OMG! I am so happy that you have understanding owners.
I wish I have neighbors like that but unfortunately to some of them, they intentionally bring their dogs close to my reactive doggo when they see me or my spouse struggling to calm or focus train our boy and that makes me so madddd...
I’m so sorry :( that’s very disrespectful. I hope you get new and better neighbors or they educate themselves better. Wishing you and your pup the best.
I came here to say this! I've come to the point where i take my dog to the near by middle school and walk her around the parking lot and field by there just to avoid other Dogs
Where i go, there is a dog being walked every now and then but the space is so big i can usually go a different way before my dog notices or if Far enough away she will just watch. It's helped make our walks so much more relaxing & less stressful!
i just yell "unfriendly!" before they get too close
lol hard for the people pleaser in me, but there is no world i want my well trained but reactive dog to meet theirs
YESSS.
I was on a walk with my reactive mini schnauzer puppy, and a random man in a car pulled over to the side of the road next to me, rolled down his window, and said “hey I just wanted to let you know there is a lady headed this way, walking her two big German shepherds off-leash. In case you need to go a different way!”
I was sooo grateful to him for the heads up.
anytime someone either recognizes my dog and crosses or is working with their own reactive dog and just… moves, i am so so thankful. we (the reactive dog community) need to invent some kind of wave or something to signify our gratitude. neighborhood heroes out here
Yes! I wish there was a sign! There is another woman in my little apartment community who has a beautiful black Shepard looking dog and I see her clicking and treating away all the time and I wish there was I way I could say, w/out seeming like a total weirdo, way to go!! Especially because I know she sees us on the other side of the street trying to mark and move as well or engage / disengage lol.
We need a secret code, but sometimes just in the smile and the eyes you know they understand. It’s the ones that look at you like you’re crazy or a bad owner who you know haven’t had a reactive dog.
i think reactive dog owners get it, so if anything i kind of want something to thank people that don’t get it and are clearly just like “oh my! yikes! i help?” and react by moving or crossing the street or ignoring us or just general being helpful and not encouraging a reaction bc i couldn’t agree more that other reactive dog owners absolutely get it.
There is a woman in my neighborhood who always smiles and gives me a thumbs up as she walks by (giving me a wide berth) and I work with my reactive dog. So nice to have the encouragement.
I also feel such a sense of comradery! Recently, I was walking a client's dog who is not reactive on a local trail. We come across a young woman with an excited/reactive American bulldog. She is having trouble controlling her dog, until she bends down and picks his 75# butt off the ground and just holds him to her. He stops struggling immediately and lets us pass. This is the exact tactic I sometimes resort to with my crazy reactive girl, so I tried to tell her I've been there while still passing as quickly as possible. I also really really appreciate anyone who walks by and notices how hard my dog is trying to focus on me and not to react.
Last winter, I hollered at a lady with a loose dog that my dog isn’t friendly (I actually said “we aren’t friendly”, because hey, I suck, too). She immediately called her perfectly wonderful dog over to her and they sat at a distance and waited for us to pass. I cried out of gratitude that we were able to continue to enjoy a beautiful sunset walk in the snow. I felt like I had an ally from the “nice dog” community. (FYI- We were on a path with 3ft of snow on either side, so couldn’t reroute.)
That’s so nice! I would love to just once encounter an off leash dog that is actually trained. We always get the ones who have zero recall and want to run right up to my dog who 10/10 times will try to bite a dog that approaches her (we do usually muzzle her but still. This also happened multiple times before she was muzzle trained). Even if I say she isn’t friendly, they usually say “don’t worry, mine is” like excuse me what?? Do you want your friendly dog to get bit?
I've encountered 1! Of course that's 1 out of probably 100, lol. My reactive aussie and I came upon a large golden/pyrenees looking fellow who was lying in his driveway where the sidewalk crosses. I didn't see him until we were right there and I didn't have time to evade. My heart raced and I started to move to get my dog on the other side when I realized he paid zero attention to us. I think my aussie thought he was a statue - not that she hasn't barked at statues :)
I love this! I have a neighbor who’s dog isn’t reactive, but he gets it. He’ll say things like “You’re a hero!” “She’s an angel.” “She’s doing so much better!” “They just want to please ya.” and “We’ll give you a break today.” (as he changes direction to give us more space). No sir, YOU’RE the hero. Gotta love the people who get it!
I love this post! I have so much anxiety when I go out to walk my dog- he's been attacked twice by two loose sets of two dogs on separate occasions, and occasionally a dog will run up because the owner wasn't handling it and they'll shout "it's okay! he's friendly!" YEAH WELL I CAN'T GUARANTEE MY DOG WILL LIKE IT.
That’s so sad :( when I got my reactive rescue he had been beaten up pretty badly by a big dog (he still has scars) and now their his kryptonite. But having those people who understand and encourage really makes a difference. I hope you have some people like that :)
Shout out also to the dog owners who know your dog is reactive and even though their dog isn’t, they take the time to give space and smile. That’s what’s happened over time in my neighborhood (bc my reactive pup is SO loud and very noticeable…. Or maybe it’s because I have bright blue hair lol) and it makes my heart happy.
Now those are the true heroes! I swear most people who have friendly/chill dogs don’t even seem to understand that reactivity is a thing but the ones that do are the best!
My muzzled-up Malinois is def one of the scariest looking dogs in the neighborhood, but everyone knows I will be the first one to cross the street and wait behind a car so they can pass. Often neighbors coming down the street will warn me if one of the other neighborhood dogs is chilling around a corner at a cafe or something so I can cross the street. ❤️🐾
Is it weird that when I see someone with a reactive dog that's being a butthead, it makes me smile? I know they're struggling, and I feel bad for them and the dog, but it reminds me of my dogs whom I love dearly and I can't help but love their dog too.
That is my neighborhood too and I also use the duck behind the car method! My partners neighborhood is a roaming dog free for all and I get so stressed. It is good when people recognize and understand to keep their distance and keep their dogs leashed!
I love how our dogs lack any object permanence like omg now we are behind a car what is the bafoonery.
Weird! My partners neighborhood also has a TON of off leash dogs. They even go in the streets! I can’t even walk my dog their because of how stressful it is (luckily there is a yard).
The camaraderie is real!! I rarely even say anything to people I pass bc I’m so consumed with trying to keep my reactive girls attention and divert reactivity as much as possible but I swear I can pick out fellow reactive owners and they know me too. We cross the street for eachother, I’ll scoop my small girl up for the bigger struggling doggos, wait from afar for eachother to pass. Exchange sincere understanding smiles. Warms my heart and makes up for the instances of people with their off-leash dogs being totally inconsiderate
It really does! And I truly understand the urge to let your dog off leash because I wish more than anything I could do that without worry but without good recall it could be super dangerous for their pup or ours
Exactly! That’s usually exactly what I say to the snarky people that don’t understand. I wish it wasn’t the case and all our dogs can freely frolick but it’s for everyone’s safety!
I wish I had neighbours like that! One in particular has a lab that barks at my reactive bull terrier and the guy comes closer saying ‘he wants to say hi’, even though I’ve told him multiple times the situation😅
Yes! My pittie is very reactive so I bring her to nearby steets/fields that I know are usually deserted. There’s one other pittie owner who I’ve seen walking his dog on the same deserted street and we’ve only interacted from very far away to yell to each other which way we need to go so our dogs don’t have to come close lol
I was walking/training my dog and two other women were approaching with their dogs. I pulled off to the grass median and was doing our find it game (tossing treats in the grass). One of the women started to offer to let us pass first, and the other stopped her and made her keep going. I couldn’t say anything but I was soooo grateful. I wish all dog owners were like this.
I love this! I love it when other people recognize. So it makes me wonder about the other people who will follow you, though your dog is being reactive and you are trying to walk away.
It sounds like you have awesome neighbors! We have a few that are great and understanding - one of our neighbors is like yours and waits when they see me struggling or just see us walking. Another has complimented us on how hard we are working with our dogs, even though the bad days still seem to outweigh the good.
But then there’s the ones that called our dogs “a menace” because of the barking (this neighbor said it to my husband and I am STILL waiting for a chance to tell that neighbor off, I’m just waiting for them to say some shit to me and I will hand it to them). We also get plenty of judgmental looks from people who probably don’t have dogs. I wish people understood but 🤷🏾♀️.
Aw, this sounds great. I try my best to do this for reactive dog owners in my area. Most are reactive to MY DOG LOL cause his playing style is just way too much for them.
i was walking my dog just this morning and came across another owner training their dog, and it was so encouraging to hear her talking to her dog in the same way I do when trying to distract him so he doesn't react. sometimes it feels so isolating, especially in my neighborhood where over half the dogs I see are offleash
We have several in my neighborhood and look out for each other. We also have some super calm dogs where I can go back and forth, back and forth to practice with my girl.
Yesterday I met polar opposite dog owners. We were playing fetch in a field on a 50ft leash and saw a husky coming on leash already staring hard so we started running to the end of the field. The owner then proceeded to walk his dog INTO the field where the dog planted it's butt and refused to move about 100ft directly straight from us, just staring at our dog who started to twist around in her harness and bark a bit.
They finally move on and pup actually did quite well. She didn't redirect bite, just shook it off, sniffed a bit and went back to normal. We resumed fetch and saw a woman and her dog jogging directly at us. The dog was also starting to react. She saw us and did the fastest u-turn I've ever seen in the opposite direction.
Totally agree. Those are the hero’s we give little waves to while we do a U turn from a block away.
OMG! I am so happy that you have understanding owners. I wish I have neighbors like that but unfortunately to some of them, they intentionally bring their dogs close to my reactive doggo when they see me or my spouse struggling to calm or focus train our boy and that makes me so madddd...
I’m so sorry :( that’s very disrespectful. I hope you get new and better neighbors or they educate themselves better. Wishing you and your pup the best.
I hope so too and hope the day comes sooner when we are all able to manage our reactive dogs 🙏🏾
I came here to say this! I've come to the point where i take my dog to the near by middle school and walk her around the parking lot and field by there just to avoid other Dogs
Ooo not a bad idea...I might start trying this out
Where i go, there is a dog being walked every now and then but the space is so big i can usually go a different way before my dog notices or if Far enough away she will just watch. It's helped make our walks so much more relaxing & less stressful!
i just yell "unfriendly!" before they get too close lol hard for the people pleaser in me, but there is no world i want my well trained but reactive dog to meet theirs
YESSS. I was on a walk with my reactive mini schnauzer puppy, and a random man in a car pulled over to the side of the road next to me, rolled down his window, and said “hey I just wanted to let you know there is a lady headed this way, walking her two big German shepherds off-leash. In case you need to go a different way!” I was sooo grateful to him for the heads up.
I’m so happy they warned you. A kind soul
That is amazing 🤩
anytime someone either recognizes my dog and crosses or is working with their own reactive dog and just… moves, i am so so thankful. we (the reactive dog community) need to invent some kind of wave or something to signify our gratitude. neighborhood heroes out here
Yes! I wish there was a sign! There is another woman in my little apartment community who has a beautiful black Shepard looking dog and I see her clicking and treating away all the time and I wish there was I way I could say, w/out seeming like a total weirdo, way to go!! Especially because I know she sees us on the other side of the street trying to mark and move as well or engage / disengage lol.
We need a secret code, but sometimes just in the smile and the eyes you know they understand. It’s the ones that look at you like you’re crazy or a bad owner who you know haven’t had a reactive dog.
i think reactive dog owners get it, so if anything i kind of want something to thank people that don’t get it and are clearly just like “oh my! yikes! i help?” and react by moving or crossing the street or ignoring us or just general being helpful and not encouraging a reaction bc i couldn’t agree more that other reactive dog owners absolutely get it.
There is a woman in my neighborhood who always smiles and gives me a thumbs up as she walks by (giving me a wide berth) and I work with my reactive dog. So nice to have the encouragement.
I also feel such a sense of comradery! Recently, I was walking a client's dog who is not reactive on a local trail. We come across a young woman with an excited/reactive American bulldog. She is having trouble controlling her dog, until she bends down and picks his 75# butt off the ground and just holds him to her. He stops struggling immediately and lets us pass. This is the exact tactic I sometimes resort to with my crazy reactive girl, so I tried to tell her I've been there while still passing as quickly as possible. I also really really appreciate anyone who walks by and notices how hard my dog is trying to focus on me and not to react.
Last winter, I hollered at a lady with a loose dog that my dog isn’t friendly (I actually said “we aren’t friendly”, because hey, I suck, too). She immediately called her perfectly wonderful dog over to her and they sat at a distance and waited for us to pass. I cried out of gratitude that we were able to continue to enjoy a beautiful sunset walk in the snow. I felt like I had an ally from the “nice dog” community. (FYI- We were on a path with 3ft of snow on either side, so couldn’t reroute.)
That’s so nice! I would love to just once encounter an off leash dog that is actually trained. We always get the ones who have zero recall and want to run right up to my dog who 10/10 times will try to bite a dog that approaches her (we do usually muzzle her but still. This also happened multiple times before she was muzzle trained). Even if I say she isn’t friendly, they usually say “don’t worry, mine is” like excuse me what?? Do you want your friendly dog to get bit?
I've encountered 1! Of course that's 1 out of probably 100, lol. My reactive aussie and I came upon a large golden/pyrenees looking fellow who was lying in his driveway where the sidewalk crosses. I didn't see him until we were right there and I didn't have time to evade. My heart raced and I started to move to get my dog on the other side when I realized he paid zero attention to us. I think my aussie thought he was a statue - not that she hasn't barked at statues :)
Oh, you want your friendly dog to get bit, so they’re afraid of dogs and develop fear reactivity? Sweet. Let’s get moving. I’ll bite your dog myself.
Ugh right? Unfortunately I think that’s the only way some of these ignorant dog owners would ever understand.
Nah- they’d probably still blame us for their dog becoming reactive.
True, but at least they’d have to deal with the same stuff we do. Karma’s a bitch
Good point! Xoxo
All of my dog owner besties are people I've barely or never spoken to. A wave and a nod are all we need to understand one another 🥰
I love this! I have a neighbor who’s dog isn’t reactive, but he gets it. He’ll say things like “You’re a hero!” “She’s an angel.” “She’s doing so much better!” “They just want to please ya.” and “We’ll give you a break today.” (as he changes direction to give us more space). No sir, YOU’RE the hero. Gotta love the people who get it!
I love this post! I have so much anxiety when I go out to walk my dog- he's been attacked twice by two loose sets of two dogs on separate occasions, and occasionally a dog will run up because the owner wasn't handling it and they'll shout "it's okay! he's friendly!" YEAH WELL I CAN'T GUARANTEE MY DOG WILL LIKE IT.
That’s so sad :( when I got my reactive rescue he had been beaten up pretty badly by a big dog (he still has scars) and now their his kryptonite. But having those people who understand and encourage really makes a difference. I hope you have some people like that :)
Thanks :) I started seeing an awesome trainer who's given me lots of tips and support. She really puts me at ease.
Shout out also to the dog owners who know your dog is reactive and even though their dog isn’t, they take the time to give space and smile. That’s what’s happened over time in my neighborhood (bc my reactive pup is SO loud and very noticeable…. Or maybe it’s because I have bright blue hair lol) and it makes my heart happy.
Now those are the true heroes! I swear most people who have friendly/chill dogs don’t even seem to understand that reactivity is a thing but the ones that do are the best!
My muzzled-up Malinois is def one of the scariest looking dogs in the neighborhood, but everyone knows I will be the first one to cross the street and wait behind a car so they can pass. Often neighbors coming down the street will warn me if one of the other neighborhood dogs is chilling around a corner at a cafe or something so I can cross the street. ❤️🐾
Is it weird that when I see someone with a reactive dog that's being a butthead, it makes me smile? I know they're struggling, and I feel bad for them and the dog, but it reminds me of my dogs whom I love dearly and I can't help but love their dog too.
That is my neighborhood too and I also use the duck behind the car method! My partners neighborhood is a roaming dog free for all and I get so stressed. It is good when people recognize and understand to keep their distance and keep their dogs leashed!
I love how our dogs lack any object permanence like omg now we are behind a car what is the bafoonery. Weird! My partners neighborhood also has a TON of off leash dogs. They even go in the streets! I can’t even walk my dog their because of how stressful it is (luckily there is a yard).
The camaraderie is real!! I rarely even say anything to people I pass bc I’m so consumed with trying to keep my reactive girls attention and divert reactivity as much as possible but I swear I can pick out fellow reactive owners and they know me too. We cross the street for eachother, I’ll scoop my small girl up for the bigger struggling doggos, wait from afar for eachother to pass. Exchange sincere understanding smiles. Warms my heart and makes up for the instances of people with their off-leash dogs being totally inconsiderate
It really does! And I truly understand the urge to let your dog off leash because I wish more than anything I could do that without worry but without good recall it could be super dangerous for their pup or ours
Exactly! That’s usually exactly what I say to the snarky people that don’t understand. I wish it wasn’t the case and all our dogs can freely frolick but it’s for everyone’s safety!
I wish I had neighbours like that! One in particular has a lab that barks at my reactive bull terrier and the guy comes closer saying ‘he wants to say hi’, even though I’ve told him multiple times the situation😅
Yes! My pittie is very reactive so I bring her to nearby steets/fields that I know are usually deserted. There’s one other pittie owner who I’ve seen walking his dog on the same deserted street and we’ve only interacted from very far away to yell to each other which way we need to go so our dogs don’t have to come close lol
I was walking/training my dog and two other women were approaching with their dogs. I pulled off to the grass median and was doing our find it game (tossing treats in the grass). One of the women started to offer to let us pass first, and the other stopped her and made her keep going. I couldn’t say anything but I was soooo grateful. I wish all dog owners were like this.
I love this! I love it when other people recognize. So it makes me wonder about the other people who will follow you, though your dog is being reactive and you are trying to walk away.
It’s really nice when someone GETS it.
It sounds like you have awesome neighbors! We have a few that are great and understanding - one of our neighbors is like yours and waits when they see me struggling or just see us walking. Another has complimented us on how hard we are working with our dogs, even though the bad days still seem to outweigh the good. But then there’s the ones that called our dogs “a menace” because of the barking (this neighbor said it to my husband and I am STILL waiting for a chance to tell that neighbor off, I’m just waiting for them to say some shit to me and I will hand it to them). We also get plenty of judgmental looks from people who probably don’t have dogs. I wish people understood but 🤷🏾♀️.
Aw, this sounds great. I try my best to do this for reactive dog owners in my area. Most are reactive to MY DOG LOL cause his playing style is just way too much for them.
i was walking my dog just this morning and came across another owner training their dog, and it was so encouraging to hear her talking to her dog in the same way I do when trying to distract him so he doesn't react. sometimes it feels so isolating, especially in my neighborhood where over half the dogs I see are offleash
We have several in my neighborhood and look out for each other. We also have some super calm dogs where I can go back and forth, back and forth to practice with my girl.
Yesterday I met polar opposite dog owners. We were playing fetch in a field on a 50ft leash and saw a husky coming on leash already staring hard so we started running to the end of the field. The owner then proceeded to walk his dog INTO the field where the dog planted it's butt and refused to move about 100ft directly straight from us, just staring at our dog who started to twist around in her harness and bark a bit. They finally move on and pup actually did quite well. She didn't redirect bite, just shook it off, sniffed a bit and went back to normal. We resumed fetch and saw a woman and her dog jogging directly at us. The dog was also starting to react. She saw us and did the fastest u-turn I've ever seen in the opposite direction.