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Post by migsy on May 27, 2013 16:03:54 GMT
A friend recently told me about very annoying neighbour who insists on greeting his dog proffering treats,he has tried to politely discourage it,but now he is very angry. His dog,a very well trained 12 yr old B.C. never crosses a road without stopping, sitting,and waiting for the command to cross,even if a person it knows is on the other side of the road. Only a few days ago,as the dog waits to cross,it sees a man crossing towards it,the man puts his hand in his pocket,so the dog walks over expecting a treat.Luckily the road was clear. I was shocked to hear this,and I would have sworn the dog was rock solid,as though it knows me very very well,and makes a huge fuss on meeting me and my dog,she has never left her owners side to cross a road. My first B.C. was such a well trained dog too,so I can understand his annoyance at neighbour not respecting his wishes.I don't think I would have remained so polite after my wishes were ignored.
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Post by BorderTerrier on May 27, 2013 16:13:48 GMT
That was very dangerous. It could have ended in crucial injury, or death to the dog if the road hadn't been clear. My Earl loves food and treats to bits, but would only cross a road to get one if someone on the other side was calling and making the situation even more exiting. Earl also sits and waits for the cross command before crossing a road. I would be very annoyed, personally, and quite upset.
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Post by orpheous87 on May 27, 2013 19:33:05 GMT
I think I would have been annoyed too, migsy. My two are both ridiculously greedy when it comes to meeting people on walks, especially if they know that the person usually gives them a treat. There's one woman who has a Lurcher and a Springer/Collie cross who jogs along the same path we walk (with the Lurcher). This woman always has a pocket full of dog treats and literally every time Pepper sees her, she runs up to her and sits for a treat. One day, I was stood talking to my cousin on the path and the woman was jogging on the other side of the river. Pepper was sniffing about in the grass, when I heard a splash and the next thing I saw was Pepper on the other side of the other side of the river! I have no doubt that if she saw this woman on the other side of a road and was off lead (which would never happen), she'd run across without a second thought. Having said that, I wish people wouldn't just give treats to other people's dogs without asking first. How do they know that the dog isn't on a special diet or have certain intolerances? Glad your friend's dog didn't come to any harm when crossing that road!
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Post by tonib on May 27, 2013 19:48:35 GMT
Hopefully there will be a good outcome in that your friend may be able to stop the neighbour by calmly explaining what happened & how dangerous it was for the dog.
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Post by bextull on May 27, 2013 20:04:28 GMT
I'd be annoyed if it were me too. Shouldn't the dog have been on a lead though?
I know the person was told not to feed the dog, but surely if roads are involved the owner can put the dog on a lead until they've passed the person and therefore avoid the whole issue.
No dog will ever have a rock solid stay, this incident proves that.
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Post by cazypops on May 27, 2013 21:50:19 GMT
You took the words out of my mouth bextull
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Post by migsy on May 28, 2013 9:40:14 GMT
The person waiting to cross was a stranger,the mere act of him putting his hand into his pocket was enough to make the dog think a treat was to be given...so bad habit quickly taught,undoing years of perfect behaviour.I would be livid. I couldn't trust my dog to be off his lead near any road as he is a chaser,and would take off in an instant if he spotted a squirrel or cat.Yet my previous collie was like friends dog,never had a lead on unless walking near a major road,because by law they have to be on a lead near those.Any cat in the garden was fair game to be chased away,but strangely,while out walking,cats were ignored,even if walking very near to him.
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Post by BorderTerrier on May 28, 2013 12:42:29 GMT
My Earl would never ignore a cat/squirrel/pigeon etc on walks; no way no how.
Dogs should not be trained by treats in pockets all the time - I couldn't imagine even Earl shooting across a busy road just because of a hand in pocket - hands slip into and out of pockets all the time.
Treats should not always be stored in pockets, OR, people shouldn't reinforce the idea to dogs that as soon as a hand goes into a pocket, treats come back out when the hand exits the pocket.
Picky I may be, but it does make sense.
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