Exellent article. I couldn't tell you how many people want to let their dogs play with my "cute little terriers". I can be in the field with 8-10 other people with terriers that doen't know one another, yet they are all hunters and all understand and control their dogs of leash. We don't have dog parks, but the parks we do have all have nice walking paths AND leash laws. The IDIOTS who let their dogs run free all have the same excuse. "He loves all people and all dogs". Then I'm the asshole because my "cute little terriers" are nasty and don"t want to play. We have all been there. Most of these IDIOTS usually have Goldens or Lab. (No apologies offered for that statement) Mabey it's just that there are so many Goldens and Labs. Sorry, This subject pisses me off. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

oldearthdog, These IDIOT's that you mention are usually trained by their dogs! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Butch: I can't take my two dogs to anything like a DOG PARK, When anything invades the Akita's space, I have to control the sitution. You would think that these little P--- A-- dogs would have more sense then their owners. Like the article stated these owners have no concept of K-9 Behavior. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Butch: I wish I had GOLDFISH to give them! They would proberly want to let them play with other GOLDFISH. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> :rolleyes:

Butch: on a positive note, it sure is apleasure when you encounter well behaved K-9's and their owners. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Oldearthdog,
Yes, there are a lot of Goldens and Labs out there. The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in America currently (for good reason, IMHO). They're great dogs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the type of people, in general, who are attracted to the Lab because of their friendly and tractable nature are also, in general, the type of people who want child substitutes instead of dogs. There are lots of exceptions, like myself and several knowledgeable dog handlers that I know, who love Labs for their temperament, but also understand that they are DOGS, not babies or children.
Please don't let idiots like the ones you describe sour you on Lab people. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Now that I've typed 10,000 words on Labs in a thread about this exceptional article, how can I get this back on topic before the thread gets closed? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

...or is it too late?

I agree, They are awsome dogs, but you hit it on the head about a lot of the people attracted to them. I'm going to bed before the "off topic gods" decend. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Sometimes, even if the dog is polite it just seems that the owners involved just make really stupid decisions. Where I work in the winter the trails are clearly marked as dog sled trails - other users (XC skiiers) can use them but they are primarily DS trails. I was guiding 5 clients-who each had a four dog team and
I was leading with a six dog team - we round the corner and what is there but a XC skiier and a little barky unleashed corgi! Twenty six pairs of husky ears immediately flicked forward, immediately interested in the rabbit/chicken sized morsel. The skiier said "Oh he likes other dogs". . I was reasonably polite as I asked him to step as far off the trail as he could once he had picked up his dog and informed him that he had made a bad choice for a loose dog jaunt. He informed me that he was using the sled dog trail because the XC ski trail didn't allow dogs on the trail and he thought that this would be fine. Disaster was averted and thank heavens it was early on into the run and the dogs were hot to go. Took me a little while to get my heart rate and blood pressure down though - whew.

Gee, I wonder why they don't allow dogs on the XC skiing trains? Maybe because they can't be controled adequately with your hands busy with poles???? The idea that "What I want to do is the only important thing" is the biggest part of the problem. People won't follow the rules, they don't enforce the rules, and then they can't figure out why things don't work out for them. Maybe the rules are there for a REASON??

People with smaller dogs are often completely ignorant of how much damage a large dog could do to their pup in an unleashed situation. People with small dogs (not always) are often, from my experience, the ones with some of the least trained dogs.
When I used to go to the dogpark there were at least 3 or 4 people with rescued greyhounds. They enjoyed the park because it's often hard for them to find a place to let their dogs run that's safe. Often someone would bring a smaller dog in (sheltie and smaller) completely oblivious to the fact that the greyhounds could and would run their dog down and...... (you get the picture).
Then they would wonder why all of the poor greyhounds and their owners would immediately pack up and leave. I often felt sorry for them. They were the responsible dog owners and sometimes they would be at the park less than 15 minutes before they would have to leave.

People with small dogs are definately some of the guilty ones. Most owners of terriers (notice I didn,t say terrier people) think it,s cute when their dogs act so tough. Duh! Terriers are tough little dogs but there is a old saying in Boxing, "A good big man will beat a good little man". A 14 lb JRT might be Great. A 90 lb Lab only has to be pissed off.

 Quote:

Originally posted by oldearthdog:
People with small dogs are definately some of the guilty ones. Most owners of terriers (notice I didn,t say terrier people) think it,s cute when their dogs act so tough. Duh! Terriers are tough little dogs but there is a old saying in Boxing, "A good big man will beat a good little man". A 14 lb JRT might be Great. A 90 lb Lab only has to be pissed off.

Not only that, but a 90lb. Lab is outside the breed standard. Another one of my gripes!

My own mother is one of the worst dog owners I know. She has a little mini Schnauzer type who has the human completely trained. This dog does not even know what "sit" means. And, my mom refuses to pick up after her! I can't reason with her. To her, it's "In my day, you didn't have to pick up poop, if you stepped in it, it was your own fault for not watching where you're going. Anyway, it's so small, nobody will even notice it.". It's gotten to the point where I avoid walking the dogs with my mother. You just can't reason with her. Her poor little dog will stop to take a dump, but my mom will just drag her along and not let her, rather than just carry a stupid plastic bag and pick it up!!!! Even the thought that she could get ticketed by animal control doesn't seem to have an effect on her behavior. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Oh boy, can I tempt the "off topic" powers that be any more than this?

 Quote:

Originally posted by Richard Cannon:
Gee, I wonder why they don't allow dogs on the XC skiing trains? Maybe because they can't be controled adequately with your hands busy with poles???? The idea that "What I want to do is the only important thing" is the biggest part of the problem. People won't follow the rules, they don't enforce the rules, and then they can't figure out why things don't work out for them. Maybe the rules are there for a REASON??

There is a way to control a dog on leash while skiiing or snowshoeing... Just as a side note... I have a flexi belt type retractable leash and use a climbing harness to attach it to myself. The dog can only go so far and you are hands free. If you need to stop you "sit" down a bit and dig your poles in. (my dog will stop with voice) I however, do not recommend this with a dog that likes to try and go around trees the long way. LOL. My schnauzer is pretty good rigged up like this till she gets tired, then she wants to step on the snowshoes and bum a ride... :rolleyes: I should add that I don't do this on "trails" as I like to blaze my own... I am yet to run into anyone other than a pine tree...

We have similar idiots here in the national park. There is a 6 foot leash rule all through Acadia and dogs are supposed to be leashed at all times. What really gets me are the people that take their dogs that don't like horses, on the CARRIAGE trails. Does anyone know what pulls a carriage? I have to wonder what these people think taking a dog that hates horses on a carriage trail. There are plenty of other trails that do not have horses. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />