Let me introduce Jane. Jane is a responsible dog owner and participates in obedience classes and agility with her 3 year old golden retriver Buck. Buck has received many awards and ribbons for his excellent behavior and obedience.
Now let me introduce Bob. Bob is a dog owner. His labrador retriever Gus stopped going to puppy classes because Bob was frustrated that Gus wouldn't listen and was embarrassing him in class. Gus is now 15 months old and doesn't have very good manners.
Jane and Bob have never met, but on a sunny morning their walks crossed paths. Bob complimented Jane on how well behaved Buck was. Jane put Buck in a sit stay next to her to tell Bob about the new dog store that was opening up in the next week. Halfway through Jane's first sentence Bob allowed Gus to walk straight up to Buck and invaded his space. Buck snapped his teeth together one time (like an alligator) to warn Gus that his behavior was unacceptable. Bob let out an audible "whoa!" in surprise to Buck's reaction to Gus. Bob pulled Gus back and then allowed him to approach Buck again. Jane then pointed out that Gus had a very rude/direct approach for a dog. Bob just turned and dragged Gus away mumbling about "dangerous golden retrievers"
Tip for the Day:
Obedience classes are a must for all dog owners. They teach you how to teach your dog. You can learn loads about dog behavior. If Bob and Gus had stuck it out in their puppy class, Bob would have known that he shouldn't have allowed Gus to invade Buck's space.
Always Remember - The owner of the dog is responsible for the behavior of the dog. In this case Buck's alligator snap in Gus's face was justifiable dog behavior. Jane did not correct Buck for his behavior because Buck was telling Gus in dog-terms "do not do that"
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