“They only want to be friends!”

Grrr.. and that’s not from a dog it’s from me. How many times I’ve heard that saying as dogs come charging up to the dogs I have that are walking on lead. It’s got to the point where I have started to keep a record of how many times this occurs. This week alone I’m into double figures (and it’s only Thursday!).

The Urpeth Woods/Ouston Common area near where I live is quite simply ‘doggie central’. Which would be fine if it weren’t for the high percentage of dog owners who sadly fall into the irresponsible category. Those who have absolutely no control over their dogs and simply cannot recall them away from other dogs. There is a sensible minority who do keep their dogs under control either by the recall being excellent or keeping their dogs on lead, but I emphasise the word ‘minority’.

I understand that dogs need to socialise and there is a good chance you will meet other dogs out and about, but surely it’s just manners that when you see someone approaching with their dogs/s on lead, you put your own dog back on lead particularly if you know there is a possibility they will not recall as they get closer. There could be a good reason why the other dog is walking on lead. If the other dog is off lead, then it’s still a good idea to check with the owner that both dogs can meet.

But it’s the happy-go-lucky friendly dogs who unwittingly charge towards other dogs that I feel sorry for…they may have wanted to say hello but due to their owners not being able to call them away, they end up being attacked and possibly bitten. So who’s at fault here? No doubt the tale told by owner of happy-go-lucky dog will be that they were attacked, but I bet they fail to mention that they allowed their dog to run over to a dog being walked on lead in the first place.

Ok so there could be a rare occasion when even well-trained dogs go through a recall ‘blip’. When that does happen, owners are usually mortified and very apologetic. The ones I am referring to in this blog are the ones who simply do not care. When dogs charge up to mine when I am walking them on lead, I am usually left with no other choice but to either unclip or drop the lead. I have to so things don’t get tangled up.

Interestingly when I am walking the big German Shepherd on lead whose bark echoes around the Northern Hemisphere, the same ‘irresponsible’ people all of a sudden scramble to get their dogs on lead. So they can do it when they want to. I wonder why ; ) ?