Pet peeves of pet owners

[Kootenay]

Definitely out of control offleash dogs. Only 1 out of my 3 dogs is ok with being charged by a strange dog, and it happens WAY too often around here. I loath the "it's ok, he's friendly!" (as the dog is charging, usually barking/growling/generally not acting "friendly"). I'm very happy to yell back "well she's NOT!!" which usually gets their attention pretty quick.

Massively overweight dogs is sad to see of course but at least it doesn't affect me/my dogs personally.

 

[crazedACD]

Training my dog. Or not.

I hate when people make my dogs sit. Or they bend down and squeal at them and then admonish them for jumping on them. Or when I'm trying hard for manners and politeness, the "Oh it's okay I love dogs COME HERE SQUEEAAL". Geesh.

 

[sassafras]

ALL DOGS LOVE ME!!ing my shy dog.

 

[sassafras]

Ha, this is timely. I just saw this article on FB:

http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/11-things-dog-owners-should-never-say


ALL THE PEEVES!

 

[Kootenay]

ALL DOGS LOVE ME!!ing my shy dog.

AHH SO MUCH THAT!!! I've had people try to tell me that since all dogs love them, its ok if they stare at/try to pet/talk to Yarrow. I've definitely snapped. Just NO.

 

[Fran101]

TO ADD TO THE LIST: "He used to be a bait dog.."
I have met far too many rescued bait dogs for this to be true.

An aside,I totally understand the not wanting to carry the pop impulse...that said..
I have a water/air tight baggy I use...I double bag the poop in regular poop bags, zip it in the airproof bag, and stuff the bag in the side stretchy pocket of my backpack (normally used for water bottles)...wait til the next trashcan, throw the poop bags out and clorox wipe the airtight bag for later use

People have told me it's pretty genius, just an idea for the poop leavers lol I don't know every park or trails, but I know in the city they are few and far between and the dog poop problem (both poop and bagged poop) is completely ridiculous.

 

[pinkspore]

Overweight dogs, and people who say "I don't think he's overweight, I like them that weight" as if body condition is subjective. Some of my coworkers do this and it irritated me to no end. No, that boxer is not as fat as the infamous Abigail-Abiwhale, but he's still morbidly obese and you saying you like him at that weight doesn't actually make him less fat.

Coated dogs that never get brushed and end up with mats the size of my chihuahua. Bonus points for owners who insist they be brushed out. Extra crazy points for refusing to sign the portion of the daycare service agreement that allows us to use pictures of your dog on our website because "my golden is so beautiful she should be a model and I must be compensated for anyone using a picture of her for anything"...and then letting her get so matted the vet insists she be shaved to the skin.

Off-leash dogs in places with clearly posted leash laws. Briz hates them. With Uly I have learned that "He just came out of the shelter and I have no way to predict what he will do!" is like kryptonite for the my-dog-is-friendlies.

 

[Fran101]

Ugh so much of the BRUSH YOUR DOG

"I do brush him"
either A) you are lying
or B) You are only brushing the top coat with one of those cute soft bristle brushes

I mean, a part of me kind of gets it some people just DONT KNOW
but seriously, your dog really smells and there are matts how do you not stick your fingers in their coat and just feel that?

Especially retriever owners. Your dog stinks, like really really bad... notice the mats and oily residue...WASH AND BRUSH YO DOG

 

[Elrohwen]

An aside,I totally understand the not wanting to carry the pop impulse...that said..
I have a water/air tight baggy I use...I double bag the poop in regular poop bags, zip it in the airproof bag, and stuff the bag in the side stretchy pocket of my backpack (normally used for water bottles)...wait til the next trashcan, throw the poop bags out and clorox wipe the airtight bag for later use

I don't carry a backpack or anything while I walk, so I really just have no where to put it most of the time. In the winter I just stick it in my jacket pocket usually. I'm really not squeamish about it, but it's hard to carry one or two bags or poop, plus a leash, plus deal with treats and training when other dogs pass. I just don't see the point of carrying it for multiple miles when I can just grab it on my way back (especially when I'm sure that I will absolutely not run into a trash can on our walk, because the closest one is 1.5 miles away). I know it probably annoys some people, but I do always get it on my way back.

 

[StompinT]

Yes! This exactly.

"My dog works for praise!"

Most dogs really, really, really won't. And I don't consider 'sit sit sit siiiiiiit sit look he sat!' to be "working" on the part of the dog. Please don't be down on those of use using motivators other than praise to achieve our goals just because you didn't have to--our goals might be different, our dogs might be different, who knows. But using a tug as a reward to get a competition level heel isn't cheating (unless you try to take it into the ring I guess lol), and my dog doesn't value pets enough for that to work as a reward.

 

[Georgygirl]

People who think their dog humping my dog (or a person) is funny and don't try to stop them. I get that it's a natural thing for a dog to do, but don't encourage it or at least don't encourage it around strangers.

I agree with out of control unleashed dogs. I'm more sympathetic if it's obvious it was an accident where the dog slipped their collar or something.

 

[MrsBoats]

Oh so many.

A big pet peeve of mine is when people let their dog offleash when they don't have a reliable recall. And the they make a half hearted attempt to call it back as it barrels towards me and my dog. And the they nonchalantly call over 'don't worry! He's friendly!' .. well, what if my dog wasn't? It's even more annoying when they stand back and giggle and make no attempt to call their dog back.

Owning Rottweilers will usually make people think twice about letting their dog charge you...especially if you are walking two of them at the same time. It's sort of like walking with two big bouncers.

I think my biggest pet peeve this the twisted idea that all dogs are supposed to like/tolerate everyone and everything. If they don't they are "bad dogs" or they are defective in some way. It's a big assumption that all dogs are happy go lucky creatures that are supposed to play with all dog and be happy to do so. Not so much...especially for the breeds of the working group.

 

[JacksonsMom]

Owning Rottweilers will usually make people think twice about letting their dog charge you...especially if you are walking two of them at the same time. It's sort of like walking with two big bouncers.

I think my biggest pet peeve this the twisted idea that all dogs are supposed to like/tolerate everyone and everything. If they don't they are "bad dogs" or they are defective in some way. It's a big assumption that all dogs are happy go lucky creatures that are supposed to play with all dog and be happy to do so. Not so much...especially for the breeds of the working group.

You'd be surprised. I dogsat a Rottie for 2 years and used to walk him and Jackson all the time together. There were a few idiots who used to let their little dogs off leash (in a total inappropriate off leash spot). One day this Papillon looking dog came running over towards us, as the owner is just on his phone, not really caring. Ezekiel the Rottie was great with Jackson but not the best with strange dogs in general so he starts freaking out. He was a very good boy though and mostly ignored after an initial freak out and the owner finally calls his dog. Like wtf?

I don't know if it's just that people put so much faith in other dogs that they're willing to risk their own dogs lives or what it is.

 

[FurryJerks]

Flexi leads, especially those that refuse to acknowledge that there is a lock setting on it for a reason.

 

[Maxy24]

People who tell me I'm bribing Tucker when I start tossing him treats on walks for his reactivity and say "but he's only listening because you have treats". See how he's not having a complete meltdown, screaming, lunging, and trying to attack your dog? That's because I'm tossing him treats. A year ago he'd still be melting down even with treats. If I have to carry treats on walks forever that's a small price to pay for polite behavior. In any case he used to be the same way towards people he saw on walks and now he's completely fine, even without treats. It's called counter conditioning. I don't get why people think "bribery" via treats is worse than the threat of collar corrections. Somehow they think the bribed dog works for treats but the collar corrected dog is working for the owner.

 

[Applebear]

Designer dog breeds, I have a pomidoodle or a whatever doodle. You have a mutt, and there is nothing wrong with that. And when you get down to it, that's not even what bothers me...it's the fact they overpaid some byb for that dog to call it that and encourage them to continue doing so.

People humanize their dogs too much. That doesn't mean not to treat them with respect/love or it's a creature without emotions, just that they read more into a dogs actions than is there. Example would be, "Aw he feels guilty." Dogs don't feel guilt, he's responding to your reaction. Or the high expectations that a dog should 'know better' when it comes to kids [or other dogs, pets, etc], as if they have the same human brain and should know that biting Timmy for pulling his ears is the wrong way to deal with it. That could lead into how people teach kids not to respect dogs, but you get my drift.

Lastly, people who invite themselves to pet my dog or try to push themselves on my dog after one sniff. One sniff doesn't mean touch.

I'm sure there's more, but I would then be here all night.

 

[Sweet72947]

I don't get why people think "bribery" via treats is worse than the threat of collar corrections. Somehow they think the bribed dog works for treats but the collar corrected dog is working for the owner.

Yes, this! One of my pet peeves is people who bring their dog to the dog park wearing prong collars or shock collars. Shock collars seem to be catching on at the dog park I take Norris to, and it kinda makes me sad. I mean, I know some people on here used them for recall so they can run their dogs off leash, and I get that, but these people at the dog park aren't even letting their dogs be dogs. They show off their "training" by giving their dogs commands and when the dogs don't obey, they zap them until they do. There was a guy with two boxers who was showing off and he told a story of his male going after a dog in the park because it went after the female and he "zapped the heck" out of the dog to keep it from hurting the offending dog. I don't get why people would rather carry those cumbersome things with the buttons for the shock collars (they look like walkie talkies) than a pocket of treats.

I also hate when people don't brush their dogs. Its like, don't you PET your dog, at all, ever? There's the sweetest older golden retriever that boards with us, and she only ever gets brushed when she boards. She LOVES it too, just lies there in your lap as you brush her, the picture of contentment. Why don't you brush your dog when she obviously enjoys it so very much?

 

[yankeesfan1]

Both of these!

Every prick earred small-medium sized dog is a basenji mix now. And every black long coated retriever-y thing is an FCR. Or people who insist that the dog is that breed because the rescue told them so and it must be right. They do realize that the rescue people are just guessing, right?

I see this all the time at the shelter I volunteer at. We have one there right now that our adoption coordinator labeled as a Korean Jindo mix. While there might be some teeny, tiny chance that this dog might have some tiny big of Jindo in it, odds are it's just another shep/lab/hound mix Heinz 57.

 

[FurryJerks]

People who have blind faith in their vet because they are a vet and vets know things and I've been going there for X amount of years.

Dog is off (not eating/drinking, lethargic, shaking) owner takes it to vet, vet says could be upset tummy could be pancreatitis. Take her home and watch her. Didn't even rule out pancreatitis which isn't something to mess with. No pain meds, no nausea meds. Bu no, those of us telling her she should really get a second opinion sooner rather than later are completely wrong she trusts her vet 100%. Lady if that were my dog and my vet (who I really like) told me that I'd be getting a second opinion ASAP!

 

[sassafras]

People who have blind faith in their vet because they are a vet and vets know things and I've been going there for X amount of years.

Dog is off (not eating/drinking, lethargic, shaking) owner takes it to vet, vet says could be upset tummy could be pancreatitis. Take her home and watch her. Didn't even rule out pancreatitis which isn't something to mess with. No pain meds, no nausea meds. Bu no, those of us telling her she should really get a second opinion sooner rather than later are completely wrong she trusts her vet 100%. Lady if that were my dog and my vet (who I really like) told me that I'd be getting a second opinion ASAP!

Keep in mind that unless you were there you don't actually know what conversation took place between the vet and the person. She may have declined diagnostics and treatment.