I Need to Vent! Aggressive Dog at Off Leash Dog Park.

Okay.  I'm dog sitting my sister-in-law's King Charles Cavalier Spaniel.  This means that I have three dogs at my house.  My two are a couple of 50-ish pound mutts.

I haven't been able to walk my dogs for a couple of days because three would just be too much for me to handle by myself and my husband is out of town on business.  I decided to take them to the dog park today knowing that there wouldn't be too many people there because it was the middle of the afternoon on a week day. 

Everything is fine for about the first hour and a half we are there.  There aren't too many dogs there and everyone is getting along fine.  Then this guy walks in with his Pit Bull.  I have nothing against Pits, one of my dogs is a Basenji/Pit mix.  The problem was that his dog was a very large, unneutered, aggressive male.  From the minute he walked in he wanted to pick a fight with this one 10 month old Golden Retriever.  The owner of the Pit Bull was sitting on a bench not paying close attention to his dog. 

The Golden and the Pit ended up near the bench where my mom and I were sitting.  We knew that there was about to be trouble so we attempted to move away.  My mom wasn't fast enough and when the Pit went after the Golden they ended up running into her legs, knocking her over, and fighting practically on top of her.  I about had a freakin' heart attack thinking my mom was about to be mauled.

A bunch of us got the dogs apart and got my mom off the ground.  I began yelling at the Pit's owner about how he needed to get his dog out and the other people began to tell him that his dog wasn't welcome and needed to be removed.  The guy acted pissed off at US for telling him he had to leave but finally was able to get his dog on a leash and left. 

I am soooooo tired of having MY time at the park RUINED because some stupid person thinks it's okay to bring his dog in even though it's clear that his dog can't handle it.  I'm about to just quit going.  I just DON'T UNDERSTAND why people are so STUPID about their dogs! 

Anyway, that's all.  I just needed to get that off my chest.  If you read all that then you deserve a cookie.

People are flippin' idiots.

Ugh.  I'm glad your mom is all right.  That must have been terrifying.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. One of my friends was a dog park regular and stopped after her dog was attacked. My husband and I stopped going to the park near our house - no one was watching their dogs! We've moved, but haven't tried out the new park.

I was terrified of dogs while growing up because of incidents such as this.  People really need to be more responsible. 

I am 100% and in fact 110% with you with this one. I have a wired hair terrier and one time I was on a trail near my home where I ALWAYS walk him off leash (he is obedient and I trust him completely). We went around a corner and I saw my bogan neighboors who have a boxer, pit, and a rottweiler. As soon as I saw them I leashed my dog and the boxer and rottweiler charged my dog! My adrenaline went through the roof! They basically had no control over their dogs and I was pulling my dog around on his leash helping him avoid the snapping jaws of these two large dogs. Finally they pinned my poor dog to the ground and I just screamed at the top of my lungs, as high pitch as I could go and it shocked the two dogs long enough for their lame owners to take control. Then the three of them were like "Oh were sorry they have never done that before". . . . bull ****. I see their dogs act agressive towards others through their fence. They are terribley trained animals. It was an awful experience and luckily Arty was okay. I don't have anything against those breeds either. The problem are the owners of those dogs. They don't take the time to train breeds that could potentially be dangerous. It's always the same type of bogan who purchses those breeds as well. Was the retriever okay? I would have been furious as well.

Oh my gosh that's terrible!! GRRRR That guy needs to get a brain, neuter his dog, and learn how to train him!

Unless you're a certified breeder, it should be a frickin' law to neuter/spay your dog or cat. You not only save their lives, but I promise, they won't miss it. -.-;

I wouldn't know what to do if that happened to my dog, I think like #5 did would be my exact reaction too. Just stand there and scream really high and loud, not just to stop them, but out of frustration, fear and anger. Poor dogs, it's not their fault their owners are morons. Grrrr...

This topic is one of those things that really grinds my gears!

*takes deep breath*

Original Post by andamonkey:

I'm so sorry that happened to you. One of my friends was a dog park regular and stopped after her dog was attacked. My husband and I stopped going to the park near our house - no one was watching their dogs! We've moved, but haven't tried out the new park.

 Our dog was attacked at a different dog park.  We thought it was because it was pretty small and lots of people went there so there was more tension.  This park is bigger but apparently that doesn't solve all the problems. 

Original Post by skinnylea:

I am 100% and in fact 110% with you with this one. I have a wired hair terrier and one time I was on a trail near my home where I ALWAYS walk him off leash (he is obedient and I trust him completely). We went around a corner and I saw my bogan neighboors who have a boxer, pit, and a rottweiler. As soon as I saw them I leashed my dog and the boxer and rottweiler charged my dog! My adrenaline went through the roof! They basically had no control over their dogs and I was pulling my dog around on his leash helping him avoid the snapping jaws of these two large dogs. Finally they pinned my poor dog to the ground and I just screamed at the top of my lungs, as high pitch as I could go and it shocked the two dogs long enough for their lame owners to take control. Then the three of them were like "Oh were sorry they have never done that before". . . . bull ****. I see their dogs act agressive towards others through their fence. They are terribley trained animals. It was an awful experience and luckily Arty was okay. I don't have anything against those breeds either. The problem are the owners of those dogs. They don't take the time to train breeds that could potentially be dangerous. It's always the same type of bogan who purchses those breeds as well. Was the retriever okay? I would have been furious as well.

 I've found that there are two types of people who own "Bully Breeds".

The first are people who genuinely like the breed and are willing to train their dog in order to help disspell the violent reputation the breed has. 

Then there are the elitists who see owning an aggressive breed of dog as some sort of status symbol and like the controversy. 

I really would like the population to wake up and realize that dogs are not accessories.  They are living things that need love, care, and extensive training.  If you aren't willing to put in time it takes to properly socialize and train your dog then don't get one. 

Original Post by cptbunny:

Unless you're a certified breeder, it should be a frickin' law to neuter/spay your dog or cat. You not only save their lives, but I promise, they won't miss it. -.-;

I wouldn't know what to do if that happened to my dog, I think like #5 did would be my exact reaction too. Just stand there and scream really high and loud, not just to stop them, but out of frustration, fear and anger. Poor dogs, it's not their fault their owners are morons. Grrrr...

This topic is one of those things that really grinds my gears!

*takes deep breath*

 I agree!  I have a friend at work who I love to death but she bought a Yorkie so she could breed it.  She's not a certified breeder and just wanted to do it for fun/extra money.  It pissed me off because I am a really big advocate for animal rescue and the last thing we need in the world are MORE dogs when there are so many that are waiting for a good home.   

When we adopted our first dog (the one in the picture) he was a year and a half old and hadn't been neutered so we took care of it.  I can attest to the fact that he was curious about his missing parts for two or three days, tops, and I think it was mostly because he was sore down there and not because he was missing his balls.  After it healed up he could have cared less. 

Although i agree with you and off leash unmuzzled aggressive dogs are a real annoyance.

Neutering doesn't always work it very much depends on the dog and i am speaking from my own personal experience where in after getting it done to a dog i owned plus getting injections to speed up the removal of those hormones, training etc it did nothing i still ended up having to get the dog put down.

andie-1 ..I think the general statement though, is that neutering is important... even if it only takes care of behavior say "50%"... that is still 50% less aggressive dogs... and a decrease in unwanted puppies.

I love watching it's me or the dog.  I am always suprised on the UK ones how many of the dogs are unaltered.  Personally I am not a fan of the intact male dog.  They hump, they tend to be more aggressive, they tend to mark more.  Neutered dogs may do some of this, but not nearly the same.

And I hate idiot dog owners like the one in the park.  I totally agree about the two kinds of Pitt owners.  There are those who genuinely love pitts, and then those who love them cause they make them feel more manly macho, or just want a dog to tie up in the yard.  It's a crappy life for a dog.

Irresponsible dog owners drive me nuts!

I'm currently fostering a dog who doesn't have the greatest reputation for being friendly with other dogs. I'm clearly am not ever going to take her to the dog park or ever have her off leash! There are a lot of dogs that live in my neighborhood, and in the near by park (not off leash OR a dog park) so many owners let their dogs off leash. I'm worried that one day one of those dogs isn't going to have good re call and just come barrelling over to say hi, and I'm going to be the "bad guy" because my dog was aggressive. Train your dog, jerk off!

Original Post by cptbunny:

Unless you're a certified breeder, it should be a frickin' law to neuter/spay your dog or cat. You not only save their lives, but I promise, they won't miss it. -.-;

Yes, and a responsible breeder would never breed an agressive animal like this one!

Original Post by andie-1:

Although i agree with you and off leash unmuzzled aggressive dogs are a real annoyance.

Neutering doesn't always work it very much depends on the dog and i am speaking from my own personal experience where in after getting it done to a dog i owned plus getting injections to speed up the removal of those hormones, training etc it did nothing i still ended up having to get the dog put down.

 I definitely agree that it doesn't always solve the problem.  It's really just a question of being proactive about it...what are you doing to try and remedy the situation?  You did everything you could but it didn't work but at least you recognized the problem and attempted to fix it and that is commendable.  It's the people who don't even care to try that are the problem. 

Original Post by lynners:

Irresponsible dog owners drive me nuts!

I'm currently fostering a dog who doesn't have the greatest reputation for being friendly with other dogs. I'm clearly am not ever going to take her to the dog park or ever have her off leash! There are a lot of dogs that live in my neighborhood, and in the near by park (not off leash OR a dog park) so many owners let their dogs off leash. I'm worried that one day one of those dogs isn't going to have good re call and just come barrelling over to say hi, and I'm going to be the "bad guy" because my dog was aggressive. Train your dog, jerk off!

 I can't stand it when people act like their dogs can do no wrong and just let them off the leash whenever, wherever.  Just last week I was walking my dogs and this little ankle biter started chasing us up the sidewalk.  His owners were calling him, trying to bribe him with treats but he just wouldn't listen to them and kept chasing us.  People need to know their dogs and treat them accordingly!  I have one that is fine off leash, comes when called, and doesn't wander so in the right environment I will occasionally let him off.  The other one is more stubborn and has a tendency to wander so he is NEVER allowed off leash in an unfenced area.  I just can't trust him!

I have to say, I am the owner of a 75 lb agressive dog - a black lab/great dane mix, we think.  He (and yes, he's neutered) usually doesn't want to hurt the other dog, but he was not socialized well and thinks the way to play with other dogs is to jump on them, roll them over, and pretend to attack them, all while growling rather viciously.

For that reason, he's NEVER allowed off the leash.  If I see another dog walking by, I grab hold of his collar and hold him close to me.  I wouldn't even consider taking him to a dog park. 

What gets me is people who go walking with their tiny, mega-egoed dogs without a leash (ie. not in a dog park), and when that dog comes and starts something with mine, look at me like I'm dirt while I am trying to keep my dog from smooshing theirs.

Original Post by puh8suwrux:

I have to say, I am the owner of a 75 lb agressive dog - a black lab/great dane mix, we think.  He (and yes, he's neutered) usually doesn't want to hurt the other dog, but he was not socialized well and thinks the way to play with other dogs is to jump on them, roll them over, and pretend to attack them, all while growling rather viciously.

For that reason, he's NEVER allowed off the leash.  If I see another dog walking by, I grab hold of his collar and hold him close to me.  I wouldn't even consider taking him to a dog park. 

What gets me is people who go walking with their tiny, mega-egoed dogs without a leash (ie. not in a dog park), and when that dog comes and starts something with mine, look at me like I'm dirt while I am trying to keep my dog from smooshing theirs.

 You are a responsible dog owner!  Good for you for knowing your dog's limits.

I can't STAND people who assume that, because their dog is small, it doesn't matter if he acts aggressively.  Every year the Humane Society sends someone to my elementary school for career day and every year the guy tells the kids that they need to be most careful around small dogs because small dogs are responsible for a much larger percentage of dog bite incidents.  He says that it mostly stems from people not taking the time to correct behaviors when the dogs are young because "They are so small, what harm can they do?". 

Original Post by puh8suwrux:

I have to say, I am the owner of a 75 lb agressive dog - a black lab/great dane mix, we think.  He (and yes, he's neutered) usually doesn't want to hurt the other dog, but he was not socialized well and thinks the way to play with other dogs is to jump on them, roll them over, and pretend to attack them, all while growling rather viciously.

For that reason, he's NEVER allowed off the leash.  If I see another dog walking by, I grab hold of his collar and hold him close to me.  I wouldn't even consider taking him to a dog park. 

What gets me is people who go walking with their tiny, mega-egoed dogs without a leash (ie. not in a dog park), and when that dog comes and starts something with mine, look at me like I'm dirt while I am trying to keep my dog from smooshing theirs.

My dog, a beagle, is the same way. We failed as socializing him (completely noob doggie-parents) and now his behavior is the exact same as your dog. He's never off leash either, I can't even imagine it! And people let their annoying little dogs come up to mine because they just assume because he's a beagle he doesn't bite. Oh, he bites, damn it. D: