shouted back 'they won't come, they haven't been off lead for a few months'. I had Harley in a sit whilst I opened the gate when one of the dogs jumped on her. Harley moved and gave a growl then moved and started going through the gate when the other one went around me and started barking in her face, she gave it a growl and went between my legs. It was awful. I couldn't do much except back Harley up to the gate behind me as they had both got through the gate. The owner eventually caught up and said 'no harm done'..........really!!! After all the hard work I have done with Harley around collies I was fuming and certainly let this woman know!
I'm so sorry I know all the hard work you've done with Harley. Some people just don't think. We do get situations like that round here I'm good at keeping calm like you but like you I do feel I have make the owner aware what they have done. i think i would be fuming too.
We are "be nicers" too. In my defense I say the same to my husband He sometimes doesn't check with his brain before his mouth makes a comment. I usually have a running conversation with Harley.
That's because they don't have an awesome forum like this one teaching and supporting them to train their dogs properly!
I do have to admit that when anyone with a dog hurtling towards my dogs says 'be nice' to their dog, I recall my dogs and leg it! It can't possibly be a cue to interact nicely with the dogs you are about to meet - how on earth can that be put on cue? So I always interpret it as being directed at me and meaning: my dog isn't always nice, so if s/he presents as a snappy, growling reactive mess when s/he crashes into your dogs it wasn't my fault because I already said 'be nice'. Sure, probably very unfair. I still leg it though!
When I say "play nicely" it's because he's quite boisterous and once he gets over excited the Tasmanian devil emerges. The problem with Stanley is that he's TOO friendly, rather than being worried he'll be nasty. I try my best to not let him bother people who are busy with their dogs. But sometimes he's off like a shot - especially if he sees a big dog. The bigger the better
