*sigh*

[slleipnir]

I usually won't take Josie with Zeke and I when I go to the park, simply because of her aggression. I usually walk her later in the evening when there aren't any dogs around. Today, however, I really wanted to let her RUN. She never gets to play offleash or really stretch her legs. I decided to let her come and let her run in one of the big, fenced in baseball diamonds. There is one small opening in the gate, but I stood infront of it, so she couldn't get in.

She had a blast running around with no restrictions. Zeke might have annoyed her a little, but nothing serious. Anyway, all of a sudden, out of no where, this big dog comes running by. First thing I do is call Josie and grab her, however, doing this allowed Zeke to slip through the hole...which was fine, Zeke loves to play. They played around, and when I called Zeke, the other dog got in the hole. I pushed Josie behind me so that I was in the middle of Josie and the other dog. I saw it's owners not too far away and yelled "Can you get your dog? Mine is really aggressive!!" They said yes, but made no effort to hurry AT ALL. They finally got there and their dog had grabbed my dog's rope and started to play tug with Zeke. I told him he had to keep his dog away from Josie because she is aggressive. He said ok. The dog kept coming close to Josie, and the guy NEVER pulled it off I mean, I was yelling "NO" and holding Josie behind me. I had her front paws off the ground and held her muzzle (I had a gentle leader on as well) I told her to watch me, and she would look at me but she didn't like the dog OR the people being close. She was really good about it though...she never snarled or barked (but then again, I had her really close and I had the gentle leader tight so she couldn't attack it.

It REALLY annoyed me how the people made pretty much NO effort to keep their dog away, or even take it away. Eventually he got the dog, and spent another 5 mins trying to get the rope out of it's mouth while I held Josie. They left without even saying anything. No "sorry", nothing....I mean, I understand it's my problem that my dog is aggressive, but I ASKED him to keep it back, and I DID have control over her..it's not like I let her loose in an open area...urg.

So now my poor girl has no where to run It's really not fair to her, cause she LOVES to run...but I can't chance her getting in fights. It kills me to see her like that. She didn't get "crazy" at all though this time. It was a big dog too, bigger than her. Last time she was close to a dog, she snarled, bark and snaped. I didn't even know it was her!! But this time she was pretty good.

I've seen some aggressive dogs that would literally rip apart any dog...Josie isn't like that I don't think. She's been in 2 fights, and neither time was blood drawn. Someone told me they thought it was a protection thing...like she is confused as to who is alpha and feels she needs to protect me. Do you think me stepping in the way of the other dog keeping it back showed her I was trying to protect her? Maybe that is why she wasn't so crazy??

I seriously think it if wasn't Josie, I probably would have been biten...I thought to myself for a minute that she might bite me, but she didn't. I put my hand on her muzzle and everything....I've pulled her out of fights too. People tell me not to do that, cause she wouldn't realize it was me and would bite me....but you know what? I'd rather have a crappy hand then no dog. If I can save her from serious injury, then hell, she can bite me, I know she wouldn't mean it if she did. However, I feel like she knows it's me...cause she's never made an sign of looking like she would ever bite me......


-sigh- I don't know what to do anymore. She needs to run, but there is no where safe. If me and my dad move to the country (Which we want to do) we are building a really big fenced in place for the dogs....but will it happen or not...)

Sorry this was so long, I really needed to vent....but in your opinion, was it wrong for me to take her there? I doubt I'll do it again, but at the same time, I don't see how it was my fault. I had Josie under control the whole time, and there was no way she would get out there unless she got through me...

[king2005]

in my opinion, as long as your dog was undercontrol, you warned the other owner that your dog is aggressive & the other dog is loose, you are in the right!

I don't know how many times I took Max & Rocky (at this time he was kinda agressive but not doing the killing everything in sight) to the park & my exfriend & I stood in the tennis court's door way & tossed a ball to the dogs. They had a blast & Rocky was not muzzled so he could play with Max & the ball (he wouldn't hurt max he looked up to Max & if Max was angry he was angrier!, if Max was happy he was happier, hehe ) Rocky also would never leave our side nor Max's side. SO he was under control. Sure he barked at few times at dogs, but when we told him to stop & he looked at Max, he would stop & get back to playing, as Max never barked at dogs & he was a big baby hehe...

I say, bring her back to that park, but bring a friend with you, so you both can stand in the gateway. Cont to keep a muzzle on her & do keep her behind you. When Max was young I noticed that he was FAR more protective (anything at moved or looked like a trash can he would get agressive, but if I forced him behind me, he seemed to relax a bit, not 100%, but enough that I could atleast walk. After the years, he turned into a new dog & he loved & like everything, EXCEPT trash cans at night

[Alysser]

No, it was not wrong to take her. Number one, you took her to a fenced area. Number two, you could never have known another dog was going to come. Lastly, Josie NEEDS to run. I think it was perfectly sensible to take her. I also think that is a good way to show her your protecting her. I think you did a great job in this situation. Do you have a yard she can run in???

[caseysmom]

Well our dog park clearly says no aggressive dogs. I think it would be really hard for me to keep my dogs away from any dog at our dog park, casey gets so excited to go see the other dogs.

Too bad there aren't different areas you could take her our dog park has 2 separate areas, although one side is for small/shy dogs.

[slleipnir]

To clear things up, I didn't take her to a dog park. I would NEVER. She wouldn't be happy AT ALL. I took her to a human park with a fenced in baseball diamond. IE, it's not ACTUALLY ment for dogs, but they don't use them in the winter. Usually if someone is in there, other people will ask if they can let their dog in (although usuaully people don't use it)

I do have a fenced in yard, but it isn't big enough for them to really exersice like they need

[caseysmom]

Oh well I am not sure I just know casey is so starved to see other dogs its hard to tell her to stay away. Maybe you could go there when others aren't around to make it less stressful, if that happened to me and someone told me their dog was aggressive I would leash casey up and take her to another spot.

[Alysser]

Do you have any other land that you own nearby? Maybe you can build a run on that?

[slleipnir]

Oh well I am not sure I just know casey is so starved to see other dogs its hard to tell her to stay away. Maybe you could go there when others aren't around to make it less stressful, if that happened to me and someone told me their dog was aggressive I would leash casey up and take her to another spot.

That's what I would do too. There were other dogs there, but they walked past. It's just that this dog came into the place I was. I couldn't help it if the dog got in Josie's space anyway...it wouldn't be her fault. It bugged me that he didn't seem to care. The fence is off of the walking path anyway, it's not like he needed to walk by there...but I don't think he really had much control over his dog and maybe shouldn't have had it offleash

[Ginger's Mom]

I don't think you did anything wrong. A few of the dog owners in my neighborhood use the tennis courts in the winter time to let our dogs run. There is one lady who does have an aggressive dog, but she only takes her there when no one else is around, and she does guard the gate. Her dog deserves to run as much as anyone else's and has less places where she can actually do that (I have the dog park and even the ball field behind the clubhouse that isn't fenced in), so I don't think anyone minds that she uses the court in the winter when no one else is there. Just be aware of what is going on outside the ballfield to, so that you can leash up and leave quickly.

[slleipnir]

Do you have any other land that you own nearby? Maybe you can build a run on that?

Yes, at my cottage. We have thought about fencing it in, but I guess my aunt doesn't want it (it's her property as well) This time of year there isn't many people out there, and sometimes we let her run out there. Usually my dad though, cause I'm to nervous.

[king2005]

Audrey, is the land/road to your cottage closed during the winter?
Dad said you guys don't have much snow as it keeps melting. So maybe driving up to the cottage would allow her to run about. Since no one usually lives in the cottages, I hardly dout anyone would be up there, & if Josie isn't the kind of dog to run away, she should like it out there

[caseysmom]

Well it sounds like you were there first they should have asked.

[Alysser]

Yeah, I totally agree with Caseysmom. I would have been totally pissed off by then. But maybe you should talk to your aunt about it and tell her this story.

[slleipnir]

Yeah, I totally agree with Caseysmom. I would have been totally pissed off by then. But maybe you should talk to your aunt about it and tell her this story.

lol.

This is the aunt who made Zeke sit outside in the rain one day that we were over for dinner (keep in mind, Zeke is allowed inside when we are there..we share the cottage..so like one month it's ours, the next theirs) she didn't seem to care that I went outside to eat in the rain with him because he thought he was being punished. Some how I doubt she'd care lol. She knows what he means to me, and if she makes him go outside then she obviously doesn't like pets. *sigh*

I'll just keep hoping we will move to the country sometime.

Jess: No, it's not. There are some people who live there year around. People who live near by sometimes walk their dogs there too.

[king2005]

lol.

This is the aunt who made Zeke sit outside in the rain one day that we were over for dinner (keep in mind, Zeke is allowed inside when we are there..we share the cottage..so like one month it's ours, the next theirs) she didn't seem to care that I went outside to eat in the rain with him because he thought he was being punished. Some how I doubt she'd care lol. She knows what he means to me, and if she makes him go outside then she obviously doesn't like pets. *sigh*

I'll just keep hoping we will move to the country sometime.

Jess: No, it's not. There are some people who live there year around. People who live near by sometimes walk their dogs there too.

That sucks

What about going down a road where there is no one around?
& let the pups run down a LOOOOONG road? It might be a good road trip