Do dog owners mind when my dog runs up to theirs in a park? Your opinion*?

Question

I have a little pomeranian that's super friendly. He just loves to run up to dog to initiate play. I was wondering if in general, others find this irritating? (I wouldn't if somebodys dog ran up to my puppy)

Yes I do have a leash and collar, but since he comes back on command after a few minutes, I find no need to restrain him. Am I wrong?

Your thoughts please!

Answer 1

Not everyones dog is friendly and one day your little dog may run up to someones dog that may even be on a lead and if it is a big aggressive dog it could maim or kill your dog? Unless you know someones dog is friendly it is not wise to let your dog just run up to all and sundry.

Yes, I would find this very irritating even though my big (55kg) male shepherd is very good with small dogs. i would think you were a very foolish dog owner to allow this behaviour.

Answer 2

i dont mind at all

my female husky is  young and VERY playful

and she loves playing keep away with other dogs

Answer 3

If your dog is on a leash this should be fine...as long as you are reading the other dogs actions.  If he is reacting in a negative or defensive way, I would restrain your dog and walk away.  If the other dog shows this behavior and you didn't restrain your pooch, they could be irritated.  If you guys aren't in an off-leash dog park, then your dog should never be off-leash no matter how good its recall skills are.  What control do you have if another dog says no and gets defensive?

Either way...I wouldn't be irritated if someone came up to me on leash to play with my dog.  We love meeting new dogs!

Answer 4

I would care if I was u.

If your dog ran up to mine and mine was on a lead(not good with other dogs). My dog would rip yours to shreds. So try thinking of it like that

Answer 5

Please don't let your dog approach other dogs if they are on lead! It's asking for trouble. A dog on lead is going to be on it's guard, it is vulnerable, it can't run away if it's scared so the only thing it can do is defend itself. Generally if the other dog is off lead there's not such a problem, the other dog will either totally ignore your dog, or play with it. If it feels threatened it will get away.

There's nothing more irritating than walking your dog on lead, having someone elses dog bounding towards you and the owner shouting "it's ok, he just wants to play". One of my dogs will not tolerate another dog bounding into her face while she's on lead and she WILL use her teeth!

Answer 6

i dont mind, i have a sheltie and i think that when a dog runs up to him it is good for him, he makes a new friend and gets better socilied at the same time, and my guy just love other animals..

and i rarely have my dog on a leash too, because he is so well behaved and he also comes back on command.

Answer 7

It's lovely when dogs play together, but I think people will always worry that maybe their dog will take an irrational dislike to yours give him nip, and then they'd be faced with claims for damages and vet bills. Some dogs can be very 'funny' and attack when they're on a lead and another dog runs up to them. Also, their dog might not be properly socialised, or it might be badly trained and run off with your dog and not come back. So no, I don't think you are wrong, just maybe a little unwise.

Answer 8

When in a park if somebody minds they are having a bad day, you expect it I come having had a fuss off other dogs and my own believe it or not I feel better than when i actually went, if you are out on your own you will no doubt be talking to the owner of the other dog then you would not be on your own.

Answer 9

I walk my nabours two,

I dont mind dogs comeing over calmly but not charging over (unless i konw the dog) as i have no idea what the other dogs temperment is like.

One of the dogs i walk runs off to other dogs and im now doing some more  training with her to get her to either stay with me if she sees another dog or to stop if i call her, as if she did run up to another dog and that dog turned out to be aggressive and it attacked her then it would be my fault as she ran up to the other dog. (so far luckley all the dogs we have met so far have been friendly)

she is getting a lot better i have her on a lonh house lead that she can drag around the feild with her.

So if you know the other dog and owner then i would say its fine but if its a strange dog or owner then i would say not.

Answer 10

I have a retriever and she does the same. I dont mind dogs coming to me. I find it people at the park that have not got dogs that mind I have been shouted at before. Let her have fun and meet people.

Answer 11

We have 6 dogs, one of which is a Pomeranian ...If yours ran towards ours it would be welcomed ...All ours play with all other dogs on our local park..

And that is how it ought to be in my opinion..

Answer 12

You are asking for trouble allowing your dog to do this.  Even though your dog is super friendly that doesn't mean the dog he is approaching or running up to is, especially with your dog being on the small side.  You never know what reaction another dog is going to have with a strange animal running up to it, friendly or not.  You should keep the dog on leash, and if and when approaching another dog find out first if the dog is friendly and then let them get to know each other.  If some dog would grab your dog and hurt it, the owner of the dog would not be responsible since your dog was off leash.  Not a good idea at all.

Answer 13

no cos dogs need to socialise with other dogs its a good thing to let them  run with other dogs in the park

Answer 14

Well the whole point of a dog park is for dogs to socialize and run around with each other.  

If your Pomeranian gets to the point where he is irritating other dogs and people, then it is your responsibility to remove him, mostly for his own safety.

Answer 15

Unless it's a dog park where the dogs are *supposed* to be off-leash, I wouldn't be happy about another dog running up to my dog. How am I supposed to know your dog is friendly?

Here's a situation to consider: What if *my* dog was aggressive? What if my dog attacked your dog when it ran up?

For the safety of you dog, and also in general dog-owner etiquette, keep your dog on-leash and ask the owner if it's okay before your dog approaches another dog.

.

Answer 16

I live in Cornwall, and walk my dog in the huge woods near my home.

Most of the time I don't experience any problems, but during the summer months, we get holidaymakers who insist on keeping their precious "city" pooches tethered to 3 ft of leather. My dog is very friendly, but also very big, and people get very possessive over their spoilt "city" pooches. I have had people whacking him with walking sticks, and kicking him.

  I once had a woman whacking my boy with a rolled up magazine. I was a few feet away, and she had hit him 3 or 4 times before I finally reached her, and told her if she hit my dog with the magazine again, I would ram it so far up her ar$e, her tonsils would be reading the small print. She reminded me that HER dog was on a lead, and therefore she was in the right.I reminded HER that she was on holiday, and that SHE was in MY territory, and us local people NEVER keep our dogs tethered to the dreaded 3ft of leather, and if she couldn't handle that, then Scotland might be an alternative holiday destination.

I know my dog, and he has NEVER shown any aggression towards another dog, or human being, and I refruse to walk him on a lead, just to please others, and when he goes up to other dog's, he's just being friendly, and wanting to play. I find the nasty dogs are the ones kept constantly on a lead, and never given the opportunity to socialise with other dogs, as they are supposed to.

Come to my village, and we will walk our dogs together in the great woods, wild, and free. I f anyone complains that our dogs are not on a lead, I will sort them out for you, as I have gotten used to City folk coming here, and bossing us about. Dogs say "hello" by sniffing ar$es, and they should be allowed to behave naturally, without human intervention.

Answer 17

Yes you are wrong. Keep your mutt under control. My dogs are not friendly (except my @itch) your dog could get hurt because you let it run up to other dogs. I have no problem with dogs playing, they need socialisation with other dogs and that's fine if you know the other dog, but to let it happen to dogs you don't know is asking for trouble. I stay away from the other dog walkers in the park for a reason, and the only time ive had grief is when a dog comes running over to mine and a scrap takes place. I always put my dogs on a lead when i see another dog but others don't and think its fine for them to run off and do what they like. Well its not, my dogs are not super vicious but they don't tolerate other dogs easily and if one starts they all start and that's trouble. You should for your dogs sake be aware that some dogs don't like others.

Answer 18

no way! if it is a park where dogs are allowed to run free without a lesh then no one cares!

Answer 19

i wouldn't find it irritating just like your dog mine are very friendly if the dogs or owners don't like it or don't want to be part of dogs saying hello to each other they should say so. the dogs certainly tell you if they dont want to be bothered by other dogs.  

Answer 20

No. It's just to dogs just having fun. I think it healthy for dogs to be social with other dog. I wouldn't mind if your puppy did that.

Answer 21

Yes they do... and if you aren't careful someone may call the police on you.