Lawsuit Waiting to Happen

Dog owners can be very annoying. I love dogs, but their owners (some of them) need major help. It really bugs me that they allow their dogs to jump on people .. like everyone will love their dog as much as they do .. well, some people are majorly afraid of dogs .. and in the blink of an eye .. a dog can do the unthinkable in strange situations.

But anyway .. when I'm in Petsmart or Petco, and hear growling dogs .. and don't see the dog owners making their way out of the store, and don't see workers in the store making an effort to resolve the matter and am actually shocked when I point out the potential situation to a worker and am given a blank stare like what I'm saying isn't happening at all .. all I can think is how stupid the dog owners are .. how stupid the store is .. how one day something devastating is going to happen to some poor, innocent person, and how it's just a lawsuit waiting to happen .. not to mention that I couldn't get out of the store fast enough as the dogs continued growling at everything and causing their commotion.

Vent over.

makes me happy that my dog is such a coward...he would jump into my arms if any dog growled at him...

are those your bostons in the picture?avatar?

I dont understand why people bring their dogs into Petco at all, even though its a 'dog friendly' store. I brought Onyx in once when he was a puppy, and all he did was try and steal every squeaky toy on the shelf. Its like a carnival for him in there, I had to buy 3 more toys b/c he slobbered all over them

That said, just b/c a dog growls does not mean its going to bite or jump on someone.

We all know how I feel about dogs with irresponsible owners

Personally, I have a big dog and wouldnt expect him to be well behaved in a store w. small narrow aisles, so I dont take him in there. But I am not sure how it is irresponsible to not run out of the store the minute a dog makes a noise...What are the people that work in the store supposed to do, throw out everyone whose dog growls? I can see if it was barking and lunging or something, but I dont think growling is such a big deal IMO. Edited to say I have never seen anything but sweet docile dogs at Petco either, and I am in there ALL the time as my dog eats a 40lb bag of food like its going out of style

While I don't have a dog, (yet ) I treat the ones I know so well I am often in Petco and have never seen a growling dog.
Its a pet store that welcomes animals, I think you know that going in. Maybe they should require the animals be leashed instead of have free reign.


All aggressive animals should be leashed in IMO, I have been attacked by *several* CATS and never a dog.

I have to admit, I am a little shocked at the vibe I'm getting from the responses here .. everyone saying how they've never seen a growling dog at Petco .. well, there are many Petco's on the Island, and my point is .. all it takes is once .. and I was there for those growling dogs .. that's right .. not one .. but a group of growling dogs .. and it wasn't a simple growl, over and done with .. it was unending. Those dogs who were growling were making it very clear that they were not happy .. and none of the owners seemed to be bothered, and none of the owners even felt compelled enough to seperate the dogs involved. This is disturbing to me.

I'm happy for everyone whose dogs are well-behaved. Congrats to you for your time and effort at raising a well-trained dog. However, I see it time and time again how too many dog owners think everyone else is supposed to love their dog like they do .. like everyone is supposed to enjoy this strange dog jumping all over them and getting them all slimy and smelly.

As for leashes .. yes, both dogs and cats should be kept on leashes .. but just because an animal is on a leash does not mean an owner has control. The dogs in this incident were on leashes .. but from the way it sounded .. the owners were not in control, and I didn't want to stick around to find out. I've heard more than I care to of people, especially kids, getting their faces ripped apart by a dog (and of course, the owner's always say, 'oh, but he's such a gentle dog' .. kind of like, 'things like that never happen in this neighborhood') .. and in this case, that's all that was going through my head .. that someone was going to get bit.

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Posted by Kel

I'm happy for everyone whose dogs are well-behaved. Congrats to you for your time and effort at raising a well-trained dog. However, I see it time and time again how too many dog owners think everyone else is supposed to love their dog like they do .. like everyone is supposed to enjoy this strange dog jumping all over them and getting them all slimy and smelly.

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I agree with you here. I am a big dog lover but I hate when I go over someone's home and they let their dogs jump all over me, get their hair all over my clothes and let them slime on me. Control them!

I LOVE dogs, L-O-V-E them, but I do belive they should be trained not to jump on people. That's Doggy Manners 101.

Having said that, I'll tell you that my dog will jump on everyone he sees to give them a big kiss. It's totally me and FH's fault. So now if the doorbell rings, we don't allow him to come to the door - we make him lie down in the hallway as his tail goes crazy b/c he's so excited. But if we're not careful he will jump, so we don't take him in stores like Petco.

While I agree that dogs should be trained, and mine is, I also think people have to remember that these are animals. Sometimes they do things that are unpredictable. I am amazed how people think they are totally unresponsible for things that happen involving dogs-I posted on another thread about how strangers will let their little kid come right up into my dogs face, a strange dog they have never seen before. It makes me nuts, I spend more time protecting their kids, when they should not let them near me & the dog. People are the smarter ones, not animals. If you see an animal that makes you nervous, leave the situation. Dont wait for the owner to do something, as some owners are clueless or dont care and the animal cannot always be predictable.

As for the jumping, my dog loves to greet people, and while he is trained not to jump, he will cuddle people as soon as they sit down, and look to be pet. Everyone who is invited to my house for the first time is warned about this, as we know not all people like to have dogs that close to them. But its my house, and my dog is part of my family-i will not lock him up etc because of a skittish guest. If you come in, you get the dog-or we can meet somewhere else. I am smart enough to know that I cannot promise anyone my dog wont jump, growl etc, so if someone is super scared or overreactive to dogs, I generally meet them somewhere other than my house.

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Posted by HappyEverAfter

While I agree that dogs should be trained, and mine is, I also think people have to remember that these are animals. Sometimes they do things that are unpredictable. ...

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I agree with this .. that's part of my point .. animals are unpredictable, that's why owners need to take the responsibility to know better, and be more aware in given situations .. like the one I discribed.

And I also agree with your points regarding people walking right up to strange dogs, especially kids whose parents let it happen. This is just not cool without first checking with the dog's owner.

And .. of course .. if you go to the dog's house, expect to encounter the dog in his own environment. Pets are family .. I truly believe that .. and fine .. people feel the need to take the animals shopping at Petco .. fine .. just be logical .. that's all I ask.

Oh, and since I'm still on my vent .. at the vet's office .. please do not let your dog stuff his sniffing, snorting face against the carrier housing my poor, frightened cat. You have your dog on a leash .. use it and keep him in control. Please.