my ears your making them bleed

Bit of a strange one this and got me thinking while on walk tonight. Was out with the hounds in park tonight, dark and semi illuminated by ambient light. I could see some silohetts aproaching so i realed the dogs in as i didnt know what we were about to meet. Both were knacked after the day walk so tend to ignore most things anyway which they werd doing as we approached the people comming our way. Just as we got about 6 foot away there was this terrible high pitched noise which was a cross between someone running there nails down a blackboard and a squeaky bike abeel amplified x10. It was then i noticed a small dog with them making this horrible noise and i mean horrible and it hurt me ears. Marley ran to end of his flexi away and nearly tore my arm off getting away and laska was frozen to the spot not knowing what to do so i had to drag her on. I could just about make out a voice saying "rupert please dont make a noise" at first i giggled and carried on but then i got to thinking as you do on a cold dog walk
It would be easy to say little dog syndrome but this is what struck me. My two have several little dog friends, one in particular a jrt called nelly who is very much part of the pack. From my experiance dogs dont see size its body language that counts. Another thing is the owners trying to communicate with the dog in human terms and even asking it to stop with a please. All that dog would have heard is blah blah blah...
So pondering further i came to the conclusion that as little dogs dont care about size it must have been something learnt from the owners. No brainer there as i guess most have you have seen your own little ruperts out on walks being tugged away from your dog or even being picked up.
Now, to the thing that struck me...one the people that do this must be very ignorant to other dog breeds and also to the general dog phsyc over all. But the main thing that struck me was this... That poor poor dog was absolutly petrified to meet two placid dogs in the park imagine a normal day with inquisitive dogs wanting a sniff. Im seeing it more and more and tbh i think its bordering on dog cruelty. Imagine how that poor little thing felt to make such a noise and its all down to the owners pulling and picking em up teaching them that all dogs are bad and will eat them. Cruelty comes in many disguises, thats no way for a dog to live.

I agree with you. Dogs should be allowed to socialise safley no matter what size they are.

So true caryll, for as much as i know my dogs love me there is no subsitute for them meeting the dog friends. They enjoy the walks more and sleep more deeply, they dont even have to have a play together its just having other dogs around lights them up. I feel so sad for some of the smaller dogs as they are missing out on a need felt by dogs to pac up and enjoy time together just because of there owners fears.

It annoys me to see people picking up their dogs and carrying them along without meeting either other dogs or humans too. Surely interaction is of vital importance to a dogs life , they are social creatures after all.

I do wish that some owners would allow Logan to socialise with their dogs as it would really help him. We met an Irish Wolfhound on Saturday and they were getting on fine, then for absolutely no reason the owner pulled the lead and corrected his dog very aggressively and it set both dogs off and they began barking etc.

I don't like the whole lifting dogs up but I will admit I have done it before when I have met out of control dogs. I have met a few owners that actually have seemed to want their dogs to fight Logan. I have seen lifting him as the only option. There are two lads I meet, one with a boxer and one with a hugely overweight rottweiler. Both of the owners seem to try to get the dogs riled up when they see me coming then they let them off lead.