# Would you label this "person aggression"?



## DeeMcB (Nov 28, 2010)

There is a young man (early 20's) that takes his dog to the same dog park as us. Every time we see him there, he talks about how he had GSD's growing up and that he was looking for one when he came across the dog he has now (sweet little pit girl). Our dogs play together well so we tend to gravitate toward each other at the park. That is to say, Ezra (my 8mo) "knows" this guy only because he's seen him at the park.

So the dogs are wrestling, running, having a great time when the young man starts to call Ezra. Ezra glances over at him but continues with his games. The next time Ez zooms by, the young man grabs him by his collar and says, "Come here". Ezra immediately turns and snaps at the guy. I said, "Wow, I wouldn't do that again if I were you" and he said, "I only wanted to pet him. I didn't know he was people aggressive". 

My vote? They guy acted inappropriately. If he'd told me he wanted to pet Ezra, I might have called him over and had him sit for a pet. Grabbing a dog that doesn't know you by the collar when they're in the middle of playing was just plain dumb on his part and I did not correct Ezra for it.

What do you think?


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

If some stranger grabbed my GSD by the collar in a rough way mine would have probably snapped at him too. Not only because he is a stranger and he did it rough but because it probably would have surprised him.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I wouldn't call it aggression. More self-defense.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I would not consider that people aggressive. I would consider that an idiot person. He grabbed a dog that doesn't really know him while the dog was in drive. He had no business grabbing your dog at all.


----------



## xenos56 (Jan 30, 2011)

Not people aggressive, it was just a reaction to suddenly being grabbed. Really.. who does that? How did this guy not see how inappropriate this was?


----------



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

If I grabbed a strange dog mid-play at the dog park by the collar, I'd expect that.... But I have enough common sense not to do that.


----------



## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

If a stranger grabbed either one of my dogs while they were high drive I'm not sure if there would be a bite or not. I wouldn't call that people aggressive though if they did


----------



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I think I'd be pretty upset with someone grabbing my dog by his collar, especially if he was playing. Then turning around calling him aggressive because of his stupidity. They'd get a hunk of my mind.


----------



## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

Well. My female is really really mouthy so there would be a bite for sure, but not sure about a defensive one


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I don't know what one of mine would do in such a situation. The more stories like this I hear about people and dog parks, the more I prefer to pass on the whole thing. It is not even so much the other dogs that are unpredictable, but the people. 

If your dog would have bitten that guy, and the guy would have had to get his hand stitched up, how many of us would believe that our dog would come away smelling like a rose. 

I mean, we cannot put our dogs in boxes to protect them from idiots, but still...


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I want a vest for her to wear that says

"If it's not yours, don't touch it" on one side and
"Beware of Owner" on the other


----------



## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> I want a vest for her to wear that says
> 
> "If it's not yours, don't touch it" on one side and
> "Beware of Owner" on the other


I have "do not pet" Velcro patches for my harneses


----------



## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

Jax08 said:


> I want a vest for her to wear that says
> 
> "If it's not yours, don't touch it" on one side and
> "Beware of Owner" on the other


Ha, ha, if you find someone to make them up and sell them, I'll buy!!!
_______________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge :angel:


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I know where to have one embroidered! :rofl:


----------



## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> I know where to have one embroidered! :rofl:


I'm getting 3m reflective name patches embroidered right now for both dogs (I have velcro agitation collars from elite k9... gotta be ready for the south eastern wildlife expo in a few weeks  !


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

I think it would depend on what the "snap" really consisted of. If the guy didn't get actually bit, I suspect that it was because the dog didn't really try to bite him. I can't see a dog not getting some part of the idiot in his mouth in that circumstance if he really wanted to so either the dog was simply playing, or was giving him a warning not to grab him like that.

Unless the dog seemed scared, then I would expect that the dog was simply playing with him, esp. at only 8 months old.

Certainly would not consider your dogs actions to be "people aggressive" from the incident.


----------



## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

hunterisgreat said:


> If a stranger grabbed either one of my dogs while they were high drive I'm not sure if there would be a bite or not. I wouldn't call that people aggressive though if they did


Yes- and I wonder if in this scenario that the bite was aggression vs mouthiness--the dogs are playing roughly together, is this an extension of that play?


----------



## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

I would not call that people aggression. He surprised the dog by grabbing without warning. Raina would have bit him for sure. I do not take my dogs to the dog park. I do not let fools around my dogs.


----------



## lizzyjo (Jan 6, 2011)

A very stupid person would grab a running dog . cudos to you for not going off on him....


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I truly can't think of anyone, friend or foe, that would grab my dog by the collar as he ran by. The only way I would attempt in to do that to another dog is it that dog was going to run into danger. I'd take my chances at that point.


----------



## DeeMcB (Nov 28, 2010)

I'm pretty sure he wasn't playing - he turned quickly and snapped at his hand and then showed teeth. I agree that if he'd really wanted to bite the guy, he would've. It was definitely a warning. But the point is taken - if Ezra had bitten the guy there would have been problems, even if the guy was an idiot. 

Dog parks are NOT my favorite exercise form and yes, it's usually the people more than the dog that's usually the problem.


----------

