[newdoggirl]

So I was just out at a field with my dog. She was off leash and we were playing a nice game of fetch with a glorious stick she found when a dog comes running at us.

Now, my dog is reactive to dogs that are assertive/aggressive/rude to her. So, I see the dog's posture and I throw my girl on leash. I call to the other owner and ask if his dog is friendly (why do I bother?! They ALWAYS say yes). And, of course, his dog gets right in my dog's face.

I was really proud of my girl because she stood there wagging her tail while the other dog stood there with a pin straight tail and it's hackles starting to show. I thought.. here we go again. The dog starts barking right in my girl's face and the guy is trying to call his dog with no success.

In hopes this doesn't turn into a brawl, I start marching away with my dog on leash and his dog continues to follow us until finally, it runs back to its owner.

And then.. HE DOESN'T LEAVE! The owner stays with his dog about 20 feet from us so we can't continue playing and WE have to leave the area. GRRRR!!! I hate how oblivious some people are!

RANT OVER. Thank you for your patience.

 

[busannie]

the other dog stood there with a pin straight tail and it's hackles starting to show

For what it's worth, I've seen these sort of dogs go either way as far as actual aggression, though I know that doesn't help ease your concerns when it's your dog they're greeting. I always cringe when I see dogs doing that sort of "greeting" in the lobby at my work, but more often than not, if the other dog is of a "friendly" sort, it's no problem. Now, if the other dog is also an excited/tense greeter, that can spell trouble.

It's a pain when people have no idea their dog is being a nuisance, and even more so when they can see it but just don't care. That's why we mostly avoid public areas/daylight hours for our exercise/training times, but sometimes you can't avoid it!

 

[newdoggirl]

Yeah, it's hard to find the right balance between letting it go to see what happens and being appropriately cautious.

In this instance, I was feeling uneasy because the off leash dog was getting increasingly amped up while it's owner just stood there about 30 or so feet away.

I can easily gain control of my 70lb dog in the event of an emergency but I didn't feel confident I could separate both dogs if I needed to so I didn't want to let it go too far.

 

[busannie]

Yep- sometimes when you intervene, you can spark a fight, but at the same time, if you wait, they might fight on their own. It's definitely a catch 22