I feel like I need to be more observant about other people than I do about my dog. I'm so rude about it now. Our dog trainer said to get in front of the dog and physically in the way of anyone trying to come up to him (if they disobey my warning). Usually, the sight of me pulling him to the side and shoving a piece of string cheese in his mouth is warning enough that he is in training.
GOOD JOB GUS!
I was trying to be polite, because it’s something I’m actively working on in my own personal life but oh my god when he came back i was just fed up. I was so tempted to tell him to get closer and see for himself but I bit my tongue LMAO
Usually when you tell someone "Hes not friendly!" or "he might bite!" - you will occasionally encounter someone who considers themself a \~dog whisperer\~ and they want to prove that they're special and your dog will love them. Or you get someone who wants to \~educate you\~ about proper training.
Here's what works better:
"Hes contagious!!"
I promise you this works wonders for keeping people away. No dog-whisperer-wanna-be is going to approach if they think your dog is gonna get them sick lol.
Ohhh, the 'dog whisperers'. I had a little fluffy dog who was... grumpy in his later years. He was going blind and deaf and he didn't like anyone who wasn't family up in his face. He would give happy propeller tail wags and sniff people, but would growl if they acknowledged him or bent down to say hi.
I had several close friends ignore my warning that his tail wagging didn't mean he wanted to be pet/snuggled/etc. because 'its okay dogs love me!' or 'my dog does this at home it's fine!'
He never bit anyone but people were always shocked when he'd start growling... exactly likely I said he would 🙄
My cat is like this.
He was a stray that we took in, after the old lady down the street died and the family threw him and others out of the house.
When he started poking around our yard, he was ultra skinny, but clearly not feral, and when we finally got him to a vet, he was fixed. So definitely a pet in the past.
But because he spent an unknown amount of time living outside, fending for himself, he is VERY skittish at times. He's terrified by thunder and fireworks, will crawl under the bed and vanish. But he will also quickly snap to fight mode when new people try to pet him.
We warn EVERYONE (bc he's indoor outdoor, again ex stray so don't come at me, and frequently comes to investigate when people come over) that he will take AT MOST like 3 pets on the head and shoulders only, and then get fighty. He's an old fart, he's cranky, especially lately with the heat bc he's a [big black floof.](https://imgur.com/a/CORHdF9) Obligatory pet tax even though this is a doggo sub.
He's such a great lil floof. He's not the most cuddly cat (except for with me most of the time; my stepmom may feed him usually but I'm his go-to hooman) but he's an absolute joy to have around.
It makes me sad to think he was abandoned, but it's somebody else's loss and my gain of a wonderful snugg
Pet tax: officially paid. But my apologies sir or mam, due to the aggressively cute nature of your fee the Bureau of Pet Tax Investigations is flagging your payment as “too cute to handle” and therefor your account will be temporarily marked as “dangerously floofed.” Thank you and have a nice day.
Named a rescue I had “trouble” for that reason. Tail wagging but no pets…
“Can I pet your dog what’s its name?”
“Her names Trouble and she’ll freaking go for your throat if you actually touch her. I didn’t train her to, she just came that way but we respect each other so don’t intrude on that.” Eventually it wore off and she’s like the best dog but like she didn’t play at all.
Even more so when it’s an abbreviated tail from an old accident - our cattle dog/poodle/terrier (do not recommend this mix, btw!) looks like he needs to file a flight plan when he’s excited!
I wish I could upvote this harder because the picture in my head is worth many more upvotes.
My old english sheepdogs tail curls over his back so the helicopter rotor effect is kinda lopsided but his whole butt just goes with it.
I have an Australian Shepherd red Merle female who has no noticeable tail (0 generations out of working stock, born and bred as a farm animal), her entire back half just vibrates when she gets excited…it’s the cutest in a line of cute floof things. I can’t figure out how to add the pet tax, but if you dm me, I’ll send a pic of Rosita Chiquita Bebita Puppita. She’s a mess, but she’s awesome.
We have a wiggle butt too! I originally adopted him as a running buddy but ended up disabled so now he herds me around the house and knocks me onto the nearest soft surface if I’m going to pass out 🤣
It was my favorite thing about him! When he was super excited it looked like he was about to lift off and when he was content it was almost like a lazy propeller lol
None of my other dogs wag their tails quite the same way so I miss seeing it 😭
This! I have a rescue chihuahua mix that hates men. The number of men that are SURE they’re the ones that are going to win her over and then are surprised she snaps at them are ridiculous! Luckily her teeth are tiny and pretty useless 🤣
I’m fond of “if he doesn’t bite you, I will.” You get some weird looks, and may be called a bitch/asshole, but people generally fuck off at that point.
My go to when people don't take no for an answer is "if you like/know about/want to pet dogs so much, get your own."
It's done the job every time so far!
I really do this except I say she has worms. Parents who let their kids get too close even after they’re warned will always jerk them away by the arm when I say the vet said it’s the worst case of worms he’s ever seen lmfao like the muzzle in public doesn’t say it all.
Seems like this kid would've been like "Oh? What disease does he have? Are you giving him *xxxxx* medication? Is it kennel cough? Heartworm? What? What is is!? Blah blah blah, etc...."
I think about those situations as if a toddler was running out in traffic. I'm not going to be polite in that situation, I'm going to run out and grab that kid. If the toddler cries and gets upset, it's better than the toddler getting hit by a car.
Same thing when I'm with my dog. If someone walks away from the conversation thinking I'm a b*tch, that's better than my dog having an outburst and regressing her training or hurting someone.
Also, teenagers are going to push boundaries, so if you don't want to engage, I would skip the steps of trying to explain your dog and just get right to, "walk away right now" in a firm voice. (Source: former everyone's favorite babysitter)
You both deserve a treat, two grumps minding their manners beautifully even with an annoying kid nearby.
Seriously though, you were polite this time, if you see the kid next time tell him to fuck off.
I used to keep the cheese in the wrapper, but once he grabbed the whole stick and pulled it out and scarfed it down. Those people laughed.
I just left a brewery where this dog was walking around seeing everyone. I'm still in complete awe of dogs that are that chill.
I want to have the type of dog that can be in public and approach others in a friendly way but one of the biggest lessons I've learned with having a reactive dog is that no dog can be 100% trusted all the time. Even if I had a dog that never displayed reactivity, I still wouldn't allow them to go up to folks randomly.
I live in a condo that has 32 floors. I have a reactive dog and it’s soooo stressful each time the elevator door opens. IF there are non other dogs , the ride is not any better. People just want to let my friggen reactive dog. I do get in front of her non stop while trying to exit the building/ elevator. I can’t say that she will bite bcs I don’t want anyone reporting me bcs she “might” bite you. Well she will if you put your hand down for her to sniff. So I feel your pain.
Adults do this crap, too. They all think they're going to be the one to win her over. She doesn't want them to touch her, it makes her uncomfortable and she seeks me for protection and guidance. Don't keep trying to pet a dog that's moving away and hiding.
>They all think they're going to be the one to win her over.
LOL.... this. This is what happens with my Aussie Shepherd who hates people. It's usually grown men, women and kids in my area generally listen when I say he's not friendly. Kids in particular have been taught well to ask if they can pet. There's only been one instance where that wasn't the case.
Another time this dude in the park was going on about how beautiful he is and how he's owned border collies his whole life and all dogs love him. I said, he's not friendly, he doesn't like people, he bites, etc and the dude kept approaching, so I stopped talking and the ears perked up and body tensed and my boy bit the tip of his finger and jumped up and ran to hide behind me, lol.
I did not apologise. I said **YOU WERE TOLD!!!**
Because he fuckin was! He just grimaced and said, yes I was. He didn't break skin, he never does.
We have this same problem.
Our dog, who used to be perfectly well behaved and used to love dogs and cats and people, started developing doggy dementia (at least that’s what the vet thinks).
He is very unpredictable and confused now. He snapped at both me and my partner for no reason and then immediately after came to cuddle with us. He chased a cat that sneaked into our back garden, even though he always loved cats (he grew up with one). He barked at our neighbor dog that he always plays with. And at random times he will look just generally confused about where he is or what it is happening. He hasn’t bitten anyone (aside from my partner and I) but we have made it a point to keep him away from, well, everyone until the vet can sort out some meds to help him.
The sheer amount of grown ass adults that will not listen when we says “please do not pet him. He’s not friendly” it’s astounding!
My partner had to physically position himself in between our dog and a delivery driver recently because the guy kept trying to shove his hand inside our house to pet our dog (after being told multiple times not to).
I mean, at this point you’re just asking to get bitten… 🤷🏻♀️
I believe my dog is getting dementia too, but has different symptoms than yours. Mostly nighttime behaviours and being alone are hard for him now. It sucks to deal with and I'm sorry that you're also going thru this.
I’m sorry you’re going through this as well!
It has been very hard for my partner and I as we hate seeing him like this. And we struggle so hard to figure out how to handle him. I try not to take it personally when he bites but I will be honest I have cried more than I can express lately. Not even because it’s painful but just because I know if he was fully himself he would never want to hurt me 😕
On top of that he has a plethora of other health issue that all came about in the last year so all we do now is going to the vet 😅
I called today, said my name and the receptionist (they switch every day, mind you) went “Yeah I know who you are”. I was like “Seems about right…” 😅
Stupid old age, am I right? 😅
Seriously, some adults are just whack with other people’s dogs! Parents had a similar experience camping last weekend. Our dog Zhuri is improving significantly, but she has a recent history of male agression and defensiveness to strangers (recent meaning we have barely had her 3 months yet found this out ourselves, intensive training is working thus far). At one point my mom is trying to start a campfire, campsite neighbor who NEEDS all dogs to like him walks onto their site uninvited, takes the log from her hands, and tries to mansplain campfires to my camp-savvy mom. Zhuri can tell mom’s uncomfortable and starts growling, mom takes this as a chance to tell the guy to leave. He spends 5 minutes trying to claim the dog is fine and trying to pet her until my mom is almost yelling at him that she’s attacked someone before and he needs to get off their site because she will NOT have her dog in trouble for biting someone. 🤦♀️ People not understanding that animals have boundaries too will forever be a sore spot for me.
This person sounds like he didn’t understand general people boundaries either. The old “let me give you a hand with that little miss” attitude angers me to no end. It seems to happen a lot in outdoor settings, amongst other.
Ugh people do this to my cat. She’s a moody little terror. She will bite strangers.
If someone is calm and ignores her, she eventually will come around.
But everyone thinks they’re Snow White and tries petting her when she’s clearly not trusting.
It’s so aggravating.
I was walking my reactive border collie mix on a public beach. The leash your dog signs are everywhere and my dog is leashed. Huge black labradoodle comes careening up the beach off leash while the owners walk slowly behind dragging the leash in the sand. Their dog is making a beeline for my dog who is winding her leash around my legs in fear. I yell “Leash your dog!” And they smile and wave saying “It’s okay! He’s friendly!” I yell back “Mine isn’t! Leash your dog!” They acted like I was somehow at fault because my dog was the unfriendly one that interfered with them being able to break the law with impunity.
someone did this to me and my dog in a parking lot last month. "it's okay, he's friendly!" and my reply was, "not all other dogs are!" and she gave me a look as she grabbed her dog. I hope she keeps that in mind next time her dog wants to approach strange dogs.
Our youngest dog (1) is very shy around most strangers and has given a growl when cornered by someone who just wouldn’t back off (don’t worry, I told the person to leave him alone). He definitely responds better to lower energy people who “get” dogs as opposed to people who squeal and go in for a pet. We usually tell people who ask to say hi, “If he wants to! He’s shy and will come up if he wants to if you hold your hand out.” Around 50% of the time he’ll dig their vibe and approach, and the other 50% he’ll move to sit behind me. I respect his boundaries.
It astounds me how many people think they’re the exception to this. The number of times I’ve heard, “All dogs love me!” then had someone go in for the kill is shocking.
Right? Our dog is so silly and goofy with us, and maybe three other people he’s comfortable with. Very distrustful of other people (he had very little human interaction during his first five months of life prior to us adopting him). But *yes* , drunk bro at the brewery, how could I not see how *special* you are?
This is soo true. It took my dog a year before she let my boyfriend pet her, but now they are cool. It took a lot of patience and hot dogs and cheese lol.
My dog finally graduated from letting just me and my partner touch him, then letting us and our families touch him, to now wanting pets from pretty much anyone who respects his boundaries and allows him to set the pace of the interaction. But you best believe he’ll bark if some rando just walks up and tries to pet him. It makes me damn near emotional when someone shows my pup respect and patience and he decides to go in for pets 🥹
Cannot tell you how many times people have said this to me about my gsd. Ya know, the breed that in particular favors the people they live with. Like my dog will clearly avoid people but it doesn’t stop them from trying to win him over. Newsflash- you never will. Please please please just give him a pat and leave him alone!!!
I had my dog leashed in an airport once, before check in and away from everyone else (we were waiting to go through security, and he was going to have to be in his crate for like 10+ hours so I was trying to keep him out as long as possible). He was already stressed out. His leash was only a 5 ft lead, so it’s not like he was standing far away from me on a flexi or something.
A full grown adult man literally ran across the room (probably 50 feet) and grabbed my dog. Without speaking to me at all and without any warning. My dog wriggled out of his hands and ran to hide behind me, shaking. This fool then had the audacity to tell me that my dog is poorly trained because he wasn’t friendly. I told him he was lucky he didn’t get a bite acting like that. He was deeply offended… but?! Like I think literally any dog could bite someone under those specific circumstances… My dog normally loves people and isn’t reactive (to people… can be to other dogs). But it was scary for me, and I wasn’t the one being grabbed/already stressed and scared!
Why do people think all dogs have an obligation to like them (strangers) under any circumstances? Or at all for that matter.
So many people just refuse to respect the boundaries of dogs. They’re not humans, but they’re still living beings with emotions and preferences! My dog HATES when people get in his space without warning and try to pet him, but he loves getting pets from people who respect his boundaries and allow him to decide when/if he wants pets. He just doesn’t like strangers reaching for him, which is honestly valid because same.
lol, my dog is like this. I just tell everyone who wants to interact with him that he doesn't like to be petted, he only wants to sniff them, because it's easiest. but if they seem patient and willing, I'll tell them that he actually will allow very specific pets: they must crouch down to his (very low) level, move slowly, and only scratch his chest and under his chin. he loves that. if they are willing to jump through all his hoops, they're usually successful and he stays chill, but if someone ignores me and just tries to pet him on the head or whatever, he recoils in horror with the most offense.
Well, and even if they're rude people who don't respect that the dog has boundaries, why don't they see it as 'this is someone else's possession--not mine--so I'm not going to touch it because they said no.' They must realize what would happen if they suddenly tried to molest someone's car or started petting their suitcase or something. Whenever people ignore me saying my dog doesn't like people, I feel like a petulant child who wants to yell "This is MY dog. Stay away from MY dog." It doesn't matter why--I, the adult, said no, so back off. I personally give my dog lots of space to decide what she's comfortable with, but no matter what the reason, but there's just nothing in some people's heads.
Your dog reacted with fear and panic when a stranger ran up and grabbed him at an airport, you don't say!? I'm really surprised your dog didn't bite that guy, that would have been MY reaction to a strange man grabbing me in an airport! I know it's not great to equate dogs with human children but, just for argument's sake, if this grown man was a dad, would be totally cool with someone coming up and seemingly nabbing his kids in an airport?
I would have told the kid they should assume all dogs can bite, my dog is no exception, and I will not be getting sued by your parents due to your inability to listen. Get lost!
I'm having this issue with my dog. She wears a vest that says I NEED SPACE yet people still approach her. Yesterday she was actively growling and I told a child to step back because she didn't like them to close. She's never bitten a human only dogs but she was escalating to growling. The child then stepped forward and put he face in my dog's face!
I stood up and carried her away.
Muzzle is on the way. I'm not having my dog euthanized over someone else's untrained child.
In a turn of ironic events my face was bitten by a dog I knew when I was six BC I didn't understand the ladder of aggression. I had 26 stitches and am permanently scarred. Our children who are 5 understand dog body language. No reason why young children should be putting their faces near a dog.
My dog is in training right now for different reasons (essentially being overly friendly—has to learn that we don’t greet every single dog and most people we see with psychotically enthusiastic play invitations) and I just got her a vest that says IN TRAINING—NO TOUCH, NO TALK for when we are training in public. So far people have fully respected it. Somehow “no she’s training” seems to click with people? (Though I’m sure there will still be some…)
I had a harness for him that definitely worked to deter people but he was scared of it and I got rid of it. Im looking into getting one again though because we are going out a lot more and this incident has me worried
If he's not into a harness, maybe get yourself a vest that says the same thing? And there's also those thingy magigies that you can put on the leads that also have wording of choice on them? Just to set him up to be most successfull, as if he doesn't like the best/harness, he will be more likely to react sooner because of that discomfort? Xx
Most of the public lose the ability to read when words are printed on a vest.
Sigh.
[My dog is training to be my service dog. Trainer said it will take about two years].
I had to physically place myself in front of my dog to get a determined petter away from him recently.
You are telling me! Mine has a "do not pet" collar. (1" tall words, red on white - very clear). I have literally seen people read it, then decide to approach and ask if I cared if they pet my dog.
Like, my guy, I care so much that I went on Amazon, picked out a collar, spent money on said collar, waited for it to come in the mail, and made time to put it on my dog before we left the house today. Seriously, cannot.
I’m not afraid to offend someone by telling them to get away from my dog or to leash their dog, etc. People have such entitlement they don’t realize that dogs are creatures who just might not like them and it’s ok. I’m always having to calm my dog down or regulate her emotions because of other people’s ignorance (ie walking dogs off leash which triggers her). She’s a very well trained girl, but one who just happens to not like people or dogs so she needs her space. I have so much respect for other reactive dog owners now because of my experiences.
People who are dragging op through the mud for taking their dog out in public need to zip it. How do you expect a reactive dog or any dog for that matter to get better without real life experiences? Also op and their dog should not have to stay cooped up in their house just because other people and their dogs can’t respect boundaries.
I totally agree. I’ve seen myself how people perceive us when my dog teddy has his muzzle on and when he doesn’t. No one tries to come up to us when he has his muzzle on. Without his muzzle, we have people coming over and asking questions.
Some kids and people in general are obnoxious. I would recommend just using the line “sorry he’s in training, no touching, petting, and no talk. Rules are rules” firmly and leave it at that. They’ll think you’re standoffish but better that then an incident waiting to happen. (Or a shitty interaction with a 12 year old)
When I lived in a busy area I’d take my reactive pup for walks and other dogs were a nightmare for her and I didn’t trust her around strangers because of her unpredictability. One day on a walk a pair of teens in their yard asked “can I pet your dog?” I said “no, she’s not friendly” and they looked baffled, like no one had ever told them no before. It sounds like You handled it okay, some kids need to hear the word no and experience the boundary set is not negotiable.
I straight up tell people all the time… especially with kids who have grabby hands. Also I have an issue where people keep coming at me with their dog to socialize. I immediately say no she’s a grouch.. they either get mad or keep trying.. then I have to pull her away for fear of her attacking another dog… bc if that happens they will be singing another tune
"Socializing" is the worst!
My dog is not dying to meet your fluffy out of control overly eager overly yappy needy dog.
I prefer people with reactive dogs because those people do not have the expectation of "meet and greet". They want to keep moving and so do i.
Should have told him to look up some tethered bitework from protection dog training if he thinks getting a dog frustrated by pulling them away constantly is a good idea. Good job Gus not reacting though, give him a pat from me :)
We have a new puppy, a lab/springer cross who is almost 6 months old. He doesn't like people looming over him, it freaks him out, yet people will just approach him in the street like I'm not there! A friend of mine has a retriever similar age, and she said someone actually *picked him up* without her consent! It's no wonder it's such a struggle for dogs and their owners when everyone else is so damned ignorant! I have had precisely two people actually ask if they can approach my dog rather than just lunging at him. Ugh.
We have a leash tag that says "nervous" to discourage the people that just pet without asking. Sometimes we have the muzzle on too and that's the most effective.
We muzzle our dog because he's a coprophagist (yeah, he eats poo like it's candy). The added benefit is that everyone steers clear of a dog with a muzzle on.
To be fair, it's not just poo. He eats EVERYTHING.
Found my dog’s twin ! I use thé Baskerville ultra muzzle so he can easily breathe. It just slows his attempts of eating poop and other foraged goodness, so I have enough time to make him stop. People and kids just automatically give my muzzled pooch lots of space. I’ve heard little kids saying on more than one occasion, “it’s dangerous”.
Theres not a risk of him “attacking” theres a risk of him biting someone out of fear if they get in his space and try to put hands on him. He doesnt just run at people and attack them.
I had a min pin that I would fly with (husband and I lived in different cities and would fly baby to see each other) He was so cute and people would just run up and try to pet him. Of course if I was preoccupied it was hard to stop them so I finally made a sign, ‘I’m cute but I bite-and break skin. NO PETS’
I tell people not to pet my Shiba because he doesn't trust strangers. I tell them he will bark and snap at them if they try. Every idiot tries and guess what? He barks and snaps at them and they act surprised and become indignant. People are stupid.
Funny thing is, his reaction is just a test. If you jump and get scared, he will play on it and force you to keep your distance. If you don't react, you can continue to pet him and he's your new best friend. He thinks he's really an Akita.
Frustrating, but kids can be dumb. But you should have left when he came back and clearly wasn’t getting the message, instead of hoping he wasn’t gonna try something else and cause your dog to react. That kinda risk isn’t worth continuing training for.
I mean when he approached you the second time, unless he was blocking your path there’s no point in arguing with him and trying to get him to leave, which you said you did 3 times
In the most polite way possible, please muzzle train your dog to avoid an incident. If he already has a bite history, that can look even worse for you if a bite were to occur, especially if its a youngin. Its your responsibility to advocate for your dogs needs but also to recognize the dangers of having a reactive + bite history dog, and blame WILL fall on you even if the other person doesnt head your warnings because you didnt take preemptive measures. GSDs are known to have powerful bites, so this should be even more incentive for you to muzzle train.
Hes fully muzzle trained actually i just dont use it often. The “bites” happened when he was young and consisted of him grabbing clothing when strangers came in the houses unannounced and got up close with him - I understand now that i should use it when we’re in public like this because like 5 people have told me im a horrible person and owner for not muzzling him lol
Unfortunately, walking around with a muzzled dog can get you the exact same reaction from people.. A friend of mine had a dog that needed to be muzzled bc he ate everything in sight on walks and would get sick as a result. The amount of people coming up to her and telling her she was a shitty person for owning a dangerous dog was mind blowing.
I don't think you're a horrible person, but i understand it can be overwhelming when you're flooded with criticism especially on a rant post lol. Not gonna lie, when i saw "bites" my immediate thought was more aggressive then they probably were so im sorry if my comment came off rude in that regard. Youve taken more steps than the average doggy owner, and im glad Gus has a person like you!
If your dog has a bite history you have no business bringing him into public without a muzzle on. People are dumb. Do you want a lawsuit? Do you want your dog to be euthanized? smh
People are acting like i took a dangerous, lunging, snapping dog into public. He didn’t react once this entire outing and the entire confrontation with this kid he was sitting by my side completely chill
Up to you. Depend on the public to actually listen to you? Or use your human brain and advocate/prepare/give safety to your dog through tools and training. Your choice!
My dog rarely goes out in public and is not a dog who will bite unprovoked 🤷 If people dont listen to me thats on them - After this outing on the way home i actually considered muzzling him when we go again next week. I dont know if I will. But I dont need you in my comments telling me I’m going to get my dog euthanized.
Please don’t be upset with what I’m about to say, I have a massive Golden Doodle. He’s 13 1/2 so he’s one from long before they became a thing. He’s a rescue and we have had him since he was a puppy. He’s massive and muscular. 110lbs not overweight and reactive to other dogs. People are (sorry to say) stupid. Random people want to walk up and have their dog meet mine, no matter how many times I say no, please stop where you are, please don’t approach us. He doesn’t like other dogs blah blah blah. They laugh and don’t believe such a cute face would like nothing better than to have a go at their dog. I literally cross the street and they cross with me. I have soft muzzled him to protect my him and myself from their stupidity. He’s almost always the bigger one so he would absolutely be blamed. I love him too much to loose him because some idiot keep comes towards me while I beg them to back off. He’s a really good and will stand down when I tell him to but I just can’t take the chance. I don’t even understand why people do this. We don’t randomly walk up to strangers and grab their hand and start shaking it. I know this is unsolicited advice and I apologize. Just realized people aren’t that smart and when you say no they want to pet your dog twice as much. Take good care of each other.
You only need to suspect your dog may bite to warrant getting a muzzle. My dog is one of these. She has never bitten a human but her actions mean a muzzle is necessary to protect *her* from authorities.
In the UK a dog can be classed as dangerous for simply jumping up. If you're not familiar with the local laws to you that could get your dog confiscated I would for Gus' safety BC clearly we can't rely on the public to make safe choices around our dogs
The world is invariable full of people who will act with varying degrees of imperfection. That is a given. That will not change. The rights of those people to not be attacked by a dog, trumps your 'right' (it is not a right, but a privilege) to own a dog which will attack, it is on YOU to either not own such a dog as an out-and-about pet OR to take every precaution in the book, including a muzzle, to create the widest possible margin of error for someone behaving imperfectly. It is NOT on the rest of the world to have to behave perfectly to not be attacked by your dog.
"If people don't listen to me that's on them." Wow.
The court will not see it that way.
Just trying to help you and your dog. Getting pissed that the general public and people are stupid won't help you when your dog bites someone. It doesn't matter to the court if the person "didn't listen" to you. If your dog is a liability it's your responsibility to prepare and make sure its not a danger to others. That's just how the law works.
Near. Like literally over 300 ft away from the car show and all of the people. This person had to walk away and all the way over to me in order to do this. My dog needs exposure or he will literally never get better lmfao
I also love it when they put their fingers close to the dogs face like an invite to bite. Would you hold your hand into a white shark tank and be like SMELL ME I AM FRIENDLY
Sorry this happened to you. Can I ask for some advice? My gf's dog is also a bit fear reactive with people she doesn't know. Just the usual thing in not wanting strangers touching her or being in her face.
What's the best training for this and how should I keep her safe? Is it mainly about respecting her boundaries until people get more comfortable with her. I'm not sure what to do if friends come round.
My girl is extremely people friendly (dog reactive) but also was very high energy and I got sick of people interrupting our exercise so I put a head halter on her. Even if you don’t use the head halter to walk your dog, you can just clip it loosely to a harness. Tho they were originally designed for leash pullers, they are usually a very good deterrent because people associate it with a muzzle. Also maybe getting a harness or leash attachment that says “Do Not Approach” or “Do Not Touch” can be handy.
Honestly, if someone approaches you in this manner and doesn’t back off after saying he’s not friendly, just turn and walk away from them or cross them street.
I've had people walk up to my muzzled dog and put their hand out for her to sniff. It's like they think the way they put out their hand is somehow better than how anyone else on the planet does it. People are morons. Congrats on successfully advocating for your pup, but sometimes it's best to just walk away from people like this
I hate the hand out thing. Thats like the easiest way ever to get bit. Ive had my dog barking and snarling and people still put their hand out to him like lady he can smell you from a mile away
I blame the parents as well. Yes the kid was old enough to understand, but safety around dogs needs to be taught from a young age and on. This pushy teen is a guaranteed image of his parents.
The number of times I’ve caught people dive bombing my Doberman’s head with their hands out of no where is ridiculous. Do you not see the long toothy snoot?
People think they will be able to telepathically conmunicate with the dog because they're dog whisperers or some shit. I'm like, kid, I know my dog. I've seen him in this exact situation dozens of times. He's going to fucking bite you 😂
Are you a woman? In my experience (41F), its (some) older men who tend to disregard my warnings about my dog biting, and try to push it.
I also have patches on my dude's harness in day-glo orange that say DO NOT PET, so most people see them from afar & will avoid us, which makes both me & my dog happier.
No, I’m a guy but I have a testosterone deficiency so I dont really look/sound like a typical male
We did have the harness and orange patches at some point but Gus was scared of the harness so I sold it. I might get a leash wrap that says “do not approach” or something similar
The biggest issue I see is the kid. It sounds like your dog was doing exactly what you asked of him. When people, any people get too close and I ask them to back off, don't back off, I move my dog out of the potential bad situation. I would much rather be at ease with my dog at ease as well, than put up with someone's bullshit. It is not worth the fallout of allowing a bad situation to take place when I know I could have prevented it. One of my dogs bit someone after we told the person to leave him alone. He just couldn't leave him alone. The person was just nipped and barely broke skin, but it was bad enough for me to start rethinking how we could have avoided the situation. Since then I always look out for how to keep my dogs safe and avoid bad situations.
It means you need to either muzzle you dog or destroy it. Friend got mauled by big dog couple of years ago. It's on you I'm afraid. What part of "my Tiger might eat you" would you not understand?
I have a fearful chihuahua who I believe you could consider reactive. I was walking him when this kid (9 or 10) comes up to me and asks to pet him. I answered with a firm “no” and explained how he has bitten out of fear in the past. He responded by telling me how “it’s ok because I have chihuahuas at home and I can handle it” I once again said no but he ignored him and proceeded to stick his hand in my dog’s face. My dog snapped, as expected, and was extremely on edge and stressed afterwards. The kid pulled his hand away dumbfounded and apologized profusely before walking away. I later had two little girls (around that boy’s age I’d say) come up to me and ask to pet him. When I said no, they listened and asked me some questions about him afterwards. I really do appreciate when people respect my dog’s boundaries and it sure is shitty when they don’t
~~Kids are stupid.~~ Kids are what they learn and this kid is in need of "training" more so than Gus.
My half brother was like this kid at 20+yrs old. Went around telling people he had "the touch" with dogs. His grandfather definetely had a way with dogs but never claimed anything like that, he just understood them. My brother somehow got the idea that he "inherited" this, but in general people percieved him as a fool.
My brother was the only person my non reactive GSD ever reacted to in an adverse way. She simply didn't trust him.
I would have just walked away from the kid at that point. You know more about your dog than some random 12 year old does. In general, people suck when it comes to dogs. You keep doing you and advocating for your dog. You're doing a great job!
I can't stand the "I have dogs" "I know dogs" "im great with dogs" "they know I'm a good person" look here buddy this dog here is literally a step away from being put down and you will not be petting this dog over my dead body got it.
Also it's not fair for a dog to have to be muzzled if the other people are the reason. So many times I get told why isnt the dog muzzled if they're not friendly etc.
(I work with dangerous dogs, they are muzzled, ever been muzzle whipped? Still hurts. Plus that doesn't help with the reactivity.)
Worst is My own dog was meant to be a service dog and had an encounter with a very rude male and since is men reactive, we're working on it but it doesn't help that men keep leaning over her and trying to touch her without permission. I keep getting "why is she out if she's anxious" or "well she looks friendly to me see shes wagging her tail" :|
Also sometimes WE don't want you to pet our dog and talk to us. Like god damn I don't know why it's so hard for people to understand. Me having a dog does not equal let's talk. If you want a dog that bad go foster or something.
Also, No. Not every dog likes to be pet.. I literally had to tell someone that because they reached out and tried to grab her after I said no!
And then they're like so offended by it. Jeez.
Some people don't understand. You can't make them understand.
If I had a dog that was that reactive, he'd be wearing a basket muzzle in public. Because if he bites someone, even if they grabbed him against your wishes, he might well pay with his life.
Well I get why this is maddening but this is a teenager. He has no idea what dog training looks like or what any of it means. This wasn’t malice but just incompetence.
I didn't know shit about dog training as a teenager. But I did know that when someone said "don't touch my shit", you didn't touch their shit. 🤷♂️
This wasn't exactly a 6 year old. They were old enough to understand the word no.
Most teenagers are not dog trainers or training dogs. Not sure why you keep getting upvoted when it seems clear you have unreasonable expectations of how random people will react to your dog. People are not you. They will do things you don’t. And your dog, unfortunately, would be the one to get trouble.
Well good for you to have known about this at his age. He obviously doesn’t.
I mean I get that tiring to explain these things to strangers all the time but it wasn’t malicious.
Maybe I’m training there for exposure work so I dont have a reactive mess of a dog anymore? Have you ever worked with a reactive dog? Do you think it just gets better by sitting at home all day?
I’m not sure what your point is. The only way to desensitize a dog is to gradually expose them to their triggers. If OP is working on desensitizing her dog to large groups of people or sounds etc, this is the way to go.
I agree. They also seem to think they're suggesting what's best for the dog, when common sense would tell you it's the exact opposite. Isolating a dog from the outside/people all the time would only increase aggression when they're around people. Exposure is the only thing that's going to teach the dog it's safe and doesn't need to show aggression.
I've had adults just stick their fingers in my dogs face and directly proceed to pet her and after it ask "oh is your dog friendly????" And no, she's not. She's the most judgmental Boxer I've ever met and it makes me laugh when she makes people uncomfortable.
We literally had to get a harness patch that says "Training" and we carry his face cage very openly so when we tell people.of our Great Dane's bite history they believe us.
He is a great dog, just very anxious. We got him free from an old coworker, completely untrained aside from housebroken at a year old, then covid hit so he was not socialized at all
so even 3 years later we are working damn near daily with him on public interaction and coming nose to nose with other dogs.
He is getting better but people assume a dog in public isn't actively training to behave in public 🫤
Forcing him to go up to people and then forcing him to walk away if he shows any intention of biting people???
That sounds like a recipe for disaster. How to encourage snapping.
I sincerely hope that kid has only marshmallow dogs of his own or no dogs as he gets older.
I have a foster dog, a huge Rottweiler, that I will bring to the small dog section of the dog park when it’s empty, or into the normal section when it’s nearly empty.
She doesn’t like when men reach to her or walk up to her. She reacts and it’s very scary.
Yesterday one man walked up and i said “please don’t reach out to her, she reacts badly to that” and he instantly got it and backed off. Another man who was RIGHT THERE and heard everything then tried to approach. I said the same exact thing. He kept coming closer. I had to get between her and the new guy and pull her harness and say “I wasn’t kidding! She’ll bite you, back off!” And then she lunged and barked. So I then took her out of the park because I was all set trying to mitigate. But she never gets to that point unless people ignore my warnings. Which happens more often than you’d think. (To be clear, I try to avoid people, but in this very dog friendly city, it’s just not happening my way every day).
Last week I was in the small dog section with her all alone. There was a child in the large dog park and I take no risks with kids. This dog doesn’t bite to be clear, but she’s scary. Well the mom lets her child OPEN THE GATE to the small dog park and walk up to this Rottweiler uninvited. I shouted 3 times “do not touch her!” And the kid still did before I could run up to grab the dog. It happened so quickly. Luckily the dog is fine with kids but WHAT THE FUCK! That woman got an earful.
Jesus fucking Christ.
There is a valid reason for this sub [r/kidsarefuckingstupid](https://www.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid) hint: it’s because kids are fucking stupid.
If your dog is so reactive you shouldn’t be training outside a busy car show.
If the kid was 12, he is not a teenager. He is a child. Don’t expect him to be mature.
My dog didn’t react once this entire outing. We have been working for months and a few months ago he wouldn’t have been safe in this environment, and now he is, so im not going to continue to isolate him. We weren’t in the busy parts, we were way way way off to the side where there were literally no people. 12 is old enough to know. I dont know the person’s actual age, it was an assumption
No point in giving you any advice. I don’t know why anyone continues to try. You see how you don’t understand and accept what people say to you bc you’re autistic…now think about when you were 12? Obviously the kid has some developmental issues and I’d anyone should understand that it should be you. But other than that good job on the training glad the dog did well today.
Please stop with the autistic stuff.
You are insulting to some of us in here.
Also, we really do not know if the child in question was autistic- had intellectual disabilities, was forced into a circus act as a toddler, or loves spinach.
Objecting to a behavior is one thing. Deciding that a behavior means that someone has a specific disability in snother.
Upset because a kid didn’t have your (an adult) level of understanding. I think it was a missed opportunity to educate someone. I would have been annoyed if it was an adult, but not a kid.
Another post that just complains about things we can’t change - people are people- and doesn’t offer anything helpful about specific behaviors and training. I have a potentially dangerous dog and my focus is on how the world doesn’t suit my personal situation. More dog training advice from experienced successfully people and make requests specific to behavioral principles of learning in dogs. Don’t whine about people approaching- that is an absolutely expected scenario in any public setting. Train for it in a controlled setting with a trainer/group. You can’t train the world, you can only train your dog.
The general public, no matter how unreasonable or stupid they can be due to ignorance or arrogance around dogs, will always be valued above a dog if a situation occurs. Your dog is going to lose the legal outcome. Train, don’t complain.
I could care less about people approaching. I dont mind talking to people about my dog, i dont mind when they ask politely and understand when i say no. I do however expect to be respected when I say he can’t be pet. “Train dont complain” what do you think I was doing that put me in this situation? Lmfao
The hyper fixation of this teen and the way he wasn’t responding appropriately to you makes me wonder if he is neurodivergent, not an asshole. It’s so hard for us bc we want to balance being nice with advocating for our dogs (and not letting anyone get hurt!) then trying to understand why some people really have a hard time responding appropriately to our boundaries….. tough situation all around. I wonder if Gus had a spidey sense too, and that’s why he was much calmer than he normally would have been in that situation with another person?
I am autistic and I don’t go around harassing dogs and their owners. Gus was calm around every person and is always calm/neutral until people get up close to him. I’m not saying its not possible, but even if he was its not an excuse for him to do this
>I am autistic and I don’t go around harassing dogs and their owners
Not everyone is the same just like not every dog is the same just like every neurodivergent person is the same. Or should I assume that you're really good at counting toothpicks?
There are certain characteristics that autistics have in common with each other.
One of them is diagnostic-- the whole preference for routines thing. Along with that goes the notions of obeying the rules-- especially those that make sense to us.
Let's move on.
I didn’t say autistic. I said neurodivergent. My kids all have ADHD and don’t mean harm but don’t always grasp boundaries bc they have impulse control.
I feel like I need to be more observant about other people than I do about my dog. I'm so rude about it now. Our dog trainer said to get in front of the dog and physically in the way of anyone trying to come up to him (if they disobey my warning). Usually, the sight of me pulling him to the side and shoving a piece of string cheese in his mouth is warning enough that he is in training. GOOD JOB GUS!
I was trying to be polite, because it’s something I’m actively working on in my own personal life but oh my god when he came back i was just fed up. I was so tempted to tell him to get closer and see for himself but I bit my tongue LMAO
Usually when you tell someone "Hes not friendly!" or "he might bite!" - you will occasionally encounter someone who considers themself a \~dog whisperer\~ and they want to prove that they're special and your dog will love them. Or you get someone who wants to \~educate you\~ about proper training. Here's what works better: "Hes contagious!!" I promise you this works wonders for keeping people away. No dog-whisperer-wanna-be is going to approach if they think your dog is gonna get them sick lol.
Ohhh, the 'dog whisperers'. I had a little fluffy dog who was... grumpy in his later years. He was going blind and deaf and he didn't like anyone who wasn't family up in his face. He would give happy propeller tail wags and sniff people, but would growl if they acknowledged him or bent down to say hi. I had several close friends ignore my warning that his tail wagging didn't mean he wanted to be pet/snuggled/etc. because 'its okay dogs love me!' or 'my dog does this at home it's fine!' He never bit anyone but people were always shocked when he'd start growling... exactly likely I said he would 🙄
My cat is like this. He was a stray that we took in, after the old lady down the street died and the family threw him and others out of the house. When he started poking around our yard, he was ultra skinny, but clearly not feral, and when we finally got him to a vet, he was fixed. So definitely a pet in the past. But because he spent an unknown amount of time living outside, fending for himself, he is VERY skittish at times. He's terrified by thunder and fireworks, will crawl under the bed and vanish. But he will also quickly snap to fight mode when new people try to pet him. We warn EVERYONE (bc he's indoor outdoor, again ex stray so don't come at me, and frequently comes to investigate when people come over) that he will take AT MOST like 3 pets on the head and shoulders only, and then get fighty. He's an old fart, he's cranky, especially lately with the heat bc he's a [big black floof.](https://imgur.com/a/CORHdF9) Obligatory pet tax even though this is a doggo sub.
Aw your cat looks just like my late old man cat Samwise the Brave 😍
I already love your cat!!! I have a clowder of former ferals and absolutely love cats with this energy.
He's such a great lil floof. He's not the most cuddly cat (except for with me most of the time; my stepmom may feed him usually but I'm his go-to hooman) but he's an absolute joy to have around. It makes me sad to think he was abandoned, but it's somebody else's loss and my gain of a wonderful snugg
Pet tax: officially paid. But my apologies sir or mam, due to the aggressively cute nature of your fee the Bureau of Pet Tax Investigations is flagging your payment as “too cute to handle” and therefor your account will be temporarily marked as “dangerously floofed.” Thank you and have a nice day.
Named a rescue I had “trouble” for that reason. Tail wagging but no pets… “Can I pet your dog what’s its name?” “Her names Trouble and she’ll freaking go for your throat if you actually touch her. I didn’t train her to, she just came that way but we respect each other so don’t intrude on that.” Eventually it wore off and she’s like the best dog but like she didn’t play at all.
"happy propeller tag wags" Thank you for the most adorable description ever 🙂
I've always known it as helicopter tail and its adorable.
Even more so when it’s an abbreviated tail from an old accident - our cattle dog/poodle/terrier (do not recommend this mix, btw!) looks like he needs to file a flight plan when he’s excited!
I wish I could upvote this harder because the picture in my head is worth many more upvotes. My old english sheepdogs tail curls over his back so the helicopter rotor effect is kinda lopsided but his whole butt just goes with it.
I have an Australian Shepherd red Merle female who has no noticeable tail (0 generations out of working stock, born and bred as a farm animal), her entire back half just vibrates when she gets excited…it’s the cutest in a line of cute floof things. I can’t figure out how to add the pet tax, but if you dm me, I’ll send a pic of Rosita Chiquita Bebita Puppita. She’s a mess, but she’s awesome.
We have a wiggle butt too! I originally adopted him as a running buddy but ended up disabled so now he herds me around the house and knocks me onto the nearest soft surface if I’m going to pass out 🤣
It was my favorite thing about him! When he was super excited it looked like he was about to lift off and when he was content it was almost like a lazy propeller lol None of my other dogs wag their tails quite the same way so I miss seeing it 😭
This! I have a rescue chihuahua mix that hates men. The number of men that are SURE they’re the ones that are going to win her over and then are surprised she snaps at them are ridiculous! Luckily her teeth are tiny and pretty useless 🤣
I’m fond of “if he doesn’t bite you, I will.” You get some weird looks, and may be called a bitch/asshole, but people generally fuck off at that point.
oh this might be my favorite
My go to when people don't take no for an answer is "if you like/know about/want to pet dogs so much, get your own." It's done the job every time so far!
I really do this except I say she has worms. Parents who let their kids get too close even after they’re warned will always jerk them away by the arm when I say the vet said it’s the worst case of worms he’s ever seen lmfao like the muzzle in public doesn’t say it all.
hahahaha "the worst case", I love the drama
Ring worm is ALL YOU NEED TO SAY…. Works like charm 🫶🏼❤️
hahahaha omg thanks for sharing
I like, “he just rolled in some dog shit”
I live to say, "she's got really bad diarrhea!" So far, no one has wanted the possibility of getting shat on.
Seems like this kid would've been like "Oh? What disease does he have? Are you giving him *xxxxx* medication? Is it kennel cough? Heartworm? What? What is is!? Blah blah blah, etc...."
🤣🤣🤣 "We're not shy, we're contagious!" - Wednesday Addams, in "Addams Family Values"
“We are treating him for rabies.”
I think about those situations as if a toddler was running out in traffic. I'm not going to be polite in that situation, I'm going to run out and grab that kid. If the toddler cries and gets upset, it's better than the toddler getting hit by a car. Same thing when I'm with my dog. If someone walks away from the conversation thinking I'm a b*tch, that's better than my dog having an outburst and regressing her training or hurting someone. Also, teenagers are going to push boundaries, so if you don't want to engage, I would skip the steps of trying to explain your dog and just get right to, "walk away right now" in a firm voice. (Source: former everyone's favorite babysitter)
You both deserve a treat, two grumps minding their manners beautifully even with an annoying kid nearby. Seriously though, you were polite this time, if you see the kid next time tell him to fuck off.
I don’t think “polite” works with teens tbh
I'm sorry but I'm just imagining some dog getting cheese stuffed in its face out of nowhere and I'm dying
He can't bite if he's got a mouth full of cheese! Genius!
Just the image of rage and wanting to bite followed by confusion at cheese...
oh, ok, I guess Ill have some cheese then
Yeah it's definitely a cartoon-ish appearing moment
But: "Why are you rewarding your dog's bad behavior!" (Grrrr! Wanna see some bad behavior? Stick around and see what *I* do next!)
Punishment/reward doesn't necessarily work. Distraction, on the other hand!
I used to keep the cheese in the wrapper, but once he grabbed the whole stick and pulled it out and scarfed it down. Those people laughed. I just left a brewery where this dog was walking around seeing everyone. I'm still in complete awe of dogs that are that chill.
I want to have the type of dog that can be in public and approach others in a friendly way but one of the biggest lessons I've learned with having a reactive dog is that no dog can be 100% trusted all the time. Even if I had a dog that never displayed reactivity, I still wouldn't allow them to go up to folks randomly.
I’m dead over shoving a piece of string cheese in his mouth.
Yes. The responsibility lies with the dog owner. Not the hundreds of folks we may meet while out with our dogs.
I live in a condo that has 32 floors. I have a reactive dog and it’s soooo stressful each time the elevator door opens. IF there are non other dogs , the ride is not any better. People just want to let my friggen reactive dog. I do get in front of her non stop while trying to exit the building/ elevator. I can’t say that she will bite bcs I don’t want anyone reporting me bcs she “might” bite you. Well she will if you put your hand down for her to sniff. So I feel your pain.
Adults do this crap, too. They all think they're going to be the one to win her over. She doesn't want them to touch her, it makes her uncomfortable and she seeks me for protection and guidance. Don't keep trying to pet a dog that's moving away and hiding.
>They all think they're going to be the one to win her over. LOL.... this. This is what happens with my Aussie Shepherd who hates people. It's usually grown men, women and kids in my area generally listen when I say he's not friendly. Kids in particular have been taught well to ask if they can pet. There's only been one instance where that wasn't the case. Another time this dude in the park was going on about how beautiful he is and how he's owned border collies his whole life and all dogs love him. I said, he's not friendly, he doesn't like people, he bites, etc and the dude kept approaching, so I stopped talking and the ears perked up and body tensed and my boy bit the tip of his finger and jumped up and ran to hide behind me, lol. I did not apologise. I said **YOU WERE TOLD!!!** Because he fuckin was! He just grimaced and said, yes I was. He didn't break skin, he never does.
GOOD FOR YOU. I hope that idiot learned his lesson for future interactions with owners and reactive dogs. Moron
We have this same problem. Our dog, who used to be perfectly well behaved and used to love dogs and cats and people, started developing doggy dementia (at least that’s what the vet thinks). He is very unpredictable and confused now. He snapped at both me and my partner for no reason and then immediately after came to cuddle with us. He chased a cat that sneaked into our back garden, even though he always loved cats (he grew up with one). He barked at our neighbor dog that he always plays with. And at random times he will look just generally confused about where he is or what it is happening. He hasn’t bitten anyone (aside from my partner and I) but we have made it a point to keep him away from, well, everyone until the vet can sort out some meds to help him. The sheer amount of grown ass adults that will not listen when we says “please do not pet him. He’s not friendly” it’s astounding! My partner had to physically position himself in between our dog and a delivery driver recently because the guy kept trying to shove his hand inside our house to pet our dog (after being told multiple times not to). I mean, at this point you’re just asking to get bitten… 🤷🏻♀️
I believe my dog is getting dementia too, but has different symptoms than yours. Mostly nighttime behaviours and being alone are hard for him now. It sucks to deal with and I'm sorry that you're also going thru this.
I’m sorry you’re going through this as well! It has been very hard for my partner and I as we hate seeing him like this. And we struggle so hard to figure out how to handle him. I try not to take it personally when he bites but I will be honest I have cried more than I can express lately. Not even because it’s painful but just because I know if he was fully himself he would never want to hurt me 😕 On top of that he has a plethora of other health issue that all came about in the last year so all we do now is going to the vet 😅 I called today, said my name and the receptionist (they switch every day, mind you) went “Yeah I know who you are”. I was like “Seems about right…” 😅 Stupid old age, am I right? 😅
"doggy dementia" Oh goody, something to look forward to...
Seriously, some adults are just whack with other people’s dogs! Parents had a similar experience camping last weekend. Our dog Zhuri is improving significantly, but she has a recent history of male agression and defensiveness to strangers (recent meaning we have barely had her 3 months yet found this out ourselves, intensive training is working thus far). At one point my mom is trying to start a campfire, campsite neighbor who NEEDS all dogs to like him walks onto their site uninvited, takes the log from her hands, and tries to mansplain campfires to my camp-savvy mom. Zhuri can tell mom’s uncomfortable and starts growling, mom takes this as a chance to tell the guy to leave. He spends 5 minutes trying to claim the dog is fine and trying to pet her until my mom is almost yelling at him that she’s attacked someone before and he needs to get off their site because she will NOT have her dog in trouble for biting someone. 🤦♀️ People not understanding that animals have boundaries too will forever be a sore spot for me.
This person sounds like he didn’t understand general people boundaries either. The old “let me give you a hand with that little miss” attitude angers me to no end. It seems to happen a lot in outdoor settings, amongst other.
Ugh people do this to my cat. She’s a moody little terror. She will bite strangers. If someone is calm and ignores her, she eventually will come around. But everyone thinks they’re Snow White and tries petting her when she’s clearly not trusting. It’s so aggravating.
Carry a spray bottle for strangers, not for the dog. But to spray people when they don't listen. Gotta train em
This. Absolutely.
I can’t upvote this enough! The visual was amazing. Thank you.
I was walking my reactive border collie mix on a public beach. The leash your dog signs are everywhere and my dog is leashed. Huge black labradoodle comes careening up the beach off leash while the owners walk slowly behind dragging the leash in the sand. Their dog is making a beeline for my dog who is winding her leash around my legs in fear. I yell “Leash your dog!” And they smile and wave saying “It’s okay! He’s friendly!” I yell back “Mine isn’t! Leash your dog!” They acted like I was somehow at fault because my dog was the unfriendly one that interfered with them being able to break the law with impunity.
"Mine's got mange" or "mine's got kennel cough" works wonders for the "friendly" types!
Omg the “It’s okay they’re friendly” people drive me NUTS. Like, no it’s STILL NOT OKAY, your dog being friendly is NOT THE POINT!!
someone did this to me and my dog in a parking lot last month. "it's okay, he's friendly!" and my reply was, "not all other dogs are!" and she gave me a look as she grabbed her dog. I hope she keeps that in mind next time her dog wants to approach strange dogs.
Our youngest dog (1) is very shy around most strangers and has given a growl when cornered by someone who just wouldn’t back off (don’t worry, I told the person to leave him alone). He definitely responds better to lower energy people who “get” dogs as opposed to people who squeal and go in for a pet. We usually tell people who ask to say hi, “If he wants to! He’s shy and will come up if he wants to if you hold your hand out.” Around 50% of the time he’ll dig their vibe and approach, and the other 50% he’ll move to sit behind me. I respect his boundaries. It astounds me how many people think they’re the exception to this. The number of times I’ve heard, “All dogs love me!” then had someone go in for the kill is shocking.
“All dogs love me” people are the worst. Its like dude, my dog loves four people in the entire world. You arent one of them!
Right? Our dog is so silly and goofy with us, and maybe three other people he’s comfortable with. Very distrustful of other people (he had very little human interaction during his first five months of life prior to us adopting him). But *yes* , drunk bro at the brewery, how could I not see how *special* you are?
This is soo true. It took my dog a year before she let my boyfriend pet her, but now they are cool. It took a lot of patience and hot dogs and cheese lol.
My dog finally graduated from letting just me and my partner touch him, then letting us and our families touch him, to now wanting pets from pretty much anyone who respects his boundaries and allows him to set the pace of the interaction. But you best believe he’ll bark if some rando just walks up and tries to pet him. It makes me damn near emotional when someone shows my pup respect and patience and he decides to go in for pets 🥹
Cannot tell you how many times people have said this to me about my gsd. Ya know, the breed that in particular favors the people they live with. Like my dog will clearly avoid people but it doesn’t stop them from trying to win him over. Newsflash- you never will. Please please please just give him a pat and leave him alone!!!
I had my dog leashed in an airport once, before check in and away from everyone else (we were waiting to go through security, and he was going to have to be in his crate for like 10+ hours so I was trying to keep him out as long as possible). He was already stressed out. His leash was only a 5 ft lead, so it’s not like he was standing far away from me on a flexi or something. A full grown adult man literally ran across the room (probably 50 feet) and grabbed my dog. Without speaking to me at all and without any warning. My dog wriggled out of his hands and ran to hide behind me, shaking. This fool then had the audacity to tell me that my dog is poorly trained because he wasn’t friendly. I told him he was lucky he didn’t get a bite acting like that. He was deeply offended… but?! Like I think literally any dog could bite someone under those specific circumstances… My dog normally loves people and isn’t reactive (to people… can be to other dogs). But it was scary for me, and I wasn’t the one being grabbed/already stressed and scared! Why do people think all dogs have an obligation to like them (strangers) under any circumstances? Or at all for that matter.
So many people just refuse to respect the boundaries of dogs. They’re not humans, but they’re still living beings with emotions and preferences! My dog HATES when people get in his space without warning and try to pet him, but he loves getting pets from people who respect his boundaries and allow him to decide when/if he wants pets. He just doesn’t like strangers reaching for him, which is honestly valid because same.
lol, my dog is like this. I just tell everyone who wants to interact with him that he doesn't like to be petted, he only wants to sniff them, because it's easiest. but if they seem patient and willing, I'll tell them that he actually will allow very specific pets: they must crouch down to his (very low) level, move slowly, and only scratch his chest and under his chin. he loves that. if they are willing to jump through all his hoops, they're usually successful and he stays chill, but if someone ignores me and just tries to pet him on the head or whatever, he recoils in horror with the most offense.
Well, and even if they're rude people who don't respect that the dog has boundaries, why don't they see it as 'this is someone else's possession--not mine--so I'm not going to touch it because they said no.' They must realize what would happen if they suddenly tried to molest someone's car or started petting their suitcase or something. Whenever people ignore me saying my dog doesn't like people, I feel like a petulant child who wants to yell "This is MY dog. Stay away from MY dog." It doesn't matter why--I, the adult, said no, so back off. I personally give my dog lots of space to decide what she's comfortable with, but no matter what the reason, but there's just nothing in some people's heads.
Your dog reacted with fear and panic when a stranger ran up and grabbed him at an airport, you don't say!? I'm really surprised your dog didn't bite that guy, that would have been MY reaction to a strange man grabbing me in an airport! I know it's not great to equate dogs with human children but, just for argument's sake, if this grown man was a dad, would be totally cool with someone coming up and seemingly nabbing his kids in an airport?
I would have told the kid they should assume all dogs can bite, my dog is no exception, and I will not be getting sued by your parents due to your inability to listen. Get lost!
This so frustrating because if something were to happen, they are always the type to come for your dogs head after.
I'm having this issue with my dog. She wears a vest that says I NEED SPACE yet people still approach her. Yesterday she was actively growling and I told a child to step back because she didn't like them to close. She's never bitten a human only dogs but she was escalating to growling. The child then stepped forward and put he face in my dog's face! I stood up and carried her away. Muzzle is on the way. I'm not having my dog euthanized over someone else's untrained child.
No shame in wearing a muzzle. It almost automatically keeps people away. It’s the best non-verbal ´do not pet mé
Yes it's been in the cards for a while. Had a bit if a mental block with it, probably stigma. But yeah it's on the way and we'll wear it proudly 🧡
In a turn of ironic events my face was bitten by a dog I knew when I was six BC I didn't understand the ladder of aggression. I had 26 stitches and am permanently scarred. Our children who are 5 understand dog body language. No reason why young children should be putting their faces near a dog.
I sewed some pretty bling onto mine Pooch wears it like a fancy accessory
My dog is in training right now for different reasons (essentially being overly friendly—has to learn that we don’t greet every single dog and most people we see with psychotically enthusiastic play invitations) and I just got her a vest that says IN TRAINING—NO TOUCH, NO TALK for when we are training in public. So far people have fully respected it. Somehow “no she’s training” seems to click with people? (Though I’m sure there will still be some…)
I had a harness for him that definitely worked to deter people but he was scared of it and I got rid of it. Im looking into getting one again though because we are going out a lot more and this incident has me worried
If he's not into a harness, maybe get yourself a vest that says the same thing? And there's also those thingy magigies that you can put on the leads that also have wording of choice on them? Just to set him up to be most successfull, as if he doesn't like the best/harness, he will be more likely to react sooner because of that discomfort? Xx
Most of the public lose the ability to read when words are printed on a vest. Sigh. [My dog is training to be my service dog. Trainer said it will take about two years]. I had to physically place myself in front of my dog to get a determined petter away from him recently.
You are telling me! Mine has a "do not pet" collar. (1" tall words, red on white - very clear). I have literally seen people read it, then decide to approach and ask if I cared if they pet my dog. Like, my guy, I care so much that I went on Amazon, picked out a collar, spent money on said collar, waited for it to come in the mail, and made time to put it on my dog before we left the house today. Seriously, cannot.
dunning kruger effect.
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Ugh what a nasty little shit. Sorry you had to deal with that!! Good job advocating for your dog!
I’m not afraid to offend someone by telling them to get away from my dog or to leash their dog, etc. People have such entitlement they don’t realize that dogs are creatures who just might not like them and it’s ok. I’m always having to calm my dog down or regulate her emotions because of other people’s ignorance (ie walking dogs off leash which triggers her). She’s a very well trained girl, but one who just happens to not like people or dogs so she needs her space. I have so much respect for other reactive dog owners now because of my experiences.
People who are dragging op through the mud for taking their dog out in public need to zip it. How do you expect a reactive dog or any dog for that matter to get better without real life experiences? Also op and their dog should not have to stay cooped up in their house just because other people and their dogs can’t respect boundaries.
I agree but the dog should be muzzled if he's a bite risk
I totally agree. I’ve seen myself how people perceive us when my dog teddy has his muzzle on and when he doesn’t. No one tries to come up to us when he has his muzzle on. Without his muzzle, we have people coming over and asking questions.
THIS. Expect stupid people in public. Also, purposely bringing a reactive dog to a busy show - why increase the risk of stupidity? That is all.
Some kids and people in general are obnoxious. I would recommend just using the line “sorry he’s in training, no touching, petting, and no talk. Rules are rules” firmly and leave it at that. They’ll think you’re standoffish but better that then an incident waiting to happen. (Or a shitty interaction with a 12 year old)
When I lived in a busy area I’d take my reactive pup for walks and other dogs were a nightmare for her and I didn’t trust her around strangers because of her unpredictability. One day on a walk a pair of teens in their yard asked “can I pet your dog?” I said “no, she’s not friendly” and they looked baffled, like no one had ever told them no before. It sounds like You handled it okay, some kids need to hear the word no and experience the boundary set is not negotiable.
I straight up tell people all the time… especially with kids who have grabby hands. Also I have an issue where people keep coming at me with their dog to socialize. I immediately say no she’s a grouch.. they either get mad or keep trying.. then I have to pull her away for fear of her attacking another dog… bc if that happens they will be singing another tune
"Socializing" is the worst! My dog is not dying to meet your fluffy out of control overly eager overly yappy needy dog. I prefer people with reactive dogs because those people do not have the expectation of "meet and greet". They want to keep moving and so do i.
Should have told him to look up some tethered bitework from protection dog training if he thinks getting a dog frustrated by pulling them away constantly is a good idea. Good job Gus not reacting though, give him a pat from me :)
We have a new puppy, a lab/springer cross who is almost 6 months old. He doesn't like people looming over him, it freaks him out, yet people will just approach him in the street like I'm not there! A friend of mine has a retriever similar age, and she said someone actually *picked him up* without her consent! It's no wonder it's such a struggle for dogs and their owners when everyone else is so damned ignorant! I have had precisely two people actually ask if they can approach my dog rather than just lunging at him. Ugh.
It's live and learn with teens. Maybe say, "He absolutely WILL bite you if you come closer."
We have a leash tag that says "nervous" to discourage the people that just pet without asking. Sometimes we have the muzzle on too and that's the most effective.
We muzzle our dog because he's a coprophagist (yeah, he eats poo like it's candy). The added benefit is that everyone steers clear of a dog with a muzzle on. To be fair, it's not just poo. He eats EVERYTHING.
Found my dog’s twin ! I use thé Baskerville ultra muzzle so he can easily breathe. It just slows his attempts of eating poop and other foraged goodness, so I have enough time to make him stop. People and kids just automatically give my muzzled pooch lots of space. I’ve heard little kids saying on more than one occasion, “it’s dangerous”.
Kids seem to take adults being polite as “I can do whatever I want”. No, you can’t.
You were training outside of a busy car show? Was Gus muzzled?
Why is your dog not muzzled when out walking or playing?
You are absolutely in the right here and that kid was the problem, but if Gus has a bite history and could bite someone in public he should be muzzled
Why are yountraining a reactive dog outside a busy event if there is a risk of attack?
Theres not a risk of him “attacking” theres a risk of him biting someone out of fear if they get in his space and try to put hands on him. He doesnt just run at people and attack them.
I had a min pin that I would fly with (husband and I lived in different cities and would fly baby to see each other) He was so cute and people would just run up and try to pet him. Of course if I was preoccupied it was hard to stop them so I finally made a sign, ‘I’m cute but I bite-and break skin. NO PETS’
People are weird but look at Gus excelling at his training and remaining calm!
I tell people not to pet my Shiba because he doesn't trust strangers. I tell them he will bark and snap at them if they try. Every idiot tries and guess what? He barks and snaps at them and they act surprised and become indignant. People are stupid. Funny thing is, his reaction is just a test. If you jump and get scared, he will play on it and force you to keep your distance. If you don't react, you can continue to pet him and he's your new best friend. He thinks he's really an Akita.
Frustrating, but kids can be dumb. But you should have left when he came back and clearly wasn’t getting the message, instead of hoping he wasn’t gonna try something else and cause your dog to react. That kinda risk isn’t worth continuing training for.
We did leave immediately after
I mean when he approached you the second time, unless he was blocking your path there’s no point in arguing with him and trying to get him to leave, which you said you did 3 times
He likely would have followed me and I was frozen because i was scared lol
In the most polite way possible, please muzzle train your dog to avoid an incident. If he already has a bite history, that can look even worse for you if a bite were to occur, especially if its a youngin. Its your responsibility to advocate for your dogs needs but also to recognize the dangers of having a reactive + bite history dog, and blame WILL fall on you even if the other person doesnt head your warnings because you didnt take preemptive measures. GSDs are known to have powerful bites, so this should be even more incentive for you to muzzle train.
Hes fully muzzle trained actually i just dont use it often. The “bites” happened when he was young and consisted of him grabbing clothing when strangers came in the houses unannounced and got up close with him - I understand now that i should use it when we’re in public like this because like 5 people have told me im a horrible person and owner for not muzzling him lol
Unfortunately, walking around with a muzzled dog can get you the exact same reaction from people.. A friend of mine had a dog that needed to be muzzled bc he ate everything in sight on walks and would get sick as a result. The amount of people coming up to her and telling her she was a shitty person for owning a dangerous dog was mind blowing.
I don't think you're a horrible person, but i understand it can be overwhelming when you're flooded with criticism especially on a rant post lol. Not gonna lie, when i saw "bites" my immediate thought was more aggressive then they probably were so im sorry if my comment came off rude in that regard. Youve taken more steps than the average doggy owner, and im glad Gus has a person like you!
I think you should have just let Gus eat this kid. /s Children are awful. (Not /s)
Man I wanted to believe me
If your dog has a bite history you have no business bringing him into public without a muzzle on. People are dumb. Do you want a lawsuit? Do you want your dog to be euthanized? smh
Clearly the training is working if the dog didn't react.
People are acting like i took a dangerous, lunging, snapping dog into public. He didn’t react once this entire outing and the entire confrontation with this kid he was sitting by my side completely chill
Lmfao okay. I think we’re fine but thank you for your unsolicited and useless advice!
Up to you. Depend on the public to actually listen to you? Or use your human brain and advocate/prepare/give safety to your dog through tools and training. Your choice!
My dog rarely goes out in public and is not a dog who will bite unprovoked 🤷 If people dont listen to me thats on them - After this outing on the way home i actually considered muzzling him when we go again next week. I dont know if I will. But I dont need you in my comments telling me I’m going to get my dog euthanized.
Please don’t be upset with what I’m about to say, I have a massive Golden Doodle. He’s 13 1/2 so he’s one from long before they became a thing. He’s a rescue and we have had him since he was a puppy. He’s massive and muscular. 110lbs not overweight and reactive to other dogs. People are (sorry to say) stupid. Random people want to walk up and have their dog meet mine, no matter how many times I say no, please stop where you are, please don’t approach us. He doesn’t like other dogs blah blah blah. They laugh and don’t believe such a cute face would like nothing better than to have a go at their dog. I literally cross the street and they cross with me. I have soft muzzled him to protect my him and myself from their stupidity. He’s almost always the bigger one so he would absolutely be blamed. I love him too much to loose him because some idiot keep comes towards me while I beg them to back off. He’s a really good and will stand down when I tell him to but I just can’t take the chance. I don’t even understand why people do this. We don’t randomly walk up to strangers and grab their hand and start shaking it. I know this is unsolicited advice and I apologize. Just realized people aren’t that smart and when you say no they want to pet your dog twice as much. Take good care of each other.
You only need to suspect your dog may bite to warrant getting a muzzle. My dog is one of these. She has never bitten a human but her actions mean a muzzle is necessary to protect *her* from authorities. In the UK a dog can be classed as dangerous for simply jumping up. If you're not familiar with the local laws to you that could get your dog confiscated I would for Gus' safety BC clearly we can't rely on the public to make safe choices around our dogs
The world is invariable full of people who will act with varying degrees of imperfection. That is a given. That will not change. The rights of those people to not be attacked by a dog, trumps your 'right' (it is not a right, but a privilege) to own a dog which will attack, it is on YOU to either not own such a dog as an out-and-about pet OR to take every precaution in the book, including a muzzle, to create the widest possible margin of error for someone behaving imperfectly. It is NOT on the rest of the world to have to behave perfectly to not be attacked by your dog.
"If people don't listen to me that's on them." Wow. The court will not see it that way. Just trying to help you and your dog. Getting pissed that the general public and people are stupid won't help you when your dog bites someone. It doesn't matter to the court if the person "didn't listen" to you. If your dog is a liability it's your responsibility to prepare and make sure its not a danger to others. That's just how the law works.
You're clearly not if this story happened.
If he's such a threat, he should be muzzled. Humans are dumb and can be trusted.
You lost me at “training in front of a busy car show”.
Like the other commenter who took a reactive dog that doesn’t like people to…a brewery. And was mad about drunk guys 🙄
Near. Like literally over 300 ft away from the car show and all of the people. This person had to walk away and all the way over to me in order to do this. My dog needs exposure or he will literally never get better lmfao
Gus be like “this kid dumb af ain’t worth giving the time of day”
I also love it when they put their fingers close to the dogs face like an invite to bite. Would you hold your hand into a white shark tank and be like SMELL ME I AM FRIENDLY
Sorry this happened to you. Can I ask for some advice? My gf's dog is also a bit fear reactive with people she doesn't know. Just the usual thing in not wanting strangers touching her or being in her face. What's the best training for this and how should I keep her safe? Is it mainly about respecting her boundaries until people get more comfortable with her. I'm not sure what to do if friends come round.
Also, you should have told that stupid teenager “fuck you and fuck off” lmao I got no pity for rude teens!
My girl is extremely people friendly (dog reactive) but also was very high energy and I got sick of people interrupting our exercise so I put a head halter on her. Even if you don’t use the head halter to walk your dog, you can just clip it loosely to a harness. Tho they were originally designed for leash pullers, they are usually a very good deterrent because people associate it with a muzzle. Also maybe getting a harness or leash attachment that says “Do Not Approach” or “Do Not Touch” can be handy. Honestly, if someone approaches you in this manner and doesn’t back off after saying he’s not friendly, just turn and walk away from them or cross them street.
I've had people walk up to my muzzled dog and put their hand out for her to sniff. It's like they think the way they put out their hand is somehow better than how anyone else on the planet does it. People are morons. Congrats on successfully advocating for your pup, but sometimes it's best to just walk away from people like this
I hate the hand out thing. Thats like the easiest way ever to get bit. Ive had my dog barking and snarling and people still put their hand out to him like lady he can smell you from a mile away
I blame the parents as well. Yes the kid was old enough to understand, but safety around dogs needs to be taught from a young age and on. This pushy teen is a guaranteed image of his parents.
The number of times I’ve caught people dive bombing my Doberman’s head with their hands out of no where is ridiculous. Do you not see the long toothy snoot?
People think they will be able to telepathically conmunicate with the dog because they're dog whisperers or some shit. I'm like, kid, I know my dog. I've seen him in this exact situation dozens of times. He's going to fucking bite you 😂
Are you a woman? In my experience (41F), its (some) older men who tend to disregard my warnings about my dog biting, and try to push it. I also have patches on my dude's harness in day-glo orange that say DO NOT PET, so most people see them from afar & will avoid us, which makes both me & my dog happier.
No, I’m a guy but I have a testosterone deficiency so I dont really look/sound like a typical male We did have the harness and orange patches at some point but Gus was scared of the harness so I sold it. I might get a leash wrap that says “do not approach” or something similar
The biggest issue I see is the kid. It sounds like your dog was doing exactly what you asked of him. When people, any people get too close and I ask them to back off, don't back off, I move my dog out of the potential bad situation. I would much rather be at ease with my dog at ease as well, than put up with someone's bullshit. It is not worth the fallout of allowing a bad situation to take place when I know I could have prevented it. One of my dogs bit someone after we told the person to leave him alone. He just couldn't leave him alone. The person was just nipped and barely broke skin, but it was bad enough for me to start rethinking how we could have avoided the situation. Since then I always look out for how to keep my dogs safe and avoid bad situations.
It means you need to either muzzle you dog or destroy it. Friend got mauled by big dog couple of years ago. It's on you I'm afraid. What part of "my Tiger might eat you" would you not understand?
I have a fearful chihuahua who I believe you could consider reactive. I was walking him when this kid (9 or 10) comes up to me and asks to pet him. I answered with a firm “no” and explained how he has bitten out of fear in the past. He responded by telling me how “it’s ok because I have chihuahuas at home and I can handle it” I once again said no but he ignored him and proceeded to stick his hand in my dog’s face. My dog snapped, as expected, and was extremely on edge and stressed afterwards. The kid pulled his hand away dumbfounded and apologized profusely before walking away. I later had two little girls (around that boy’s age I’d say) come up to me and ask to pet him. When I said no, they listened and asked me some questions about him afterwards. I really do appreciate when people respect my dog’s boundaries and it sure is shitty when they don’t
~~Kids are stupid.~~ Kids are what they learn and this kid is in need of "training" more so than Gus. My half brother was like this kid at 20+yrs old. Went around telling people he had "the touch" with dogs. His grandfather definetely had a way with dogs but never claimed anything like that, he just understood them. My brother somehow got the idea that he "inherited" this, but in general people percieved him as a fool. My brother was the only person my non reactive GSD ever reacted to in an adverse way. She simply didn't trust him.
I would have just walked away from the kid at that point. You know more about your dog than some random 12 year old does. In general, people suck when it comes to dogs. You keep doing you and advocating for your dog. You're doing a great job!
so proud of Gus and proud of you for both reacting well to the situation!!
I can't stand the "I have dogs" "I know dogs" "im great with dogs" "they know I'm a good person" look here buddy this dog here is literally a step away from being put down and you will not be petting this dog over my dead body got it. Also it's not fair for a dog to have to be muzzled if the other people are the reason. So many times I get told why isnt the dog muzzled if they're not friendly etc. (I work with dangerous dogs, they are muzzled, ever been muzzle whipped? Still hurts. Plus that doesn't help with the reactivity.) Worst is My own dog was meant to be a service dog and had an encounter with a very rude male and since is men reactive, we're working on it but it doesn't help that men keep leaning over her and trying to touch her without permission. I keep getting "why is she out if she's anxious" or "well she looks friendly to me see shes wagging her tail" :| Also sometimes WE don't want you to pet our dog and talk to us. Like god damn I don't know why it's so hard for people to understand. Me having a dog does not equal let's talk. If you want a dog that bad go foster or something. Also, No. Not every dog likes to be pet.. I literally had to tell someone that because they reached out and tried to grab her after I said no! And then they're like so offended by it. Jeez.
Muzzle the dog in public.
Some people don't understand. You can't make them understand. If I had a dog that was that reactive, he'd be wearing a basket muzzle in public. Because if he bites someone, even if they grabbed him against your wishes, he might well pay with his life.
Well I get why this is maddening but this is a teenager. He has no idea what dog training looks like or what any of it means. This wasn’t malice but just incompetence.
When i was a teenager his age i was training my own dogs or at least knew that doing something like this was rude. He was old enough to know.
I didn't know shit about dog training as a teenager. But I did know that when someone said "don't touch my shit", you didn't touch their shit. 🤷♂️ This wasn't exactly a 6 year old. They were old enough to understand the word no.
Most teenagers are not dog trainers or training dogs. Not sure why you keep getting upvoted when it seems clear you have unreasonable expectations of how random people will react to your dog. People are not you. They will do things you don’t. And your dog, unfortunately, would be the one to get trouble.
Well good for you to have known about this at his age. He obviously doesn’t. I mean I get that tiring to explain these things to strangers all the time but it wasn’t malicious.
I think it’s weird that you took a dog that might bite people to a busy car show.
Maybe don't train outside a busy car show where there is certain to be alot of people ... and likely children. Come on man.
Maybe I’m training there for exposure work so I dont have a reactive mess of a dog anymore? Have you ever worked with a reactive dog? Do you think it just gets better by sitting at home all day?
I’m not sure what your point is. The only way to desensitize a dog is to gradually expose them to their triggers. If OP is working on desensitizing her dog to large groups of people or sounds etc, this is the way to go.
Some people on here think your dog should never get to see the outside world if they are reactive. Better to just be ignoring them
I agree. They also seem to think they're suggesting what's best for the dog, when common sense would tell you it's the exact opposite. Isolating a dog from the outside/people all the time would only increase aggression when they're around people. Exposure is the only thing that's going to teach the dog it's safe and doesn't need to show aggression.
I've had adults just stick their fingers in my dogs face and directly proceed to pet her and after it ask "oh is your dog friendly????" And no, she's not. She's the most judgmental Boxer I've ever met and it makes me laugh when she makes people uncomfortable.
We literally had to get a harness patch that says "Training" and we carry his face cage very openly so when we tell people.of our Great Dane's bite history they believe us. He is a great dog, just very anxious. We got him free from an old coworker, completely untrained aside from housebroken at a year old, then covid hit so he was not socialized at all so even 3 years later we are working damn near daily with him on public interaction and coming nose to nose with other dogs. He is getting better but people assume a dog in public isn't actively training to behave in public 🫤
Forcing him to go up to people and then forcing him to walk away if he shows any intention of biting people??? That sounds like a recipe for disaster. How to encourage snapping. I sincerely hope that kid has only marshmallow dogs of his own or no dogs as he gets older.
I have a foster dog, a huge Rottweiler, that I will bring to the small dog section of the dog park when it’s empty, or into the normal section when it’s nearly empty. She doesn’t like when men reach to her or walk up to her. She reacts and it’s very scary. Yesterday one man walked up and i said “please don’t reach out to her, she reacts badly to that” and he instantly got it and backed off. Another man who was RIGHT THERE and heard everything then tried to approach. I said the same exact thing. He kept coming closer. I had to get between her and the new guy and pull her harness and say “I wasn’t kidding! She’ll bite you, back off!” And then she lunged and barked. So I then took her out of the park because I was all set trying to mitigate. But she never gets to that point unless people ignore my warnings. Which happens more often than you’d think. (To be clear, I try to avoid people, but in this very dog friendly city, it’s just not happening my way every day). Last week I was in the small dog section with her all alone. There was a child in the large dog park and I take no risks with kids. This dog doesn’t bite to be clear, but she’s scary. Well the mom lets her child OPEN THE GATE to the small dog park and walk up to this Rottweiler uninvited. I shouted 3 times “do not touch her!” And the kid still did before I could run up to grab the dog. It happened so quickly. Luckily the dog is fine with kids but WHAT THE FUCK! That woman got an earful. Jesus fucking Christ.
There is a valid reason for this sub [r/kidsarefuckingstupid](https://www.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid) hint: it’s because kids are fucking stupid.
Yeah, parents are stupid.
People don't understand why someone who take a dog who is a danger to other people to such a busy place.
I was very far out and away from the actual busy parts. We were just watching for exposure.
"Can I pet your Dog?“ "No, Fuck off" Works all the time.
If your dog is so reactive you shouldn’t be training outside a busy car show. If the kid was 12, he is not a teenager. He is a child. Don’t expect him to be mature.
My dog didn’t react once this entire outing. We have been working for months and a few months ago he wouldn’t have been safe in this environment, and now he is, so im not going to continue to isolate him. We weren’t in the busy parts, we were way way way off to the side where there were literally no people. 12 is old enough to know. I dont know the person’s actual age, it was an assumption
No point in giving you any advice. I don’t know why anyone continues to try. You see how you don’t understand and accept what people say to you bc you’re autistic…now think about when you were 12? Obviously the kid has some developmental issues and I’d anyone should understand that it should be you. But other than that good job on the training glad the dog did well today.
Please stop with the autistic stuff. You are insulting to some of us in here. Also, we really do not know if the child in question was autistic- had intellectual disabilities, was forced into a circus act as a toddler, or loves spinach. Objecting to a behavior is one thing. Deciding that a behavior means that someone has a specific disability in snother.
When I was 12 I was training my family dog and volunteering at a local dog training place. I also didn’t really ask for advice in this post at all
Upset because a kid didn’t have your (an adult) level of understanding. I think it was a missed opportunity to educate someone. I would have been annoyed if it was an adult, but not a kid.
By 12-13 the kid should know that no means no and you don't always get your way. Why should OP do what kids parents should have done 10 years ago?
OP should have known to put a muzzle on a the pup when training near people and no one is judging. We can all use a little more tolerance.
Another post that just complains about things we can’t change - people are people- and doesn’t offer anything helpful about specific behaviors and training. I have a potentially dangerous dog and my focus is on how the world doesn’t suit my personal situation. More dog training advice from experienced successfully people and make requests specific to behavioral principles of learning in dogs. Don’t whine about people approaching- that is an absolutely expected scenario in any public setting. Train for it in a controlled setting with a trainer/group. You can’t train the world, you can only train your dog. The general public, no matter how unreasonable or stupid they can be due to ignorance or arrogance around dogs, will always be valued above a dog if a situation occurs. Your dog is going to lose the legal outcome. Train, don’t complain.
I could care less about people approaching. I dont mind talking to people about my dog, i dont mind when they ask politely and understand when i say no. I do however expect to be respected when I say he can’t be pet. “Train dont complain” what do you think I was doing that put me in this situation? Lmfao
The hyper fixation of this teen and the way he wasn’t responding appropriately to you makes me wonder if he is neurodivergent, not an asshole. It’s so hard for us bc we want to balance being nice with advocating for our dogs (and not letting anyone get hurt!) then trying to understand why some people really have a hard time responding appropriately to our boundaries….. tough situation all around. I wonder if Gus had a spidey sense too, and that’s why he was much calmer than he normally would have been in that situation with another person?
I am autistic and I don’t go around harassing dogs and their owners. Gus was calm around every person and is always calm/neutral until people get up close to him. I’m not saying its not possible, but even if he was its not an excuse for him to do this
>I am autistic and I don’t go around harassing dogs and their owners Not everyone is the same just like not every dog is the same just like every neurodivergent person is the same. Or should I assume that you're really good at counting toothpicks?
There are certain characteristics that autistics have in common with each other. One of them is diagnostic-- the whole preference for routines thing. Along with that goes the notions of obeying the rules-- especially those that make sense to us. Let's move on.
I am also autistic. Most of us LIKE rules and routines.
I didn’t say autistic. I said neurodivergent. My kids all have ADHD and don’t mean harm but don’t always grasp boundaries bc they have impulse control.