I'm a dog lover and owner, but the first thing that I'll recognize about dog ownership is that a lot of people are wildly irresponsible with and about their pets. Still, it seems almost impossible to get things exactly right in the modern world of dog training and ownership; everywhere you look, there is conflicting advice and strategies that the people pushing them swear you must follow. Some are based on research and empirical evidence, while others are theoretical and hokey.
And, yet, even things that we took for granted for the last half century of veterinary science ("always neuter your dog at six months!") we're now finding are sometimes just… wrong. And yet, again and still, you'll find some faction vigorously defending the opposite approach of the one you've decided to take, and even where everyone agrees that something is the right approach, your mileage may vary since no two breeds and no two dogs are exactly the same. Even this is assuming everything goes to plan; some dogs are just reactive, be it through a lack of socialization or their twisted interpretation of their environment—or just straight genetics. Some dogs are just overly excited or fearful about the everyday things around them.
By far the most difficult thing about having a reactive dog isn't the dog itself… it's other people and their lack of perception and their unwillingness to respect your dog's space. This being said, if your dog can't handle being around other dogs, it stands to reason that the last place you should be with your dog is in the middle of an officially organized "dog party" at the local park. Sure, it's really annoying when people try to host unofficial "private" events in a public space, but why would you willingly put yourself and your dog through this?
Image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Image is for illustration only and subjects are models.
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