Getting fed up of biting my tongue!

A little fed up of Mia always being the bad one

Last week we were in the park when a dog she knows and loves but has only met onlead was about
as it was quiet and she was in a good mood I let her off to have a zoom
The two of them were having a great time - both are as fast as each other - and its not often they have a dog that can keep up with them
I was a little concerned because they were also doing a little wrestling like Ben and Mia do - but I got distracted by the owner grinning and saying how nice it was to see
Then fighting broke out
I ran over and grabbed Mia
and right away both dogs calmed down and were all waggy
as far as I can tell it was just overexcited someone nipped too hard and they overreacted - but neither of them nastily

everyone was so nice - but nice to me like it was all Mias fault - when infact noone saw what happend

Then today the GSD that has attacked Mia in the past turned up 200m away
Mia heard it bark and right away ears back and tail tucked right up
the other GSD puppy came running for a hello, but Mia just looked terrified so I sent it away
I tried to walk but she was frozen to the spot and I actually had to pick her up and carry her!
When I got to the owner he was 'its all right, let her down my dog wont touch her'
I tried to explain that she just wouldnt walk she was so scared - and also pointed out that his dog WOULD go for her if the puppy came near her
his reply
'Oh they would all be OK if Mia would just submit to her'

Fed up, Mia is reactive yes - but she dosent pick fights, but she is always going to get the blame for everything
and sheesh - its all her fault cos she dosent submit!!

Do you think it is because you have a dog that is part terrier that you get the blame?

I got this with Cherry when we were having problems. One of the trainers at the club said oh it is her breed they are known for being dog-aggressive. This despite the fact that my other dog of the same breed was extremely sociable with other dogs! Someone said very helpfully (!) that I would never change her as it was in her head to be like that.

Also I have found I have taken the blame when it was the other dogs fault and not Cherry's. As in when she had a small terrier type crossbreed come up and pick on her when she was on her flexi-lead on the heath and the other dog was off-lead. Cherry is not the sort to submit either and she grabbed the other dog round the muzzle and wouldn't let go! I thought it was her fault (though she hadn't injured it-was just trying to stop the other dog biting her) and the owner was kicking her to get her to let go of his dog. This was a few years ago and was a real low point in my exploits with Cherry as I seriously considered having her put down after this-it was so stressful.

If that happened now I would be very angry at the other owner for letting his off-lead dog come up to Cherry on-lead and pick a fight.

It happens all the time to me. SBT or coated terrier its always my dogs fault.

Well maybe the clue is, if someone came up to me and started bullying me I sure as hell would not submit either so why should our dogs.

Bullies and their dogs should learn some manners instead.

Happens to me too Alf is happily walking alongside me until another dog bounds over, no recall whatsoever, and when the owner finally comes over from the other side of the field no apology about their dogs poor behaviour, just a 'so yours is nasty then?'.

Even if the dogs at agility start barking at each other I feel like everyone is looking at me even though Alf is silent! Or someone will say 'It's not Alf causing a problem for once!' when he's never ever caused a problem at agility, he sits very quietly and I ensure that he's never close enough to the others TO cause a problem.

I feel your pain

I`d just walk away. Well, run away if necessary. Avoid the plonker!

Cheeko seems to get the blame if something breaks out with other dogs because poodles are snappy Was a pup that jumped onto his back offlead once and he turned around to warn it. I know he didn't bite but he made sure it knew it's place and not to do it again. The owner was like 'What's with snappy poodles!'. Maybe the fact their pup was offlead and not under control had something to do with it!

when i had my collie x she would always get the blame(she was attacked by a Great Dane at 5months and i got bit by it at agility after that she would scuffle but it was all noise i dreaded it one day a simlar looking dog (they both had there ball) ran up the woman threw a ball they both went for it ,it all kicked off the owner threw herself on her dog and squashed it to the floor and said look at what your dog did it's terrified well it would be squashed to the ground

I don't understand the "it must submit" thing either. A dog that is effectively in fear of its life has flight, fight or freeze to choose from ~ I suppose "freeze" could be interpreted as submit, but it's not really the same. "Submit" is more like a posturing behaviour that comes about when dogs size each other up, look at each other's body language, decide what's at stake & whether it's worth fighting for, then decide to give ground. That's very different from the automatic & potentially life-saving decisions that the primitive part of the brain has to make in scary situations.

Plus Mia has had bad experiences in the past so obviously this will colour her reactions to situastions in the future.

I don't know the answer other than to explain to other dog owners that Mia's reaction is a result of fear/frights that she's had in the past & that she can only react in the way that she feels will keep other dogs away.

Why should you have to explain anything.

why should your dog submit to an other when out on a walk. Tell them it would be better all round if their dog was under control of its owner then there would be no issue.

I feel your pain, it's so frustrating. The other day I was in the park, Cain on lead as always and four little dogs ran up (tiny poms, yorkie etc types). One growled and tapped then the others joined in, then they flew at us in a pack creating a right racket. Poor Cain was terrified and I marches him off, small dogs snapping at our heels. The owners dis nothing and everyone else on the park stated at us. Naturally Cain was blamed as he's the big dog, on lead. Heck if four big dogs did that to a little one it would be totally unacceptable. I get so angry that he always gets the blame because he's large and sometimes reactive. Noone understands that despite his size, he is scared. And these little snappy dogs get away with everything. Visual perceptions and the animals past behaviour will always influence people. I imagine that even if Cain becomes the perfect dog, many people in our local park will remember how he was and always get the blame. Poor Mia. Try not to let it get to you. It's unfair but you'll never win this one sadly