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On the whole dog walkers are fine, but many are not. And I’m not actually talking about professional dog walkers who walk dogs for clients and make a living out of it. I’m specifically referring to your average dog Walker who owns their own dog that has little training. Not professionals!

The problem I have has a dog trainer and I’ve seen the same problem in countless YouTube videos where people actually make it into an issue. And as they are content creators, they do their best to make it as worse as possible, knowing just enough to say and to do. To evoke an emotional, angry or confrontational response from the dog Walker that they have an issue with. Obviously for likes and viewings for their YouTube account.

And the problem is this my own dog is well trained and specifically in the area of approaching and passing other dogs as I will always stop on a narrow path and be the one who patiently waits in a controlled, respectful and courteous manner, because that’s the way I am. Low energy, all calm, no rush and no ego

And as I see a dug and its owner walking towards me. And if the path narrows I will stop, and I will ask my dog to sit or stand depending on what’s approaching for example if an uncontrolled big dog such as a Rottweiler or German Shepherd is approaching, then I will keep my dog in the ready position so as not to take anything away from my dog. The worst thing you can do is send a dog into the down position whilst another dog is approaching. If it is uncontrolled, that’ll just set everything off and takes my dog’s readiness away. That’s a command or instruction I don’t like, so I won’t do it.

If the dog that is approaching on an arrow path is pulling and panting and the dog owner is in a state of tension on the leash then I know he has no control over it in the way he should so my dog will be in the ready position but standing next to my on the opposite side to the side the dog and the dog owner is approaching sometimes I’ll get my dog to sit. If it’s just a dog Walker and a dog passing, or if it’s a little dog, I may instruct my dog to go down to completely neutron neutralise my dog’s position. It’s not a threat, and the other dog can stay calm Ideally.

And whenever I do this time and time again, this happens every single day when I pass dog walkers. And that is the dog Walker usually has a smile on their face and they’re looking right down at my dog as if to say what an obedient good boy he is. And I often have people say that, and sometimes they are attracted to the appeal and how nice and visually balanced and calm and controlled or trained the dog is, which he is. He’s a sheep dog, border collie and people are attracted to that visual image of a controlled trained dog. And this is where the problem appears. Instantly they stop because the controlled position of my dog indicates a green light for them to stop and release their dog on their leash. For their untrained dog to come over into the face of my dog. Sniffing and smelling and sometimes when their tail is wagging it indicates a friendly dog.

This is deceptive because as soon as the dog detects something after he smelt my dog that can turn into a Jekyll and Hyde situation where that dog starts barking and snapping into my dog’s face, flinching and jolting, and the owner then has to pull it back with the usual nails scraping on the pavement noise frothing at the mouth going crazy, the dog spinning around, the owners pulling so hard the dog gets picked up in the air on the collar by the throat and the paws are just running around in circles in mid-air as if to get to my dogand all this is because the owner senses safety and security.

In the balanced appearance, the control of my Doug just sitting there all down or standing relaxed and it happens on a daily basis. And I often look into the eyes of the dog Walker and their eyes are usually smiling. And I can’t blame them for it because they don’t know. They don’t have the training or the education on this. So they think it’s OK to stop and it is absolutely not. And they release their dog and send it into Myspace. And this is the case with many dog trainers or dog owners that have trained their own dog proficiently to a point where the dog is completely calm, and somehow this attracts all the dog owners like a magnet who have no training or control over their dog whatsoever.

I’ve tried to work out why dog owners do this and I’m trying to keep it simple and I outlined it above. It’s as simple as that. It just gives a green light to make contact in a social way. But I don’t have a sign over my head saying all, welcome, all and sundry can approach. I’ve never once expressed any objection or opinion or negativity or criticism like many Youtubers do. And this is what I was saying about YouTube. Content creators will shout things at the other dog Walker and say dog not friendly, dog not friendly, increasing in decibels as they go. Again, dog not friendly. And then they say my dog isn’t friendly, get your dog back on a leash. Then there’s an argument. Then there’s an exchange of negative words or it even gets out of hand and one shouting, swearing at the other all for content of course as some of these people will make it worse. But they do have a valid point and that is uncontrolled dogs with no training and no recall off a leash are allowed to enter other dogs’ spaces and some people have real issues with this.

I don’t have any issues with it or anger. It’s just something I have to put up with and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I take it in my stride and I take it in with my daily training in my daily walk, because if I express any objection, argument or opinion or try to educate someone, and I did it once, it never ends well. And if I do, the next day, the same thing happens again. So you’d be doing it with everyone and it becomes pointless. I like to stay on the positive side of it all and try to accept it and understand it more. And it’s really as simple as that.

If I say to a person, the person I did it to once, do you mind not letting your dog come into my space? He’s undergoing training and other dogs can set him off. He’s very reactive and the person was respectful and apologised, reined the dug in and walked off. That person never looked at me again that had taken umbrage. Even though they were respectful and agreed and apologised they took slight to it and that’s the way it’ll always be. People will always see it as well. You’re funny. All I was doing was letting my dog do what the dog wanted to do is what they will say and it’s what they think, because we’ve all done it. We want our dogs to socialise and meet all the dogs and we release them when we get a green light to do it. And I’ve done it years ago before I had any real knowledge on canine psychology or dog training. And this one time I released my dog to a dog that looked friendly and he nearly bit my dog’s head off.

So what’s the solution? For me there is not, because if I find the correct response and advise and warn the person not to let their dog approach as respectful as I can often people will mouth back something. They’ll take it wrong, then I’ve got to pull up with the insult or the disrespect or the telling off or being told I’m funny. And by the way, that has never actually happened. But I see it does happen in all these videos I watch, then I’ve got to go through the same thing the next time, which will be the next day and the next day and the next day.

And in general, it’s often the little snarly dogs, the dogs that the owners think or feel they don’t really need training, they’re manageable and they are on the, on the whole of it, in the general fairly manageable because they’re small but they’re nasty and snarly and they set off your dog or they can set off your dog. And no matter how trained my dogs are a dog snarling into my dog’s face even whilst in a still position and trained sets his heart pounding and is excessively licking his lips with anxiety and fear whilst he’s under trained stillness and control. And I try to show the courtesy and respect to my own dogs by not letting them be in that position. But sometimes it’s not possible. Especially when I enter narrow 1 me metre pathways with muddy grass each side. We have to let people pass in a one goes through procedural way where I live.

So, that’s the story and my justification for the descripton on the problem with dog walkers!

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