Quote: Connie Sutherland

Running into a PITA human who insists on inviting your dog to jump up and insists on high-pitched excited baby-talk is one thing, but bad encounters with strange dogs is a whole 'nother thing.

Definitely agree with this!!!
I was typing and just got carried away with what I watch for. Loose or out of control dogs are definitely an entirely different situation to handle.

I was agreeing with you. Practicing walking your dog while teaching meeting-manners can make us temporarily forget about the strange-dog caution.

While I try always to be matter-of-fact and calm, I completely rule out meetings with strange dogs who give off even a hint of not being controlled.

never underestimate those fence runners!
i learned the hard way. I just figured-oh-they're behind the fence-let them act stupid, MY dogs are behaved and will ignore them.
WRONG!

capone got grabbed through a fence.
best to just walk th other way

when i see people on the sidewalk, especially kids-i walk in the road if i can(no cars).

If there is a car, i stop, wait for it to pass, then still walk off the sidewalk.

my dogs are nice, but 4 of them rushing up to some kid will barrel them over.
Plus, it gets my dogs way to excites, and because i am walking 4-if our groove gets messed up, it's a real pain to get back into our pace.

 Quote: mallory kwiatkowski

never underestimate those fence runners! .... when i see people on the sidewalk, especially kids-i walk in the road if i can(no cars).

Yes, there is zero benefit in exposing your dog to that, IMO. If I didn't see it ahead of time, I calmly move away as soon as I do see it.

That's a good point about walking either several dogs or big "scary" dogs (or both). If we are taking up a lot of sidewalk and more than one person is coming, I make a point of sitting my dogs off to the side while they pass.

Good PR and very good habit for the dog; the dog can learn something you want him to DO and be praised for instead of something you want him NOT to do. Praising for the wanted behavior trumps correcting for the unwanted one any day. JMO.

i tend to take up a whole sidewalk when we walk-so i have no problem moving.

We sit and wait for cars to pass as well and I rarely walk on the sidewalk as we tend to run into idiots with flexi-leads too often.

Speaking of flexi leads, my son got clotheslined by a doberman with a stupid stupid owner today as the dobie finally backed off Fargo and me she was just standing there or coming closer wagging her tail looking as stupid as her owner while my dog was trying to back up and get away.
THen she bounded over to what looked like a mastiff mix female who was none too pleased and the mastiffs owner gave her a few choice words about manners.

I hate those leads, I honestly feel they should be outlawed in public places.

some people actually take them into vet offices....with a bounding big lab on the end-THAT is a scary site.


back to the original topic-i know for me, it is hard to be rude to small kids, btu for the safety of your own dog-and the safety of that kid-you just have to be.

I have flat out told kids-though untrue-my dogs bite-do not come near us.

because no matter how much you tell them please don't approach my dog-those kids will until you scare them.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I was agreeing with you.

I know ....I just re-read my post and it seemed that I was on more of a tangent than I thought and I kind of got off one thing and onto another.....

I have had to be very firm and almost mean with children too.
I actually physically stuck an arm out and stopped a stupid kid mid stride and nearly knocked him over from advancing on fargo when he was still very shy and likely to nip.

It was the third or fourth time I had said no you may not pet him he is not friendly.

The mom started to get mad at me until I firmly told her my dog would bite it scared and that I had told her son several times to please leave him alone.

If I see a calm child who is interested in the dog and has obvious manners I ask them if they want to sit on the other side of me and see if he wants to sniff their shoes.
I hold right near his collar so that I have full control though in case he gets excited, he is no longer afraid of kids thank goodness.

The kids are usually satisified with letting him sniff their shoes and go on about their business after that.

This is what I do when I encounter children. Put my dog Bindi in a sit and ask them if they would like to help me train her. They always say yes, unless they are very shy already. I then give them a treat and teach them how to offer it to bindi. I also tell them about approaching a strange dog. I tell them I want bindi to like children and in order for that to happen they have to be nice to her. If it looks like the parents are not on this planet and can't control their children, I just let them know I have to go now. I really haven't had any problem. Because they are thinking they are helping me train Bindi, they are waiting for my instructions.
One time the very next day I got bindi, I was getting her an id tag at petsmart and while I wasn't looking a little kid, (on a halter himself) started stomping at her and trying to scare her, the guys parents where right there, doing nothing. I had to let him know I didnt appreciate it. I was with my granddaughter and we advanced toward the little guy and told him in my mom voice to stop it. then i walked out. I agree people can just be ....distracted is a nice way to put it.
Hope that may help you. Try getting the kids involved and see if they are more under control. Just my input.
God bless you