Who's Fault? /Rant

I was at a local event in town today where dogs were allowed on leash. Person A owner and dog were standing, minding there own bussiness talking with a couple other people. Person A's dog was on a 4-6ft leash standing quietly beside the owner. Then Person B with a large dog walks by on a flexi. B's dog strains at the leash and the flexi just keeps going and going and B can't get the dog back. A's dog starts growling at B's dog running over. A quickly removes it's dog from the situation quietly and B walks up behind it's dog and stands where A was standing like B's dog did *nothing*. "He just wanted to say hi"

Geeze! It made me furious to see such stupidity on B's part. Reminds me why I don't take Blaze to any events like this.

I don't care how bad your dog 'wants to say hi' ASK THE OWNER BEFORE YOU LET YOUR DOG CHARGE OVER. And when the owner says no, back the heck off.

And that's why I dislike flexis so much.

They have their time and place, but if you can't figure out how to lock it and how to reel your dog back in, you have no business using one.

I've been in "person A"s place myself...the worst was at a pet store with Tyr when he was a pup - about 3 months old and some overbearing lab dragged it's owner over. The lab did look friendly, but you'd think Tyr literally doing backflips to get away and hide behind me might clue the lab's owner in to the idea that telling her dog to "go say hi" wasn't such a great idea.

Yeah, I saw for the first time I think, why people hate them so much.

Something else, if you can't keep your dog from dragging you over to something/someone/somedog, don't take your dog out. I know that sounds mean, but I've seen it so much lately.

"B" is a moron. and should not be using a flexi in such a place. There IMO is a very small area where flexi should be used, such as at lakes/beachs, hiking, open back yard ect.

So many people use flexis around my house, I HATE it.
yesterday before rally-o class Blaze and I took a quick walk. As we were heading back up the path towards my home, I seen the moron beagle I hate, and his even more of a moron owner. On a flexi. I know he is a agressive dog as he has bit Blaze on the face before. So we are going to pass them going opposite directions, and she doesnt lock the freaking leash, I walk well off the path as she still lets her dog walk 2 feet from us. Blaze is not getting anxious, as he hates this dog and vice versa (although I dont Blaze Blaze, this dog has bit him once, and tried to bit him on other occasions) I just started yelling "do you not know how to use your leash you moron? Get your idiot dog away, or I will call the police" (not that I was going too, just trying to scare her lol)

So many people have no control of their dogs on leash. teach the dog to walk properly how hard is that people?

God I agree. We went to a flea market today, dogs are allowed in. so since we already had Blaze stopped and brough him in. I see a guy with a large dog in the distance, as we get closer he starts saying to his dog "be nice, be nice" as the dog DRAGS him to us. Lucky I was with the BF and he and I body blocked Blaze.

:hail:

meh, I use a flexi for Rosey... all the time. She gets VERY anxious if she is on a leash that is NOT a flexi lead. That said, I always have it locked the normal 5/6 feet that other leashes are, unless we are in a field or the bike path. Plus, Rosey avoids other dogs.

But yah, in that case, "B" is a retard.

i don't care if your dog just wants to say hi, my foot wants to say kick kick kick

We've been the A person before, but the B dog jumping on Lincoln and it taking 3 people to get person B through their head to move their effing dog, and not use a flexi. Then I had to move away as it happened a 2nd time, no apology, no apology from the training people either (it was an open house).

I don't think Flexis are evil, though I don't own one. I do think that if someone cannot use them properly (as many people cannot) they shouldn't be used. But, that goes for any tool, I think. I'd think it would be common sense to not have an aggressive dog on a leash one doesn't know how to use, though.

Agree.

I never use a flexi in a public place like a pet store or an event where there's going to be a ton of dogs and people, or for walks around the block, etc. I own 2 flexi's (a 16ft and 26ft) and they are awesome for when I go camping and there's a public beach where dogs ARE allowed but it wouldn't really be polite to bring his 50 ft nylon leash out and get it tangled up, or give him THAT much freedom. So the 26ft retractable is a God send in situations like that -easy to reel him up (he's only 15lbs) or give him room, and he doesn't go to the end of it and just pull like a rabbit or anything. Or, when I went on vacation, and there was a nice field outside of the hotel so in the mornings, it gave him the space to do his business and sniff around. So I think they are great for smart owners.

Person B was clearly an idiot. Jackson loves other dogs, so yeah occasionally he will give a tug and a wagging tail and want to go meet another dog but if I am not allowing him, he's fine with it and I just tell him 'no' but if the owner gives me the okay, or the other owner starts to allow her dog to come over to mine, etc, then we let them say hi. I just assess each situation and would never allow Jackson to pull out on a flexi and go up to someones dog randomly.

I don't think a flexi should be used until the dog is under reasonable control. Most people don't seem to know how to use them. Those things break.

I was in A's shoes before. I had Chloe on a six foot lead and was standing in the very back corner of Petsmart with Chloe in a sit by me, talking on the phone looking at some dog beds. The next thing I know Chloe SCREAMS and lunges at a dog who's owner let walk up to sniff her. The first thing that flew through my mind was, "What the **** is wrong with you!" (towards the owner, not Chloe). The owner of the dog said something to me along the lines of Chloe being a bad dog, and then walked away. I was flabbergasted. I had my back turned and was on the phone and some idiot just let their dog run right up to mine without me even KNOWING.

GAH. What was even worse after the incident was the looks we got from people. Yes, my dog doesn't like dogs getting in her face, but she's just peachy walking by another dog and had been doing so the entire time we were in the store! I dislike idiots. I really do. Especially idiots with dogs. Or children. Or worse yet, both.

I've been in Petsmart and have seen dogs on completely different aisles than their owners thanks to flexi-leads.

I, personally, hate flexi's. I find that people do not use them like they should be used - that said, I do own one. Psyche came with one (they sent that with me as her "leash" as I was taking her home), and I've used it, MAYBE twice. The only time I ever use it is for walks where I am fairly certain it'll just be me and the person/dog I'm walking with. However, I'm always on alert to who/what is coming, because I handle Psyche like a reactive dog, most of the time (so used to handling Bella).

HOWEVER, that said, B probably would have had the same thing happen, even on a short leash. At agility trial around here there's a woman with 2 reactive dogs. One's not so bad and only really reacts when dogs get too close, the other will try to get to other dogs, even if the other dog is paying them no attention. This lady handles them on all in one leashes, the first mistake, since when the dogs are pulling, their choking themselves, and as other dogs walk past and her dog is growling and lunging, she says "no, don't do that, no, no, no. Stop doing that. No, don't get nasty." but makes no attempt to reign her dogs in. She lets them hit the end of their leash, her arm as far as it'll go, and the leash pulled tight, while others are walking their dogs as far as possible.

Just... some people.

I wish that they would cover this in puppy class/dog classes/ the vets/wherever pet professionals have contact with the public because I really think that most of the case it is a case of ignorance rather than true stupidity. Think about it, if someone is not really a "dog person," but has and loves their dog, and also owns a breed that is pretty dog friendly generally (labs, goldens, beagles, etc), it really might never occur to them that the other dog *doesn't* want to say "hi" as much as theirs does.

That would be a really, really great thing for puppy owners/new dog owners to learn. In fact, I think it should become a regularly mentioned thing in dog ownership books/videos/classes/etc.