What do you do when you see a big dog that you don't know & owner say is friendly?
 

My question is, what do you do when you are out for a walk and happen to see a big dog that you have never met and the owner say it is friendly and wants to let it play with your Yorkie?

I have never ponder about this question very much as people usually just leash their dogs and stay away when they see there is a smaller dog coming although there are many insensitive dog owners who don't even leash their dogs in a leash park.

Today, I met a lady and a big black dog it is a lab I think not too sure. And she just kept coming at me and Pao and before she even finished her sentence asking if they can play she was already very near us and I wasn't even sure if he was friendly. She said he is but I don't know and I am thinking why do I want to take the chance? Your dog is huge will not get hurt but one snap or one step is all it takes for my Yorkie to get hurt. In the end, I quickly drag my little one further away and said that mine is not friendly and is aggressive. I felt so unfriendly and yet I am a friendly person. I am just being careful with my little one as I have seen owners who said their dog is friendly and then snap at someone's dog. I am not too sure why I wrote this but what happened this morning bothered me. I guess I am just looking for validation that I am doing the right thing and I sure hope she doesn't think I am a snob because I am not.

You have to do what you feel is right for your dog. My Jake is little and when I am out walking him ANY dog I don't know I will pick him up. I just don't want to take the chance. #1 I love this little dog waaay too much for something bad to happen to him. #2 I paid waaaay too much for something bad to happen to him that I could have avoided.

You did the right thing in my opinion.

I just pick Bella up or if when they ask to play I just say well she's in training right now and we are teaching her different techniques that usually works and we just keep walking. I just don't feel its worth it if I don't know the person or the dog. like you said in one second they could seriously hurt or even kill one of our small babies!

I smile and keep walking dragging Buddy behind me because all he wants
is a piece of that BIG DOG!:eek:

I usually let MIlo take the lead.....Dogs know, he is a dogs dog, he wants to play with anyone and everyone, if we come upon a dog that he is skittish about I take that as a sign and move on, other wise I keep a tight reign on the leash and let him do his smell thing.

Yeah if I dont know the dog I'll either force my boys to keep walking or I'll pick them up. I just tell people they are too little to play with the 'big boys' and smile ... like you, I don't want to seem like a snob or rude, but you just never know, even the most friendliest dog can suddenly turn on your little baby! I also paid too much for them and love them way tooo much to take the chance because someone else says their dog is friendly! :)

I see an unknown big dog, I pick Gus up. If the owner insists nothing will happen, I tell them they are probably right but I can't take that chance, I know too many small dogs that have been injured by big dogs.
If they can't understand that, that's their problem.
Like you said, it won't be their dog that is harmed. I'd rather have a stranger think I was rude or unfriendly than something happen to Gus.

Ha ha mine too lol

And Pepper makes three! LOL

What I have said is for some reason, my dog/dogs seem to irriatate bigger dogs so I don't want to take any chances. I decided after having 2 different yorkies attacked by golden retrievers that I would rather look rude than have a dead or injured dog. I really think a lot of big dog owners don't realize how fragile these little ones are around big dogs.

Thanks gals for the superb replies! I did smile to her today while I was talking to her but she was coming too close way too fast hence I think my face was showing that I was a little shocked too. You gals are right. I love my little guy way too much and I paid too much for him and I am not prepared to risk it just because someone says that their dog is friendly because at the end of the day, I am responsible for my dog. I have been really careful with my little guy when we are out and I really just have to be more careful in future. I think I will just lift my little guy up the next time before people even think of coming too near and too fast.

Wow..aren't golden retrievers supposed to be friendly dogs? I was hesitating today as she was trying to push it because her dog was a lab (I think) and labs are generally friendly. Lucky thing I held on. The next time this situation happens, I am more well prepared and not look like a stunned person like I was today lol. Good thing I was stubborn.

I keep my eyes open at all times when we take Kiki for a walk. If I see a big dog ahead, I cross the street and go to the other side. If they continue to come near us, I always pick Kiki up. We've come across very agressive dogs along our walks and Kiki is usually scared to death. One dog in particular a Jack Russell Terrier, used to go after Kiki's ponytail on her head and another big dog (picked Kiki up by her harness). I don't walk that way anymore.

I don't take chances anymore and I always walk with someone else since I am such a chicken.

Anna

Dog profile for Kiki, a female Yorkshire Terrier

Ahem... We have guys in here in too :D

Without fail, I will pick up my yorkie(s) or do what ever it takes to avoid contact. I do not allow my yorkies contact with dogs of any size that I do not personally know. I do my very best to be discrete and not offend, but MY dogs are MY dogs and I have the choice to allow them contact with another dog or not.....

For example -- When I took Chizzie for her xray to see how many pups she had there was an obnoxious person with a cocker on one of those dreaded retractable leashes. Chizzie was in my arms and she was sitting across the room. She allowed her dog to approach us -- I gave her my best "go to #$%% look and she reeled him in. In just a minute the dog was back so I stood up and moved -- you would think that this dumb broad could take a hint, but no -- I was just at the point of looking her in the eye and making a not so nice comment about her qualifications as a human being in general and a dog owner in particular when I was called back to a room. Later I found out that she did not have an appointment and she brought the dog in because she thought it was sick..... STUPID PEOPLE MAKE ME FURIOUS!

No No and H___ NO. I dont take any chances. Ive had a small dog killed by a big dog. And the big dog was mine. I never take chances now. With the wee ones it only takes a second and one bite, and its over.

Oops! Lol! Thank you guy for your superb reply!

I pick mine up. I dont take any chances

hmmm I should be more careful next time.
I let Momiji play with any dogs as long as the owner said friendly.
But of course once or twice, the other dog got rough with Momiji. (thank goodness it was not a big dog but just a little Lhasa Apso.)
But you are right, even the big dog were friendly, he/she may be in a bad mood that day and never know.
I'll pick her up next time.....

Pick them up. Take no chances. I do not even trust my own big dog and I don't trust anyone. Don't forget our babies are terriers and they will start fights because they think they are big dogs. Big dogs have been known to attack yorkies while smelling them, because I was always taught that a yorkie is a "man made" dog and other dogs may not like them at all.

Sorry Charley, the bigger dog can be as friendly as can be but I won't take any chances, I pick Maggy May up and hold her until we're way past the big dog.

Well I always have in my mind that the big dog may not "attack" Ittybit but may hurt her just because of the size difference while playing. Kinda like giving a 8 yo kid a month old baby and saying go play lol

I used to be way too trusting of other dog owners and I never will be again.

Before Epsilon, I had a little boy named Gizmo. He was the friendliest little guy I've ever seen and loved anything that moved. So, the dog park was naturally his favorite place in the world. Well, one day some ******* brought is aggressive dog to the off leash dog park. We were on our way out when he was on his in. I new it was bad when I heard the guy's wife say "make sure you keep him on his leash" --- why the hell bring him to an OFF LEASH dog park then? Anyway, Gizzie was too quick for me to react since he really wanted to say hi to the newcomer. Well, the dog attacked him and Gizmo died in my husbands arms on the way to the emergency clinic. I miss him so much. I have a slide show of him here if you want to see. He would have been 2yrs old on May 5.
Never again, will I trust anyone else and their dog.

I always pick Itsy up, well in advance of her getting within range of another dog. This has mostly been because she is only 13 wks and hasn't quite finished her shots yet and I don't want her to catch anything. But I will continue to do it even after she has her shots. Even if a bigger dog is friendly, if it gets over-excited it could easily hurt a smaller dog unintentionally. It's not worth the risk.
My problem has been more with people approaching me alone on the street (without dogs) and wanting to pet and fuss over her. Maybe I'm over-protective and being ridiculous but I don't like strangers touching my dog. I guess I feel like a mom with a new baby that everyone wants to touch and hold....and I'm thinking..."when was the last time you washed your hands?" "Do you have a sick dog at home and now you're about to touch my dog?" Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd rather seem rude and just smile and keep walking than risk exposing her to who-knows-what.

All these replys are what I wanted to say...mine for some reason try and provoke larger dogs and I know its just their nature....One situation I have in my OWN family is my Dad has a Shiloh Shephard and if anyone knows them, they are the size of a Shetland pony, literally!!!! He for several months would bring the dog to my office or house and I would dash over the furniture to get to Yogi and Bogus and pick them up...once he said,"he won't bite them...lets see how he acts around them bring one of them over to him." I got absolutely furious and said are you joking???? its a 50/50 chance that he will or won't bite them and guess whos the one left with a mauled dead dog...it won't be you!!!! good god!!!!! PPl have no idea how vulnerable these little ones are....when they are the ones standing there with the "big dog"....I could care less about anyones feelings when it comes to their stupidity and my babies safety..I'd rather live alone in the world with my Yorkies lol, than feel like I gotta befreind a bunch of X@$#**:rolleyes:

You know what I pick her up. I never used to fear or worry about other dogs until that damn rottie bit me a few weeks back. Plus around the corner from us there are two houses with mean dogs. One looked all friendly and ran but luckily the owner grabbed him...he looked like he wanted to eat zoey.

That's the problem, you can never tell how any dog is going to react to your dog. This was in the neighborhood and I was walking my Yorkie, Gracie and this man was putting his garbage out front and wih the cars in the driveway I couldn't see he had his GR out and off leash. All of a sudden this dog has gracie in his mouth and I am screaming and this dumb owner just stands by his garbage 40 feet away and calling the dogs name. Didn't make a move to come get his dog and the dog was not listening. Finally he let go over her. I don't think he was trying to hurt her but he could have. The gut never even said sorry or anything to me.

:thumbup: Me too!

I usually just pick him up and say that I don't trust my dog. But I stay and talk and pet.

Heck.. the fact that my dog is named Dim Sum must make him look like food to the bigger dogs. :(

I make sure, first of all, to not freak out if I see a big dog. Because they will BOTH sense it and that will make them freak out.

If the dog comes up to me, I will put myself between it and Tucker (Tucker is 12-14 lbs, I'm worried that if a dog were to jump on me I would drop him, so instead I put him behind me). I meet the dog first always, unless I have a bad feeling in which case I'll just take Tucker away. But I figure, hey, he needs some friends. So I'll let the dog sniff me, I'll talk to the owner, pet the dog, then slowly introduce Tucker.

I don't let any dog just run up to him, but I don't want to avoid every dog I see, either. Of course, if I see a dog that I'm just NOT comfortable with for whatever reason, I'll just walk away. But if I have an ok feeling about it, then we'll give it a shot. :)