I am a dog owner. I have my dog on a leash all the time. I dont allow him to approach other people if they dont want it. I don’t allow him to approach other dogs without asking the owners first. I pick up my dogs shit after him.

But others allow their dogs to run around. They don’t interfere when their dogs approach other dogs or humans. They don’t respond or even start talking bullshit or insulting when asked to call their dog back. They ignore request that my dog doesn’t want to interact with their dog. They allow their dog to jump at my small child. Yes their dog is not angry, but If I say I don’t want your dog to run at me, my dog or my child, then you should call him back. If your dog is not listening you should not allow him to run free. They let their dogs run onto playground where many children play. They sometimes dont see where their dog is or what he is doing, because they are too far away or around a corner.

I try to be polite. I ask multiple times if they can call their dog back, explain my dog doesn’t want to play because he is old and that my child doesn’t rly like dogs. Most people understand and all is okay. But some ignore me and get angry. Say thing like: I am not allowed to tell them to put their dog on leash”, “I should not be leaving my house if I am afraid of dogs or my dog doesn’t like other dogs”. Or they just ignore me. That I hate the most.

Here are a few extreme examples: 2 weeks ago I was coming back from shop at 21 in the evning. It was dark. I had 2 bags and no free hands. Suddenly a big black dog started running towards me. I saw nobody. I got scared. The dog circled me and jumped at me. He was happy, but he made my jacket dirty. When his owner appeared I told her that she cant allow her big dog to jump at strangers. She just laught and said: He is friendly, he doesn’t bite” last week I was on playground with my child and other children. Suddenly a small dog squeezed through the bushes and started to run around the children in the playground. Another parent shouted at the owner to call his dog back. Owner replied: His dog doesn’t bite” And only after the other parent got really mad he called his dog back and insulted other parent as crazy. Today I was walking with my dog and another owner with a big dog approached. When his dog started coming towards me and my dog I asked him if he can call him back, because my dog doesn’t like other dogs. The owner said he doesn’t have to and lez his dog run around em and my dog. He walked past me and ignored me. He just walked further and let his dog run around me and my dog.

I understand your dog wants to run and play, but you have to control your dog. You cant let him run towards or jump at other dogs and humans. And if they clearly say they dont want it you have to respect it. I feel like this can end very dangerous. But I dont know what to do. Neighbors and Colleagues have told me to call Ordnungsamt or even Police if I feel threatened. Can I really do this? Is this to extreme? Maybe yes. But what else can I do if the other dog owners ignore requests and dont care. I am lucky and nothing has happened to me and my dog. But y neighbors dog got badly attacked by unleashed dog last year. And last week I was told on the playground by other parents, that in a nearby town a dog attacked a child and the owner run away after it. These things are scary.

Sorry for my Englisch. I am still learning it together with Deutsch, since I moved to Deutschland a few month ago.

Edit: For those who write me personal messages asking for sources and saying nothing ever has happened in Deutschalnd. [https://www.mopo.de/news/hund-greift-kind-an-siebenjaehriger-im-gesicht-verletzt/](https://www.mopo.de/news/hund-greift-kind-an-siebenjaehriger-im-gesicht-verletzt/)

And big F to everyone who starts to get racist. Thats just sad.

29 comments

  1. Yes get the rules, leashes are required in city limits etc. Buy a “Guardian Angel” it’s a ‘pepper spray* for dogs etc.

    People here have a funny sense of what’s ok & what’s basically ‘harassment’ or so.

    If you went up & started petting their child or partners sex bits (breasts/groin etc) they’d get offended but them ignoring you saying clearly you don’t want their dogs around you/yours is “unhöflich/asozial etc.

    The GA has 2 shots & affects stoopid hoomans as well as most “playful” animals..

  2. You are actually in the right country. As people are generally more restrained with their dogs, they train them more and follow the rules of keeping them on leashes. Don’t leave to any other country please, if you are already worried here, you would go crazy in any other places where people are much more relaxed about their dogs.

  3. Have some dog treats ready to give to the puppers that come to you.

    Many dog owners *hate* it when strangers give food to their animals (if you’re a dog owner yourself, you might actually share the sentiment). So when they inevitably yell at you, just tell them to leash their dog so it won’t get fed.

  5. I have made similar experiences. I’m not a dog owner, but I like dogs. Yet, I’m also a runner. It so happens that when the weather is good, on a Sunday morning, I head out for my 20km run. Sadly, that’s when most people also decide to walk their dog.

    Most dog owners don’t understand that as soon as I (runner) see a dog without a leash, I stop and stand still until the dog is either on a leash or at a far distance. I don’t stop to play with your dog. I don’t stop to be jumped at by your dog. I don’t stop to pet your dog, no.
    I STOP BECAUSE I’M TERRIFIED.
    I have had dogs run after me on multiple occasions.

    Yet, one time is in my memory as particularly shitty:
    One Sunday morning in January, it’s -5C and sunny outside. The sky is crystal clear, I put on my shoes and gloves and so on, and head out. I finish 15k in a bit over 1:30h, very good time considering I’m a slow runner and just recently recovered from the flu.

    There’s this bridge I have to cross to get home, it’s a wooden bridge with gaps which is challenging to run on even without black ice. There’s two dog owners on opposite sides of the bridge, who let their dogs meet, bark and fight in the middle of the bridge.
    The bridge is completely blocked by two men on either side, and two dogs in the middle
    I contemplate slowing down, but fuck it, my time is so good today, I’m in a good mood, ain’t some stupid dog owner ruining that.

    So I run straight towards the dogs, shouting “Achtung, Läufer!”
    The dogs start barking at me, I try to stop, slip on the black ice and sprain my ankle.
    One of the dog owners “Ach, ich hab doch gesagt, dass es rutschig ist!”

    You fucking moron, I didn’t ask you for Terrain advice, I’m a runner and can manage Terrain alright by myself. All I asked was for you to get your dog out of the way so I can run safely without stopping on black ice.
    The worst part: I’m a rather small woman. The two dog owners were big guys. Even though I was boiling inside, I couldn’t get myself to say anything! I was angry (and injured) for a week after this. So yeah, keep your dog on a leash, but not your common sense…

  6. This is a culture shock issue. You won’t win this battle. You’ll have to adapt.

    Dog culture in Germany / Europe is different from the States / North America. I dono which is better or right. But German / EU attitude towards dogs is much more relaxed and they’re much more integrated into daily city lives. People prefer whenever possible to give their dogs as much freedom as possible. I’m not saying it is good or right. It just is what it is.

    Fighting this battle will be like shouting into the wind. You’re only going to exhaust yourself. You’ll just need to find ways of coping when this does happen that keep yourself safe and calm. You’ll never win this if you take it on as a battle to win.

  7. I’m a dog owner too and I just want to say that I feel you. To be honest idk if calling Ordnungsamt or Police will help. In Berlin there is a fine for having your dog off leash and sometimes Ordnungsamt make raids and fine people for this, but I doubt they will come and will be looking for that dog and the owner if you just tell them that some dog came to you.

  8. Typical rule, that everyone should know but obviously doesn’t: with leash not contact to other dogs. Owners have to call their dogs back (which is often easier said than done).

    What I do in these situations:
    Put your dog behind your back, stand in front of the other dog and sent him away. My dog (does not like many other dogs) appreciates that I take over and solve the problem. Also communication between dogs on leashes often don’t give them enough comfort in communicating, which can be stressful for both of them and it’s not worth the interaction.
    Just ignore the other owner. It’s not worth it. When I am not calm enough my dog adapts to this and the whole situation gets worse.

    When someone starts trying arguing something you reply: I probably have a good reason to do so, what if my dog has fleas (or any other infectious disease)?

  9. The worst is the increasing amount of poop on the streets. I don’t get why. It wasn’t like that before. It’s not hard to have a bag and pick it up

  10. Shouting, not giving a fuck about their idiotic claims that the dog is a nice one, and gradual application of force, ranging from a firm shout at the dog and owner, taking the dog and giving him back to the owner, to pepperspray and kicks, depending on the aggresiveness and persistence of the dog.

    This is completely unaccptable behaviour, my dog has been bitten a couple of times by “sooo nice dogs” that “have never done this” so now im the crazy dude that doesnt allow dog contact with dogs i dont know.

    You can also always sue the owner for any damages.

    After the untrained lab of an old hag living around our neighbourhood scratched my shoes while trying to play with my dog, after she didnt leash him (dogs need to be leashed where i walk), i had her pay for replacement, and cleaning of my clothes. She now leashes that dog.

  11. Haha I once told a guy on my street to pick up his dogs shit and he just said I don’t want to. Fk that guy and fk owners who don’t watch their dogs

  12. If you have your dog with you just tell the other guy “My dog isn’t trained and will bite your dog!”

  14. Because of people you described I am canophobe.

    >”I should not be leaving my house if I am afraid of dogs

    So, the city isn’t made for humans but for dogs? I am to put myself under housearrest because they can’t be bothered to care properly for their pet monster?

    Do call Ordnungsamt or police. This attitude is not ok. I don’t just want to not be bitten, I don’t want to be jumped at or sniffed. If I wanted any interaction with the dog, I’d ask.

  16. As aggressive and unpleasant as it is, if a dog comes running at me, I get ready to kick it. I’ve been bitten before by „he only wants to play!“ dogs and I’m happy to claim self Defense to the police/ also kick the owner if need be. Now the upside is that I’m very large. Which means that if an owner sees me posturing aggressively, they actually call their dog back. I’ve never had to hurt a dog, and I hope I never have to.

  18. That is education, if I see that the other owner keeps his dog tied up, I don’t let my dog approach because I don’t know if the other animal is aggressive or in training.

  19. If they are in a place where there dogs can run free, you have no business telling them otherwise.

    And your more extreme examples are not extreme at all.

  20. Well, talking sadly doesn’t help with these people, because they are quite literally delusional when it comes to their dogs, how they won’t ever harm anyone or any other dogs and how well they’ve trained them. You can call the *Ordnungsamt* but they often just won’t come out for this or only arrive long after the specific situation is over. However, if there is a specific dog owner in your area that repeatedly causes issues it might help.

    There was one specific couple with a young German Shepherd in the area my best friend and I usually go for walks with her dog. Their dog was overly energetic due to being young but also already quite large due to the breed. They always let it run freely and this dog literally dashed out of the bushes and started aggressively jumping people and other dogs, not backing down no matter what you did, while the owners were nowhere to he seen. When the woman was out with the dog she tried to call it back but the dog just didn’t listen and the man started acting like it was the other peoples fault for being bothered by it. My friend and several other dog owners started calling the *Ordnungsamt* regularly until they actually started looking into it and after a few weeks the couple and their dogs were never to be seen again in that area.

  21. You can’t change or control everyone and everything around you. But you can learn to stay calm in such circumstances. No matter what, there will be always some idiots who do stupid things.

    If you see a gun fight and it disturbs you, do you go to the shooters and tell to stop? Or do you go away for safety? It’s the same with idiots. If you tried to talk to them and they don’t understand, don’t escalate the conflict, stay calm.

    For me it really helps to see the little children in such people (not in an arrogant way). They are like children that don’t understand how to behave, yet. Would you be mad at a small child that still needs to learn? If no, then try to see the little children in those big stupid people. It helps me to stay calm and understanding (but not being passive though).

  22. Look into the dog laws. I know Berlin and Lower Saxony there is a law that dogs off the leash have to have a special license.

    Maybe start saying “NOT FRIENDLY WILL BITE” I’ve done that in USA when big dogs run up on my little dogs.

  24. German dog owners are the worst! First they allow their dog to run up and harass random dogs and people, then when you confront them after you or your dog have been harassed they act all entitled and like they did nothing wrong. It is almost as they are not aware that having a dog means they are responsible for their animal.

  25. I haven’t had this happen yet because luckily the few off leash dogs I’ve seen are extremely trained but it’s something I have also been scared of. My dog is small, old, and doesn’t like other dogs. I don’t have any advice but just wanted to send thoughts ❤️

  26. Just because you have a child doesn’t mean you get to police everybody else. Just like being afraid doesn’t make you right.

    Dogs should be on leash everywhere except designated areas but life is messy and things happen. Being a Karen about it doesn’t make anything bettter or safer.
    If people come up to me about how I have to do this or I can’t do that I am not having a conversation with you. Go wash your jacket.

  27. Not a dog owner, but a runner and I feel you.

    I want to be free to choose if I want to have contact with a dog or not.

    What if I brought a squirt gun and dowsed the dog? Would this be legally okay? And would it keep the dog away?

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