PSA Control your dogs

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Sorry for the vent, but OMG I am so frustrated about my stepdaughter and her D O G.

Her husband was out of town, so she invited everybody over for dinner one night this week. It was a great gesture, but OMG her dog just ruins everything. MIL just absolutely will not go to her house because her dog is so unruly. She is afraid of getting hurt. I know I don't go over there much, because I do not like dealing with the dog either.

The dog is a German Shepherd/Lab mix (about a year and a half old) to give you a context about the size of this beast. When we get there of course, the dog is pawing at the door, she is just standing there saying "come in". DH opens the door, and this dog runs out and hits me like a football player trying to tackle somebody. DH is like, awwww he likes you so much. I wasn't amused. Of course it gets no better once we get in the house. He pounced me again and I bounced off the wall. I believe I am pretty sturdy, but this dog hits so hard he will knock you off balance. He was also pouncing the other step-daughter. She was just like, EXCUSE ME and going on about her business. I guess she is more used to him than I am. Right before dinner starts, she put the salads on the table.... then we look over, and the dog was on his back legs, with this paws on the table, eating one of the salads. At one point, he started running around like a complete fool, bouncing off the walls. (you can see where he has scratched the walls up and a lot of the paint is gone). She is like awwwww, somebody has "the zoomies". The zoomies? This is a really huge dog running around bouncing off the walls and shaking the whole room. This is NOT cute. Of course towards the end of dinner, I was talking and I tapped my fork on my plate, the dog jumped up from beside me, about knocking me out of my chair, and grabbed what was left on my plate. She is like oh yep you shouldn't have done that, he thinks that's an INVITATION.

I love my step-daughter, but I have serious concerns about this dog. I am questioning her sense sometimes because why couldn't she just put the dog in another room, or outside in his "playpen". The dog doesn't bite, but he is completely out of control and pounces so bad. If this was a chihuahua, it would be different, but this dog is huge. DH literally has voiced concerns, saying that he hopes she can get that dog under control before they have children. It has been suggested that they remove his "dangling accessories", but her husband is like NOPE, he is keeping those.

Sorry for the rant. I just wonder if this is typical dog behavior for a young large dog, or is there something seriously odd about this situation? I just wonder if he will grow out of this, or is there something just not right here.

 

[Moliphino]

The problem is the stepdaughter and husband, not the dog. Doesn't sound like they've done anything to train it at all.
I have large dogs who get really excited when we have guests. I put their harness and/or leash on when people come so I can hold them back while people come in the door. They know they're not supposed to jump up on people and they know they're not allowed to take food from the table or counters.

 

[firefly_ris]

This is typical behavior for a large, young dog who is not getting any training or adequate exercise. They don't innately know what is appropriate behavior -- clearly hasn't been taught much. Neutering him won't make him need less exercise or training. A German Shepherd mix is going to need a lot of physical as well as mental stimulation every day. This is an owner fail. Hopefully no one gets hurt but they seem totally oblivious.

 

[gottalovepluto]

They are bad owners. The dog is not receiving the proper training- and the owners are so bad they aren't protecting the public. In the meantime you need to protect yourself! Tell them straight up you will not be coming over if the dog is not put away, he is too much of a risk. I literally know someone who got hit by a dog exactly like this when they arrived at a house and got a concussion. What exactly are your plans if the next time you get hit you get a concussion? Break a bone? Strain a ligament? Who is paying the medical expenses and the therapy expenses if RICE doesn't fix it? My guess is you- unless it's bad enough your insurance decides to sue them. No, no you don't want to go down that path. You'd love to come for dinner, but the doggie must be put away until he's trained better.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Yes agree with both PPs. The dog is not the problem it’s the owners. That poor dog definitely needs exercise and training both of which he clearly doesn’t get. I’ve had 2 labs that need exercise.
Shame on the owners to just allow that behavior around other people and think it’s cute.
Hope you are able to convince her to get help before the dog gets older.

 

[White Cat]

They are bad owners. The dog is not receiving the proper training- and the owners are so bad they aren't protecting the public. In the meantime you need to protect yourself! Tell them straight up you will not be coming over if the dog is not put away, he is too much of a risk. I literally know someone who got hit by a dog exactly like this when they arrived at a house and got a concussion. What exactly are your plans if the next time you get hit you get a concussion? Break a bone? Strain a ligament? Who is paying the medical expenses and the therapy expenses if RICE doesn't fix it? My guess is you- unless it's bad enough your insurance decides to sue them. No, no you don't want to go down that path. You'd love to come for dinner, but the doggie must be put away until he's trained better.

The homeowners insurance would cover it.

 

[Rogue1677x]

We have our puppy working with a trainer because when we adopted her we went knowing full well it would be beneficial.

Originally the rescue group thought she was part Australian Cattle Dog and part beagle. Well, the DNA test results came back, no beagle, 4% Australian Cattle and the predominant breeds are Pit Bull and American Staffordshire.

 

[kdonnel]

My wife often look back at the year we brought our two dogs to Thanksgiving and realize just how stupid we were.

We had been married just a couple years and had two dogs, no kids. We brought them to her grandmothers who at the time hosted the family Thanksgiving who also had two dogs of her own.

It was mayhem, just like an Allstate commercial.

At one point one of our dogs got ahold of the uncooked turkey and was licking away. We put it back on the counter and never said anything to anyone. We also never brought our dogs to anyone else's house.

We were bad dog parents.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If this was a chihuahua, it would be different, but this dog is huge.

I mean it might be different in terms of jumping on you in terms of size but people confuse little dogs as being harmless and big dogs being more harmful. My sister-in-law has a pomeranian who displays more overt viciousness than the 70lb old english sheepdogs I grew up around ever did and the other pom my husband's family had was also super vicious, the other one they had was bullied by the other one into being super docile.

Sister-in-law's pom also has lap anxiety by which if she is not holding him he gets very upset and no one else is allowed to hold him. It's actually much more disruptive to being around her than the situation you describe, just try giving her a hug and you may get bit by her dog, try petting him especially if she's there you may get bit and putting him in another room won't solve anything. Enter the house and the barking is incessant. They actually like a year or two ago almost got kicked out of a hotel room because they left him in there unattended (to go to a basketball game) and with his temperament he barked constantly. The very sad and very unfortunate news is that the barking and even his entire temperament was altered back in spring when he suffered a stroke and became paralyzed including his bark. He has regain the ability to walk even do a run a bit except for one leg that still hasn't gotten like it was before, a slight bark is back though not as loud as it was before.

Point being while you see the risk of the size, which is absolutely valid, don't think that because the dog is smaller it would be less problems. Part temperament of the breed mixed with what the owners do for them. Labs are more docile overall, german shepards often need a lot of exercise and room to do so. Some of the behaviors you describe sound a lot like the dog isn't getting the interactive play he needs to exert the energy he has in a more constructive manner.

People will recommend training, which is for sure what you'd ideally have, but training as a suggestion is only good if the owners see a problem with the behavior and if they don't mind the jumping or the eating off the table why would they see a reason to train the dog..presently I mean.

But really truly your answer to all of this is to just politely advise you aren't going over to their house anymore. You don't need to go into all the details with high judgement being displayed because most aren't going to be receptive to that. Just give a brief reason when declining future invitations that it's related to the dog, some brief reasons....and then stick with declining them because it's going to be much easier to use your own control in this situation than it would be to try and make them do what you think they should do.

FWIW the suggestion around neutering can be done to attempt to reduce aggression but if people are just blurting out that neutering as an option thinking it would just make the dog magically not jump or take food off the table that's not only incorrect but ethically wrong too to suggest that. Training, reinforcement, interactive play, etc is the route and is the responsibility of the owner.