What is one (two, or a few) thing about other dog owners that makes you cringe?

[829]

Someone I have on my Facebook is breeding her over 7 year old (heck, the dog might be closer to 8) Rottweiler for the first time - in short, this is not a breeding worthy dog. I just cringed. How stupid can someone be? I feel so terrible for the poor dog.

My second, pet peeve, people who feed terrible food when they can afford something better.

What makes you cringe or is a major pet peeve?
Just by chance, does anyone know about Rottweilers. I hear they have large litters and only have a life expectancy of 10-12 years. Making my above story heart wrenching. I can't imagine having my 10-12 year old small breed have pups for the first time. Will this dog die or reject her pups?

[Cheryl]

fat dogs bug me ... there is just no need for it and benefits the owner's needs and not the dogs ... i am dog sitting two pugs currently and one is so obese, she is double what she should be, a senior, already has issues with mobility and breathing, and the owner continues to feed her whenever she looks at him for food ... "cuz he wants her to be happy" ... i have had them almost a full month now and with the pug owner's approval, i put the fat pug on a diet and take her for four short walks every single day ... she is already looking better ... will now walk (instead of having to be drug on the leash) around the block ... i don't understand fat dogs ... and not only that the owner is financially comfortable (he is on vacation for two months) and when he first dropped them off he also dropped off a case of pedigree canned dog food !!! this guy is flipping rich and feeds them budget food ... with owner's approval i switched them to acana and they are doing great ...

[464]

I hate when people let their dog run loose without supervision, fence, or a leash. It's not only dangerous to other people, pets, and wildlife, it's a danger to the dog itself as it makes it easier for predators, sicko's, and drivers to kill or steal your dog. Not to mention that loose dogs can acquire and spread diseases faster and better then controlled dogs.

I also hate when people don't allow their small dogs to be dogs. Sorry, but carrying your dog everywhere has negative impacts on their health, makes it harder to controll their weight, and often lowers their self confidence. It may look cute, but putting unnessecary clothing on a dog can cause it to overheat quickly and restricts the dog's ability to cool itself naturally. It wont hurt to allow your little chihuahua's feet to actually touch the grass, or for him to walk beside you instead of being carried in a purse.

On that note, it's also aggrivating as a dog trainer when some idiot let's aggression slide because it's "cute" when their little guy is growling and nipping at bigger dogs or people. The most dangerous part of a dog bite is the bacteria, and small dogs have been known to kill small children. There is absolutely NO reason to allow a dog to display aggressive behaviors, and anyone who encourages such actions shouldn't own a dog, not even a little dog.

Barring health problems that makes it next to impossible to loose weight without going on a starvation diet, fat dogs are an eye sore. It's not hard to get your dog out for a walk, and even if you don't have time, simply giving them a lot of toys and teaching tricks can be enough to get their exercise for a day. You shouldn't be feeding your dog crud from the table, and you most certainly shouldn't be free-feeding them. Unless your dog has a medical issue, a fat dog is the sign of a lazy and/or ignorant owner.

Then there's people who breed show dogs. Fat-tailed labradors, Roach-backed GSD's, Egg-headed Bull Terriers, YUCK. Why have these monstrous traits been allowed to ever show up in the once beautifull breeds? Personally, I find anyone who breeds dogs who have difficulty walking, have difficulty breathing, can't hear properly, or have any other problem living a healthy life, shouldn't be breeding their dog. Dog's should be bred to better their breed and get rid of these health problems, not encourage them. It does not matter if your sad dog can get champion tittles. If his back is so bent he can't run well, or his nose so flat he can't breath, then he should never have been bred. Period.

[Margastar]

Vegans feeding their dog Vegan pet food, meaning no meat. That is abuse to me. Dogs who have to be crated all day, what kind of life is that?

[CDog]

Breeding mutts.
I cringe when I see people being dragged by their leashed dogs or any other bad behavior like letting their dogs hump other dogs.
I cringe when I see unleashed Pit Bulls. I was at the park the other day and one was literally stalking my (leashed) puppy. I asked the owner if her dog was was friendly "Oh yes." Didn't look friendly.

[Sara]

First, as far as the Rott in question goes, there's a likely chance she'll suffer complications and the chances of her or the puppies dying.
There are a ton of things I've seen/heard about that drive me nuts. As a vet tech for almost ten years, I've seen a lot of horrible things.
Overweight dogs, because an overweight dog has a shorter life expectancy and will suffer more health problems then a dog at a good weight.
Unvaccinated anything. Vaccines are (relatively) cheap and they have a massive impact on a dog's life. I get livid when an owner sobs about how sad they are to loose their dog when it could have been prevented.
People with small dogs who don't make them behave. A lot of people who own these dogs think it's cute or entertaining when their little dog acts aggressive. They don't care that they've allowed their dog to become unmanageable and dangerous.
This one doesn't only apply to dogs, but my biggest pet peeve is people who complain about how much the vet costs or say they're only out to make money. If you can't afford a pet, don't get one. It requires you to actually do some research on your own and figure out if you can afford a pet BEFORE you get one.

[Nova]

I absolutely hate it when other owners cage up or tie their dogs 24/7. And I also hate it when other dog owners buy new dogs when they can't even properly take care of their current dogs/pets. I feel really bad for the new and current pets.

I also hate it when my neighbor keep insisting to breed his mix breed with my dog. I'm so not interested and he keeps saying it's good to breed dogs because of money. It's sad and it makes me angry.

[JulieF]

All my pet peeves come down to a single unifying word, IGNORANCE.
Whether it's feeding habits, training, health care, grooming, breeding, or just plain prejudice. All the problems I have with other pet owners and non owners comes down to ignorance.
My biggest pet peeve right now is prejudice though. You see I own 2 American Pit Bull Terriers. And I have been yelled at and berated and condemned because I am also the mother of 4 children ages 7-16 one of which is disabled. This breed I have found is indeed a breed apart! It's drive to please it's owner is overwhelming. Unfortunately this is also the reason these dogs have such a bad reputation. Most owners either raised them to be this way or did not train them properly. Or bought their dog from breeders who have not bred out undesirable traits but actually encouraged the breeding of aggressive and nonstandard sizes in this breed.

My APBT Mathias in this video is breed standard, trained and all that is good in this great breed.

[kristendw78]

People who get a dog, then tie it up outside, and barely throw food and water at it.

I mainly answered this because of the Rottweiler comment. If you are good friends with this person or not, please pass on my story. I had a Labrador/Pointer mix that was about 5 or 6 at the time, and intact. The guy my sister was dating had a Rottweiler that was also not fixed, and was about 8. He moved in with us, and kept his dog in the basement where they slept. One thing led to another, and they mated on at least 2 to 3 occasions. Shortly after, his dog became very sick. When he took her to the vet, he was told she had an infection in her uterus, I believe called pyometra. If she didn't have emergency surgery she would have died. Her uterus was filled with pus and was the size of a 5lb bag of sugar.

That is just one thing that could go wrong. Have your friend check out this link http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/showdogs/bre...ducing.htm and see just how many things can go wrong.