Animal cruelty?

I was accused of animal cruelty while walking my dog today. I don't think I was being cruel, but I like to know others' opinion.


I have a very hyper 10 year old cocker spaniel. I was trying to drag him away from some dog poo that he wanted to eat. While doing that, the leash (one of those that can be lengthened and shortened with a button) malfunctioned and made a big sound. It happened twice. A woman walking her dog from far a way thought I was abusing my dog even when I tried to explain to her. My question is: Is it cruel to pull the dog? maybe in this case a little harder than usual because I don't want my dog to eat other dog's poo.

Agree with cara - who would want their dog eating/rolling in another dog's poo!? I've done this myself ... as long as you don't do it so hard that you could injure your dog ... This other woman obviously cares for dogs, but perhaps she didn't see exactly what was happening ... Only you know, so don't worry about it ....

"I've done this myself" .... Pulled my dog, not ate/rolled in the poo!!lol

Thanks everyone for your feedbacks! I couldn't sleep that night, thinking I have harmed my dog without knowing. I guess I need to read more about dog rearing.

Some training to teach your dog to "leave it" would be good too. (There are videos etc available online to learn how).

I'm guessing the accuser was a local Chinese? If so, typical. I've been accused of cruelty too by a local female. Forget it, and don't lose any more sleep over it. Bet your dog didn't! lol. BTW, as Cara says, those leashes are hopeless. Might be ok for an old dog that just plods slowly along, but in general the person on the other end has no control, especially if they dog is highly active like your old (ish) boy.

It sounds like your dog needs some training. There are certain commands that you much teach your dog for safety reasons and the "Leave It" command is one of them. Retractable leashes are not good for training purposes and can cause harm to both the dog walker and the dog. Yanking the leash suddenly can hurt your dog but you do need to get your dog away from undesirable things when necessary (this can be done without a sudden jerk of the leash). Don't get into an arguement with another dog owner as the negative energy can be passed onto your dog (which can cause further problems). Your dog will naturally want to smell other dogs poo and wee because it carries a scent from the other dogs anal gland which tells the dog which dog has been there. You can allow your dog to smell it but watch that he/ she doesn't want to roll in it (also natural instinct for a dog, so that they can smell like their environment to protect them from predators) as this is not acceptable behaviour in a human world. I am a qualified dog behaviourist. I teach dog owners how to train their own dogs in a language the dog understands. If you would like to know more, then please e-mail me at hkrescuepuppies@gmail.com. Cheers, Hazel.