Dog Community

Ignorant people

Posted : 3/6/2006 9:54:21 PM

Sorry for the subject line on this but I couldn't think of anything nicer. I just came back from the vet and while I was sitting in the waiting room a guy came out from one of the treatment rooms with his huge bulldog. He made no attempt to control him and the bulldog immediately went up to the poor guy at the counter's dog, a border collie and very bullishly sniffed and checked it over. The guy at the counter didn't seem to know what to say. I was sure there'd be a problem but the bulldog noticed a smaller sheltie type dog not far away and went over to investigate it. The woman at the end of the leash seemed nervous and said "is he friendly?" and the guy said "oh yeah". The woman said "well, my dog seems nervous" and the guy sort of meandered over my way. I had by then put Sassy back in the corner of where I was sitting and was fully ready to step between this dog and her if need be. The guy sat down not far away and kept looking at me, like "what's the matter with your dog that you're hiding her back there?" So I told him she has fear aggression and I don't take chances. He was a nice guy and talked about how much he loves labs, etc., but he had said his "boy" was harmless but then went on to say that he found him on the street with a torn ear and other cuts and was sure he'd been in a fight and lost. I thought "well, then why are you letting him bully his way into every other dogs face?"....okay, I'm done venting, but I just don't get people not being respectful of other dogs.

agilebasenji

Posted : 3/6/2006 10:59:26 PM

Well, and especially at the vets! People bring (D'UH!) sick dogs there.

Meg

Posted : 3/6/2006 11:10:51 PM

I completely understand. This happens often at our vet's office, usually it's a very ill behaved family dog, like a golden or the like that is pulling like mad to get to my dog(s). My dogs have never had a problem with other dogs, but you never know when personalities may clash, especially if the instigator is a very pushy dog that is not being properly controlled by his ignorant owner. I get tired of hearing "he's friendly, he gets along with everyone." There's a first for everything, and a pushy dog pulling furiously toward another dog is not always taken as friendly by the other dog. It's always better ot ask the owner if it would be OK for their dogs to meet so both owners have a chance to be in contro of their dogs. I'll be the first to admit that I will speak up or yell if needed if I think someone needs to gain more control over their dog in these situations, You have to

rotect your pets from strange dogs.

cakana

Posted : 3/6/2006 11:16:47 PM

Exactly! The environment is already so tense for the dogs (at least my girl is in stress mode at the vet) and it just seems so rude to let you dog drag you around to sniff/greet every dog it wants to. I usually leave Sassy in the car until it's her turn, but they told me to bring her in because the vet was just finishing up. 45 min's later, there we sat.
One recent visit a very nice man with a beautiful boxer came in and when the dog wanted to greet Sassy, he said "is your dog friendly?" and I said "I'm not sure" and he went and sat down. I felt bad that they couldn't meet each other, but I'd prefer to play it safe since she has some fear aggression and I surely appreciated his being considerate enough to ask first.

jetty

Posted : 3/7/2006 12:19:41 AM

That certainly doesn't sound like fun! At least he was friendly enough - sometimes you run into the "really ignorant one's" who have no sense of common courtesy which just makes everything worse!
It was great of him to take in that dog though!

sillysally

Posted : 3/7/2006 5:13:16 AM

We met the most obnoxious golden on the planet at the pet store the other day. We walked in the door and this thing starts barking and came at us so fast I was sure he was loose. NOPE, he just had an idiot lady on the other end who had no clue how to control the dog. I was proud of Sally--she was taken aback, as was I, but she sniffed him nicely. He just kept barking and barking and barking and barking--you get the idea. Sally doesn't like it when dogs bark too much and was a bit unsettled until we get in a different isle. Seriously though--the lady and that dog were there for at least 15 more minutes and the dog NEVER shut up.

Sandra TH

Posted : 3/7/2006 6:25:41 AM

That is the reason I always make Tanker wear his Hannibal Lecter basket muzzle to the vets. He is sometimes dog aggressive (but not always, I just never know). People see the muzzle and generally give us plenty of room and even if they don't I know that Tank isn't going to take a bite outta other patients (I also make him wear the muzzle at other crowded places- the pet store and sometimes the park walking trails where you can come up on other dogs rather suddenly). Better safe than sorry!

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/7/2006 7:01:46 AM

Usually, when we go to the vet, I have people falling all over themselves asking how we do what we do. Dogs sitting nicely in a "wait" or "settle". Dogs going "up" onto the scale and "waiting" to be weighed, then getting "off". Dogs doing tricks in the waiting room for their fave techs.
I just tell them the first step is to gain control of the "pulling" LOL. They HAUL their dogs away from mine then...[sm=rotfl.gif]

He is The Boss

Posted : 3/7/2006 7:10:50 AM

Boss is muzzled when we go in too. I just never know when he will be dog aggressive, or when someone else is not controlling their own dog. People have cats in there in laundry baskets, etc. and I'd hate for Boss in his enthusiasm to scare the crap out of some cat!

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/7/2006 7:30:18 AM

When Maska goes, he actually looks for the cats - to say hello. He really likes cats!
The cats, of course, are mostly horrified. [sm=eek.gif]

tashakota

Posted : 3/7/2006 8:18:06 AM

I think the part that a lot of us have trouble with is that we know and understand dogs a little better than the average pet owner. The average pet owner thinks "it's just a dog", we think "it's a dog with emotions, boundaries, personalities and behaviors". The average person is generally stunned when their "friendly" dog starts a fight but we're not. We could have seen it coming or prevented it by being more in tune with our own dogs' behavior and tendancies.

marynh

Posted : 3/7/2006 8:18:36 AM

I still remember the time I took Sadie to a strange vet for an acupuncture treatment and a woman was sitting there with her large retriever unleashed.
The talk walked up to Sadie, sniffed her backside and immediately hopped on. Sadie, being the lady she was, sat down and snarled at the dog. I looked at the dog's owner and asked her to leash her dog. "oh he's fine, just feeling his oats". I reminded her that was a good way to get a brawl going, and her damn dog nearly raped my dog.
She leashed him....it was rude

alicia quinones

Posted : 3/7/2006 9:23:35 AM

I swear some people just don't think, Half the time it's the dog that controls them then the person controlling the dog. I feel don't have a pet if you can't respect other pet owners.

glenmar

Posted : 3/7/2006 9:39:56 AM

My dogs wait in the van until the vet is ready for them. I arrive right on time, never early, and go in and let them know that we are there. I will NOT take my dogs in to sit and wait with other dogs simply because there are soooo many there who have no manners. And, I've got BIG dogs and find that often the little snippy ones want to challenge the bigger ones.

Sheba I always muzzle because it makes HER feel that she is in control of her fear. She can't airsnap with the muzzle on and it seems to make her less fearful. She just loves the stroking and loving she gets at the vets, but only if she knows that she can't retaliate. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but it works for her.

Sandra TH

Posted : 3/7/2006 9:48:50 AM

Glenda,
I walk with a woman and her very large dog in the park when weather permits. Basker (as in hound of the Baskervilles) is a giant very happy and excitable dog (hard to control, but not aggressive). He is much better behaved when he is wearing a muzzle. It seems to calm him. We have always wondered why...

Oops- sorry to get off topic..!