Its called a lead! USE IT!

So at the weekend a woman let off her whippet just as Millie and I were comming up the hill and this dog began almost imediately to chase Millie>.>

The second it tried to pin her I yelled very loudly and it ran back to its owner I am really fed with this sort of behaviour we have encounted it with many dogs before. Sadly Millie very nervous and confident dogs really like to bully her when they get the chance.

She is really good at telling when a dog wants to chase and has ill intentions because she almost immediately puts her tail down and whimpers.

Today we encounted a boxer puppy very cute and couldn't have been more then about 8 weeks of age off lead! The meeting went well to start with but then the puppy got very rough with Millie and was trying its best to pin her down (failling rather miserably))

The owner collected her dog and walked off and we went on our way but low and behold the woman's puppy ran back and started to get a bit nasty with Millie which took me by suprise. It was attempting to siknk its teeth into her neck while holding on to stop her from running away I felt a bit embarassed for Millie that a puppy was beating her up and was trying to shoo the pup away while the owner came back again to collect her puppy.

Millie didn't even attempt disslodge the attacker.

I often wonder what the point of these things we call leads actually is? So many people don't use them when they should.

what sort of dog do you have?

Firstly, not all dogs that are confident bully other dogs. Also, I don't accept tat an 8 week old pup got "a bit nasty". I may consider that it was playing roughly. But deliberately attacking your dog? I doubt it.

There are people eveerywhere who don't use a lead when they should do. Those peopel are oblivious to other owners or their dogs. The best we can do is to protect our dogs from other owners negligence and ignorance.

You can't fix stupid.

That is my walking mantra.

English Cocker Spaniel does it matter??

She is over a year old and is generally very around other dogs but doesn't like the over confident ones that insist on shoving their faces in hers.

Sounds like they were just playing to me.

A puppy that young (although I doubt it was 8 weeks of age -- not only would they not be out walking yet, but they wouldn't have the confidence to behave like that yet) wasn't being aggressive.

The first time it met Millie they met well but then the puppy started getting rough just playing I could see that but Millie does not like being ambushed like this on the lead and I don't think that is acceptable behaviour whatever the age.

The owner called her dog and the dog ignored her so she came and collected the puppy. She didn't leash the puppy so naturally ran back for round two thats when its behvaiour turned from just play to nasty play it was testing its strength I could see the body languege change which is what suprised me and I was really cross that the owner hadn't leashed their puppy after the first time. I know a puppy has to learn but what if Millie had been aggressive? The lady would not be walking away with her puppy.

This is where I get confused by body languege I guess. I saw a change in the play and the pup seemed very determined or just over excitted?

It was a very tiney puppy and I know boxers grow big, looked very young to me too young to be out walking off lead

It doesn't really matter does it if the puppy was aggresive or just playing, the salient point is the OP's dog was being hurt and didn't like the interaction. Puppy teeth can hurt and if the OP's dog doesn't like being molested the pup's owner should have respected that and put her dog on a lead.

If you have a dog that doesn't like being rudely treated it won't help with that problem if they meet dogs or pups that treat them rudely.

We none of us want to see more DA dogs created but this sort of behaviour leaves the dog being molested not much choice if they are on a lead and unable to get away from the other dog.

I let my pups off the lead from day 1 once they start going out, does that make me irresponsible?

I find it hard to believe that a puppy this young was being nasty, more likely was boisterous play and puppy has yet to learn some doggy manners.

I agree that out of control dogs off leads are irritating and potentially dangerous, which is why Rayne is currently on a long line because I cannot gauge her reaction at the moment, she's never nasty but she does have her deaf moments and times when all manners are forgotten, she's hit a teenage phase and we're working through it.

Maybe you could walk Millie in some quieter areas with friend's dogs that you know have good manners to build her confidence?