• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

lefty's random dog thread.

ClambakeSkate

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
760
Reaction score
439
I got in a shouting match with a stereotypical rich snobby ***** with one of those little muppet-look-a-like dogs this weekend... argh, I hate when people are over protective of their dogs.

So, this is what happened, please tell me how I should have dealt with this, maybe I shouldn't have resorting to screaming at her, but c'est la vie:

My dog is an Australian Shepherd, his name is Hetfield, a herding dog obviously, and he tends to herd dogs when we go to the dog park. He'll bark and kinda nip them on the back of the neck, but he has never attacked a dog or anything else for that matter and he's probably one of the friendliest dogs of the dogs I see regularly at the parks I frequent. Most of the other dog owners know Hetfield and know his tendencies and a lot of them actually look forward to seeing him because he'll get the other dogs running around and playing when they were maybe just standing around and being lazy before. Occasionally, when there is a puppy or a 'delicate flower' of a dog that's obviously been pampered and babied by their owner, he will instinctively sense this sort of weakness and bark them into a corner and just not let up. Mind you, he'll never attack or even nip at them when they're in this standoff, just bark. I'll usually just stand in front of him and have him sit to settle down then he's usually able to carry on playing without any more trouble towards the other dog.

So, one of these delicate flowers comes to the park after I'd been there for about 45 mins already. I was just chatting with one of the other owners who I see regularly and just keeping my eye on my dog as I always do. Hetfield always greets new dogs at the gate and makes sure he gets to sniff them to see if he wants to play with them. So, he decides he wants to play and the little muppet is all for it. The muppet bolts and Hetfield pursues. He caught up to him, kinda nudges him with his nose on the back and they both tumble into the corner. Hetfield starts barking because he thought they were having fun and wanted to start the chase again. The other dog was not really into it so the dog's owner loses her ******* mind and runs toward her dog, scoops it up, and starts cradling it like a little baby. Hetfield still wants to play but he can't play when his playmate is 5 feet in the air so he's barking and jumping. I go over to him to get him to settle down and the lady starts yelling at me.

"You could've stepped in 5 minutes ago! Your dog is crazy!" Mind you, reading the play by play of this event probably takes about 10x longer than the amount of time it actually took, so there is no way it took me 5 mins to get him under control.

I calmly tell her "He just wants to play with your dog, he's harmless."

She comes back with "YOUR DOG WAS ATTACKING MY DOG! HE'S DANGEROUS!"

So I tell the ***** "You're cradling your dog like a baby and carrying him around the dog park, what's wrong with you?!? My dog has never attacked anyone or anything, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR ******* MIND!"

So she puts her dog in the side of the dog park for small dogs and we both carry on our separate business.

I really just think it's a herding instict thing. I know all dog owners say that their dogs are the sweetest most harmless dogs, but he really is. He knows his limits and with a little bit of exploration he can determine the limits of other dogs very quickly.

I just feel that some dog owners step in too quickly and that gets him riled up more. Kinda like that 'want-what-you-can't-have' type of thing. I love the owners who just let the dogs decide for themselves where their limits are. If you're a dog owner and you know your dog has aggressive tendencies you'll watch him a little closer or not bring him to the dog park at all. I've found this to be very true, especially since I live in a very well-off liberal neighborhood, everyone who has dogs is very dedicated to their well-being.

Was I wrong here?
 

Stazy

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2006
Messages
7,025
Reaction score
432
Originally Posted by ClambakeSkate
Was I wrong here?
If you follow this thread you know that I have a basenji. Jake is not a big dog: 17 inches high, 24 lbs. Last weeekend I was at the dog park and he started playing with a big ass German Shepard. They were chasing each other around, gnawing at each other, and barking. It wasn't vicious in the least, they were just playing. The owner of the German Shepard was so worried about him hurting my dog that she kept stepping in to scold him. I finally just told her to relax...Jake was clearly enjoying himself and that it only looked bad because of the size difference. All of that to say that bigger dogs can be intimidating (even to their owners in the case I just highlighted). Your dog probably didn't cross the line but you can hardly expect a "stereotypical rich snobby *****" to have a nuanced understanding of how dogs interact with each other. That being said, swearing at her wasn't a great idea. She probably walked away feeling that if you can't control your emotions you probably can't control your dog either.
 

lefty

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
10,760
Reaction score
4,548
Originally Posted by IronRock
Hope the fox bolts.

My dad used to make tunnels out of chicken wire and old sacks in order to get the dogs used to working in confined spaces but as to whether you can train a terrier to flush a fox I'm not so sure. I've seen foxes dragged back up by their legs and noses but I don't think that counts.


What I thought. How much fight does a fox have if cornered?

Originally Posted by ClambakeSkate
I got in a shouting match with a stereotypical rich snobby ***** with one of those little muppet-look-a-like dogs this weekend... argh, I hate when people are over protective of their dogs.

So, this is what happened, please tell me how I should have dealt with this, maybe I shouldn't have resorting to screaming at her, but c'est la vie:

My dog is an Australian Shepherd, his name is Hetfield, a herding dog obviously, and he tends to herd dogs when we go to the dog park. He'll bark and kinda nip them on the back of the neck, but he has never attacked a dog or anything else for that matter and he's probably one of the friendliest dogs of the dogs I see regularly at the parks I frequent. Most of the other dog owners know Hetfield and know his tendencies and a lot of them actually look forward to seeing him because he'll get the other dogs running around and playing when they were maybe just standing around and being lazy before. Occasionally, when there is a puppy or a 'delicate flower' of a dog that's obviously been pampered and babied by their owner, he will instinctively sense this sort of weakness and bark them into a corner and just not let up. Mind you, he'll never attack or even nip at them when they're in this standoff, just bark. I'll usually just stand in front of him and have him sit to settle down then he's usually able to carry on playing without any more trouble towards the other dog.

So, one of these delicate flowers comes to the park after I'd been there for about 45 mins already. I was just chatting with one of the other owners who I see regularly and just keeping my eye on my dog as I always do. Hetfield always greets new dogs at the gate and makes sure he gets to sniff them to see if he wants to play with them. So, he decides he wants to play and the little muppet is all for it. The muppet bolts and Hetfield pursues. He caught up to him, kinda nudges him with his nose on the back and they both tumble into the corner. Hetfield starts barking because he thought they were having fun and wanted to start the chase again. The other dog was not really into it so the dog's owner loses her ******* mind and runs toward her dog, scoops it up, and starts cradling it like a little baby. Hetfield still wants to play but he can't play when his playmate is 5 feet in the air so he's barking and jumping. I go over to him to get him to settle down and the lady starts yelling at me.

"You could've stepped in 5 minutes ago! Your dog is crazy!" Mind you, reading the play by play of this event probably takes about 10x longer than the amount of time it actually took, so there is no way it took me 5 mins to get him under control.

I calmly tell her "He just wants to play with your dog, he's harmless."

She comes back with "YOUR DOG WAS ATTACKING MY DOG! HE'S DANGEROUS!"

So I tell the ***** "You're cradling your dog like a baby and carrying him around the dog park, what's wrong with you?!? My dog has never attacked anyone or anything, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR ******* MIND!"

So she puts her dog in the side of the dog park for small dogs and we both carry on our separate business.

I really just think it's a herding instict thing. I know all dog owners say that their dogs are the sweetest most harmless dogs, but he really is. He knows his limits and with a little bit of exploration he can determine the limits of other dogs very quickly.

I just feel that some dog owners step in too quickly and that gets him riled up more. Kinda like that 'want-what-you-can't-have' type of thing. I love the owners who just let the dogs decide for themselves where their limits are. If you're a dog owner and you know your dog has aggressive tendencies you'll watch him a little closer or not bring him to the dog park at all. I've found this to be very true, especially since I live in a very well-off liberal neighborhood, everyone who has dogs is very dedicated to their well-being.

Was I wrong here?



It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. My advice? Don't go to dog parks.

lefty
 

JLibourel

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
8,287
Reaction score
501
^ I would emphatically second lefty's advice to shun dog parks, dog beaches and such. I find the dog parks to be places of filth, fighting, fleas and disease. Almost every serious dog person I know despises them.

As one of the most knowledgeable dog people I ever knew remarked to me, she thought dog parks are "places where dogs like yours kill dogs like mine." (She bred Scotties.)

There was an incident at the Long Beach Dog Beach awhile back. A woman went there and turned her Chihuahua loose. "Oh, how stupid!" a dogwise friend of mine remarked. "Not as stupid as the other party who turned two pit bulls loose there," I replied. The pit bulls promptly had a nice game of tug of war with the poor Chihuahua, and that was it for the little dog. The owner of the pits fled with her dogs and was never, as far as I know, held to account for the Chihuahua's death.

Of course, I would never let my Tosas loose in a dog park. They'd probably get along just fine with many of the dogs, but there would be some they wouldn't, and all hell would break loose.
 

BP348

Senior Member
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
659
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by ClambakeSkate
IWas I wrong here?

Short answer, Yes you were wrong.

None of us were there so we really cant say but I can understand how someone could think your dog was chasing and attacking their dog. Did the lady know your dog was only playing with her dog? Doesn't sound like it. Then you yell and swear at her?

I've never been to a dog park so I don't know what the norm is at one but it sounds to me like you over reacted.
 

BP348

Senior Member
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
659
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by JLibourel
There was an incident at the Long Beach Dog Beach awhile back. A woman went there and turned her Chihuahua loose. "Oh, how stupid!" a dogwise friend of mine remarked. "Not as stupid as the other party who turned two pit bulls loose there," I replied. The pit bulls promptly had a nice game of tug of war with the poor Chihuahua, and that was it for the little dog. The owner of the pits fled with her dogs and was never, as far as I know, held to account for the Chihuahua's death.

I've never been to a dog park and don't plan on it but if I did I sure wouldn't bring my Chihuahua. If something like the above ever happened to my dog you can bet your ass that would be 2 dead F'ing pitt bulls. I'd sue the crap out of the owner and then make sure the state put the 2 dogs down. If they state wouldn't do it I have a nice shotgun that would take care of it.

If I was there and saw something like that you can bet that I would do my best to make sure the pitt bull owner didn't leave or that I got a license plate and description of the car.

Honestly just thinking about the above really pisses me off!
 

lefty

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
10,760
Reaction score
4,548
Originally Posted by ClambakeSkate

Was I wrong here?


Partially. She was wrong to have her small dog in the large dog run if I read that correctly.

You were wrong to let your dog "play" with the smaller dog without checking with the owner first. I would have observed the owner and at the slightest sign of concern on her part, recalled my dog and put him on lead until both the small dog and the owner were more comfortable.

lefty
 

ClambakeSkate

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
760
Reaction score
439
Thanks to all who read my longwinded story and offered advice...

Originally Posted by Stazy
If you follow this thread you know that I have a basenji. Jake is not a big dog: 17 inches high, 24 lbs. Last weeekend I was at the dog park and he started playing with a big ass German Shepard. They were chasing each other around, gnawing at each other, and barking. It wasn't vicious in the least, they were just playing. The owner of the German Shepard was so worried about him hurting my dog that she kept stepping in to scold him. I finally just told her to relax...Jake was clearly enjoying himself and that it only looked bad because of the size difference.

All of that to say that bigger dogs can be intimidating (even to their owners in the case I just highlighted). Your dog probably didn't cross the line but you can hardly expect a "stereotypical rich snobby *****" to have a nuanced understanding of how dogs interact with each other.

That being said, swearing at her wasn't a great idea. She probably walked away feeling that if you can't control your emotions you probably can't control your dog either.


I feel like we could get along as dog owners. Yes, like I said I regret yelling at the woman, but she was screaming into my face and it was a kneejerk reaction on my part. Wish I had kept my cool on that.

Originally Posted by lefty
It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. My advice? Don't go to dog parks.

lefty


I really wish that was a viable option. Where do your dogs run and play with other dogs? I think that's an important part of a dogs happiness. I wish I had a farm with a bunch of other dogs that he could run around with all the time, but that's not realistic for me right now.

Originally Posted by JLibourel
^ I would emphatically second lefty's advice to shun dog parks, dog beaches and such. I find the dog parks to be places of filth, fighting, fleas and disease. Almost every serious dog person I know despises them.

As one of the most knowledgeable dog people I ever knew remarked to me, she thought dog parks are "places where dogs like yours kill dogs like mine." (She bred Scotties.)

There was an incident at the Long Beach Dog Beach awhile back. A woman went there and turned her Chihuahua loose. "Oh, how stupid!" a dogwise friend of mine remarked. "Not as stupid as the other party who turned two pit bulls loose there," I replied. The pit bulls promptly had a nice game of tug of war with the poor Chihuahua, and that was it for the little dog. The owner of the pits fled with her dogs and was never, as far as I know, held to account for the Chihuahua's death.

Of course, I would never let my Tosas loose in a dog park. They'd probably get along just fine with many of the dogs, but there would be some they wouldn't, and all hell would break loose.


That's horrible. Pits definitely have a bad reputation and I've definitely seen a few fly off the handle, but that can happen outside of a dog park too.

Originally Posted by BP348
Short answer, Yes you were wrong.

None of us were there so we really cant say but I can understand how someone could think your dog was chasing and attacking their dog. Did the lady know your dog was only playing with her dog? Doesn't sound like it. Then you yell and swear at her?

I've never been to a dog park so I don't know what the norm is at one but it sounds to me like you over reacted.


People bring their dogs to a dog park to play with other dogs. When I calmly told her that he was simply playing with her dog, she lost it and started screaming at me and accusing my dog of attacking hers. That's when I started screaming back at her. Again, I wish I hadn't stooped to her level at that point, I regret it.

Originally Posted by BP348
I've never been to a dog park and don't plan on it but if I did I sure wouldn't bring my Chihuahua. If something like the above ever happened to my dog you can bet your ass that would be 2 dead F'ing pitt bulls. I'd sue the crap out of the owner and then make sure the state put the 2 dogs down. If they state wouldn't do it I have a nice shotgun that would take care of it.

If I was there and saw something like that you can bet that I would do my best to make sure the pitt bull owner didn't leave or that I got a license plate and description of the car.

Honestly just thinking about the above really pisses me off!


Yes, it's an awful story, but I don't think it's the norm at any dog park.

Originally Posted by lefty
Partially. She was wrong to have her small dog in the large dog run if I read that correctly.

You were wrong to let your dog "play" with the smaller dog without checking with the owner first. I would have observed the owner and at the slightest sign of concern on her part, recalled my dog and put him on lead until both the small dog and the owner were more comfortable.

lefty


Again, it is assumed that all dogs coming in to the park are there to play. I have never asked another owner if it's OK for my dog to play with theirs, nor have I been asked. Occasionally, if I am the only one at the park, or if another dog owner is the only one at the park I will ask if it is OK to come in, but on the day in question there were 6-8 dogs there already.

Thanks all again for your thoughts.
 

lefty

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
10,760
Reaction score
4,548
It's a bit of an unwinnable situation. Eventually there will be a fight and vet bills.

Dog parks are designed to help owners socialize, not dogs. Dogs don't need to play with other dogs to be "happy." They have a pack and leader - you.

lefty
 

dcg

Distinguished Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2007
Messages
3,991
Reaction score
506
Add me to the list of those who now avoid the dog park.

I do think it can be useful to have your dog run around with a canine friend as a means of tiring them both out, but better to do it with another dog (and owner) of your choosing at a separate location.

My dog doesn't put up with as much as she used to.
 

JayJay

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
24,297
Reaction score
439
I also stopped going to dog parks. Supposedly the one I frequented was one of the better ones in town because of owner screening and quality maintenance. Howeever, I found poop all over the place, and dogs that played too rough. My dog, a terrier, isn't easily frightened and prefers to tumble with large dogs three or four times his size. But there were a couple of occasions where unsocialized large dogs wanted to have my dog for dinner while the owners seemed oblivious to what was happening. Never again.
 

KJT

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
1,267
Reaction score
13
Originally Posted by lefty
Speaking of retrievers, here's a video of a hunting dog's POV:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags.
lefty


How cool. Thanks for posting this.
 

lefty

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
10,760
Reaction score
4,548
Badgers look like tough customers. And the Honey Badger ... fuggedaboutit.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags.
lefty
 

IronRock

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
372
Reaction score
13
Originally Posted by lefty
Badgers look like tough customers. And the Honey Badger ... fuggedaboutit.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags.
lefty


Honey badger don't give a ****.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 45 40.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 44 39.6%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 5 4.5%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 18 16.2%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 25 22.5%

Forum statistics

Threads
504,456
Messages
10,574,016
Members
223,712
Latest member
somaleafcbd4
Top