learn to be a dog whisperer is madness

I couldn’t disagree more strongly.

I think finding out a little bit about how dogs think & behave would be very much a sound thing to do.

IMHO one of the best ways of dealing with something I don’t understand/have a fear of it is to learn a little bit about the subject more: think of it as a bit of personal growth.

What’s the downside?

Why are you so anti the idea??

Why are you so anti the idea??

Hates dogs 8)

I think finding out a little bit about how dogs think & behave would be very much a sound thing to do.

Compare: “I think finding out a little bit about how rapists think & behave would be very much a sound thing to do.”

That’s a **** stupid comparison.

Woah there aracer, they are a list of possible suggestions, no victim blaming, i’m genuinely trying to help someone avoid getting into trouble. I don’t think it ever does any harm to reflect on your own feelings and behaviour. If after reflecting, you don’t feel that you are contributing to the problem, crack on.

Looks like a subtle form of victim blaming to me.
The animal belongs to someone else, it’s behaviour is causing a person distress, why should the distressed party be forced to modify perfectly reasonable behaviour in order for someone else’s problem animal to stop causing distress?
Again, let’s blame the victim for someone else’s lack of care and consideration.

What you are doing is victim blaming. I know its not your intent but it what it amounts to. It is the dogs owners responsibility to stop the dog bothering anyone. Its is not Joe Publics responsibility to have to learn about dog behaviour. You may think its sensible mitigation but others differ.

It is perfectly legal to use whatever means to hand or necessary to defend yourself from a perceived threat from a dog.

Compare: “I think finding out a little bit about how rapists think & behave would be very much a sound thing to do.”

Seems reasonable TBH – I would want my daughters to at least give a thought about where they’re walking (especially at night) and what accepting a drink from a stranger could actually signal. So yes, seems a good idea. Ideally it wouldn’t be necessary, but it’s not an ideal world.

It’s easy to screech “victim blaming” over the internet, but the sad fact is that we live in the real world, and some people are ****s. Learning about how to avoid the negative aspects of this is pretty sensible advice.

km79 – Member
That’s a **** stupid comparison.

Is it?
I’ve yet to see you post up any solution that doesn’t automatically place the onus on the victim to do all the work to modify their quite reasonable behaviour, and none at all about those actually responsible for allowing the animals in their care to prevent them causing others actual distress.
You’re clearly a dog owner who assumes absolute right over what you and your animal can do in a public place.
Which puts Cougars comment in context, just like those who say women should modify their behaviour when out alone, dress in a ‘non-provocative’ fashion, etc.
Again, victim blaming.
🙄

The trouble is, most of the solutions involve modifying perfectly reasonable behaviour which isn’t bothering anybody else. When I was bitten whilst out running I was doing an interval session – not barging past anybody as there was plenty of space on a big wide path. The owner of course suggested that I should have just stopped running. Well that would really make my interval session work well wouldn’t it? Oh, and the last time I was bitten whilst riding, the owner suggested that my riding was unreasonable because it impacted on her right to let her dog run free.

I do get that as some* dog owners are **** it is an issue we have to deal with and complaining that it shouldn’t happen isn’t helpful, but neither are suggested solutions which involve having to stop doing what we’re doing whenever there’s a dog about.

* I know plenty, none of whom are, hence I presume it’s a tiny minority spoiling it

edit: not going to edit the word which the swear filter caught, and quite clearly it should have been caught, but it’s got more than 4 letters and isn’t quite as offensive as you might think

Firstly. Victim blaming is a problem when it absolves the guilty from responsibility. If you accept that dog owners should control their dogs then you aren’t ‘blaming’ the victim. If I leave a £5000 bike outside a supermarket and refuse to lock it up , that does not mean anyone is entitled to steal it. Suggesting locking it up is not blaming the victim.
More pertinently. The OP is looking for a practical solution to a specific problem appertaining to his wife. Suggesting that all people should control their dogs isn’t going to help her in this instance. What is the point in reacting to an individual particular issue with a generalised rant about a population wide problem. You aren’t suggesting a solution to the OP’s situation. He’s asking what she can do about it, not what society as a whole needs to do.

Seriously you lot are very binary aren’t you.
Yes, irresponsible dog owners are the problem. If the OP’s wife has tried dealing with the owners through dialogue and reporting to the relevant authorities and still had no luck then a bit of holistic thinking may help. My input was aimed at trying to find solutions to a problem, not worrying about who’s fault the problem is, as that ship appears to have sailed.

Compare: “I think finding out a little bit about how rapists think & behave would be very much a sound thing to do.”

Now you’re just talking shite.

Go away & have a word with yourself.

FFS comparing dogs & rapists as being the samething! A rapist, I’m assuming, knows the difference between right & wrong. A dog has no clue..

In fact enlighten us – how do dogs & rapists occupy the same space??

I am in no way victim blaming but a little work on ones own perception of things can work wonders.

Really, is such a concept so hard to grasp?!

If it is, well, this place really has slumped to new depths…….

Which puts Cougars comment in context, just like those who say women should modify their behaviour when out alone, dress in a ‘non-provocative’ fashion, etc.

It’s a lovely idea, but the sad fact is that the real world doesn’t work that way – some people are ****s. And that might mean that the sensible option is to modify your behaviour. I fully agree this shouldn’t be necessary, but there you go, that’s real life for you.

FWIW I’m both a dog lover and a runner, and it pisses me off no end when some bloody dog wanders into my path, let alone when it runs up barking (playing or otherwise). I shouldn’t have to stop, but some times it’s necessary, and I’m glad I know how to behave when I do so. I also know how to run past a dog – move over to the other side of the path, talk to the dog as I pass, and show no fear. Again, I shouldn’t have to do this kind of thing, but some dog owners are ****s.

This is why I fully agree that the OPs wife should think about what she can do to minimise the problem, and I don’t think this is in any way suggesting she’s actually guilty of causing it.

Is it?

Yes.

I’ve yet to see you post up any solution that doesn’t automatically place the onus on the victim to do all the work to modify their quite reasonable behaviour, and none at all about those actually responsible for allowing the animals in their care to prevent them causing others actual distress.

The OP wasn’t looking for something that the dog owner could do?

From the OP.

She’s now invested in a pepper spray dispenser and is going to take it out when running. Any dogs running up to her in an aggressive manner will get sprayed.

I’d prefer her not to do this, or be put in this position, but I’m at a loss on what to recommend.

I took that as looking for an alternative to using pepper spray? If there is a product out there that she can use that will make those actually responsible for allowing the animals in their care to prevent them causing others actual distress then please share.

You’re clearly a dog owner who assumes absolute right over what you and your animal can do in a public place.

Bollocks. **** you too.

Which puts Cougars comment in context, just like those who say women should modify their behaviour when out alone, dress in a ‘non-provocative’ fashion, etc.
Again, victim blaming.

Not once did I blame the victim, thats a ridiculous suggestion.

How about some pepper spray?

oh, hang on…

That spray looks like just the job.

*orders*

Like the op’s wife I hate it when dogs come bounding up to me with all those pointy teeth.

In fact this thread has become fing tiresome with opinions being flung around with little or no substance. As someone who has worked in a rescue centre I find the lack of understanding & willingness to lean really quite disturbing.

I’ve seen the downside of irresponsible dog ownership & all too often it ends in death & sadness.

Those of you who think a hoof in the slats is the way forward, well I hope you never have kids! Negative reinforcement really doesn’t work, trust me it’s been scientifically proven.

Over thousands of years mankind has domesticated the dog & we owe them a debt of responsibility. Both as pet owners & Joe Public who comes across them. Yes, pet owners & non pet owners share that responsibility. Maybe there’s no place for dogs as pets in modern society, but they are here to stay.

It’s high time both sides acknowledged that & stopped feeling so put upon by the other.

You may not like that fact but it’s true. They depend on us. It’s only fair we treat them with respect. If you can’t find a way to do that……I hope we never cross paths in the real World, I think I’d probably think you a total @rsehole.

Over thousands of years mankind has domesticated the dog & we owe them a debt of responsibility.

Ah, the “sins of my grandfather”. No – I don’t owe dogs any debt of responsibility. I like dogs, but I expect their owners to control them. And if that means kicking a dog or threatening it when it comes too close, so be it. Negative reinforcement works just fine right now, which is all I care about when a dog is being aggressive.

Apart from one bite in history, since when has the OPs wife encountered aggressive dogs? We need to remember the distinction.

Negative reinforcement works just fine right now

Oh the short termism of todays society – I’ll just kick the problem further down the street & someone else can deal with it.

Nice.

That someone who ends up being someone like me who has to pick up the detritus after someones else’s irresponsible behaviour & your poor decision making.

Thanks, I’ll let the vet know how you feel – I’m sure he’ll understand as he puts the dog to sleep!

Oh the short termism of todays society – I’ll just kick the problem further down the street & someone else can deal with it.

Well, if it’s not my dog why should I have to deal with it???

Nice job of cutting text from mogrims reply there!

why should he deal with someone’s aggressive dog? He’s not kicking the problem further down the street he’s teaching the dog a lesson that it has consequences if it carries on in the same way it will hurt the dog.

Its quite correct that the owner is at fault but that is of little use if the said owner is not in control of the said dog & its attacking you.

This thread has reaffirmed my faith in humankind.

Tldr. What about one of those high frequency devices that only dogs can hear?

Showing my age a bit now but on the road bike a nice frame mounted aluminium pump makes for a nice easily extensible item to wave about in an emergency…

I used to be a BT field engineer and over that period I had dogs jump/go at me lots and lots of times, I built up plenty of tricks to avoid getting bitten from the loudly closing the van door while remaining in the van trick for farm dogs to the running away bloody quickly trick. Yes I was intruding in their domain however if they’d go for me then they’d go for some nipper out on their paper round, so as far as I was concerned wearing steel toe capped boots (for pole climbing) was my ultimate response.

During that time my worst was having a dog running down a hallway and jumping straight thru a closed window at me, so as well as fighting off the snapping dog that landed on top of me I was showered in glass. I’ve seen one of my colleagues that had been thru multiple attacks whip out a pair of nunchucks (stored in his van for that very occasion) and poleaxe a dog right between the eyes when it went for him.

I’m over 6ft2 and 16st, grown up around animals small and large, from the tiny to the 700kg+ ones, so I am not lacking in confidence or in knowledge of how to comport myself amongst pack or herd animals. Some owners have not bothered to take on the responsibility of properly educating and controlling their dogs so as such, either they should remove themselves and their animals from public life or accept the consequences of their laziness.

I ride in a country where stray dogs are the norm, ones which don’t chase bikes, motorbikes or runners.

Local forums have various discussions on how to manage dogs – from a mild ammonia solution in a water pistol, to carrying a can to whack them with, to using a sling shot.

The most effective I have found is shouting at them, loud and aggressive, I find “get out of it” the easiest to get a decent roar with. I’ve stood down a pack of 30 dogs on my own in the mountains.

Cougar said:

Anyone got any good ideas beyond “its her own fault”?

I provided a link to an article by the dog whisperer which advises on what to do when dogs attack. I find the suggestion that learning about dogs is not useful rather perplexing. Knowledge is power and learning how to deal with dogs helps one to deal with dogs!
I also suggested that having something loud as a backup would be useful.
I’m not trying to blame the victim at all, just trying to furnish her with the information to best deal with the situation should it happen again.

Runners, smear yourself in tiger poo before leaving the house and dogs (and other humans) will steer well clear of you.

Dress as a ridiculous straw man or perhaps a troll, that’ll scare the dog off.

I find “get out of it” the easiest to get a decent roar with

This is good advice. I have found “Come and have a go if you want some you furry ****, you’re going home in an ambulance” to be overly-long.

😀

My partner was recently out walking our dog. He was off the lead on a quiet country lane, minding his own business and ignoring the passing runner as he does. Runner didn’t ignore him though- “get that f’ing dog on a lead” was his opening gambit to my partner. She replied “he’s fine” at which point runner became more (verbally) aggressive which did pique dog’s interest. People are the problem- sometimes they’re dog owners, sometimes not. I guess prior experience cuts both ways and I’m now retraining my dog runners aren’t dangerous……

I’ve never been bitten by a runner.

If I am walking my dogs and I see a rider or a runner, I recall them and out them in the lead if necessary to ensure that the riders and runners can proceed without disruption. If I am riding or running and see a dog I tend to slow down and pass calmly – normally with pleasant word with owner.

All pretty simile really – to date never been bitten or had a problem with a rider. Only once had a do get too close and then used my bike as an effective barrier and firm, string commands.

Dogs and humans can co-exist perfectly well.

OP, my advice would be to leave the pepper spray at home or put it in the bin.

What you are doing is victim blaming. I know its not your intent but it what it amounts to. It is the dogs owners responsibility to stop the dog bothering anyone.

The problem is many dogs are owned by idiots so unless you can find a utopia with all dogs having responsible owners you are screwed.

Also its funny to read the responses of those crying victim blaming, most seem to talk about those making suggestions as if it was their dogs who bit the the op. Control “your” dog etc.

Anyone got any good ideas beyond “its her own fault”?

It seems no one is interested in my earlier solution.

PErhaps sacrificing kittens is a bit extreme for the right wingers on here, so if for some weird reason you don’t want to rid the world of cats maybe you could substitute the furry fecko’s with Bonio dog biscuits. A bit lighter to carry so less of a strength/fitness boost but easier on the conscience and the wallet. Dogs love the cardboardy goodness and they are dense enough to get a good ‘yang on’ and bounce them off the threatening dogs little face. Shock! Awe! And a little snack.

This thread has reaffirmed my faith in humankind.

Thread-reader, if you’re wondering why the world is royally #$@*ed, circumspice 🙄

A bit lighter to carry so less of a strength/fitness boost but easier on the conscience and the wallet. Dogs love the cardboardy goodness and they are dense enough to get a good ‘yang on’ and bounce them off the threatening dogs little face. Shock! Awe! And a little snack.

Would be better if you lace them some kind of powerful laxative, one that takes a while to effect the beast, by which stage it’s back at home.

Try talking to the dog. I usually greet them with “hello doggy”, or for big slavering hell hounds, “hello little doggy”.
You may feel like a tit, but it works.

Would be better if you lace them some kind of powerful laxative, one that takes a while to effect the beast, by which stage it’s back at home.

Or, coming full circle, lace them with pepper. Not as illegal as pepper spray but comes very close to answering the OPs OP. If dogs are anything like me, they’d be pretty much incapacitated during a sneeze.

Shock! Awe! Little snack! Impending Itchy sensation! Convulsive expulsion and Euphoric confusion! The runner would be long gone 😀