I have a dog who does not mix well with others, he can be aggressive and he doesn’t do recall. For this reason I take him to a certain park at times of the day when most people are at work so we don’t see anyone else. He plays well with my other dog but not with strange dogs. I take him to a place that is fully enclosed and has a double gate, we wait for other people to leave before we go in and I ALWAYS warn people about his aggressive nature if they want to enter the park. If we have been there a while I will ask them to wait while I grab him and then leave. We don’t go every day and we don’t usually stay more than 20 minutes.
So this morning, we had just got there and he was running about barking his head off like a nutjob at a dog on the other side of the fence (he does this frequently) and some one came up to the gate and was going to walk staight in. I saw so i ran up to the fence and told him to wait because my dog is aggressive (I’m pretty sure I also asked if he would mind waiting a few minutes). So buddy gets all pissy and starts grumbling “it’s a fucking public place for fucks sake”.. Yes i’m aware of this however i warned you and asked if you would wait because if anything happend I’M RESPONSIBLE I understand it might be a slight inconvienience to you but the last thing I want my dog to do is hurt yours. Don’t you get that? Its my fault that my dog is not totally well behaved and it’s my resonsibility to make sure the public are safe.. this is why we use this space because it isn’t that public and its the only place I can let him have a run. He still needs to go out for a walk even if he’s not well behaved, I can’t keep him locked in a box for fucks sake and I like to be able to let him blow off some steam offleash. I can’t take him to Point Pleasant or the Common or a ball park so I take him there. I don’t feel entitled to the space or anything like that but I just need to avoid any situations where someones dog could come to harm. It isn’t easy when your always the one in the wrong and awlays the bad guy. I made the choice to keep this dog so I only have myself to blame for being in this situation however I’m writing this to expain to other dog owners that it is not easy being the owner of an aggressive dog and if your dog is friendly and awesome and someone asks you if you would mind waiting a few minutes pelase don’t be as unreasonble as this guy was this morning. Don’t tell me to go fuck myself, don’t tell me what I already know about it being a public place, either give me some useful advice, be understanding, or if you have a well behaved dog why not just take him to another park? After all you have the option and I don’t. The only other option I have is a tiny backyard. I’m sorry for getting angry at you Mr. dog park man, I only lose my temper when some unreasonable individual swears at me first. —Obviously Not the Dog Whisperer
This article appears in Feb 14-20, 2013.
Lets practice editing:
What is up with people who don’t fucking listen? I brought my dog to an off leash dog park specifically during off-peak hours so my dog who shows other dogs aggression can get some exercise. I politely asked another visitor if he would mind waiting a minute while I rounded up my dog as he would be aggressive towards the strangers dog. The guy went on a rant about how it is a public place etc. Sorry I gave you tude.
Love,
Dog Guy
See that wasnt hard… and a whole lot less words wasted on the internet – you know every time a word is typed, its one less time it can be typed in the future.
i think you were reasonable, still being reasonable in your posting, apologizing for getting upset.
my heart goes to you for the difficulty with your dog. you are doing what you can. maybe someone here can help with the socialization. it’s a long process, easing into it with lots of rewards for calmness.
PS there is an incredible lady in Chester Basin who has a dog spa and offleash fenced in dog park with multiple pens for dogs who don’t play well with other dogs. She also does work and training with aggressive dogs. Google Chester Basin Dog Park. Worth the drive.
“it’s a fucking public place for fucks sake”..
Asshole OB – it’s a FUCKING PUBLIC PLACE… train your dog or put it down
Thank you for the advice! I had no idea that place existed, i will check it out. Its nice to know kind people out there will give advice instead of attiude.
I commend you for not giving up on your pooch. However, you should nip the aggression in the bud, ASAP, before it results in a doggy death penalty. Seek out professional advice from one of our city’s dog trainers. If you use a shock collar or any other punishment-based training devices, cease doing so now. Punishment leads to fear and fear can lead to aggression. If you can’t take your dog to a park, take it on an unleashed hike in the woods early in the morning. If you can pick a word and buy bacon, then you can teach your dog to return to you on command.
ok, a little re-think on this one… kimi, is the gated off park you are talking about in this posting the service dog park that you were using before and mentioned in other post? if so, get the heck out.
you have had more than long enough now to work with your dog. yes, you are admitting it’s your fault, but…sooner or later you have to do the work. it’s only going to be harder the longer you let him have his anxieties. you cannot let him go on like this all his life, that’s just cruel.
Meh… My boy doesn’t like other dogs either. I take him to Long Lake, walk way in where the likelyhood of other dogs being around is about nil, then let him swim and play. If anyone comes around, I tell them my dog is hit and miss. It’s more the reaction of other dogs to his personality that he doesn’t like, he’s kind of an overbearing ass that won’t back down. Also, muzzling him will take the asshole right out of him, if he’s anything like my meathead.
Hell, humans can’t even play nice with other humans all the time. There are jails filled to the brim with people who can’t seem to get along in “public places” so I wouldn’t worry about it, OB.
your dogs are welcome in my shop anytime, shitd
So keep your hellhound on a leash. It is great that you are trying to keep your dog from killing other dogs and all, but it is not fair to make someone wait for 5 minutes.
You are the owner if the poorly behaved dog, keep it on a leash and under your control.
“waiting a few minutes pelase don’t be as unreasonble as this guy was this morning”
You are the only unreasonable on here, OB. It shouldn’t take 5 minutes for you to get your dog on a leash and out of there. What if I only had 15 minutes to take my dog for a quick trip to the park? He loses 1/3 of his play time because you cannot effectively control your dog? I don’t think so, OB.
You’re the one that failed as a pet owner and the rest of us shouldn’t have to cater to you and your dog for that. Keep your dog on a leash.
So OP. So everyone has to wait until you’re finished occuying the park. And training the dog was not in your curriculum? You made the choice to keep this dog. Was it your choice to adopt the dog? And when you lose your temper, maybe the your pet acknowledges your behavior and then perpetuates the same emotions onto others. I believe counselling is manditory for both of you.
Notice I didn’t tell you to go fuck yourself.
Bottom line. Get your dog profesionally trained or expect a law suit from someone that your dog could pose harm to themselves, children or other pets.
As much as I love dogs, I’m cautious. I still see the bite marks in my leg from thirty-five years ago when I was thirteen.
Shell out the money for training, OP. You will not be able to avoid an attack on another dog, or person, forever. There are some incredible trainers in the HRM who work well with aggressive dogs, all you need to do is look.
You, your dog, and everyone else will be happier for it.
Oh poor you, you only have a tiny back yard. Well a lot of us don’t have a yard at all, or a balcony and need to go to the park to smoke a joint. So fuck off and keep kujo home.
I understand your struggle and frustration OB. After dealing with dog-aggression with my own dog for years, I know how tempting it is to just find a place to “let them run” when it’s not “likely” you will encounter any other dogs. You have chosen the wrong place. Period. You may think that you are being cautious and responsible by going at times when you are not likely to encounter other dogs, but this bitch just proves that your plan aint workin. Recall is a lot easier to teach than training your dog to accept other dogs, so why for the love of all that is holy, haven’t you perfected that if you want continue to put your dog and others at risk by letting him run in a public park? Get some professional help or you will find yourself at the other end of a very serious lawsuit. Stop taking risks and putting others at risk. Jeesus.
If your dog is aggressive and has no recall then it should not be off-leash. End of story. You do not have the right to ask someone to wait a minute so you can get your dog. If you cant control your dog then it needs to be on leash at all times. If you want it to be able to run free then socialise and train it. Or give it to someone who will. Your dog will bite someone or another dog and it will get put down because you didn’t properly take care of it. You are setting your dog up to fail. You want it to run, go for a fucking jog.
I am beyond sick of irresponsible pet owners. I have a dog, when I got her, she was aggressive with men and dogs. I couldn’t walk her because of how much she pulled and how scared I was about her going after a dog or person. So I looked into help with training, worked my fucking ass off for months and trained her. I train her everyday. Its a lot of work and a huge responsibility but that’s what owning a pet is!
People always use excuses for their own laziness and it pisses me off so much. Sorry for my long rant.
OP I have an extremely well behaved dog, and I think you are in the right. I would have no problem at all waiting while you rounded up your dog, or I would let you run and continue down the road to a patch of grass to run my dog.
Not all dogs are easily trained and it sounds like you are doing the best you can, and getting a little frustrated. I think you should seek some help for your dog, it might make your life easier.
Everyone needs to give other individuals a break.. the guy is just trying to run his dog, and not have to get rid of him. I was lucky to get an amazing dog, and as long as you aren’t in shubie letting the hell hound loose, I appreciate your troubles and the fact that you are trying to do the right thing. Lets be glad he isn’t dumping his dog at a rescue or abandoning him.
Side not though, Long Lake is a well known spot for dogs, and I wouldn’t appreciate my dog being attacked by yours in a spot like that. You might want to keep him in the fenced areas.
I have a dog that doesn’t get along with other dogs either. When I’m walking her and another dog with their human approaches, I always pull her leash closer to me or move to the side and let them pass. People always get pissy with me and say “MY DOG IS FRIENDLY, YA KNOW!”. Yeah, that’s great but my dog isn’t. I’m looking out for your animal, not mine. People just don’t get it.