People who cant control their dogs

T

truthseeker

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At the moment there is a dog living beside me and the owner has no clue of how to control or discipline it. Its a little Yorkie and over the past number of months its behaviour has worsened and worsened. It used to hide behind the owners legs and bark out at people and dogs from behind them, but recently (from not being corrected) its started charging people and straining at the end of the leash to get at them while barking and going bananas. The owner seems to think this is all very cute and funny (or perhaps she is nervously laughing) but she never corrects the dog at all.

Last night I was going for a walk and the dog escaped out of his front door and chased me down the street barking and snarling at me. Im experienced with dog behaviour so I knew how to behave so as not to aggravate the situation - meanwhile the owner was walking after the dog calling his name gently and nervously laughing to try and defuse the situation. She was unable to recapture him, so I just walked off and left them to it. I was not laughing about it at all.

It just annoys me so much, why get a dog and be so irresponsible as to how to control it? Its quite clear to me as an outside observer that the situation is getting worse the longer the dog goes uncorrected and the behaviour is being reinforced by the owner nervously laughing and petting him to try and distract him (so rewarding the bad behaviour). I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this dog is going to bite someone one of these days.

I am planning on speaking to the owner next time I see her, when the dog is leashed. I reckon there is little point in just telling her to control her dog without educating her on how to control her dog as its clear she has no clue how to address the situation, but I can imagine me sticking my nose in is not going to go down well with her.

Sorry for the rant but uncontrolled, dangerous dogs are a particular hate of mine!! If anyone has any suggestions on how to approach the owner they would be appreciated.
 
I wouldn't approach the owner at all over a six inch high Yorkie - I'd drive it twenty yards back down the road with my boot if it came out after me. However my approach would be somewhat different if [broken link removed] was the offender.
 
We're in a similar situation. Our neighbours got two dogs a few months ago. We also have two and while they wouldn't be the best behaved dogs in the world at all times (one of them IS a boxer after all), they do know what's acceptable and they certainly know the boundries of our property.

Nieghbours dogs have no such idea, we constantly had them in our garden, worrying the rabbit by trying to get to it (the cage is destroyed with bites, scratches and broken bars), our vegetable patch that we trained our own dogs not to walk on was pulled apart by one of theirs. We can't even open our door because the dogs wander in. Our own dogs get very territorial and will bark or hold the visiting dogs down but mostly they just play with them.

It came to a head one night when I came home and found serious damage to the rabbit cage. On approaching the owners we were offered a new rabbit cage, a gardener for the vegetable patch and lots of excuses about how the dogs are young. Mix that with an attitude from them that suggested we were making a fuss about nothing and we were left quietly fuming. We didn't want any of that, we just wanted an assurance that they would train their dogs or find a way to keep them within their own property.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and one of their dogs was hit by a car on the road, I believe she is ok but we haven't seen it since. Their answer seems to be to keep the dogs locked up in an outdoor cage. Unfortunatly, the dogs don't like this and cry and howl all night.

It's not easy keeping a dog and I have all the patience in the world for someone who is trying to train their dog but none whatsoever when an owner seems to think their dog is free to roam and "too young to know better". Our property aside, we also have cows around us and it's only a matter of time until something happens with them.

I'm fuming mostly because I have a georgous big garden and for the first summer in the three I've lived here, I have time to enjoy it...god bless the recession! I don't want to go out there though because if the dogs are locked up they will be crying and barking, especially if they sense my own dogs are out. If they're not locked up they will be bounding up my garden, knocking over the garden furniture and upsetting my own dogs.

Not to mention, they're always filthy!

End of my own rant, thanks for that! :)
 
lol - I am aware the dog poses little threat to me but its a vicious dog and it could easily seriously hurt a small child.

I think its important that people are responsible about their dogs behaviour regardless of it being a Yorkie or a Rottweiller!!! Its the attitude of 'ah its just a small cute dog' that has the animal as bad as he is!!

Have you ever been bitten by a Yorkie? It hurts!! Theyve sharp little gnashers on them.

BubblyScot - you have my sympathy and empathy!!! I hate situations like that. Can you talk to the neighbours about HOW to train the dogs? Maybe suggest local training courses?
 
demoivre said:
i wouldn't approach the owner at all over a six inch high yorkie - i'd drive it twenty yards back down the road with my boot if it came out after me.
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+1

I was walking my dog beside a river last summer when a small dog (some sort of terrier) ran over and attacked my dog. I kicked it and it fell down the bank and into the river. Its owner was not happy but I told them that they should keep their dog on a leash in public.
 
Our estate is like an open dog pound. There must be at least ten dogs that roam freely day and night. One of them is constantly running in front of cars. Can the council dog wardens do something about it?
 
Bill Struth said:
Our estate is like an open dog pound. There must be at least ten dogs that roam freely day and night. One of them is constantly running in front of cars. Can the council dog wardens do something about it?
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Yes, if theyre strays he can pick them up if they belong to someone he can caution them to keep their dogs under control.
 
Regardless of whether yorkies are dangerous or not, some people are absolutely terrified of dogs and should not have to put up with this lack of consideration from some eejit of an owner.

Some dog owners can be unbelievably selfish. A couple a few doors down from me used to leave their dog out in the garden all night. The dog used to bark loudly at regular intervals, waking me up several times a night. After ages and ages of this, I eventually rang the house and asked if they could possibly bring the dog inside at night. The owner said he was too big and I (politely) said that this didn't really excuse leaving him outside barking all night. They did get rid of the dog in fairness, but apparently complained to a neighbour that someone had the nerve to ring them at 7.30 in the morning (I knew they'd be up as their car always left for work before 8) complaing about the dog. The fact that he was waking me up at 2am, 4am, 5 am didn't seem to matter!!
 
liaconn said:
Regardless of whether yorkies are dangerous or not, some people are absolutely terrified of dogs and should not have to put up with this lack of consideration from some eejit of an owner.
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Thank you Liaconn, thats exactly the viewpoint Im coming from. Im not actually afraid of dogs, but I know enough about dog behaviour to know that if Id acted fearfully myself Id have been on here today posting about a dog bite instead of a charge and a lot of snarling and barking. But just because I know how to behave around dog aggression does not excuse the owners disgraceful attitude of laughing at how cute he is (or laughing with nerves because she doesnt know what to do - Im not sure which). I feel I am entitled to walk around outside my home without being attacked by ANY dog - no matter what size he is.

I agree that some dog owners are just unbelievably selfish, at least in your story the dog was eventually removed despite the moany owners. I am constantly amazed at how badly behaved some dogs are and the owners looking shocked if anyone says anything to them.
 
The only time I was seriously attacked by a dog, it was by a Yorkie. They're savage little brutes! That's why I now have 2 big, slobbering beasties instead of a rat-on-a-rope :p

Truthseeker, maybe you could try chatting to the owner in a friendly manner (despite the seething desire to slap her and/or the dog). Maybe ask if she has ever considered training her dog, and offer to teach her a few techniques, as it sounds as though you have some knowledge of the subject. From the sounds of things, she is extremely embarrassed about not being able to control her rat - I mean, dog - and just might appreciate a bit of help.
 
A dog that is smaller than the average human foot is not really a dog or, to put is another way, a dog that you could kill be stepping on it is not really a dog.
 
Purple said:
I was walking my dog beside a river last summer when a small dog (some sort of terrier) ran over and attacked my dog. I kicked it and it fell down the bank and into the river. Its owner was not happy but I told them that they should keep their dog on a leash in public.
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Hehe I laughed in work...and now ahve several people looking funnily at me. Regardless of size (as I was attacked by a large dog as a kid) if I was to get bitten by one now the animal would be dead, plain and simple.

My cat, however, is another matter, as she's just plain evil!
 
My mother has a yorkshire terrier which doesn't like me and regularly attacked me. It got the head kicked off it by me 2 Christmases ago which put manners on it. Now it REALLY doesn't like me but it keeps it's distance.

Badly behaved dogs are a pain in the posterior and should be met with a boot. Forget talking to the owners.
 
I live in a nice street with trees and grass that is used by the children to play on. It annoys me when people take their dogs for a walk with the purpose of letting their dog defecate all over. It’s bad enough if they live in the street, but a lot of them are from other areas.
 
Kine said:
My cat, however, is another matter, as she's just plain evil!
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Strange you should say that, I thought we were the ones that posessed "the evil one" in the shape of our 9 year old Tabby. She was always a bit cantankerous but since we forgot her birthday a few years ago, (she was 6 on the 6th June '06....:eek:) she has turned positively devilish. She'd eat yorkies ( of both the 4 legged and trucker variety ) for breakfast and has been known to leave at least 2 local dogs who knew no better with bloody noses. So if anyone has a problem with unruly mutts give us a shout, her daily rates are quite reasonable. ( 2 slices of crumbed ham and some lightly BBQ'd chicken )
 
liaconn said:
Regardless of whether yorkies are dangerous or not, some people are absolutely terrified of dogs and should not have to put up with this lack of consideration from some eejit of an owner.

Some dog owners can be unbelievably selfish. A couple a few doors down from me used to leave their dog out in the garden all night. The dog used to bark loudly at regular intervals, waking me up several times a night. After ages and ages of this, I eventually rang the house and asked if they could possibly bring the dog inside at night. The owner said he was too big and I (politely) said that this didn't really excuse leaving him outside barking all night. They did get rid of the dog in fairness, but apparently complained to a neighbour that someone had the nerve to ring them at 7.30 in the morning (I knew they'd be up as their car always left for work before 8) complaing about the dog. The fact that he was waking me up at 2am, 4am, 5 am didn't seem to matter!!
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Agree 100%. I keep my dog on a lead at ALL times. It bugs the s**t out of me when I see people that have no consideration and let their dogs wander. I love dogs but I have a rule that if a loose dog ever comes near me while I'm walking my dog I'd have no problems giving it a boot up the ....
 
truthseeker said:
BubblyScot - you have my sympathy and empathy!!! I hate situations like that. Can you talk to the neighbours about HOW to train the dogs? Maybe suggest local training courses?
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My husband does most of the talking with them. He was careful not to come across as telling them what to do. He did tell them what worked for us when our boxer first came, he had no idea of boundries and ran into our other neighbours property. We were mortified but they were grand and within about three weeks the problem was sorted with training and a well positioned small fence.

They suggested themselves some training might be good, I have no idea if they did it though. Every time one of their dogs comes into our garden one of them comes very quickly to get it. It's happening less now though.

My biggest concern is that our loveable lump will follow their dogs back, after our hard work with him it would be really heartbreaking to have it all ruined. It's not as easy as putting a fence up, each property sits on half to one acre. I refuse to pay for a fence to keep someone elses dogs under control and to be honest, they would find other ways in.
 
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