Rant: Your Lack Of Training, Shouldn't Be My Dog's Problem

A rant about poorly behaved dog owners.

I'm just going to start by saying: if you find yourself offended by this, I hope you take it as a learning opportunity for yourself and your dog.

Grimm will be six months old on May 1st. And in less than 6 months, he's been bulldozed, bitten, and otherwise accosted by other dogs at least 4 times that I can think of. The fact that he doesn't have trust or reactivity issues with other dogs is absolutely astounding.

"He's a puppy, and sometimes puppies need to be put in their place by other dogs."

"Oh, my dog just plays rough, I promise he's friendly."

"That's so weird, he's never done that before."

"It's okay, she's not hurting him, that's just how she plays."

These are the things I've had people say while their dog is borderline attacking Grimm. Let's make this clear:

If my dog is screaming, crying, struggling to get up, or otherwise uncomfortable because of what your dog is doing to him, IT'S NOT OKAY.

As dog parents, it's our job to advocate for our dogs, because they can't. And even when our dogs do advocate for themselves, it's usually seen as loud, aggressive, or violent, because dogs only have so many avenues to express themselves. Sometimes advocating for yourself and your dog is messy and anxiety inducing, I get it, because I'm the same way.

Regardless of the fact that I'm usually loud and obnoxious, I actually really hate conflict. Like, I was the kid who would just hide or sit really quietly when someone was frustrated or yelled (honestly, I still kinda do that). For some reason, when it comes to Grimm, I turn into a crazy woman and am down to take just about anyone to task over him and his safety.

Here's the gist of it all: if you or your dog have a tendency to act dickish or do things that may not be safe for other dogs and people, plan accordingly.

Maybe that means you don't take your sometimes reactive or breed-specific-tolerance-having dog to the dog park or other high dog volume areas during peak time.

Maybe that means you consider the idea of muzzle training your dog for the safety of themselves or others.

Maybe that means not loose-leash walking your dog when you're around things that may trigger your dogs aggression or fear.

Maybe that means saying to other dog parents around you, "I'm not sure if us meeting right now is a good idea, my dog is in training."

Maybe that means buying a harness or leash or leash slip that says "In Training" or "Do Not Pet" for your pet to wear when they're in situations they may not be comfortable with.

Maybe that means not bringing your dogs favorite toys or treats to the park because other dogs will play with it too and this could lead to a fight.

And I say this as someone who's had dogs that are overly friendly (Grimm), couldn't care less about other dogs (Loki), and were very choosy about who they played with (Tiny & Thor).

Grimm can go to the park and will try really hard to be friends with everyone, and sometimes that doesn't go over well because he's a jumpy, fast, annoying puppy. So that means I have to put him in check sometimes and force him to give others a break. And I will always do that, because I'm not going to say its another dog's job to train my puppy. I have nothing against letting another dog correct some puppy behaviors, and I think it can work really well, but when you make it the JOB of the older dog, I think you're opening yourself up to some potentially serious problems. I brought Grimm to the park or into whatever situation, so it's my job to keep him safe, and to keep others safe from him (even if it just means holding him back when he tries to pounce on your dogs head for the 1400th time).

Dog parents are a large and powerful community, if we band together as a community and say enough is enough, we can change the standard.

Okay, rant over, now for some context:

Grimm and I went to the trail recently with family, and we were having a great time. Grimm was a little extra about pulling on the leash, but I let him enjoy the time and sniff and jump in the river a little, I just let him be a crazy little puppy.

Until another dog was coming. Grimm has a shitty little habit of jumping at dogs, and it can be intimidating and it's just bad manners. So when another dog was coming, I'd shorten his leash and keep him close to my side and tell him calmly, "No jumping. Be nice." Guess what? He actually behaved 90% of the time and did proper nose-to-nose greetings and butt sniffs on his way past them. I wish others had done the same every time, because if they had, Grimm wouldn't have had his lip bitten, pulled, and ripped by an angry little Yorkie.

He's fine, and isn't even holding a grudge about it at all, but I'm not and I am. I'm really mad about it, because the owner said sorry to me, then told her dog that he knows better while her husband told her that he saw it coming. So, clearly this dog is a repeat offender, and my dog had to deal with it.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time either, we've had several instances like this, and each time I find it more and more frustrating. I don't want Grimm to live a sheltered life where he can't go places or is afraid of other dogs or people. I want him to be well-socialized and brave and enjoy his life. I don't know how to keep him from getting scared and reactive if other dog parents are doing their part.

It's a big, beautiful world out there, and all of the dogs deserve to enjoy it. I guess my point is that it's not good for the dogs getting attacked, and it's not good for the dogs doing the attacking if we continue to have these interactions.

That was a lot, so here are some very adorable pictures from our trail adventure.