Some 10 year old girl accused me of choking my dog?

Question

I used to let him lead and now I'm walking him properly with a short lead where he'll walk along side with me. I keep the lead low and do not pull on it. He gets so excited when he sees strangers or other dogs that he pulls until he is almost choking himself. I give him an inch and he keeps choking himself.

I walk him an hour a day along with some jogging 2 days per week. He is a 7 month old cocker spaniel. Super sweet dog.

Now this girl grabbed the leach from me (a retrackable one) and the dog jumped all over her. I did not apologize. But I hate to have to avoid this one street for now on b/c some girl does not know manners. I'm sure she told her parents all about the horrible woman choking her dog outside.

She also told me I need to give him a haircut...He's a groomed cocker spaniel with a cockerspaniel haircut...

I hate children.

What do I do when people tell me this? I want the dog to heel and not walk ahead of me.

Answer 1

lol why do you hate children?..all of them are not a like she just seems like a bratty girl.

You seem unsure of yourself so maybe your dog can pick up on that...and when people tell you that you tell them to mind their own business and get their own dog to train the way they want to...that is what I would say anyways.

Answer 2

where in the heck was this child's parents?  and they should be chastised . Good for you for keeping your composure. Its kids like that that need a good ol' fashion spankin.

As far as your dog goes when he/she pulls turn around and go the other way. Walk a few steps until it does it again. Then repeat. You can also use sound to "snap" it out of it's behavior. Get a whistle and blow it lightly when it's pulling.

Be constant. That the true key here. Gee, maybe you could use the whistle on the kid too

Answer 3

wow um yeah shes ten and has no idea what she is talking about  i also am curious as to how and why a ten year old grabbed the leash from you  she sounds pyscho or you are really insecure..

Answer 4

have you tried using a head collar?  i have a gentle leader(head collar) for my golden retriever and she no longer tries to tug at the leash.

they are perfectly safe(of course) and very helpful

Answer 5

first of all not all children are like this. my little sister is 10 and would never do that lol. when people are trying to correct u it is going to really depend on how old they r. if they r a child u need to correct them right when they do something wrong but dont yell or get abbusive cause they will go tell there parents n tht will put u in alot of trouble. just tell them that u know what u r doing and that it is the dog who is getting himself all choked up not you. if its an adult just tell them u know what is best or your dog and you dont need someone telling you what to do. trust me they will back off :)

hoped this helped :)

Answer 6

I would highly recommend switching leashes.  Dogs that pull will only get worse on a retractable leash.  Not only do they always have a slight tension (meaning that to move ahead they MUST pull to a degree, but also the dog will never learn an esact length og leash.  I would suggest that it's usually best to get a 6ft lead with a walking loop (meaning that there is an extra loop for you to switch to that is at the 2ft point for more control.  Also, I would focus on training sit stays to have the dog focused on you while a distraction goes by (carry tiny bits of bacon if you have to).   Try switching sides if the road, or moving onto a lawn while others pass by for now.  Work with the leash in the back yard and switch directions every time your dog stretches past you with an encouraging "this way, let's go!"

Please remember that throat restriction gets a different reaction from our canine companions.  Their necks and throats are much stronger than ours and the tend to pull harder thinking they will move past the restriction (we would back off, of course).  That's why they use chokers to train sled dogs.

Hope this helps a little.  

BTW Anyone other than a child looking at the situation should be able to tell that you are trying to rein in an excited dog.  Once he/she is more adjusted to some good manners your life will get easier.

Answer 7

I once had a lady tell me that i didn't deserve my horse bc i rinsed her off after a ride. the horse liked it and i don't know what her problem is, it was the middle of summer. anyhow, i know how you feel, i wish ppl would mind their own biz sometimes.if you feel that you are choking her then you can try a harness they make them for their body then they have some that go around their face, they seem to work well. and i don't trim my dogs hair either it keeps them cool in the summer as well as warm in the winter. anyhow, you are probably, just fine with the way you are doing things, don't worry bout that kid, she knows nothing yet.

Answer 8

You could take your dog to training classes. My labs were the same way. The classes taught at Petsmart really focus on correct walking behavior and how to interact with people.

I wouldn't worry about the opinion of a ten year old. But I would take the time to train your dog properly.

Answer 9

I hate all children that parents allow out of their sight and have not been taught manners.

I too have experienced a similar issue like this. I was working exotics at petsmart, and I was trimming a ferrets nails, and this little girl, about ten or eleven, ran up and tried to snatch him away from me, ended up grabbing his stomach and making him squeak and her mother heard it, ran up, grabbed her daughter and told me she was reporting me to the manager for abusing the animals!

She actually did it too!

I almost lost my job until a witness and a few fellow employees told them otherwise.

Don't use a retractable leash. Use a normal lead. This allows complete control over your dog. Next time a child asks to pet your dog, say no. Children are rather filthy creatures who don't wash their hands, and can transmit diseases to your dog.

I don't allow anyone to touch my dog aside from clients and friends.

I'm anal about it too. If someone asks to pet my dog I just say no, I'm not sure if you've been sick recently, and I prefer it if you didn't touch my animals.

To stop the jumping, get a halti. It helps with pulling and other leash issues. Good luck.  

Answer 10

teach him the trick heel or sit or lay down...that girl is just stupid this is my opinion...why do u hate children???

Answer 11

I had the same problem leash training my dog (dane)- except no one took the leash and scolded me! If it happens again, I would ask her if you could have a word with her parents. Just because a ten-year old doesn't agree with your training methods doesn't mean she can aggravate you and your dog!

Answer 12

You need to show your dog that you are in charge and whenever your dog pulls or leads, walk in the other direction so he follows you. Do that everytime he pulls and be very consistant. Also, when he obeys you, reward him with treats so he knows that it is the right thing to do. Good luck!

Answer 13

First issue, if your dog is pulling that hard, you may need to use a chest harness or a dog halter (the thing that goes around their head) to control your dog.

As for that street, don't avoid it.  If she comes close to you, tell her to leave you alone.  Tell her that you are trying to train your dog and that she is not allowed to touch your dog.  She's a child.  Don't let her bully you around.  Don't let her touch your dog.

Answer 14

lol talk about misled with good intentions!!  I CANT BELIEVE that she actually grabbed the leash from you.  You can tell her about the haircut thing, and maybe she will believe you.  But just go up to her house and ask her parents to get her to lay off....as politely as possible.  Explain the situation to them, and hopefully they aren't as obnoxious as their daughter is, and will talk to her.

Just tell people that you are trying to train him to walk next to you, and that it is taking a while for him to get it.  Cockers can be pretty people crazy!  Most people should know what you are doing, especially if they have dogs of their own.  Just be firm.  You know how to walk a dog. They dont.  And for goodness sakes its YOUR DOG!!  Thats like a person telling you how to clean your house or something.  The public should stay out of it if you aren't doing anything wrong, ya know?  

Answer 15

This is hard to believe. I don't believe this, sorry.

But, if it's true, ignore it. I don't think this is a problem really. More like spam to me.

Answer 16

Have you attended any puppy training classes?  If not, then I highly recommend it.  I used to have the same problem with my maltese when she was young, sometimes her treachea would even collapse from all the strain of her pulling herself at the end of the leash.  Training your dog to prevent this behavior (and to heel), will not only be beneficial to your dog, but to you as well.  But yes, it's pretty common for a dog to "choke" his or herself; and no, it's not your fault.  I wouldn't stress over the fact that a 10 year old child thinks you're a terrible dog owner.  She is, in fact, just a child.  Next time, I'd even suggest telling her to leave you be, or just ignoring her altogether.  If she tries to take the leash from you, don't let her!   Just know that you're in control of the situation, so make sure you put that child in her place, even if she ends up running away crying.  Good Luck!

Answer 17

What a stupid@$$ MutherFu**er. I would've slapped her in the face

Answer 18

Tell them that the dog is in training - he's going to pull because he doesn't know how to heel properly yet. My dog goes NUTS when she sees people and other dogs - she wants to go say hello to everyone. Sure sounds like she's choking herself, but i just explain that she isn't fully trained and gets over excited.

I would also look into different means of training to heel. You should either be spinning around when he pulls (so you walks a few steps in the other direction) or you STOP until he comes back to your side. If he's pulling when you walk and you keep walking, then that's the wrong way to do it and he will choke (he could also possibly hurt his throat.)

If he's still choking, try a different type of collar. They have many different tools available for training, you just need to have a trainer show you how to use them.  

You also can't blame the kid - she's only TEN and if she has no manners, that's her parents fault. Not hers. If you're concerned then talk to the parents and see if they can keep her from approaching you on walks. It's really none of her business.

Add - I have a whole routine, actually. My dog has to heel on a walk and if people are nearby, she gets to approach and say hello if she's calm and quiet. No pulling. She also can't jump up - if she does, we go the other way. Simple.  

Answer 19

She's probably just super sensitive about animals and thinks that you are abusing him.  She may not have a pet of her own and does not realize that dogs will choke themselves sometimes to get to what they want.  She shouldn't have grabbed the leash from you, and considering she doesn't know you or your dog, there could have been serious harm done by her actions.  It is not your fault and you did nothing wrong.  Have you tried a nonretractable leash?  I've found that it's a lot easier to heel my dog with a normal leash and to stop him from pulling.  My problem with kids is that they get all excited around my golden puppy and either act really excited and start talking loud and high and that gets my dog excited and then he wants to jump on them and play.  Most of these kids are fairly small and even though I ask them to be calm and to speak in a normal tone, they don't, and then they get upset when he wants to play.  

Answer 20

How did a 10 year old child grab your dog's leash from you? Dogs need to be walked right by your hip where you have full control over them at all times. You don't let the dog pull/lead you or allow it enough slack to jump up at strangers. That's part of being a responsible pet owner.

I really would worry about what a 10 year old said about your dog.