Rare/unusual dog breeds and unfriendly owners

[Jukebag]

My mum owns a lovely Rough Collie, pretty much rare as hens teeth as far the average dog breed that you see around the area goes, or so I thought as whilst walking through the local woods a few days ago I was pleasantly surprised to see another Rough Collie out with its owner and her other dog (can't remember what breed that was). I was out with my son at the time and I pointed it out to him and he recognised it was another rough collie. Thinking the owner would be smiling and saying "wow, it's a small world, another Rough Collie" and wanting to know all about ours, instead she quickly put her two dogs on the lead and promptly scarpered out of the way until I had passed her. I thought "some people are so rude". I suspect her two dogs were abit mental in the head.

I'm not saying this is applies to every dog owner out there, but it's certainly something I've encountered occasionally on my dog walks.

[bexVN]

Better her being cautious if they aren't great with other dogs than risking harm to your dog or maybe her dogs have been on the receiving end of an aggressive dog so she prefers to avoid others, who knows..

Tbh even though my two are friendly with other dogs I sometimes prefer to avoid others just because I am not in the mood to converse that day or because I don't know how the other people's dogs are going to be.

That said I am usually more drawn to people when I see they have the same breed of dog!

[borcy]

Some people have had bad experiences with either owner or dogs they meet up on a walk. Its a safety thing just to pop them on the lead much easier to nip things in the bud before they start.

[nav2014]

Have to do that with our two or move them in the opposite direction, not because we're rude but because one is a bag of nerves and it's taken a couple of years training to get her to enjoy a walk without freaking out at everything.

Difference is we use an ugly harness and lead that says 'nervous' in giant letters. 99% of people get it, but sometimes people are assholes, like yesterday, and make a scene when you try to move away from them.

[Sporky]

My guess is that that is a responsible dog owner with nervous/borderline aggressive dogs.

Sprocket is trained not to hassle dogs on leads. Nozzle is still too full of the joys of puppyhood and needs to be recalled.

[Who me ?]

There is one Rough Collie I have met for a long time. Last little lady I owned was ( although speyed) very appreciative of the attention Jasper (RC) gave her. likewise my latest dog, who at first meeting gave Jasper the treatment. Blokes- remember that lass you met in the dark at a party- Lexi didit in the open in the park. Then next time they met- poor Jasper got the "get off " treatment.
But rough collies- if I meet one, I'm never bothered about how it will greet my dog.

[Jukebag]

Good points all there

I suppose also some people just don't want to say anything and rather just go about their walk in a rush to get back home or whatever. Likely the owners dogs were abit on the unpredictable side. People have this image of Lassie being a gentle and courageous breed, but ours can be abit unpredictable sometimes and will try and lunge after another dog, though he really isn't aggressive. Ity's often the other dog that starts the growling more than anything. Very friendly with people and children you cannot fault them for that. Shame they aren't very popular or common. Funnily enough however, I have seen one other Rough Coillie in the same area, unless it's the same dog I saw the other day but with a different handler (I don't think it is actually). On the very rare occasion I have encountered the dog and owner they have been friendly.

I'm not surprised in someway they are unpopular as ours is forever moulting, branches, twigs etc tend to stick to his hair like velcro, and that long coat is a nightmare to comb, wash and dry.

[louiebaby]

We have a Large Munsterlander, and she gets a lot of attention. We rarely bump into anyone who recognises the breed, let alone another one.

People want to know what she is, and her characteristics, and I always try to make time to have a chat. We're also working on her nervousness, so it's good for her to stand with me whilst I chat friendly.

If I don't have time I explain why, but that's just good manners. The attention does sometimes get a bit annoying, but there's no need to be rude to people.

[HTP99]

If I'm out with Daisy (Frenchie), I will avoid other dogs and dog walkers, being deaf she can sometimes be a bit on edge as she is wary about dogs that she can't hear, sneaking up on her and sometimes reacts before they have a chance to show that they are just friendly.

If I am out with Barry and Daphne; both Terriers I will try and avoid excitable and eager to play, Cockerpoo's, as Barry hates them and isn't shy in showing it.

Don't get me wrong though, I am more than happy to chat to other dog walkers/non-dog walkers about my dogs.

Edited by HTP99 on Friday 6th September 13:54

[Jasandjules]

That sounds more like her dogs aren't dog friendly and she was taking precautions.

We have a rare breed and we are happy to talk to people (don't have much choice as you will get stopped when out and about) and let them stroke the dogs etc (and field the usual questions about how much they eat and people telling us they have never heard of the breed etc)

[Brads67]

Jukebag said:

My mum owns a lovely Rough Collie, pretty much rare as hens teeth as far the average dog breed that you see around the area goes, or so I thought as whilst walking through the local woods a few days ago I was pleasantly surprised to see another Rough Collie out with its owner and her other dog (can't remember what breed that was). I was out with my son at the time and I pointed it out to him and he recognised it was another rough collie. Thinking the owner would be smiling and saying "wow, it's a small world, another Rough Collie" and wanting to know all about ours, instead she quickly put her two dogs on the lead and promptly scarpered out of the way until I had passed her. I thought "some people are so rude". I suspect her two dogs were abit mental in the head.

I'm not saying this is applies to every dog owner out there, but it's certainly something I've encountered occasionally on my dog walks.

She probably thought "look at that psycho staring and pointing at my dogs, probably wants to steal them to breed with his to make a killing on gumtree puppies"

[Sporky]

alfie2244 said:

Snap ....in fact it can be quite embarrassing having unusual dogs and trying not to forget to ask about their, often not so rare, dog.

The trick is not caring about not caring about boring dogs.

[HTP99]

alfie2244 said:

Jasandjules said:

That sounds more like her dogs aren't dog friendly and she was taking precautions.

We have a rare breed and we are happy to talk to people (don't have much choice as you will get stopped when out and about) and let them stroke the dogs etc (and field the usual questions about how much they eat and people telling us they have never heard of the breed etc)

Snap ....in fact it can be quite embarrassing having unusual dogs and trying not to forget to ask about their, often not so rare, dog.

Lol, our Terriers aren't rare at all and yet we always get stopped and have loads of questions fired at us about them, "oooh they are lovely, what breed are they?", or "are they puppies?" as they are small, I rarely ask after their dog as generally they are run of the mill Labradors, spaniels, cokerpoo's etc.

Edited by HTP99 on Friday 6th September 14:23

[Steven_RW]

As much as I love dogs, I've kinda got past the "aww, look at the wee fluffy lad" aspect and will take a small B-line when out with mine to steer round either an unknown dog or ones that I do know are untrained.

It is hard to have anything in common with someone who has a totally out of control untrained dog, has no ambition to address it and as such you just end up wanting to suggest how they could approach it but they sure don't want to hear about it.

I have met a few owners trying their best and as soon as I see that I will have all day to discuss and help where I can. You can usually spot it at a fair distance.

Just another point of view.

RW

[RB Will]

Is this for real?
OP out with his mums dog that is an unpredictable knob, thinks random stranger is very rude and or their dogs are mental just because they don’t come up to him and talk to him about how amazing his mums dog is

There are so many reasons this woman could have been avoiding you that are nothing to do with her being rude or her dogs being aholes.

Think there are 6 rough collies I see around my way. I go out of my way to avoid most of them as 9/10 times they start going mental at my dog as soon as they see her.

Got a relatively rare breed myself, think I’ve only seen 2 others in the wild in the near 10 years I have had mine and one of those was in Venice. But I don’t think I would be that excited to see another out that I would want to have a chat about it.

[Turn7]

This thread highlights the value in having descriptive harnesse/leads on dogs...

Ie, nervous, friendly, deaf, aggressive etc

[HTP99]

Turn7 said:

This thread highlights the value in having descriptive harnesse/leads on dogs...

Ie, nervous, friendly, deaf, aggressive etc

Had one on my deaf Frenchie; made fk all difference!

[Brads67]

Rest assured I would NOT pay the slightest bit of attention to what is written on any dogs lead.

The amount of times some "lovely, friendly, harmless " little st has had a go at my dogs.

[Jukebag]

Too many owners often cannot handle and control their dogs. Our Collie, although very friendly with people and most dogs (only really wants to play) it seems to have dislike black Labradors for some reason, well the one I often see out walking. I remember once this woman with it came walking out of the woods from a corner and the thing pulled quickly on the lead almost dragging her across the floor.

[RB Will]

It doesnt take a very big dog to knock you off balance if they suddenly lunge. I weigh 4 x as much as my dog but if she is intent on getting to something like a squirrel then I have to put a bit of effort into resisting it.
I have spent a lot of time in a sport where dogs are encouraged to pull hard and its amazing what they can do. Even something like a cocker spaniel can pull pretty hard.

That said some people have inappropriate dogs because of cuteness or to be trendy, think husky, Samoyed, GSD.

The worst experience my dog has ever had was thanks to a woman walking a St Bernard. Me and my dog were on one side of a quiet road, them on the other. Her St Bernard took a dislike to mine and lunged over, she had no hope and let go of it for it to come over and pile into and pin down mine who was on its lead. The only way out was for me to let go of my dogs lead and she pegged it off down the road. Caught up with mine a minute later, she had run back to my car in the car park we had left an hour before, shaking and terrified. I'll forever be pissed off that I didn't get the chance to give that woman a piece of my mind but my dogs safety was priority at the time.