General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Dog owners please enter . Am I wrong about what happened today?? [View all]nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)I have a german shepherd who is not dog friendly. I take 100% ownership in the fact that I have failed in his training. He is a rescue, we are his 4th home and he was poorly socialized (left in a kennel 12 hrs a day, no interaction with other dogs for 2-3 yrs). I had hoped being around our pack and walking with our dogs would help. Over time 2 have passed away and he has become extremely attached to our eldest dog. He is very protective of her. Walking him alone is a different experience than walking them together if we run into another dog.
A couple of unleashed dogs running up to us would probably make me yell, a lot. Your dogs may very well be friendly but I have one that is not. And if for any reason he thinks you or your dogs are a threat to me or Jazz (the one he adores) he loses all control. He has not attacked anyone while I have had him on a leash (mainly because I am hanging on for dear life and thank goodness I am fat so I have leverage). However, once when I was away from home, he busted out the screen in our living room window and jumped out to get to a dog that had come on our property. I did not think he could fit but now we don't leave windows open when we leave the house.
I walk with a muzzle on him, but sometimes in the summer I take it off so he can pant better.
I dread well traveled trails, esp people with little dogs on retractable leashes that come storming up. I know that tenseness is sensed by my dog in how I hold the leash, which makes him tense, which makes the whole thing worse. I end up walking my dogs at 2 in the morning, not the best solution but the least stressful.
7 yrs ago I would have agreed with you...I had 2 two dogs that could be off leash and run and sniff. They were large (a lab mix and a collie mix) but super friendly to people and other dogs.
But now being on the other side of the leash...I would hate to have a dog fight start because my dog misread your dogs' attempt to say hello.