Why can't 99% of people control their dogs?

It still baffles me why 99% of people I come across when walking my dog seem to have no idea how to get a grip of their animal, or even worse don't seem to care! It's the only thing that spoils my twice daily walks with my 5 year old male STBT. Every time I see another dog walker coming towards us I simply say "SIDE" & he instantly comes to within 12 inches of my left leg & sticks there until I allow him to "GO ON". I then know one of two things will probably happen:

Scenario 1: the person will shout at their dog repeatedly but the dog will completely ignore them & come running over to mine anyway & then I just have to hope I can get rid of it without it all kicking off. He has been attacked a few times in this situation & although doesn't have an aggression problem he is not that keen on other dogs.

Scenario 2: the other person either doesn't even watch their dog & has their back to it, or even worse is when they clearly see their dog running over to mine & they then just look away & continue walking off as if they couldn't care less which I think is the very height of bad dog owner manners!

Some owners manage to get their dog on a lead which is fare enough but you can tell if they hadn't managed to get that lead on they would of had no chance of controlling their dog. It's very very rare to see someone who appears to have a confident control over their animal & I can't actually remember the last time I witnessed it.

I just expect this to happen to us pretty much every time we leave the house now & I'm sick of it but there's nothing you can do. It turns a perfectly relaxing pleasant walk into to a stressful situation.

I just would not allow my dog to behave the way others do. One time I even asked someone to get their dog away from mine (while he was on my SIDE) as he was not keen on other dogs & they told me I should have my dog on a lead!!!!!! The sheer ignorance of some people is just astonishing.

Bit of a rant I know, sorry lol

thats not good i can understand your frustration and cant believe that owner had the cheek to tell you that you should have your dog on a lead! what a horrible experience for you and your dog.

They simply don't care! I come across similar experiences my worsed scenarios being

1. Went in another direction other owner followed us let his dogs charge at Millie and snap at her. Mum wisked millie up immediately and we left to deal with these two JRT's while the owner strolled past and had the cheak to tell us off for picking up our dog -.-

2. Walking Millie off lead this greyhound came out of nowhere owner didn't care that her dog was just chassing mine to the ground and trying to pin her. I couldn't get Millie to come to me because everytime she did this dog came back to chase her again. by the time the dog owner came over over I was having right go at her -.-

I am glad to say despite the number of dogs that would charge Millie while she was on the lead have not turned her to do the same. I all ways call her to me when I see a dog on the lead and Millie comes back ^^

Could I ask how you taught 'side'?

I'm afraid I will fall into those 99% of people. My dog gets so excited around other dogs I am pretty much invisible. He just wants to go over to say hello.
However my dog is always kept on lead - because I am aware of this and unsure how to train out.

Thanks.

It could just be that he's young but their could still be time to teach him. I know of a place near me that does socialising for older dogs it might be worth looking into a 1 2 1 trainer ^^

It probably isn't 99% of dog owners that have no control over their dogs. But might seem that way when you encounter them so often.

I have some theories. I think the reason a lot of dogs who behave like this are OFF lead is because the owners cannot even manage to walk their dogs ON lead. Haven't ever even trained the dog to be walked on a lead. It's then an embarrassing ordeal for them and they probably opt for the embarrassment of having to make excuses for it instead.

I just cannot see any PLEASURE whatsoever in owning a dog who behaves like this. It baffles me.

I looked after a dog for a week a while back who was like this. It was only a small dog but it was a NIGHTMARE being out with it (it had never, ever, been walked on a lead). It just pulled like mad, got wound round me and everyone we encountered, cocked its leg up EVERYTHING it passed and I do mean EVERYTHING. Thing is, once back home, it wasn't much of a nuisance at all - just absolutely hopeless once outside. I walked it down the middle of the roads in the end. Fed up with people moaning about it peeing up their property (don't blame them for that) and with it getting wound up round everyone we met and generally, well, walking on its back legs as it was pulling so hard and in a zig zag fashion too! Never again!

I feel sorry for dogs who are not taken out for exercise but, in the case of this dog (living very close to me) I am actually relieved that it isn't. On the rare occasions you see it out, the owner is miles behind it and the dog is just haring ahead of them.

And I have encountered those owners who are a mile behind the dog and when they see any incident occurring actually turn and walk further away. Nice eh?

You can use any word you like it is just another cue for "walk beside me until I tell you to do something else"

Have you thought about attending classes?

http://www.apdt.co.uk/trainers_area....Cambridgeshire

I can recommend Pam MacKinnon.

Well some dogs will be in training.
Some owners will be learning.
Some dogs will be walked by family or friends who don`t know about training.
Some owners will have friendly dogs who bumble about not bothering (almost) anyone and not see a reason to train them.
Some will assume your dog, being off lead, will be friendly and OK for theirs to approach.
And some frankly don`t give a damn.....
In any event - I prefer to work on training my own dogs and having a nice time than getting my knickers in a twist about things I can`t control.

I think some of us (like me) train our dogs to the point we are comfortable with their behavior, Mollie is a good girl but if she sees another dog nothing stops her saying hello sadly that has meant unless we can be sure no other dogs are around she stays on a lead, I am comfortable with that as it hasn't curbed her enthusiasm for life in anyway. I'll be honest I don't want a dog that behaves instantly I love a bit of "personality" and negotiation lol

Duncan is more of a problem because when he came to us he already had missed socialisation so if he meets dogs he wants to fight them, we have been to training classes (thrown out after one class) we have had a personal one on one trainer (suggested PTS was best for him), we have been to a behaviorist who was the most helpful and has helped with many of his problems but had to admit defeat with his fear aggression. If we had him from day one I think he would have been much better.

I would honestly hand on my heart say of the people I encounter outside with dogs it would fall into the high 90's percentage wise. It's not that I don't notice when people do control their dogs because I do as it's such a rare thing. I don't know if it's particularly bad here in the North East of England but everywhere I go including the "posher" areas shall we say the problem seems roughly about the same. I have no problem with people who get their dog on a lead if they aren't confident with their dog, it's the ones that just don't seem to care.

Perseverance!lol I started it with him as a pup, it took months before his was up to about 80% reliable & I'd say he wasn't 100% until about a year & a half old. Although he was improving all of the time he just had the odd slip now & then!

Yep & that is just plain ignorant of them, you should never just assume that someone is fine with your dog jumping all over them. Ask first or just assume that they are not OK with it.

Easier said than done when other peoples dogs are barging into your dog & you don't know whether its all going to kick rite off!