Meeting Scary Dogs

[BarbedWire]

I hesitate to start a thread on this topic but bearing in mind Haredown Whippet's signature which is a quote from Aristotle, 'To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing', I have decided to be brave. I am just wondering how others would react in the following situation.

Yesterday I was at the vets. After my consultation I went to the counter to pay when I noticed a waiting dog which frightened me. It was around 30kg, red, possibly pit bull Rhodesian ridgeback mix, with wrinkles between its ears. Its body language scared me. When it saw my dog it stood up and forward and its eyes became fixated on my dog, which is a 12kg mixed breed. The dog's owner, a woman with grey hair, was not watching but was looking sideways at a magazine. I retreated back behind a display stand and remarked to the vet who had followed me out that I was scared. He suggested that I put my dog in the car and come back to pay my account which I did.

It was the dog's eyes that really frightened me. Maybe it just wanted to play, but I didn't notice any tail movement, but then I was only looking at its front end. When I came back to pay I had another look from the side and I think it had just had pups and no longer looked so scary as it had relaxed. It was now the only dog in the waiting area.

My question is how would you react? I do know that part of my reaction was that I thought it was at least part pit bull and yes after the media hype surrounding this breed I am wary. It was also the staring fixated eyes. I keep asking myself if I would have reacted the same way if it was a Labrador, but I have never seen a Labrador stand up like that with those eyes. Perhaps I have not seen that many Labradors. How about a mastiff? I don't really know enough about the breed to have an opinion. Rhodesian ridgeback? Possibly for me the same reaction.

So how would you react in a similar situation? Please keep this thread civil because I am actually quite fragile (perhaps I am an idiot for trying to start such a thread but this is an anonymous internet forum after all and I don't believe I actually know anyone from this forum irl.). Please understand I am not having a go at anyone or any breed. :)

[Kavik]

If I am uncomfortable with the body language of a dog in the waiting room at the vet towards mine, I will avoid them (stay at other end of reception) or tell the nurse/receptionist/vet so that they can either move the other dog so I can get past (take them outside/into consult room), or take me out a different way (Zoe was dog aggressive, so I would wait outside til my turn, and if it was busy after I would go out the back way).

[Kirislin]

I probably would have asked the owner if her dog was safe with others, or perhaps even asked her to hold it short on the leash because I felt a bit nervous. Some people are idiots with their dogs though, I was at the park yesterday with just 2 of mine, the smallest one and the oldest one, Penny who is very frail now. 3 elderly people were walking their 3 dogs off leash. 2 littlies seemed fine but the biggest one snapped at Penny who was oblivious to it so the snap came out of the blue to her. The owners just laughed and said oh yes, she snaps but she doesn't bite.

[Christina]

Haven't been in this situation but if I was I would either make sure I was far enough away for the dog not to get to me or tell the receptionist I would wait outside.

[hankdog]

Trust your gut. Never trust the other owners opinion. Why take the chance, sounds like it was a big dog and likely stressed at being in a vet surgery so even if it's normally fine may have been on high alert anyway. I have a dog from the dark side and now I know how quickly things can go wrong I'm very wary of ever allowing even friendly dogs to casually wander over to each other.

[juice]

I think we are all wary of certain breeds , for one reason or another.

You could argue that the women had no idea about her dogs intentions, or the dog could be perfectly safe and you read it wrong.

Caution is fine I would say in a small area.

Our vets isn't that big either, I am normally on the receiving end of people running out when they see mine ( who is normally fast asleep in a heap anyway) :laugh:

I have met dogs on walks loose I have had to stand in front of my dogs to ward them off.

Better safe than sorry in your case I would say.

[BarbedWire]

Thankyou for the replies so far. I have never felt I had to avoid other dogs at the vet before and avoiding them is wise advice. I think Juice's comment is of interest though. 'I think we are all wary of certain breeds , for one reason or another.' And I was especially wary because I thought it was a pitbull mix.

I am reminded of another situation when I was in the library carpark. A woman passed in front of my car with a Gordon setter on lead, and a loose American bulldog. She told me the bulldog was not hers and it had been following her for some time. It was wearing a collar with a phone number. I had a lead in my car so we put the bulldog on lead and I held the Gordon while she took the bulldog up to the library entrance and asked the staff to ring the owner. He arrived in his ute about five minutes later and it was all good. The point is that I was too scared to hold the bulldog because it was making a funny noise which could have been a growl and the Gordon was obviously anxious. The woman admitted that she was also wary and she was an instructor at the local dog club.

I know from this forum that a lot of owners of these 'certain breeds' are lovely people and responsible dog owners but I am scared of these dogs.

[Kirislin]

there are certain breeds I am automatically on the alert about from past experience, but I wont say what they are here. It doesn't mean I'm instantly frightened of them, just watchful, but mostly I dont base it on breed but rather the body language of the individual dog.

The breed I'm most wary of is probably the breed I would get for myself if I felt I ever needed a protective dog.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Kirislin

[flame ryder]

there are certain breeds I am automatically on the alert about from past experience, but I wont say what they are here. It doesn't mean I'm instantly frightened of them, just watchful, but mostly I dont base it on breed but rather the body language of the individual dog.

The breed I'm most wary of is probably the breed I would get for myself if I felt I ever needed a protective dog.

Funny you should say that...I have always been afraid of Rottweilers. Now I have one

[raineth]

I think you did just fine. The dog's body language concerned you, and the fact the owner was distracted, so you told the vet, and you took your dog to the car and came back to pay to avoid any problems.

You never know, had the dog been clearly relaxed the way you saw it when your dog wasn't with you, you might not have been scared at all.

Also, you need to remember that a tail wag doesn't necessarily mean a dog is friendly :)

[Diva]

I don't think in terms of scary breeds. To my mind they all deserve respect and i don't take any unknown dog's behaviour for granted, I go by their body language. That said if a waiting room is crowded and the weather not too warm I usually take my dogs out to the car and come back and pay, that seems sensible. I would be more concerned by a clueless owner of any breed than the dogs breed.

Somewhat off topic but I get stunned by just how clueless people in vet surgeries can be, like the owner of the tiny dog with its leg in a caste that let it wander around off lead and right up under the feet of my two big girls, or the owner of a larger dog that came out of the consultation room door with her dog on a flexi lead and let it get right across the room and literally on top of mine before saying she hadn't noticed anther dog there and why shouldn't they play anyway. Ummh because my dog is sick and you and yours have zero manners, and it's a vet surgery not a dog park.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Diva

[mixeduppup]

Breeds of dogs don't faze me as each dog is an individual but if I pick up body language or behaviour in a dog that I feel is unsafe and the owner is unaware, ignorant, apathetic or over their head then I will avoid. I have had so many people tell me their dog displaying clear prey drive signals just 'wants to play' with my much smaller dog. Actually a few years ago I came across a lady with a certain purebred dog who 'just wanted to play', 'it's just excited to see your dog'. I avoided that dog as it didn't want to play. Fast forward 2 years later and the dog had to be put down for attacking other dogs seriously. Don't ever ignore your gut feelings even if you may seem rude to other people. Just don't let your fear of one dog, or the media create unrealistic notions of a specific breed or type. Be alert but not alarmed :)

[LisaCC]

I don't think there is any thing wrong with being wary of certain breeds. I am because my dog has been attacked by a type of breed twice in 8 months, I don't automatically think they are all bad, I'm just more watchful.

But I also find myself more watchful when it comes to breeds with naturally upright stances like huskies.

Edited August 9, 2014 by LisaCC

[BarbedWire]

Thankyou Diva. I am clearly not as capable or as confident as you are that I can assess dog body language so quickly.

Yes Snook I do understand what you are saying but the media reporting has got in the way and has sadly made me scared. Some of the dog attacks I have read about in the media and on DOL are so frightening. Dogs being ripped apart in front of their owners. It is the stuff of nightmares. I also believe that our dogs respond to what the handler is feeling and my fear would make my dog tense up which would not be helpful in the situation.

I also am aware from other posts here on DOL that dog attacks are not all that common and do not always necessarily come from certain breeds, but my initial reaction is fear although I do tell myself that the next time I will be calm. From some of the posts so far it would seem that I am not alone with my fear.

[mixeduppup]

Just don't let your fear be recognised by your dog as it may start to react to certain dogs which can sometime trigger a reaction in some dogs when there may have been none if your dog was confident :)

[Gallomph]

I think you were right to be concerned. Whatever the breed, any dog at the vets may be stressed / aroused and may behave in ways that it normally wouldn't. Not all owners are awake to this fact.

Also, your dog is 12kgs, the other was ~ 30kgs. If the situation tuned to shit, your dog was the most vulnerable and most likely to get injured. Why take the risk?

[Trishm]

Yesterday I was at the park, (not a dog park) but a huge area in our council area that you are allowed to have off leash dogs, with my 2 whippets, a friend was with me with 2 of her whippets.

Most people who walk their dogs over there put their dogs on leads if they see another dog approaching.

We did this yesterday as we saw dogs approaching, the owners did not leash their dogs, and within a few minutes we were surrounded by a snapping snarling Golden Retriever and a Bernese mountain dog.

Thankfully the owners eventually caught up and grabbed their dogs before there was contact, but it goes to show that any breed can cause trouble.

My boy reacted of course which didn't help matters, it was scary for a few minutes.

[Diva]

Thankyou Diva. I am clearly not as capable or as confident as you are that I can assess dog body language so quickly.

Oh I am not particularly confident or capable, I wish I was. I have learnt from attacks on the street that I can't defend my dogs effectively in the face of serious intent. That is probably why I watch body language and owner rather than breed, they are better predictors of the level of risk.

[Staffyluv]

Did the dog lunge at you and your dog?

Growl?

It sounds like the dogs owner was relaxed, just looking sideways at a magazine..

Which would indicate to ME (not saying it would indicate to anyone else), that the dog wasn't an issue - to me, if an owner has a death grip on a lead, I tend to walk around the dog and owner.

If the owner is relaxed and the dog not lunging or growling, then I see them as safe to be in the same room with.

I would never just assume a dog was safe and allow my dog to approach another dog but I would ask, if the dog seemed interested (only because my boy is always happy to say hello to other dogs).

My lad is about 25kg with wrinkles between his ears :)

[Little Gifts]

You have to trust your gut. Unfortunately we all know we can't rely on other people to be properly managing their dogs even when they know they might be HA, DA or FA. I've actually seen people come into my vet carrying a small dog without a collar or leash on saying "my dog doesn't like other dogs" like it was my problem and I should move away. Well stick it in a effing carrier if that's the case or buy it a collar, leash and a muzzle if you are going to bring it out of your car! You don't have to have a high IQ or good attention span to own a dog and take it out in public! If I was ever trapped in by a dog I was unsure of I would actually call to the owner and ask them to hold their dog closer while I went by. For all I care they could think it was my dog that was the issue.