It’s exactly as the title says, I don’t believe the average person should keep a dog if it’s reactive or aggressive, but this is mostly pointed at aggressive.
If u do decide to have a reactive or aggressive dogs, it should be MUZZLED in public, taken to a professional trainer to help with socializing and control, and taken to areas with less people and dogs NOT DOG PARKS I have no idea why people think its a good idea to take them to dog parks.
I understand that people grow attached and love their dogs but they are putting other animals and peoples lives at risk, I have seen to many videos of them going to parks, beaches, or bush tracks (places that you will almost 100% come across off leash dogs) with their reactive dogs and freaking out, then putting it on tiktok talking about how incompetent other owners are, in a perfect world people would have their dogs under control with proper recall, but that isn’t realistic to expect everyone else to have a well trained dog and when push comes to shove if your dog attacks someone’s friendly little shitzu even if they where the ones that came up to you the other owner won’t be responsible.
And this doesn’t even account to the amount of vids I’ve seen with kids, your dog should NOT be in public if they are people aggressive I do not care if you believe that parent should stop their kids from coming up to your dog, you are setting that dog up for failure and if your dog bites a kid the parents won’t be responsible.
The average person doesn’t know how to control a well meaning friendly dog, let alone a reactive or aggressive one even if they think they do, And often what they are doing is causing more harm to the dog than good.
It is entitled to expect everyone around you to bend to your will just because you want to do normal dog this with your reactive dog, but the truth is you won’t get to do those things with that dog and they will make your life so much more stressful and hard.
Edit:
I’m going to put a scenarios down here so people get what I mean.
A person has a dog aggressive dog and their walking it in a park, it sees another dog and somehow slips it’s lead and attacks the other dog, you knew your dog was aggressive yet you still decided to bring your dog to an area with a large number of dogs, now we have a dog reactive dog because it just got attacked, those people being their now terrified dog outside and it starts barking at and lunging a puppy because it’s terrified, now that puppy is likely to develop dog aggression or reactivity and then the cycle repeats.
If that first person brought their dog to a secluded area to walk, muzzled it, brought it to a trainer, or if all else fails put it down we would have less aggressive or reactive dogs running around.
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Let me get this straight. You’re not okay with people having reactive dogs, but are okay with other dogs and kids just running up to someone else’s dog with no respect?
No upvote for you. This is not unpopular, at least for me.
I’ve been working with dogs for 11 years as a groomer. I’ve seen so many “I rescued him, I think he was abused”. No, he bites because he is reactive and untrained. Train him and stop excusing his behavior.
Dogs are not babies. Theyre not even people. They are DOGS.
And don’t get me started on dog parks, we’ll be here all month.
I never understood the idea of owning a pet that is physically capable of seriously harming you like big dogs or snakes. Why bring potential danger in your home when you don’t have to? And if your big dog ever attacks someone, the damage would be severe and the victim would never be the same again. And all the apologies in the world would not make up for the damage your big dog inflicted on that person.
We adopted a reactive dog. We keep her away from other dogs. Not difficult, and she gets to live out her life in comfort with people who love her rather than being put down.
So? Muzzle them outside the house? Kill them? There’s no possibility of rehab?
“My dog would never do that”
Turns into
“Oh wow, he’s never done that before!”
I think I found Kristi Noem’s Reddit account
We adopted our third dog, and we take older dogs who have lost their owners. They come with whatever their life has thrown at them.
Yeah, our new 10 year old little girl is reactive to other dogs. Fuck you for saying we should, what, have let the rescue org put her down?
We know how to train out some of the reaction. It works sometimes, sometimes not. You know the worst that happens? Our dog barks, whines, and growls at the other dog. Oh no, there was a little noise! It’s the apocalypse!
So what? What’s wrong with you?
Take my upvote and head shake.
No one “decides” to have a reactive dog. My dog was not always reactive. She was adorably sweet to all strangers and dogs. When she was little we would bring her to the dog park almost everyday, and she was a gem, the other regulars would always be so happy to see her and she would say hi to each and every person.
She played with the big dogs and was gentle with the dogs smaller than her. Truly the perfect temperament. Until one day she was attacked by some random dog at the park whose owner was not in control.
After that, she was weary of some dogs and people so we took a break from the dog park. One day we went back and another dog had gotten aggressive with her, and she was scared so she snarled and chomped at the air toward the dog. We were completely stunned because this behavior was brand new.
She learned that some dogs can hurt her, and the best way to create space is by barking, and biting at them.
We have since had to come to terms with the fact that she is what’s called “reactive” which means every walk is a minefield of avoiding potential triggers. It means turning around when there’s another dog, because we don’t want her to get scared and react. It means we can’t say “she’s friendly” anymore and it breaks my heart because she’s still so loving and beautiful with everyone she knows.
What sucks the most is that there’s no real pattern to her triggers, some people and dogs she completely ignores, and others, at random, can trigger a meltdown.
She is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I will do everything I can to make sure she has the best day ever, as often as she can. Now I just have to take extra steps to keep her, and others safe.
I’ve seen videos of people getting attacked my sharks too. Doesn’t mean people shouldn’t go in the ocean
This is the stupidest post I have seen on the sub.
I have an anxious-reactive GSD. We didn’t know that when we adopted her (she was adopted from a rescue as a puppy after a breeder seizure, she weirdly has AKC papers?) and we have done so much training to work on this, shifted her diet, added supplements and meds, given her enough exercise and brain toys, etc. and you know what we did? Bought a house with over an acre and a trustworthy fence. Play with her in the yard throughout the day since I WFH. Keep working on the anxiety. Never leave the property for anything other than the vet and grooming. Go to a groomer that only has 1 dog at a time. Muzzle through the lobby of the vets office, which can finally come off after years when she’s back in the vet room! All this to say, this isn’t an unpopular opinion, if you have a reactive dog it’s a disservice to any person or animal, including the dog itself, to put it in any situation you know it will fail in.
My dog’s anxiety meds have really helped her even out.
So you own a little dog that runs up to other dogs?
Parents shouldn’t raise reactive or aggressive kids and instead should be put down or forced to wear a muzzle and leash.
Also, your dog is not friendly. It’s just not.
I hear where you are coming from, but there is nuance you don’t understand. Dogs are often reactive because their owners are bad dog handlers. Everyone has to start somewhere. Sometimes the owners and dog and a trainer need to work together to build a better relationship and boundaries, etc. Then the dog’s reactivity will improve.
What you are saying is that only experienced dog owners can have dogs, only perfect dog owners can have dogs. Nope! People are allowed to be new dog owners. They are allowed to be bad at it. They are allowed to pick out the wrong dog for them. You have to accept the fact that they will make bad choices and wrong choices and maybe learn from their mistakes. Eventually they may become good dog owners, but along the way their dog will be very reactive until the owner gets further along the learning curve.
You’re afraid of dogs aren’t you?
Reactive is pretty broad. My 12lb dog is reactive in that she tends to bark at other dogs but she’s ultimately a coward.
Come on mods- you delete a post from someone saying airplanes should be kept cold, which I felt was a TOTALLY reasonable opinion, but you allow this nonsense?
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I had a chihuahua that acted like a bat out of hell. She would never bite anyone, but she liked to see how far she could push people barking at them. She was super chill when no one else was around. Great dog.
Hey, you’re not invited to my house, so don’t worry about it.
LOL, there goes the vast majority of the terrier group. Reactivity is kinda their thing.
It definitely makes sense to euthanize reactive and aggressive dogs, and to only allow dogs to live if they are friendly, obedient, non-reactive, not afraid of cars, not reactive toward potential intruders, etc., but I wonder if it could have potential downsides
I agree. I don’t think people should have unsafe animals. I think aggressive and reactive dogs are often suffering from anxiety that is causing insecurity. Personally, I made the decision to behaviorally euthanize my heart dog. I loved him more than I could ever explain. But I was not going to let him hurt or kill another animal or person. Thinking you can manage a dangerous dog is too risky. A single mistake can result in injury or death. If you don’t care to protect your own family or strangers, protect your dog from being euthanized at a shelter after it bites someone. Protect your finances. People don’t realize that you’re legally liable after the first bite (in most states). Believe me, I tried everything before making the decision I did and I’ve suffered emotionally every day. I would do it again every time. I also believe rescues that take and rehome dangerous dogs should be held liable. People need to take responsibility for their animals.
If your stupid yapyap runs up and starts tormenting someone else’s bigger dog, well, that IS on you. And parents should absolutely teach their kids not to approach dogs that they don’t know and that IS their responsibility. If I had an aggressive or reactive dog, I would use a muzzle in public just to avoid dispute but everyone should be taking responsibility here. My dog is stupendously friendly with other dogs and thinks everyone will be her best friend and I keep her on a leash for that reason. I shudder to think what could happen if she decided to be a pest to the wrong dog and that would be on me. This should be basic common sense. I think certain dog breeds should be discouraged absolutely because sadly they fall into the wrong hands, but there are plenty of great pooches out there setting a shining example.
If someone is in a public space with an unleashed dog, I ABSOLUTELY expect that dog to be 100% under control with perfect recall. I do agree with you that it’s unrealistic, which is also why leash laws exist.
This sounds like an opinion based entirely on social media and….🙄
Agreed, i am forced to carry mace AND a taser.
Personally I’d change the title to “If you have an aggressive or reactive dog you need to put in the time and/or money to train it”. Otherwise I agree with everything you’re saying. After having a dog again after many years I’m noticing just how many owners are apathetic when their dog reacts aggressively to another dog or person. I’ve even seen an owner or two crack a smile, like it’s a flex that their dog jumped at another dog or person.
Here is the thing you seem to be missing: In most places, at least in the US, and I understand some other places, you have to keep your dog under control.
Those hiking trails? Most of them probably aren’t actually ‘off leash’ because they don’t *want* the dogs running through the woods, potentially harassing wildlife. Beaches? sure there might be off leash beaches. Dog parks? they are quickly gaining a reputation of *don’t* take your dog to them.
However, even in the cases of these places being offleash, in my experience, there is typically an additional component: you still have to have control of your dog. Which means if your dog runs up on other dogs, especially while that dog in on a leash, or people, and you can’t recall them. They belong on a leash. Your dog should NOT be running towards an unknown dog, or person.
The thing is, socialization doesn’t mean that dogs should be forced to accept every other dog they see. It doesn’t mean that for humans, so why would it mean it for dogs? No animal species, that I know of, will just accept every other single animal of their species. They have their own preferences. They have their own personalities. They often especially don’t like to be dashed up to by a strange new member of their species.
Socialization means being calm when around new and scary things. It means accepting that they aren’t going to hurt it. It means realizing that not every time it meets a new dog (if it is friendly) it is an opportunity to play.
OP: I don’t believe in owning these dogs, but if you’re going to own them, muzzle them! Be responsible!
Everyone in the comments: fUcK yOu YoU’rE sAyInG mY dOg ShOuLd HaVe BeEn KiLlEd?!
Oh look!
It’s K9 Karen.
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Totally agree, they are risking everyone else’s safety based on their ability to control the dog. They put everyone else at risk for their hobby of having an aggressive dog.
We adopted a dog that the owners didn’t socialise for her first 18 months. She’s adorable, but reactive. We’ve had to make accommodations for her, but really she’s great. She can’t handle being on the lead, it stresses her out. We’ve had professional help, their advice was to walk her off lead at dog parks.
Your argument goes against the professional advice we’ve received.
What should happen to a dog who has issues that are the result of poor owners?
Dogs react to how their owners are. Evil people have evil dogs. Evil people should not have dogs. Thanks for listening to my ted talk.
What a tool
Most owners who have a reactive or aggressive dog take precautions or keep them at home; that being said, those that don’t are doing a disservice to everyone else and other animals.
To make clear, it isn’t the dogs’ fault, but the owners’ fault and what they’ll allow or not handle. You’d be surprised to find out some dogs that are aggressive-acting weren’t always aggressive but turned out to be over anything from trauma or abuse. Sometimes dogs can react aggressively if they’re scared, too; sometimes a dog needs the aid of a device such as a muzzle, and there is no shame in that so long as it’s the right muzzle for that specific dog.