[QUOTE=Buildthemskywards;995768] but if something 10 times my size came running at me full pelt it would scare the poop out of me too. QUOTE]


Not funny, I know..... but that one little sentence made me spew coffee on my keyboard .... at work...... thank goodness noone is in yet so I was the only one seeing this......

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Haha. I'm glad I could make you laugh! I'm finding it quite amusing imagining you spitting out your coffee too! I thought it best not to swear on the forum

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Thanks for all the great answers--very helpful! I'll be even more careful, as you all recommend. I hate it that sweet little chis are exposed to fear and danger through other owners' irresponsibility as often as you describe (especially Michele--how horrible!).

I lift peanut regardless of breed! and he lives with an English mastiff and a Greyhound but both of them are softies and the grey thinks hes her baby. Indi our mastiff is actually terrified of smaller dogs showing too much energy after a teacup yorkie bit her nose when she was 11weeks, she does try to run up your leg but shes already half my body weight so i cant lift her now.

The most aggressive dog ive met with peanut was a lab! he ran straight up growling and barking at my lil guy! i ended up with peanut above my head since being a small woman the lab could easily reach my chest, needless to say the owner informed me it was my fault as his dogs super friendly, yup apparently my 2lbs chi terrorized his 20kg lab from 20ft away.

I do try to leave him on the ground or pick him up but squat to let him see the dog if its friendly he goes down if not hes up in a flash, His walk buddy at the mo besides my two is a newfoundland whom is huge compared to me and could eat him whole but knows to be soft with him.

Moral of the story dont give him the complex from never being on the ground or meeting a dog through your fear but keep a good grip so hes safe

I guess you dont go to dog parks. This is actually one thing that annoys me about chis. Its not the other dog's fault that its big. With small dogs you have to be ready to pick them up all the time and sometimes you end up having to just hold them the entire trip. I was talking to another chi owner about this at the park too and thats why she leaves her chi at home and only takes out her bigger dogs. You also shouldnt single out certain breeds. Labs and golden retrievers can attack as well. Theres been incidents of goldens attacking people.

I wonder what the big dog owners here think about this

I avoid dogs off leads when walking mine because i dont know the dog/owner not simply because its a staffie or other "aggressive breed" i dont think a breed has anything to do with a dogs temperament personally.

There are a lot of dogs walking off leads around here but Ozzy and Poppy will only meet new dogs if they are on leads aswell.

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I wasn't blaming big dogs for being big; I was blaming owners for having them out unleashed in an urban environment, in defiance of local law, common courtesy, and (as some have pointed out) the dog's own safety.

I don't go to dog parks. I just looked it up, and it turns out there is one within walking distance for me, but I see no need for it. I have a communal backyard I share with four other dog owners, a neighborhood park two doors down from me that I share with even more dog owners (that's where we ran into the French bulldog), and a large city park four blocks away where lots of dogs are getting walked all the time. When these dogs are on leashes, as they should be, I don't have to pick my chi up, and can let her "meet" them if that's how the interaction plays out. When they aren't on leashes, and aren't responsive immediately or at all to their owners' commands, that's when I have a real problem.

We hike and all of our local hiking trails are off leash, however I always leash Odie. I find it easier to grab her when another dog comes running towards us, which happens almost every single time we see another dog, regardless of size. I don't mind her meeting other dogs, as long as they're on leash. Let's remember that our dogs aren't the only ones at risk from off leash dogs. There are definitely dogs that should never be off leash. Unfortunately my Dad was the victim of a dog attack when he was little and playing in his neighbourhood, and had part of his cheek ripped off by a dog at large.

There's a little dachshund in our neighbourhood who is always off leash, even though his owner said herself to me that's he's very aggressive. Then WHY is he running around free? Not only that, but there is high traffic in the area. Just don't get it.


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