Anyone else worry about your Yorkie's safety when on walks?

[kyancer]

I am sooooo tired of running into unsupervised dogs when I am out with my Yorkie! It has happened almost more times then I can count! My poor little Sebastian has almost gotten attacked by a rather large poodle (on a bungee leash ), 2 very large stray dogs, a crazy Chihuaha, and just today the neighbor's dog got out and was roaming around and made a bee line straight for us. No wonder Sebastian doesn't like other dogs . Anyone else have this problem?

[chachi]

I have that problem also. I take mace with me when I go for walks

[Rae Rae]

I honestly did feel very safe, up until last friday
There are a lot of dogs in our neighborhood, big and little. When I walk Rocky and Bella the big dogs (ones that could hurt them) don't even look twice at them, but on friday when I walked them a little girl was walking her lab, and her lab was trying to get away from her to get at Rocky and Bella, and he didn't sound happy! She couldn't control her dog (can't really blame her) but why her parents let her walk a dog that she can't control is beyond me. So now knowing that this girls parents allow her to walk this dog that she can't control, who knows if we'll run into them again on a walk...so I'm getting mace. I think this happening for me was a wakeup call though like IT CAN HAPPEN, and better to be safe than sorry.

[FL Tink]

I keep bella on a very very short leash. It is only 6 feet and most of the time i have the slack in my hand. I can reel her in and have her in my arms in seconds. Although I have never had to do it. Most of the dogs I have met in my hood are real sweeties.
there is a pit bull we see all the time but never seem to be walking at the same time. I am more worried about people steping on her when we are in public!

[Cathi]

is not just loose dogs but big birds that scoop down from the tree tops.

[kezza]

CONSTANTLY!!! My Little girl is just 3lbs in weight and i'm always a bit nervous when out walking her...some days i don't walk her in public at all and just play with her in our garden..i'm VERY aware of the risks (my last yorkie was attacked) and i am always looking over my shoulder...sometimes i wish i could relax a little but im too afraid to let my guard down for even a second, I tend to avoid the more popular dog walking areas when out with her as too many people let their untrained dogs run free.

[celstu1]

OH man! I am TERRIFIED to walk my boys! I mean literally terrified. Sometimes I think I read TOO much stuff and need to chill out. Other dogs attacks, hawks from the sky, wild animals.... men in vans pulling over to steal them! YIKES!!!! Don't worry you are not alone! We all worry about our babies, they are tiny and popular and cute as anything!

My first yorkie died at 5 months old from ingesting rat poison... I dont know where he could have gotten it except on a walk so I worry about that too!

[morningsting]

Originally Posted by kyancer

I am sooooo tired of running into unsupervised dogs when I am out with my Yorkie! It has happened almost more times then I can count! My poor little Sebastian has almost gotten attacked by a rather large poodle (on a bungee leash ), 2 very large stray dogs, a crazy Chihuaha, and just today the neighbor's dog got out and was roaming around and made a bee line straight for us. No wonder Sebastian doesn't like other dogs . Anyone else have this problem?

Oh dear. My Chihuahua is one of those "crazy Chihuahuas" who barks&growls at everyone&other dogs, lol. I'm still worried for her safety when we go on walks because most everyone around her has REALLY big dogs. Don't know if they're friendly or not, but everytime I see another dog I immediately pull my Chi up (she wears a harness) &walk away until they're a safe distance away.

-Amy

[morningsting]

Originally Posted by celstu1

OH man! I am TERRIFIED to walk my boys! I mean literally terrified. Sometimes I think I read TOO much stuff and need to chill out. Other dogs attacks, hawks from the sky, wild animals.... men in vans pulling over to steal them! YIKES!!!! Don't worry you are not alone! We all worry about our babies, they are tiny and popular and cute as anything!

My first yorkie died at 5 months old from ingesting rat poison... I dont know where he could have gotten it except on a walk so I worry about that too!

I am SO sorry!!! My friend Jeannette had dogs in a run in the front of her house. One day a man came along&fed them food coated with poison&they died He did that to practically every single dog in that neighborhood&he got away with it too! No one knew that it was him for sure because he wasn't caught doing it, but he would always walk around&throw rocks at the dogs in their runs&he would also say how much he hated dogs. Such a terrible, terrible thing for him to do&it's even more terrible that he never got punished for it. Ever since she told me that story I keep a close eye on my bbys ... I don't want anything like that to ever happen to them&I would be heartbroken if someone killed them.

-Amy

[DukesMommy]

It used to never be a problem for me at my old apartments. I walked Duke all the time, no one in the area really had dogs outside that I needed to worry about. But now that we moved back with my parents for awhile, I wont walk him. There are tons of pit bulls in their neighborhood, I don't usually have a problem with pitts, but all the people around here raise them to be mean, then they don't watch them so they are always loose, the one right across the street runs at us when we are in our own damn yards!

[kyancer]

Originally Posted by morningsting

Oh dear. My Chihuahua is one of those "crazy Chihuahuas" who barks&growls at everyone&other dogs, lol. I'm still worried for her safety when we go on walks because most everyone around her has REALLY big dogs. Don't know if they're friendly or not, but everytime I see another dog I immediately pull my Chi up (she wears a harness) &walk away until they're a safe distance away.

-Amy

My Yorkie can be pretty nutso too (we are working on it ). The problem I had with this Chihuaha is that he was loose running around in his (unfenced) front yard. His owner was on his cell phone, and completely ignored the fact that his dog was chasing me and my dog down the sidewalk, growling and snapping the whole way. I picked my Yorkie up, and eventually he went home. Of course he chose to run back home via the middle of the street rather then this sidewalk...and his owner just kept chatting on his cell acting like nothing out of the ordinary was going on

[morningsting]

Originally Posted by kyancer

My Yorkie can be pretty nutso too (we are working on it ). The problem I had with this Chihuaha is that he was loose running around in his (unfenced) front yard. His owner was on his cell phone, and completely ignored the fact that his dog was chasing me and my dog down the sidewalk, growling and snapping the whole way. I picked my Yorkie up, and eventually he went home. Of course he chose to run back home via the middle of the street rather then this sidewalk...and his owner just kept chatting on his cell acting like nothing out of the ordinary was going on

Eek, that's no good! I really hate irresponsible dog owners. I would never let my Chi off her leash ... I know that she could possibly hurt someone&I don't want that to happen. Just the other day I took her on a walk (with her leash, of course)&these people walked up to her, trying to pet her&stuff while she was barking&growling at them. I kept telling them "She bites, she bites!!!" but did they listen, noooooo. I can't believe how stupid people are sometimes. If I saw a dog that was barking&growling at me, the last thing I would want to do is pet him! I just don't get it, lol. Just because my dog is tiny does not mean that she can't hurt you!

-Amy

[Patti]

I stopped walking them in the neighborhood. I saw 2 dofferent people walking labs and one was on a leash and one was not and a fair distance from the owner. My husband bought me pepper spray to take when I walk them but I decided with 4 of them I just can't take the chance because I could never get all 4 picked up quickly. I let them out in my yard only now.

[mevavp]

Hi,
First time posting, avid reader. I too get nervous taking my puppy Charlie Maddox (7mos)on walks in my neighborhood, I live in a rural area and there are a lot of big dogs that are not well behaved, although mostly fenced but never-the less-threatening.
I don't want to stop walking my little Charlie since he loves to go for walks.
So I carry a huge walking stick (my brother makes them for mountain hiking.) I also heard of a spray called citronella that works on most dogs, they hate the smell but doesn't harm them or risk you or your pet from possible back spray from stronger deterrents like mace. I haven't tried either but I know a faculty member at work who's uses the citronella spray with success. I plan to buy some when I can find it.
Meva

[artie merlino]

I'm Sorry but Me and my 3 Yorkies walk at least 2 times a Day any Where and Any Time regardless of Who or What else is out there? Most of the time our Dogs feel our Tension and Stress, while we are "Walking" them. It's unfair to deprive my Dogs of their "Excercise" and "Bathroom" time because some irresponsible Dog Owners? I walk with an Attitude, and I will and have in the past "Intimidated" un-attended Dogs just by yelling a sharp command like "NO"
and I have even had to physically kick-off an occasional attack of a Pitbull, Rottweiler or Boxer while at the Dog Park. Most of the time they would chase
"Pom Pom" b/c she is only 4 1/2 lbs. but her Parents Artie (4 yrs. old) & Abigail (3 yrs. old) would defend her too! But I think it's safer to start at square one with the "Intimidation" but some times it happens too fast!
Attitude is Everything!