Why let you dog approach a bigger dog if you don't want them to interact ?

[Sleepydog]

My lab will often walk past a dog if it doesn't seem to register any interest in being social. So the other day we are heading back from our walk when a cocker spaniel heading towards us runs up to my lab tail wagging , sniffs then starts running around with my dog . Fine I think - then owner of spaniel tells me to call off my dog because it's too big for her dog to play with

Surely she should have let it approach my dog if she doesn't want it to play with the big dogs.

[MrsSpoonFromButtonMoon]

IMO she should have put her Spaniel on lead then but we are hardly talking a Teacup Yorkie -v- a Bull Mastive here, some folk are just odd!

[ChickensHaveNoLips]

Agree, some people are strange. I've had this before with my cocker sized cross spaniel and....a staffy pup . The staffy probably had 5kg on my scrawny mutt

[Sleepydog]

You do come across some odd bods when walking

[Flatbread]

That is so weird. Was the spaniel a little pup? If not, why was the owner getting nervous...at some point the owners unease will transmit to the dog. Not a good thing.

All dogs are different, but I do wonder at the fear aggressive and otherwise skittish dogs I would meet in the UK. My girl dog has been bitten and my friend's dog has been bitten as well, and neither of our dogs are skittish with other dogs, except the particular aggressor.

In my girl's case it was our neighbour's female dog and I was around. I pulled them apart right away and chased the other dog off our land. In my friend's case it was a crazy, seriously aggressive neighbourhood dog. It was pretty bad and she had to have stitches. But she is still fine with other dogs, except the mean bastard and she will go for him when ever she sees him.

I think the thing which mattered, at least for our dog, is she knows that we will protect her. Not for minor skirmishes, she can sort out those on her own, but if a dog is seriously aggressive. Hence she is not nervous around other dogs, although she does give a surreptitious look to make sure we are close by before she goes to say hello She is no watchdog material, but is a friendly little soul, bless her.

[Sleepydog]

No not a pup - anyway will know to walk the other way next time .

[RedwingS]

I've had similar things, Sleepydog. Someone lets their tiny little off-lead thing wander up to my on-lead husky, they have a friendly greeting, then the owner suddenly panics that 'omg that wolf is going to eat my dog' and grabs their dog and carries it away. When everything is under control and happy. There's no accounting for other people.

[Sleepydog]

RedwingS - that has made me think of this

text from dog

scroll down to 'Harry the Husky '

[ornellaia]

Seems very silly to me, my cocker spaniel is very friendly, if he wants to say hello to a big dog I leave him to it (assuming big dog is off lead & owner seems ok with it). He has a couple of bull mastiff 'friends' who we see fairly regularly, he likes them because they're too slow to catch him . Labs can be a bit big and bouncy for him when they play, and he sometimes does the yelp and run away thing if he's a bit overwhelmed, in which case I just carry on walking with him. I really do think it's best to leave dogs to sort themselves out, they're far better at judging other dogs' intentions than we are.

[Ephiny]

Sounds a bit odd - why doesn't she call her dog away if she doesn't want it to play? Or not let it run up to big dogs in the first place?

I think it's lovely to see big and little dogs playing happily together. My two Rotties are 'best friends' with a little Cavalier KCS and have been since he was a tiny pup (very sensible owner who wanted him to be socialised with big dogs). I can understand the concern if the big dog is a bouncy large-breed pup who doesn't know how to play gently, but don't think it does little dogs any favours to automatically pick them up around bigger dogs.

[Catsmamma]

I really laugh when small dogs come running up to us ...i've two very large GSDs... and you see the Father Ted and Dougal look come over the dog's and often the owner's faces.

those dogs are not small, they were just very faaaaa-aar away

And just why do other dog owners feel the need to point out that my dogs are very big?? Do they think I haven't noticed?? :o

[Wallace]

Quick etiquette question: You are walking a dog off the lead and somebody is approaching you with a dog off the lead. If when they see you they put their dog on a lead, should you put yours on a lead?

I don't really remember this happening with my old dog, but now we have a puppy it happens a lot. Are they doing it because they think I would rather their dog didn't play with the puppy?

I would rather she got the chance to play and also to find out not every dog wants to play.

[Ephiny]

If they put their dog on a lead, I'd assume they didn't want it to interact for some reason, so I'd make sure mine didn't run up (not necessarily put them on leads if I didn't need to).

If in doubt you could always ask the other owner 'does he want to say hello?' or similar?

[Wallace]

Thanks. Usually they then bring them over on the lead and you end up with two tangled dogs!

Good idea to just ask :)

[Catsmamma]

I always snick mine onto the lead if I see someone we don't know

Partly as they are so enormous and if they wish to introduce themselves it's best not done at a gallop, and partly cos if there is any aggro, MINE WERE ON THE LEAD which puts the others firmly in the wrong.

To be fair it's rare they run off....apparently as a mere human I am not to be left unattended and must be closely supervised at all times, unless the children are with us then the dogs stay with them and cast aspersions on my parenting.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I only let my terrier approach on lead because we have had problems with aggression in the past. He is far better now but still struggles with introducing himself calmly.

We have gone from one extreme to the other. All dogs no longer need to be eaten on sight before they eat him, they need to be dry humped into oblivion before they dry hump him This can cause more timid dogs to snap at him in fear, after which he goes back to wanting to eat them.

I allow calm introductions on the lead but the minute he attempts his dry humping he is led away until he can calm himself down.

There are a couple of dogs I will let him play with because we know them well and I know they will correct his dry humping in a manner which he finds acceptable so we don't end up in scraps. These are dogs we mainly meet at the beach. Everyone in the park thinks I am an over protective owner who doesn't like my dogs to play with other dogs (nope, there are just far less numpties at the beach and far more people who are happy to help me train my errant terrier)

What really annoys me is when large groups of off lead dogs are allowed to approach my on lead dogs when I am clearly pulling mine to then side of the path and attempting to keep their attentions on me and me only. This tends to happen most at the local outdoors center where dogs are meant to be on lead anyhow

Generally larger dogs are better playmates for my troublesome terrier, they tend to be calmer and more likely to tolerate his bad manners.

Whippy will play with anything bar small, white dogs who she tries to avoid after being attacked by a JRT once. She is fast enough to avoid any dogs who want to cause trouble anyway. Again I generally find bigger dogs to be more gentle playmates for her. Smaller ones can get a bit rough for her.

[MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe]

I put mine on the lead when we approach an unknown dog, whether it's on the lead or not because not all dogs appreciate the full love of the MissBeehivingHound which involves copious mouthlicking then arse sniffing followed by throwing himself on the floor and showing all and sundry his bits.

He has got one playmate - a huge Samoyed and when they play wrestle the Hound is completely submerged by the Samoyed's fur

[RedwingS]

Sleepydog, that made me laugh. Thank you :)

[Wallace]

Thank you :)