Joined
·
386 Posts
And my sock is full of puppy pee !
Heated "discussion" with neighbor friend
21 - 40 of 56 Posts
Joined
·
7,459 Posts
I'm doing that to someone! Don't know who or when, but it's happening. I'm pretty excited about it.
@EgansMom I have a couple of guaranteed conversation stoppers for use on men. They are NOT pg13 and cannot be said on this forum! Lol. But they work every time.
Joined
·
386 Posts
I agree that they can with well matched stable dogs. In fact I fostered a male mix when I had my first girl and she was great for the time he was with us. But this guy was talking about just letting Jamie play with random other dogs ie.dog park - because he thinks playing with other dogs is something she requires.
Joined
·
1,988 Posts
Well, it's just the beginning. Every single neighbor or passerby will be full of advice on how to raise and train a working shepherd. Because, you know, they are all experts. Going through this myself, don't care for their advice but they are nice ppl so 'Oh? Really?That's interesting' lol
Joined
·
1,960 Posts
For me these are discussions I have with my hubby. He likes taking Agis to the dog park (now he's mixed, not a PB Rottie, so I say, 'We need to consider that Agis is now too old to really do this' and he wants to bring Xerxes (our leash-reactive beagle) with him and I'm like 'Xerxes is the rudest player, he has awful manners, don't bring him.' My husband is all 'Oh no, he's FINE.'
Xerxes doesn't attack dogs (he's off-leash), he just gets in their faces baying at them. I'd say we go to the dog park maybe six times a year, I'd rather it be less. We usually end up leaving quickly as Xerxes is rude.
I dislike dog parks in general, and in particular, for our dogs.
Xerxes doesn't attack dogs (he's off-leash), he just gets in their faces baying at them. I'd say we go to the dog park maybe six times a year, I'd rather it be less. We usually end up leaving quickly as Xerxes is rude.
I dislike dog parks in general, and in particular, for our dogs.
Joined
·
386 Posts
I think that's what upsets me... and it's not just about dogs. On a semi regular basis on other topics as well he is condescending and judgemental under the guise of "being helpful".
Not a healthy friendship and not something I need in my life.
Actually I have tried something similar to what you suggest and he turns it into "he's just trying to help and I'm not understanding, I'm being defensive, I'm the one with a problem etc".
Anyways thanks for "listening" and input. I'm done with this "friendship".
Joined
·
9,950 Posts
People somehow forgot that dogs aren’t children.
They don’t need to “play nicely” with strangers.
Yes, dogs are pack animals, but they run with their OWN pack. Not with a bunch of random strange dogs with all sorts of training differences, ages, breeds.
For those who do dog parks well, good for them.
As far as I’m concerned, my GSD needs to play and interact with me. That way, we both benefit, and every experience is a good one.
They don’t need to “play nicely” with strangers.
Yes, dogs are pack animals, but they run with their OWN pack. Not with a bunch of random strange dogs with all sorts of training differences, ages, breeds.
For those who do dog parks well, good for them.
As far as I’m concerned, my GSD needs to play and interact with me. That way, we both benefit, and every experience is a good one.
Joined
·
9,950 Posts
Life is too short to spend time with people who make you unhappy.
Find people who lift you up, not drag you down. This guy sounds like he needs to pump himself up by berating others. You can do much better.
Find people who lift you up, not drag you down. This guy sounds like he needs to pump himself up by berating others. You can do much better.
Joined
·
386 Posts
I like Jamie better than most people
Joined
·
4,973 Posts
Every time lol... Challenge accepted
Joined
·
7,459 Posts
Ha! I always hung around with guys, and being guys they frequently started conversations that I didn't really want to listen to. So I devised some ways to stop them. Lol. None of them are fit for polite conversations, but they are effective.
I'm not either proper or polite.
Joined
·
32,016 Posts
I think I could have written your original post, just a few years ago, and now I am going to give a bit of a different take. I am a shy person. I hate to be the center of attention, and I have had dogs that kind of act like me. Some of them. Don't want people to pay attention to them, much better at trusting people if they ignore and the dog is able to choose when and how they get up close and personal. This was ok for me. Dogs don't go to dog parks because, yes they are an accident waiting to happen, and dogs are not children and do not have to play with dogs outside of their own packs. So long as they are able to go to the vet and sit in the waiting room around other dogs without losing their minds, that is perfect. Well, we may never have to worry about sitting in a waiting room with other people ever again. Taking them to classes -- puppy class, basic obedience or household manners, rally or agility or conformation or whatever, that was enough to get them to the level I wanted them at.
And then I got this friend who has a couple of my dogs, and lives ridiculously far away, but has a beautiful bit of property, and when I go there, I really have a great time. The dogs run with each other, and splash through the creek, and chase each other, and roll over each other, and do absolute doggy-stuff. Now I have a number of dogs myself, and I mostly have them paired off. They are intact, and I don't want to have to rip them apart if they start fighting. I have just an acre with a vicious road that is 55mph, which means people go 70, and a curve, and some of those vehicles will speed up to hit a dog. So while they may have decent sized kennels and are kenneled with another dog, taking them to my friend on the west, or my friends on the east (they have a young dog on a bit of land and the dogs run and play together there too, but I have not seen them since Covid as they are probably much more immune-compromised than I am.)
I don't know. Watching Karma and Vera playing with Viking and then Deef; seeing the puppy (Columbo is 12 weeks old) interacting with Uzi and Canello and Fasko and Viking, I am thinking now that maybe dog parks are not the answer for most people. But maybe our dogs do have a need for canine-exercise that is so much more than what we can provide. I mean, maybe if we have 15 acres and a flock of sheep, our dog will get all he needs in the way of exercise. But watching these dogs go together, in a group even is something else. Just something to think about.
![568241]()
And then I got this friend who has a couple of my dogs, and lives ridiculously far away, but has a beautiful bit of property, and when I go there, I really have a great time. The dogs run with each other, and splash through the creek, and chase each other, and roll over each other, and do absolute doggy-stuff. Now I have a number of dogs myself, and I mostly have them paired off. They are intact, and I don't want to have to rip them apart if they start fighting. I have just an acre with a vicious road that is 55mph, which means people go 70, and a curve, and some of those vehicles will speed up to hit a dog. So while they may have decent sized kennels and are kenneled with another dog, taking them to my friend on the west, or my friends on the east (they have a young dog on a bit of land and the dogs run and play together there too, but I have not seen them since Covid as they are probably much more immune-compromised than I am.)
I don't know. Watching Karma and Vera playing with Viking and then Deef; seeing the puppy (Columbo is 12 weeks old) interacting with Uzi and Canello and Fasko and Viking, I am thinking now that maybe dog parks are not the answer for most people. But maybe our dogs do have a need for canine-exercise that is so much more than what we can provide. I mean, maybe if we have 15 acres and a flock of sheep, our dog will get all he needs in the way of exercise. But watching these dogs go together, in a group even is something else. Just something to think about.
Joined
·
2 Posts
I think it is totally up to you how you want to raise your dog and a lot of people don't like dog parks. We live in the city and I wouldn't know what to do without our dog park. Our GSD is 10 months old and he loves to play with other dogs, just not every dog is a good match for him. Our dog is very gentle especially with smaller dogs and he doesn't like it when the other dogs play too wild. But he hates little barking yuppy dogs just like I do. I check out every dog that comes in and I watch him closely to make sure no accidents happen. When he was 4 months old he got bit twice and that was when I walked him on the leash, not at the dog park. When other people try to pet him he usually is like whatever and doesn't care about that human attention. I find that labs and golden retrievers care more about human attention than they care about playing with other dogs. I agree that a dog should be focused on their handler but I also think that puppies should be allowed to be puppies, so I let him play with other dogs because he likes it.
OK, first time GSD mom. We have 7 month old she LOVES to play with other dogs. More than anything. Is there something wrong here. She is pre bred. we have papers.
Joined
·
16,024 Posts
No, there is nothing wrong with your dog liking other dogs.
What's wrong is trying to educate people with their minds already set. That isn't worth the time - it's a futile exercise.
What's wrong is trying to educate people with their minds already set. That isn't worth the time - it's a futile exercise.
Joined
·
386 Posts
My point wasn't that gsd's can't like other dogs - it was that they are usually not well suited for being put in with a group of strange dogs like at the dog park/daycares etc. Keep in mind that the original argument from the neighbor was that Jamie should be playing with other dogs at dog parks.
My previous girl was never taken to dog parks and the like and grew up to be pleasantly friendly (if somewhat aloof) with all other dogs.
With my male (thinking I was missing something and misunderstanding what socialization should be) I took him to the dog park from the time he was a puppy. He seemed to be "enjoying himself"...up till he hit puberty and became aggressively dog reactive. I realized that some incidents at the dog park where he had been over loaded or frightened had set the foundation for his future reactivity. They seemed minor at the time and being a puppy he seemed to bounce back. I underestimated the impact. So cross your fingers that your puppy has nerves of steel. You may not see the reaction at the time but it will come out later.
There is no way to avoid incidents at a dog park because you cannot control other peoples dogs.
I'm sure there are GSD's who do well with groups of strange dogs their whole lives and have no discernible change in demeanor towards other dogs at/after puberty. It could happen I suppose.
But taking the experience from my previous 2.... it won't be my choice for Jamie.
My previous girl was never taken to dog parks and the like and grew up to be pleasantly friendly (if somewhat aloof) with all other dogs.
With my male (thinking I was missing something and misunderstanding what socialization should be) I took him to the dog park from the time he was a puppy. He seemed to be "enjoying himself"...up till he hit puberty and became aggressively dog reactive. I realized that some incidents at the dog park where he had been over loaded or frightened had set the foundation for his future reactivity. They seemed minor at the time and being a puppy he seemed to bounce back. I underestimated the impact. So cross your fingers that your puppy has nerves of steel. You may not see the reaction at the time but it will come out later.
There is no way to avoid incidents at a dog park because you cannot control other peoples dogs.
I'm sure there are GSD's who do well with groups of strange dogs their whole lives and have no discernible change in demeanor towards other dogs at/after puberty. It could happen I suppose.
But taking the experience from my previous 2.... it won't be my choice for Jamie.
Joined
·
6,774 Posts
As a puppy my WL played with Labs and Goldens and did not like them. They were in his face all the time and pesty. He would hide under benches to avoid them.
Joined
·
7,097 Posts
My shepherd is great with other dogs.I don't want him to meet up with one at a dog park that is not. Trusted dogs and owners only.
Joined
·
1,960 Posts
Yes. Since Agis has been little, dogs sometimes react poorly to him (even when Xerxes isn't around), even when he's minding his own business. At his age, I am concerned he will not simply take it and will respond. He has several dog friends in our building, we know them, we know the dogs, we know the owners.
21 - 40 of 56 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!