First of all, no matter how ignorant and misguided people may be at first, it should be pointed out to their credit when they take steps to educate themselves and follow through on training and advice that's given to them. That's what happened with this family, which I feel is a more important factor than those that brought them to the edge. At least they're trying to do the right thing, even if it is a belated attempt.nikkitoni wrote:I'm always amazed at the level of denial that dog owners put themselves in. Why is it that people are so nonchalant about their destructive dogs? Seriously - what is it that causes these people to NOT see this? Are they that blind? Is it their ego? This episode reminded me of a lady I recently ran into at a dog park. Her dog was a pitbull mix and was attacking other dogs and chasing a kid. I confronted the lady and asked her to watch her dog, and of course, I was the bad guy for pointing out that her dog was attacking other dogs, and her excuse was 'he's a puppy'.
Victoria - when us normal people run into people who have destructive dogs, what should we do? How should we approach them on it? I'd love to be as straightforward as you are, but people are very defensive when it comes to their unruly dogs...
As for how to deal with other peoples' unruly dogs, it is indeed a very touchy point. Sort of like children. If you tell someone that their precious kid is being a bully or a rude little thing, it can trigger a lot of defensiveness and blindness. That's exacerbated by the fact that a lot of times, the type of person that lets their dog get to that nasty point is a bit of a reflection of the dog as well. Not always, but sometimes. So read each situation differently. Don't be outright demeaning to the other owners, but try to find a way to find some common ground before suggesting that their dog may be a tad out of control.