If your dog is scaring somebody, please restrain your dog

[Sliver]

My daughter is really scared of dogs (she's six). We're trying to work on it with her. "Fortunately," everybody I know has at least two dogs so there is plenty of opportunity to coach her on how to be with dogs...let them sniff you, stand still instead of running away, etc. She makes slow and steady progress, then there is always some ######ed dog owner that comes along and puts us back at square one.

So this weekend some dumb lady was walking her two dogs with no leash. My daughter and I were walking along the sidewalk. Right away I could tell they were friendly so I wasn't concerned at all for her safety, but she was completely terrified. Of course the dumb owner is like twenty feet back thinking it's the cutest thing to watch her mutts interact with a little girl. She's saying all the usual terrible dog owner things like "they're just saying hi!", "they're really friendly!", "they just want to give you a kiss!", etc.

Luckily, I have my gloves on so I can kind of push them away with my hands and my legs (I won't touch a filthy dog with my bare hands unless there is a sink nearby where I can wash). But my daughter is losing her junk. In her panic, I can't get her to stand still because these heaving, panting balls of nastiness are snarfing all over her. I picked her up and it made them want to sniff her and get their slobber on her even more. I was so fataing pissed.

Then the owner finally saunters over to talk about her dogs to me. This one is very vocal. This one is about four or five...we're not sure because she's a rescue and we're so great because we rescue crappy dogs people throw away for a reason, etc. Then she tries to coach my daughter on how to pet the dogs. Um, no thanks. We couldn't have made it any more clear we didn't want to be anywhere near her gross dogs.

Anyway, my point is if you have a dog please don't assume everybody wants to touch it/be touched by it. And if you can see somebody is scared of it, grab your dog and GTFO. My six year-old doesn't need a little lesson on how to love mutts from some stranger.

[Regulator75]

[AMG_G]

Same with my neighbor....for the last 5 years his freaking dogs bark like rabid beasts whenever we are in the backyard. It scares my son so much he passed up on their house for halloween. These are big dogs too the type that looks like the owner has to pull them back with a 45% angle to keep them from running off.

[Jbo]

Originally Posted by Sliver

My daughter is really scared of dogs (she's six). We're trying to work on it with her. "Fortunately," everybody I know has at least two dogs so there is plenty of opportunity to coach her on how to be with dogs...let them sniff you, stand still instead of running away, etc. She makes slow and steady progress, then there is always some ######ed dog owner that comes along and puts us back at square one.

So this weekend some dumb lady was walking her two dogs with no leash. My daughter and I were walking along the sidewalk. Right away I could tell they were friendly so I wasn't concerned at all for her safety, but she was completely terrified. Of course the dumb owner is like twenty feet back thinking it's the cutest thing to watch her mutts interact with a little girl. She's saying all the usual terrible dog owner things like "they're just saying hi!", "they're really friendly!", "they just want to give you a kiss!", etc.

Luckily, I have my gloves on so I can kind of push them away with my hands and my legs (I won't touch a filthy dog with my bare hands unless there is a sink nearby where I can wash). But my daughter is losing her junk. In her panic, I can't get her to stand still because these heaving, panting balls of nastiness are snarfing all over her. I picked her up and it made them want to sniff her and get their slobber on her even more. I was so fataing pissed.

Then the owner finally saunters over to talk about her dogs to me. This one is very vocal. This one is about four or five...we're not sure because she's a rescue and we're so great because we rescue crappy dogs people throw away for a reason, etc. Then she tries to coach my daughter on how to pet the dogs. Um, no thanks. We couldn't have made it any more clear we didn't want to be anywhere near her gross dogs.

Anyway, my point is if you have a dog please don't assume everybody wants to touch it/be touched by it. And if you can see somebody is scared of it, grab your dog and GTFO. My six year-old doesn't need a little lesson on how to love mutts from some stranger.

Given your history on dogs and some of the above, it would not shock me at all if your attitude on dogs has rubbed off on your daughter. Even in your post, you can't help but call them mutts and filthy, and quick to blame dumb owners.

You've also posted on CP about how you have riled up dogs that were in cars, and you are the first one to bump a dog attack thread. You hate dogs. That is clear.

Not saying the lady in this case was in the right, but before you lash out and dogs and owners, look at yourself, and ask why your daughter is terrified.

[Keselke]

Perhaps taking your six year old to a place where pets are allowed to be off leash, is not the best idea all things considering.

In a off leash area dogs will frequently interact with you as they pass by, if the dogs are being aggressive or dangerous I could see restraining them. My suggestion is perhaps you change your ways instead of everyone else.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Keselke

Perhaps taking your six year old to a place where pets are allowed to be off leash, is not the best idea all things considering.

In a off leash area dogs will frequently interact with you as they pass by, if the dogs are being aggressive or dangerous I could see restraining them. My suggestion is perhaps you change your ways instead of everyone else.

I should have been more clear about the location. Sorry. This was on a sidewalk in a residential neighbourhood in Calgary.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Keselke

Perhaps taking your six year old to a place where pets are allowed to be off leash, is not the best idea all things considering.

In a off leash area dogs will frequently interact with you as they pass by, if the dogs are being aggressive or dangerous I could see restraining them. My suggestion is perhaps you change your ways instead of everyone else.

To be fair, he makes no mention that he was walking with his daughter in an off-leash area. So I am assuming he wasn't.

[Jbo]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I should have been more clear about the location. Sorry. This was on a sidewalk in a residential neighbourhood in Calgary.

Does not sounds like the dogs were out of control. or barking. Or a threat. Simply curious.

They should have been on a leash, but I have let my dog off leash on the walk down to the park, with no issue.

What caused your daughter to be afraid of dogs?

[NuclearPizzaMan]

Originally Posted by Sliver

My daughter is really scared of dogs (she's six). We're trying to work on it with her. "Fortunately," everybody I know has at least two dogs so there is plenty of opportunity to coach her on how to be with dogs...let them sniff you, stand still instead of running away, etc. She makes slow and steady progress, then there is always some ######ed dog owner that comes along and puts us back at square one.

So this weekend some dumb lady was walking her two dogs with no leash. My daughter and I were walking along the sidewalk. Right away I could tell they were friendly so I wasn't concerned at all for her safety, but she was completely terrified. Of course the dumb owner is like twenty feet back thinking it's the cutest thing to watch her mutts interact with a little girl. She's saying all the usual terrible dog owner things like "they're just saying hi!", "they're really friendly!", "they just want to give you a kiss!", etc.

Luckily, I have my gloves on so I can kind of push them away with my hands and my legs (I won't touch a filthy dog with my bare hands unless there is a sink nearby where I can wash). But my daughter is losing her junk. In her panic, I can't get her to stand still because these heaving, panting balls of nastiness are snarfing all over her. I picked her up and it made them want to sniff her and get their slobber on her even more. I was so fataing pissed.

Then the owner finally saunters over to talk about her dogs to me. This one is very vocal. This one is about four or five...we're not sure because she's a rescue and we're so great because we rescue crappy dogs people throw away for a reason, etc. Then she tries to coach my daughter on how to pet the dogs. Um, no thanks. We couldn't have made it any more clear we didn't want to be anywhere near her gross dogs.

Anyway, my point is if you have a dog please don't assume everybody wants to touch it/be touched by it. And if you can see somebody is scared of it, grab your dog and GTFO. My six year-old doesn't need a little lesson on how to love mutts from some stranger.

Your life sounds like an unending horror.

[Senator Clay Davis]

This sounds like a gear grinder....there's a thread for that.

It also sounds like a potential dog attack....there's a thread for that too.

[Jbo]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

This sounds like a gear grinder....there's a thread for that.

It also sounds like a potential dog attack....there's a thread for that too.

How in the hell is it in any way a potential dog attack?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by J-bo09

What caused your daughter to be afraid of dogs?

her environment

[polak]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

This sounds like a gear grinder....there's a thread for that.

It also sounds like a potential dog attack....there's a thread for that too.

We should just make one giant "Thread for everything". Thats what all these massive threads are leading too...

Cause simply not clicking on a thread that doesn't interest you is extremely hard.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by J-bo09

Does not sounds like the dogs were out of control. or barking. Or a threat. Simply curious.

They should have been on a leash, but I have let my dog off leash on the walk down to the park, with no issue.

What caused your daughter to be afraid of dogs?

It may not be an issue for you, but for somebody afraid of dogs it is an issue. And what you're doing is against the law. Frankly, I'm surprised you'd admit to having your dog off-leash on a sidewalk - it points to a lack of respect for others in your community IMO.

You really don't see this issue with somebody's dog getting it's drool, fur and mange all over my clothes and my daughter's clothes? And that would only be the issue if she wasn't afraid of dogs. The fact that she is scared dogs and wasn't expecting to see them on a walk we take often only added to the intensity of the situation for her. Like I said, these weren't your typical scary dogs, but to somebody three feet tall, I imagine they looked a little more menacing to her than to me.

The issue is with the dog owners - this wasn't my daughter's fault. You should always have your dog on a leash so you can restrain it for a multitude of reasons, but the one I'm highlighting in this thread is because some people have a genuine fear of dogs and an unrestrained dog can be particularly scary.

[Halfcreek]

As a dog owner, I understand your frustration - and share some of it. Bad dog owners frustrate me, as they give good dog owners a bad name.

Just a question - did you call back to the lady to ask her to call her dogs back because your daughter is terrified of dogs? I would like to think most people would have the courtesy to oblige in that case.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Meh, Sliver knew damn well when he started this thread there was a high potential for it to not get taken seriously in the slightest. We're all aware he hates dogs with every fiber of his being. This is redundant to all his other dog hating threads.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Halfcreek

As a dog owern, I understand your frustration - and share some of it. Bad dog owners frustrate me, as they give good dog owners a bad name.

Just a question - did you call back to the lady to ask her to call her dogs back because your daughter is terrified of dogs? I would like to think most people would have the courtesy to oblige in that case.

To be honest, no, I didn't. I wish I had, but I was just focusing 100% on my daughter. In retrospect I should have done exactly what you suggested. I guess I thought the lady would restrain her dogs as it was clear we were in distress. I'll call to the owner if I'm ever in this situation again as I agree completely that would have been the better move.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Sliver

My daughter is really scared of dogs (she's six). We're trying to work on it with her. "Fortunately," everybody I know has at least two dogs so there is plenty of opportunity to coach her on how to be with dogs...let them sniff you, stand still instead of running away, etc. She makes slow and steady progress, then there is always some ######ed dog owner that comes along and puts us back at square one.

So this weekend some dumb lady was walking her two dogs with no leash. My daughter and I were walking along the sidewalk. Right away I could tell they were friendly so I wasn't concerned at all for her safety, but she was completely terrified. Of course the dumb owner is like twenty feet back thinking it's the cutest thing to watch her mutts interact with a little girl. She's saying all the usual terrible dog owner things like "they're just saying hi!", "they're really friendly!", "they just want to give you a kiss!", etc.

Luckily, I have my gloves on so I can kind of push them away with my hands and my legs (I won't touch a filthy dog with my bare hands unless there is a sink nearby where I can wash). But my daughter is losing her junk. In her panic, I can't get her to stand still because these heaving, panting balls of nastiness are snarfing all over her. I picked her up and it made them want to sniff her and get their slobber on her even more. I was so fataing pissed.

Then the owner finally saunters over to talk about her dogs to me. This one is very vocal. This one is about four or five...we're not sure because she's a rescue and we're so great because we rescue crappy dogs people throw away for a reason, etc. Then she tries to coach my daughter on how to pet the dogs. Um, no thanks. We couldn't have made it any more clear we didn't want to be anywhere near her gross dogs.

Anyway, my point is if you have a dog please don't assume everybody wants to touch it/be touched by it. And if you can see somebody is scared of it, grab your dog and GTFO. My six year-old doesn't need a little lesson on how to love mutts from some stranger.

Not even to protect your daughter from these horrors?

Jokes aside, you have a valid point, an owner should realize when someone is afraid of their dog and restrain them appropriately. Even if they ARE the nicest dog in the world. And yeah taking it upon herself to try and teach your daughter is a bit of a boundry over-step.

That said, I really think your attitude towards dogs is terrible and misplaced. I have met a lot of people that would be much higher on my "do not touch" list over any type of dog.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Not even to protect your daughter from these horrors?

Jokes aside, you have a valid point, an owner should realize when someone is afraid of their dog and restrain them appropriately. Even if they ARE the nicest dog in the world. And yeah taking it upon herself to try and teach your daughter is a bit of a boundry over-step.

That said, I really think your attitude towards dogs is terrible and misplaced. I have met a lot of people that would be much higher on my "do not touch" list over any type of dog.

True, but those people generally don't try to shove their wet noses in my crotch and on my hands.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Dogs should ALWAYS be on a leash unless they are in an off leash area.

I walk my room-mates dog everyday (pit-bull) and she gets so annoyingly excited every-time she sees another human and she goes crazy every-time she sees another dog. She is not violent, she just very excited, which after watching the dog whisperer I found out that this is not good behavior for any sized dog because it can lead to fights and aggression, and I have to deal with this behavior... Every-time I see someone coming I real her in so the leash ends right at my side. There is no room for jumping or running over. She is one tough dog too and it wears the crap out of me, but it has to be done.

Just because the owner has dogs it does not give the owner the right to allow their property to interfere with others. This owner was in the wrong.