Clutchfans, good morning. I had an incident this morning at the dog park at my apartment complex. I'll start off by saying I've only had my dog for 2 weeks, and I don't have enough trust yet to leave him off his leash (tried it once, he got through the iron fence and playfully chased a jogger). He also doesn't play well with other dogs, so the leash keeps him out of trouble since he's in my site at all times. He's still adjusting to us, the previous owners didn't do the best job of making sure he was a suitable house dog. Anyway this morning I am taking him out for his potty break, and there's another dog in the park off leash (normal). He charges at us trying to play, sniffing butts and what not, but then he won't leave my dog alone. So I start trying to lead him another way, dog keeps staying right next to him. I hear my dog start snarling so I start looking for the owner, I see a lady and asked her if this was her dog. She said yes, but didn't really ask why or pay attention to anything. So I start having to pull my dog away and get in between the dogs. After a few minutes of being away from the other dog, I can tell my dog isn't comfortable here, so I take him outside of the park, he finally does his business, but the trash can is in the park, so I have to go back in. This is where I get pissed. I walk up to the park door, the lady's dog is sitting at the gate waiting for us, I enter, as soon as the gate opens the dog goes face to face with my dog. I just want to get to the trash can and leave. My dog starts snarling and standing on its hind legs swinging his front legs at the dog. So I start asking the other owner if she can get her dog. Her response was, "he's just trying to play". That pissed me off, I snapped back saying "well he doesn't want to play!" So she gets kinda obnoxious and replies "it's a dog park, dogs are off leash here, I can't really do anything because this is what dogs do." I was soooo boiled, but I turned around started walking away and said, "alright, we'll have a good morning" in a very angry manner I'd imagine (at this point i can't tell you how upset I was visibly by body language). Anyway, my question is, is she in the right and am I wrong in thinking she should have controlled her dog when my dog was clearly not wanting to play, but because it was at a dog park, her dog can do what he wants? And if not (which is obviously how I feel) is it worth reporting her to the complex? I don't want to overreact,I've cooled off quite a bit writing this, but still her arrogance really upset me. TL;DR My new dog didn't want to play with another dog at the park, other dog didn't want to leave us alone, tried to get owner to do something, she didn't do anything, inquired why, she thinks behavior is okay at dog parks. I'm upset, but should I be?
Sounds like something you should never worry or even think about ever again. I trust you have bigger fish to fry. And you shouldn't take a dog that's not good with other dogs to a dog park. Socialize him with one dog at a time in a controlled environment...parks can be sensory overload.
I feel the sexual tension between the two of you. Anyway, I think you both had a point and neither was wrong in what was said. Just move on I guess.
This. My Jack Russell did not much care for other dogs back in the day when we lived in apartments. I just avoided dog parks. People are too careless with their dogs. Oddly enough though, when I've put my dogs in a doggy daycare they've done very well; never had any incidents. There were 3 incidents with her getting in fights with other dogs while I lived at apartments. But 1 of those 3 I let her do on purpose. Shortish version: Spoiler Fat chick used to sit on her porch and let her tiny white fluffy dog run around the parking lot for hours at a time. While she was doing this I could not take my 2 dogs out at all, since her dog would run up and bark at them and they'd go nuts. A few days of this I walked over and asked her to please leash her dog; she said nothing and flipped me off. I then went to the office to complain since you're not supposed to leave your dog out; she was a leasing agent working in the office, she saw me and seemed to know why I was there. Nothing changed. After a couple weeks of hardly being able to let my dogs use the restroom, I left my rat terrier in the apartment (he had a gentle heart) and took the Jack Russell outside. The fat girl's little dog was out and ran up and barked in her face like always. I looked up, saw the fat girl watching, then let my dog off her leash. (My dog was a beast in her younger days - her two other fights were with MUCH bigger dogs.) I pulled her off before any real damage was done because I didn't want the dog to actually get hurt, I just wanted to show the fat girl what could happen to her dog if she continued to let it run around in the parking lot. I heard the fat girl screaming and cursing. I took my dog back up and LOLed. I never saw that dog running free again.
Thanks everyone for the responses. I'll probably just avoid the dog park and take him on walks elsewhere to take a potty for the time being.
Here is my Cesar Milan analysis, your dog changed the dynamic of the dog park and since he is ruining it for everyone else he's not allowed back until he can conform to social norms. You are at fault because you failed to recognize that fact and introduced him into that environment when he clearly is not ready. Because of your actions/inactions, it's apparent you are also not ready to own a dog. You must re-train yourself first.
I'd just avoid dog park until your dog is better acclimated. I'd just like to take this moment to say I think its the most idiotic thing in the world when people act like a dog is a person. Even more so when they spoil them and don't keep them under control.
They are trying to sort out who was the alpha, judging by your story, sounds like the lady was.... DD
If I was you, I wouldn't have taken my dog back in there, because that's a high stress situation for the dog and it could get hurt, or hurt another dog. If I was her, I would have grabbed my dog, knowing it looked like the other dog was in a high stress situation and I wouldn't want my dog getting hurt. I think both were at fault, but I'd definitely avoid the parks until the dog is trained correctly. Or, go to larger dog parks, where there is room to "escape". I think dogs behave much better in more open areas as they have room to behave normally.
What type of breed is your dog?? I have a mini pin an he does not get along with other small dogs, he will do the smell thing with little dogs and then just wander away he does not care to play with them. It's funny cause he does like big dogs though, little man syndrome I tell you.
when you first asked the woman if that was her dog you could have explained the situation to her and politely asked her to get her dog. any reasonable person would have accommodated you there. instead, you did not ask her the first time and fumed about it. if your dog is aggressive towards other dogs they should not be in an off-leash area. try just walking him around the block where there are no off-leash dogs. sometimes a dog on leash will not react well to off-leash dogs. throw the poop away in the dumpster instead of dog park trash can. also, your own behavior might have an effect on your dog. dogs are very perceptive and yours probably picked up on your apprehension. if you are calm, cool and in control your dog will fall in line too. i think you might have overreacted. its a designated off-leash area so i dont think she was out of line there, but the owner should have been more courteous and gotten her dog away from yours when you asked.
Never leave your dog on a leash at the dog park. Many breeds (and mutts) act completely differently when on a leash - most far more aggressively. As they are "attached" to you, they feel they must protect you. If you are in a place where most dogs are off leash, yours shoulds be off leash as well. If people have their dogs off leash in a non-dedicated dog park, or fenced in area, they are assholes. Leash laws exist for a reason, because dogs are highly unpredictable in packs. The psychological term "pack mentality" exists for reason. All it takes is one large dog, with a terrible owner, who is openly aggressive to set off a shitshow. PROTIP: Never approach a german shepherd on a leash without first asking the owner. GSD's are easily the most protective breed.
You call that a confrontation? What do you do all day, sit in a lonely cube and not see the outside? Jokes aside, neither of you were in the wrong. She has the right to let her dog be free in the dog park and you chose to go back to it where obviously your dog isnt comfortable. Next time if you need to take the poo bag back in there, tie up your dog away from there, run in and then go back to your dog. I take mine to the dog parks all the time and she gets bullied as soon as we step foot in there. I do monitor to make sure there is no biting but thats how dogs play. They play rough and they learn from it.
