Hi Everyone, Mia has been coming on so well lately and she now walks brilliantly on the lead. Her recall still isn't 100% so I have been walking her off lead in big open spaces so I have the chance to clock distractions before she does, this way I can get her safely back on the lead before any problems can arise. However, lots of people do not bother and let their dogs run right up to Mia. Mia loves literally everyone, 2 or 4 legged, but she seems to have a growing aversion to small dogs, particularly terriers. A few times she has been jumped on or grabbed by little dogs that the owners cannot control and the owners try to laugh it off as playing, now I am not one who agrees with forceful handling of a dog but a threat to kick the bloody thing if it doesn't leave my precious, harmless, under control dog alone is the only way of these owners actually taking you seriously and trying to get their dogs under control again. Mia has never been aggressive in any way before but lately if she sees a terrier coming towards her she either cowers into me or will get in front of me with her hackles up and growl if it continues coming closer to her and there are only so many times you can shout at people to catch their dog before just assuming they are a bit thick while their dog is still running at us full pelt. I have a couple of times tried to grab the terriers before they reached Mia but this makes her worse than ever so I really don't know what to do next. I don't want Mia to be feeling this way about other dogs and I am starting to worry that all the socialising we have done is going to be for nothing. Has anyone else experienced this? How can I help her get over her aversion to terriers? Now I've finished my rant, I should say that not all terrier owners are like this but as with everything the few ruin it for everybody.
Very very annoying, I know only too well. Seems a lot of owners of small dogs think their little precious can't hurt bigger dogs but the truth is that our gentle labs can be seriously injured by these little buggers. Last time it happened I'd managed to grab this wiry haired little thing by the scruff of its neck and told it's owner to come and get it and keep it away from my dog. He walked up and tried to smack me in the mouth, didn't work out too well for him so he rang the police and told them he'd been assaulted. Thankfully, two other dog walkers had seen what had happened and stayed with me till the police arrived and acted as witnesses and he and his little dog got to visit the police station. I later found out he'd been let off with a 'severe talking to' for all the good that would have done. Be careful Lucy, always assume that you're dealing with a halfwit because you quite often will be. If you're walking in isolated areas I'd say take a friend if you can. A discrete body cam could give you the evidence you need if you or your dog need medical treatment from being attacked. A loud personal siren may scare an aggressive approaching dog, it may also scare Mia but that would still be better than having a snarling terrier hanging off her face. Protect yourself and your dog but be careful
I'm very lucky to live near the moors so we have lots of open spaces to run and train in but it's as though people think because you are on a big open bit of moorland that general rules of society don't matter. I'm very slight at only 5'3 so I think that also shocks people when I give them what for but I just hate seeing Mia so timid as it isn't like her at all, it really does make me quite feisty. I'm less worried about myself than I am about how Mia is starting to react to all small dogs, whether the pass calmly or act like idiots she is just starting to get so reactive now and it really isn't her at all. She's the most placid little thing and it's just ruining her, it's awful to see. My boyfriend often comes out with us, he's built like a rugby player and I do often find that people are a lot more apologetic if he is there, which always makes me laugh because he is even more laid back than Mia - it's most likely to be me that would cause a row in Mia's defense Some people really are just hideous which I find easy enough to ignore, it just upsets me that it is starting to impact on Mia after all the hard work that we have put in to help her gain her confidence and find her place in the world. I really don't know how to help her get over it.
