Other Dogs when walking

Hi,

I have a dog 8 months and pup 4 Months.

I have a fear of walking them on there lead as there is often other bigger dogs around that are not on a lead.

Any suggestions as to how to cope with this.

Noelie

it can be quite unsettling to see larger dogs off leads, however from my own experiences it is the smaller breeds that you need to be most careful of (terriers etc)
You do need to be very careful as unfortunately some people that let their dogs off leads have no control over them atall. But saying that dont let this put you off walking your own dogs just be a bit cautious. We taught Chloe the phrase "quick quick". Whenever we walk past something or need her to come to us we shout this and she scurries along really fast! this is great to get past some situations without been to obvious to other people that we are trying to avoid their dogs.

Hmm.

There are a few problems here, mostly with the lack of trust in other dogs. Your dogs will undoubtedly have already picked up on your fear & tension. You, more than anything, could have caused an issue before you even try to attempt to solve this problem. At least with your older dog, anyway.

Most dog handlers know their dogs very well, most dog owners would not like to see another dog get hurt! If I see a dog owner with a dog on it's lead or wearing a muzzle - I keep well away! It's a sign to me as a dog owner. If they are off the lead, even when I approach with mine, it is fair to assume that the dog is reliable & friendly towards people & dogs to be given such freedom. "Big dogs" are nothing to be afraid of as most of them that are reliable off-lead are lovely gentle giants compared to the fidgety energetic smaller dogs! You need to socialise your dogs with big & small dogs, it's very important to do this as it can cause problems when they are forced to walk past a larger dog on a small path. It's unfair to project your own fears onto your puppies!

What I would do is try to find an enclosed space - like an enclosed tennis court at a local park or something similar. Practice your recall with your two dogs (this is especially important for your elder given that he will have a very large impulse to run & run having been given this brand new freedom! Plus, at his age, he's going through a rebellious streak). Practise, practise! Go up to dog owners with larger dogs & ask them is their dog dog friendly. Socialise this pair with as many as you can find. There is no good assuming that all other dogs & their owners are out to get you! Plus it is unfair to ask a small fearful dog to stay on it's lead when a large dog is near it - if it is afraid, he should be allowed to escape else you'll have a nervous aggression problem on your hands!

i am glad you brought this up but on a different line...i do let jadan off lead when other dogs are about as i dont think it fair if he couldnt get away, if a dog (big or small)is being too energetic then he tends to lay or sit down as he doesnt like it. my only gripe is when we approach a group of dogs (big and small) he wants to play with the smaller ones but as soon as the big dogs start to bound over he cowers behind peoples legs. i think this started when he used to play with my sisters dogs when they were pups but they out grew him in size and weight very early on even though they were all puppys, but were bigger and i didnt want him to get hurt by there pouncing so would keep an eye on them but i dont think he likes the way big dogs play any more. however if he comes and cowers behind me then i just move to one side as generally the bigger dogs just want to sniff not play with him. but the owners all pander to jadan and coo over him about how sweet he is and "come here i will protect you" etc, if i say anything then they look at me as if i am heartless even if i explain that in them pandereing to him when he is in that state that they are actually telling him its ok to be like that. who is right? i dont want to pander to him as he does like big dogs and openly greets them etc but obviously knows they are heavy and can hurt when they play.

Don't respond to fear, if you see something that is about to get out of hand, call him over. Do not pick him up, try not to be afraid or unsure as your dog is tuned to your feelings. If you see a group of dogs that could lead to trouble, call the dog back & walk away. You don't want to be in situations that can cause problems with your dog in the future with other dogs & you don't want to pander to him. If you see a risk of anything - walk away! Ask owners of bigger dogs about their dogs to see if they are suitable for playing with. It is NOT worth risking your dog's confidence around bigger dogs.

Thats all well and good about his confidence but what about me. How can I get other bigger dogs to go away?

We have no problem mixing him with other small dogs. He reacts to them by playing. He isnt vicisious to them and vice versa.

You, personally, are scared of them or are you scared for your dogs?

If you have a problem with a big dog yourself, ask the owner to remove it or walk off.