I want to get a dog but I have to work, how does everyone on broadway market do it ?

True that.

The last month I've been walking an Akita that has to be on a lead but really isn't bothered until a dog off lead challenges him. Then he looks like a poster of a dangerous dog. Luckily I don't get to see the teeth but there's not a single dog that doesn't run off.

Last night a black lab approached us clearly wanting to give it some attitude, sly but dominant kind of path towards us they we can't avoid. I called the owner and he called his dog but what do you know, recall suddenly not working. So I end up handling the otherwise lovely Akita while he does a good impression of a wolf.

I passed comment that it would help if he had better control over his dog to qualify for under control. He responded that his dog was only being friendly and my dog is on the lead because he's a problem. I responded that's not the case at all, he doesn't want to be friendly and I warned you and asked you to call your dog which you couldn't do.

Next thing that happened was very interesting. He saw my point! We ended up chatting about the dogs history and personality and both went on our way.

It's great walking him and I've enjoyed it for the past month. He could be trained and socialised but it will take time. He doesn't get enough exercise or discipline.

Some owners really shouldn't be allowed to have dogs, others are just learning and we all started somewhere.

Some owners really shouldn't be allowed to have dogs, others are just learning and we all started somewhere.

I suppose that's "dangerous dogs" in a nutshell. People biting off more than they can chew.

Just looked up the Akita. It's breed standard actually states that they are "intolerant of other dogsoif the same sex". That's quite a trait!

And this! What makes somebody read this and think it's a suitable breed for park life?!

"The Akita is a large, strong, independent, and dominant dog. A well-trained Akita should be accepting of nonthreatening strangers, otherwise they treat all strangers in an aggressive manner"

I’ve known a couple of Akitas, and they’ve been as placid as can be, tolerant of other dogs and people, though not affectionate or playful. Guess they were very well-trained.

He was never supposed to be living in C. London. The guy who originally got him as a puppy has a decent size garden and he lived with the family using the garden for exercise. Then the discovered he was seriously allergic to dog fur. This allergy hospitalised him at one point.

So the dog came to his brother in order to find a home but he decided to keep him. We tried to intervene with the Akita rescue who would have rehomed him but by then my friend wanted to keep him.

It's not quite as bad as google might suggest but it's not a suitable breed for London that's for sure.

We had a dog walker for our tiny Japanese Chin. Her husbands family had always had Akitas, a few years ago one attacked a child in the family and they had to put the dog down and would never have Akitas again.

The one I'm walking is actually quite affectionate and very trainable. He's not getting enough discipline from his current owner though. Very playful and affectionate at home and can live with other dogs especially small ones once he knows them.

This lab is my dog (though mine is a 17kg sheepdog), i am slightly ashamed to admit. His recall is resonable, but every once in a while he just looks at me and says 'fuck off' before running off to do what he wants. He also loves to play, with anything and anyone. Once this was quite to the amusement of a big German Shepard's owner, who had never seen their dog play before and mine bit it's ankles and chased it about. Though he has had a few gnarls and knows when to back off - as when he met a Pyrenean mastiff the other week.

I could keep him on the lead at all times (I only let him off when we are in countryside or a dog park), but I don't, generally he is really good, but yes occasionally leaves me embarrassed and apologetic. Thankfully so far not vet bills for receiving a proper bite.

sly but dominant kind of path towards us

This is the approach i have to look out for with Nori. If an off lead dog bundles over to her and acts like an out of control twat then Nori is generally very good and can either focus on me or sometimes gets to play a little. But the stealth face to face creep really sets her off, she won't bark or growl, but if i don't redirect her i'd bet money she'll take a lunge at the dog once it's close enough.

Nice post btw, i do find that when i talk to people they are generally unaware of there dogs behaviour but take my comments on board.

And in other news a major milestone was achieved as we were able to enjoy dinner at a friend's whilst Nori and there grey fluffy thing we're able to chill without her being restrained on lead or wearing a muzzle

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Dexter had his first solid poo in over a week so we couldn’t be happier. Stupid prick.

I've looked after other dogs with no incidents but dogsitting last week really made me think long and hard about ever getting one of my own. Big problems with recall if he saw anything vaguely interesting in the distance, playing up constantly if he didn't feel like he was getting enough attention (mostly humping/tearing up his bed despite being neutered), horrible separation anxiety that meant one of us couldn't even retrieve a parcel from outside the flat door without him howling and crying (even if the other was sitting next to him). He even regressed to his puppy behaviour at one point and bit my leg when I tried to jog with him. He's a sweet dog when he's tired out after a run but he is very wilful if he really wants to do something and 'forgets' how to even sit, just barks impatiently. I don't know if it's the terrier part of him causing that because pure whippets I've spent time with seem more placid.

I think that any breed has potential to be a bit like this if they've not had the necessary training and socialisation. Lots of lockdown dogs like this now. The dog trainers I know are fighting work off with a shitty stick right such is the demand.

Don't let it put you off. If you are able to give a dog the time it needs, then you are very unlikely to end up with a dog like that.

Are the owners doing anything to address the issues?

How old was the dog?

every once in a while he just looks at me and says 'fuck off' before running off to do what he wants

Oh yeah I know that look. Mine will only do it in a place she knows well like the local park but that look back then you can see the thought process "no I don't think I will". It's not got her in trouble yet, usually just there's something gross to chew or roll in but it's my sign that it's home time.

I think he's a little better with them but doesn't feel he's in any way obliged to obey commands given by me or my wife. I don't think his recall is still 100% with them though, although his verbal cues are better so he'll sit/spin/shake/lie down more readily. They dote on him a lot though and he has a garden there, so I don't think he was very happy that he wasn't allowed to e.g. jump on the bed here or go for a snooze in the sun.

He's about 2.5 I think so I guess right in his rebellious adolescent years?

Over the last few months Our dog Ollie has started go mad when anyone comes to the door or is in the house, before it was just the usual few barks, now its fully on barking and he will continue until the person leaves or he gets fed up. There are a few people he loves but everyone us gets barked out.

Have tried a few things, ignoring him, letting him come and see who it is but that's not really made any difference. Not sure what's triggered this but its becoming a bit of an issue, especially as my nephews don't want to come around anyone because Ollie barks at them. Any tips

Does it happen with you/people he knows or just strangers/unexpected people? I'd probably try and spend some time going in and out, praise/treat when he doesn't bark or when he stops barking. You may need to enlist the help of a friend if he doesn't do it with you.

The way it was described to me was that barking at visitors is now his 'job' in his eyes and you'll have to train him to have a different 'job' when someone comes to the door. The training vid we saw was to have someone come to the door and knock, you have Ollie on the lead and when they arrive you ask him to go to his bed (take him there if necessary) and reward him when he sits down. Repeat etc.

Comet will go crazy when someone comes to the door. He isn't agressive he just really wants to meet the new person, but the poor person doesn't know that. We haven't been committed or consistent enough using the above method so we've not made a lot of progress but he is better. Postie just rolls his eyes at him now.

It doesn't sound like Crumpet is quite as persistent as Ollie but she will bark at anyone that comes in our front garden until she's either figured out it's someone she knows or has had a chance to have a good sniff. I find it helps if we meet guests outside the house, down the street a bit so that she can meet them in a neutral environment, then all go in to the house together.

The training vid we saw was to have someone come to the door and knock, you have Ollie on the lead and when they arrive you ask him to go to his bed (take him there if necessary) and reward him when he sits down. Repeat etc.

This struck a chord with me because this is what we trained Otto to do from a pup...go to his crate when the doorbell rings. We did it because we were worried about somebody coming to the door who is afraid of dogs but maybe we unwittingly trained him to not bark at the doorbell!

What's the point of having a dog if they're not frothing at the mouth at the door to scare away in-laws and the like.

yesterday someone brought their dog over to play with mine except they didn't let it off the extendy lead. It was very boisterous, too much really, my pup was trying to run behind me so their dog kept circling around too. The extendy lead they were using was like unsheathed braided metal cable so the outcome of this is a nice big rope burn across both my legs just under the knees. It stripped the skin right off.